Crossroad Knits

The Girl Gets Her Poncho

2010-11-19T11:12:00.007-05:00

My oldest daughter required a poncho but I had no intention of making a poncho of one color that would quickly, certainly knit me deep into insanity. And there were to be no pom-poms or crazy fringe. I have my limits.

After a bit of searching and lots of procrastinating, I found a Drops design for a stunning adult poncho on Ravelry that seemed fun to knit ... and very Norwegian, which we love! Thankfully, my discerning child approved and I set to work.

I used Lamb's Pride Bulky and choose a grey color palette rather than brown to complement the grey/blue of my daughter's eyes (3 skeins of Charcoal Heather, 1.25 of Grey Heather, and 1 of White Frost). I could have used a smidge more of the charcoal in order to finish the collar, but she didn't want a very high collar so I used some of the grey heather.

In retrospect, I wish I had found the exact grey color in a super soft, comfy yarn for the collar. My daughter reports that she doesn't like how the Lamb's Pride feels on her neck, so she turns down the collar. Also, this yarn sheds. I especially noticed it when I knit while wearing my black corduroy pants!

In order to achieve the right size (girls 12-14), I CO 252 stitches on US8s. I followed the directions after that so that I had 210 stitches when I switched to the larger needles - in my case US 10.5s.

One of my favorite features of this poncho, is the wonderful Homegrown Logo tag from Leafcutter Designs. My friend, Mim, gave me these creative and fun tags for my projects. You must check out all the designs! This specific tag can be found here. (And check out Mim's gorgeous purses made with Ikea cotton and vintage fabrics.) Great present ideas!

Aren't the tags dear? Almost a blessing for the garment. My favorite lines: The clicking of needles makes a song. Trace each stitch back to hands like yours. Someone made this just for you.

This poncho is incredibly warm and quite beautiful!! Any pattern downsides? I wish I had either redesigned it for more of a flare or created arm slits in the sides. According to the girl, it's tough to climb trees in it ...

Pippa's Hat, Take 2

2010-08-05T10:32:00.007-04:00

Ah, the confusing world of the interwebs. I thought I had put the Pippa's Hat pattern up as a free download, but instead I have linked everyone to a subscriber only service. Sorry!! Here is the pattern. Free and easy!

Pippa's Hat

Yarn:

Chesapeake, Verde Collection by Classic Elite Yarns (50% Organic Cotton/ 50% Merino Wool); 50 grams/ 103 yds per skein. You can knit at least 3 hats with a skein of each.

#1: 5957 (True Blue), #2: 5981 (Tendril Green), #3: 5985 (Mandarin Orange), #4: 5904 (Scuba Blue), #5: 5925 (Tokyo Rose)

Needles: US 7s, 16” circular; US 7s dpn. Use needle size that gives you proper gauge.

Gauge: 24 stitches per 4 inches in stockinette stitch.

Size: 6-12 months

Notions: Stitch marker, darning needle.

Notes: s2togk1PSSO: Slip two stitches knitwise, knit the next stitch, pass the two slipped stitches over this knitted stitch.

When knitting colorwork, if you must carry a strand of yarn behind your work for more than 5 stitches, please secure your floats. This will be necessary when knitting the crown.

If you would like to try this in a larger size, simply add another pattern repeat!

Pattern:

Cable CO 80 stitches in color #1. Place stitch marker and join for working in the round being careful not to twist your stitches.

Work in 2x2 rib for one inch.

*k2 in color #2, k2 in color #3; repeat from * until end of round.

Repeat for 5 rounds total.

Knit 1 round in color #4.

Purl 3 rounds in color #4.

*k4 in color #1, k4 in color #5; repeat from * until the end of the round.

Repeat last round.

*k4 in color #5, k4 in color #1; repeat from * until the end of the round.

Repeat last round.

*k4 in color #1, k4 in color #5; repeat from * until the end of the round.

Repeat last round.

Knit 1 round in color #2.

Purl 3 rounds in color #2.

*k2 in color #3, k2 in color #4; repeat from * until the end of the round.

k1 in color #4; *k2 in color #3, k2 in color #4; repeat from * until the last stitch of the round; k1 in color #4.

*k2 in color #4, k2 in color #3; repeat from * until the end of the round.

k1 in color #3; *k2 in color #4, k2 in color #3; repeat from * until the last stitch of the round; k1 in color #3.

*k2 in color #3, k2 in color #4; repeat from * until the end of the round.

Knit 1 round in color #5.

Purl 3 rounds in color #5.

Knit 1 round in color #2.

Crown Decrease:

*k1 in color #3, k2 in color #2, k2 in #3, k2 in #2, k1 in #3, k2 in #2, k2 in #3, k2 in #2, k1 in #3, k1 in #2. Repeat from * until the end of round.

*k2 in #2, k2 in #3, k2 in #2, k3 in #3, k2 in #2, k2 in #3, k3 in #2. Repeat from * until the end of round.

*k1 in #2, k2 in #3, k2 in #2, k1 in #3, using color #3: s2togk1PSSO (see note), k1 in #3, k2 in #2, k2 in #3, k2 in #2. Repeat from * until the end of round.

*k2 in #3, k2 in #2, k5 in #3, k2 in #2, k1 in #3, k1 in #2. Repeat from * until the end of round.

*k1 in #3, k2 in #2, k2 in #3, s2togk1PSSO in #3, k2 in #3, k2 in #2, k1 in #3, k1 in #2. Repeat from * until the end of round.

*k1 in #3, k1 in #2, k7 in #3, k1 in #2, k1 in #3, k1 in #2. Repeat from * until the end of round.

*k1 in #2, k3 in #3, s2togk1PSSO in #3, k3 in #3, k2 in #2. Repeat from * until the end of round.

*k9 in #3, k1 in #2. Repeat from * until the end of round.

*k3 in #3, s2togk1PSSO in #3, k3 in #3, k1 in #2. Repeat from * until the end of round.

*K7 in #3, k1 in #2. You will no long need color #2. Repeat from * until the end of round.

Continue only in color #3: *k2, s2togk1PSSO, k3. Repeat from * until the end of round.

*k1, s2togk1PSSO, k2. Repeat from * until the end of round.

*s2togk1PSSO, k1. Repeat from * until the end of round.

Finishing

ssk all around. 5 stitches remain.

Slide the remaining stitches onto one dpn and make an i-cord for desired length.

Weave in the outrageous number of ends!

Stick With Me Here

2010-03-30T10:14:00.004-04:00

I owe an apology to all those who generously contributed their time and efforts to the Nepal project, because my ambivalence about this blog left you all unthanked. I regret not having photographed the giant box of handknits that got shipped to Nepal, but I did manage to count all the items. The final tally was 78 hats,13 pairs of socks, 8 pairs of mittens, 6 scarves, 5 sweaters, and 2 blankets. I was touched by the generosity of my friends and by the contributions of strangers who sent the most beautiful hand made items. I heard this week from my friend in Nepal who said that he "passed the knitted things on to two children's homes and a poor family. There was great appreciation and gratitude. The clothes really are needed and the people are happy to have such beautiful, warm things. Thanks so much for your hard work...!" So again, I thank you for contributing so generously for the people in Nepal. Your efforts are sincerely appreciated.

With that out of the way, I struggle with the status of our humble blog. I still knit a lot, but don't care to think and write in depth about it. I think most agree that knit blogging has run its course, thanks to Ravelry and, to a lesser extent, Flickr. I know that I have said all I have to say about the genius of Elizabeth Zimmerman, or how much I like to knit with handspun yarn. Does anyone need another post about the satisfaction of using your scraps? I don't want to make deep observations about how my knitting is a metaphor for life; I'm happy to just enter notes and modifications into my Ravelry project page. I like knitting, and I do like writing, but I don't much want to write about knitting anymore.

But I cannot bring myself to just abandon the blog. I like that we still have this project together, almost 5 years since I moved away. I like to see the things you knit, and I like having my little space to share the things I make with the readers who have not yet deleted us from their GoogleReaders. So while I cannot bring myself to just quit our blog altogether, I won't be carefully photographing and documenting each pair of socks or mittens that I make anymore. But I did just finish a project that made me want to pull out the P & S and share with my knitting friends. In fact, this project was epic, and I did learn a thing or two as a novice crocheter, some lessons to be shared with the ever-shrinking knitblogging world.

My daughter needed a bedspread, and despite having made a few trips to the Big Box Stores, she did not find anything to her liking. What she wanted, she told me, was "rainbow stripes." I immediately decided that I would crochet her a ripple bedspread, using the crapload of Tahki Cotton Classic that I had ~~hoarded~~ acquired through those irresistible closeout grab bags at Webs.

This seemed like a perfect project; I had the yarn already and crochet was fast, so I would whip up the blanket it no time at all. But in reality, I was making a queen-sized bedspread using dk weight cotton yarn and an F hook. This was insanity. A blanket should be made in a heavier gauge yarn and a bigger hook if you actually want to ever finish it. But what else was I going to do with 30+ skeins of totally unmatched, mostly discontinued colorways of TCC but make a crazy ripple blanket for my little girl who asked for rainbow stripes? Why should I buy blanket-quantities of yarn when I had plenty?

Thus I began this ill-conceived, slightly delusional course of making a Very Large Blanket with Thin Yarn and Small Stitches by choosing Attic 24's excellent ripple pattern after struggling through a few others. As a crochet novice, I don't really know how to properly swatch for a crochet project, so I decided that I would wantonly chain a bunch of stitches, make a few stripes and test the size by laying it across the bed to see if it fit. That plan worked, but in my haste, I failed to consider how much yarn I used in each ripple, and several stripes into the blanket, I actually weighed a skein of leftover yarn and learned that each stripe took about 28 grams of yarn or just OVER a half a skein. I could only get one stripe per skein of yarn. My crapload of yarn would only get me about halfway there.

At that point, I had two choices: buy more yarn, or start over, making a slightly narrower bedspread. I ended up with choice number one and bought more yarn. I bought more TCC and supplemented with Online Clip, which had better yardage for the price (although it was awfully splitty, and I didn't enjoy crocheting with it) and some Elann Sonata leftover from previous projects. And really, in the end, I am glad I kept it generously sized, because the last thing anyone wants is a blanket that is a little too narrow or a little too short.

The blanket took the better part of a year to complete. I started it last Spring, put it away over the summer, and worked on it periodically in the Fall. I decided to focus on it in earnest after the Nepal project was complete, and finished it at the beginning of March. There are 84 ripples, each one took about an hour to complete and I used almost 50 skeins of yarn.

This thing is a stunner. I absolutely love it, and so does my daughter, who got her rainbow stripes. It is perfect for her: colorful, unique and whimsical. As Someone Who Makes Things, I am gratified that my daughter sleeps under something I made just for her, and I do hope she cherishes it for many years, long past the age when she prefers tasteful neutrals over rainbow stripes.

And I am glad we still have this blog hanging around so I could share this little piece of insanity with you.

Pippa's Hat

2010-02-12T13:43:00.004-05:00

I knitted this little hat for a dear baby, Pippa, on her first birthday. It took about a day and was a joy to knit. At the time, we were dealing with gray, snowy weather and the color palate lifted my spirits. Here's a link to the pattern: Pippa's Hat. Please let me know if I need to make any corrections.

Enjoy!

Watch Out, Liz!

2010-01-21T14:32:00.006-05:00

There are some hats coming your way for Project Nepal!

I spotted this pattern on Grumperina's blog. The hats were extremely fast and fun to knit. One hat took me about a football game and a Daily Show episode.

Pattern: Thorpe by Kristen Kapur
Yarn: Lamb's Pride Bulky (one skein is enough for a medium hat with leftovers for trim): Old Sage, Wild Mustard, Aran, Clemetis.

Send your warm, wooly goodies to Liz by the 25th!

Nepal Update

2010-01-06T12:47:00.000-05:00

It doesn't take much to move me to tears during the holidays. I am an unabashed sentimentalist, and I embrace the traditions, the giving, even the insane busy-ness of our family during the Christmas season. But this year, what really got the tears flowing was not my annual viewing of "It's a Wonderful Life" or hearing "the Little Drummer Boy" or even seeing the faces of my children light up when they saw the tree on Christmas morning.

This year, the magic came for me in several packages mixed in among Christmas cards and endless amazon.com deliveries over the holidays. I received woolen hats, socks, and mittens bound for children in Nepal. I was so touched that knitters would take time out of their busy holiday-knitting marathons, their Christmas baking or whatever obligations they had to knit, package up, and send along warm items for complete strangers on the other side of the world. Thanks to Karen S, Mar H, and Diana S for their contributions and for giving me more happy tears to shed this holiday.

The current tally is 20 hats, 5 pairs of socks, and 5 pairs of mittens. But there is still time for you to send something too. I made a pair of worsted socks in a small child's size in two days with less than 1/2 a skein of stashed Lambs Pride, and will be cranking out a few more pairs with the remaining Lambs Pride stash.

The deadline to get items to me is January 25. Please contact me at lizjosh1ATverizonDOTnet for mailing information and please knit what you can!

Small Steps

2010-01-05T10:09:00.006-05:00

Thank you for all the encouragement and support. I've needed it and I deeply appreciate it. I'm still mulling over the suggestions for the "scarf of grief" (I like your ideas, Teabird) but as for the socks ...

They are now finished!

There is a lot to be said for taking time and having patience. Yes, Anne Marie, the knitting is slowly finding me again.

These are Cookie A's Monkeys with Socks That Rock (24 Karat?). I put them on last night after weaving in my ends and haven't taken them off since. Cozy! Don't they look great with my old beat up clogs? They are a great flash of color.

Also, thanks to my wonderful in-laws, I now have an Ashford Knitter's Loom. I've only tried a few projects so far, but I love it! Learning a new skill has been an excellent distraction.

This is now one of my favorite scarves.

Warp: Brook's Farm Acero. Weft: Louet Gems Sportweight and the Acero.

I'm going to devote a few mornings a week for fiber/handwork. Between the loom, the knitting, and our new sewing machine, I'll have plenty of projects to keep me busy and creative during this long, cold winter.

Retreat

2009-12-10T09:21:00.008-05:00

I've unfortunately discovered that a swift and utter retreat is sometimes necessary in order to survive a vicious attack from the whims of fate. This blog, sadly, has been a casualty of my retreat.

My mother died about four months ago. She only lived two months after her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. As many, many of you know from your own personal experiences, these last four months have been difficult in ways that I cannot even begin to describe here.

However, when I consider my knitting, the small particulars of this one aspect of my life seem to reflect and illustrate the larger whole. The impact on my knitting is but a microcosm of the larger system that is, quite frankly, still very much in chaos.

About a month after my mother's death, I experienced a sudden and intense desire to devest myself from all worldly fiber possessions. I gave away at least 80% of my stash. Some perspective: this is a simple, modest amount of yarn but enough to make for a successful Yarn Give Away Party. It was a comforting and social exercise - it felt wonderful to bring pleasure to my friends and to be philosophical about possessions and life. I have absolutely no remorse and I love my closet space.

Around this same time, I ambitiously began gratitude scarves for the Oncology nurse and doctor who administered to my mother. The simple man's scarf for the doctor is finished. The delicate, lace scarf for the nurse is still awaiting the final trim. Whenever I pick it up, I feel sick to my stomach.

After a few weeks, I began to hate that lace scarf. It morphed from a "thank you from the deepest part of my being" scarf to an "every stitch of this pisses me off" scarf. I would hang my project bag around the house hoping to find the one place that would inspire me to work on it. Instead I felt stalked. I now loathe that scarf and cannot in good conscience give it away to the dear woman who helped my mother. It would be such bad juju. I simply continue to detest it. It now reminds me of failed chemo and failed surgery. Frustration and impotency.

Humbled by the hatred of the scarf, I thought I would begin a fun, simple sock project with no deadline, no pressure, and no guilt. The first sock flew by. I can do this, I thought. I felt comforted by the activity and by the successful feeling of one finished sock on my foot.

But then disinterest and apathy arrived on the scene. Big time. It began with an escape trip to the US Virgin Islands. I intended to relax with my family and have plenty of time to knit - to get the mojo back. I had never been to the tropics (in fact, most of our trips are to Northern climes where knitting is a natural past time).

Let me share what I learned: one cannot knit a wool sock when temperatures approach the 90's. It was hot. It was humid. The knitting languished. Even now at home, I'm afraid the classical conditioning is complete. I have absolutely no desire to pick up and knit that sock. I have turned the heel, this is the home stretch, but I couldn't care less. Absolute and utter disinterest.

Baby hats, more scarves, wraps, Christmas ornaments - the litter of unfinished projects trails behind me for three solid months. Maybe a new pattern book? A snappy blog post? Some new equipment? Yarn? Nope, nothing inspires.

One thing is certain, everything changes. So will this. But when? How? Those things that I relied upon, that grounded me, were transient. Impermanent. Fleeting. When the ground itself is too unstable to find footing, it's impossible to knit a sock.

Warming Feet

2009-11-20T10:20:00.000-05:00

My son loves hand knitted wool socks. Everyone in my family does, but my boy especially loves them and wears them constantly in winter. Luckily, my LYS always has oddballs of sturdy, self-patterning sock yarns like Regia in its sale bin, so for about 5 bucks and one week's worth of effort, I can whip up a pair of warm socks for my favorite 6 year old. These socks see some really hard wear; my son has been known to wear them outside on the driveway, and keeps the same three or four in constant rotation, and they have yet to wear out. There's nary a hole in socks that are on their third winter.

This year, though, my mind is on other children, the street children of Nepal. I'm still really stuck on that image of homeless children wearing flip flops in the winter. In our comfortable western world, the closest we get to this experience walking to the car after a pedicure in January. My son will surely get his socks, but he'll have to wait. He has a drawer full, sometimes to overflowing, of hand knit and commercially made socks. He has sturdy shoes and footie pajamas, a warm bed and a full belly every night. So right now, I'm making socks for kids in Nepal. I made these two pairs, and started a third this week.

If you are knitting socks for the kids in Nepal, please consider the following:

use the sturdiest yarn you have. I used Regia and Lang Jawoll (I even knit the heels and toes using that cute spool of reinforcement thread that comes with the Jawoll), but Opal, Trekking XXL, Lion Brand Sock Ease or Patons Kroy would also be good choices, and I'm sure I'm forgetting others in this wool/nylon blend category. Assume that these socks will see constant, hard wear, will rarely be rotated, and almost never washed.
Knit at a tight gauge to ensure sturdiness. I knit my socks at 8 spi. You could also knit a bigger yarn at a tighter gauge. If you have some really sturdy wooly worsted, for example, you could knit it at 6spi and get a really firm pair of socks.
One 50g ball of yarn was enough for a pair of child's socks, but just enough for adequate cuffs (about 5"). Make the cuffs as long as possible. I happen to have several 50g oddballs saved up for my boy's socks, but if I had more yardage, I'd make the cuffs longer. This is a great time for you to stash-bust your balls of leftover yarns and make your own stripey or wild-self patterning socks.
I used used my Ann Budd's Knitters Handy Book of Patterns as my guide for stitch count and lengths, but there is any number of generic sock patterns out there for children. Skip the lacy patterns, and crank out simple stockinette or ribbed socks. This is why the self-patterning yarns are ideal.

Thanks so much for your enthusiasm for this project, and whatever you knit, whether it is socks, a hat, mittens or anything else will be appreciated.

Project Nepal

2009-11-04T09:35:00.002-05:00

I know I have been absent from blog-land lately, and I am not even certain if Ann, Mo, and I have any readers out there anymore. But I am returning with a request for help, and a call to action.

Knitters are generous people, I know. We knit chemo caps for people with cancer, blankets for animal shelters, and prayer shawls for the grieving. We knit for soldiers and veterans, foster children and homeless children. Our sturdy, warm handknits get shipped to all corners of the world where people are cold: Afghanistan, Mongolia, Botswana.

from the ROKPA website

While I hate to take away from any of these other worthy recipients of our generosity, it has been brought to my attention, knitters, that people are also cold in Nepal. I recently received an e-mail from a friend who is involved with an organization called ROKPA which provides services to the homeless and impoverished in Nepal. He shared with me that "many of the homeless people (or even about half) are children who live on the streets or in shanties. During the winter months they are subject to very cold weather and are happy to have something to put on their heads, hands, feet, necks, bodies. The kids need everything from socks (they walk around in flip flops) to wooly hats."

Did you catch that? Homeless kids in Nepal wear flip flops in the winter.

Knitters, I am asking you to contribute something warm and wooly to kids in Nepal this winter. Here are the guidelines if you want to participate:

1. Warm, insulating natural fibers only. Knit for durability, warmth, and of course, beauty.
2. Knit items for kids between the ages of 4-10, whatever size that means to you.
3. The deadline is January 25th.
4. Contact me at lizjosh1ATverizonDOTnet for mailing information.

I am serving as the collection point for this project, and would love to stuff Chris's luggage with socks, hats, scarves, sweaters, shawls, and mittens for the people of Nepal. I know your needles are busy, but if you could spare some time, some stash, and some love for this project, I would so appreciate it. Also, feel free to link on your blog or your favorite corner of Ravelry to help get the word out. I'll be posting here a little more frequently with ideas and patterns, and hopefully, to share photos of whatever knits I receive.

The quick knit that wasn't

2009-10-24T10:22:00.005-04:00

Here's my "I need a quick win" knit that ended up requiring an email to the designer in Germany, grilling my favorite knit shop owner for advice during her son's baseball game, too much time on the calucaltor, etc. You understand, right?

I found this cute free pattern on Knotions and purchased some beautiful Pebbles Classic Elite yarn hoping to whip out an easy summer top for Isabel.

Many things got in the way of making this a quick win, mostly trying to get a gauge somewhere close to the pattern.

The final product is super cute, but it is out of season and probably won't fit her past the new year. And, I'm NOT knitting this again. Moving on ...

Congratulations Jared!

2009-08-01T11:18:00.002-04:00

The extremely talented Jared Flood is publishing a collection of handknit designs to be released next week. I am so excited about these patterns! Click here for previews and Jared's post. I see more than a few items that will be on my queue!

A Victory Lap For The Drive-Thru

2009-07-28T10:39:00.003-04:00

This Drive-Thru was a Tour de France knit. All our evenings for the past three weeks were spent cheering on the boys in the peloton but especially Thor Hushovd from Norway. His remarkable sprints and gritty determination in the mountains won him the honor of the Maillot Vert. Congratulations Thor!

The second time around, this sweater was even faster and easier. The yarn is once again Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed, knit on US 6s and 7s. If I were to knit it again, I would CO more stitches for the cuffs of the sleeves - they seemed a bit snug on both of the girls.

R doesn't seem to like a tight color, so this sweater is a bit looser at the top than I would like. But she loves it. She is actually wearing it inside in the AC today because she doesn't want to take it off. True sweater love!

I have truly appreciated your kind words and prayers concerning my mother's cancer diagnosis. We continue to live day by day and to take the difficulties as they come. Thank you so much for your thoughts and good wishes.

Side-Swiped and a Drive-Thru

2009-07-11T14:02:00.006-04:00

About two months ago, I found out my mother was sick with a mysterious GI illness. A month ago yesterday, we learned that the mystery illness was in fact Stage IV metastatic pancreatic cancer. Six to eight months. Best case scenario.

BAM! Side-swiped by Cancer. I thought my life could cruise on auto-pilot for a while - at least for the summer - kids, garden, home, friends, food, family. Nope. Seems as though I'm in for a GROWTH OPPORTUNITY. (That's what we optimists call it when life SUCKS.)

Everyday has been different and challenging for my mother, yet she is emerging from this first shocking month courageous and spunky. We're slowly finding a rhythm as my brothers and father and I put together the puzzle pieces of caregiving.

I initially thought that caregiving would mean lots of knitting by my mother's bedside - not so bad, right? But it turns out, it's much more frenetic: running errands, organizing medications, scheduling doctor's appointments, gardening, cleaning, and cooking. Except for the hours spent in hospital waiting rooms, there hasn't been much knitting time.

Luckily, I had the best project in the world for this situation*. The Drive-Thru sweater by Wendy Bernard. This child's yoke sweater is knit in the round with worsted-weight yarn. It is seamless and quick. So quick that I knit it in less than a month - and remember, I am a slow, slow knitter. A knitter who cannot at this moment dedicate any part of her brain to charting, modifying patterns, or stitch counting. The shaping is pure Elizabeth Zimmerman so you know that it is tear-free and fun.

I used Jo Sharp Silk Road Aran Tweed. Sigh. A heavenly yarn. I chose an expensive yarn that would provide some tactile delight and luxury - my mother would sometimes just stroke it while I knit.

I started a second Drive-Thru for my other daughter, mixing the colors around. Because I'll need it for the next few weeks. And then after that, maybe one for myself ... one day at a time, one stitch at a time.

*Socks would work as well but my daughter really needed a sweater.

Two Months Of Update!

2009-07-07T10:31:00.000-04:00

Having resolved to Knit Less in 2009 (and blog a lot less -- hello, two months since my last post), most of my knitting projects are short on ambition, but long on satisfaction. Since my last big project, I made a lot of simple, little projects, all of them gifts, almost all of them from stash.

Here's the first: one simple yet stinkin' cute sweater for the daughter of my dear friends Andrea and Tanya whom we visited in May in Providence.

This sweater took less than a week to make. A yoked sweater knit in the round in a rich red color, it's all about the simple. But those owls have such an impact! They are adorable without being ducky-bunny twee. It makes a unique statement in a world of boring baby sweaters. The biggest challenge by far was the buttons. Joann's did not have 30 matching buttons, and being a lazy, impatient sort, I did not want to wait for a new shipment, look online, or go to yet another store. The simplest solution, one inspired by Kristy, was to go with different colored eyes, so I simply gave one owl dark blue eyes, while the rest are light blue. It is a quirky, individual design element, which is the Whole Point of Handmade Items, no?

I used one of my very favorite baby yarns, Mission Falls 1824 Wool (machine wash & dry! awesome rich colors! 50% off at my LYS!), and used only 3 skeins despite its total crap yardage. Baby Sami, 6 months old, is growing like gangbusters, so I made her about a one year size so she can be warm and owly this winter in New England.

The next sweater was an impulse knit, for my lovely and adorable baby niece, Lila. She has already received and promptly grown out of her first Aunt Lizzie knit, so it was time for another. Some stashed Cotton-Ease and leftover Katia Jamaica combined into yet another Baby Surprise Jacket, this one about a one-year size as well. San Diego babies need sweaters all year round, so I don't really need to worry about the size, and this jacket just makes me happy to look at. I wasn't a confident or experienced knitter when my daughter was a baby, so I have a feeling that Lila will be the recipient of much knitted cuteness from me.

Remember that meme on Facebook, where you agree to make something for 5 people, and they agree to make the same offer? Here's the knitted stuff I made for some of my FB friends.

L to R: Fetching Mitts, Green Thumb Mitts, Crocheted Market Bag

But the crazy has snuck back into the crafty life, with my entire creative time being eaten by the Queen Sized Ripple Blanket of Crochet Insanity.

I love it. I lovelovelovelovelovelovelove it. But it is going to be So. Big.

I'm using Tahki Cotton Classic and an F hook, and it takes almost 45 minutes to complete one color stripe. I made a tragic error by making it just a little too wide so that one ripple uses about 28 grams of yarn, leaving me about 3 grams short of a second complete ripple. And much of the yarn I am using is discontinued TCC colorways bought as Webs grab bags over the years, so there is no supplementing with additional skeins for a lot of the colors. Which means lots of leftovers. Gah!

After a great deal of individual attention, it looks like I'm almost halfway done. But it's getting big enough to be unwieldy, and it requires too much yarn to take on vacation, so I will be putting down the hook periodically and getting back to the pointy needles as I spend most of the rest of the summer on the road: Baltimore, Vermont, the Chesapeake, and many, many days down the shore.

Whatcha building?

2009-06-10T10:17:00.006-04:00

The Pavilion at The Lareau Farm Inn

I spent this past weekend in Vermont at a lovely Inn - eating delicious, organic food and fraternizing with delightful family and friends. Saturday morning found me deep in a comfortable chair by the porch while guests and their children wandered in and out enjoying the perfect weather and the local, scrumptious breakfast. It was the first time in weeks (months?) that I've had quality knit time.

First Sam-the-innkeeper walked by and asked, "Whatcha building?" Then later Lisabeth-the-innkeeper asked me the same question. I'm not sure if others use this terminology, but I had never heard it before. The idea of building a project (versus making or just plain knitting) is new to me.

I am a knitter, but I balk at other descriptions of myself such as artist or crafter. "Artist" seems to high-falutin'. "Crafter" conjures up images of popsicle sticks, glue, and glitter. [This stuff is my own baggage people, label yourselves as you will.]

I'm lounging on the porch to the right on an extremely comfy couch.

When I knit an object, the act of knitting is usually the most time-consuming part of the process, but it is not the only part. There is the research for the pattern, the measuring, the swatching, the measuring again, the math, the measuring yet again, the adjustments, and then, finally, the cast on. Just as one might design plans for a structure, lay a foundation, or measure wood for a piece of furniture.

George Schenk from American Flatbread and his amazing ovens.

As I looked around me at the many things at the Inn that were made by hand with integrity and authenticity, I was proud that Lisabeth and Sam had invited me into their group of builders.

What I built:

Pattern: Endpaper Mitts by Eunny Jang
Yarn: Rowan felted tweed

The Next Generation

2009-05-24T09:08:00.008-04:00

Both of my children knit. I am not entirely responsible for this, my at-home influence is fortified by their school experience - they attend a Waldorf school where handwork is part of the curriculum for every grade. In fact, I didn't even teach my oldest to knit, that duty fell to my dear friend, Martha, who has infinitely more patience than I.

My youngest putting the finishing touches on a crocheted purse for her American Girl doll.

I love to see the girls sizing up projects or just impulsively picking up the needles and knitting. They appreciate a well-written pattern (with good pictures) and, at ages 6 and 9, can browse in a yarn store with the most hardened yarn addict.

N browsing intently in a yarn store in Bergen, Norway.

I already have summer projects waiting for them. It may take them until next summer to finish, but they are excited and motivated.

Am I selfish to feel pride when my children thrill to the same experiences as I do? Would I feel the same sense of satisfaction if they picked up fishing or pottery? I choose to think that I would. However, the truth is that I am thrilled to have a shared interest and hobby so that, every now and then, I can escape from that constant supervisor/manager/disciplinarian role and become a knitting buddy. A friend.

i heart you

2009-05-07T14:29:00.007-04:00

I had the pleasure of test-knitting i heart you for Mandy at Zigzag Stitch. It's a seamless colorwork yoke sweater, and I fell in love with it the instant I saw Mandy's original on flickr.

It is a little big on Rosebud -- I chose to knit it in the fourth size, ensuring extra ease in this close-fitting sweater. I knit much of this sweater during Philadelphia's April heat wave, and I wanted to make for damn sure that she'll be able to wear it next Fall. Also, Nature Spun is not exactly next-to-the-skin soft, so it will definitely require an extra layer underneath it to stave off the itchies.

I've knit some colorwork before, but I think this is the project where I finally got the hang of two-handed colorwork. My gauge is extremely tight in stranded knitting; I had to go up to a US5 needle to get gauge, and I had to learn how to catch floats (thanks, Mandy, for pointing me to this video) on some of the rows. I now feel ready for more colorwork, and coupled with the fact that my stash now overflows with Nature Spun in every shade of blue and purple, I will have plenty of inspiration!

Mandy just released her pattern for sale via her website and Ravelry, so go check it out!

Just in Case ...

2009-05-07T07:06:00.003-04:00

I find this tremendously funny. David R. Castillo, you are brilliant. Pattern is here.

How To Use Up Yarn

2009-04-22T16:00:00.007-04:00

Let me walk you through how to use up partial skeins of yarn.

First, the yarn - Blue Sky Organic Dyed Cotton. Beautiful. Springy. You adore it and must do something with it. There must be about half a skein left, enough for a little kimono for a dear little 2 month old.

Next, the pattern. Fuss about which kimono pattern to use. Decide a sweater would be better. In fact, a sweater that she can wear in August when she's in Vermont. Yes, perfect - a 3-6 month size of that very cute Debbie Bliss Garter Stitch Jacket. How adorable!! Simple, fast, and classic in an EZ-looking kind of way. Cast on and start knitting immediately, late at night, while completely engrossed in the final episode of John Adams. Give absolutely no thought during any of these deliberations to yardage requirements.

The next day, notice how very large the sweater is looking all of a sudden. The pattern calls for a 22" chest circumference for the 3-6 month size. Crazy! Spend most of your available knitting time comparing patterns and 3-6 month old babies. Decide to just go with it. She'll wear it when it fits. Once again, and this is very important, give absolutely no thought to yardage requirements.

Run out of yarn. Buy another skein. Grumble about how this was to just work up the partial skein. Wonder what happened.

Knit until just one side of the front is left. Run out of yarn again. Buy yet another skein. Grumble. Wonder.

Finish the sweater and see that you have the exact same amount of yarn leftover. If not more. Deep sigh. Find beautiful, sweet buttons and forget all about feeling grumbly.

Hmm. Now what can I do to work up that skein ...

The Proper Response to Gray

2009-04-16T09:19:00.006-04:00

I spent an inordinate amount of time this winter knitting with charcoal gray Silky Tweed. It's first pass on the needles was a failed original design, a swingy, drapey open cardigan, intended to be the perfect, light layer for our February family trip to Southern California. This project has been visited before, as a FAIL.
I promptly ripped it, and knit the swingy, drapey, already-designed open cardigan, the Minimalist Cardigan instead. I had previously dismissed it because I thought all that moss stitch would be endlessly, soul-crushingly dull. I was completely right, and in fact, managed to make it even more dull by using that charcoal gray Silky Tweed. I spent months knitting boring moss stitch in dark charcoal gray, wondering why I just wasn't all that into knitting lately. Hmmm.

Rav details here

In the end, it is one of the best sweaters I've knit. The fit is perfect; set-in sleeves are my most flattering shape. That charcoal gray makes it endlessly versatile, and the shape is classic and elegant while being currently quite fashionable. I wear it often, and am glad I suffered through those long months with it because the end result is more than worth it.

But after all those months of gray, there was just one appropriate response: color.

Clockwise from top L: Ballband dishtowel, I Heart You Sweater (a test-knit), Ripples of Insanity, Felicity Hat in Karabella Aurora 8

Icarus Finished!

2009-03-31T20:23:00.005-04:00

With sore hands and a stiff neck, I bound off the last of the hundreds of stitches just in time. The auction was Saturday night. I finished knitting by 8pm Friday night, wove in my ends around 9pm, and left it blocking overnight. Phew!

With 1,369 Icarus projects on Ravelry, I'm not going to spend any time discussing this pattern (which is beautiful). So let's talk about this yarn. I LOVE this yarn. This is lace weight cormo from Elsa Wool Company. It is divine. I owe many thanks to Melanie and Stewart, the grooviest yarn sellers on the planet, for carrying and recommending this yarn.

This is not a true representation of the color - the other pictures capture the silvery gray.

Cormo sheep are a cross between Corriedales and Saxon Merinos. The resulting yarn is unbelievably soft and luxurious. The yarn is undyed and is the natural color of the sheep.

But don't just believe me, here's what Clara Parkes has to say in her review of Elsa Wool Company's Cormo: "Cormo is one of my favorite fibers. It has all the tenderness of merino but with a little more character and succulence."

Succulence. Yes. It is delicious in the hands and on the needles and it blocks like a dream. This is a woolen-spun yarn which means that it is spun with a core of air in the center resulting in a warm, light, and lofty yarn. Perfect for a shawl.

Icarus made his ill-fated wings out of wax. Make your Icarus lace feathers from heavenly cormo!

Deep in the Madness

2009-03-24T16:15:00.004-04:00

No, not March Madness. That's Liz, not me. I'm deep into lace madness. I committed to donating an Icarus shawl to the Waldorf school for their auction on Saturday. Is it done? NO.

I added an extra repeat on the main body (back when I was proceeding at a leisurely pace), so now I'm up to 427 stitches and have 40 rows before I hit the edging. I need to be done by Thursday night because my parents are coming to visit Saturday. I thought that I might try to clean the house Friday while the shawl was blocking. So I think I'll be up early and late trying to bang this out.

Good thing there's basketball to watch on TV.

The Blessingway Blanket

2009-03-11T11:23:00.008-04:00

How do you help prepare a friend for a birth? Advice, baby paraphernalia, a pre-natal massage? What if your friend is having her third baby? And is an experienced home birther? And is a doula? What then?

Well, this was the conundrum for a group of us women who are friends with Melissa. Something different was needed at this Blessingway.

Something to thank Melissa for all that she has given. Something that would represent in a small way her strength, intuition, beauty, and deep love. Something that might fortify her for labor but also wrap her in the love of her soul sisters during those difficult hours with a newborn.

So each friend who could knit (and even some who couldn't) picked up needles or crochet hook and made a square ... or several ... and presented them to Melissa at her Blessingway - the squares infused with our thoughts, wishes, prayers, and blessings. The room just glowed with love and joy.

The squares were arranged and rearranged and then handed off to me. I seamed, joined, and bordered.

The blanket is now home. Wrapped around a new little person who was born joyfully at home cradled in the love of her mother and father.

Welcome Pippa!

*Many thanks to Kindness Girl for the first three photos!

FTW!

2009-03-06T12:49:00.006-05:00

After my last post of a steaming pile of failed knitting projects, it was time for a little self-reflection. I had never had so many repeated failures and frustrations, and so few satisfactory finished objects. Knitting less meant knitting worse. It meant finishing nothing. And for a product knitter like me, knitting and producing nothing was worse than not knitting at all.

It was time for a new paradigm of knitting for me. Knitting less isn't just forgoing a morning knitting session to hit the gym for me. I've had to release some of the mental energy that I was giving to knitting to give it to other areas of my life. I just don't think about it as much, and my failed projects were indications of lack of thought. I don't have the time or the inclination to think through design challenges. I don't have the energy to frog and re-knit the same project until I get it right again and again. I need the simple, the rewarding. Not instant gratification, necessarily, but the old, reliable standards of knitting.

Thus, I turned to EZ, the quintessential source of all that is classic, reliable, pleasureable knitting. Two of my dearest cousins are both expecting their first babies, and since both have wonderfully unique aesthetics, I was able to perfectly match those classic EZ baby sweaters for each of them.

First up was for Ellie's baby. She's expecting her first girl any minute now. Ellie has a very feminine but quirky, vintage-y, arty personal style, so the February Baby Sweater was the perfect choice.

A two skeins (and a little bit of the third) of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in a yummy, grape-y purple, some beautiful silver rose buttons, and a little label embroidered with the initial E, which she, her soon-to-be-born daughter, and I all share. It's yummily soft and absolutely feminine without being overly twee. Classic.

Teri's baby is due in about a month. She and her husband have chosen not to find out the gender of their precious firstborn. In these cases, I usually knit something in a deep red color, since I think all babies look beautiful in red, and am not a fan of the insipid yellow, light green, and white sweaters these "surprise" babies get. However, Teri has a good chance of having a red-haired baby, since her husband and many of his family are vibrant redheads. Thus, their baby is receiving a Baby Surprise Jacket in an amazing green from Dream in Color (Happy Forest). This was my first time using this yarn, and it will not be my last. It was wonderful to work with, and the colors are vibrant and bright.
Teri and I happen to share the same last initial, so this sweater gets a "K." I am sort of obsessed by these cute little tags, so I'll take any excuse to sew and photograph them. I know nothing about embroidery, but these look better than I would ever expect.

You can check the details on my Ravelry page if you want to know more. But in the meantime, expect to see more old reliables, the trieds-and-trues from me in this space for the next little while. I'll be spreading my wings in other spaces in my life right now.

Perfect day for a penguin

2009-03-02T15:27:00.005-05:00

Sometimes a silly little sweater can make you smile.

I have to admit, Isabel's new penguin sweater is so darn cute. And, a snowy day for a photo! What could be better!

This was a very easy project. I pulled some Cotton Ease from the stash and a pattern from Knit Simple Magazine (Winter 07/08), and it came together in no time.

Plus, Isabel really wants to wear it. We are both smiling!

FAIL!

2009-02-18T09:58:00.001-05:00

Perhaps you think it has been a month since my last post because I haven't been knitting. I have been knitting. Knitting less, like the last post resolved, but I have been knitting. It's just that I've been knitting a steaming pile of FAIL lately. I have never had so many failed projects and UFOs, ever. It seems that in my new, knitting-less-life, I am less inclined to troubleshoot, and more inclined to just abandon a problem-project. It also appears that I am less willing to expend mental energy planning projects, pairing yarns and patterns, or working my way through to an FO.

So in the interest of being an honest knitting blogger, willing to share her failures as well as triumphs (and really, in the interest of being a knitting blogger at all), here I present to you, XRK's homage to the FAIL blog:

Blue Cable FAIL

This is the longest-lingering FAIL, from back in November. This sweater was intended as a holiday sweater for Pepe. I tried a top-down set-in sleeve and picked up too many stitches. This is eminently salvageable, as I can simply pick up fewer stitches around the armhole. However, the holidays have passed, sweater season is quickly coming to an end (she says hopefully) and my boy is likely to be too big for this garment by next winter.

Possible Solution: Frog and re-knit in the fall as a top-down raglan.

Purple Baby Dress FAIL

This Little Sister Dress was intended for a baby girl born recently to a good friend. I intended it to be about a one-year-ish size, for something for Baby Sammi to grow into and wear next winter. Due to never even attempting to get gauge, it fits my daughter, who turns 8 next week.

Possible Solution: Rosebud gets a vest. Baby Sammi gets something from Baby Gap.

Baby Surprise FAIL

It's really discouraging to have two baby projects that fail, since baby knitting is supposed to be such instant gratification. But, here's another, for an as-yet to be born baby. The parents do not yet know the gender of the baby. In this case, I usually knit something red, but these parents have a high probability of having a redheaded child, so I went with an easy-care green cotton (Araucania Pomaire). I ran out of yarn. I knew I was running out of yarn, so I began striping in another yarn, and promptly ran out of that yarn too. Then my mother kindly pointed out that the nice green colorway looks like a lot like baby poo.

Only Possible Solution: Frog. Start over with new yarn that does not look like baby poo, like Dream in Color Happy Forest.

Swingy Cardi FAIL

I have this swingy, open slouchy cardi. It's from Michael Stars, so its more of a cotton t-shirt knit than a sweater, but I LOVE THIS THING. I wear it all the time. (I also didn't pay what the website says, so stop hyperventilating that I spent $70 on a t-shirt. In this economy, if you pay retail in Bloomingdales, you are just not trying.) So I thought I'd knit one. I used the Slouchy Cardigan from Greetings from the Knit Cafe as an inspiration, and made a top-down raglan from a lovely charcoal Silky Tweed. Now that it is mostly done, I just don't like it. First, the sleeves are way too wide. They'll have to be reknit. But also, I'm not getting the neckline right, despite a couple of attempts. It feels less like a swingy, drapey cardi, and more like a cropped Jedi Master Robe.

Possible solutions: Try another neckline treatment again. Reknit sleeves. Or frog and knit a Minimalist Cardigan. Or something else.

It hasn't been all FAIL, though. I did knit one successful project, one which I'll share as soon as I block it and sew on the buttons. And I learned something really important from this project. I learned that I need a new paradigm for my new knit-less life. I need to scale back my ambitions to reflect my mental energy, and stick more to tried and true patterns rather than try to design something, even something as simple as a top-down raglan. I need to consider project monogamy vs. multiple WIPs. I need to focus a bit more in the planning stages. I probably need to stash less yarn, and purchase yarn project by project more often. This might result in more success and less FAIL.

Almost Caught Up ...

2009-02-13T15:57:00.004-05:00

El Hatto Negro by Julia at Mind of Winter

One of the projects I've finally posted on Ravelry (Crossroads Ann)

As I rush to tie up loose ends (literally), tend to a sick child, and pack for a trip to Vermont, I came across this Panopticon post relating to the process of knitting. Franklin captures my experience perfectly.

I'll be posting again after our trip to the North!

The Economy of Knitting

2009-02-06T14:16:00.006-05:00

Stash Yarn: Socks for N on the left and for R on the right

I regularly count my blessings these days. Every week I hear of another neighbor, friend, or relative who has been furloughed or laid off. My husband's employment seems secure so far (can you hear me knocking on wood?) but we're not taking any chances. Meals are simple and at home, movies are Netflix, and trips are more local and to see family. I don't feel deprived because I'm not. I live a solidly upper middle-class life, send my children to a private school, and have the luxury to be a stay-at-home mom.

However, my habits have changed. I have been knitting primarily from the stash for almost a year now and with the exception of a few special projects, this will remain my modus operandi.

My plan for 2009 was to be more mindful of my projects in an attempt to find balance; now I see that this mindfulness, intention, and restraint has the additional reward of being financially responsible. Don't get me wrong, I still knit boutique yarns - the experience is so pleasurable and I do want to support small-scale producers - but I no longer have room for impulse purchases.

Today I have a few projects in the works: some socks for my eldest daughter and finishing a border on a "Blessingway Blanket" (more details on this soon!). Both are projects that are inexpensive and are quite fun.

Also, this week I taught some girls in one of our struggling city schools to knit. It is such an honor to see the joy of a child making something. Something real. Tangible. It's just magic. And for the cost of some needles and leftover yarn, I can spread a feeling of empowerment and pride. Sharing my resources. Supporting my community. A veritable redistribution of wealth ...

Warm woolly goodness

2009-01-24T16:44:00.004-05:00

Here's another finished product that was started more than a year ago. My goal was to wrap this up this last weekend, but a reality check right before seaming the shoulders made me realize I needed to rip the front out completely. One of the consequences of taking a long break is being punished by your gauge. I almost talked myself into living with a front that was almost two inches wider than the back, but an early morning session with the winder felt really good. My lazy knitter didn't win this time.

I have a feeling this sweater will be a favorite along the lines of my Central Park Hoodie. It doesn't try to be clever or trendy, just a simple classic design, fairly good fit and the warmest yarn ever.

Pattern: Carrie from Ella Rae
Yarn: Noro Big Kureyon, Color No. 20
Needles: 10 and 10.5

Next up, a sweet penguin sweater for Isabel. I dove into my large Cotton Ease stash for this special request project. I'm already done with the back and one sleeve. Hopefully, her penguin obsession will last long enough for me to finish the sweater!

Simple but Soulful

2009-01-18T20:10:00.004-05:00

When we simplify life, we must prioritize.

Instead of reading dozens of blogs, paring down to a few cherished gems. Those that bring me wonderful patterns, knit-friends, or deep soulful inspiration.

My knitting lately has become less of a production and more of a meditation.

Watching the loops on the sticks stack one on top of another until they take shape and form.

Projects are chosen more mindfully. Less multi-tasking, more monogamy. Slower. Less. More soul. Less obligation. More joy.

Time is spent deepening enjoyment in each activity. The knitting can stop and wait for food, family, and friendship.

So I will choose carefully. I will try to re-engage with my Ravelry, update my page with my recent small, wonderful projects. And I will knit as if I had 100 years left to live as well as if I had only one day.

Tomorrow we head up to Washington, DC, to celebrate. To bask in the collective, joyful energy of millions of our neighbors and friends. Please take some time to spread some kindness, serve your community, slow your life down, or deepen your experience on this earth.

Resolved.

2009-01-07T09:02:00.001-05:00

I've really been enjoying the 2008 retrospectives around blogland lately: the flickr mosaics, the wrap-up posts, the resolution posts. Since knitblogging has become mostly an endless parade of FO posts (she says, squarely pointing the finger at herself), it was refreshing to see some reflection, some thoughts about the process of knitting and the reasons why we knit.

I, however, am not doing a 2008 retrospective, mainly because I realized that those wonderful flickr mosaics can include only 36 pictures, and I KNIT 48 THINGS in 2008. 48. And there are a few things that just never got photographed because although the simple hat or socks are a pleasure to knit, they're certainly not worth a blog post, and hardly worth the energy to take a decent photograph. So I think I actually knitted about 50 things this year, which averages to about one FO a week. That is a lot of knitting.

This number really disturbed me, which is strange, considering that in 2007, I knit about the same, and at the time I was really psyched. I like knitting a lot, and relished having the time to make lots of wonderful things. I really take pleasure from knitting, and pursuing pleasure is a good way to spend your life. Knitting challenges me, and allows me to be creative. All that knitting also helped to rationalize the size of my stash, because if you are going to knit a lot of things, then, well, you need a lot a yarn, right? The yarn gets knit, the patterns get made, and I was all set to just knit knit knit my life away.

But this year, the number hit me right between the eyes. I'm in a very reflective place right now. My life is changing. My kids are in school and they require less of me on a daily basis. As a result, I've been experiencing classic Bored Suburban Housewife Wasting Her Life angst. This is combined with my ongoing crisis of dissatisfaction with other elements of my life since moving from Virginia to Pennsylvania. Despite the move having been very beneficial to my husband and his career situation, and despite the fact that I now live in a culturally rich, wonderful place and in very close proximity to my wonderfully supportive and fun family, I have yet to find MY niche. I have yet to feel at home here.

But I'm in my late 30s. I am a grown-up and in charge of my life. I get this. If I don't like things about my life, it is absolutely within my power to change many of them. My days at home with young children are ending, so it is up to me to write the next act of my life. If I don't like things about where I live, dammit, I can move. If I fear I have become boring, then it is up to me to enrich my life. It is up to me to nurture the social connections and friends I do have. I need to be open to life and to make the one life I have the one that I desire. I can do better.

And honestly, I realized that knitting all those FOs is an obstacle to that, for me. That number, which before seemed so desirable, made me understand that knitting for me has been a crutch. It has been a way for me to rationalize being lazy about my own life. There are things in life I want to do besides knitting, but knitting was dominating it all, replacing it all. I wasn't reading as much. I wasn't moving as much. I wasn't tackling home projects or working on things that I wanted to, because I just couldn't wait to get in that knitting chair and pick up those needles. I'm generally an undisciplined, lazy sort of person, and knitting is the perfect way to avoid writing that novel, visiting that museum, cleaning ones closests or calling a contractor to renovate your master bathroom or anything else productive.

I certainly think that knitting is a worthy way of spending ones time. I acknowledge that for so many knitters, all that time to knit unencumbered by work or other responsibilities would be like a gift from the gods, and I am grateful that I have a life that gives me time to do it. But all that knitting, while I really, truly enjoyed it, every minute of it, wasn't helping me figure out what was going to make me happy. It was keeping me on the couch, in the house, in front of the TV. Zoned out. Tuned out. And with one hell of a messy master bath desperately in need of renovation.

I see other knitters who have made knitting Their Next Act, knitters who write books or start businesses or teach classes, and perhaps knitting will show me the way. Or maybe something else will. Maybe a job or a calling or a new neighborhood or a new community will open itself to me, and I can give of myself in a new way. I plan on writing more, but wasting less time on the internets this year. I plan on moving more, and seeking out a more dynamic life for me and my family. I plan on taking more advantage of my Philadelphia home. I plan on learning and reading and taking chances here and there. I plan on saying yes to more things I enjoy and saying no to the things that bring me down.

So yes, I enjoy knitting and take great pleasure in yarn and making things with it, but this year, while I will still knit and create and write and blog, I've resolved to knit less.

Dinah is done!

2009-01-04T11:52:00.007-05:00

Aren't we lucky that our knitting always takes us back? Just like a good friend -- so forgiving and welcoming. I guess that's one reason I'll probably always knit, even if I take long, unexplained breaks.

Yes, Dinah is done! This was a "quickie" project that started in November 2007. I planned to wear it to my office holiday party, but when I missed the date it lingered (well, more than lingered). Last week, I dug it out and found that I only had 3 cm left on one sleeve! I finished it up, and I'm fairly happy with the results. This sweater is so light weight you don't know that it is on, but it keeps you amazingly warm.

Pattern: Dinah from Rowan # 42

Yarn: Rowan Silk Wool and Kidsilk Haze

Mods: Shortened the KSH part of the sleeves; plus, knit the silk wool part first and then knit the KSH into the wool instead knitting them separately and joining.

Next up, another lingering WIP-- Carrie from Ella Rae in Noro Kureyon. Just one sleeve to knit and I'll have another long forgotten project completed. I must complete this one while it is still cold, or it may never see the light of day.

Plus, Isabel has made a special request that I just can't refuse. I'll wait to tell you about it next time.

Happy New Year, and Happy Knitting!

My Sister Kate Rules

2008-12-23T12:51:00.005-05:00

I'm just going to ignore the fact that its been almost a month since I've last blogged. I'm just going to ignore the backlog, and point you to my flickr or ravelry pages if you really care to see the socks and assorted little gifties I've knit recently. Nothing interesting, really, which is why I didn't and won't be blogging about them.

My sister, Kate, has appeared many times on this blog, and has even guest blogged a few times. Besides being on my list of Most Favorite People in the World, she also holds the title of All-Time Favorite Recipient and Most Perfectly Gracious Appreciator of the Hand-Knits.

She is also, it turns out, an Adventurous Bad-Ass of Immense Proportions. She is leaving the day after Christmas to go to Antarctica. Camping. In Antarctica. She'll be lugging gear across glaciers and seeing penguins. She'll be able to eat all the Snickers she wants and still lose weight, because she'll be burning 6000 calories a day. She'll be participating in a Survivor-esque leadership course with a bunch of type-A business school people. She'll be Very Cold.

When she shared her plan with me, my first thought was a jumble of "that's awesome! Oh, wait, WTF it's sortofcrazy ohmygod this soundssoscary and cantheyevavcuateyou and itsOKtobackout!" Of course, my second thought was, "I should definitely knit her something."

But then I thought some more about it. I have all the faith in the world in woolies, really I do, but for temperatures this low, you need serious petroleum-based performance wear. Woolens and Burberry may have been good enough for Shackleton, but I could not live with the responsibility of keeping my sister's feet warm(ish) by knitting her socks. She needed to properly outfit herself in the correct adventure gear, and the knitwear should be just an addition. Some comfort, some color, some Antarctic Flair, if you will. After considering all the possibilities: hat liners, arm or leg warmers to go over her performance longies, glove liners, etc, I went with the simple: The Cowl.

This cowl won't have primary responsibility for keeping her neck warm. It's really just a piece of comfort, something soft and colorful and just for her, among her array of rented gear and wicking-layer-thingies and her immense Day-Glo Green parka, designed to keep her visible in the case of a white-out.

I made her two, and she can decide which she takes. I originally made the Chickadee Cowl, with Misti Alpaca Bulky, because I figured alpaca is an extremely warm and soft fiber. But as I knit it, I felt that the Foxtail colorway, however lovely it is, was not going to work with the electric green parka.

Putting aside the absurdity of wanting to match a rented fluorescent green coat she'll wear for 10 days in her life, I decided to consult the colorwheel and make a dip into the stash. I went with the leftovers of one of my very favorite yarns, Black Bunny Fibers Merino Silk, and whipped up a Darkside Cowl too.

I'll admit to being more than a little nervous about this trip. My sister is My Beloved. She is doing something that is really out of my personal comfort zone, something with inherent risks. But I trust her judgment so implicitly, and know that she'll prevail. She's trained and studied. She's going with experienced people, and she'll be seeing a landscape majestic and awesome, in the truest sense of the world.

I'm just glad she can take a little bit of my love with her.

Moving the Chi

2008-12-10T19:50:00.005-05:00

Are you still having a hard time getting your knitting mojo on? Never fear my comrades in yarn! I have another tip that will get your needles clickity clacking again in no time.

If you've read anything at all about feng shui, you know that clutter and piles slow down your chi and suck the energy out of you. The dynamic between UFOs and knitting energy is no different. (I also know that toilet seats must be down in order to avoid having all the chi just plain sucked out of your home. It's about the chi not about being a picky female. Put the seat down. Could billions of toilet seats left up have contributed to our sinking economy? It's worth a dissertation ...)

So for tip number 5, finish off one, preferrably two, UFOs. We all have them. Some of us only have a few. Others contribute a UFO to the chi stopping pile every week or so. Pick the easiest one to finish up and do it! Need to add buttons? A little seaming? Need to sew in your ends? Do it now!!

Here's what I did ...

These ornaments just needed the H stitched on them. Easy schmeasy. (See Charmed Knits for pattern. This picture was actually from last year, but the three that I knit this year look exactly the same!) The chi took a baby step forward.

This baby sweater (see The Knitter's Book of Yarn) just needed buttons. That's it! One trip to TYL and bam! The UFO becomes an FO and the knitting chi is fluttering around the room.

This scarf has been lingering ever since I knit this syncopated cap. I would knit a row now and then when I felt like it but I never attended to it properly. This was my next target and I finished in two days.

The knitting chi is zooming I tell you, zooming.

Just What the Knitting Doctor Ordered

2008-11-26T14:16:00.004-05:00

The knitting mojo is back! Here are my first four steps to recover from a knitting slump:

Find a quick knit that is useful and, preferably, beautiful.
Find the perfect yarn. It should be a joy to knit. The pleasure you experience when it slides through your fingers will trigger the knit-love areas of the brain. (Note: Guilt could cancel out the pleasure, so use stash if your budget is tight.)
Cast on immediately.
Ignore all those around you until you finish.

Here's what I ended up with ...

Tretta Hat by Grumperina
Blue Sky Alpaca Silk in a spring green (141)

It's just a gorgeous (and fast!) hat. I love it but it looks so much better on N so we're sharing. I needed to jump start the mojo, so I didn't get the beads. I think it looks good with or without them.

I have more mojo enhancing steps to come, but for now we at XRK would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving. And don't forget to visit Carol's great Thanksgiving Quiz. Ah, family.

Knitting Rules

2008-11-13T13:45:00.006-05:00

There's a few personal rules I've got for my knitting, rules I've learned from the past 7 years of knitting. All knitters have them; I'm sure you've got a few of your own. They save us knitters from making the same mistakes again and again, or from making garments that are almost great, but not quite. I always add an inch or so of length to sweaters, for example. Heel flaps, not short-row heels, please. Launder swatches. Finish carefully and fastidiously. Now I have a new one. No funnel neck sweaters.

I've made multiple sweaters that call for funnel necks, and I always end up modifying it. I always knit the funnel, and when I try it on, I hate it. I have a short neck, and funnel necks look like I'm wearing the sweater backwards or something. When I knit the Refined Raglan, I settled on a crew neck. When Mr S tried on his Dylan Goes Electric, he hated the funnel too, so I changed it to a roll neck.

Imagine the time I'll save when next I encounter a pattern with a funnel neck. I can dispense with the step of knitting the funnel neck, ripping it, and then experimenting with other necklines. It took the Counterpane Pullover for me to finally get it. Once again I knit the funnel, tried it on, hated it, and promptly ripped it out. Because of the unique construction of this sweater, I was unable to do anything much more than the small cowl-ish, mock turtleneck-ish neckline without a lot of ripping. If I planned a modified neckline at the beginning, I'd have a lot more options to choose from: a scoop, a more pronounced cowl, a split neck.

It's an extremely warm and cozy winter sweater, and while I'll admit it isn't the sexiest garment I've ever made, I did learn something valuable. And really, this was a process-knit from the start. It was great fun to make; it knit up over the course of a week -- it only took longer to finish because of my neckline issues and becasue I had to search out another skein of yarn from a fellow Raveler.

Pattern: Counterpane Pullover, Interweave Knits, Fall 2007
Yarn: 6 skeins, Valley Yarns Berkshire Bulky, cream
Needles: US 10 1/2
If you want more details about my mods, check Ravelry.

Where's the Mojo?

2008-11-07T12:59:00.005-05:00

In January, I christened this "The Year of Relaxing" with a sub-title of "Mistakes Will Be Made." In contrast to past resolutions (be more compassionate, get better about the laundry, floss more often), I have more than met the challenge this year. I won't go into details, but rest assured, when I relaxed* about things, mistakes were made. And we have all survived. It's been a great lesson for me.

I dropped many of my volunteer activities at the girls' school and instead took up more mentoring responsibilities in our struggling public schools. (And yes, mentoring a needy child is far more relaxing and rewarding than chairing a school-wide fundraiser or being secretary of the Parents' Association.) I was also lucky enough to spend some time volunteering for President-Elect Obama and participating in true community empowerment.

At the end of the summer, while in the midst of a professional identity crisis (should I go back to work after almost nine years? what should I do? am I good at anything other than nagging anymore?), I decided to spend Friday mornings kayaking on the river -- Goof Off Fridays. The time on the river, arrested only recently due to the cold, was deeply restorative and took the edge off all the questions that continue to swirl around me.

And what about the knitting? You would think that knitting would fit right into a year of relaxation. But lately my knitting has been unfocused. Picking up a project, growing bored with it, and then setting it down -- maybe forever. This is unusual for me. I almost never have UFOs hanging around the house. But except for some baby hats, not much has been finished in the past month.

Nothing to blog about. Nothing interesting on the needles. No sweaters. No scarves. No challenging colorwork. No stunning shawls. No cute mittens. Just a few baby hats.

I've had inspirational political experiences. Inspirational mornings on the river. Inspirational community involvement. But no inspirational knitting.

It's time for me to be pro-active about this. I refuse to let my knitting mojo be a casualty of The Year of Relaxing. I have a plan to try to get it back. Stay tuned.

*By "relaxing" I mean "lowering my standards." It translates into not vacuuming the house everyday, not obsessing about the garden, buying prepared foods now and then ... basically cutting myself some slack.

October Classic

2008-10-30T17:30:00.000-04:00

2008 World Series Champions Philadelphia Phillies!

We did it!

Call Me Crazy

2008-10-23T10:18:00.005-04:00

Is it insane to make a blanket out of sock yarn? I mean, Shelly did it, and so did Deb. So it's definitely possible. Have you seen this one by Birgit? It's amazing. So I've toyed with the idea for a while now. I have a lot of leftover sock yarn, thanks to small feet and short, bug calved legs that require shorter sock legs. And readers of this blog know that I am always looking for ways to use up those leftovers. Using up scraps to make something as useful as a blanket feels so thrifty and resourceful. But it's sort of insane, right? Sock yarn is thin, and even in crochet, it takes a lot of time. But I do have a lot of leftover sock yarn. And I quite like crocheting blankets, lots more than I like miters. I hardly ever get a turn under the other wooly scrap blanket. And now it is cold, and wooly blanket is a necessity.

So, crazy or not, I'm making a Granny Rectangle with my sock yarn leftovers, except that I think I'm running out of yarn, and it's only about 30" x 36" at this point. I'm sticking to the cool colors - the blues, greens, and purples and I don't want to vary the color scheme. So I suppose I'll have to generate some more leftovers: knit up some of the blue/green/purple sock yarn from the stash, and have more leftovers to add to the blanket.

OK. Now that does seem a little crazy. Knitting a project just to generate leftovers?

I'm Easy To Spell

2008-10-13T10:53:00.000-04:00

My son brought some schoolwork home from school the other day. There was one paper, his writing practice, that said, simply, "I like my mom."

I was, predictably, very touched by this. I swept him up in my arms, and expressed my delight in his writing. "Oh, I like you, too!" I said enthusiastically. "And look at how carefully and neatly you wrote this!"

He smiled broadly, "Well, I didn't know how to spell 'ice cream,' so I just said I liked you. I could spell that!"

Rather than being properly deflated, I accepted my fate as being second-best to ice cream and easy to spell, and got even with him, the lazy-knitter's way. I cast on zero-effort stripey socks for my boy. It's Socktober, after all, and my Through the Loops Mystery Socks are too tight and the cable pattern requires too much attention during post-season baseball. I needed an easy sock, an instant gratification sock, and I can use the ugliest, cheapo stuff out of the sale bin (and only one skein needed for a pair for a small boy!), and crank out a pair of socks in a matter of days. No fancy yarn, no fancy pattern. Nothing. I don't even bother to match the stripes. So there, kid. Take that, Mr. Easy-to-Spell.

Simple socks, details on Ravelry.

So I get a simple declaration of love to cherish forever, along with a funny anecdote, an enjoyable knitting project, and an all-around great kid. He gets a new pair of socks, and the Mom who makes them. I think it's a fair deal.

A Swirl Cap

2008-10-06T14:40:00.007-04:00

How do you thank someone for rescuing you from the blue screen of death? Why, knit him a blue swirl cap! This was a quick knit for Jorge while he was retrieving data and upgrading our hard drive. He deserves much, much more.

Pattern: Improvised on the needles
Yarn: Cashsoft Baby DK and Cashcotton DK
Needles: US5s and US6s

Notes: This is an adult medium cap -- not quite covering the ears. I cast on 120 sts using a 2 color long-tail CO method. I think the effect of the 2 color CO might be lost due to some curling at the bottom, but I do so love this CO. Here is a video tutorial for all those who don't already know this CO. It includes instructions for a rather clever braid as well.

I used a semi-corrugated rib (inspired by the Anemoi Mittens) for the brim:
Round 1: k 1 round CC
Round 2 - 6: [k2 MC, p1 CC]

I then proceeded to work 5 repeats of rows 5 through 29 this spiral chart followed by knitting 1 round MC. (If you use the spiral chart, the brown squares are CC, the white are MC.)

I didn't want to end the colorwork there, so I continued with ... are you ready for this? ... a "lice" pattern for the top of the head. Appropriate for XRK, no? The pattern is simple and I wanted to start my crown decreasing in the 3rd row of the pattern. So the crown looks something like this (white squares are CC, grey squares are MC):

For the double decrease, I used sl2tog, k1, psso. Therefore, round 36 would read as follows:
Knit 10; slip 2 stitches together knitwise, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over; knit 11.

Round 56 is k2tog all around.
I don't always like colorwork in DK weight, preferring sportweight or sockweight yarns, but the softness of the yarns and the quickness of the project won me over!

The Backbou as a reluctant model.

Comfort

2008-10-02T12:42:00.006-04:00

I'm going to be honest and tell you that my September pretty much sucked. I am not one of those super-controlling Moms (really, I'm not), but I find it difficult to release my children to the big bad world of elementary school. I prefer them in my supportive and accepting bubble of Mom-Love. And since my firstborn takes a long time to warm up to new situations, there's always a long period of Getting Used To It that requires a lot more Mom-Love and Mom-Listening and Mom-Deep-Breathing than the usual amount. Throw in a case of Back-to-School head lice (yep, it seems the buggers really like us XRK families), car batteries dying at very inopportune moments, serious overscheduling, colds and allergies, the collapse of the American economy, and a flooded laundry room, and I was so ready to see the end to the month of September.

I was ready for some comfort, and thanks to my husband and his Jewish traditions, this week brought us Rosh Hashanah. I needed to celebrate a New Beginning. I needed to ask for blessings for a sweet new year, and I needed matzo ball soup, challah and a big hunk of Aunt Cookie's kugel. Mr S's Aunt Cookie makes the most astoundingly good kugel. It is sweet and delicious and incredibly fatty and decadently comforting. And it makes total sense, since Aunt Cookie herself is among the most gentle, comforting people I have ever had the privilege to know. I've never shared a recipe here before, but I do believe I owe the world the chance to eat Aunt Cookie's Kugel. It's a basic noodle pudding recipe. I've slightly modified the recipe that appeared in her synagogue cookbook (I xeroxed it in full years ago) to make it slightly less fatty and to reduce the overall size of the dish.

Aunt Cookie's Kugel
This recipe is easily doubled and it is not necessary to be exact about the quantities. It's comfort food.)

4 oz wide egg noodles (I use Manischewitz brand, and I basically use about 3/4 of the bag)
1/4 lb cottage cheese (I use low-fat, but Aunt Cookie never would)
1/4 lb cream cheese (see above)
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 stick of butter (or less, but don't skimp here)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
optional: 1/3 cup of either/all: golden raisins, dried figs, dried apricots

Preheat oven to 350. Cook noodles and drain. Add any dried fruits to the warm noodles. In a separate bowl, cream cheeses together. Add sugar, milk, eggs, and vanilla to the cheeses. Add noodles and fruit to the cheese mixture. Generously coat bottom and sides of a baking dish (probably 8x8 or thereabouts) with butter. Add the noodle/milk mixture, and dot the top with more butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for about 1 hour, until the milk sets and the top begins to brown slightly.

After a meal like that, with candles and prayers and the most comforting of foods, things began to look up. The calendar page turned from September to October. The Phillies are still playing baseball, and the first brisk days of fall are upon us. I finally got to pull out the wool sweaters. The latest, most comfortingly warm and perfect is Pam's February Lady Sweater, knit with Louet Riverstone yarn. Seriously, I love this sweater. I finished it ages ago, and it has been slung over the chair on the bedroom, waiting to be worn. The length is perfect, the fit is great, and the yarn was a great match. I raveled it here if you want details on my mods, which were minimal.

October will be better, I'm sure of it.

Welcome Lyra!

2008-09-29T13:05:00.004-04:00

After almost a month without internet or email, I'm back. Our computer, pushed to the edges of it's capacity, gave us the big blue screen and was resistant to our meager efforts to repair it. Enter Jorge, the talented and clever, and husband to Kindnessgirl. As Jorge awaited the arrival of child number four and began a new demanding job, he parked our computer on their dining room table and worked to get us up and running in his "spare time." Isn't that just incredible?

Now our computer is not just running again but better, faster, stronger. And most importantly, baby Lyra has now joined us.

Here is the sweater for Lyra ...

Pattern: Busy Lizzy by Louisa Harding from Tadpoles and Tiddlers (Rowan)
Yarn: Louet Gems, Fine/Sport Weight, Goldilocks and leftovers from a BSJ
Needles: US 2s and 3s

I modified a number of things on this sweater, I'm not even sure I remember all the changes I made. I knit the body together, dividing for the sleeves, and then grafted at the shoulders to avoid any bulk from seaming. This made the colorwork easier and more continuous without any nasty seams to break it up.

I knit the sleeves in the round on dpns then seamed them into the round openings. I am moving away from seaming whenever I can (I'm with Anne Marie -- avoid seams whenever possible). I found the stitch count for the sleeves to be way off and increased to only 57 sts instead of 67. Also, I am in love with the smocking stitch. It has stretch and texture and is just a joy to knit.

This yellow is the truest to actual color.

And the button. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know where it's from via The Yarn Lounge. I love that it matches the flowers (I didn't pick the button until after I had knit the sweater!).

Louet Gems may just become my go-to-yarn for baby things. It's a bit splitty, but finishes so smoothly, shows colorwork and texture well, comes in great colors (this yellow, Goldilocks, is fabulous), and is machine washable and dryable.

So welcome Lyra! We're all so glad you've joined us on this big blue ball we call home!

Knitwear Smackdown: The Marital Version

2008-09-22T12:32:00.003-04:00

I thought I'd interrupt the cavalcade of FO posts to get your input about the current sweater on the needles, the Counterpane Pullover.

I love it. I loved it when it came out in the magazine, and I love it now. I think it is Twinkle-esque, Anthropologie-ish, and has the potential to be a really interesting but wearable garment. The construction is simple and unique, and the central motif is striking. Bulky-weight sweaters are very chic right now, and in cream colored yarn, I think it has a classic yet stylish feel.

My husband, on the other hand, is seriously dubious. He thinks its going to look lumpy and, well, bulky. He thinks it's putting a giant X across my bust, or worse, giant flower petals directly on the girls, in a bad way. For a man who rarely expresses anything but encouragement about my knitwear, this was a vociferous objection.

After looking at a couple of FOs on Ravelry, I think it is a really flattering garment when knit with negative ease, so I am knitting the smallest size, placing the central motif so that it sits more below my bustline, and am modifying the sleeves to make them a bit smaller. I don't often take fashion advice from my husband, but I am just not so sure anymore. I am a small person, and have always shied away from knitting bulky sweaters. This sweater will never qualify for nomination for the Sexy Knitters Club, but for a warm winter sweater, I think it will be funky.

Pepe, by the way, thinks it's awesome.

I just don't know!!! Any input?

Cardigan Catch-Up

2008-09-18T16:22:00.000-04:00

Here's something I made during the blog hiatus:

It's a little cropped cardi for my Rosebud. My daughter will tell you she's a little bit of a tomboy and a little bit of a girly girl, and that's about right. She's the kid in the frilly dress crossing the monkey bars again and again. The girl with the gaudy cocktail ring on her calloused, dirty hands. It's the girly part of her that understands the need for a little white cardigan in your wardrobe, but it's the tomboy in her that led me to this combination of pattern and yarn.

Pattern: Eyelet Yoke Cardigan, a free pattern from Lion Brand. It's also called the Fresh Picked Cardigan, but it's the same pattern nonetheless.
Yarn: Cascade Sierra, white, 2 skeins

Notes: When she grew out her commercially-made little white cardigan, I knew I wanted to knit her a replacement, but I was really disappointed at the lack of patterns available for kids her size. I know I could have written a pattern, or sized down or up an existing pattern, but I was not looking for a challenge here. I just wanted to knit a cute little cardi for my girl.

Proving that I am not a complete pattern snob, I came upon this Lion Brand pattern on Ravelry. I wasn't totally thrilled with the proportions of it; the pattern calls for 3/4 sleeves, but I think they are a little too short, the sweater a bit too cropped. I realized, however, that sleeves of this length do not need to be pulled up for worm-digging expeditions, and will likely keep the sweater cleaner overall.

Knitters with children, get yourself some Cascade Sierra and make some garments for your children. It is an ideal yarn for kid knits, especially if you prefer natural fibers. It's very easy care. I wash it in the machine on the gentle cycle with cold water, and they lay it flat until it's almost dry, and then throw it in the dryer on low for about 10 minutes, and it looks great! It's an 80/20 cotton/wool blend, so it is lightweight and doesn't stretch like cotton. Having made a sweater with it before, I can attest to its durability. Mr S wears his DGE sweater quite a bit, and there is no sign on wear at all, and because of the wool, it has not stretched out of shape either. Plus, it is an amazing value -- I think I paid $12 total for this sweater. It's a great worsted yarn, really.

Still, though, I'm disappointed that there aren't many patterns for kids her age and size. There's a lot for babies and toddlers, and of course, plenty for adult women, but not a huge amount of patterns for bigger kids. Leave me a comment if you have some good pattern sources for kids -- I need them!

Blog Blahs.

2008-09-15T12:48:00.004-04:00

Life has seriously licked our collective asses here at XRK, making it difficult for either of us to blog with any regularity. Ann is experiencing computer issues, and I have been experiencing life issues that are keeping me busy. I have been knitting, though, and I have several FOs to share. I am hoping to get those out of the way over the next few posts, and hopefully, those posts will be a bit more frequent.

The blog is experiencing some growing pains, frankly. Mo gave some serious consideration to dropping out completely, but now is thinking of coming back. Ann and I continue to be busy with the kids, even though they are all in school again. With flickr accounts and Ravelry, I'm feeling less like blogging about my knitting, as it feels redundant and time consuming. I think many knit bloggers have been experiencing similar malaise about their blogs, and that's just where the XRK knitters seem to be at this point. There may be some changes: we've considered a platform move. I've considered writing more about life when knitting just isn't doing it for me. For now, dear readers, all of you that remain, we ask that you stick with us through this period, and when we have something to report, we'll let you know.

In the meantime, here's a long-finished, FO, about which I have little to say. Now, if you happen to be expecting a baby and happen to be married to my brother-in-law and live in San Diego and want to be surprised about your baby gift, read no further. Everyone else, carry on:

Rav details here.

It's a February Baby Sweater, knit in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock. I knit it with fingering weight because I wanted it to roughly fit a newborn. My new niece will be born in November, and for the first few months of her life, it will be chilly in her hometown of San Diego. The gauge was not all that off, as I used US4 needles, but it should not overwhelm her little newborn body. I had to add the booties and the hat because they are so stinkin' cute, and I had the yarn.

I have two more sweaters to share, plus a cowl and hopefully a finished pair of socks to share in the near future. If I ever get around to blogging again.

Sock Blahs

2008-09-02T15:06:00.000-04:00

After seven years of knitting, I am ready to announce that I am officially A Product Knitter. I know, I'm slow. It took me so long to figure it out because I really do enjoy the process: the thinking, matching yarn and pattern, the act of stitch after stitch after stitch. I take great pleasure in the materials of my craft, and I think the fact that often I choose a project simply because I want to try a certain technique or because I've decided a yarn's time had come to be knit confused things for me.

But socks made it clear for me. At some point, I decided I wanted a drawer full of handknitted socks. I wanted to go through a winter wearing nothing but my knitted socks. I wanted enough socks that I could do handwash the socks once a week or so, and still have enough in the drawer while I got around to doing the laundry. I wanted durable socks, socks that matched my clogs, really pretty socks, orange socks, neutral socks, and socks to wear with sneakers. I was obsessed with patterns and yarns and the combination of the two. I made tons of socks. I gave many pairs away, but ended up with about a dozen pairs of socks for me. I had all the socks I wanted and needed.

And at that point, as a Product Knitter, my interest in sock knitting dried up, as did my desire for sock yarns. Sock patterns no longer excite me and swell my Ravelry queue. Remember my torrid affair with Nancy last summer? I'm so over it. I've got the Sock Blahs.

I'm not hanging up my size 0 dpns by any means. I'm still knitting socks, and I doubt that I'll ever give them up for any length of time. We all know that they are great travel knitting, car pool knitting, purse knitting, and since socks wear out, I'll have to keep rotating in new pairs. My stash still overflows with lovely sock yarns which will have their time to be knit.

This skein of Sunshine Yarns in Neapolitan, for example, came to me as part of a destash from Laura, and it sat, wound, in a drawer, for at least a year or two until it's time had come. The yarn is highly variegated, very likely to pool, so Jaywalkers were the obvious solution. No offense to a classic pattern, but knitting Jaywalkers is symptom of serious Sock Blah.

Right now, I'm obsessed with sweaters. All I want to knit are sweaters. Baby sweaters and Lady Sweaters. Cabled sweaters and tweedy sweaters. Cardigans for Rosebud, and maybe a stripey pullover. A vest for Pepe too. Mostly sweaters for me, though. I've actually finished two that I'll be sure to blog about soon, and that cardigan for Rosebud is already knit to the yoke.

Brooks Farm Acero, 3 x 1 rib. More blah.

But it seems that Mr S also wants a drawer full of handknit socks. For those readers new to the blog, Mr S has size 13 feet. I guess now every pair is even more an act of love, since his feet are big, he wants boring socks, and I've got a bad case of the Sock Blahs.

August Rain and a February Sweater

2008-08-27T10:16:00.005-04:00

Alternate Title: Look Ma! No Seams!

We're finally getting some much needed rain. Not a lot. But a calm, steady sprinkle. The air is cool, the windows are open, and the kids are at art camp for the morning. Ah. I'm happy with the quiet, the garden is happy with the rain. Now, on to the baby sweater ...

Pattern: February Sweater by Elizabeth Zimmerman (Knitter's Almanac)
Yarn: Socks That Rock, medium weight superwash merino, Jade (the color is closer to the above photo)
Needles: US 3s

I began this project during the Olympic swimming week. I finished in about 5 days and discovered that although I had altered the numbers due to gauge and cast on more than it called for, I had failed to alter the numbers for where to place the sleeves. This was a big mistake (damn that Michael Phelps). I never noticed until I had cast off (damn him and his intoxicating racing).

I rushed to TYL to see Brilliant Melanie, could anything be done to save it? I already knew the answer, and she could see that I just couldn't stand tearing it out. She sent me next door with the kids as she ripped and rewound for me. Aren't knitting friends the best?

I reknit it in EZ's numbers since my gauge really wasn't off that much and now, she is a thing of beauty.

Modifications: I am so over seams. I know that I'll have to deal with them again, but anytime that I can avoid them, I will. Even though this sweater doesn't have many seams, I knit the sleeves in the round to avoid sewing them up. No seams, none, nada, zippo, zilch.

Also, I slipped the first stitch of each row to create a nicer edging. I toyed with the idea of crocheting a little picot edge, but decided that the plain edging was simple and beautiful. The exquisite buttons are, my favorites, from Danforth Pewter via TYL.

The next few projects will also be baby things, since my friends and family evidently just can't keep their pants on. Will you people please stop procreating and let me knit myself a sweater?

Summer Green

2008-08-20T10:16:00.006-04:00

Determined to enjoy my last two weeks of summer, I bring you a quick-and-dirty FO post:

Pattern: 65-6 Lace Top in Safran with short sleeves by DROPS design
Yarn: Reynolds Sunday Best, 5 skeins, and all but a teeny bit of the 6th

Comments: This is my second DROPS pattern, and like the first, it is a pattern that assumes some competence from the knitter, and as the knitter, you must fill in some technical details in the instructions. For example, when forming the scooped neckline, the instructions are for short-rows; you stop knitting in the round, and begin knitting back-and-forth, while knitting one fewer stitch on each neck edge every other row, but nowhere does it say to wrap-and-turn. Trust me when I say that your neckline will look terrible unless you wrap-and-turn. My advice for DROPS knitters is to listen to the inner knitter, and assume that they've left out some details. And wrap your short rows.

I usually make sweaters with no ease or negative ease, but this sweater is meant to be blousey, and the eyelet pattern requires a camisole or tank underneath. The secret to not being overwhelmed in a top like this is for the armscyes to fit perfectly, but many of the raglan sweaters I had made in the past had way too much fabric under the arms. I am petite, with narrow shoulders, but I do have a rack, so to fit my bust measurement in many patterns, I end up with raglan seams that are way too long. My fix was to speed up the raglan decreases by decreasing every row instead of every other row as soon as I began shaping the neckline. I'm really pleased with how it worked out; it's the first time I remember being satisfied with the length of a raglan seam on any top I've knit.

I ended up with a number of stitches on my needle that corresponded to nothing in the pattern; I had fewer stitches than even the smallest size. Luckily, a gathered neckline is extremely forgiving, so I just followed the instructions for the eyelets on the neckline and bound off. Even with these modifications, though, it slips off my shoulders a bit and requires frequent cinching of the ribbon.

I don't have much to say about the yarn: it's fine. It's drapey enough for the pattern, but seems to be holding the ribbing so far. I was hoping for more of a kelly green, and ended up with exactly a match to my grass. Such are the perils of buying yarn online.

In all, a satisfying knit and a cute, wearable summer top.

Birth Matters

2008-08-08T12:54:00.009-04:00

A few months ago, my very good friend Melissa, a doula, asked me to donate a shawl for a charity auction. I said yes, first because it was Melissa, also because I had the time, but most importantly because the auction supports a wonderful organization: Birth Matters Virginia.

I believe every birth to be a celebration and every mother a goddess no matter how a baby enters the world -- by cesarean or vaginally, with or without drugs, in a hospital or at home. Birth Matters Virginia is working to create a more supportive culture for pre-natal care, birth, and post-partum care.

And now, here is the shawl -- modeled by the beautiful and stunning Kindness Girl. Doesn't she rock pregnancy?

Pattern: Ene's Scarf by Nancy Bush from Scarf Style
Yarn: Knitting Notions Classic Merino Lace in Aubergine
Needles: US 5s

Notes: Although I was quite intimidated at the beginning of this (CO 375 sts - eek!), once I passed the border it was quite enjoyable. Since I've been a lazy knitter this summer (Fran and Katherine can attest to the fact that I didn't knit much even at Knit Night!), I did have to push it into high gear for the past 4 days to get it done on time.

This yarn is fabulous. I bought it at The Fiber Festival in Montpelier and I will buy more this year. It is soft, light and the kettle dyed color is incredible. Here is a link to their website - I was able to load the page last week but seem to be having a bit of trouble today.

Many thanks to Kindness Girl for the modeling!

PS And thank you Fran for the canning information -- I'm going to try to pickle some cukes this weekend!

Random Posting

2008-08-07T08:52:00.004-04:00

As you can see, I am still embracing my summer laziness in the posting. I have a couple of almost-FOs to show, and I will make a concentrated effort to sew buttons, weave in ends, photograph and post in the next week or so.

I didn't, however, want to let the week go by without posting something about Jody's new venture, Knotions Magazine. The patterns (Oak Leaf Socks are gorgeous!) are lovely, and Jody writes clear, incredibly helpful technical articles to really help tweak your knitting. I have long considered her a Certified Knitting Genius, and am lucky to call her a Friend as well. She has worked long and hard on this new project of hers, and it is clear she has put a lot of thought into making Knotions a magazine knitters will love, including a wide range of sizes, clear charts and schematics, etc). I know it has been out for a few days, but I just wanted to alert all three of you out there still reading to go check it out if you haven't yet.

My sister is not a knitter (yet), but she loves the Phils. And knitters. Well, me, at least.

This week was Stitch and Pitch at Citizens Bank Park. This summer has brought Phillies mania to my household. I've been a casual Phillies fan my whole life, but this year, I have been converted to True Believer status. My son is an absolute fanatic, waking up every morning to check box scores, and making passionate running commentary on the games. Mr S has also embraced the Phils, the first time he has chosen Philadelphia team as his own. The Montco Sit and Knit group has quite a few lifelong Phils fans, and so it was quite a pleasure to be among my people: knitters AND baseball fans.

Lazy

2008-07-27T10:14:00.001-04:00

Every season has something to recommend it. Winter has its woolens and hot cocoa and cozy evenings by the fire. Spring has its air of anticipation and energy, all colors and new life. Fall has its stately colors and crisp mornings, fresh-picked apples and Eagles football.

Summer has large swaths of nothingness, and I love that. Sitting on the beach for hours, doing nothing. Well, reading, building sand castles, swimming, collecting sea shells, but mostly, doing nothing at all productive. There's the pool and the library and the mini-golf course, there's a little summer camp maybe and some whiffle ball in the backyard, but there are countless hours of lazing around, with nothing to show for it except maybe a sweaty pitcher of lemonade, a few more chapters read, or a few more rows knit.

This is my way of explaining my absence from the blog. In embracing the laziness of summer, I've just not been motivated to photograph and post. But I have been knitting. And today, on this lazy Sunday that will involve no more than a swim, a pedicure, and perhaps the making of a chocolate cake, I have the inclination to post.

There's been some sock knitting (a single Jaywalker), some baby knitting (just needs buttons), some sweater knitting (this one's almost done), and a finished cowl.

I've finally submitted to the siren song of the knitted neck tube. This yarn, the Fibre Company's Road to China just screams to be made into a cowl. Luxuriously soft, with those incredible color variations of the Fibre Company's for which you pay richly (or snatch up for 50% off at MDSW), this is a very special yarn. I used the Aspen Cowl pattern, and two beautiful skeins of malachite Road to China. I have several other cowl-ish yarns in my stash, and upon seeing this picture in my flickr stream, my sister (ecokate on flickr) instantly requested one. So look to see more cowls in this is space in the near future.

Soft cowls like this almost make me eager for cool mornings and crisp afternoons of autumn. But this autumn, my youngest starts kindergarten, and my beautiful years as a mother at home with small children really do come to an end. So I think I'll hold on to these lazy, do-nothing-together days as long as I can.

Perspective

2008-07-22T08:04:00.005-04:00

I cast on for Ene's Scarf (Ravelry link) last week. This is the first time I'm knitting a lace shawl from the outside in, so to speak. Casting on 375 stitches just about made me insane and the whole project seems so daunting. But then we discovered that the kids brought back lice from Norway. Thus began hours upon hours of combing hair and laundry.

As a pleasant summer break from the nit-picking, we drove out to the country to pick peaches. Then came the endless peeling, pitting, and canning that nearly put me over the edge.

Now, after 15 quarts of preserves and 2 lice-free girls, Ene's Scarf? Not so intimidating after all.

Re-entry

2008-07-16T21:49:00.005-04:00

I've been back from Greece for close to two weeks, and have been busy reconnecting with my real life again. It would take weeks to share all the stories of once-in-a-lifetime, pinch me moments, like watching the sunset over the Aegean from the deck of a sailboat, learning Cretan cooking tricks in a 200 year old olive oil factory, or eating the best gyro ever, so if you are interested, check out the pictures here on my flickr set. I've tried to annotate them and share a few stories there.

Besides celebrating our tenth anniversary on a rooftop in Athens, drinking (too much) raki in Crete and marveling at ancient Greek ruins nestled in beside modern soulless apartment buildings, we relaxed and reconnected, enjoying some rare, extended kid-free time (who were being spoiled beyond limit by their grandmothers).

And I didn't knit a stitch.

Norwegian Lagoons

2008-07-14T12:11:00.005-04:00

So. As I promised, the socks that I knit in Norway. Now I truly knit three socks since I frogged an entire completed one that I had rushed. It didn't fit over R's foot. Not an insignificant problem. I was experimenting with calf-shaping and I guess I took it a bit too far. R has skinny calves but big feet. Am I wrong or is this a challenge?

I ended up decreasing stitches up at the top and then increasing them again before the heel. It works alright except it does take her a while to get them on (but then she's not that quick about any aspect of getting dressed). The pattern is a strip of crisscrossing cables down the front and back.

Since the colorway is Lagoon and they did remind me of the gorgeous water of Norway, I am calling these the Norwegian Lagoon socks.

R loves them and she is so excited about wearing them -- unfortunately she'll probably grow out of them by the time fall arrives here in Virginia. So I may have to start another pair for her soon ...

And here is a gratuitous picture of the midnight sun in Henningsvær at 1:30am.

Travel Knitting

2008-07-07T20:43:00.007-04:00

I was very indecisive about which yarn to bring with me on this trip. It had to be a sock yarn because of course I would be knitting socks (easy to pack, easy to knit) and it had to be beautiful because I'd knit nothing else for two weeks.

After pulling out a number of skeins of Socks That Rock and Lorna's Laces, I settled on a skein of Colinette Jitterbug in Lagoon. Brilliant! It's a stunning yarn and practically sprang onto my needles!

I knit these socks all over this spectacular country.

At the Pangarden's Waterway where the girls blissfully spent almost two hours in freezing cold water playing with locks, shutes, and water wheels.

At the Kvikne's Hotel in Balestrand -- by far the most gorgeous hotel on our trip in the middle of the Sognefjord.

Tired and travel weary at the train station.

And in the place the rock climbers call Paradise off Kallestrand in the Lofoten Islands.

Next post I'll show you the finished socks!

Back Home

2008-07-03T20:26:00.004-04:00

Here I am knitting in the wilds of the Lofoten Islands

... and jet lagged. I don't know how Liz is feeling right now, but I could sure use a nap. Hope Greece was warm and beautiful! Norway was cold, very cold, and beautiful. I'll post more soon when I can sleep more than 4 hours in a row ...

Saying Goodbye

2008-06-20T09:18:00.005-04:00

I'll be saying goodbye to the kids in a few days while Mr S and I head to Greece for 10 days of archaeological wonders, lots of ouzo, long walks and off-the-beaten path adventures. It's a chance for us to nurture our relationship after 7+ years of parenthood, so while I'll miss the kids, I'm so looking forward to a chance to talk to my husband about something other than schedules, honey-do lists, and the kids. The kids will be in the able hands of their grandmothers, and they'll be having so much fun, they'll hardly miss us at all.

But there's another goodbye this week, and this one is a sad one for the family. My daughter's best friend and her family are moving away. They're headed back home to Minnesota for a great job opportunity for her dad and to be closer to their family. Sofia has been her stalwart best friend for two years now, which in kid-years is close to forever. The news has affected my seven year old deeply, and her heart is close to broken when she thinks about it too much. Luckily, kids don't think about things too much, being so busy with the playing and the swimming and listening to the Broadway cast recording of Annie for the millionth time this week. But friends don't come easily for my girl, and she is anxious at the idea of a playground without Sofia next year. It's hard at seven to say goodbye to your best friend.

She's not the only one who's sad. I've made a few good friends (hello, Montco Sit and Knit!) since I moved, but Sofia's mom was one of my absolute favorites. She's down to earth, hilarious, and someone with whom I felt instantly comfortable which is rare for me in my current social milieu.

So I did what any bereft knitter with friends moving to cold climates would do. Embracing my inner Tiennie, I knit each of them a hat. They'll need the wool hats, and this way, they are sure to remember us.

Check my Ravelry project page for details on each one.

I've been trying to comfort my daughter by assuring her they'll always have these two years, and they'll always be each other's first best friend. We've talked about being pen pals and e-mailing and always sending a Christmas card. I reminded her about how we moved away, and we still have our friends back in Richmond, even though we don't see them often.

And I told her how they now have matching hats, and on those frigid Minnesota mornings, when Sofia pulls on her hat, she'll think of her friend in Philadelphia wearing the same one. It's like the knit-version of the best-friend necklace, where each friend wears one half of the same charm.

And while I didn't make matching hats for Heidi and me, I too am hoping that on those cold mornings, when she's getting her three kids ready to brave to cold, she'll pull on these warm wool hats and think of us, her friends in Philadelphia.

Drowing in Beige

2008-06-09T16:12:00.006-04:00

I married into a great family. It was part of what vaulted Mr S's and my relationship from serious to consideration-of-marriage. As I considered the future of our relationship, I wondered whether I could look forward to holidays with his family, year after year. Could I really eat Thanksgiving Dinner with these people 20 years from now? The answer was an unqualified yes, and remains so. This weekend brought us to Maryland for a family graduation, and we stayed at the home of one of my most favorite in-laws, Mr S's aunt. She is a brilliant and accomplished scientist, a reader, world traveler, insect-o-phile and knitter/crocheter.

Evidence of her handiwork were everywhere. There were full-sized crocheted blankets and an enormous throw slung over the back of the couch. Even the little blanket she offered Rosebud to sleep with was a pretty feather and fan blanket. I aspire to having my handknits all around my home some day.

I also had the chance to present my wonderful Mother-in-Law with a handknit birthday gift. I saw her a few weeks ago, and when she saw the beige wrap I was making, with trademark subtlety she mentioned how a beige wrap would just be perfect for air conditioned restaurants this Summer.

Now, I must really love my mother-in-law, because a knitting long rectangle of beige stockinette is pretty boring. The Sunday Market Shawl is fast, yes, but it is dull. But I do love her and am happy to indulge her knitting requests, so I made a second one for her.

This weekend, she happily modeled her shawl for me.

She was all excited to take pictures of the two of us wearing our matching shawls, but mine needs to be reknit. Somehow, I managed to drop the wrong stitches, so my lovely ladders disappeared into the body of shawl, making a droopy, burlap-esque wrap. I've already frogged it, and plan on knitting a THIRD long rectangle of beige stockinette.

Left, no ladders. Right, ladders.

I would take a break from all the beige, but I really do need this wrap. It's a perfect summer layer. It will go with everything, from casual to dressy. It can be worn like a scarf and over the shoulders like a shawl. The silk is perfect for throwing over one's shoulders in drafty Athenian restaurants and protecting against sea breezes on the Aegean and nighttime walks along Cretan harbors. And since I leave for Greece in two weeks, I'd better get knitting!

A Swallowtail at the End of School

2008-06-07T10:57:00.005-04:00

Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn Clark, Interweave Knits Fall 2006
Yarn: Fleece Artist Sea Wool Bordello Sock Yarn, Kid Silk Haze (shade 628)
Needles: US 6s
Notes: This was supposed to be a quickie one week project to bang out before school ended -- a present for Nora's teacher. It ended up taking a bit longer (about 10 days, but still in time!) due to some errors on my part. The initial lace pattern, the budding lace, is so quick and easy to memorize that I got a bit overzealous. I zipped right past the transition point for the lily-of-the-valley lace. Not a problem, I thought. I'll just have it be a bit longer, I was sure that I had enough yarn and that it would be just fine.

Let's just stop here for a bit, shall we? Let's just reflect on how little I've learned about myself as a knitter. I won't belabor the point by linking the many, many posts where I've failed to correctly judge my yardage. Or fudged on the swatching. Or thought, no way am I tearing out, I'll just soldier on ... Sigh.

So (surprise!) the lily-of-the-valley lace does not flow easily from the budding lace pattern. The numbers have to be just right and I was coming up with lots of different number situations. In total frustration, I headed over to The Yarn Lounge where Melanie and I had some quality time with a calculator. She was very patient as I regurgitated my numbers at her ("and if you subtract 1 and divide by 2 and then subtract 16 and divide by 10 ... it's all wrong!").

As it worked out (thanks Melanie!), I have two extra repeats of the budding lace pattern and some important ssk's and k2tog's tucked in here and there in order to get the right numbers for the lily-of-the-valley lace.

And (suprise again!) I didn't have enough yarn but I was smart enough to place a lifeline before beginning the edging. So back to TYL, where the crew very wisely advised me to pick an edging yarn that was a contrasting color and type (you know, so it didn't look like I had run out of yarn). Enter the kid silk haze and the shawl was done! Hurray!

The yarns are beautiful together and I really, really loved this pattern -- with a strong exception for the nupps. The p5tog's just about broke my spirit. I was amazed at how the hot pink in the Sea Wool was softened by the heathery purples, pinks, and brownish-greens. Lovely.

May Nora's teacher have a beautifully restorative summer!

Socks on the Run

2008-06-05T08:48:00.003-04:00

I swear there's been some knitting in my life but I'm not really coming up with any FOs lately. I've been busy with a bunch of Swiffer covers ...

... and I'm about to block a shawl which I will post about soon.

Life has been a bit crazy and I've been laying low trying (somewhat successfully) to keep my home a peaceful sanctuary from the general decompensating that seems to happen during the Spring/Summer transition. But for now here are some socks as we count down the final days of school (6!) and the days until we leave for Norway (9!).

These are for Nora and she loves the way they look with Luna's golden coat! I knit these basic top down socks with a heel flap and a kitchner toe. I tried to do a short row heel, but found that it seemed to make the "bend" for Nora's foot too small and she couldn't get them on comfortably -- was this due to poor technique? or is there really more room with a heel flap?

This yarn will be great for her sweaty feet since, as most of you know, it's 50% superwash wool, 25% soysilk, 22.5% cotton, and 2.5% chitin -- and naturally anti-bacterial. For knitting up, it was splitty.

I hope to have a shawl to show you soon!

Nothing Says Summer Like a Big Wool Blanket!

2008-05-30T10:41:00.004-04:00

I received many helpful comments on the last post, encouraging me to knot the ends and call them fringe. I did consider this option, since there were a ton of ends to weave in. This blanket changes color every row. That means that there is an end at the beginning and end of all 122 rows. So 244 ends to weave in. If ever fringing the blanket was a good option, this was the time. But the fringe didn't look great (I tried), and really, I didn't want fringe.

So this called for serious hunkering. Certain bloggers (coughNOVAcough) will work diligently to avoid weaving in ends at the end of a colorful project, but I am not such a knitter. I do not mind hunkering down to when there are any many Netflix to enjoy. And long, entertaining audiobooks and podcasts. For two weeks, here and there, between other knitting projects I wove in the ends, and cranked out the last zillion last night during a two hour season finale. With all that entertainment, it went quickly, and the clean edges it produced is worth it.

I am so in love with this blanket. Love love love love love. I love that I can take 6 years of totally unrelated yarns (complete list and additional exhaustive details on Ravelry) and put them together to make a harmonious whole. The yarns I used were almost all worsted-ish wool (there might be some cotton or alpaca in there, and a few DK yarns used double), and were mostly muted solids, but there was a tweed or two, a marl, some kettle-dyed semi-solids, and even three skeins of Kureyon thrown in. The only method to choosing yarns was to try to distribute colors fairly evenly throughout the blanket and to try to make each color look good with the one before. That's it. It was a great exercise in color play and experimentation. I read somewhere that Kaffe Fasset said that if you aren't sure if your colors go together, throw in 25 more. This blanket (and this one -- amazing!) is proof of the truth in that.

There's memories in this blanket. There's handspun Ann gave me, and souvenir yarn from a sheep farm in NJ. There's yarn from sweaters I knit and sweaters I frogged and some yarns I bought that were total mistakes (poop brown Nature Wool, I'm looking at you). There's leftovers from my CPH and from the slippers that Mr S wore out. There's baby sweaters and scarves I gave as gifts. There's unrealized colorwork and felting projects. And now it's a blanket to warm my family. As I work on my current projects, I can't help but think about when I'll use the rest of the yarn, what blanket will incorporate its leftovers.

And it's already become a family favorite. The kids already snuggled under it while it was in progress, and my husband is appreciates that it is big enough for him to fit under it completely, since his feet stick out of all our other ones. But it's getting too warm to snuggle up under a wool blanket, so it is seeing some alternative use this morning.

This is what a crocheted blanket is for, right?

All That Remains

2008-05-22T09:40:00.004-04:00

All that remains of my drawer-full of worsted oddballs and leftovers is these 6 partial balls of yarn. It's some Cascade 220, some Naturewool, a teeny ball of Bartlett's, and a ball of something soft and creamy white, its identity and ball band lost. The crocheted blanket is done.

The original plan for the blanket was to finish every last scrap of the worsted leftover/oddball yarn at least in this certain category of workhorse wool yarns. The idea wasn't about being stash-less, necessarily, but I know that if ever the urge hit to knit something in Cascade 220 or Naturewool, I could just go pick some up. I liked the idea of starting fresh and new, and just getting all of this old yarn used up and cleared out of the drawer.

But I've decided to return these bits to the stash. I value the inspiration that this kind of stash provides. I like having little oddballs to work into charity projects or craft projects for the kids. I know they'll get used eventually. I also like the idea that perhaps when the worsted stash gets to be unwieldy yet again, I'll use these yarns to make another blanket.

I also tried my best to evenly distribute the colors throughout the blanket. I rotated through at least 15 different yarns and about 25 different colors, and at the end of the blanket, I didn't want to repeat so many similar colors so closely. So yes, there was a design choice to be made.

And, yo, the blanket it big enough.

Now, all that remains to do on my blanket is to weave in all these ends.

I Wanna Be Popular!

2008-05-17T10:53:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite features in Ravelry is searching the most popular patterns. It is surprising, because I generally eschew the popular for the obscure and unique. But in knitting, patterns are popular for very good reasons: a simple stitch pattern used to good effect (Jaywalkers), a universally flattering sweater (Hourglass), or it is just plain cool to knit (Clapotis).

I was looking down the list of popular socks, and I was surprised to find many great sock patterns that I had not yet knit. So in my constant search to keep up with the popular kids, I knit a pair of Hederas in honor of Project Spectrum's EARTH element.

I used Shibui sock yarn and let's just say it once and for all: Shibui pools. Big wedge-shaped striped pooling. On the lace portions of the sock, it isn't so noticeable, but look at the sole:

Yeah. That's some pooling.

Hedera socks are one of those patterns that are popular for a good reason: the stitch pattern is easy to memorize, and it creates a pretty sock. The only modification I made was to shorten the heel flap, which I think was written for a very high instep.

I'm thinking my next sock might be Charades, yet another popular sock pattern.

Evil Giant Space Mitts

2008-05-16T10:18:00.006-04:00

I'll explain the title later ...

R has three preschool teachers: Jean, who is also the preschool's director; Anne, who is currently the love of R's life; and Michelle, who works on Mondays while Jean attends to whole school business.

Since this is R's last year at the preschool, the teachers get knitted presents: the sideways ribbed hat is for Jean, the syncopated cap is for Anne, and now for Monday Michelle:

I was going to title these Monday Michelle's Mitts and then I caught a good look at this picture. Do you see the terrified Play Mobile people in the picture? Huddled against the horrific mitted beast bearing down on them from the sky? Now you can see (against all other reason) why these are called ...

Pattern: Evil Giant Space Mitts (improvised)
Yarn: Patagonia Nature Cotton by Araucania
Notes: I've had this yarn in my stash forever. I mean forever. I've been knitting for maybe 5 years now (is that right Liz?) and I think this was some of my very first stash yarn bought maybe 4 years ago.

I needed to get rid of it and I thought it would fit with Project Spectrum and make some nice mitts for Michelle. These are much like the Maine Morning Mitts but a 2x2 rib and the gauge is totally different.

And these are far more evil.

Dramatic Stash Reduction

2008-05-13T09:26:00.005-04:00

My stash lives in our guest room. I have a large dresser full: one drawer for wools, one drawer for cottons, and one mostly of odds and ends and leftovers. There's also an old china cabinet with all the books, sock yarns and other special yarns jammed in there. I keep sweater quantities in the closet, along with lots of other craft supplies. It's been a easy way to keep organized, but this summer we anticipate some longer visits from various family members. And this fall, we'd like to do some remodeling to the master bedroom and bath, so Mr S and I will have to move into the guest room during the duration of the construction.

So this Spring, I have been reorganizing the yarn room, making more room in the closet for our guests and their things, and getting rid of some other, unused things. But as I was working in there the weekend before MSDW, my husband got a full-on view of the stash. He saw all of it. At once. His eyes bugged out in shock, but just for a moment. He didn't say anything except something about my plans to buy more yarn at MDSW the following weekend.

Later, he acknowledged that I do knit a lot. And knitting a lot requires a lot of yarn. He really did understand. He was just surprised that it was that much. I've never hidden any of my purchases from my husband. I stay within the budget, and since he pays the bills every month, he knows how much I spend. And although he didn't get at all angry or even seem annoyed, I realized it was time to really reduce the stash. It has gotten a little unwieldy.

Dramatic stash reduction was called for. I not only had to make room for my guests, but I had to prove to my generous and understanding husband that I really did intend on using all of that yarn, that my abundance had a purpose. There was only one thing to do: crochet a huge scrapghan. Being a crochet project, it would use up a ton of yarn, clearing a lot of space in the yarn dresser, and it would create a useful item for the whole family.

I cleared out all of the worsted-ish woolen leftovers, singletons, or random yarns bought for unrealized projects from the wool drawer. I stuck them in the basket and began Bella Dia's Vintage Vertical Stripe Blanket.

Week One: 27 rows

I have been crocheting at a feverish pace for two weeks, and currently have 56 rows of double crochet, or a blanket about 70" long x 20 " wide. The rows are long but simple, as this pattern has you crochet into the space created by the row below, instead of having to insert your hook into the V's of another stitch. As a crochet beginner, it is a great project. I'm trying to crank out as much as I can while I am still enthusiastic about the blanket and before the weather gets too hot to have a huge wool blanket on my lap.

Week 2: 56 rows

I'm still working of different knitting projects as well, all from stash. But for now, it's all about cranking out those long double crochet rows and using up all this yarn.

Out With The Old

2008-05-09T20:19:00.006-04:00

I need structure when in an overwhelming situation. So I often make arbitrary limits just to bring some order and control to the chaos. Therefore it seemed only natural for me to create some kind of absurd rule for MDSW 2008 purchases: I couldn't buy yarn from any vendor from which I had bought yarn in 2007 that was still in my stash.

So no Brooks Farm. No Tess. But I was able to buy from The Fibre Company due to these quick knits just before we left ...

Pattern: Sideways Ribbed Cap by Cathy Campbell
Yarn: Terra from The Fibre Company (sunflower and light indigo)
Needles: US 7s
Notes: Thank you Liz for your inspiration! This hat is an end of the year present for another of R's teachers. We thought the lightest yellow of the sunflower was reminiscent of sunshine and the indigo evoked a clear blue sky. Perfect for our lovely outdoorsy preschool teacher.

It took me a while to find buttons that would work until The Yarn Lounge got some Danforth Pewter's buttons. I didn't realize until I got home that I've actually been in their store in Middlebury, VT. The business is wonderful and they are right near the Vermont Organic Fiber Company. Sounds like a fun day of shopping next time I'm up in the area!

Terra is 60% Merino, 20% Baby Alpaca, and 20% Silk. That equals 100% delicious. And at 100 yards a skein, these are better than some of the skimpy yardage skeins that I saw this year at MDSW.

Pattern: Ruffles Scarf by Amanda Blair Brown from Scarf Style
Yarn: Terra (Sunflower) from The Fibre Co.
Needles: US 7s
Notes: I had a skein (and a bit more) leftover from the hat, so I tried a Ruffles Scarf. These short rows were actually a lot of fun to knit. I didn't have enough for a long scarf, but it's just enough for R!

And now may I present my new Fibre Company yarn ...

Organik

Limited Edition Longhorn

MDSW 2008 Round Up - Picture Heavy

2008-05-08T09:14:00.000-04:00

I am terribly late blogging about MDSW, and since Ann did an excellent write-up herself here, I'll just share the spoils of the day.

Row 1: Indie hand-dyes: Woolarina, C*EYE*BER Fibers, and Brooklyn Handspun, all procured from the Cloverhill Yarns booth; Fibre Company Terra in Cochineal (50% off, y'all!), Dancing Leaf Farm Handspun

Row 2: Fibre Company Road to China (did I mention 50% off?), Brooks Farm Acero, Spirit Trail Fiberworks Toci

Handspun thrummed mitten kit by Stefania

I got some Socks that Rock, but I didn't wait in line to get it. I left that to Ann.
STR Lightweight Rare Gems Colorway, a prize hand delivered by Jenna!

The best part, of course, was getting to spend the day with Ann, my co-blogger, sister-in-fiber, and dear, dear friend.

MDSW Fun and Some Syncopation

2008-05-06T16:41:00.003-04:00

Phew! What a weekend! It was such tremendous fun hanging out with Liz on Saturday -- and extra special fun meeting her Montco Sit and Knit friends! I keep thinking about how much fun it would be to take a trip up to Philly just to hang out and knit with these people.

The BackBou did a great job of just taking the kids away to look at dogs and sheep and funnel cake while I was browsing stalls with Liz and standing for an hour in the Socks That Rock line.

But now I have my first skeins of STR! There are some rockin' BSJs are in my future ...

I won't bore everyone with a stash enhancement report (I did well), instead I'll show you the great picture from the day ...

Aileen, Sally, Lolly, Isel, Liz, a mystery guest, and Jenna. As you can see from the "Rabbits" sign, we were at the packed Ravelry meet-up.

And now for a FO!

Pattern: Syncopated Caps by Kate Gilbert, Interweave Knits Summer 2007
Yarn: Plain and Fancy Sheep and Wool Co
Needles: US 4s
Notes: No pattern mods even though I thought I would need to add some length. However, I knit the women's size and it fit me perfectly. The yarn, as I've said before, is a dream. Knit with it. Love it.

I had bought the yarn so that R and I would have matching caps, but she really, really wants this to be an end-of-the-year present for one of her teachers. I can't say no since I love her almost as much as R does.

Will I See You at MDSW?

2008-04-30T18:08:00.000-04:00

Look for me; I'll be the girl in the knitted skirt!

Pattern: Indigo Ripples Skirt, IK Spring 2007 (Rav link)
Yarn & Needles: Elann Den-M-Nit, 9 balls indigo, US5
Pattern Mods: I lengthened the stockinette portion and I only knitted 50 rows of the lace pattern. I also added a few shorts rows right below the waistline but before the first hip increase to account for my apple-ish bottom. I've added all the details in my Rav notes, and included some stats about shrinkage. If you're not on Ravelry, um, why?

I never thought I would knit a skirt for me (I did knit one for Rosebud), but a few in the last year really caught my eye. Jody's. Eunny's. Elspeth's. (Interestingly, they were all designed by Kat Coyle, who I guess we have to thank for the resurgence of the knitted skirt.) The return of Elann's Den-M-Nit this fall sealed the deal for me, and I've been single-mindedly knitting on this skirt to finish it time for MDSW.

I've knit with denim before, and didn't much like it. Knitting the denim can be a chore. I am not usually bothered knitting with cottons, but denim is really hard on my hands and wrists, and the indigo dye rubs off on my hands (but not on my clothes, which was a good thing). But the fabric it creates is perfect for a skirt. It is an extremely comfortable garment, but it feels substantial, like woven denim cloth, especially after shrinking, which firms up the fabric nicely and evens out the stitches. This weightiness keeps the skirt from grabbing and bagging around one's bottom. Instead it skims the curves and when it starts to droop, just stick in the washer and dryer!

This pattern is extremely simple to knit; from the top down, with simple increases through the hips and then some easily memorizable lace at the bottom. The ruffle at the edge takes a long time, and it took me all day to bind off. But it was so worth it. It creates a lightness and movement on a substantial garment, and makes it really fun to wear. I find myself twirling and twisting and walking with an extra swing in my step just to enjoy the swirl!

Minty posted pics of her finished Snapping Turtle Skirt this week, and as I read through her comments, I saw a lot of knitters who loved it (it is gorgeous, and looks great) aren't sure about the knitted skirt. I, too, was once a knitter dubious of the knitted skirt. But I am now a believer. I am not a particularly skinny gal, and my lower half is curvy and womanly and reflects my age and my status as a child-bearer. I have hips and ass and a poochy tummy, and this skirt looks and feels great.

So if you are still not sure, ask me about it at MDSW this weekend. Or even if you believe in the knitted skirt, come on up and say hi! Ann and I will be together for another XRK meet-up, and we'd love to say hello!

The Waldorf 2nd Grade Horse

2008-04-27T10:35:00.003-04:00

Guest Blogging today is my daughter Nora. She is a second grader at the Richmond Waldorf School and has just finished knitting a horse in her handwork class. I'll let her tell you all about it!

Pattern: Ms. Noelle told me how to make the horse.
Needles: US 8s
Yarn: The yarn only broke once. I spit spliced it.
Notes: I learned decreases. You knit two stitches together. Ms. Noelle knit the ears. The horse was fun and easy.

Better-Than-Booties Baby Socks

2008-04-22T09:10:00.000-04:00

The rain for the past two days has forced me out of the garden and back inside the house to find piles of unwashed laundry, no groceries in the fridge, and emails left unread. I'm almost caught up, but I have a number of FOs to post. Let's start with the absolute cutest baby present I've knit in a while. This will be the first of many knitted objects for this little child. Her family has been though more than their share of grief and her arrival brings great joy into our little part of the world.

This picture best captures the actual color.

Pattern: Better-Than-Booties Braided Cable Baby Socks by Ann Budd in Interweave Knits, Summer 2005
Yarn: Spirit Trail Fiberworks 100% superwash Merino
Needles: US 0s
Notes: See the color? I'm finally knitting something appropriate for Project Spectrum!

I'm not crazy about a short row heel. In fact, I strongly dislike them. I had to do two per sock -- the toe is a short row heel. I could live without that, however it was a good lesson for me. (Ugh.) After the short row toe, you do a zig zag bind-off instead of grafting. I don't think I achieved the look of the zig and the zag, but it's nice. Don't try this on any socks that you would wear in shoes since it would probably be uncomfortable.

I can't wait to knit up a BSJ for her for the Fall!

Knitter 700-And-Something...

2008-04-21T11:08:00.003-04:00

...is me.

Read more about this amazing day at Wool Gathering here and here.

Fantasy vs. Reality

2008-04-15T09:26:00.005-04:00

There's nothing like a string of warm days to make me really crave a warm merino jacket.

Pattern: 96-3 Short jacket knitted from side to side in Alpaca, another free pattern from DROPS Design
Yarn: Karabella Aurora 8, Anthracite colorway, 9 balls, US 6 needle
Mods: I made some ill-considered mods to the sleeve that while not disastrous, I would not recommend other knitters do. I'll add detailed discussion in my Rav notes for future knitters of this pattern.

I'm trying to decide if I'm disappointed with this garment, or if I am just being too hard on myself. It's not as if I've knit a total failure of a sweater; it's a striking design, and I've already gotten lots of compliments on it. It resembles a commercially-made sweater, in a good way, in that it is sophisticated and simple. It was a simple knit as well. It got a little big and unwieldy at the end, like all knit-in-one-piece garments, but the pattern isn't challenging to make at all.

It's just not how I envisioned it. I imagined something a little swingier, a little drapier.

Do you all suffer from this, when your actual sweater doesn't live up to the fantasy sweater?

While I really enjoyed knitting with the Karabella, it wasn't the best choice of yarn for this project. Knitting with the yarn is like buttah, so smooth and silky. It makes a beautiful fabric with incredible spring and body. Combine this with a 2x2 rib pattern and we have the perfect storm of fiber memory here. I have to vigorously steam block it every time I wear it because no matter how many times I wet-block this thing, it shrinks! The length shortens a bit, it becomes a little snug in the arms and the sleeve shrink up a little.

The solutions were many. I could have used a larger needle, of course, but I was concerned about wear in a 100% merino sweater. I am hopeful that as I wear the sweater it will droop a bit more; some comments on Ravelry have suggested that the yarn will lose some of its vaunted springiness.

But I'm left feeling frustrated that I struggle with pairing yarns with projects. I have difficulty extrapolating the behavior of a yarn from a swatch, and often don't anticipate what I really want from the fabric of a garment before I select a yarn. Once again, I have a nicely knit, wearable sweater in a beautiful yarn, just not the right beautiful yarn.

Four Skeins of Malabrigo

2008-04-03T20:28:00.009-04:00

Remember last fall when I ducked out of the Second Wave Clapotis KAL? Well, I ended up with four yummy skeins of Malbrigo Stone Crop in the stash. One became a Coronet. One a Koolhaas. One skein was sent to China in a care package for my good friend who is working in Beijing trying to get ready for the Olympics.*

That leaves one skein left. No problem. Baby hats! With my last cozy skein in the stash, two boyish hats were a breeze.

Pattern: Earflap Hat from Knitting for Baby by Melanie Falick and Kristin Nicholas
Yarn: Malabrigo Stone Blue
Needles: US 7s
Notes: Easy, fast and just the best hat. I made the larger size so he can wear it (I hope) for a number of years.

I love this book. If you are a beginning knitter, the directions are precise and sufficient. If you are an expert, you'll love how beautifully simple the designs are -- not too fussy but easy to embellish if you wish.

Pattern: improvised
Yarn: Malabrigo Stone Blue
Needles: US7s
Notes: This hat is for a new cousin in Minnesota. It's a simple 2x2 rib that decreased by letting the ribs collapse into each other to become 1x1 at the top. It won't fit him for long, but that's fine. I have a sweater planned for the fall ...

I've always had a problem with pompoms, but I followed the excellent directions in Knitting For Baby and did a fine job on this one!

*An interesting side note: The Chinese government has censored XRK. My friend cannot read our blog. Huh? I couldn't recall any of us saying anything particularly revolutionary or anti-communist. But since we've been censored anyway, please take a moment to read this. Then, if you are so moved, click here and take action.

There. Now we can be censored!

Fire and Earth

2008-04-03T09:27:00.004-04:00

The third edition of Project Spectrum has just transitioned from the element of Fire to Earth, and as usual, I am a few days behind.

Pattern: Primavera Socks
Yarn & Needles: Trekking XXL, US2 & US1 needles
Rav info here

In a world full of delicious sock yarns, it was with some relief that I relegated Trekking to my "not for me" yarns. I had used it twice, and really suffered through the last pair in August 2006. I found it splitty and rough, and too thin for my tastes. As you can see, though, I've had a change of heart, and I am pleased to welcome Trekking back into my stash. Having knit more than 30 pairs of socks in the last couple of years, I have developed genuine affection for workhorse sock yarns, like Regia, Jawoll, and Trekking. Socks made from these yarns really do stand up to hard wear, and do not need to be treated with special care in the wash. As the chief (well, only) laundress in our household, I do appreciate that. I've also gotten used to knitting at fine gauges, so the thinness does not bother me as much anymore.

I do have these socks of Nova's to thank for the inspiration to give Trekking another go. I just loved the colorway instantly, and bought it the first chance I had. Project Spectrum provided the perfect excuse to get it on the needles and the Primavera pattern is a great match for the yarn.

Once I finished the Primavera socks, I moved on to a couple of skeins of Shibui yarn in a nice, mossy green for my first Earth project, Hedera socks. I'm much further along than the picture below shows, thanks for daily swimmming lessons for both kids.

And, without planning it at all, I realized that my current sweater WIP (Rav link) fits beautifully into the Earth element, as it is being knitted with the gorgeous Karabella Aurora 8 in the Anthracite colorway. I'll either finish this sweater this weekend or force it into hibernation until fall, in favor of another project I'd like to have done by MDSW!

Whaddya know? Knitting is cool!

2008-03-31T15:57:00.002-04:00

From the San Jose Mercury News via the Richmond Times-Dispatch: Knit One, Purl Two, Blog Too.

Nice quote from our very own hip knitter/yarn store owner! Excuse me while I update my Ravelry site so that I can be as cool as everyone else!

Busy ...

2008-03-28T10:49:00.005-04:00

... but not with knitting. If I have free time, I'm in the garden marvelling over the little green things that defy all reason and pop out of the soil year after year. This is my 8th year in this house and it's nice to see things coming along.

All the gardening has left me with cracked, dirty hands. Not so good for knitting. And terrible for knitting hemp with my sharp Knit Picks Options. It's inevitable when knitting with this yarn and these needles: I will sustain a knitting injury.

And so I was sidelined for a bit. I wasn't knitting much of consequence since I don't enjoy knitting with a big band aid on my thumb (the needle exploited my dry, cracked thumb on a purl row and punctured the skin).

But I'm back baby! A washcloth is done as is my chevie.

Vandyke Lace Border washcloth

Pattern: Vandyke Lace border from Victorian Lace Today
Yarn: All Hemp 6, DK Weight
Needles: Knit Picks Options US 5s

This was a housewarming present for a friend. I had some All Hemp left in the stash and knew how well it softened with repeated washings. I knit a few garter rows and then knit the body in stockinette. At the end, I knit a few garter rows again, this time double looping on two of them. Then after another knit row, I crochet cast-on stitches for the Clarence border.

Thank you Victorian Lace Today! I am relying on this book more and more for lace information and ideas. There are also other lace books that I would like to get (this and this to be specific) but right now I'm saving my knitting budget for the first week in May.

Chevron Scarf

Pattern: Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: KPPPM
Needles: US 6s

I never said that I was a trend-setter in the knitting world (that's Liz!). In fact I am way behind the trend. But I do finally get there. I love this scarf. It seems so springy and colorful and fun.

I picked up the Koigu at The Needle Lady in C'ville. I was so worried about whether or not I had picked the right colors (when confronted with a large selection of koigu, my mind just freezes up). I love the way these two worked together.

Maybe this year I'll wear mine to MDSW ...

XRK: Today, with Crochet!

2008-03-26T16:56:00.004-04:00

We've needed some new throws and blankets around here for a while now, and I have been fully convinced that crocheting an afghan is for sure the way to go. I spend lots of time on Ravelry looking at different ones, and imagine the amazing crocheted afghans I could make. Sally tells me that crocheting is much faster than knitting, and considering the speed with which she cranks out B.A.G.S. afghans, I am apt to believe it. But Sally is primarily a crocheter who knits.

I am knitter who has extremely rudimentary crochet skills, ones useful for a knitter. I've never actually made a crocheted project. I've never followed a crochet pattern, and only know the single crochet. So while I am obsessed with ripples and Babettes, I'm just not convinced that it would be faster for me, given that I would have to learn how to crochet before I could actually begin.

My sister, the World's Most Deserving of the Handknits, recently requested something Spring-y, to go with her new Spring tote. A little flair, and little green, a little scarf-ish accessory to brighten up an otherwise mostly neutral wardrobe. Enter the perfect excuse to practice my crochet skills, and to test my afghan hypothesis: is crochet really faster than knitting, even when you don't really know how to crochet?

In a word? Yes.

Knitters know that scarves can be a slog, but I cranked out this scarf in less than a week, and that's with some serious ripping after a too-tight chain row caused the scarf to twist and ruffle. I used the Stripes and Stripes Forever (Rav link) pattern from the Happy Hooker, but if you know how to single crochet and have a few skeins of Tahki Cotton Classic lying around, you could make this scarf without a pattern.

My tension is still not great, I have no idea how to properly finish, I lose and gain stitches easily, but in all, a fine first effort. Only about a zillion more rows, and I would have made a great afghan!

Two Boleros

2008-03-18T09:32:00.004-04:00

Do you want to know why I don't ever worry about the size of my stash? Every once in a while, I get this incredible urge to stash-dive and knit something with some random, long-stashed yarn. I fall back in love with it, or just get sick of seeing it. Either way, I decide it is time to knit a certain yarn, every last bit. Remember January, my month of Manos?

So in March, I got a particular urge to knit up the three skeins of Cascade Sierra, leftover from Mr S's Dylan Goes Electric sweater. This yarn has mad yardage, and I learned from experience that this yarn washes and dries beautifully in the machine. This would be the perfect yarn to knit a sweater for my son, and as I am typing this very sentence, I am thinking to myself, "why the hell didn't you just make a sweater for Pepe? It would have been perfect." Damn you, hindsight! Well, I can guarantee you that I will use this yarn again and again, probably for easy sweaters for the children. But in the meantime, it was time to get these three skeins out of the stash.

I started with the Ribbed Lace Bolero by Kelly Maher, after seeing Sally's in progress (dude, finish it already!). This is a simple, customizable pattern that knit up over a weekend of many, many basketball games. However, the pattern calls for Cotton-Ease, and I used a mostly cotton blend (80% cotton/20% wool), but I think a yarn with a little more stretch would be ideal for this bolero. There's a big of sag in the armholes and slight droop in the back (as with most shrugs, really) that might be eliminated if knit in a more elastic yarn. My sag vastly improved after a trip through the washer and dryer, which is another reason to love Sierra, because a garment looks better after laundering. I'm not criticizing the pattern, but would just recommend a knitter try a yarn with a bit more memory and give it you are looking for a perfect fit.

It's a perfect, multi-season layer. I've been wearing it a lot over turtlenecks and long-sleeve Ts, and can picture wearing it over a tank in the summer. Love it!

Details here (Ravelry link). Like my haircut?

My daughter immediately asked me to make one for her too, but I don't do the matchy-matchy mother-daughter thing, and I still had 1.5 skeins left of the Sierra, and the goal was to get it all knit up. I knew a ribbed bolero for her would take far less yarn, and leave me with a useless quantity leftover.

Rosebud got a Cloud Bolero. I loved this sweater ever since I saw Carrie's full length version. It was simple to resize for a child, too. First, the sweater is written for a bulky yarn; Sierra is a worsted. I also knit at a much tighter gauge, even for the Sierra. I used a US6 needle and got about 5spi in stockinette. The difference in gauge was enough to shrink it down to fit her, and I ended up following the instructions for a size S. It is basically a top-down raglan, so it was easy to try it on her as I knit it, and Ysolda's instructions for customizing the sizing are easily applicable.

But I got a little overzealous resizing it, because it is a little too small to allow for any kind of closure. It ended up being more like a vest than a bolero. I should have cast on a few more stitches in order to have it meet in the front, but the truth is, my daughter chews on her clothes. I know, gross, right? I know she would have loved a pretty satin ribbon tie at the neck, but it would have been gnawed to oblivion within days. The problem with a vest is that she plays with it incessantly. Pulling it off her shoulders, putting it back on. It needed some kind of closure, like a button or tie at the center of the chest or something. As is, it's a weird, distracting layer for her, and while it looks really cute, it is not exactly a practical item for a busy 7 year old. I have lived and learned: no more open-cardigan-vest-things for her for a while.

But I have knit every last bit of Cascade Sierra (except for a tiny bit left over for repairs if needed on the DGE) in my stash. And that feels great.

Sock Spirit

2008-03-16T16:33:00.004-04:00

My last pair of socks were a disappointment, so I was in need of some sock redemption. I wanted to knit a pair of red socks in honor of Project Spectrum 3.0, and with MDSW only a month and a half away, and I've been feeling the pressure to knit more of the yarn I bought there last year.

I chose Spirit Trail Fiberworks Brigit in a beautiful burgundy semi-solid, and once I learned from their website that Brigit is the "Celtic goddess of fire, illumination and guardian of bards, associated with handcrafts of all kinds, creative muse," I knew I had unwittingly stumbled on the perfect MDSW purchase with which to celebrate the Fire element. Combined with the super-simple Nutkin pattern, I have achieved sock redemption.

Red is a bitch to photograph, but this represents the color best

I would encourage anyone to knit the Nutkin socks; they should be the next Monkeys. The simple lace pattern is easy to memorize, but makes for a dramatic effect. It does bias a bit on the leg, but I haven't found it to be uncomfortable. Also, the pattern calls for a YO short row heel, and while I usually choose a heel flap, I tried the heel as described in the pattern, and for the first time ever, I managed a short row heel without holes. Call this a strong recommendation for a easy yet dramatic pattern that teaches you a new technique.

I'm sure many knitters are beginning to consider their MDSW 2008 purchases, and I would recommend this yarn as well. It is a superwash merino, with no nylon, but the tight twist makes it feel more durable than I would expect. The colors are rich and deeply saturated, and the yardage is great as well. Spend some time exploring their website; while the photographs so not do this yarn justice at all, learning about their mission to protect endangered and rare species of sheep convinced me that this is one yarn vendor I want to support. I have another skein of their Elizabeth I in the stash from last year, and will make it a point to stop by their booth again this year to try out a few more of their yarns.

I'm way behind on my blogging; expect a parade of FO posts this week if I actually get around to blogging.

Scarf with the Clarence Border

2008-03-12T16:45:00.005-04:00

My auction project is done! And compared to last year's contribution, this one was simple, fast, and just a joy to knit. (Please, learn from my experience last year, do not felt a vest. You end up knitting a very ugly dress and then it takes forever to felt.)

It's doubled over in this picture.

Pattern: Scarf with the Clarence Border from Weldon's, 1886 (Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby)
Yarn: Hand Maiden Lace Silk (1/2 skein)
Needles: US 5s
Notes: I modified the pattern by knitting the border repeat twice instead of 3 times. I wanted a narrower scarf. Therefore, I only had 42 stitches once I had turned my work and picked up to work the center panel. The finished measurements are: 73" long and 7.25" wide.

By the way, what is up with the center panel in the picture in the book? If you have the book, turn to page 83 and compare it with mine:

I swear I knitted the pattern as it reads -- I even had Melanie check it over for a mistake. Maybe they altered the center panel pattern in the book? Maybe the stitches stretched out differently by more aggressive blocking?

Also, I think it's time I think about getting some blocking wires -- see how the edges were pulled by my pins? It does seem to be falling back into place as I let it hang.

This is exquisite yarn. Please knit something lighter than air, slinky, and delicate with this! I think it was the perfect yarn for this scarf and hope that someone special ends up winning it at the auction this Friday!

If you're in the Richmond area, come on down to ArtWorks this Friday (March 14th) at 7pm for the Richmond Waldorf School Auction! We've got loads of handmade items, art, gift certificates, and even some autographed items from my former neighbor!

Still Winter Here

2008-03-12T08:11:00.000-04:00

Oh, Ann, you and your daffodils and your new gardening blog tease me. 15 years in the South have totally screwed up my seasonal clock. I expect Spring to come now, but here in Philadelphia, we are still definitely in hat season, and will be for several more weeks to come. Knowing that, I made myself a new hat.

When I was in Richmond in January, I spotted Stewart wearing this hat, the Sideways Ribbed Cap, a pattern from the folks at the Vermont Fiber Company. Hers was in a cute two-color combination, and while beanie-type caps are usually not flattering on me and my very oval face, I thought that the horizontal ribs would add just enough volume to flatter. I immediately thought of the mill-end skeins of Fibre Company Terra in the stash, the absolute steal of the day at MDSW last Spring. Remember how I almost destroyed their booth while pawing through baskets of their incredibly gorgeous, incredibly expensive yarns for sale dirt cheap, looking for just the right color combination? Neither skein was a full 50g, and I knew I'd need to combine the two to make something. Here was the perfect pattern!

Now I have serious yarn lust for this yarn. It is really spendy, but a sweater of this yarn would be amazing. The colors of this yarn are just incredible, and while I was concerned that it might have just enough hairs to make it itchy against my forehead, this thing is soft and warm and wonderfully cozy. It might just be worth the price.

* sorry, trying to ping*

Muddy Paws

2008-03-09T21:16:00.003-04:00

Liz, Mo ... I've got something to admit. I've been cheating on you. I started a gardening blog. It's nothing serious -- I swear! Just a lark. I haven't really been keeping it a secret, I just could never find the right time to tell you. But here it is.

Please know that nothing will ever come between me and our blog. Nothing. In fact I just finished a lace scarf. And a knitted bunny. And a handtowel. I'm going to blog about them soon. Really. I promise. Forgive me?

Sproingless

2008-03-05T13:11:00.003-05:00

My first pair of socks in 2008 have left me decidedly underwhelmed. They're knitted with the new Noro Kureyon Sock, and it didn't much like it. I've previously really enjoyed knitting with Noro yarns, but this is not what I am looking for in a sock yarn.

My main gripe is that the yarn has no elasticity whatsoever, so it makes very baggy socks. If you like that sort of thing (Marnie, I'm looking at you!), then this is the yarn for you. I, however, prefer a snug-fitting, no-droop sock.

So basically, its just your basic 64-stitch stockinette sock with a heel flap. The colors are pretty and the socks are warm, and I don't find them scratchy either. I just prefer some sproing in my sock yarn, and I'm sorry to say that Noro Sock is sproingless. So you won't be seeing me use Noro Sock again, because my stash is too big for me to use a sock yarn that doesn't have sproing.

Cupcake Craziness

2008-03-05T06:49:00.004-05:00

The best cupcakes I've ever had were made by Liz. She uses the Magnolia Bakery recipe and they ROCK. They are so incredibly delicious.

Well, since Liz is my favorite cupcake maker and my favorite knitter, how's about whippin up some of these babies next time I come up?

I'm not sure that I even understand what has happened to this food product, but the details are here.

Warming Up

2008-03-03T13:54:00.006-05:00

It's taken me a bit of time (over a week) to get around to posting after our family trip up to see The BackBou's folks in the Mad River Valley. I love Vermont in the winter with the cold temperatures and deep snow (one morning I was up snowshoeing before 7am and it was -1 Fahrenheit!). This state was made for handknit socks. I can only handle it for so long however. I was ready to get home to my blooms in the garden and lighter jackets.

Just before our trip, I realized that I had no really warm hat for R. I dipped into my leftover bin and found tons of O-Wool Classic. Here's what I came up with (sorry the pictures of the hat really aren't very good) ...

Pattern: My own
Yarn: O-Wool Classic
Needles: US 7s
Notes: I made it way too big, tore it out, and made it just a bit too big. When we got home, I washed it and dried it. It shrunk up just perfectly and now it fits and it really, really warm.

These pictures aren't very good, you can't really see the pink stripe in the middle of the green nor the blue ear flaps. I'll try to get a better picture when the temps drop again this week.

It was fun to just put some yarn on the needles without any earthly idea about how it might turn out. Knitting without a pattern is so freeing sometimes. (And for this, I can thank Elizabeth Zimmerman. Reading The Opinionated Knitter has set me free.)

We are very busy these days making calls and sending off emails in order to finalize reservations and rail passes for our June trip to Norway. I've had to come to terms with the fact that this will in no way be a yarn vacation. There is really no wiggle room in our budget or in our luggage since we'll be carting everything on our backs from ferry to train. But maybe I'll be able to pick up some sock yarn or a cool pattern.

Speaking of socks ...

I finished Socks for Veronik on the ride up to Vermont (somewhere around the Merritt Parkway).

Pattern: Socks for Veronik by Mona Schmidt
Yarn: Spirit Trail Fiberworks 100% superwash Merino
Needles: US 1s
Notes: Loved the pattern. Loved the yarn. I've washed and worn these 4 times in the past 2 weeks. I would wear them everyday if I could. I will most certainly buy more of this yarn at MDSW.

And now, back to travel plans and enjoying the gorgeous 70 degree day ...

The Camera Doesn't Lie

2008-02-27T11:13:00.006-05:00

I was all ready to show you my finished Sugarplum Pullover early last week, after having ripped it out all the way past the armpits. The length issue had been resolved by ripping the entire yoke and several inches of the body, and reknitting a smaller size. The yoke was still too deep; my row gauge was off for the whole sweater and since it was my first colorwork yoke, I didn't feel capable of modifying the chart enough to shorten it. Thus I chose to be satisfied with the roomy, classic sweater I made, instead of the snug, modern sweater I imagined.

I blocked it, wore it all day, and took FO shots in the backyard. But when I looked at those photos, I saw this:

It looked terrible from the back. The neckline was too droopy and wide. A wide boatneck does not work on a roomy sweater. I am a master of convincing myself in the moment that something was good enough, but the photo did not lie. It was not good enough.

I was loath to reknit the yoke again, even though my inner knitter knew (and still knows) that I should place at least one additional decrease round within the yoke. So I ripped the neckline back, hoping that some added decreases might cinch things up enough. I was hopeful that perhaps it would even raise the neckline enough to improve the fit overall. So I decreased in the last row or two of the colorwork, and in the ribbing around the neck, and then in the last row below the cast-off. I also did a simple, standard bind-off, for one last bit of snugging.

I put it on, it fit over my head, and yes, this was a more more cinched neckline. Satisfied, I set up the camera for more FO shots, this time in the snowy backyard. And again, the photo did not lie. I had decreased way too much, and ended up with really unattractive rippling. Blocking was not going to flatten this out. I needed to rip again.

I decreased a bit more judiciously this time around, and chose to bind off in the rib pattern as well. And now, I can say, that I am, finally, satisfied with my sweater.

Pattern: Sugarplum Pullover (Ravelry link) by Veronik Avery from Handknit Holidays
Yarn: MC is KFI Cashmereno DK. Colorwork is mostly KnitPicks Merino Style but I also used stash where I could, including a little Lambs Pride and Naturespun.

Cashmereno is discontinued, and I think it may be one of the yarns that was caught up in the whole "cashmere content controversy" of years past. I had bought a bag on sale a couple years ago, and decided to use it against my better judgment, assuming that it would pill on the needles like its doppelganger, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. I am glad I ignored my better judgment this time, because this yarn has held up to serious ripping and reknitting like a dream, and I have worn this sweater already a few times and have yet to see a single pill. There is a slight halo, but otherwise, it has so far held up way beyond my (admittedly very low) expectations.

I did have gauge problems with this sweater, and that is what led to my overall sizing issues. I also think the instructions on gauge are confusing in the pattern, and actually, I think there is a mistake. This pattern calls for the knitter to use three needle sizes: small for the rib, medium for the body, and large for the colorwork (assuming that colorwork tends to be tighter for most knitters. However, it recommends you get gauge in plain stockinette on the large needle the one you'd use for the yoke. I contacted the Ms. Avery, who suggested the obvious: get gauge on the medium needle, the one you'd use for the body, and she too suspects an error in the pattern.

Once again, the camera does not lie. The sweater, although a bit big, is deliciously cozy, the colors are divine, and the knitter is finally satisfied with the final product!

Trio of Mitts

2008-02-19T09:23:00.004-05:00

I'm no Tiennie. I don't knit rainbows of mitts for all the playground moms, nor do I knit flowers of snowboarding caps for all my son's friends. No, there's only one Tiennie, and all I can hope to do is to be inspired by her generous spirit and knit for those I love.

Coincidentally, the day before Tiennie amazed the blog world with her incredible colorwheel of Evangelines, my sister-in-law requested a pair of black fingerless gloves to keep her hands warm but still enable her to adjust her MP3 player. My sister-in-law knows that I love to knit on request and when she found herself borrowing her 8 year old's fingerless mitts, she knew she needed to commission a pair.

Pattern: Evangeline, from MagKnits January 2008, inspired by the amaazing Tiennie
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted
I lengthened the ribbing by a few rows on the cuff, but otherwise this is a great, easily modifiable pattern, and they are especially yummy in Malabrigo.

I really do not knit for others to get showered with praise and thanks, but was gratifying to have my sister-in-law tell me how much she loves her mitts, and how she's told all her friends that I just whipped them up by request. And when my daughter brings home schoolwork like this, how can I refuse her when she asks for a new pair? She wanted fingerless gloves too, so she can keep her hands warm and deal with her seatbelt in the back of the car. She had grown out of her Playground Mittens, and really, she prefers gloves. She wanted green, because that's her favorite color. Since I have colorwork on the brain, I threw the hearts (borrowed from here and here) onto a basic Ann Budd pattern and used some Naturespun Sport from the stash.

And since I had a ton of Malabrigo left over, I made some for me too. Like I said, I'm no Tiennie.

Pattern: Natalya by Jody Pirello
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted
Mods: I shortened them considerably as I had to conserve yarn, but otherwise, a simple but elegant pattern from my friend, the certified knittng genius we all know as Savannah Chik.

Rosebud's and my mitts saw a lot of action this weekend as we participated in the Audubon Society's Great Backyard Bird Count. We printed the checklist for our area, we took our identification guides and pencils, and settled in, ready to count.

We counted exactly zero birds in our cold backyard. But at least our hands were warm!