Creating Along Update

I briefly posted about a cami I was knitting for my Rosebud, my contribution to the Create-A-Long blog. There has been a long silence about that little cami for a tiny 6 year-old, no?

I hit a road block, and the piece needed its requisite time in the penalty box. The neckline was too low, even for a top meant to be worn as a layer. And I needed to decide on some kind of treatment to neaten the edges up, and nothing was coming.


The denim yarn was tripping me up. There is an inherent challenge when designing with denim -- the shrinkage, of course. See, with shrinkage, you get all sorts of surprises. For example, when I swatched, I discovered that the diagonal lace caused my top to shrink in both length and width, rather than just lengthwise. The significant changes in gauge make it a true guessing game to add unwashed yarn to an already-shrunk piece -- what needle size should I use? What will it do when I wash it again?

I also really wanted to protect the main design element of the camisole, the transitions of the lace pattern up the bodice, and the contouring of the straps around the final lace repeat. They worked exactly the way I intended, and I didn't want my solution to interfere with it. I also wanted to keep the tied straps, so I could have the option of adjusting them on my growing kid.


So I consulted with a brilliant designer over a cup of coffee last week, and we together hatched a solution. I would frog back to the armholes and using my unraveled swatch, reknit a significantly higher neckline , and keep all the stitches live on holders for the application of an i-cord edging that would extend into the tied shoulder straps.



The bad news is that now the neckline is a little too high and, but the good news is that it will work fine for the back, and I will start the neckline a couple of rows lower for the front piece. The other issue is that the strap transition has lost its pointiness, and now has a rounder look around the arm. I think it might straighten out once worn. Either way, I think I am going to live with it.

The wonderful surprise is the eyelets along the neckline created by applying an i-cord to decreased stitches. I love how it echoes the laciness of the pattern. I decided to leave the armholes unfinished for now, with the idea that I may single crochet around the edges once it has all been washed and seamed.

Three Stages of Knitting

Finished

Strawberry Clutch by Kate Gilbert in Spring 2007 Knit Scene. Used Cascade 220. Actually made two. Why not?

Starting

Bad Penny by Stephanie Japel in Louisa Harding's Nautical Cotton.

Frogged

Crazy Freak Out sweater. It was just wrong.

Trendy Me

It's not that I'm not trendy. It's not that I don't want to be just like all the cool bloggers. It's just that I am rarely organized enough to participate in blog trends. But I was determined to jump on the Chevron Scarf bandwagon, even if it spelled destruction for a perfectly wonderful pair of socks.

Pattern: Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson
Yarn & Needles: Two skeins of Koigu KPPPM (I can dig out color #s if anyone is interested), US 5 needles

Info and Thoughts: I did consider making this scarf longer, but stopped after a few chevron knitters confirmed my concerns about stretching.

I am thrilled with the result. As I mentioned before, I realized this winter that I did not own any handknit scarves. This was an unacceptable state of affairs, and totally worth the sacrifice of the Anastasia socks in order to remedy it. It matches my spring coat perfectly, and I suspect I will be knitting myself more scarves to match all of my coats.



I'll be wearing it when Ann and I go to MDSW. Who else is coming?

Whimsies

I've casually mentioned that I have been on a yarn diet in anticipation of MDSW, and I am pleased to say that since my self-imposed hiatus at the beginning of February, my stash has grown by only 4 skeins of yarn. I purchased one extra ball of Rowan Denim to allow for fearlessly ample swatching for my Create-Along cami (more on that this week, I hope), one skein of Mountain Colors Bearfoot, and received these two beauties in the mail from Minty.


Now, admittedly, I feasted on yarn in December and January, and my stash downright exploded, but I am pleased to say that much of that yarn has already been knit: Cascade 220 CPH, the Alpaca with a Twist, the Vesper and Bearfoot. But I love these periods of famine to allow me to rediscover hidden gems and long-forgotten yarns. They stretch my creativity and give me a feeling of endless resourcefulness, by choosing projects from what I have on hand.

Thus, my latest FO, from what I think might be among the oldest yarn in my stash.

Some oddball of jacquard sock yarn (I'd guess Regia) produced this pair of socks for my Pepe. This yarn was bought long enough ago that I (1) did not know that I would need two balls of sock yarn to knit adult socks and (2) actually threw out the label. I think I ordered it from Herrschners over 4 years ago.

He calls them Season Socks, and he claims their season is winter. A good thing, too, since we woke this morning to snow.


So I find myself without a major project on the needles, but with lots of little things to satisfy my urge to create and keep the stash rotating. Expect to see a bunch more little whimsies from me while I search for the next lace shawl and the next sweater for myself. Something spring-y. That is, if Spring will ever truly arrive...

I Could Be Brown, I Could Be Blue, I Could Be Violet Sky

I've been listening to "Grace Kelly" by Mika repeatedly as I remain in the grey heather world of my CPH sleeves -- dreaming of color ...

I can't wait to dip into my Handmaiden stash! I followed with interest Grumperina's options to knit with a single skein of Sea Silk. I have one skein of Sea Silk and one skein of Lace Silk. I have no idea what to do yet, but I'm having fun dreaming ...

Fern Path Stole by Alpaca with a Twist

Rippling Waters Scarf by Fiddlesticks Knitting

So It Goes

Kurt Vonnegut
1922-2007

Freak Out Sweater

This is what happens when you shop for a pattern and yarn when you are under extreme stress ...

This is Miami from Rowan's Cotton Braid book knit in Maggi's Rag. I'm not sure why I made this sweather other than I was not in my right mind at the moment and on the verge of a minor freak out. Knitting makes these things better even if the final product isn't exactly wonderful. Now, I'll have a huge holey sweater to remind me of this time in my life.

Knit Flix: Tokyo Story; Kinky Boots; Touching the Void; Marie Antoinette; Sherrybaby

A Foot of Foot

I did not just frog a pair of socks this week. I also knit a pair of socks this week.



These socks are for Mr. S. Basic garter rib from the toe up with a Widdershins heel flap. I know, as usual.

Regular readers know that this is usually the place where I complain about knitting things for my Mr S since he is so damn big. His size 13 feet are no exception.

His & Hers

But I have no complaints about these socks, since I knit these in less than 10 days. I cast on for the second sock at Sit N Knit on Wednesday and finished by Saturday afternoon.

Ignore the weird hump on the instep. They bunched a bit in his shoes.

Meet my new favorite man sock yarn: Mountain Colors Bearfoot, knit on US3 Inox circs. These were an unmitigated pleasure to knit, from the subtle color variegation (this colorway is Steelhead) to the soft feel of the yarn. I didn't even mind my nose tickling from the mohair. They'd be a little thick for me, but for a warm, thick wool sock, this yarn is great. Look for reports for wear as Mr S puts them to good use.


Mr S loves handknit socks, and has been very excited to receive his latest pair. And now that I have discovered this yarn, he will be receiving more, for sure. His father has also requested a pair.

Next up on the sock needles is a pair of socks for Pepe, the only one in our little family without handknit socks of his own.

ETA: I need some advice. My SIL wants a lace shawl similar to Icarus. She likes the mostly stockinette body of the shawl, with a lacy border, rather than an all-over lace pattern. I'd like to knit it in laceweight, as she really liked the weight and feel of the yarn. Any suggestions, anyone? I am willing to purchase a pattern or book for the right one. I do not have a large library of lace patterns, so I could use some guidance.

CPH Friday: Sniffling in Sleeveland

Allergies have hit our house. Can you see the pollen film on the wheelbarrow?


That's how my house looks now because I can't stand to have my windows closed when it's nice out. It's cold today, so I'm trying to mop and dust. Yuck. But the good news is that my garden is coming alive!


As are the sleeves for the CPH.

I planned on knitting them according to the pattern and dealing with tight sleeves, but I really didn't like how narrow they were coming along, so after about 6 increases every 8 rows, I bumped it up to every 4 rows and added an extra increase. My theory is that the more frequent increases will hit right around my elbow so it won't look too funny and that just adding 2 more stitches won't be a big deal with the armhole shaping.

We'll see if this holds true! I may be visiting the frog pond later ...

11-4 for Socks

In a recent post, I asked for feedback about frogging the fuschia Anastasia socks in service of Chevron Madness. The votes were pretty clearly on the side of keeping the socks and many commenters suggested that I keep the socks and buy more Koigu.

Not to be contrary, but I went with the minority, especially once I got Minty's imprimatur. The Anastasia socks are history and my chevron scarf is growing. Perhaps if I had mentioned the following:

- The colors match my Spring coat perfectly.



- I really want a chevron scarf. Really badly.

- I truly am not buying yarn until the MD Koigu Binge MDSW. Buying more yarn is not currently an option, and I want a scarf now.

- I do not have a handknit scarf. Seriously. As Theresa said, I have a bunch of socks. I have about a dozen currently in rotation, and wool sock season is hopefully at an end until September. But after 6 years of obsessive knitting, I do not have a great handknit scarf! I'll say it again. I DO NOT HAVE A HANDKNIT SCARF! I have been wearing the same turquoise pashmina scarf for years now.

I have made some scarves, but have either given them away, or they are not exactly wearable. There's one that's too itchy. This one stretched beyond wearability. So it is time for this knitter to actually have a scarf.

Thanks for the feedback, friends, but I gotta do my thing. I must have this scarf. And a few others too, I think.

Jelly Bean Poncho

Just in time for spring break ...

... Mouse's Jelly Bean Poncho! The yarn is Knit One Crochet Too Tartelette in Jelly Bean (color 120). I decided to wing the pattern, but Mouse added the request for the ruffle, which totally makes the poncho a winner. We are both very happy!

Minty Mind Meld

First, thanks for all the well-wishes. I am on the mend, although I sound like a 3 pack-a-day smoker when I cough.

There must have been some kind of knitters mind meld between Minty and me last week.

Before leaving for my Chicago trip, I had to go through the traditional "what knitting to pack" deliberations. I usually travel with socks, and wanted to use some gorgeous Koigu in the stash. As a general rule, Koigu gets knitted first. Koigu does not marinate. It deserves to be moved to the front of the queue. It demands to be knit. But what pattern to choose? I pawed through the usual suspects, and found nothing that worked with Queen KPPPM.

Then I thought of one of my favorite blog-friends and budding sock designer, Minty. She has designed some great patterns, and shares my deep affinity for the KPPPM and the toe-ups. I went with Anastasia, since it seemed the simplest, and really, that's what I want in my socks lately. And its an homage to Anastasia Krupnik, one of my girlhood heroes.

And while I was choosing my favorite Minty pattern, I was winning yarn at her blog! Yay!

I love this fuschia Koigu so very much, and Minty's pattern is the bomb, but I just made mistakes galore on these socks. And not just on the first one. I truly suck at short-row heels. Not at the actual making of the short rows and the picking up the wraps. Those are lovely! No, my holes are always at the join of the heel and the instep, and even picking up stitches over the gap looks ugly. This is why the Widdershins heel flap is my savior, but unfortunately, I do not have it committed to memory (yet) and thus was stuck with ugly short row heels. At least it sort of blends with the pattern.

My Anastasias kept me company while I was sick in bed, and in my feverish state I continued to make errors. The final one was to cast off the second sock far too soon, and they are noticeably different lengths. In my illness-induced malaise, I didn't care enough to re-do.

And as I blog-surfed over the weekend, I noticed poor Minty was afflicted with the same inertia when faced with a simple fix on her latest pair of socks.

I too have not had the urge to even out these socks, much less re-do the heels to make them presentable. But they may be frogged. Why?


The siren call of the leftover fuschia Koigu and another particularly demanding green KPPPM colorway ended up becoming this:

Am I crazy? Should I frog the socks in service of CHEVRON MADNESS that is sweeping the internets? Or should I just let an FO be actually finished? I'm torn. Leave a comment.

Anemoi Vest Almost Done

We went from this yesterday ...

N skiing with Grandpa at Sugarbush

to this today ...

Epimedium flowers

I had a great trip to Vermont with the family to see my in-laws, cousins, nephews, second cousins, etc. The girls took to skiing like true Norwegians, the BackBou got some fun, slushy downhill time, and I spent some quality time knitting and doing sudoku. Successful all around!

The Anemoi Vest is almost done, it just needs the clasps, but I thought I'd post about it now.

Pattern: Felted Vest from Felted Knits by Beverly Galeskas.
Needles: US10s and 7s, Knit Picks Options
Yarn: Lamb's Pride Worsted Blue Boy and White Frost
Notes: This is a great pattern. Once I accepted how freakin' long it would take me to felt a vest, I really began to appreciate the well-written pattern. It is not for the faint of heart. The instructions use row counts not measurements, so make sure you have a row counter (which I unfortunately found out is impossible for a child to walk by without punching a few times ... errr). First you spend forever knitting the body. Then you have to knit all the provisional borders in cotton and baste the armholes and the front. Then you felt it. After a brief moment of satisfaction and sense of accomplishment, you start picking up stitches, taking out the cotton borders, and reknitting the borders. In the end though, these borders are beautiful.

They are knit in reverse stockinette (1x1 ribbing for the collar using short rows) and then folded over in a 3-needle bind-off with the loops from the picked up stitches. It is so neat and clean -- it makes up for the awkwardness. This was my first time using my Knit Picks Options. I am a big fan. However, the sharp points did give me a sore left index finger. I had to use a bandage when I was executing the 3-needle bind-off after I developed a cut. Ouch. They are wonderful needles.

The Triskele pattern on the back is needle-felted. This was my first try at needle-felting and it was just magical. I became obsessed with this symbol after a vist to Newgrange 2 years ago. It is considered a symbol for fertility (a spiral represents a cycle of a season, 3 seasons to a pregnancy), but could also represent land, sea, and sky or the eternal. I didn't want to knit this in the garment to be felted, but wanted the spirals to link the vest with the swirls on the hat and mittens. So I had to learn to needle-felt.


Here are some close-ups of the needle-felting. I'm going to experiment some more with it and then maybe do a post about my various results! Lots of Waldorf people use this method to create dolls and animals for the classrooms.

I'll post a picture of the ensemble before the auction on Friday! If you are in the Richmond area and would like to attend the Richmond Waldorf School Auction (Friday, March 30th from 6-11pm), check out the website and COME! There will be tickets sold at the door -- for $25 you get dinner, music, and an open bar. Plus, you get to party with lots of knitters!

CPH Sunday

I just wanted to prove to y'all that I'm done, but I have been sick in bed all weekend. Too sick to buy buttons or even take a decent FO photo. Wah wah wah.

Later in the week, I promise. But let me assure you, this sweater is the perfect sick-weekend sweater.

Tru Love

Most of us in the knitting blogosphere would call knitting their passion; I, too, am a passionate knitter. But I do have other passions that do creep into this blog, passions that pre-date the knitting.

Scroll down for knit-content.

Food. Travel. College Basketball. These are passions Mr S and I share.

Men's NCAA basketball is a true passion of mine. I watch it obsessively, regardless of the team, although I do have certain familial or geographic loyalties. I attend about a dozen games each season, and considered the Big Five a serious pro to my move to Philadelphia. I have a pretty good knowledge of the sport, its players, history and personalities, and have an uncanny memory for very specific games and plays. I am only a casual observer of other sports, and will cheer my local teams, but when it comes to basketball, I am one of the guys.

Mr S and I are coming upon 10 happy years of marriage, and 6 years of parenthood. And as any married parent can tell you, it is important to reconnect periodically as a couple. We need to spend time together outside of our roles as parents and enjoy our shared passions and to participate in activities not considered child-friendly: serious gourmet indulgences, 12 hours straight of basketball viewing, hours of strolling through art museums, sleeping late and various enthusiasms enjoyed shamelessly by married parents staying in hotels.

Our annual tradition is to choose one of the host cities for the March Madness Tournament. We have two amazing days of basketball, and get to play tourist in a big city on our off days. This year, we chose Chicago.


We had the good luck to be in Chicago on Saint Patrick's Day, the day they turn the Chicago River green. This also happens to be the day that the streets of downtown Chicago teem with drunken masses sporting shamrocks and green mardi gras beads. It was amazing people watching as we ate breakfast at Mary's Cafe, strolled through Millenium Park, and stood in line at the Art Institute. We also had the good luck to eat at one of Chicago's best restaurants, Tru.

Mr S and I have had some pretty amazing meals in the last dozen or so years, and Tru certainly takes its place among the best. The service was absolutely 5-star, but without the slightest whiff of pretension. And the food was truly exquisite. Who knew that foams and gelees could be so scrumptious? Tru's claim to fame is their top-notch pastry chef, Gale Gand, and dessert did not disappoint. You have your regular dessert (and since Mr S was having trouble deciding, our server simply brought him both). Then you choose from the candy cart, with homemade root beer lollipops and various barks and candies. Then, they bring you the truffle tray where all the chocolates made in-house are presented. And on your way out the door, they present you with mini-loaves of the moistest banana bread known to man. Simply amazing.

And yes, we did see some great basketball, even though our favorite team went out in the first round. And because this trip is about Mr S and I, I do try to keep the knitting to a minimum. He is so supportive of my knitting in our every day life, it seems the least I can do to not make him stand around a yarn shop while I swoon and fondle on our romantic weekend. We do not visit yarn shops or search out fellow bloggers. But when you just happen to stumble upon the Stitching Salon, what choice does a knitter have?

The Stitching Salon is the centerpiece of Chicago's Winter Delights program, a city-sponsored interactive space that exhibits various fiber crafts and has lots of opportunities for new knitters to learn and experienced knitters to participate. I knew I loved the city of Chicago, but when it encourages knitting as a civic event? My kind of town, Chicago is!







We showed up just before closing, long enough for me to contribute one lone row of knit stitches to the amazing free-form dress being knit by Chicago area knitters. And Mr S indulged me by taking a few photos.







We happily returned home yesterday to some pretty fragile children and an icy driveway, with sated appetites for gourmet dining and basketball. We have been renewed as a couple and have a newfound love for the Windy City.

A Felted Vest and Some Samba

Anemoi Vest
I kept the faith, despite the absurd size.



The vest, she will be a beauty. In 25 minutes (taking it out every 5 minutes to check on it), the vest went from a 40in length to 24in length. I stretched it a bit after this picture to even things out a bit. It is almost dry, it's been two days of drying.

Tonight I will knit the borders, tomorrow needle-felt the triskele design on the upper back, and then hand it over to one of my unsuspecting sewing friends for the Dale of Norway pewter clasps. I'm very excited about how the vest will look at this time next week!

Music
The BackBou and I travelled to DC Sunday to see the incomparable Gilberto Gil perform at the Lisner. He is truly one of the most incredible singer/poets alive today. He reminds me of the artistic beauty that exists in this world and how political the arts can be (he was named the Minister of Culture of Brazil in 2003, 30+ years after he was exiled from Brazil for his resistance work through music and performance). Don't let your musical tastes be "American-Idolized" people -- explore the rich, deep, nourishing, meaningful world of music beyond what the dominant American culture shoves into our ears.

If you are anywhere close to DC, try to catch the March 31st show at the Lisner with Toumani Diabate. I wish I could be there.