Always a knitter to me

My friend A. flirted with knitting a few years back, but has since put down her needles (she says) for good. It's purling that's the problem, she says. She mentioned she had some yarn to offload, and wondered if I might want it. Knowing that the yarn in question was purchased at Maryland Sheep & Wool, I eagerly volunteered to be an adoptive yarn mom for A.'s stash.

Imagine my delight when I opened a Christmas package from my friend and found this:



Woot! Wait, that wasn't good enough.

WOOOOOOOT!

This is a hat kit from Cloverleaf Yarns. The colorway reminds me of a lagoon, and the yarns are mohair, boucle, and a mohair/merino blend. Each yarn comes in at least two colors. [You might also take note of the fab earrings in the foreground.]

As this yarn's new momma the least I can do is make sure it grows up to be the awesomest hat it can be. Then, as they say - if you love something, set it free. It will go back to A. to live out its days.

A., even though you don't knit _right now_, you'll always be a knitter to me and I hope you will pick up the needles again in the future. Thanks for sharing!!

My first secret pal thingie ever

Hope everyone is having a great holiday season! I ran out of time to post about this before I left town for Christmas, but my Better Pal's package was right on time.

The first thing I noticed about the box from my Better Pal was the return address. This is something you never think about when you send packages, unless you are trying to be sneaky. My BP just put “Better Pal”, and then used my own address! There were no other identifying address marks. Verry sneaky.

I think my BP made this beautiful card. Isn’t it lovely? I am so impressed and I love the artwork.


First item: Utz potato chips! I cannot believe my pal went out of his/her way to get me some of my favorite potato chips. Ah, a little taste of the East Coast…


Next there was a squishy purple package, wrapped with beautiful lavender organza ribbon. I love stuff like that. I will definitely save it for re-use. There was also a beautiful bird ornament attached. I can't imagine that my pal would know this, but I happen to love birds. In fact, I was a biology major in college and I was planning to be an ornithologist.


Inside the package was this super-beautiful skein of Noro Big Kochoran. I’ve only knit with Noro twice, but I’ve enjoyed it both times. And, it just so happens that I need a hat, and this yarn will match all of my winter coats! Fab.


Finally, there was a package that looked suspiciously like a book. (Note the awesome wrapping paper)


Upon opening it, I was delighted to find Debbie Bliss’ new book called Home: 27 Hand Knits for Living. (Forgot to take a photo, but you'll have to trust me on this one.) I was just in the book store perusing this one, and had to tear myself away to go finish my holiday shopping! (you know, for other people) So this was a special treat.

This Better Pal think is pretty cool! It was really fun to see what someone would pick out, just for me! Thanks so much, Pal!

Fa la la la la...ho hum

Hi all,

So I'm pretty much just knitting my mom's shawl these days. It's kind of (yawn) monotonous. But, since I've picked up speed on the pattern, at least I have a hope of finishing before Christmas. And (I tell myself) I don't *really* have to be finished before I see my mom, because I'll need to make sure the shawl is long enough before I bind off and add fringe. Still, it's all shawl, all the time until the 25th. A quick progress shot:


Thanks so much for the compliments on my Simply Marilyn! Glad you liked it. Though you can't see it in the picture, I am really proud of how my finishing skills have improved. (yes, I know I haven't *technically* finished. )

I've had two other fun knitting related experiences lately. First, I recently put together a package for my giftee in a swap. This was my first time participating in something like this, and - it was harder than I expected! I guess it's the fear of being "the lame gifter" that makes me overanalyze each item I pick out. Anyway - hope my Pal likes the things I chose.

The other thing is that, completely unexpectedly, a new friend gave me a holiday gift which included the book Zen and the Art of Knitting. I hadn't realized that she knew about my habit - but I guess I talk about it more than I think. (smile) I plan to save this for my Christmas plane trip, but the first sentence of the Introduction already has grabbed me: "Knitting a sweater is a tremendous act of faith." Amen, sister!

Simply Marilyn and another FO

I still haven't finished weaving in ends, but I figure with holiday knitting being what it is, who knows when I will? So here's a headless pic of my "finished" Simply Marilyn:


This was a great sweater to knit. I love the way the neck comes together with the front, back and shoulders - it's basically a boatneck with a cowl added on. The cable is simple yet effective. And the sleeves can be folded up or down, as you prefer.

My mods were - okay, I just went looking for the pattern and can't find it. I made the body longer by about three inches. I knit the smallest size, and my gauge was slightly tighter - so it was just the right width. I used Cascade Ecological Wool, which was a great sub - very soft and also economical! I think I paid about $15 for each skein, and I used 2 (they are enormous, over 450 yds each). And for you dyers out there, Cascade Ecological is undyed, so you can have whatever color Marilyn you want.

I also made one other item, which is not that noteworthy from a knitting standpoint, but I think it's beautiful so I'm going to show you. This is the Purl scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. They have you pick a shade of Manos, then a heavy mohair yarn and a thin mohair yarn to get a chunky scarf. I used Cascade Pastaza in black, Colinette Mohair in Tapis (red, black with flashes of royal blue), and Prism Dover, which is sort of a net ribbon, in a red/black combo. Here's the scarf and a closeup of the fringe, where you can see all the different fibers.




Anyway, nothing too exciting as I said but I just love the way the fibers came together. The Cascade and Colinette were leftovers from a poncho I made, and I bought the Prism Dover with no idea what I'd use it for, and somehow they all came together in a cool scarf. Fun!

Holiday Knitting

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

• "With temperatures averaging 12 degrees below normal, "It is among the coldest December starts and will actually be the longest sub-freezing start on record," according to meteorologist Chuck Caracozza of Accuweather.com."

Which is great for me - you know, the one who used to live below the Mason-Dixon line? Sigh. I just wish we had some snow to make the cold worthwhile.

Back to knitting: specifically, my mom’s shawl. I was going back and forth between two designs, and I’d finally picked one (this one from Exquisite Little Knits). But then Mom said she likes fringe. So then I went to back to the other one I was considering and started. Here’s a progress shot:


This was the result of about an hour of knitting – I’m not even going to do the math. The pattern includes lifting a purled stitch over two other purled stitches, which (for me, anyway) means I have to contort my wrist in a weird way…it was already hurting after this hour or so of knitting. Not good! Not good at all. I’m going to stitch-n-bitch tonight, so we’ll see how it goes.

Other holiday knitting: a hat for my brother, a sweater for my almost goddaughter (my fiancé is her godfather), and some other items which will not be detailed since at least one of the giftees reads this blog. I don’t really think I’ll finish. But I’ll make a good effort!

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the new Knitty and Interweave Knits. Lots of great things in both! This might be Knitty’s best issue yet. As for IK – it seems like a lot of the projects are made with bulky yarn, which is probably because of the time of year (holiday gift knitting and all), but - me no likey. However, I really, really love the Aran Pullover. I really like the Belted Wrap Jacket. I like the idea of both the Brilliant Retro and Gull Stitch Cardigan.

That's it for now. I seem to have so little time for blogging lately!

26 Knitting Days Until...

Hi! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. My holiday was a delightful combination of family (my soon-to-be in-laws came to visit), food, Chicago sightseeing and relaxation. I had a great time, but I still wound up feeling like I needed a vacation from my vacation, you know?

Once Thanksgiving had passed, I decided that it was time to begin Christmas preparations in earnest. For me, as for you I imagine - that meant a trip to the yarn store, where I went a little nuts. But it wasn't my fault - the Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb I ordered back in September finally came in, so I had to pick that up,


even though I was there to get stuff for a shawl for my mom. She has specified a color choice, but not a pattern: camel (if you please), and NOT tan. Luckily Loopy Yarns had just the thing - Berroco Suede in "Rawhide." Giddyup!


The next step is to find a suitable pattern. I was going to do Ella from Knitty, which is so beautiful...but then I remembered that it's almost December and I do still have other projects. So, the Suede will lend itself well to largish needles. Any ideas for patterns or motifs? I am looking for a simple, elegant design that will look good on a rectangle. I tried Old Shale and Feather & Fan, and they just looked lumpy. B. Suede doesn't slide on the needles very easily, and - believe it or not - it's actually pretty splitty. Maybe I could do something with dropped stitches? Not sure. But the clock is a-tickin', so I've got to figure this out soon.

Anyway, I'll check you dudes later. Good luck with all that holiday knitting!

Koo-Koo for Kool-Aid

Last night I dyed some yarn with Kool-Aid. Why did it take me so long to try something SO FUN??! It was such a neat process. I started out with a little bit of Cascade Ecological Wool in Ecru, which is undyed. It was left over from another project, so I figured if it didn’t work out – no harm, no foul.

I wanted to try orange, but my grocery store had a limited K.-A. selection. So, I used two packets of Lemon Lime, and a packet and a half of Changin’ Cherry (nice name).

When I started heating the yarn/Kool-Aid mixture, it looked like this:


Then, just like everyone said, the water got clear! So neat.


And finally, here’s a closeup of the resulting color, sort of a tonal spring green:



I think it turned out well! The only thing I would have done differently would be to tie the skein less tightly, or to shift things around a bit during the process so I wouldn’t have white spots where the yarn was bound. No biggy, though – this was just a fun experiment. I’d love to try hand-painting! But I’m a little nervous about the ite-whay arpet-cay in my apartment.

Anyway, a good time was had by all (okay, just me – my sweetie is out of town for a few days). BTW - I finished Simply Marilyn!! Pics coming soon. Have a great weekend, everybody!

Hibernation

Is anyone else dreading the onset of winter? We are supposed to get our first snow on Wednesday, and although I know we are lucky to have had such good weather up until now, I am not ready for the cold! Since I've been in Chicago, there have been a few cold and very windy snaps - and every time it happens I realize I've gone soft. I grew up in Northwest Ohio and then we moved to Illinois - then after that it was upstate New York, and college in Massachusetts. But since then, I've been in DC, which although it's not Florida is certainly nothing like the Great Lakes in the winter. Sigh. Nothing to do but make warm stuff to wear, right? I've knit two sweaters that are waiting for seams, so that's a good place to start. Doesn't stop me from wanting to cast on for something new, though...

I've finished off a trio of hats (no pics - they aren't very exciting), and I've been working on some socks. This yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, but it's one of the 'only at Purl' colorways called Denim Stripe:



I love the way this knits up. Go get yourself some! (You're on your own with the seafoam green, though.)

At my knitting group last week, I was saying how I didn't want to knit socks on US 1s. Everyone tried to convince me that it was hardly slower than using US 2s, and since the socks wear better at tighter gauge it's totally worth it. I think I had a similar rate of progress, but - I kept dropping stitches. To that I can only say: knitter, know thyself! The tinier stitches are too tiny for me, I'm afraid.

I'm also thinking I want some wristwarmers. I've spent my whole life being annoyed about that wisp of cold air that gets up your coat sleeves if you aren't careful - and it never occurred to me to make something to fix it. But seeing as how this Chicago winter is about to spank me good I'd better get cracking. Last Minute Knitted Gifts has a nice pattern that uses Koigu Kersti or Noro Cash Iroha. Let's see...I might have some of that rattling around in the stash...

Knitting Meme Fun

Although I wasn't personally tagged, I thought it would be fun to answer these questions.

Your favorite needles?
Clover circs, hands down. I have other needles, but if I could replace them all with Clovers, I would. I also like Brittany needles.

The worst thing you've ever knit?
Smooch, from a Rowan pattern book. It had a lace edging at the bottom, which required reading a chart. It was my first chart-reading project, and I must have knit those dozen or so rows about four times before I got it right. The rest of the garment didn’t go any better…I got about 90% done and couldn’t get any further. I started it at least two years ago and just frogged it this summer.

Your most favorite knit pattern? (maybe you don't like wearing it)
I loved making the Whitby socks from Knitting on the Road. They were a gift, so I don’t wear them – but the pattern was so clever. You didn’t have to memorize it, and it looked really beautiful although it was so straightforward. Nancy Bush is a genius in my book.

Most valuable knitting technique?
Probably knitting with dpns. Then I could make socks, and came to understand the concept of circular knitting. (Yes, there was once a time when I could not envision what this was or why you would want to do it!)

Best knit book or magazine?
Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush. I love the stories behind her patterns, and the patterns themselves are very well written. I’ve learned some great tips from this book with applications beyond socks, like hole-free methods for picking up stitches, and ways to create an invisible seam when you join your first round in circular knitting. Another favorite is Last-Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. I could page through it for hours; I find it really calming. Maybe that's weird.

Your favorite knit-a-long?
The Lucky-along was fun; I met a lot of nice people through their blogs. I didn’t finish my sweater, though - maybe this winter!

Your favorite knitblogs?
I have lots of favorites, but the ones which come to mind are: ChicKnits, for a perfect cocktail of fun, beautiful knitting and patterns, and great design; Purly Whites for her knitting engineering, and Crazy Aunt Purl because she’s Crazy Aunt Purl.

Your favorite knitwear designer?
Whenever I see a design I like, it’s often by Norah Gaughan. I don’t think I’ve made any of her designs, though.

The knit item you wear the most? (how about a picture of it!)
I have a few spring/summer items, but truthfully, I don’t wear my knitting very much. I’m hoping to change that by making more things this winter. I do really like my Soleil tank top, though.

I don't think I will tag anyone, since it seems like everyone has done it already. Good clean fun.

False Alarm

No new post, just doing some housekeeping on the bloggy-blog. Catch you later.

Merino wool at what price?

Some of you may recall that I was very upset when I learned about the practice of mulesing in the Australian merino sheep industry. This practice, used to prevent death from parasites is done without anesthetic on thousands of sheep in Australia, the source of 65% of the world’s fine merino, according to Vogue Knitting. (Note: See the current issue for an interesting piece about the history of merino wool and a companion piece about mulesing.)

From time to time this issue is raised on blogs, Knitters Review forums and in-person knitting groups. Most knitters seem to agree with the farmers on the sad necessity of mulesing. Others have decided upon learning about this practice to no longer knit with wool. I can understand their feelings, but - that won’t work for me. Cotton hurts my wrists. Most synthetics are gross, IMO. (And they use a lot of petrochemicals in their production, but I digress.) Knitting with wool makes me feel connected to the planet and to generations before me who have done the same. But, as the VK article also notes, merino wool is a luxury -- one that I do not want to enjoy if it means supporting animal cruelty.

So, I did some research. I found that although a number of countries (South Africa, New Zealand, Uruguay and the U.S.) produce merino wool, the mulesing practice is limited to Australia. So I decided to write to yarn companies and ask if they knew the country of origin of their merino wool, figuring that if it was from anywhere other than Australia, I could be fairly certain that the wool harvesting process was cruelty-free.

You can find the results of my research here. My findings are less than scientific and somewhat incomplete, but the information may still be useful to you. I also welcome any additions or updates you may have if you’ve done your own research. Feel free to read, copy, and distribute as you please. (I’d love to know about it if you do - email link is in the sidebar.)

And since we’re on the subject, how about a progress shot of my Uruguayan merino wool sweater:



Happy knitting, all!

New Project

Hi, all! Since last I wrote, I finished the baby sweater - finally! - and sent it off to my friend. Thanks so much for all the compliments!! Debbie Bliss makes beautiful patterns, and I love the Matinee Coat design; but if I were to attempt this again, I think I would regauge it to DK weight, or maybe even light worsted. The seed stitch in sport weight, even for a baby sweater, is neverending.

So, with one project off my plate, I've cast on for another. I'm making another Debbie Bliss pattern - the Lara sweater. I'm finally using the hand-dyed (Uruguayan) merino from Ellen's Half Pint Farm, which I bought at MDSW. Here's a progress shot:



Since I took this picture, I've finished the left front. This sweater is a breeze to knit! And the stockinette doesn't get boring (I don't think) since the shaping changes fairly often. That, and you see progress very quickly. I was worried at first that I wouldn't like the hand-dyed vertical striping effect - but I'm really enjoying it now. As my fiance said, it's a "busy" sweater, but it's my _unique_ busy sweater. :)

Now I'm off to work, for my first day! Wish me luck.

Life and Knitting

There have been lots of new developments in my life lately. First, I got a job! I think it will be the perfect combination of old and new skills, and all of my new co-workers seem great. Plus, I can walk to work. Yay, me! Second, we’ve decided on the locations for our wedding ceremony and reception. While this was a huge task, it hardly seems to compare with what remains. Yikes! But the whole thing is starting to be a little bit fun, so I’m looking forward to it.

In knitting news, I still haven’t finished my Simply Marilyn! It still needs a few seams. My goal is to finish before I start work next Monday. But seeing as how I haven’t picked it up for a couple weeks, I’m not sure if I’ll make it.

But I have finished another long term project, the Matinee Jacket from the Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino book. I think it turned out pretty well:


I still need a skinny ribbon to lace through the tiny eyelets below the seed stitch section. Then, this little cutie will be off to my friend M., whose niece will be the recipient. I hope it fits her!

The other thing I did is learn Fair Isle! Well, I did one swatch – I certainly haven’t learned everything there is to know. But I was surprised at how easy it was. I used the instructions in the Knitscene magazine; they made it seem so doable.



Believe it or not, this is the FIRST TIME in about 10 years of off-and-on knitting that I have EVER used more than one color. I have to say, it was fun! I’m ready to try a small Fair Isle project. I’ve always thought it would be wonderful to make Christmas stockings for each member of my family, ones that we would always keep and put up every year. Maybe now this will become a reality!

Anyway, sorry for the infrequent posts. I think life should start getting back to normal soon so I will become a regular blogger once more. I really appreciate everyone stopping by and leaving comments. I love hearing from you and also seeing what you are up to on your own blogs.

Hugs to all of you! Happy knitting.

Busy Bee

Hi, everybody! I've been away for a while - friends from out of town, job search, wedding planning...plenty to keep me busy.

I'm almost done with the sweater I showed you last time; I'm just finishing up the seams. The sweater is hot! (I mean, it fits, rather than it's sweaty) I'll post pics when it's really finished. I was a little nervous about the bulky yarn, for fear of the 'Michelin Man' effect - but now I see that if you make them form fitting, bulky sweaters R-O-C-K.

Did you all see this article about blogging? It features our Favorite Yarn Harlot and talks about the knit-blogging phenomenon in general. Kinda interesting.

Well, that's really all I have to report. Oh, I went to the Tangled Web in Oak Park - what a GREAT yarn shop!! It's huge, they have tons of beautiful samples, Rowan, Debbie Bliss, Koigu, etc. etc. The staff is very helpful too.

I'll be back soon with pictures...

Progress

Hi again,

Thanks for the feedback about the little sweater. There is a lot to be said for just letting the yarn do its thang. Still, I think I need to put this project aside and mull things over. (I'm trying to let go, really I am! It's just hard...)

So, I’ve started on a ‘me’ project! Seeing as how it is already chilly in Chicago (54 degrees this morning!), I thought a sweater was in order:


And an artistic shot of the cable (hi, Amelia!)


This is the Simply Marilyn sweater (click here, scroll down), from an old issue of Interweave Knits. It's a Debbie Bliss pattern, but as much as I love DB – this pattern has already required a lot of resizing. I am making the smallest size (and I am not a small person), at a slightly smaller gauge, and I have lengthened the body in two places. Still, I love the lines of the sweater and I’m excited to wear it. Besides, the fiancé says it’s “cute.” Two thumbs up!

Later y'all...

Oh Boy

I haven’t been posting much lately, but I have been doing a fair amount of knitting – and unknitting.

First, I have a small FO to share. This is a hat pattern from Book 3 by Elsebeth Lavold, called The Embraceable You Collection. (apologies for the lumpy newspaper effect) It’s done in her Angora yarn, which I would definitely recommend. It sheds, but not very much, and it’s very soft yet sturdy. My only problem was with the bobbles. It's supposed to have a row of bobbles under the lower garter stitch ridge. I’ve never made bobbles before, so maybe that’s the problem. They just don't seem to stick out very much. Oh well - this is only my third hat ever; I'm just practicing for the holiday season.




My other project is a sweater for a very special toddler. The pattern is the Children’s Tunic Sweater from Knitting Plain and Simple. The problem is - knitting with Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted is neither plain nor simple. You can see what I mean in this photo:




The yoke is fine, but once the increases are done and you are knitting in circular stockinette, you get these spirals of color. This switches back to mixed-up colors toward the bottom, when you divide for side slits and thus are knitting flat.

Question to you all: should I care about the colors spiraling? I have tried knitting with two alternating balls, but the pattern was nearly as obvious then, too. I also tried knitting flat across all stitches, with one ball of yarn and got the same effect. Maybe I could try two balls, but start from the other end of one ball? HELP!

15,215 yards

This is the total yardage in my stash, according to my new spreadsheet. I could make all kinds of explanations and/or excuses, but I just won't. I should think about selling some of it. Unfortunately, a bunch of it is smallish single skeins - but there are a some project-sized bundles in there. Food for thought...have any of you had success with Paypal for this purpose?

In other knitting news, tomorrow night is the Chicago White Sox Stitch n Pitch(this is a pdf). There will be about 100 or so knitters (and the people who love them) in a special section, where we will watch the White Sox vs. the Cleveland Indians. My fiance LOVES baseball so this is a date night made in heaven. :)

I'll leave you with a progress shot of the Matinee Coat. This is the back and left front. You can see the row of dimples right below the seed stitch section - this is a series of eyelets where a ribbon will be threaded to gather and tie the sweater. I'm working on the right front now and am *totally* dreading the seed stitch sleeves to come. No matter - I think it will be lovely when it's finished.

Happy knitting, everyone!

The Power of Blogging

Power of Blogging Experience #1: I was catching up on some Bloglines reading yesterday when I noticed that Lynette had posted about a brand-new downtown Chicago knitting store. She said she and Monica would be visiting at lunchtime, so I headed down too. I recognized both Lynette and Monica from their blog! So great to meet them in person.

When we got there, another knitblogger was already there (hi, Gail!).


Within minutes, there were another 6 or 8 people in the store, many of whom had read Lynette's post!

POB Experience #2: Last night was Knit In Public night, hosted by the incomparable Bonne Marie. It was a lovely evening of knitting, fun conversation, and - of course, excellent sweet treats from Letizia's! I never would have known about this great group if not for Chicago-area bloggers.

It's really amazing how an online community can quickly become an in-person community as well. Another reason why I am so glad I started blogging!

BTW - I think this new store is going to be great. Loopy Yarns has the entire Lorna's Laces line! She also has Lane Borgesia, Lang, Cascade, Berroco, Elsebeth Lavold, and will soon have Plymouth. She wants people to hang out in the store, and even (gasp) have coffee and snacks while they knit! Yes, I think this is going to be a fun place...

Happy knitting, everyone! Have a great weekend.

New Knitty, etc.

As everyone has probably already noticed, the new Knitty is up. I think this is a great issue! There’s definitely something for everyone. My faves:

Blackberry: The only way I could love this more is if the gauge were smaller. I worry about the football player effect with such a bulky yarn. But the pattern is very stylish.

Cinxia: I can’t pronounce it, but I love it anyway! Such a simple and flattering shape. Not sure if I can do the three-quarter sleeves…I get chilly! But it is lovely nonetheless.

Revolution: This pattern is a breath of fresh air. The styling is very modern and I love the textured stitch as well. Only problem (for me, that is) is the complicated instructions - I can’t figure out why you need intarsia.

Ella: so lovely. This designer’s patterns always have such interesting constructions. I think my mom would love this one!

I was a little surprised to see this pattern included. In my mind, it is too similar to the Wavy Scarf pattern in a certain book. A designer I am not – but this is just my $.02.

Thanks for the Soleil comments, by the way! I appreciate it. It's so nice to see one's hard work pay off. Knitting has ground to a halt lately as I’m still searching for my next big project. I did some swatching to get started:



The brightly colored swatch is for a baby sweater; the blue-y one is the hand-dyed merino I bought at Maryland Sheep and Wool. I am searching for the perfect pattern for this very special yarn! It knits up at 4.5 sts per inch, and is a soft single-ply yarn. I have almost 1300 yards and I want to make some sort of cardigan/jacket-type thing. If you have any pattern ideas, please let me know!

Happy knitting everyone!

FO Friday

Hi all! TGIF. Just a quick post today to show off my finished Soleil.



It fits great! The designer did a wonderful job with the shaping. This was also my first project using crochet, and I’m pleased to say it went better than I’d hoped.

Now, it’s on to a new project! I’m still working on the DB Matinee Coat, but I need a “me” project. I’m definitely ready for fall, and thinking about wool projects. I've decided to play hooky today and head to a Chicago knit shop for some inspiration. We’ll see what I come up with!

Have a great Friday and a fun weekend, everyone!