knitsarina

One step forward, two steps back

2012-01-23T22:44:00.001-05:00

I thought I would have a WIP to show this week. But I failed to check the yarn quantities for the shawl I started to knit. So there was much frogging yesterday. I have a new pattern started, bit there is no enough to show off. So stay tuned for next week.

Quick FO

2012-01-15T21:32:00.002-05:00

I started this on Friday night and it is done. Yes, it was a bit of a stretch to finish it in 2 days. But these were two football days. I knitted as I watched four games this weekend and it is done.

Closeup of the corrugated knitting which forms the cowl. This is a k2, p2 rib done in 2 colors. I had the advantage of using Noro Silk Garden for the second color so I didn't have to join yarns. That definitely sped up the process.Here is the finished cowl. It is bulky but will be warm and definitely cheery. Purple is my favorite color!
I will be taking a few days off knitting before I begin anything new. My hands can sure use the rest. Plus, it is back to work tomorrow so there are fewer hours to knit anyway.

Spinning away

2012-01-13T20:37:00.001-05:00

I have been spinning this week although I am starting a new knitting project today. I felt like color so I picked up some brightly colored Targhee. I love Targhee. It is soft and easy to spin. Here it is in fiber form. I think I have spun about a third of it.

This is a shot of the bobbin with the purple on it. The single is quite fine but you cannot see that as they are all the same color.

So I took this shot. It is part way through the pink after the purple so maybe you can see the single.

Here is another shot. I changed the angle slightly to see if it was clearer. I am going to chain ply it to keep the colors distinct.

More after I start knitting again. Color feels good in these short days!

Kniting and Spinning FOs

2012-01-06T16:50:00.004-05:00

The dancing cranes stole is done. I am very pleased with it. It softened up a lot with a good wash in the machine. Linen is very stiff when it is new but with use and washing it gets softer and softer and softer. I didn't want to give this to someone when it was stiff and rough so I washed it and it softened up considerably. It is nice and drapey now.
Another close up of this beautiful but easy pattern. I love lace patterns like this. They are so intricate looking but really easy to knit.
Here is an overall photo of the stole.
I was planning another project and found that 2 skeins of Claudia's fingering weight yarn is only 350 yds. That makes a pretty skimpy shawl! But I lucked out and one of my handspun skeins goes very well with the Claudia's. What do you think? I will make a shawl combining these. They are different weights but hey, I am sure I can make it work.

I also finished plying some singles I had spun a while ago. I chain-plied it so the color gradient is maintained. I am quite pleased with the results. It is a little over-plied so I have to run it through the spinning wheel again to remove some of the plying twist. But that is a minor detail.

This is the skein. Not very bright colors but quite attractive.

Another year flew by!

2011-12-31T21:25:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year to you, my dear readers! As I write this, 2011 is almost over and I am looking forward to 2012. I hope the new year brings you joy, prosperity and good health. I hope that there is more peace in the world and less suffering. 2011 was a tough year for many folks but there were also some streaks of light in the east. People stood up for freedom and against tyranny. I hope their sacrifices don't go unrewarded.

My goals in 2012 are to work from stash and not to buy more yarn. I have lots of yarn and I am making more.

I started spinning again. I had been on a hiatus since Oct for one reason or another. I plied the singles I had spun back in Oct but I haven't finished the yarn yet. Then I started spinning this Targhee top that I bought on clearance from Woodland Woolworks last spring. I needed the bright colors as it is dreary and gray outside. It also gets dark early so the colors are my way of brightening up the dark days of winter.

I also started another shawl. This is in a linen/silk blend from Colourmart. I had bought 3 cones in different colors a while ago. I am making the Dancing Cranes pattern from Elann.com. It is a simple lace pattern from one of the Barbara Walker treasuries called Japanese Feather. I designed and made a pair of socks with it years ago.

This stole is for a niece who is in India. I think the linen/silk will soften with time and also be cool for the hotter climate. The swatch (pictured above) has a nice crisp hand but is not as soft as I would like. I think I'll machine wash the stole to see if it softens up further before I deliver it.

After blocking pics

2011-12-28T10:57:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd add the after pictures also.

The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful

2011-12-27T11:54:00.002-05:00

I don't know why I do these things. Sometimes I just get on a roll and want to finish a particular project. This one was one of them. I have been knitting the edging for days. The good news first: the stole is done and is blocking. The bad news: my hands hurt. The body of the stole was not a problem. It didn't hurt my hands. The edging did. You pick up sts all around the perimeter of the stole and knit the edging. I think the problem was the k3tog and sssk's that were part of the edging. Or maybe the 800 or so sts...

Anyway it is done. I am going to rest my hands for a few days by doing non-knitting things.

And last but not least, the beautiful: isn't it a lovely pattern? I am very pleased with the outcome.

More on nupps

2011-12-11T15:42:00.001-05:00

Colleen, thank you for the helpful suggestions on nupps. I tried doing the double wraps on some and all of the yarn overs. However, for me, the nupps turned out very sloppy. But your suggestion to tug on the nupp did the trick. For me, tugging on it after slipping the 6 loops over the first p1 made lovely even nupps.

All that experimenting resulted in nupps that looked very different from each other and the result was messy. So I ripped it out and started over.

Now I am happy with the resulting pattern. It is looking like lace. Yay! On with the remaining 10 repeats to finish the stole.

Nupps and beads

2011-12-05T14:24:00.001-05:00

I started knitting an Estonian lace shawl. It has nupps which are like little buttons of yarn. You make a lot of new sts in one st on one row and knit or purl them all together in the next row. People find this to be a pain and often substitute beads for the nupps. Beads are also decorative, so why not?

That was also my plan when I started this shawl. I was going to put little fresh water pearls on the shawl. Well plan A failed because the holes in the beads were too small for two of the yarn thickness to go through. I can. Use them but I have to string them all on in the beginning, which I had not done. On to plan B, which was to try out a very simple method using a crochet hook. That worked but I didn't like the result. It made messy little nupps that looked more like bobbles. Bobbles stick out more and they wobble, whereas nupps don't.

I resorted to making the nupps the traditional way. I simplified the p7tog part of it by purling 1, putting it back on the left needle and passing the other 6 loops over it before returning it to the right needle.

Here's the shawl, or a tiny bit of it. There is a lot of knitting left in this one!

My daughter had an indigenous bead wrap on her wrist. I liked it so much, I got one just like it! Aren't they pretty? I have to see how long it will last.

Back to knitting and nupping!

Picking up and knitting a hem or a facing

2011-11-30T08:45:00.004-05:00

This is a step-by-step tutorial on how to pick up and knit a facing or a hem. A facing is a shaped piece of fabric that is used to cover up raw edges. It is used most often in sewing on the insides of button bands, collars, and neck trim. In this case, I am going to knit a hem that is also a facing. But the process applies to both.

In knitting, facings are most often used to enclose steeks but that is not their only purpose. I am using it here to enclose a steek.

Step 1 is to pick up the sts along the edge that is going to be enclosed. The key here is to pick up sts along a straight column of sts so that it looks neat and finished. This is a view of the picked up sts from from the wrong. You can see that the picked up sts follow a straight line. It is very easy to move a half st over. If you notice this, it takes very effort to start over.
It is easier to see along the yoke where there is less curling. When I picked up these sts, I noticed I was a half-st off when I got to the yoke because I started at the hem. That would have removed a half st from the yoke, which would have been noticeable. So I started over.When you pick up sts, the steek (in this case) automatically turns under. The steeked edge tends curl inwards due to the stockinette. If another st was used, it may not turn under until you pick up the sts. See how nice and flat the steek is? This is why I didn't want to use the crochet steek. If I was knitting, for example, a button band and wanted to knit a facing at the same time, I would pick up a st and create a st by doing a yarnover. So the pattern would be *pick up and knit 1, yo, rep from * to end. Then I would separate the yarnovers by putting them on a different needle. The picked up sts would become the button band and the sts created by yarnovers would be used to knit the facing in the other direction as we will be doing here.

Step 2 is to knit the facing. This is usually in stockinette. Sometimes a thinner yarn is used to knit the facing using the same size needle as the body. This makes for a thinner fabric which cuts down on bulk. Facings can also be used to provide a pop of color when the finished edge turns inside out. This is used a lot on sleeve cuffs. When you fold the cuff up, the facing gives you a different color on the end of the sleeve.
Here is a view of the knitting from the wrong side. In this case, I am knitting a picot hem. So I created the picots along the turning edge by a row of k2tog, yo. After that I continued knitting the hem/facing. In this view, I am part-way along the hem. You can see the row of yarnovers that will make the picots.You can see how flat the steeked edge is and how nicely it folds to the inside. I am doing this all along the front edge.Once you have knit the facing with enough depth to cover the steek, most of the work is done. Step 4 is to verify that your facing will cover the steeked edge. You can fold it along the turning edge (the row of yarnovers here) to verify that it is deep enough. I didn't take a picture of that as I ran out of hands.

Step 5 is to bind off the facing/hem.

Step 6 is to sew it down. I like to sew about every 2-3 sts, skimming through the wrong side of the fabric and then up through one of the bound off sts. If you go all the way through the fabric, it may be visible on the right side. But if you go through the purl bump part-way, it will be invisible. Make sure that you aren't pulling the sts too tight as you sew. Turn it to the right side frequently and check to make sure that the sewing is both invisible and doesn't interfere with the elasticity of the knitted fabric.

You can just run the end of the yarn into the hem/facing and you are done! I like to do a double st as the beginning and and end rather than using knots.

I hope this helps you visualize the process.

Steeking a Bohus

2011-11-27T10:25:00.013-05:00

I finally picked up and worked on the Rose Lace Collar Bohus and it will probably be finished today. I first finished the second sleeve (I had about 10 rounds remaining!) and hemmed both sleeves. Here is an unblocked view. I did a little colorwork on the sleeve cuff.
Then I hemmed the bottom edge.Now I had to cut the center front open. I started doing a crochet steek, but I didn't like it. It was bulky and I was struggling to manage the tiny hook (1.65 mm) and see the rows and sts where I had to pick up the loops. So I abandoned it in favor of a backstitched steek. I did 2 rows of back stitching on the sts that would have been united by the crochet.

If you number my steek sts as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 from left to right when facing the front, I wanted to cut the steek between sts 5 and 6. The crochet steek would have gone through the right leg of st 4 and the left leg of st 5 on the left of the steek, and the right leg of st 6 and the left leg of st 7 on the right of the steek. I backstitched down the right leg of st 4 and up the left leg of st 5 and repeated down the right leg of st 6 and the left leg of st 7. I hope this makes sense. If it doesn't, I can add a diagram.

Here is the stitched and cut steek on the right front of the garment.

It is easier to see on the reverse side as I used a matching color sewing thread. It would have been faster to machine st it but I would have to take out the machine, thread a bobbin, etc. So I decided to sew by hand. As the daylight hours waned, I had to rely on my daylight lamp + magnifier (something similar to this) to see the sts.Here is the reverse where you can see the two rows of pink stitching between my fingers. The steek edge curls to the inside just like with any other steek, that is why I had to hold it open. I picked up sts and knit a picot hem down the front edge and made it long enough to cover the cut edge. I prefer to bind off my sts and then do the hem, rather than securing live sts as one requires fewer sts to hold the hem down and it is less visible from the right side. It also makes a nice edge on the inside. Lastly, here is the view from the right side. You can see the finished edge on the left front and the raw, cut edge on the right front. No unraveling here. The Bohus yarn is very sticky and the stitching does a good job of securing it so it doesn't go anywhere. I suspect that it would have been stable even if I hadn't stabilized the edge. That is an experiment for a future Bohus.

Today I hope to finish the other front and block the jacket. I tried it on yesterday (yes, with cut and unfinished edges) and it looks exactly as I had envisioned it. I don't plan on putting buttons on. It will just be an open cardigan that I can add a pin to, if I wish to hold the fronts together.

A mad rush

2011-11-13T22:03:00.004-05:00

I don't know what came over me last week. I have been eyeing this shawl at the LYS for the past few weeks, and last Saturday I just had to have it. I cast on last Saturday and I finished it yesterday!

Before I show you the completed item, I want to provide a little tip. When you know you are going to pick up sts from an edge, you should plan for the finished appearance. In this case, I am going to increase and decrease along an edge that I will later pick up sts from. Normally, when I increase or decrease along an edge, I do it one st inside the edge so that it looks neat and provides a clean set of sts (without increase or decreases) to pick up in. However, in this case, I also wanted the increase and decrease sides to match and look finished. So I did the increase/decrease 2 sts in from the edge. The edge st was the seam allowance - the st line that I actually picked up the sts in. The second st was the nice clean edge that would finally be visible on the shawl.

Here is the edge before I pick up sts. It is hard to see the last st. The line of sts that is visible is the second column of sts.

In this photo you can see that that line of sts is still visible after I pick up. This also makes it very easy to see the rows as you pick up sts because you have to pick up 3 sts for every 4 rows since I am picking up along a stockinette edge.

There is the finished shawl. I finished it last night but I left on a business trip this morning. I took the shawl with me and wore it on the plane. I blocked it with a steam iron in the hotel room and there it is drying on the bed. It is a lovely, warm and cozy shawl.

The yarn is Cascade Eco Duo in the color Vanilla. I love the warm cream color and the subtle variations in color that stripe across the shawl.

The pattern is from the LYS. I made the ruffle deeper and did an extra set of increases because I had the yarn to do so. My motivation was to use as much of the yarn as I could.

It is like a triangular shawl but the bottom edge is curved. You can see that unbroken line of sts across the entire bottom above the ruffle. That is the second st in from the edge. It makes for a very finished looking edge above the ruffle.

All in all, an easy knit and one that I know I am going to love and wear for a long time.

Knitting and Spinning update

2011-11-06T10:53:00.014-05:00

I finished up a modular pillow for a class that occurred yesterday. It is knit center out from Noro Taiyo using Emily Ocker's cast on. It was a good refresher for me as I haven't used that cast on in years. I enjoyed seeing the colors develop but the knitting was hard on my hands. The cotton/silk in Taiyo was unforgiving and inelastic. But the end result is pretty. I made it reversible but not identical. If you are feeling warm and fuzzy, you can use the warm side.

Or, you can embrace your cool side by flipping the pillow over.
I went to a spinning workshop with Judith McKenzie right after Rhinebeck. It was truly amazing. The workshop was set up by Hansencrafts, specifically focused on the mini-spinner. Beth and Kevin Hansen are great hosts. They had arranged for everything - snacks, coffee, goodie bags and plenty of camaraderie along with the learning.

On the first day, we learned to adjust the mini-spinner so we could spin yarns of different diameters. It was a different way of thinking about diameter. On the one hand, you can control how much fiber you are drafting to change the diameter. Judith's view is that we all have a natural way of drafting and eventually we'll revert to that. So she believes in setting up the wheel to help draft the desired diameter. All I can say is that it works. Here's my ring of samples from thin on the right to thick on the left. Each is plied back on itself so they are all comparable. Can you believe I spun the laceweight on the far right?
We also learned to spin thick and thin yarn. Here's my flame yarn sample. Not great but definitely thick and thin. Flame yarn is thick and thin yarn plied back on itself.
After that we spun a variety of fibers. In this picture of the leftover fibers, we have (clockwise starting at the top left) cashmere, bombyx (cultivated) silk, yak/silk, a silk hankie (from the goodie bag, I didn't spin this although Judith demonstrated how to), tussah (wild) silk, light and dark BFL, cashmere and cotton. Yes, I spun cotton using long draw. It was fun. I didn't get enough twist into it because some of it fell apart when I wound it off the bobbin. But I have more to practice with. I made little 2 ply samples of these and put them in a folder.

We also spun silk noil using long draw and I tried carding some of it. I have some samples but I didn't like spinning it. Bits of cocoon and insect parts fly off in all directions and it is impossible to pick all of it out. I found it messy and a bit off-putting.

Judith gave us some dyed mohair locks to try spinning boucle. I am afraid that I failed miserably. My boucle yarn is coming apart. I used some Habu silk as the core. But then, as we left, Judith explained what I was doing wrong. I have to practice a little with these locks to see if I get it. You have to grab the fiber with the hand holding the core and then slowly release it from the hand holding the locks. I was just holding it close to the core thinking the twist would grab it. We spent a lot of time discussing how to spin for color. Judith gave us samples of color (I took some more later as she wanted us to take the extra fiber to avoid having to cart it back) and we practiced holding 3 colors (A, B, C) in parallel and spinning across all of them. You get color A, color AB, color B, color BC and then color C. After you go back and forth across these a few times, you switch out A for D and continue spinning across B, C, D. Then you switch out B for E a while later. Then A comes back in when C is removed and so on. You spin the next single the same way if you want the colors to line up in self-striping units. Or you can cable the 2 plies together to get a lovely yarn that has spots of color sprinkled all the way through. This one is a test of pure worsted spinning which I have to work on. You don't get the pure color and the dense yarn you need for socks without spinning worsted.

Our goodie bags had lots of things - pins from Zippypins, who was in the class with us, the silk hankie, a clip with beads to help hold the yarn end when taking a break, and some Potluck roving from Ferndale Fiber. I got some Paradise (the green/blue below) in my goodie bag. Later we had a random drawing to select another ball and I picked Paradise again. Lastly, at the end of the workshop, there was still more fiber and we got to pick again. This time I got Stormy Seas. Thank you Ferndale Fiber!

All in all, I loved every minute of the workshop. I came away with a lot of ideas on how to spin and now I need to practice all the various techniques I learned. If you get the opportunity to take a class with Judith, jump at it. She is a wonderful teacher!

Rhinebeck!

2011-10-31T10:33:00.006-04:00

I had a wonderful time at Rhinebeck. For a change, I actually bought quite a bit of stuff. In the past I have bought a few high ticket items but this time it was a lot of lower-priced things. It definitely made the experience different. I had made a note of a few vendors that I wanted to visit but there were a couple of impulse buys.

As usual, I bought soap from Clove Valley Soapworks. They are local and I can buy their soap at a local farm but since I was at Rhinebeck, I decided to stock up. I only use their goat's milk soap now. It keeps my skin from getting too dry and the fragrances are mild but wonderfully pleasant.

I also had plans to buy buttons for my cabled cushion/pillow. I couldn't find matching large buttons but I found these two coordinating Fimo buttons and decided to go with an asymmetric look. I am pretty pleased with the result. I had envisioned large natural wood buttons but these fit the bill. The rest of my purchases (except for one I have not photographed) were all fiber. I did buy another orifice threader from Hansencrafts to use with the Tina. I prefer these to an orifice hook. But that is also something I'll have to photograph later. On to the fiber!

Each of the following is 4 oz. The first is some CVM (California Variegated Mutant)/silk dyed with lac and indigo by Handspun by Stefania. It isn't very clear in the photo but there are subtle mauve tones in it.
Next is a braid from Miss Babs. It is called Scarlet Ibis and is BFL.
In contrast to the brightly colored one above, I bought two more muted braids from Into the Whirled. I don't remember the details but you may be able to read the labels. The left one is Targhee.
Back to the brights, I bought two braids from Gale's Art. She had dyed the blue BFL I just finished spinning and I loved it. The bottom one is called Moldy Pumpkin! So very seasonal. It is a mix of dark and light BFL. I think the other one is called Scarab. Another customer in the booth recommended it as a good color.
I am dreaming of a handspun Log Cabin blanket so I bought a couple of gradient dyed rovings from Fiber Optic. I had bought a couple on sale from Corgi Hill Farm, one of which I am currently spinning. That is rather dull so I wanted a couple of bright ones to enliven the blanket. I think these fit the bill.
And last but not least, some green merino from Spinners Hill. I fell in love with the color. It is a mix of brights and darks.
I had to force fit all this into my fiber shelf. But fiber squishes, doesn't it? I guess I'm all set for the winter. I have bright colors to complement the dark outside.

I also took 2 classes. I took 'spinning the yarn you want' with Amy Tyler and 'getting more productive with your spindle' with Abby Franquemont. I loved both classes and learned a lot. Amy is very organized and taught us to mimic a yarn that was already spun. This was very complementary with the spinning retreat I went to following Rhinebeck. More on that next week. All in all, it was a wonderful fiber-filled, delectable and eye-opening week. There is so much I want to try and work on this winter.

A mixed bag of goodies...

2011-10-06T17:03:00.003-04:00

both figuratively and literally. First the literal part. My Tour de Fleece prize arrived yesterday. I got a lovely spindle bag, a notions bag, a cute guy and 6 glazed donut soaps. So cute! I love goat's milk soap. In fact I only use locally made goat's milk soap from Clove Valley Soapworks on a daily basis. I will be stocking up at Rhinebeck although I can get it at other places locally also.

Now on to the figurative mixed bag of goodies!

First, a lovely blue skein of BFL that I just finished plying. It is a 2 ply from singles that were spun from the fold. The fiber is from Gale's Art, who will also be at Rhinebeck. It is very squooshy.

I also FINALLY finished spinning some white BFL I bought at Rhinebeck years ago when I got my Bosworth spindle. I have been rolling the singles into balls that I will ply some day. I am so sick of white that I need a break. Here is the spindle and all the little balls that have been wound off from it. The tiny ones on the lower left are the first ones I spun on it. The larger ones on top are more recent.

This is what I'm going to spin next on the spindle. Lovely Polwarth from Briar Rose that I got at Camp this summer. She will also be at Rhinebeck.

And last, but not least, is the Rose Lace Collar who may or may not make it to Rhinebeck this year. As you can see, the second sleeve is almost done. I have to do the colorwork, stitch up the hems, crochet the steeks, cut them and then do the bands. Progress is being made slowly but steadily but I don't do well with deadlines and I want to make sure this is right, so I don't want to rush it.

And that is the mixed bag of goodies for now... I won't be posting till after Rhinebeck unless I finish the Rose Lace Collar.

Another shawl complete!

2011-09-24T10:38:00.002-04:00

Timantti is done. I made quite a number of changes from the original. I did the plain parts in garter as I prefer garter stitch for hand-painted yarns. I am quite pleased with the result. I also added a second section of the hand-painted yarn below the lace. As a result, I've used up 2 50 gm balls of Irving Park and what was left of a ball of Violet in Lorna's Lace Shepherd Sock.

I kept the lace in stockinette as I felt it would look better. I am pleased with the result.

I was concerned about the difference in gauge between the stockinette lace and the garter center. To adjust for it, I went up a couple of needle sizes. The result is a little waviness but it actually makes the shawl stay on better.

In retrospect, I should have gone up a needle size in the middle of the garter center and then another needle size at the stockinette. The final garter section is done on the same needle as the stockinette.

I am also happy with the size. I have decided that I'm not a small shawl person. I like larger shawls. So this is the size I like. It goes over the shoulders and keeps my neck clear. I hate stuff around my neck. I haven't found a good way to wear a small shawl without it being around my neck.

Now back to the Rose Lace Collar Bohus...

Shape of things to come

2011-09-18T09:49:00.003-04:00

I have been remiss in posting about the gorgeous stuff I brought back from Camp in July. I can't believe it is the middle of Sept already and I still haven't written about it!

First of all, my prize. This was for the CATS! poster. A Camper had donated this and I was lucky to get it as a prize. It was perfect for a beginning spinner. The white fiber is Corriedale and the braid is alpaca. As you'll see, I came back with a lovely variety of fibers to sample. I am very excited about spinning this. Thanks Linda!

My purchases (and gifts) were few but wonderful from a spinning perspective. The top on the bottom is Polwarth, dyed by Chris of Briar Rose Fibers. She was extremely generous to all of the spinners in the room. Each of us got a gift of fiber and mine was a new-to-me breed!

The blue on top is a silk batt that I bought from Chris. It is the most luscious shade of blue tinged with lilac and even a little teal. I am going to save that for when I have more skill.

The bag contains kid mohair locks. It is the first shearing of the goat so it is soft and silky. The colors (which you can't see well due to the plastic) are mauve to gray. I have some mauve Falkland from a Verb for Keeping Warm, which I bought at Rhinebeck last year. I plan to make faux-rolags of the two and spin them together.

I spun a bit of the blue BFL I started the week before and also plied some yarns together. But more on that next week. Mostly I knit this week. I have made a lot of progress on the Timantti Shawl. I've made a couple of changes. I went up a couple of needle sizes for the lace and switched back to stockinette. This is one of the halves of the triangular shawl so far. I love the colors. The lace is a true violet although it looks blue in this photo.

And here's a close-up of the garter and the lace. I have another skein of the hand-paint, so I may go back to garter after the violet is done. I'm not sure yet. I only have a little violet left and I think I want this to be a bigger shawl than it currently is. I may also do the lace pattern in the hand-paint. We'll see...

I am enjoying knitting and spinning these days. The slump is long over and I wish I could spend my days working with fiber in all its forms. Unfortunately, there is such a thing as a job that pays for all this so I can't.

Finished!

2011-09-11T17:47:00.002-04:00

Breaking news! I just finished the iPad cozy. Here it is, with the iPad in it. I made a giant Elizabeth Zimmerman 1 row buttonhole on each side to create handles.

The gauge is tight but that created a dense fabric that has the body to support the iPad and also to provide some cushioning. I don't think it is suitable to carry the iPad around a lot but it is nice to carry around in another bag that doesn't have cushioning.

Knitting my handspun!

2011-09-11T11:40:00.003-04:00

We've had a lot of rain these past few weeks in the Northeast of the USA. LOTS OF RAIN. The garden is very green, but it isn't good for the tomatoes. There are lots of green tomatoes but not very many ripe ones. Tomatoes need heat and sun to ripen. Let's hope for a bit more heat before the fall sets in. Time is now running out as our first frost date is in about a month.

However the rain brought out the wildlife. A doe and her baby were grazing on the weeds at the edge of our property. I happened to be working from home and was able to snap a couple pictures of the fawn. Great pictures of the rear end of the fawn!

Here's a little bit of the fawn's head. It is looking up at its mother. This was the last I saw of the fawn as it scampered off with its mother to graze somewhere else.

On to knitting. I haven't been spinning much. I got the idea to knit an iPad cozy from a post on a Ravelry forum. It seemed like a great way to use this skein which had some odd colors in it. Lots of a boring natural and then some nice colors. But the proportions of the colors were off for most applications. But it was perfect for the iPad cozy.

I didn't enjoy knitting the brown. It is a very rough fiber. Now I am on to what feels like merino. I am not sure how much yarn I have but it should cover the iPad. If I have more, I will make a couple of giant one row buttonhole handles. Otherwise, it will just be a slide-in cozy.

New beginnings and endings

2011-09-05T17:10:00.002-04:00

I have been working on a cabled cushion cover for a class. It is a very simple pattern with 2x2 and 4x4 cables which give me the opportunity to explain a couple of different ways of cabling without a cable needle as well as teaching the use of one.

The yarn is leftover Cascade Ecological Wool from my CATS poster.

I'll post a picture of the other side later. It is a little different but not completed.

This is the Timantti that I started while I was traveling along with its contrast color. Pretty, isn't it?

I also started spinning this lovely blue BFL (to match my toenails?). I am spinning it from the fold. It is from Gale's Art and I bought it at the Sheep and Wool Festival last year. I love the color. It is a very grey day today and I think these colors are calling to me. That is why I am posting about them today!

My response to Hurricane Irene

2011-08-29T08:21:00.003-04:00

In my preparations for Irene, I decided that I needed to make a statement with my feet. So I painted my toenails blue. I was hoping for a darker, more iridescent blue-purple (as the bottle indicated). Instead I got a lighter, glittery turquoise. But I'm not complaining. I like the color.

So there Irene!

What I did on my travels

2011-08-28T12:51:00.003-04:00

Finally! I have blocked the shawls I knit in my trips in July and August. This is the Here Comes the Sun shawl in Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in Glazed Pecan. Here it is blocking with wires and pins.

Fully blocked and finished. Much prettier after blocking, isn't it?

This is a close-up of the lace pattern.

However, shawls don't have to be blocked to be useful. While I was on vacation, we went to Mackinac Island in Michigan. The morning started cold and windy and I wasn't prepared with a sweater or jacket. But I had my just completed shawl in the car. Voila!

It worked to keep me warm.

The other shawl I completed was Daybreak. The handpainted yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Neon and the tweedy blue is an old skein of Wildefoote in Tom Cat I had picked up on sale somewhere.

In a slightly better light so you can see the real colors. That's all for now....

The silence is over!

2011-08-23T17:12:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the long silence. I was off on a business trip to far-off lands. Of course they had internet access there but the only camera I had was my iPad camera. I knitted half a Citron and ripped it out because I dropped a few sts and for some reason, couldn't fix it without a huge hole. I started to just rip out a section but ended up ripping it all out as I wasn't happy with it.

Then I knitted a Daybreak shawl. I will post pics after I weave in ends and block. I also have knitted half a Timantti. Pics are forthcoming in the next post. Yes, I know I owe you a lot of information but since I'll be home for the near future, there is plenty of time to catch up.

In the meantime I thought I'd share a picture of my bed in one of the hotels. I came back after a client meeting/dinner at about 11:30 pm to find this! Yes, those are orchids on the bed. The tray just contains the laundry bag and the breakfast menu. Don't miss the mat and slippers on the side of the bed. There was another set on the other side. I was so tired that I was about to shove it all aside and get into bed but then I thought I should share.

I put the flowers on the tray, moved the slippers/mat on my side of the bed, changed into pajamas and crashed. Despite the elegant arrangement, I much prefer my bed at home - without turn-down, flowers or a clean mat and slippers.

Tour de Fleece wrap-up

2011-08-06T10:37:00.000-04:00

This is the first skein I completed during the Tour. Woolen spun, 2 ply of BFL/Silk from Corgi Hill Farm. I spun from a carded batt.

This is the second skein. I spun 2 of the singles during the Tour and finished the third single and the plying last week. This is a 3ply worsted spun from combed top, also BFL/silk. It is also from Corgi Hill.

I am very sad to report that knitting guru, friend and mentor Joyce Williams passed away on Tuesday. She was the author of Latvian Dreams and co-author of Sweaters from Camp and Armenian Knitting. I met her at Knitting Camp and was privileged to call her friend.

Exploring new media

2011-08-03T12:13:00.004-04:00

Or, my camp contest entry...

The theme this year was Musicals. I wanted to explore something called electroluminescent wire. But, I am cheap. I didn't want to pay for shipping multiple times and none of the stores around me stock this. So I designed my project based on internet research and no actual experience with the wire. I don't recommend this

I planned to make a poster of the musical CATS with light-up yellow eyes and light-up white lettering. I carefully tried to size how much wire I would need. Failed miserably

I enjoyed the process of creating the intarsia patterns to make the poster and surprisingly, I even enjoyed knitting it. I am not a fan of intarsia but in small quantities, it is fun. I thought I would duplicate stitch the wire over the intarsia.

Then I ordered the wire and it came. It is pretty exciting stuff. Depending on the length of wire you need to light, you have a power system - an inverter and a battery or a plug. So you have to decide in advance how much wire you need so that the inverter can be sized accordingly. I ordered 4 ft of yellow and 4 ft of white.

Unfortunately, while the diameter of the wire is smaller than the diameter of the yarn I used (Cascade Eco Wool), and the wire is very flexible, it is not capable of being knitted or stitched at the same gauge as the yarn.

So I resorted to plan B.
Here is the poster, unlighted. I used the white wire to make cats' whiskers to highlight the fact that the poster is the image of a cat's face.Here it is lit up. I opted for a battery pack so that it would be portable. It is pretty cute lit up.I used the yellow wire to outline the eyes. Not wonderful but adequate.
I had to embroider the finer details around the eye to make the dancers in the poster.
This is the other eye.

While this wasn't the most successful project in showcasing the media, I am excited about playing with it. I can re-use this wire to see what sort of gauge I can get with the wire. Then I can actually knit with it. It will also help me estimate how many yards I need and get the right power source.

I came in between 5th and 10th (lost track of the counting) so it wasn't the best contest entry either. However, I won a prize that was tailor-made for me so I am very happy. I will give you the details of that and my Camp acquisitions next time.

Tour de Fleece week 2 + Camp

2011-07-21T11:37:00.001-04:00

Week two begins with more of the red fiber. I am really enjoying spinning this.

I finished spinning the first single on day 9. I also started on the second single. Monday, July 11th is a rest day so I don't know if I will spin or not.

I was at Meg Swansen's Knitting Retreat 2.75 last weekend. I only spindled when I was there.

I was also working on a class sample while I was there. It is called 'Here Comes the Sun'. I just finished binding it off and wanted to show it in its non-blocked state. It is blocking that brings out the magic in lace and you'll see that when I post the blocked version.

A close-up of the stitch pattern follows but the color is off in the photo. It is more accurate in the photo above. The yarn is Madeline Tosh sock in Glazed Pecan.

Tour de Fleece week 1

2011-07-09T11:45:00.001-04:00

I actually spun every day this week and I got a lot of spinning done.

I started with this lovely green BFL/Silk batt from Corgi Hill Farm. I spun it woolen long draw for the first time. You can see little pigtails hanging off the bobbin if you look carefully. This is my day 1 photo.

Single # 2. Much better. More even and no pigtails. Day # 2.

Day # 3 was devoted to spindle spinning. I am way past park and draft now.

I finished the second single on day 5. Work got in the way and there was no spinning on day 4.

I plied the singles on day 6. It is a lovely yarn and is hanging in the bathroom to dry now.

I am so in love with BFL/Silk that I began spinning this gorgeous red on day 7. Worsted spun so you can see and feel the luster of the silk.

I am posting this for the first time from my iPad. Next week I will be at Knitting Camp so I am practicing.

The Tour de Fleece

2011-07-01T16:02:00.002-04:00

Those of you not on Ravelry or not into spinning are going to be completely amused and befuddled by this entry. The Tour de France (a bicycle race) starts tomorrow. Since many of us work on wheels of a different sort, someone came up with the idea of having a parallel contest for fun. It is for spinners, i.e. those who spin. The whole thing is a play on words but it is a way to challenge oneself, try something new and make a commitment to spinning for the duration of the Tour.

There are teams on Ravelry. You pick a team based on any or all of the following criteria: your friends, your tools, the fiber you want to spin, your goals and objectives, and potentially any other criteria that make sense to you. I am on a number of teams besides the big team of everyone who is doing the Tour de Fleece.

The first is for Spindlers. Spindlers are people who spin on a hand spindle. Here you can see my fiber - baby Icelandic roving that I got at Rhinebeck last year. The picture also has my new spindle that I am inaugurating for the Tour this year. It is also from Rhinebeck, from Golding.

I am also on Team Footloose, which is for people spinning on the Hansen mini-spinners. I will be spinning on the Hansen when I am home and on the spindle when I am on the road as I will be for part of the Tour.

The other team I'm on is Team Corgi Hill Farm, which is the source of the fiber I will be spinning on the Hansen. This is the luscious loveliness that I am going to be working on. I will start with the two green batts on the top left. They are wool/silk and I am going to teach myself to spin them woollen.

The top right fiber is a Blue-Faced Leicester/silk blend in a color called Poppy. The bottom right is yak/merino/silk in a color called Copper and the bottom left is camel/silk in Purple. I will be spinning in that order and we'll see how far I get.

Seasonal color

2011-06-26T13:06:00.003-04:00

Looking out through the french doors in my family room, I see my backyard. There is a really good mix of greens at this time of year. There are blue-greens and yellow-greens and all together, it is the color of the season.

Maybe that is why I was drawn to this superwash merino top. I got it as a gift from Thérèse, the genius behind knitfinder, the easiest way to find patterns that meet a set of specifications. At the time I got it, I didn't think I could do it justice but it seemed just right for now.

This is what it looks like as top. I liked the colors but I didn't have any inkling of how it would spin up. This is what is left of the first half of the top which came in two balls.

This is what a single looks like. As you can see, it really reflects the colors out in the backyard. I will be doing a 2 ply. The superwash merino is a long stapled fiber and it drafts easily.

I am including a picture of my bobbin and flyer on the Tina as I have a question. How would you switch from hook to hook to even out how the single winds on to the bobbin? I have tried going up one side and down the other, going from the first on the right to the second on the right, then second on the left to third on the left, etc. and from the first on the right to the first on the left and then the second on the right to the second on the left. I like the first method best but the singles wind on in lumps. The other methods seem to make for an more even wind-on but are not as easy to actually execute.

A match made in heaven

2011-06-19T09:03:00.002-04:00

Plane journeys and knitting are a match made in heaven. I had a couple of really long flights with the associated airport waits last week. I started Taygete at the airport when I began my trip. I finished it yesterday. The really boring part - the garter st section - was done at airports and while I was flying. I walked up and down on a long layover, people-watching and knitting.

I am really happy with the result. The colors are beautiful. The yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Pioneer and River. The River really brings out the colors in Pioneer.

Isn't that cool?

Pioneer never appealed to me till I put it next to River and now I love it.

There is the finished shawl as it might be worn. It is too warm here to model it right now.

I think it is back to the RLC after this. I don't have any other trips planned so I can finish it. I don't understand is why, no matter when I start a Bohus, I always end up with the sweater bulk in my lap in the summer time. I must really be bad at planning my Bohus knits.

A shawl kick

2011-06-12T16:41:00.002-04:00

Here is Different Lines all done. 4 leftover balls of sockweight yarn used up. Still needs two ends darned in and blocking.

In the meantime, I started Taygete, in two colors of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn: one is Pioneer and the other River.

That is the striped section, the l-o-n-g striped section. I am done and have picked up for the lace section.

This is the main color - Pioneer. I really like it.

The tale of two shawls

2011-06-04T10:25:00.004-04:00

I was traveling last week so I did a lot of knitting. I finished this shawl. It is a version of Stripe Study, made out of natural undyed alpaca. The black was leftover from a previous project so I used it till it was gone. Amazingly, it ended correctly at the end of a row. I then continued with the gray. Both are from local farms. I picked the black up at the NY Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck a few years ago. The gray is from Woodstock Knits. It is called Bare Alpaca. The hand is lovely.

The gauge on this is larger than the pattern calls for. I did it in a sport weight yarn instead of a sock weight yarn. But I adjusted the needle size and knitted it to the dimensions called for. Alpaca stretches so I made it a little smaller than I ordinarily would with wool.
Then I started another shawl. Garter stitch and sock yarn make great travel knitting. It is compact and easy. I took bits of leftover sock yarn and started this. It is almost done. I have 4 inches of the plain teal to knit and then I bind off. I like how it is turning out. If I run out of the teal, I will continue with the the green handpainted yarn. The two handpaints are Koigu Painter's Palette Merino, the camel is Stahl Socka and the teal is Lang Jawoll.
When I finish this, I am starting a Taygete in 2 colors of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the multis. Again, simple travel knitting. When I get to stay home, I will finish up the RLC sleeve. It is also mindless but the bulk of the sweater makes it difficult to carry around.

I will leave you with 2 photos of my hotel room from the last trip. The first is looking into the bedroom from the tub. Yes, that is a glass wall in the shower. There were electrically operated blinds in the shower but I didn't figure that out till the 3rd day. Thank goodness I was alone in the room. This next photo is from the bedroom looking into the bathroom. You can see the sink and the tub/shower. The toilet is behind the frosted glass doors on the far side of the bathroom. There are frosted glass sliding doors at the entry to the bathroom also.
It was a very nice hotel. Rather modern but comfortable. Not enough outlets and the lights next to the bed were dim. But otherwise quite comfortable.

My first spinning FO!

2011-05-20T09:12:00.003-04:00

The Shetland has been washed and dried and is ready to use. I have 3 skeins and I think this is enough for a project.

Here is an overview of the 3 skeins. I think it is roughly between fingering and sport weight.

Close-up showing the grist. That is a US quarter underneath.

The 3 skeins need to be used in sequence as one of the singles gradually increases in value from light to dark. The light is in the right and the dark is on the left in this picture. I have to label them to make sure I use them correctly.

A productive week

2011-05-15T17:30:00.002-04:00

I started knitting this Stripe Study Shawl in natural alpaca last Wed and have made quite a bit of progress. Of course, each row gets longer and longer so it goes quickly in the beginning. I love knitting with the natural alpaca. The gray is Woodstock Knits Bare Alpaca in Silver Gray and the black is leftover from skeins that I bought at Rhinebeck a number of years ago.

I have a tip for you on how to tell whether you should increase or not when you are increasing every other row. I put 4 markers on the needle - 3 orange and 1 yellow. When the yellow is at the beginning of the row, I increase. When it is at the end of the row, I don't. I find this a lot easier than trying to keep track of it by putting a pin on the increase side. The pin tends to drop further and further below as you knit - so you have to move it up as you go. This color marking is easy and always on the needle so it is easy to check.

I also finished plying the Shetland top I've been spinning. I have to skein it and set the twist. Here are the two large bobbins of plied yarn. The color will keep changing and so don't rely on the colors that you see. I was able to ply every last bit by using a book and a pencil to create an Andean plying bracelet.

I am excited about finishing this as it is my first large spinning project. It is fairly even yarn and I think it will be very knittable.

Awash in natural tones

2011-05-08T09:07:00.002-04:00

It seems like all the projects now are in natural tones. The RLC has been put away till the next two projects are done. The one above is what I'm knitting. It is the other end of the spectrum from the RLC in terms of needles and gauge. I am constantly marveling at how quickly it grows!

This is what is left of 8 oz of Shetland top. It will be the last of 4 bobbins. 2 bobbins were in value order from the light to the dark. That will be one single.
This is the third bobbin. It is spun in random value order and random lengths. I just reach into the bag above and pull out a color and spin it. These two bobbins will be the second single. I am enjoying this process but I really want some color!

Deadline Fail!

2011-05-03T17:15:00.002-04:00

I wanted to finish the Rose Lace Collar by the end of April but I didn't make it. I have one sleeve almost complete. Now I have to stop to finish up a couple of other projects with deadlines before I get back to this.

You can see the sleeve here. I have a few more rounds to do before I bind off.

I added a little color detail from the yoke on the cuff. Otherwise I thought a plain pink sleeve was a little bland - both for knitting and for wearing.

Lastly, here is the finished Navajo-plied skein. I am pretty pleased with it. It looks like a real yarn and although a bit thick and thin, it is far more even than the previous one. I think this could be a nice hat or cowl.

First skeins

2011-04-24T15:16:00.002-04:00

I have a couple of first skeins to show off. First the oogly one - the colors are ugly, the yarn is ugly and I just don't like it at all. This was spun up from miscellaneous fiber which included the first and the last of my first bobbins. This picture shows some of the better and the worse parts. The black and red isn't bad - it is composed of the last singles I spun. The grey/taupe and red are the worst parts. The red is among the first stuff I was spinning when I was struggling to draft. The gray is the same Shetland top I am currently spinning but it is just awfully drafted - big blobby bits. The two singles I plied together were spun on the Hansen - the black and the taupe - and the Tina, the red and the gray.

On the whole, I am not disappointed as it shows the progress I have made. But not something that I would show off with pride.

This is the second skein. Also miscellaneous fibers but plied using Navajo plying. The singles are more consistent although all of them weren't spun by me. The teal and purple were on the Hansen bobbin when I got it. The rest of the colors are my singles. This is not bad. It is pretty consistent yarn and I could make something like a cowl with it. I plied it on the Hansen. I am enjoying spinning on the Tina and plying on the Hansen.

Not bad, eh? I could show off this skein.

Lastly, some progress on the RLC. Sleeves are started and making progress, albeit slowly.

Wish me luck on finishing the two sleeves by the end of the month. I have to stop then and work on a couple of things that have deadlines. It would be nice to have completed the knitting and just have the finishing left to go when I have to stop.

Accomplishments!

2011-04-17T12:38:00.002-04:00

I have a number of things to talk about this week. I didn't post last week because I was traveling. Also, I had nothing to say. This week is different.

Let's start with a surprise. I got a surprise gift from a friend/colleague in Germany. Two balls of lovely sock yarn. The colors are nice and spring-like and they made my week. What a thoughtful gift.

Next, I finished the body of the RLC last night. I bound off the hem. It is meant to be a short cardigan/jacket. Next it is on to the sleeves which should be more interesting since there is at least some shaping.

Here is a close-up of the picot hem I am doing. It will be on the sleeve cuffs, the neck and the bottom band. I think it is in keeping with the feminine colors.

Lastly, I just finished plying my first handspun yarn. You can see the mess I started with - the gray and the red. The brown is much later spinning and you can see how much nicer it is. The beginning of this skein is a mess. The ends (inside the bobbin) is much nicer. But it is a huge accomplishment and the red yarn really showed how much progress I have made since I started. Much more even both in spin and in grist.

This is my kate set-up. I still have half a bobbin of singles from the Hansen. I think I will practice Navajo-plying with it. The empty bobbin is from the Tina. That was where the red yarn was. The Hansen is a breeze to ply on! However, I found that it is hard to start and stop plying, and my hands did get tired. I will have to work on how to put down the plying half way to take a break.

All in all, a good week for accomplishments but not a great one for energy. I was very tired this week and it is only now that I am recovering my usual energy level. I was a bit nervous trying to ply for the first time when I was tired. But I think now I can do it even in the evening. It is much more mindless than spinning.

A love story

2011-04-03T09:43:00.005-04:00

Many, many moons ago, I saw some Shetland top and fell in love. I wanted to spin that top so badly, I decided to learn how to spin. I bought a wheel (Little Gem) and didn't love it. I sold it and bought a lovely Tina II. I loved the wheel but didn't love the spinning. It was too much like work, and not enough like fun. But that top - sitting in my guest bedroom - was still calling to me. So I persevered, and struggled, and finally tried a Hansen mSpinner, and it was so easy. I played. I spun up all the miscellaneous fiber I could find as practice. I filled a bobbin. It was easy.

Then I went back to the Tina. Remember, I loved her. I wanted to have the same fun with her. It was a bit of a struggle. She was petulant, sulky, and moody because I had neglected her for the Hansen. She didn't want to spin, she squeaked, she dithered. But I lavished attention on her. I oiled her, I adjusted her bands, I fussed and fawned over her.

Remember this photo from the beginning of the Tour de Fleece last year?
It is OK, not the greatest yarn. Looks more like a mess, but it is yarn.
Here is the result of yesterday's spinning. The braid is done and the singles are resting , waiting be plied with the miscellaneous singles spun on the Hansen. I don't have high hopes for this yarn. It is my experiment and I'll be happy if it is usable. If not, it was good practice.
This is a dyed BFL I bought at Rhinebeck two years ago. It has a lovely sheen which you can see in the photo with the flash.

So Tina and I are a couple again and I will start spinning the Shetland top on her today. Again, it may not be the best yarn, but it will be fine, and I'll have something to show for it. There is always more of that Shetland when I want more.

In the mean time, here is the RLC. I have made good progress on the body. Of course, it seems endless. But I love knitting it because the yarn is so luscious. Also, it is pretty mindless so I can pick it up and put it down any time. 5 mins here and 30 mins there add up.
Signed,
Hopelessly in love

Tutorial: Mug cardi/coaster combo

2011-03-27T09:17:00.006-04:00

My knitting is progressing, but not very interesting to show again as I am working through the endless stockinette that is the body of the Rose Lace Collar.

Instead, we are going to take a detour and explore yet another use for socks with holes in them. We will be making a mug cardi, coaster combination. I call this a cardi rather than a cozy because it has button bands and buttons, just like a cardigan. It is a great way to explore steeking and get over one's nervousness at cutting one's knits. Also, it is a lovely use for those leftover, pretty buttons that aren't useful for anything else. You might have cut them off a favorite sweater or coat that has seen its last days, or maybe you found them in your grandmother's button box, or maybe you bought them on a whim because you liked them. Whatever, it is a great way to use them.
I started with these socks that had started to wear on the heels. The rest of the sock was in great shape.
I measured the bottom of a mug and cut a round from interfacing allowing a little extra all around. It is pretty stiff stuff. I then used this interfacing as a pattern to cut two circles from the foot of one sock, adding in a seam allowance. It so happened that I was able to squeeze both circles from one foot by leaving one side joined (therefore not requiring a seam allowance on that side). I also stretched the sock a bit. I don't recommend this because it did give the coaster a tendency to curl up. This doesn't affect its utility as the mug will hold it down, but it does affect its aesthetics.

If you can't fit this into one part of the sock, you will have to cut part of the sock up one side and make a flat piece. Do the same with the other sock and use one flat piece for the bottom of the coaster and the other for the top. The foot is a good part to use for the coaster.
I sewed the two circles together around the interfacing with a sewing thread and backstitch. Then I used some coordinating leftover yarn (mine was actually a worsted weight yarn so it is a bit heavier of an edge than if I had used sock weight yarn) to make an attached icord edge around the circle, enclosing the seam.

Since I was using a much heavier yarn, I had to adjust the row count to fit it flat around the coaster. If you are using a yarn that matches your sock yarn, you can work to the same gauge as the original sock (i.e. I used a lot fewer rows to go around the circle than I would have if I had used a sock weight yarn but I also have a much more prominent edge)
Voila! a coaster.

Next, I cut one of the sock cuffs to the height of the mug (from the top of the sock down) and worked a backstitched steek (exactly like a machine-stitched steek, but I used a backstitch instead of a machine-stitch) down the length of the cut piece and cut it.

I decided to put the sock ribbing on the bottom of the mug, so I worked the same attached icord edge around the top of the cardigan. The reason I did this was because the icord was so thick (remember I used a heavier yarn) that putting two icords together (from the coaster and the mug cardigan) would have made it rather bulky. Also, I thought the icord edge was rather pretty and wanted it on top. You can decide to do whatever strikes your fancy. But if you are going to put the icord on the bottom of the mug, you may have to plan and make your coaster a bit larger all around to accommodate the width of the icord in addition to the mug.
Lastly, I picked up sts from the steeked edge and made tabbed, seed-stitch button and button hole bands to close the cardigan around the handle. In this case, I had to make one of the bands quite wide as the sock was a good bit narrower than the mug. This is how you adjust the circumference of the cardigan to fit your mug. The bands have a section that is narrow and then a tab in the middle that extends out to go under the handle. I found two matching buttons and sewed them on. One larger button would also be sufficient. Plan your button band and buttonhole(s) to match the button(s) you have selected.
And there you have it! A cozy cardigan for your mug, a matching coaster to protect your surface, a chance to practice some new techniques, and a good use for a holey sock.

Been busy knitting

2011-03-20T12:20:00.002-04:00

I didn't post last week because I was busy knitting and I didn't have much progress to show for it. When you go round-and-round below the yoke, it looks much the same regardless of how much knitting you have done. But I was able to divide for the sleeves and body during the week so now you can see how much I have done.

The stripe down the center is my steek. That will be cut up the front to make the opening for the cardigan. This is the boring part of the knitting. I get to go around and around on lots of stitches with no shaping or anything to break up the boredom. The sleeves are more fun because there is at least some shaping to do. But I am putting on podcasts or TV and knitting away.

I hope to show you a few more inches of body next week. I had set myself a goal of finishing this by the end of March. I won't make that but I really want to get this done and move on to other knitting that I want to get done.

I think I'm getting this drafting thing

2011-03-06T12:59:00.004-05:00

I have spun up all my miscellaneous fiber, i.e. fiber that has an uncertain provenance in my memory. I have one last braid of some dark brown to spin up. Can you believe that I went from an empty bobbin to a half full one in a little over a week? I was struggling to spin on the Tina when I was not completely fresh in mind and body. It felt discombobulating if I was the least bit tired. This, on the other hand, is something I am able to do for a few minutes a day and work on improving my drafting. I have been watching Rita Buchanan and Patzy Z draft and experimenting with my hands.

I also have been working on the RLC. The short rows are done and I am now committed to knitting in the round for a long time. I love, love, love the Bohus yarn in my fingers. It is so wonderful and the fabric it creates is immensely satisfying.

Madrona 2011

2011-02-27T10:49:00.005-05:00

I didn't post last week because I was at the Madrona Fiber Arts Retreat in Tacoma, Washington. I love going there, not only because it is more specialized than some of the other fiber retreats, but also because many of my friends gather there. We all stay in the same hotel so it is easy to interact and hang out. The classes are also different from the ones offered at the NY Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck , New York.

I made excellent progress on my Rose Lace Collar. The yoke is done and I am now on the plain stockinette part.

I love the colors in this yoke. So muted, and yet so interesting.

My first class was from Janine Bajus on designing fair-isle yoke sweaters. I love Janine's approach to color in fair-isle. She is a wonderful teacher. I made a little American Girl doll sweater. I am not happy with the colors. I will post a picture one of these days. I have put away most of the stuff that came back from Madrona so it isn't readily available to photograph.

I also took Susanna Hanson's Bohus class. Yes, I know I have made a lot of Bohus sweaters, but the class covers the history of Bohus Stickning, and Susanna brings the vintage sweaters that she collected. She is also a great teacher. Very organized and methodical. I have updated the blog page so my photos of the vintage sweaters are a slideshow. There are too many photos to post on the page directly. If you want to see the whole album, it is here.

Lastly, I took a knitted and beaded beads class from Betsy Hershberg. Here are the beads we made in class.

The left two are knitted coverings on wooden beads. The right hand one is a soft bead made entirely of yarn and beads. We have instructions for a few more that we didn't get to in class. I plan to make these on my own. This class has given me lots of ideas that I want to play with. I wish I had more time in the day!

I bought this Betsy Hershberg kit before I took the class. It makes this lariat necklace from Knitters magazine. I bought it because it was the last kit with the gray yarn I wanted. The others were much brighter and I felt the colors would limit the opportunities to wear it. I think this could be a weekend project one of these days.

I bought a few more odds and ends but my biggest purchase was this lovely Hansen mini-spinner in purpleheart and maple. I have been spinning a little every day on it. I love it because I can really focus on my drafting skills without worrying about treadling and speed.

I also love the orifice threader I got with it. It is made of mono-filament and it much easier to use than a hook. I am busy spinning up odds and ends of roving that I've collected for practice.

This little ear-light is something that I'm looking forward to using when I'm in the car or in the plane, and the light isn't great. There is also a useful folding Ott light on my shopping list.

That is all for now... Back to spinning and knitting

Delicioso!

2011-02-13T09:32:00.002-05:00

Progress is slow but sure on the Rose Lace Collar. I thought I'd have more done but I had a few busy weekday evenings and didn't get to knit. I hope to do a few more rounds today. I had to undo a 312 st round because I mixed up the colors as I was knitting. I somehow misinterpreted the chart and used the wrong colors so I had to undo and redo it. Oh well. Twice as much fun!

I wore the silk featherweight cardi to the yarn store yesterday and had a few pictures taken. This is the nicely blocked version. It really does look nice and it is a lot warmer than I anticipated.

The front.

The back

And the front again, with the front panels laying nicely. I was styled for this photo!

What is the common element among these two projects? The lovely yarn!

Progress!

2011-02-06T11:54:00.002-05:00

Last week was an excellent knitting week. I was able to knit a lot and I was motivated to knit a lot!

First of all, the Swedish Heartwarmer Shawl: I was able to finish a lot of the plain stockinette. I have about 25% left to do. It is difficult to photograph because it is scrunched up on a relatively small needle and it curls up. The fabric is very dense and I like it. It will make a nice warm shawl. I wonder how the colorwork will look in such a fabric. The blue is a little deeper than the photo indicates and I love the very subtle shading of the different colors.

Next up is the Rose Lace Collar Bohus: I am about on round 10. There are 63 rounds but the st count also goes up as you work through the chart. So there is quite a bit left to do. But it goes fast once I sit down and start to work on it. There is a nice rhythm to each round. The problem I have is that once I start, I don't like to put it down and pick it up. I like to sit down and work on it for an hour or more and that sort of time is not as easy to come by. But it is so much fun!

Here's a close-up of what I've done so far. I started with a provisional CO as I prefer to work the neck later. I've done it both ways and I like this way better. I haven't decided yet on how I want to finish the neck.

This is what the knitting looks like. The markers are for the steek. I am going to make a jacket, I think. But all that is for later. Right now I am just happily knitting away.

I decided that my attraction (or lack thereof) to what I'm knitting is very dependent on the yarn and the fabric. Both of these yarns/fabrics make me happy. I love the feel of the yarn in my hands and I love the fabric I'm getting.

Next week I hope to show you the completed yoke. But maybe not! Wish me luck!

New beginnings

2011-01-30T15:02:00.002-05:00

I took some pictures of the scarf at different angles to try to show the pattern in a more detailed way. I am trying to get more artistic with my photography. Bear with me as I learn. I blocked the scarf last weekend and it became really soft and fluffy.

That is the side with the solid color on the front. The darker parts is the reverse side where the variegated color is the front.

This shows the two sides at the same time. I think it will look very nice when worn. I made it quite long so it can be wrapped and tied in various ways.

Here it is draped over the sofa. I was trying to get the pattern to show on the variegated side and I think I succeeded in this photo. In most of the others, it looks like a blended color with no distinction between the front and the back side. This scarf would look much better in two coordinating solid colors, I think. Or a variegated that contrasts with the solid rather than one that matches, like this one.

I spent last Sunday winding yarn and putting together project bags for the next two projects. They represent quite a contrast in color. This is the yarn for the Rose Lace Collar Bohus. It is a very wintry and subtle mix of hues. I cast on and have knitted 3 rounds so far. I started with a provisional cast-on so I can come back and finish the neck later. I haven't quite decided how I want to finish this. It will be a cardigan. I have a steek in the center front so I can do the colorwork in the round.

The other project is the Swedish Heartwarmer shawl and the colors for this are vibrant and strong. I have also started this as it is a fairly mindless knit in the beginning and I can work on it when I'm tired or traveling.

Both these sets of colors are inspiring me and I am knitting a lot more than I have been in the past 6 months. It is a little strange for me to start two different projects at the same time but I think these are very complementary in terms of their life cycles.

Scarf is complete!

2011-01-23T15:34:00.003-05:00

Despite the rough beginning, the end of the Sush-ushi scarf knitting was fairly tame. Once I got the rhythm of the pattern, I was able to make good progress because I could pick up and put it down without losing my place. For some reason, it took me a lot longer to 'get' this than in other patterns. Some of it may be due to the way the pattern was worded. But anyway, it is done. I am not posting any new pictures till it is blocked because I like the photos I posted last week.

One thing I want to point out as a tip is that it is easier to bind off if one follows the directions for the Kitchener Rib bindoff in Katharina Buss's Big Book of Knitting. For some reason, I found the directions in the Knitting Brioche book to be unnecessarily complex. One needs to treat the yarnover and the st as one but that is the only special consideration for brioche st.

Next on the list is a toss-up between the Rose Lace Collar (my next Bohus) and the Swedish Heartwarmer Shawl (that is my friend Steph's version). I think I'm going to start the Bohus as it is most interesting in the beginning and then the Swedish Heartwarmer Shawl - which is most boring in the beginning. Maybe I can alternate the two depending on whether I want a mindless knit or one that keeps me occupied.

Off to wind a lot of yarn. Both of the new projects have a lot of colors to be wound.

Slow but steady wins the race

2011-01-16T13:48:00.002-05:00

This week has been a tough one for knitting. I thought I would make more progress on the scarf. However, I have found that if I make a mistake, it takes a long time to fix it. The longer the period between making the mistake and recognizing it, the worse it is. Tinking is the only way to go back - unknitting one st at a time. Brioche is tricky to rip out and pick up sts.

In the case of the scarf, there are a lot of decreases that involve 4 sts. Unknitting those is a pain, making sure you've picked up all 4 sts. Going back one row means you can avoid unknitting them. If you have to go back 3 or 4 rows, you have to undo those decreases. Also, each row in 2 color brioche knitting is 2 rows of actual knitting. This is because you are really double knitting - making two fabrics at once. Ensuring you are undoing both sides accurately just complicates the problem. Also, I have two colors that are very close. This makes the problem tough to deal with in the evenings when they seem to blur together.

But let's take a look at an easier knit. I finally blocked the silk cardi. I haven't worn it since I blocked it so no pics with it on me. That is next. But here it is drying. I put it in to wash and forgot all about it. I wash handknits in my washer - filling, then turning it off, waiting and then draining and spinning. I woke up at 4 am and remembered it so ran down, pulled it out and laid it out to dry. That is why it is lying on a fitted sheet! Normally I use a flat sheet but this what I pulled out of the linen closet at 4 am.

I think the scarf would look better in two solid colors. But maybe not. I like the contrast of the two sides so I took these pictures. As you can see, the scarf is much longer now. How long should it be? The pattern says to use all the yarn but I think the Alpaca Sox yarn has a lot of yardage. It might make a very long, skinny scarf.

I flipped the two sides and took this picture. I think I like the other one better. What do you think? It takes me 1.25-1.5 hours to knit one repeat if I don't make any mistakes. I find that it is easier to just do one repeat w/o a break as the rhythym keeps one from making mistakes. My goal is to do 1 repeat a night this week and see how long it gets. Then I will decide whether to bind it off or continue. Wish me luck!

I am sorry I am not posting every week. I just find that with this scarf, there isn't a lot of progress to show so till I move to another project, there may be some gaps in the blog. Sorry!

A lesson in humility

2011-01-02T11:18:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year! Here's to another year of togetherness and fiberlicious fun!

I have been knitting for decades. I can't even remember a time when I didn't knit easily. Therefore, while there are many patterns that I find challenging, it usually only takes me a few tries to figure it out. In some cases, I was misunderstanding what was intended and in other cases, the pattern was wrong. Therefore, I approach knitting with confidence and maybe a sense of arrogance. Until now...

The designer of this scarf says "This is a very challenging knit for someone unfamiliar with brioche knitting. It uses 2-color brioche and reversible increases and decreases. I would advise first downloading the free BEBEB scarf pattern to practice 2-color brioche knitting before purchasing this pattern.". I read that. I also have knitted 2-color brioche - I made a 2-color hat knit in the round as my very first brioche knitting project. It has increases and decreases. I have also knitted a whole garment in brioche knitting - with increases and decreases. Therefore, I wasn't too concerned about the scarf.

I even thought I could knit it while traveling. I knocked that off the list pretty quickly when I discovered that I had to spread out the pattern while beginning. This was not very practical on the train or plane. So I waited till I was at my aunt's house in Bengaluru before I started it. I spread the pattern on the bed and curled up to begin. And I cast on, and ripped, and cast on and ripped and cast on and ripped. First I ended up with 35 sts after casting on with 36. Again and again. Then I tried casting on with 37 and ended up with 37. Persistence and obstinacy are my middle names and so I kept at it. I eventually figured out why I was losing that 1 st.

Then I learned that what I thought was meant by an abbreviation is not exactly what someone else means by that very sequence of words. sigh Rip... The next problem was that the 2 colors I was using can be very close at times. So I was getting them mixed up. sigh Rip... After that I mixed up the knit and purl rows. sigh Rip Fortunately, each of these failures only meant that I was ripping out a few rows at a time. Eventually, I was well on my way to getting through the first repeat of the pattern. Yay!

Pride comes before a fall.... I thought I could now work on it on the plane trip back. So I packed it in my carry-on baggage. bad move The security guard at Dubai airport decided to inspect my needles and pulled a bunch of the sts off the needles. Plus I lost one of my lovely Holtz and Stein ebony needles along the way. sigh I wasn't far enough along to attempt to fix the problem on the plane. The issue with brioche knitting is that it looks like a mess at first. It takes a few rows before you get to the point where you can see what is going on. Rip

But all's well that ends well. I got past those problems. I am now even repairing dropped sts along the way without ripping. And therefore ta-da!

Here is the variegated side of the scarf. Isn't it pretty?

And the solid side....

It isn't blocked and therefore it is a little wonky. It is a pretty easy knit once you get the hang of the pattern. You have to keep track of where you are and make sure you aren't dropping sts on the decreases where you are working with 4 sts at once. But other than that, it is fun and I'm quite happy with the results. The colors are not me but the yarn is soft and warm. It will make someone a lovely scarf.

And it got me back into knitting in a big way. I am enjoying knitting again and I have high hopes for 2011! The morals of this story are what I tell my students all the time:

Don't be afraid to rip. Each time you do that, it is a learning experience yeah right..
Don't assume. Read the instructions and the abbreviations.
Pay attention to your knitting
Be confident. It is just knitting. You can figure it out. There is nothing too hard in knitting.

Bangkok.. the conclusion

2010-12-26T23:49:00.011-05:00

Another picture heavy post... I hope you are enjoying this mini-travelogue as much as I am enjoying putting it together. It helps me relive the vacation and reflect on what I saw and learned.

Bangkok is famous for its floating markets. We visited one of the larger ones, I think. You hire out a boat for an hour and are paddled around the market. You browse through the stores, some of which are on boats and some of which are on land. Vendors in boats also peddle food and drink. Some of it looked very interesting although I did not experiment with street food on such a short trip. This is one of the quieter parts of the market.
This is a close-up of one of the stores that were on land. As you can see, the wares are displayed so as to be easily viewed from the boat. The store owner and the oarsman (in our case it was an oarswoman) cooperate to keep the boat close to the store. The store keepers also had hooks by which they could snag a boat and bring it close to their store. They also used this to hand items to people on boats who couldn't come close to the store (you'll understand why very shortly).
Bangkok is notorious for its traffic snarls. The floating market is no exception. We were caught in this jam for quite a while. It was a lot more enjoyable than being caught in a car jam as one can people-watch, shop and enjoy the nice weather. This is also why boats can't pull up to a store sometimes. Interestingly, the boat owners provide hats to the renters... The hats are a necessity as the sun is hot. Fortunately I had brought sunscreen although I didn't bring my hat to the market.
We also visited the Thai Human Imagery Museum. While this is reminiscent of a wax museum, the figures are made of resin, not wax. The very first one I saw made me look twice because one of the docents was explaining that we shouldn't sit on the furniture or touch the figures. Behind her were a couple of lounging figures and that is when I realized that they were part of the display! As we left, I saw a man sitting on a bench. He was very still and by this time I was conditioned to expect displays in the public areas of the museum. I was convinced he was part of the display till I saw that he was swinging his keys back and forth!
These men are playing chess.
There are also images of famous people like Mahatma Gandhi and Abraham Lincoln. But most of the figures are from Thai history, culture and religion. A small museum but a real gem.

The next day we went on a temple marathon. Bangkok is full of lovely Buddhist temples called Wats - each with its own flavor and architecture. We only visited a few of the major ones. We started at Wat Phra Kaew - the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Sadly, the temple itself was closed that day due to some event that was taking place. But the grounds were open and there was a lot to see.

Right in front of the the entrance to the temple is a shrine where people can make offerings. There are a number of figures in this enclosure.
This is the ornate entrance to the temple. Since I couldn't see the Emerald Buddha myself, I thought I would share this image with you. It was as close as I got to it.
There are a number of other structures in the courtyard, representing different periods of Thai history and architecture.
This tower has a number of very intricate figures at its base. Each one is different.
I have already forgotten what each one of these is but the variety in the architecture was fascinating.
Each gate is guarded by these tall guardians who represent characters from the Ramakien, Thailand's national epic.
The galleries around the temple are filled with murals depicting scenes from the Ramakien. Gilt paint is used prominently in Thai art and architecture - as is evident from these photos. It shines very brightly in the sun and highlights the details of the decorations.
Adjacent to the temple is the Grand Palace. This used to be the residence of the royal family and is still used for some ceremonies. It too was closed so we couldn't see the museum or the throne room inside. We had to be content with the courtyard and the architecture.
This structure is used by the king to mount and dismount from a ceremonial elephant. It is very beautiful in its proportions and architecture.
Another lovely structure. I really enjoyed looking at all the buildings and I think I've fallen in love with the roof lines of Thai architecture. They are so graceful in the way they reach up to the sky.
The next temple we visited was Wat Pho - the temple of the Reclining Buddha. This Buddha is truly gigantic, in contrast to the Emerald Buddha. How serene his face is...
This is a view of the entire length of the Reclining Buddha, trying to show the scale of the figure.
The soles of the Buddha's feet are intricately engraved. The toes have prints on them. What a gorgeous work of art!
Lastly, we visited Wat Traimit - the temple of the Golden Buddha. This Buddha is lovely and so is its shrine, which has recently been renovated.

After that, we went to Chatuchak market which is a fascinating maze of the most incredible stuff - from things you would find at any flea market in the US to lovely handicrafts and silk as well as modern decorative arts. The rest of the time was spent with family - eating and visiting and lounging around. I wish we could have spent more time there. Bangkok seems to be a fascinating place to explore - let alone the rest of Thailand, which has a lot to see and do.

Now I return you to our regular scheduled knitting...

Cambodia

2010-12-19T10:25:00.008-05:00

Continuing the travelogue, we went sightseeing in Cambodia. This is the longest and the most image heavy post.

Specifically, we went to see the temple complexes at Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. What I didn't know is that there are dozens of temples in this area because it was the capital of the Khmer empire for centuries. Angkor Thom means 'Large city' or 'Major city'. The city where one stays is Siem Reap which is a major tourist destination, now that Cambodia is at peace. Cambodia is a very poor country and is mainly agricultural - a major rice exporter. Therefore tourism is a very important part of the economy. The sad part is that most of the investment is by foreign private companies so the profits tend not to get re-invested in Cambodia.

One of our first stops was to see the giant inland lake called Tonlé Sap. There are fishermen who live in floating villages on the lake. However, this is the end of the rainy season so the lake is very high and they stay in the river till the water level drops. Here are some of their boats on the river.

We also stopped by a memorial to the victims of the Pol Pot regime that ruled Cambodia from 1975-1979. One of the killing fields was near Siem Reap and this honors their memory. There is also a bulletin board with photos showing the history of the time and what was discovered after the regime was overthrown.

Enough with the modern stuff, let's move on to the twelfth century. We started at a temple called Ta Prohm. It has two claims to fame. It was featured in the movie Tomb Raider and it is kept in the condition that the entire set of ruins was found in. The entrance is featured above.

There are many interesting tree roots in and around the complex. Sometimes they are literally holding the stones together, and at other times they are driving them apart. We photographed one interesting root structure above. The two legs hanging down look like a human rear end.

This is an example of the tree featured in the movie. A large network of roots hanging down is photogenic. I haven't seen the movie so I can't tell you what the tree was used for.

An important feature of all the temples is the lovely carving that decorates them. Here is an apsara, or divine nymph, dancing. These carvings have inspired a style of costume and dancing that is featured in the area.

The guides bring us to these scenic photo spots. Here is the central temple at Angkor Thom, called Bayon, reflected in a pool. The entire area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many countries are working cooperatively with the Cambodian government on preservation and restoration of these priceless ruins. We saw Germany, France, Belgium, India and other countries' projects.

One of the key features of the Bayon temple are these lovely faces. Here are three in a row. They represent the Boddhisatva Lokiteshwara or the King Jayavarman as the Boddhisatva. Cambodia practices Theravada Buddhism.

This is the entire temple complex at Angkor Wat reflected in a pool. It is huge and this photo doesn't do it justice.

This is another view to show the scale. We are looking from the second level gallery out to the external wall. This level of the gallery has stories from Hindu mythology carved all along the sides. Beautiful carvings.

Here is an example of some of them.

These are women (and men) who dress as Apsara dancers and charge tourists money to get their picture taken with them. A way to make money. I am sure the costumes are quite expensive to create and maintain.

This carving is from a temple called Banteay Srei. It is the only red sandstone temple in the area and is one of the older ones. It is from the tenth century. Some of the carvings, also representing Hindu mythology, look as if they were done yesterday. It is very interesting to hear the Cambodians carefully pronouncing the Sanskrit names and telling us the stories from our own mythology.

Lastly, this is a carving from the only brick temple in the area, called Prasat Kravan. Next time, we'll go to Bangkok, Thailand.

Breaking a long silence

2010-12-12T03:34:00.003-05:00

Please accept my apologies for being absent without leave (AWOL) for so many weeks. I have been feeling guilty but I had very little to talk about. But now I am back and I have lots to talk about. I promise to be more regular as we move forward. It is the lack of knitting content that was keeping me silent.

First of all, the featherweight cardi is done. This is a bad photo of it in its unblocked state. I need to block it today. I wore it a few times and enjoyed it. It also came in useful as I needed a light cardi right after I finished it.

One of the reasons I was silent was that we made a quickly planned trip to India, Cambodia and Thailand. More on the latter two in the coming weeks. This post is devoted to the India part. We went to visit family so there isn't a lot to blog about with respect to activities. There was a lot of visiting, eating and a little shopping.

While I was in India, I took a solo train trip to visit my aunt and uncle in Bengaluru, Karnataka state. The visit itself was fun and uneventful but both ends of the train trip were fraught with excitement like a pair of bookends. To set the scene, it had been raining heavily off and on while I was in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. My train was scheduled to depart at 6 am and I had arranged for a taxi to come and pick me up at 5:15 am to get to the train station on time.

I woke up at 4:30 am to find it raining cats and dogs. I didn't think much of this as trains in India deal with rain all the time. I showered, dressed and finished packing for the 2 day trip. At about 5:05 am, I started looking out for the taxi. They usually come about 5-10 mins early. In the rain and early morning darkness, it was difficult to see whether it was there or not. But I hung out on the porch looking for it.

At 5:11 or so, the power went out. Now, it is common for power to go out in India and most people have batteries on inverters that provide power for a few lights and fans for an hour or two. However, in the house where I was staying, the battery wasn't holding a charge for more than a few mins worth of power. So we hurried to look for flashlights and candles. Being guests, we didn't know where these were. My hostess was still asleep as far as I knew. Our host was up but was floundering as badly as we were. My husband kept a watch out for the taxi while my host and I continued with the hunt for the lights. At 5:20, defeated, I gave up and went to wake up my hostess. She was up and had her cell phone out wondering if the taxi driver might have called her for directions.

She came down and got the candles lit and called the taxi company. They gave her the number of the driver's mobile phone. Unfortunately, he was still about 20 mins away due to the rain and bad planning on the taxi company's part. By now it was 5:30 am. We waffled a bit - first we told him to cancel and I decided to give up on the trip; then we remembered that there was a train an hour later and called back to tell him to come anyway.

I rolled up my jeans to the knees so I could wade around in the water and puddles. My husband came with me to the station to see what we could do about getting a seat on the later train. We were at the train station by 6:10 am or so. Sadly, as we expected, the train had left on time despite the rain. The Indian railways are one of the most amazing logistical operations in the world. They move millions of people daily with minimal disruption due to weather and other conditions.

We dashed up to the counter, waited in line (my husband went to the info counter to find out what we needed while I waited in the reservations line), filled out forms while we waited, and were able to get a seat on the later train. Yay! This was done by 6:30 am! The next train was at 7:15 am so I had a bit of time to wait. While we were waiting for the train, I thought I would call my cousin's husband in Bengaluru and tell him I was coming by a later train. He was going to meet me at the station there.

We had left our Indian cell phone back home here in the US so I had borrowed a pre-paid cell phone from my nephew. It didn't work so I thought it was missing minutes. My husband said he'd make sure some minutes were added to it but I gave him my cousin's husband's number and asked him to call. It is a good thing I did because the phone was missing its SIM card! It was just a pretty weight in my bag.

After all this excitement, the rest of the trip was anti-climactic. But it was fun. I met up with a number of crafty Ravelry friends. I was meeting them in real life for the first time. They were hospitable and generous. They brought me gifts. I feel very guilty that I didn't bring them anything, but I have ideas for the next time I visit. Here's the entire group. What a lovely group of ladies and two gorgeous sons!

If you've been following along, you'll remember that I said there was excitement at both ends. I made my original train on the way back. I made small talk with the lady sitting next to me, I napped while listening to my ipod, I ate my breakfast and drank coffee and was anticipating seeing more family members in Chennai.

After we left the penultimate station, the train suddenly stopped for about 10 mins. This is not unusual as sometimes trains have to wait for signals outside stations. But suddenly, a large number of porters boarded the train and told us that the train wouldn't be moving for a couple of hours! For people who were getting ready to disembark, these statements caused total disbelief. A few of the men in the carriage got down and checked on the situation. Unfortunately, it was true. The porters told us we were about 1.5 km from the destination station. We had two options: walk along the tracks to the station or get onto a road near-by and find a taxi or auto-rickshaw to take us to our final destinations. Since I had no idea where we were, I opted for the former.

A very nice gentleman helped me get out of the carriage (it is a l-o-n-g way down when there is no platform) with my bag and we walked together to the station. He was very companionable and we had a nice time chatting as we walked. As we walked, we ran into the problem that had held up our train.

This locomotive had come off its rails and was blocking our train. [You can see our locomotive on the right hand side] It belonged to an oncoming train that was on a parallel track. The amazing thing is that no one on either train was hurt. But our train had to wait for the locomotive to be put back on its rails before it could continue into the station.

One of the things I love about India is how friendly and inquisitive everyone is. I had a nice chat with my co-passenger on the train and found out all about her family, where she was going, and other little details about her life. The gentleman who walked back to the station with me also shared information about his family and his business. He even complimented me on not looking my age. In return, one is expected to share the same sort of information about oneself. Maybe I've been in the US too long but I don't like to tell people where I'm from. I am willing to tell them where I'm going, all about my family etc. But not where I live. I think I've lost some of that Indian generosity of spirit by being so reticent.

More on various other aspects of the trip in future posts as well as my next knitting project.

Lots of stuff!

2010-10-24T19:34:00.002-04:00

I didn't post last weekend because I had a busy weekend at the NY Sheep and Wool Festival. I have no idea why I didn't post the previous weekend. So, to make up for all that, I have a lot to talk about today. It is a real mish-mash of stuff.

First of all, aren't these cute? They are popcorn cobs from my CSA Farm. Apparently I can pop them right on the cob. I haven't tried that yet. It will be a treat for the week.
A couple of weeks ago, I had an open house at my place for some of the local knitters I've met through our local yarn store. It gave me the opportunity to photograph these two Faroese shawls that are similar to the one I made from sock yarn. It is a great way to use up those single skeins of sock yarn and because the st count varies with each row, you don't get splotches of color.
Here's a photo of our happy crowd! We were so happy to sit and chat and eat lots of goodies. Everyone brought goodies so we had more than we could consume.
Another photo of all of us. So many bags of knitterly things...
Now, on to my activities on the fiber front...
I've made good progress on the silk featherweight cardi. The body is done and I'm on the first sleeve.
I also got a haul of red mink/cashmere yarn from Great Northern Yarns. I wore the shawl I made from it to the Sheep and Wool Festival. It kept me warm and lots of people fondled me (in a very fiber-y way). My hands were kept warm by the fingerless mitts I made from the leftovers. One of the knitters at Camp had a jacket made out of this yarn and she inspired me to make one for myself.
In contrast to that lovely yarn, here's my very first spindle spun skein! It is a mix of different fibres but it was spun and plied on my Bosworth spindle. I took a class at the Sheep and Wool Festival for the first time. I plied the yarn in the class and finished it this morning. It isn't much but I'm proud of it.

Now on my acquisitions from the Sheep and Wool Festival. I had a ball most of the day helping out at Jennie the Potter's booth. It was a very exciting day and it helped me keep my purchases to a minimum. I really need to make a dent in what I already have rather than adding to my stash.
I bought a niddy noddy to make skeins from my handspun. It is a pretty basic one.
I bought a Golding Tsunami spindle made of purple heart. There is a better picture further down on the Golding page. It is a lightweight spindle, to complement my mid-weight Bosworth. I want to try spinning some laceweight.
Lastly, I bought 3 oz of Icelandic lamb roving from Frelsi Farm. The black yarn in my spindlespun skein above is Icelandic roving and I loved spinning it. The lamb is very soft but supposed to be easy to spin. So I thought I'd try it on the spindle.

The class really re-ignited my interest in spindling and so I am now going to do some more with it. It probably will mean even less knitting. I'm not sure how to fit everything I want to do into my life!

Tutorial: hand-warmers

2010-10-02T10:21:00.003-04:00

This is the second in the series of what to do with your hand-knit socks after they have worn-out soles. Here is a lovely sock in a mohair/wool yarn that I loved to wear. It was soft and warm and cuddly. Unfortunately, it developed a number of worn out spots on the heel. This sock was knit toe-up so the method I used in the cup holder won't work. You can't unravel a knit backwards. It will only unravel from the bind-off to the cast-on and not vice versa.

So I snipped a st and unraveled a row right where the heel began.

I then used a contrast colored yarn and picked up sts right below the cut edge. In this case, I think I did it two rows below so it wouldn't unravel any further. I then knit a hem that would cover the cut edge, did a turning round and knit the inside of the hem. I stitched the live sts down on the inside to completely cover the cut edge.

These socks had a rather long cuff and also some shaping at the ankle. That makes them rather long hand-warmers. A shorter cuff will yield wrist-warmers.

You can also knit on a thumb gusset and hand and convert them into fingerless mitts. In that case, I would do a blanket st or overcast st on the cut edge and tack it down to the newly knitted fabric. Embroidery floss is good for this as it is soft and you can match the cut edge color very closely. You may need to use only 3 or 4 strands of floss.

Maybe the slump is over?

2010-09-25T10:20:00.005-04:00

I have been knitting away on my featherweight cardi. As you can see, I have made progress beyond the yoke and am about half-way down the body. It is a lovely knit, lightweight and soft, and since it is just stockinette, it is pretty mindless. The only thing I have to watch out for is that I don't miss one of the 3 strands as I knit.

I was going to put a lace border on and have been scanning my lace pattern books looking for an appropriate design. Unfortunately, nothing is calling to me right now so I may just stick with the stockinette and leave the lace for another version. I have lots of lace weight yarn and this pattern is a very easy one to wear as it is lightweight.

Today's topic, though is the follow-up on the other two books I recently purchased. Dover had a sale so I bought the two re-published Alice Starmore books and the new commemorative Knitter's Almanac. Now to compare and contrast the old and the new editions of these.

I had the UK version of the Fair Isle Knitting book. So the cover is a bit different from the US version. The left is my older hardbound copy and the right is the new paperback. The paper is glossy and nice in both editions. There is no new content as far as I can see. This is a great book to learn the techniques of Fair Isle knitting and also to get a compendium of fair-isle motifs to pick from.

The patterns for garments in the book call for 2-ply jumperweight. The older edition mentions Jamieson and Smith. The new one doesn't. The older edition mentions the shade # in J&S as well as the name. The new edition just mentions the name. So you will have to find a supplier who keeps the name along with the number if you want to source it.

At the back, there is a new About the Author section which has a bio of Alice Starmore and a list of her books. On the facing page are photographs of 3 of her later designs Mara, Marina and Oregon Autumn. Both the back and the front of each are photographed.

The last of the 3 (I did Aran Knitting last time) compare and contrasts is Knitter's Almanac. Both of these editions are currently available from both Dover and Schoolhouse Press.

As you can see, the new edition is much larger and is hardbound. The content is of course, unchanged but there are some goodies in it.

The first is a lovely reproduction of a Andrew Wyeth painting featuring the Maltese Hat. Andrew's wife is a knitter and an Elizabeth Zimmerman fan and this is a favorite.

There is a new introduction by Stephanie Pearl-McFee.

The garments have all been re-knitted and are photographed in color.

There is the mystery blanket...and some mittens for winter.

Confessions of a book addict

2010-09-14T19:19:00.006-04:00

I thought I would show you some of the things that have been occupying my time lately. I grew the tomatoes and peppers above in pots on my patio and porch. The tomatoes are called Sungold cherries and they are the most amazing, sweet tomatoes. Eating them is like eating candy!
This gorgeous bowl of red cherry tomatoes came from the Community Supported Agriculture farm. Also, the lovely heirloom varieties below. They come in all colors of the rainbow. I didn't get any of the purple ones this year but there are green, yellow, orange and red tomatoes and each has its own unique flavor.
I am really enjoying the vine ripened tomatoes, peppers and greens. I love greens. I could spend my life eating just greens. The only thing I don't like is cleaning and cooking them. But one can't have everything that one wants.

Today I am going to do a comparison of the original and the new editions of Alice Starmore's Aran Knitting. I can't resist buying books. I bought the new edition published by Dover even though I had the original book. But it provides a good opportunity to see what has been updated in the years since the original version was published.

The books are approximately the same size. The new one is softcover whereas the original publication was hard bound. The new one is slightly smaller than the original.
Some of the photos are the same but many garments have been re-knitted and feature new photographs. Here is Irish Moss in the new edition (left) and in the original (right). The colors of the new garments are generally more vibrant and feature Alice Starmore's Hebridean 3-ply yarn. Some call for Bainin (which I believe is being reissued) and Scottish Fleet. You can see the newer versions of the patterns at Virtual Yarns. The new edition also includes an additional pattern as well as information about Alice Starmore's yarns.

I really like the new pattern. It isn't boxy and is very feminine. It is called Eala Bhan and Alice Starmore says that she originally knit it for herself. She includes the pattern to show that Aran patterns can be fitted precisely to the body. As you can see, this is one curvaceous garment!The instructions are a combination of written instructions and charts and cover 11 pages. This is because of the precise shaping instructions that are included and I think the end result is worth it. Of the many patterns in the book, this one immediately caught my attention. Now, maybe that is because the others are very familiar, but it might also be because the body skimming Eala Bhan will suit many real women. It doesn't hurt that it is knit in a color that I love. The yarn used is the 3-ply Hebridean yarn.Next, I will do a compare and contrast of Alice Starmore's Fair Isle Knitting and also one of the commemorative edition of Knitter's Almanac. The latter was brought out by Dover to celebrate Elizabeth Zimmermann's 100th birthday in August.

In a real slump

2010-08-29T13:04:00.003-04:00

No knitting going on here. I finished the silk sweater up to the armholes. Now I have to split the sleeves from the body and start knitting the body. It is just sitting there.

I have wanted to update the blog for the past couple of weeks but somehow, even that seems uninteresting when I have nothing to show you. I played with the blog format a little, hoping that will enliven it.

I just passed the 3rd year anniversary of the blog. That seems such an achievement! I am motivated to continue but given that I am knitting so little, I wonder what I'll post about.

Lastly, my yarn store is closing and I will be using this blog to communicate about my classes. I am planning to continue teaching from my house because I love it so much. But first, I have to get my knitting mojo on.

Silk: it is what's for summer

2010-08-08T14:48:00.002-04:00

I have always been a lace or sock knitter in the summer months when I am rational. When I am irrational, I have knit heavy sweaters and bulky shawls and almost died in the process. This summer, I am enjoying the process of knitting with very fine silk. It is light and easy on the hands, and doesn't add any heat to one's body.

You probably saw the cone of silk when I was asking for opinions on what to knit for Camp. The swatch on the right is the one I knit before Camp that gave me a slightly smaller gauge than the pattern called for. The one on the left is the one I knit after, with 1 size bigger needle. Now the number of rows and stitches are not the same in the two swatches so they aren't comparable by observation.

Swatch on the right was on 4 mm needles:

36 sts = 5.5 - 5.75 inches (depending on how I pat it out) - not quite 6 spi
42 rows = 5 inches - not quite 9 rpi

Swatch on the left was on 4.5 mm needles:

30 sts = 5.5 inches - more than 6 spi
54 rows = 7 inches - way more than 9 rpi

Pattern gauge:

24 sts = 4 inches - 6 spi
36 rows = 4 inches - 9 rpi

I liked the fabric I got with the 4 mm needles so I am going with that and making adjustments as needed to the garment so it fits. I will also measure the gauge after I have knit a bit of the garment to see if my gauge is different. It is slow going as there are a lot of sts but I am enjoying the process and in no hurry to finish it.

In this photo you can see the top of the shoulder and the front to the left, and the rest of the cardi bunched up on the right. I wanted to show you the raglan line treatment that I am doing. I am not following the pattern on this as I love this particular raglan line. I may also add some lace to the bottom to lengthen it but that is a decision for later. The color is lovely, the yarn is beautiful, it is relatively easy knitting and very relaxing for the summer.

Tutorial: Cup holders

2010-08-01T09:58:00.003-04:00

Since I haven't done much knitting this week, I thought I would give you some ideas. If you have been knitting socks as long as I have, you end up with socks that have holes in them. Even if you darn them, eventually the sock fabric is so thin that you have to either re-knit the thin part or toss it out. But there are usually other parts that are in perfect shape and it is a waste to throw the whole sock out. Today, we will reincarnate sock legs into cup holders. They make quick gifts and you can make one to fit every cup you will ever use and keep them in your purse, your backpack, your tote, your car, etc. Each pair of socks makes at least 2 cup holders.
Here is one of my dearly-beloved socks. The sole is really worn thin.
I snipped a thread right where the heel began. This is where the thin part is. My socks wear at the heel and the ball of the foot. Then I unraveled a row of sts. This is a top-down sock so unraveling is easy. If it is knit toe-up, wait for the next tutorial because the sock won't unravel properly in this direction. Here you can see where I cut and separated the good part from the worn part.
Next, measure your cup and mark that distance on your sock leg, starting at the cuff. Unravel the yarn to about 1" shorter than that mark. Wind up your yarn into a small ball so you have it to knit from. If you can't do this, or your sock leg is too short, find some yarn of a similar weight that will look good with your sock and use it.

Now knit 1" of ribbing in either your unraveled yarn or the matching yarn. Don't worry about kinks in the unraveled yarn. They will go away when you wash the cup holder. Bind off loosely in rib and ta-da! you have a cup holder. Here is the pair I made from those socks. They fit a Starbucks Grande and a Venti cup.
If you don't have worn out socks, do not despair. Just take some left over sock yarn and knit yourself a sock leg without a foot and you have a cup holder.

It is a matter of preference whether you like the cup holder to cover the entire cup (as above) or leave some space at the top and bottom (as below). The lid will cover the lip of the cup but sometimes I like to take the lid off and drink. If you are like me, you will prefer the holder to be slightly smaller than the cup. The cup holder below fits a number of different cup sizes.You can practice a new stitch pattern (as I did) or make it plain with some ribbing. Your cup holder will keep the drink warm (or cold) and prevent condensation with cold drinks.

You can also make ones that fit your water bottle to keep the condensation from dripping onto things.

Use your new eco-friendly (recycle, reuse) cup holder and water bottle cover in good health!

A quick mindless knit

2010-07-25T09:57:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, I asked for votes on what to knit at Camp. The votes were mostly for the silk cardigan. I swatched but I didn't get gauge so I have to swatch a bit more to determine if I like the fabric I got, or if the fabric at the specified gauge is better.

Therefore, I started knitting the shawl at Camp. I didn't have to worry about gauge and the fabric was garter stitch. Easy peasy. The pattern I wanted to knit was the Weaver's Wool mini-shawl in an older Schaefer yarn called Judith. Here are the two colorways I had leftover from other projects.

I finished the shawl on Friday and washed and blocked it yesterday. I started with the lighter colorway, knitted 6" with just it. Then I started alternating the lighter and the darker colorway - 2 rows of each - till the lighter one ran out. After that I just kept knitting the darker one till it ran out. I had a bigger ball of the darker one in addition to the smal ball I show above. I am quite pleased with the way it turned out.
Here it is, as it would be worn, from the back.

From the front, with the ends just hanging there...

I crossed the fronts here, as they might be if tied or pinned...

This is the shawl laid flat to show the coloring and the shape. I love the way the colors have worked out.

I want to welcome the folks who stopped lurking and started commenting. I love hearing your thoughts and comments. Please keep it up! For those who weren't at Camp, I hope you enjoyed the virtual tour that I sent you on - on other folks' blogs grin

Camp and my contest entry

2010-07-18T10:27:00.005-04:00

I did not take any pictures at Camp this year. I realized this only after I came back and unpacked my camera. I didn't even take it out of my backpack! I have no idea why. So I am going to point you at some other blogs that have pictures.
knitaddict, feralknitter and fibernating are just three that have pictures I like.

I am going to show you my contest entry instead. The theme was Elizabeth Zimmermann's 100 year anniversary. I designed and knit a commemorative scarf in Joslyn Fiber Farm's Shine. This is a 50/50 wool/silk lace weight wool. I believe the base is the same as Zephyr Wool/silk but dyed by Joslyn. Rumor has it that she is closing down her business but here is her site. She is a great dyer so if she is closing down, it will be a loss. I bought this yarn at my very first Knitting Camp (2005?). I picked patterns from a Schoolhouse Press book - the company that Elizabeth Zimmermann founded. I called the scarf Peaks and Valleys because that is what I think life is all about. The patterns are from the Second Barbara Walker Treasury.

This is the center of the scarf. I knit it up from both ends and grafted it in the center. This pattern is one of the peaks.

These are the valleys which separate the peaks from each other. You can see the rivers running through them.
More peaks...
The two ends were in garter stitch, Elizabeth Zimmermann's favorite stitch. I wrote KNIT ON on one scarf end, and
EZ 8 9 1910 (her birth date) on the other.
Here is the blocked scarf draped artfully on the couch. It is very soft and lovely. I used the leftovers from Stor Rund Dug to complete it and I have tons of yarn left over.
I think I came in 6th or 7th from the top. You will probably see the winning entry on one of the other blogs. It definitely deserved it.

Lace weight knitting is lovely for the summer because it is light and portable and not very bulky on one's lap. Of course, I had to start a shawl in sport/DK weight at Camp and it is exactly the opposite of desirable summer knitting - bulky and hot. I didn't do the featherweight cardigan because I didn't get gauge on my swatch and I want to swatch some more before I decide if I like the fabric I got in this swatch so I will rework the numbers, or if I like the fabric I get with the specified gauge.

Knitting Green: a review

2010-07-11T13:14:00.000-04:00

Knitting Green is a book that I submitted some designs for. They were accepted but didn't make the book - which is not unusual. I'll post them at a later date for your viewing pleasure. Anyway, the premise of the book is a broad brush across eco-friendly knitting. In some cases, it is the object that is eco-friendly, in other cases it is the yarn or both. It is an interesting set of designs that result from this idea.The cover shows a market basket, a tank and a jacket. I really like the jacket. All three are made from eco friendly yarns (Eco wool, jute twine and organic cotton).
This montage is across from the cover page and I picked it as it shows a number of the other designs. A cashmere shawl, a skirt, slippers and a market bag. There are 22 designs in the book along with 8 essays on wool, knitting green and other related topics. 7 designs are for tops, 1 skirt, 1 hat, a set of fingerless mitts and matching socks, 2 wraps/shawls and 2 scarves. There are also some miscellaneous items which I will show you.

The first is a soapnut sack. Soapnuts are the round objects in the pictures. In India we call them aretha nuts and they are used for washing hair. We boil them and then squeeze them to extract the soapy liquid which is strained and used as shampoo. In this case, you put the whole nuts inside the sack and throw it in with your wash to clean your laundry. The sack is made of hemp yarn so it should hold up very well for many years.The next item that I liked is this organic cotton/linen lace tunic.
This is cute baby rattle (there is also a pattern for a bear) in organic cotton. Not sure how practical this is but it is adorable.
Here's the hat - in organic wool
I also liked this soy-silk kimono.

Here's a knapsack in naturally dyed pima cotton. I'm not sure how practical this is either as cotton will stretch with weight but it is a very attractive knapsack.

This is the only recycled item in the book. The yarn here was recycled from a silk skirt. I was disappointed that there weren't other projects that could use recycled materials.

All in all, it is a reasonable addition to a library with a variety of classic patterns that will remain in style over time. I see these as patterns that can be used over and over which is also ecologically friendly. Given that it is not clear how ecologically friendly many of these yarns are, it would have been nice to have more projects that used leftovers or recycled yarns or objects. But since yarn companies want to showcase their yarns in books, I can see why that might not be the best business decision.

I found the book pleasing to look at. I haven't read the essays yet. I am looking forward to that on my trip.

Opinions wanted

2010-07-04T13:09:00.004-04:00

I know I promised you a review of Knitting Green. I have it done but I'm going to post it later in the week so that you have something to read while I'm away at Knitting Camp next weekend. That is not the real reason though. I need opinions on what to knit next.

I've made a promise to knit only from stash this year. And I am finding it quite enjoyable to pull out bins and pick out yarns that I love. But it also makes choices hard because there are so many!

Here goes...

First, what project should I take to Camp to knit on? I am taking the Skew socks that I started a while ago. But in case I need something more mindless, I need another project. Door # 1: This mini-shawl in the following two leftover Schaefer Judith alpaca yarns. I have more of the darker colorway so I'll do some sort of pattern with the two colors.

Door # 2: Featherweight cardigan in this colormart silk

So which one should I take? Post a comment with your vote

Next, I am planning to knit the Sushi Ushi scarf for a class this fall. Here are three color choices - all in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn.

Choice # 1:

Choice # 2: The balls are the same as the skeins wound up just to give you a different perspective.

Choice # 3:

Again, post a comment with your vote...

Thank you for your assistance!

A short little update

2010-06-27T21:25:00.002-04:00

I had meant to do a review of Knitting Green in this post but the weekend got away from me. I had commitments that I had not anticipated and that left me with no time to craft a review.

So this is an update on knitting and cooking:

Knitting: the contest entry is moving along. Nothing much else to say about it.
Cooking: I want to recommend garlic scapes to everyone. They are a secret guarded by those who frequent farmer's markets and grow their own garlic. The flavor is clean and mildly garlicky. You can only get them at this time of the year. I usually have to collect them over weeks from the CSA farm to get enough to make garlic scape pesto which is amazingly delicious. I made the mistake of telling someone this at the farm distribution and she promptly went back and collected her share. Darn! If I hadn't, maybe I could have gotten her share out of the trade bin.

That is all for now. Next weekend is a long weekend and I will do the review.

How I have been spending my time

2010-06-22T08:16:00.003-04:00

I am back in my non-knitting mood. I am slowly working on the project since it has a deadline. I have lots of ideas of things I want to knit or design but getting down to the actual work is not at all interesting.

I have been working in the yard off and on. We have been giving many of our shrubs a hair cut. They are 20 years old and were getting rather over-grown despite pruning. I took a chain-saw to the ones by the mailbox earlier in the season and they are looking very nice now. So I am doing the same thing with other shrubs as they finish flowering. It makes for a lot of clean-up but the result is cleaner and neater looking. I also think it gives the shrubs a new lease on life.

My non-flowering hydrangea has buds on it! This is a plant I got on clearance at the end of the season a few years ago. I made the mistake of pruning the old wood at the beginning of the season. Hydrangeas flower on old wood. OK, so I should have lost one year's worth of flowers. No, it hasn't flowered at all. Maybe it was just mad at me. I have left it alone for a number of years and this is the first year I have seen buds. It always had a lot of leaves and looked pretty.

The CSA produce has started coming in. That also keeps me busy on weekends - cooking and freezing it. We get a lot of greens early in the season and they take a lot of prep time. Knitting should be a nice refreshing change of pace from all this but it isn't attracting me. Maybe I need to work at getting back into it?

A sneak peek

2010-06-13T16:17:00.002-04:00

I can't tell you what I'm knitting but here's a peek at some of it. It isn't blocked and it is going very slowly. But it is knitting.

Here's something else that is related. Again, unblocked...

Pictures of the finished object(s) will be after Camp.

Finally picked up knitting again!

2010-06-06T11:41:00.002-04:00

I did start knitting again yesterday but since it is my contest entry for Knitting Camp, I can't talk about it here. There way too many Campers who read this blog. So you'll have to be patient for about a month and then I'll be able to show you what it is.

For those who haven't been to Camp, each year we put up a list of contest themes for the next year all throughout the weekend. Then, on the final day, we vote on them. The winning theme is the theme for next year.

People and companies donate prizes for the contest and Schoolhouse Press graciously donates whatever else is needed to round out the prizes. Each of us has a few minutes to describe our entry and then they all get put on chairs in the middle of the room. Each person gets a ballot and we pick our favorites. The entries with the most votes are at the top and the one with the most votes wins.

There are prizes for many of the spots due to the generosity of the prize donors. Whether one wins or not, it is a lot of fun and I enjoy coming up with ideas for entries.

No end to the slump in sight

2010-05-30T20:27:00.004-04:00

Still nothing fibery going on here. I am designing a scarf so maybe that will get me out of the slump. So far it is only imagi-knitting though. I thought, instead, that I would share what I have been up to.

I have spent the past few weekends planting. Here is my rear vegetable garden. There is basil and tomatoes and thyme and rosemary in the back along with salvia, begonias and a pot of bee balm that I need to plant in the ground. I had planned to plant it last year but the rabbits were nibbling on it. To protect it, I stuck it in a bigger pot and kept it on the patio. I'm hoping that it is strong enough this year to resist the wildlife attacks.

I had pretty good luck with tomatoes in pots last year so I am amping up the volume this year. Better quality seedlings and better cages. I put compost in each pot and added new soil along with some timed release fertilizer pellets. Tomatoes are heavy feeders so one has to make sure the soil is in good shape.This is one half of the front vegetable garden. More tomatoes and a chili pepper with the begonias for color. I also have begonias in the front by the mailbox. The bottles are my watering system. They have an Aquaspike on the end. I fill the bottle with water and invert it into the pot after inserting the Aquaspike. The water flows to the roots. I wish the flow was slower but it works. It is faster to water the plants this way.

Chili peppers are very successful in the front. It faces west so they get the nice hot sun all afternoon. I used to plant 3-4 plants but always ended up with way too many peppers. This year I am trying just two cayenne pepper plants. I hope I get enough. My goal is to grow enough to last me through to the next harvest. I chop and freeze them for use.
The second half of the front garden. Tomatoes, another chili pepper and oregano with the ubiquitous begonia. The oregano has come back every year for a few years now.
By the garage I planted dahlias for color. Also in a pot.
This is the first year in a long time that it hasn't rained as soon as the peonies bloomed. The tree peonies, lilacs and crab apples came and went really fast but the herbaceous peonies are hanging around for me to enjoy. They are by the driveway so I can see them coming and going.
This is an interesting plant. I got it from my daughter's violin teacher. It has pretty blue flowers which last one day each. It spreads quite readily and I am pulling out volunteers. If anyone wants some, just ask.
The mock oranges are also blooming and flooding the air with their perfume. This shrub produces a double flower but I also have a single mock orange shrub.
Last year I added irises. The bearded iris only put up one stalk of blooms but the Siberian iris is blooming profusely. I love the color.

Another peony. Close-ups of flowers seem to look best. From further away, you don't get the impact of the form and the color.

A very pretty lilac rose.

This was another acquisition from last year. Lamb's ears. I love the fuzzy softness of the leaves. I'm not hot on the flowers but the flower spikes are interesting. I had some in my previous house but hadn't planted any here.

I have some hydrangeas and grasses on order for the back. We got rid of our deck and built a patio last year and are planting around it. If my knitting slump doesn't end, you'll see more garden pictures.

Deep in a slump

2010-05-23T19:57:00.002-04:00

I didn't post anything last week as I had nothing fiber related to report. The same is true this week but I didn't want to just disappear without posting anything. I am just not in the mood to knit or spin or do anything fiber-related.

I am busy with getting the garden planted and then I'll have to tackle the weeds that have been building up. I hope that once that is done, the knitting mojo will come back.

I bought the Featherweight Cardigan pattern yesterday and it may become a good summer knit. A cardigan in laceweight is definitely useful and I have lots of laceweight to choose from.

Let's hope I have something interesting to post about next week because it will mean that my slump is over.

A little o' this, a little o' that

2010-05-09T08:59:00.006-04:00

I don't know if I mentioned this on the blog or not, but I bought a new wheel in March. Here is a picture of Tina. She is birds' eye maple with walnut accents. I love her. This is a picture from the vendor who sold her to me. My photos are more detailed and don't show the entire wheel as well.
I have been struggling with mastering spinning. Mostly because I have very little patience. I kept getting frustrated. I watched a video, read a few books and still nothing. The theory seemed simple enough and I am doing OK with the spindle spinning, so what was going on here?

I took a lesson a couple of weeks ago and the first thing the teacher noticed was that the wheel wasn't spinning the way it ought to. It turned out that my band was too tight and it was a huge part of the problem. I spun a bit in the class and also switched hands. I am right-handed so I had been trying right hand forward. I found that spinning left hand forward was much more comfortable and natural. I made this sample skein in class. By the way, I flunked winding skeins. This has a few figure 8's in it but it works. It is a single that has been washed to let the twist set.

So I came home and tried some more. But of course, first I had to change the band and that took a few tries to get right. Then I kept forgetting to make sure the brake band was on the bobbin. sigh

Finally, I got all that fixed up and then came the practice. I didn't look forward to it but I kept forcing myself to sit down and try. It was an exercise in frustration. I knew I had to stop treadling when I got caught up in drafting so I didn't add too much twist. But I would forget. I let the twist run down into the fiber and since I had a long piece of roving, all pre-drafted, it made a mess. I had to stop and untwist it all the time. I would get caught up in drafting and forget to let the spun yarn wind on. I didn't like the orifice hook that came with the wheel as it kept bending. Since I frequently broke the yarn, I was using it a lot to fish the end out through the orifice. bigger sigh

I broke my fiber spending diet and bought an orifice hook. It isn't the greatest but it works. Then yesterday, suddenly it all came together. I spent about 45 mins spinning and spun not only all the roving I had pre-drafted but also the bits that had become all tangled up due to the twist thing above. I untwisted them, combed them out with my fingers and spun them up. I joined lots of bits without losing the end in the bobbin. I stopped treadling when I needed to and started up without going in the wrong direction. I drafted and let the yarn wind on. Here is the result of that 45 mins. Can you see the difference in the bottom part of the bobbin?

I have also been knitting up the Skew sock. I am up to the ankle now. It is looking really good. I have to measure it on my foot and put the ankle markers in. I like the more subtle stripes in this than in the one on Knitty.

As they said on Looney Tunes, 'The-the-that's all folks!" At least for this week...

More little things

2010-05-02T08:03:00.002-04:00

I finished the cafe au lait mitts with some help from Maggie, who gave me the yarn to finish. I was short yarn for the top of the second mitt and thankfully, she had some leftovers in the same natural color. They are wonderfully warm and comfortable. The pattern is very well written and is a great choice for leftover yarn.

Unfortunately, even putting them on to photograph made my hand warm. I will be looking forward to the fall to get use out of them.

I started the Skew socks from Knitty in a Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn that I had on hand. I think this will create subtle swirls of color rather than the more graphic swirls that are in the original pattern. The color is called Irving Park.

As you can see, I am still on a small things kick. Next I need to start something more substantial, I think.

Quick little things

2010-04-11T15:39:00.002-04:00

Little things get completed quickly. I started this beret last Saturday and finished it on Friday even though I didn't knit every day. It is cute.

I started this yesterday. It is a fingerless mitten out of the mink/cashmere leftover yarn. I hope I have enough to make its mate. Quick easy knitting. It can get addictive to make little things since they are like potato chips. It is hard to stick to one.

Spring!

2010-04-04T08:40:00.003-04:00

Flowers are a sign of spring. Yesterday we were in Washington DC and decided to go see the cherry blossoms. The National Mall was packed with people. Of course, I had a lovely camera around my neck but was taking pictures with my cell phone! Why? Because the lovely camera was out of battery charge and wouldn't take any photos. sigh Here's the Washington monument with the crowds in view. It was a gorgeous day and it felt as if the entire population of the US was out there.
Aren't cherry trees in bloom beautiful? This one has a lovely shape and a very delicate appearance. I came home to find my very own cherry tree in full bloom. It isn't pink but it has a lovely lacy appearance. The sad part is that it doesn't last long. It will be done with its blooming in a week or less. double sighTo celebrate spring, I started a very spring-like knit. This will be Reverie. The yarn is Schaefer Nichole.

Finally, I am done with 3 pairs of wrist brace liners. Thank goodness. This is the most boring knit ever. Fortunately I only have to make them every 4-5 years. Here's the last pair.

I hope all of you are having a wonderful Easter weekend!

Pictures galore!

2010-03-28T07:30:00.003-04:00

I took some of my shawls to the yarn store yesterday and had a student take pictures. First, the mink/cashmere Faroese shawl - cuddly and warm! The pin is from a vendor at Knitting Camp called Dutch Treats.

The back. The lace pattern is from a shawl called Ata.

Second, Stor Rund Dug. I deliberately wore a white T-shirt so the shawl would stand out.

A little different pose here. Luann did a great job taking the photos.

Now for something a little different...
I bought a spinning wheel. Yes, another one even though I really haven't mastered it yet. I couldn't resist a bird's eye maple Tina II from Jensen.

She is decked out with a walnut trim.

She is decked out in walnut with a stripe around the middle...

And a little walnut between the treadles

She's beautiful!

The heart of it all. There is a little more walnut on the maiden.

And a look at my pitiful attempts at spinning yesterday. But I will get better and Tina will help me.

On the knitting front, I started the last of the wrist brace liners on Friday. So there is nothing interesting to report. I hope to finish them this week and get on to more interesting stuff. And I don't have to worry about wrist brace liners for another 3-4 years.

On a tear

2010-03-21T13:58:00.002-04:00

I didn't post last weekend because I was at a retreat. A number of us rented a B&B, the Yellow House in Roscoe, NY, and created our own retreat. Each of us contributed a meal or part thereof and it was a lot of fun. We had lots of food, wine, potent potables as well as non-potent potables. We knitted and spun and admired each other's FOs and WIPs and had a ball. I wish we could do this every month as it was such a relaxing and refreshing break in the usual routine.

As a result, I am knitting up a storm. I started this shawl in a lovely natural mink/cashmere yarn which is like a cloud of warmth and cuddliness. It is vaguely based on Ata from the Faroese Shawl book. The shaping is very different from the shawl in the book. I started with my friend Maggie's shaping but modified it because it didn't fit the lace pattern.

I decided to go with a simple scalloped edging from the second Barbara Walker treasury but it is really garter st worked sideways with increases and decreases to create the scallops. I like the simplicity of it with the lace pattern. I am about one third done with the edging and then the shawl will be done. I can't wait to wear it even though it is getting too warm for it. Maybe it will be just right for air-conditioned offices in the summer!

Blocking Stor Rund Dug

2010-03-07T09:32:00.003-05:00

Let me start with last week's FO. One wrist brace liner. The second one is about 1/3 done.

Now, onto the blocking:
I used the principles of basic geometry to block this into a circle. I inserted two blocking wires first at 180 degrees from each other along the diameter of the circle. Then I did the same to create a diameter perpendicular to the first one. Lastly, I inserted two wires into each quadrant created by the first two diameters.

Once that was done, I pinned the beginning of the tape measure to the center of the circle and started pinning out the circumference. First, I measured and pinned along each wire. After that, I measured and pinned in between them.

That was the skeleton of the circle. With the tape measure still pinned to the center, I carefully measured and pinned the neck circle to be equidistant from the center. And then I went through each point, measuring its distance from the center and pinning it. As I did this, I sometimes had to adjust my original pins that were between the wires.

The final result is:

Detail of the neck:

Detail of the lace pattern in the body:

Detail of the edging.:

A brace of brace liners

2010-03-03T08:27:00.005-05:00

A brace is a pair of like things. I have been knitting like things for the past week. All too frequently, I get bored with knitting the same types of things. This is not exactly the same as second sock syndrome. I don't have that. To me, a pair of socks is a finished object. So until the pair is done, I am fine. What really bores me is knitting the same thing multiple times. Like knitting 6 pairs of socks one after another or, in this case, knitting 3 pairs of wrist brace liners. As I said a few weeks ago, I wear wrist braces at night for carpal tunnel syndrome. These brace liners are comfy and easy to launder and keep my braces fresh and clean for a long time.

To keep my interest up, I use these sorts of things as opportunities to experiment with different technique and observe the results. I am going to share some of these experiments with you today. This is the cuff of the liner. These are longer than on fingerless mitts because the braces come down much farther on my arm. Also, they are tight fitting, so the liners have to fit tightly to the shape of my forearm. I found that a 1x1 shaped cuff works very well.

In the first cuff, above, I did the decreases right at the end of round mark. So the first st and the last st in the round were decreased. In the one below, the decreases are done 1 st in from the mark. So the second and penultimate st were decreased. You can see the difference in the appearance of the two cuffs. Which do you like better?
Here's a photo of the second cuff as it is laid on its side. You can see the intact column of knit sts along the edge. There is a matching column of purl sts on the other side but this made for a better photo.
I also use these as opportunities to experiment with solutions to problems. If one does this on a normal object, one has to rip out unsuccessful solutions. In a project like this, it doesn't matter as much. For example, in the last set I made (5 years ago?), you can see a tiny hole where I began the cast on to compensate for the sts set aside for the thumb. This hole is caused by the first cast on st that is disturbing the lovely st that was its genesis. I have tried a knit-on cast on, a cable cast on, a provisional cast on, and an e-wrap cast on. The e-wrap and the provisional cast ons don't cause the hole. The other two do. Of course, one can close up the hole in the finishing but isn't it better not to have it in the first place? I didn't bother sewing it up in this old liner.

Now, the problem with the e-wrap cast on in this yarn, is that it stays loose. The successful e-wrap cast on needs to be really tight as it has a lot of play in it. Also, it is a pain to do a provisional cast on for 8 sts in a liner that no one will ever see! What to do?

Voila! I cast on the first st using the e-wrap cast on and then switched to the knit-on cast on. It was still hard to get that first st tight but it is only one st. Note that the hole has vanished. I took a photo of the liner-in-process so you can see that I didn't cover it up with the finishing.

Lastly, you can see what happens when the e-wrap is used. This is a cotton/elastic yarn and so one has to knit it with a very light tension on the yarn. When knitting that way, the e-wrap stays loose. You can see the holes here in the thumb gusset increases.

In the cuff below, I used the 'knit in the st below' increase. See how much nicer that increase line is? This is a good example of varying the technique based on the yarn. The e-wrap increase works very well when the gauge is tight (as it is here) because it puts no stress on existing sts. I don't like the technique of picking up the running thread and making a st from it unless the gauge is looser, in which case it works very well. But given the yarn here, the knit in the st below is a much better choice. Understanding these parameters in one's knitting is the way to ensure the best results. It is ultimately knitters' choice as to which technique one uses, but selecting the right technique means a more polished and perfect result.

If you are wondering where the blocked Stor Rund Dug shawl is, it is still in the bag unblocked. We had a major power outage here and I had no power over the weekend. Blocking a shawl was the last thing on my mind, especially as I was also ill. That is also why this post is late. If all goes well, I will block the shawl this weekend and post pictures. Wish me luck!

Another one bites the dust

2010-02-21T09:43:00.002-05:00

Stor Rund Dug is done. It isn't blocked yet and won't be till next weekend. I was going to do it today till I realized my nephews and, potentially a puppy, will be visiting this evening. Since I block large shawls on my family room carpet, this is a recipe for disaster. It is best to wait. But here are some photos to whet your appetite.

The finished shawl.

I changed my plans for the neck. I was going to do a lace pattern but it was annoying me so I took it out and did a plain garter st border. I think this will give me a solid foundation to use a shawl pin or other decoration.

I also left the little slit I had in the top. I originally did this because it is easier to join in a circle without twisting. I meant to graft the top edging together and sew up the little slit. But as I was working the edging, I was a little concerned that the top circle might not fit over my head so I left the little slit and edged it with icord to strengthen it. I can put a shawl pin to hold the edges together if I wish or let it stay open. It gives the shawl a bit of a tailored finish, I think. My head fits very nicely in the opening so I didn't need to keep it open for that reason. I could also add a button or clasp if I wish.

This is a close-up of the garter st edging showing the transition into the lace. I am very happy with the result and I think it is going to be a comfortable and warm shawl. It never ceases to amaze me how warm a light and lacy shawl like this can be.

Nothing knitting-wise to report

2010-02-07T16:35:00.002-05:00

I have no knitting news. I am knitting but I can't post about it. It should be done this week and then I can start talking about knitting again.

So all I can discuss is the knitting that is on my mind. I have been picking classes to teach in the spring at the local yarn store. I am thinking through what needs to be done to finish the Stor Rund Dug shawl which is my next objective. Lastly, I am debating what I should start next - there are a couple of major projects that I want to knit:

Rose Lace Collar Bohus

Swedish Heartwarmer Shawl

Additionally, I need to make my niece a stole and I have to knit my wrist brace liners. So many decisions...

Sorry for the boring update this week. By next week, I hope to have some news on what I'm knitting next.

Winter-warming color

2010-01-31T13:09:00.004-05:00

When I first came to the United States, I hated the cold. I lived for the 3-4 weeks in the summer when it was hot and humid. I loved the crispness of the fall but it presaged the cold, dark winter so I didn't welcome it. Over the decades, my body has changed 180 degrees. I like the cold and dislike the heat. Spring and fall are my favorite seasons but given the choice between summer and winter, I prefer winter. Very strange, I know, but that is the way it is.

The only problem with the winter is the lack of color. I love crisp white snow but most of the time, it doesn't last. The trees are bare and brown, the grass is brown, the only color comes from the sky, the houses and the evergreen trees. All in all, it is rather dull and not very inspiring. At such times, I love color in my clothes, in my knitting and even in my food. A salad with carrots, tomatoes, multi-colored peppers and celery is like sunshine on a grey day.

Unfortunately, I am currently knitting a white garment so my color needs are being met by books and by yarn in my stash right now. I am sharing some recent acquisitions with you to bring that color to you to warm your heart and your eyes.

I missed Magnificent Mittens when it was first published because I wasn't into mittens then. Therefore, I was very thrilled to see it republished with some new patterns. It has gorgeous designs in it. Anna Zilboorg is a wonderful knitter and designer. I had the privilege of sitting next to her at a Stitches East many moons ago and was impressed by her, even though I didn't know who she was at the time. She is a lovely, warm and articulate person. I jumped at the chance to aquire the new paperback version.
Keeping with the theme of this post, here are some of the colorful designs in it. The designs can be adapted for socks and hats as well as mittens but the stranded work makes warm and windproof mittens.Another book that I ignored when it was first published is Handknit Holidays. In general, I don't buy pattern books unless they have some significant technique sections in them. Handknit Holidays has a wide variety of unusual patterns but nothing that attracted me at the time. However, times change...

A friend of mine made the Swedish Heartwarmer Shawl from Handknit Holidays and I fell in love. It is colorful and has incredible depth of color due to the handpainted yarns used in it.

It starts off plain and then switches to a stranded set of borders. Again, the stranded colorwork adds warmth and heft to the shawl. The images are also inspiring in the winter - suns, roses, wavy vines and stars.

Once I got the book, I started looking around for sales on the yarn. I was fortunate in finding a couple that had the colors used in the shawl. For a change, I am going to make this exactly as written so I am kitting it up!

The yarn is sock weight yarn from Mountain Colors. It is called Bearfoot and is a combination of superwash wool and mohair. For a shawl, this is durable and warm. I am starting to become a fan of sock yarn for shawls because of the nylon content. I am a klutz and I have holes in two lace shawls already. So durability and strength in the yarn is a good thing.I end this with a close-up of the colors to warm you up. If you are in a warm place and don't need any warming-up, use it to warm your heart and mind, if not your body!

The frog is done!

2010-01-23T09:26:00.006-05:00

I didn't post last week as I had no news to report. But today is different! I finished the froggy scarf and it is lovely. It has l-o-n-g tails which I tried to show you by this 'artistic' layout. The pattern is 22.5 degrees which makes a short shawl with long tails. I like this because it can be worn as a scarf under a jacket as well as a shoulder shawl.I ran out of the main color because I wasn't paying attention to the number of repeats. I did one more than I should have, and with that width, it used up a lot of yarn. I didn't want to undo it - again due to the number of sts in each row - so I found another yarn in a similar color and weight and did the edging with that. I was hoping for more of a contrast but all the contrast colors I had didn't make the main color 'pop'. So I stuck to matching rather than contrasting. There are a few extra colors in the edging - a blue and a brighter yellow. I like the effect. This is what it looks like, if I'm wearing it.
Here is a close-up showing the difference in the texture and colors. Just a hint of color and texture, right? The main yarn is Kashmir by the Woolen Rabbit. The edging is Koigu KPPPM.This is the back. I love the scalloped edge and it is so easy to do. The designer has a Youtube video demonstrating the technique. Easy-peasy!
I am working on another secret project right now so I won't be beginning a new project or finishing up Stor Rund Dug right away. But my next project after that will be born of necessity.
I have carpal tunnel syndrome and wear wrist braces at night. They get disgusting and aren't easy to wash. When I complained about this early on, my doctor suggested I cut holes in tube socks and wear them under the liners. They can be washed more easily and absorb the sweat and skin oils that make the braces smell.

Being a knitter, I immediately thought of finger-less gloves. I had to make them longer to fit the liners completely. Here is my current collection. I can wash a pair every few days and always have another pair ready to go. They work really well.
Unfortunately, because they take a lot of washing and wearing, they eventually end up looking like this...and this...Which means I have to knit new pairs to replace them. I use Elann Esprit which is a cotton/elastic sock yarn. The cotton is very absorbent and cool and the elastic keeps the liners in shape after washing. As you can see, despite all the wear, they still look shapely. One ball makes a pair so I have 3 more balls left for the new batch. I had originally bought 2 balls of each color as I wasn't sure how much I would need.

It is boring knitting - imagine making 6 mittens all the same! But it goes quickly and I love the result. I also only have to do it every 3 or 4 years.

As Elizabeth Zimmermann said, Knit On!

A correction, and only a little progress

2010-01-10T14:58:00.004-05:00

Apparently the shawl I'm knitting looks grey rather than green. I tried to fix the photo a bit to make it more representative of the true color. It is a greyish green with a lot of yellow in it also. I like the color a lot. It is very soft and I think it will go with a lot of outfits.I have been knitting a bit on it but from a photographic perspective, there is not much to add. It still looks exactly like this photograph, excep tthat there are some more rows. I think that till I get to the scallops, it is going to be very un-photogenic. Oh well.

Mindless simple knit

2010-01-03T12:33:00.002-05:00

I started a simple scarf while I was traveling. The key criterion was that I needed to be able to memorize the pattern as I didn't want to pay to print it in the hotel. 22.5 degrees by Martina Behm fit the bill perfectly. The most important thing about this particular scarf is the yarn. It is a cashmere blend from the Woolen Rabbit and it is yummy to knit with and will be yummy to wear.

It is slow going now as there are a lot of stitches on the needles. The scarf is knit from the center back down and finished with a very lovely row of scallops. But I'm not there yet.

Here is a close-up of the fabric. The garter st blends the colors and it is soft and cuddly.

I am enjoying knitting this but I have to admit that I'm bored so I only knit it when I need something mindless e.g. at a New Year's Eve party.

My silence explained

2009-12-26T09:36:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry for the silence over the past couple of weeks. I was traveling - visiting my daughter in South America. I had a wonderful time. Not much fiber related news though. I picked up this book which is fascinating. It includes the history of weaving, techniques and designs - including the meaning of some of the traditional ones.
Here are some photos of traditional designs.Lovely photos of the people weaving and preparing the fiber. I did see women spinning on a drop spindle, dyeing, weaving and preparing fiber in traditional ways.I also got a lot of knitting done. I finished the Faroese shawl from the Faroese shawl book. I blocked it yesterday and am wearing it right now. It is made from sock yarns so it is machine washable.
Here is a closeup of the fabric. The two Mini Mochi yarns are soft and fuzzy and the Socks that Rock on the top and the border is more textured and tightly spun. Overall it is nice and wearable. I can tie it behind my back in the traditional Faroese style if I wish.
This is an overview of the entire shawl as it was drying. It is very bright and colorful for these gray winter days. I call it Land and Sea as it reminds me of the ocean, the undergrowth and then mountains and trees in the background.
I started knitting another small shawl out of sock yarn on my trip but it is only about 2/3 done. I'll post pics of it next time.

The straight-away

2009-12-06T12:39:00.003-05:00

Thank you for all the lovely comments on the shawl. Your support and admiration have kept me going. The chocolate espresso bread is straight out of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. You can get some recipes from an article published in Mother Earth News and from the authors' blog posts. It is a tad too long in the instructions for me to repeat it here.

Here is a view of what the shawl will look like when it is done. Of course it isn't blocked yet so you can see puckers on one side and it is stretched out on the other side. The edging is not grafted yet and the neck edging needs to be done but these are tiny efforts compared to what has been completed.

To celebrate, and because I needed a break with easy knitting, I decided to start a new shawl. This is loosely based on Ingili from Føroysk Bindingarmynstur / Faroese Knitting Patterns aka Bundanaurriklaedid. I am not doing a lace pattern, unlike the original, and my gauge is not as fine as the one pictured in Judy Gibson's site (at the link). I am just doing a simple st pattern of 3 rows knit and 1 row purl. A closeup shows the ridges.

The sts are all crowded on the needle so it is not easy to see in the bigger picture. But each 2 rows are smaller than the previous 2 so it will get easier as I go on. I started with a provisional CO as I'll come back and figure out how to finish the bottom edge after I complete the shawl.

Endless Edging

2009-11-29T15:23:00.008-05:00

I am trying to see how best to photograph bread. This is in natural light by the window. Still not great. A chocolate espresso bread that is perfect for breakfast: chocolate and caffeine and not sweet at all. I made part of it into cupcakes to take to work. It will be a perfect morsel when I need a pick-me-up.

The 48 repeats of edging are coming along. I took it to a dinner last Sat and no one could figure out what I was knitting! I had to promise to come back and show it to them after it was finished. Now, if the dinner had been last night they would have understood. Here's a photo of the current state of the shawl. The neck is a bit small due to the length of the cable but otherwise it is pretty accurate as to what it is going to look like. I am pleased with it but the edging is endless. sigh

I have two tips for knitting on edging today:

If you find you are off by a shawl st or so in attaching the edging and you haven't accidentally forgotten to knit a st onto the edging, you can skip attaching on one row or attach two sts at once to make it come out even. It won't be noticeable.
Count, count, count: if you find you are a st short, you can make a st in the appropriate spot as long as you do it quickly. Either pick up a running thread to make a yarnover after the fact if you are missing one or just make a st, if you decreased one too many. The trick is to do it in the correct spot in the repeat. The sooner you do it after the mistake, the less likely it is to be noticeable and you could escape having to rip even a row or two.

Fudging is your friend.

I got a surprise in the mail the other day! My exercise buddy sent me a gift. 2 skeins of pretty sock yarn, some h ighlighter tape in my favorite purple and a sachet of Eucalan. lsn't the sock yarn lovely?

I met a German 20-something yesterday and learned that her grandmother sends her hand-knit socks. I showed off my Regia socks and she said she had the same yarn made into socks. How neat is that? One can never have too much sock yarn or too many hand-knit socks.

I also swatched for the Faroese shawl that I'll be working on soon. This is the pattern I am going to do - not garter st but just a purl row thrown in every 3 knit rows. The Mini Mochi is soft but splitty. I think it is going to be a cuddly shawl.

Back to edging...

Bread, yarn and lace

2009-11-21T15:15:00.003-05:00

First the lace: I am really happy with the way the lace edging is turning out on the shawl. It is hard to see how nice it is in the unblocked stage so I hope you get an idea of it.

I chose to leave it as it turned out. The second row of the pattern is on the right side. I also didn't do a chain st as I joined. I did a k2tog on the wrong side, turned, and then slipped the st with the yarn in the back. This creates an edge that looks about the same on both sides.

Thank you for the encouragement and the condolences on the long binding off/edging process and the help in deciding which side to make the right side.
Here is a close-up of the lace border. See how nicely it echoes the triangles in the edge of the shawl?
This view is from a little further out. I am a little less than a quarter of the way done. There will be 48 repeats of the edging in total and I have completed 10. They go pretty fast but I get tired of doing it so I don't do more than 2-3 at a time. There is no rush. It will get done.

Now the bread part. I baked a loaf from Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day. I tested recipes for this book and this is the basic recipe for lean french bread. Except that during the testing, I discovered I could add sourdough starter to it and also mix up the flours. So this is mostly whole wheat flour with a bit of rye and a little less than 1/3 bread flour. I added a cup of mixed dried berries/cherries - mostly cranberries but I used up some dried blueberries and tart cherries - and a cup of walnuts to the dough. It makes a pretty loaf when cut.

My loaf shaping skills are getting better but they aren't great yet. This is acceptable, not ugly but not beautiful. You can see the loaf got a lot of spring in the oven - those cuts were closed when I put it in.

I am preparing to knit my first bottom up Faroese shawl. This is the lot of yarn that I put together for it. I am going to start with a provisional CO at the bottom, knit up with the blue Mini Mochi yarn (the balls) first, then the green and finally the Socks that Rock (the skein) if I need it. The rest of the Socks That Rock will go into a lace edging at the bottom that I'll add on later. Isn't it amazing how well these go together given I bought the Mini Mochi yarns at one time and the Socks That Rock at another?

Yes, I plan ahead but that is the way I am. I plan out projects in my head (imagi-knitting) long before I actually start to knit them. I usually only knit one project at a time and I guess this is how I get variety in my knitting!

768 sts - oh my!

2009-11-15T16:56:00.003-05:00

What do 768 sts look like? A big mess, that is what. Here they are. All 129 rounds of Stor Rund Dug. The sts are crowded on the needle and I can't spread them out enough to show you what it looks like.

But the real question today is whether there is a right or a wrong side to this garter st based edging. I have done half a repeat so far. Here's one side...Here's the other with a bit of the shawl pattern showing...I can't distinguish any real differences between them. I think I'll stick to the way it is coming out for now, but I'd love to hear if you can see a difference or have a preference.

Here is the chart I created for the edging. It is an old classic called Cockleshell. I wanted something that echoed the triangle shapes in the shawl. You can see them right above the edging. It also had to be a multiple of 8 so the triangles would fit exactly into the shapes in the edging.

And a photo of it in the Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara Walker. It is the lower one.

This is the edging I am going to do at the neckline. Remember, this is a donut shaped circular shawl with a hole in the middle for my neck. So this edging, from Knitting Lace by Barbara Abbey, is going at the neckline. It is much narrower but has some similar elements to the one on the bottom.

That is what it looks like in the book.

Sorry for the really bad photos. It got dark so I had to use the flash. In some cases, that washed out the photo so I went back to no-flash.

I hope there will be better pictures next week.

Two weeks

2009-11-08T16:24:00.002-05:00

I am sorry I didn't post last week. I was away and had the most amazing Sunday. More on that later. I am going to try and give you two weeks worth of reading though!

I felt confident enough to truly experiment on a bread recipe the week before last. Until now, I have been experimenting with adding different flours or ingredients but not really trying to make up my own recipe. But I was desperate. I had sourdough starter to feed and that means that I had to find something to do with the excess starter. I decided to combine it with the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes recipe to see if I could come up with a sourdough version of the wet-dough method. They have one on their blog so I used that as a base but didn't add any commercial yeast because I had a lot of starter. The recipe in the book doesn't have any weights, just volume measures and the recipe on the blog starts with some old dough based on their recipe, not real sourdough starter. So I improvised.

The dough was very wet when I took it out in 24 hours to bake. So wet that I couldn't do anything with it. I should have used Jim Lahey's 'bake in a pot' method. But I baked it on a stone free form like a ciabatta and that is exactly how it turned out. The only problem is that there isn't enough salt so the bread tastes flat. It is also a little wet on the inside because the crust turned almost black before the inside cooked fully. I think I should have used a lower oven temperature. Next time...

I love the large irregular holes. I am going to toast it today and put a garlic parmesan spread on it to eat with ravioli for dinner.

While I was away, my pre-ordered bread books arrived. I had also bought one a few weeks ago so I have lots to play with. Clockwise from the top: Peter Reinhart's new Artisan Breads Every Day, Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François's new Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice and Jim Lahey's new My Bread. I tested recipes for Peter Reinhart's Artisan Bread Every Day so I can recommend the book without looking at it. My name is listed in the long list of testers in the back. The others need some reading and baking before I can review them.

Now, on to my Sunday last week. I went to Berkeley to visit friends, taking a day off from a long and tiring business trip. I was in downtown San Francisco without a car, so I took the BART for the first time. We spent the day knitting and spinning and eating with a short trip to the Edible Schoolyard. The garden made me nostalgic for next year's CSA season. Food included a lovely crustless quiche, a fruit compote with home-grown fruit, home-made scones with home-made fig jam and a lovely buckle from Sweet Adeline's. Unfortunately, the day ended all too soon.

My friend Therese gave me this gorgeous green roving to play with on my wheel.

During the rest of the week, I walked a lot on the Embarcadero and ate at Greens restaurant, visited the Ferry Building and made a quick dinner trip to Chinatown's R&G Lounge. Other that that, it was all work, work, work.

I got back last night. As always, I overestimated how much knitting I could get done on a trip and took along a new project when I didn't even get to finish the Stor Rund Dug shawl. However, my friends helped me pick out a different edging that I'm more comfortable with. More on that later.

Today, I took a tip from Janine, and made a ditty bag for my spinning oil. I took the foot of a sock where the heel had worn out. I had already used the leg for another project. I finished off the cut edge with a rolled stockinette edging and added a cord and a cord stop. Voila! a spinning oil bag to hang on my wheel.

So that is a a non-knitting report on 2 weeks. I have made some progress on the shawl and I hope to be done with the body soon. It is fun knitting but when each round has 48 repeats, it takes a while to get through each one. Another 10 or 15 rounds are left.