Joe Loves Martha Scarf

Once upon a time, I was in a yarn store (hard to believe, I know) and I decided to buy some yarn for the Go Go Garter Scarf from SnB. But when I got home, I discovered that the pattern called for a super chunky yarn and what I bought was only chunky. I really wanted to make the Go Go Garter Scarf from super chunky, but what to do with the chunky yarn?

Like most middleaged geeks, I looked for an answer on the Internet. When I found a likely pattern, I printed it out and got to work.



Now, many knitting patterns tend to be rather terse if not downright vague and/or written in a secret code that only advanced knitters know. But this pattern was incredibly detailed, explaining every step of the way. Where did I get this pattern? Why, it's the "Basic Scarf" aka "Knitting 101" pattern from Martha Stewart. And then I knew this scarf was for my brother because Joe loves Martha.



The original pattern was all one color in a worsted weight yarn; mine has
color blocks in Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky. Despite the garter stitch border, the sides curled stubbornly. I tried blocking it by pinning and spritzing, but had to resort to a full soak to get the whole thing to lay flat.



And because everyone "borrows" Joe's stuff, I added his name, using the letter templates from here. This was my first attempt at monogramming. Originally, I tried knitting in two colors, but abandoned that in favor of stitching the letters after the fact. Still, it took me over two hours (and we won't look at the back). No wonder I put off finishing projects. At least, this one will get into the mail before spring.

Orange and Lemon Sherbet Legwarmers

Actually, these are the "Roller Girl" legwarmers from Stitch and Bitch Nation, in rugby stripes of Plymouth Yarn Encore.



Since I have been size-challenged regarding legwarmers (see example), I actually knit a gauge swatch, which encouraged me to drop a needle size. Also, I chose the "small" size.



And yet, the ribbing still seemed too stretchy, so I frogged and restarted, using elastic thread in the ribbing. The only colors of elastic thread I could find were white or black, so the thread shows a bit in the ribbing, but maybe it will work its way to the back of the fabric. The thread does not make the ribbing tighter, but I'm hoping it will keep the ribbing from stretching out too much. FYI, each leagwarmer used 90 yards of elastic thread.

Sew, *Unsew, and Sew, Repeat from *

I consider myself an apprentice knitter. I try to pick a variety of patterns in a variety of yarns and needle sizes, to get a wide range of experience. So, when I saw the "Soft and Warm Baby Hoodie" in Lion Brand Microspun, I decided to make one for my pregnant hair stylist's baby. The pattern is graded "easy" and since I had taken an "advanced beginner" knitting class where we made a baby sweater, I thought this should not be too difficult.



True to expectations, knitting the pieces was not difficult, as the hoodie is all garter stitch. The yarn produced a soft, smooth, shiny fabric, but I found Microspun to be splitty and snaggy to work with. I started on circular needles, but switched to straight needles when I reached the armhole shaping. Were I to make this hoodie again, I would leave the body on the circulars and knit the armhole shaping all at once, as the weight of the fabric pulled on the armholes. And I would knit the sleeves at the same time, to save counting rows and obsessively comparing one against the other. But still, none of this was particularly challenging.



I hate doing the finishing work on projects. My coffeetable is usually littered with almost-done projects: a scarf awaiting monogramming, legwarmers with ends to weave in, and now hoodie pieces waiting to be pieced. There they sat, until about a week ago, when I realized my next haircut would be my last with Monica until she returned from maternity leave. Maybe I better finish up that bugger.



The baby sweater we made in class was stockingnet, and sewing the seams seemed relatively easy. Well, I discovered seaming garter stitch is another matter altogether. Baffled, I consulted knitting reference book after knitting reference book for instructions and clues. Initially, I tried weaving the seams to minimize bulk, but the seams seemed too weak, so I unwove that effort and switched to invisible seams.



Sometimes knitting directions seem rather vague, and the finishing directions are no less so. The pattern said, "Sew sleeve seams." So I sewed the sleeve seams, then tried to set the sleeves into the armholes. The armholes were too big. After a brief struggle, I unsewed the sleeve seams, set the sleeves into the armholes, then stitched the sleeve seams from wrist to armpit, including a little side seam to reduce the armhole size. Then I stitched up the back seam of the hood.



Hmmm. Those little side seams made little dents in the line of the hoodie. They had to go. Fortunately, I had already practiced weaving seams, so I unsewed the little seams and wove them up. There. That's better.



By now it was the night before my hair appointment, but I was in the homestretch. I decided to apply the sleeve strategy to the hood, so I unsewed that seam, stitched the hood to the neck, then stitched a new seam in the hood. After weaving in the ends and attaching the buttons, I was done!



As I drifted off to sleep that night, I realized with a start that the hood was wrong: because of my hood-attaching strategy, instead of going up the back of the hood, the seam ran from the crown to the front. Groan! I decided instead of walking the dog in the morning, I would unsew the hood.



Now, invisible seams are neat, both in appearance and concept. But in the process of sewing and unsewing the seams on this hoodie, I discovered they are a bitch to unsew, especially once the ends are woven in. Fortunately, the unsewing and resewing of the hood went so well Thursday morning that, except for a few loose ends, the sweater was complete by the time I had to leave for work. That evening I wove in the last of the stray yarn, wrapped the sweater in tissue paper, and tucked it into a bag from my LYS. Whew!



One lesson I have learned in my apprenticeship is to use inexpensive yarns, so if a project turns into a big, fat failure, the lessons learned cost me time but not a lot of money. The only problem with this philosophy is that sometimes cheap yarns look, well, cheap. Since Monica chose not to learn the gender of her baby, I picked lime green for the hoodie. Now that it was finished, I couldn't decide if that shiny lime green looked cute or gaudy.

Oh, well. Monica acted pleased with the gift, but in the back of my mind I was wishing I had chosen another yarn or another color, or had done a better job. I guess our almost-successes are what keep us coming back again and again to the needles.

Snow Day

This is a first. Not only are schools and government offices closed, but they sent us home from work. I thought about cleaning out a closet or mopping the kitchen floor, but that Fat-Bottom Bag was calling to me: I'm almost done - you can finish me today - it won't take long.

This pattern from Stitch 'n Bitch Happy Hooker does work up quickly, once one gets past the first row (check the errata) and once one's hands become accustomed to the cramp-inducing herringbone half-double crochet stitch and once one remembers to do the hhdc instead of a hdc (a lot of the Taupe Beast was in hdc).

Yesterday I came within two rows of being done when I ran out of yarn. What to do? Should I buy a third skein of Lion Suede? (For two short rows?!?) Should I frog and try a smaller crochet hook? (The size-I felt small enough.) Should I frog partway and eliminate two of the long midsection rows? I decided to sleep on it.

Today, with a suddenly free day ahead of me, I decided on option three. By noon, I had finished the body and was ready for the handle flaps. After lunch, I added the flaps and handles. After a nap, I removed the handles and put them on again. Then I decided to make an i-cord with a contrasting color of Lion Suede; abandoned that effort because I didn't like the color. Then I decided to make an i-cord of green Plymouth Yarn Encore worsted; I threaded that onto the bag below the handles. Then I decided, with the wintery weather outside, to create a bit of spring inside and make a flower. After perusing my Pattern-a-Day Knitting Calendar, Stitch 'n Bitch, SnB Nation, and SnB Happy Hooker, I chose the 5-petal flower from the Head Huggers pattern in SnB Nation. Creating that little red flower from more Encore worsted took two tries. Stitching something yellow into the center took about an hour because I kept undoing and redoing it. Finally, I decided less is more.



So, now it is after 6pm and I somehow managed to spend the whole day finishing up a simple project. And I'm not sure I'm finished. Should I line the bag? Maybe a daisy would be better than the red flower. I could make some leaves to add to the i-cord to make it more stemlike. That green doesn't really stand out.

Hmmm. I think I'll sleep on it.

The Taupe Beast

Weighing in at four pounds, the Taupe Beast!



I started this afghan in a previous lifetime and took at least a century to complete it, but finally, finally it is finished (except for fringe, which the recipient chose to forego as she feared her cats would chew it and urp). Now I can get on with the rest of my life.

This afghan's proper title is "Ivory Elegance" from A Year of Afghans Book 5 (Leisure Arts). I used Caron worsted weight acrylic yarn in the one pound skeins (four of them!), color Taupe 511.

What made this afghan impossible challenging:

• The rows ran the length of the afghan, so undoing mistakes frequently meant undoing a lot.
  
• The stitches used were single crochet, double crochet, half-double crochet, and triple crochet.
  
• The chevrons were created by double crocheting in front of or behind a triple crochet, a hand-cramping manuever if ever there was one.
  

And yet, I am contemplating creating a belt from this very design. I guess I've grown accustomed to its face.

Cabin Fever

For the third time this week, I stopped at Joann's, but this time I had a finite shopping list in hand: elastic thread, belt buckle, jute, beads, purse handles, and buttons. I needed only one spool of white elastic thread for the Sherbert Legwarmers and planned to pick up one of the black as well, but all they had was white and only three spools, so I took them all. (Is that proper crafting etiquette? To leave nothing for the next person?) No luck on the belt buckle for the Belt de Jour, as my belt looks dressy in black lamb's wool and the buckles at Joann's were definitely for the denim and rhinestone crowd. It took me a while to find the beading section, where apparently jute has been replaced with hemp, and I snagged a bag of turquoise beads as well; my plan is to make a belt using the stitch pattern from the Taupe Beast, studding it with turquoise, to wear with jeans. I was not impressed with the selection of purse handles, but they were on sale, so I grabbed a pair of 6" ones in wood for the Fat-Bottom Bag. And I had difficulty deciding on buttons for the baby hoodie: the yarn is snaggy, so I wanted a smooth shape; the yarn is bright and shiny, so I wanted an assertive color; I also wanted something cute. I managed two requirements out of three. Then I left, without buying any yarn!

Angie's Dishcloths

Angie has a new home! I brought her housewarming dishcloths and she gave me bran muffins, coffee, and Airborne for my recurring virus.

The "Seaspray" and "Maize" colors would have been better matches for her kitchen decor, but I didn't know and I was tired of those colors, so she received "Periwinkle" and "Sunflower" - two bright spring colors to counteract the brutal weather we are having.

Double basket stitch (multiples of 6) from Knitting Stitch Bible (p. 35)
K2 border on left and right is separate from the pattern stitch, so I kept it separate in the directions

Lion Brand Cotton color 183 "Periwinkle"
Needle size: 7US/4.5mm
Gauge doesn't really matter

CO 40 (If using long-tail caston, start with row 2)
Row 1: k2, knit to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 2: k2, *k5, p1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 3: k2, knit to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 4: k2, *k5, p1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 5: k2, knit to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 6: k2, k2, *p1, k5, repeat from * to last 6 stitches, p1, k3, k2
Row 7: k2, knit to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 8: k2, k2, *p1, k5, repeat from * to last 6 stitches, p1, k3, k2
Repeat rows 1-8 until lentgh is approximately the same as width
BO
Weave in ends


Knit and purl stitch (multiples of 4) from Knitting Stitch Bible (p. 38)
K2 border on left and right is separate from the pattern stitch, so I kept it separate in the directions

Lion Brand Cotton color 157 "Sunflower"
Needle size: 7US/4.5mm
Gauge doesn't really matter

CO 40 (If using long-tail caston, start with row 2)
Row 1: k2, *k2, p2, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 2: k2, *p2, k2, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2
Repeat rows 1-2 until length is approximately the same as width
BO
Weave in ends

How To Tell When Length Equals Width
This is simple. Just fold the side of the dishcloth along the needle.

Cabinwarming Dishcloths

One of my New Year's resolutions - my only New Year's resolution - was to do something fun each month of the year. January's fun thing was a makeup session for Women's Weekend, at the Cabin, which is a real log cabin that has been modernized (i.e. electricity and running water) and is now more comfortably furnished. In celebration of the new furnishings, I brought a pair of dishcloths. Unfortunately, I forgot the camera, so no pix - sorry! To make up for my lapse, here are the instructions:

Dishcloth #1

Lion Brand Cotton color 186 "Maize"
Needle size: 7US/4.5mm
Gauge doesn't really matter

Diagonal structure stitch (multiples of 8 + 2) from Knitting Stitch Bible (p. 36)
K2 border on left and right is separate from the pattern stitch, so I kept it separate in the directions

CO 38 stitches (If using long-tail caston, knit a row or start with row 2)
Row 1: k2, k1, *p2, k2, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, k1, k2
Row 2: k2, *k2, p2, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 3: k2, p1, *k2, p2, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, p1, k2
Row 4: k2, *p2, k2, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2
Repeat rows 1-4 until length is approximately the same as width
BO
Weave in ends


Dishcloth #2

Lion Brand Cotton color 123 "Seaspray"
Needle size: 7US/4.5mm
Gauge doesn't really matter

Textured stitch (multiples of 7 + 6) from Knitting Stitch Bible (p. 41)
K2 border on left and right is separate from the pattern stitch, so I kept it separate in the directions

CO 38 stitches (If using long-tail caston, start with row 2)
Row 1: k2, knit to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 2: k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 3: k2, *p2, k2, p2, k1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, p2, k2, p2, k2
Row 4: k2, *k2, p2, k2, p1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, k2, p2, k2, k2
Row 5: k2, knit to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 6: k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 7: k2, *p2, k2, p2, k1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, p2, k2, p2, k2
Row 8: k2, *k2, p2, k2, p1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, k2, p2, k2, k2
Row 9: k2, knit to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 10: k2, *k2, p2, k2, p1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, k2, p2, k2, k2
Row 11: k2, *p2, k2, p2, k1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, p2, k2, p2, k2
Row 12: k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 13: k2, knit to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 14: k2, *k2, p2, k2, p1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, k2, p2, k2, k2
Row 15: k2, *p2, k2, p2, k1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, p2, k2, p2, k2
Row 16: k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 17: k2, *p2, k2, p2, k1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, p2, k2, p2, k2
Row 18: k2, *k2, p2, k2, p1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, k2, p2, k2, k2
Row 19: k2, knit to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 20: k2, purl to last 2 stitches, k2
Row 21: k2, *p2, k2, p2, k1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, p2, k2, p2, k2
Row 22: k2, *k2, p2, k2, p1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, k2, p2, k2, k2
Repeat rows 9-22 until length is approximately the same as width
BO
Weave in ends

Rescue LYS

While making my way to the needle rack at my LYS, I passed the sock yarns, and there, there, there was Sensational Knitted Socks. I not only was able to hold it and leaf through it before deciding to buy it, I also supported a locally-owned business. My house is small, so I must limit my book purchases to those I am likely to look at more than once. This one looks like a keeper.



Now I Hate Blogger

Blogger forced me into upgrading to the new version. The old version works fine, I don't want a Google account (a requirement - one more id/password to keep track of - gah!), and I'm new enough to blogging that change unsettles me. But recently, when I tried to log into the old Blogger, I kept winding up at a page that announced (rather arrogantly, I thought) that my blogs were being upgraded. I tried to complain, but the contact page is not really a contact page. I waited a few days to see if Blogger would relent, but no. It seemed my only choices were to never update my blog ever again or move to another blog host (more change - gah!) So I gave up and upgraded.

As a fellow Hoosier once remarked, I'm not against progress, as long as nothing changes.

I Hate Borders

Borders used to be my favorite store. Books, music, coffee - what more could a body want? Well, last night I discovered that a little organization would be nice.

What happened was this: Upon the recommendation of forum readers at Knitter's Review, I went in search of Sensational Knitted Socks. Borders' online inventory indicated it was in stock, and I checked again when I got to the store. But, even with two of us looking, we could not find the book.

Actually, we were lucky to find the right shelves. The in-store computers used to have a map of the store on them, but if they still do, I could not find it. So we wandered a bit and found the right area, then the right shelves. That's when things got really ugly.

Borders used to shelve books in order, by author's last name. This wasn't a perfect system, because (just like at the library) people put books back in the wrong place. But generally, you had a good chance of finding what you were looking for, and all one author's books were highly likely to be grouped together.

Well, no more. I don't know if it is because the store is short of shelves or short staffed, or because the staff is overworked or lazy, or if it is store policy or company policy, but now the books are shelved willy-nilly, with many books wandering into neighboring topics. As a lover of books, I found it sad, and as a shopper, I found it frustrating, and as an anal retentive, I found it maddening.

I don't like Barnes and Noble, either, and I avoid the mall (where Walden Books and B Dalton reside) like a pustulating sore. The local library system is excellent about ordering anything I request, but frequently it is weeks before the book is available for checkout. I order from Amazon a lot, but sometimes I just want to look over a book before buying.

As my brother often says, Whaddayagonnado?

KnitLit

I like to knit. I like to write about my knitting. I lure visitors to my knitting blog by leaving its url at various and sundry forums across the Internet. But StatCounter indicates most spend less than 5 seconds at my site. Presumably, they glance at the photos, then click their way back from whence they come. After starting KnitLit (edited by Linda Roghaar and Molly Wolf), I now know why no one reads my blog - reading about knitting is, well, let's just say, less than riveting.

Maybe it is just me, but why read about knitting when you can be knitting?

And yet I do read about knitting. I frequent a few knitting forums, keep up on certain knitting blogs (even though too many of these blogs feature yummy, calorie-laden baked goods as well as knit goods), and check out armloads of knitting books from the library. But forums can be skimmed, blogs can entertain (apparently, mine does not), and knitting books are eye candy. It is not often that one really reads knitting stories.

What makes a good story? Usually, a storyline that includes conflict is a primary trait. Strong character development can make up for a lack of plot, as can humor. Robert Frost said good poetry "begins with delight and ends in wisdom" and the same may be applied to any writing. (Hmmm. Maybe I need to keep that in mind with my own writing.) Too many blog entries are "Here is some beautiful yarn. Here is what I made with it." (Mine is more that latter, since I can't afford the former.) The cardinal sin of writing is to bore the reader. (Moi?!?)

(Okay, I've wandered afield. I started out reviewing KnitLit and wound up critiquing my own writing. I didn't start out delighted, but hopefully now I will end up a bit wiser.)

Back to KnitLit. As I said, knitting stories are not the most exciting thing to read, but each one in this book has a little pearl (purl?) hidden within. And, in this world of in-your-face entertainment, these gentle stories are heartening and refreshing, if sometimes a bit corny.

Sometimes we need a little corn in our diet.

Rainbow Legwarmers

So, what makes a pattern original? I started with this pattern and changed the colors and length and sizing a bit, and added instructions to improve the color changing, but while I am proud of the results, I would not call this a design of my own making. But aren't those colors fun?



These legwarmers are slouchy and will fit very loosely. Directions are for small (medium, large) sizes.

Materials:

Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Encore Knitting Worsted Weight (75% acrylic, 25% wool), one skein (100g/200 yds.) each in the following colors: purple (1384), red 1386), orange (1383), yellow (1382), green (054),and blue (133).

Needles: 4 double-pointed needles, size 8 or size to obtain gauge.

Gauge: 5 sts = 1" over St st.

Directions:

Cast on 64 (72, 80) stitches. Divide across 3 needles.

Knit a color band in each color (see directions for color band below). To create the rainbow effect, alternate primary colors with their composite secondary colors, i.e. blue, green, yellow, orange, red, purple. For longer legwarmers, knit additional color bands to desired length.

Bind off in pattern.

Color band:
Row 1: K all around. (If using long-tail cast on, cast on row counts as first knit row of first color band.)
Row 2-8: K2, P2 ribbing all around.

How To Make a Jogless Color Change:
When changing colors, on the first stitch of second row of the new color, pick up the first stitch of the old color from below, place it on the left needle, and knit along with first stitch of row 2.

How to Add Laces to Make Them Stay Up

If you don't like legwarmers that puddle around your ankles, here is one way to modify this pattern to make them stay up:

On the last (top) color band, knit row one, k2 p2 rows 2-4, create eyelet in row 5 (*k2,p2,yo,k2tog,p2,repeat from *), k2 p2 rows 6-8, BO; knit 2 3-stitch i-cords long enough to thread through eyelet and tie in a bow.

So Many Projects, So Little Time

Knitty Otter mentioned cast on fever in a recent post. I know exactly what she means! I obsessively start project after project, until the livingroom looks like a yarn explosion, then slowly start wrapping up a few, just to free up the needles so I can start some more.

First, there are the two stalled afghans and one half-done baby blanket. One of the afghans has taken up residence in the recliner; if I sit there, I will have to crochet.

Then there are the dishcloths. I have been working on a couple for a housewarming gift. I finished one, started another, decided I did not like the color for this particular person, so started a third. (I happen to have two sets of size 7 SPs, so I didn't have to move number two to a spare needle.) Number two will become a cabinwarming gift, but I hate to give just one, so I will probably knit up one more, then hopefully call it quits on dishcloths, for a while at least.

I started a baby hoody for an expecting friend who does not know the gender of the baby. Initially, I thought orange or red would be a wild choice, and after starting the orange, changed my mind and started over in lime. The color is so luscious I have a hard time putting that one down.

Meanwhile, I'm almost done with the rainbow legwarmers for my daughter. Fun colors! If she does not like them, I will keep them for myself. She wants armwarmers, too, but requested them extra long, like up to her elbows, so if she feels like wearing a tee around the house, she can keep her arms warm without resorting to a sweater.

My brother's scarf is done, except for weaving in the ends, blocking the garter stitch edges, and stitching his name on the ends so that other family members don't "borrow" it. Cow-orkers opined the colors sucked, but I think they are manly, yet whimsical.

I'm starting my three-day weekend with a yarn orgy, but hopefully I will settle down and take care of some housekeeping chores, too. You can knit only so much, right?

Right?!?

A Complete Ensemble

I finished a hat for my son, to go with his scarf and armwarmers, all in Saluki colors. And, unlike the arm warmers, the "make 1" stitches are correct, so there are no eyelets. And, unlike the slipper socks, the color changes are jogless.



The pattern is from here, and isn't a pattern in the usual sense, but rather a description of how to knit ribbed caps. This is the "Snug Garter Rib Cap" with an initial caston of 82 for the 1x1 rib, increased to 92 for the 2x2 rib.



The top was a little confusing and I frogged it once because I thought it wasn't right, then reknit it the same way because I convinced myself that it was right the first time. (Sometimes I am my own worst enemy.)

Nate's Slipper Socks

I signed up for a basic sock class at my LYS, but since I like to be prepared, I decided to practice sock-knitting before hand. (Actually, the class is not until March and I just couldn't wait.) So I knit these "Scrunchy, Slouchy Slipper Socks", using a free pattern from Lion Brand.



These knit up quickly and I was able to follow the instructions for the heel and toe with a minimum of head scratching. They look HUGE because of the super bulky yarn, but they are comfy and warm. I'm guessing they will be a cat hair magnet, though.



In case you didn't notice, I was too impatient to take 60 seconds to look up how to do a jogless color change - after all, the point of this exercise was to practice sock-knitting skills, not color-changing skills - there's always time to do it over, never time to do it right. But this time I did not do over, as I am practicing being less anal retentive about knitting mistakes.



I'll do better next time. I promise.

Knitting with Dog Hair

Instead of sheep, I have an angora lop rabbit. Rabbits make nice pets, but I obtained mine with an ulterior motive: angora yarn. So far, I have gathered a small Ziploc and a half of combings. It will take a long time to amass enough to spin.

But what if I added my cat's long hair and my dog's short hair? The cat is the color of toast, the dog mostly black, and the rabbit silvery gray. That would be an interesting yarn.

And before you scoff at the idea of spinning pet hair, you should read Knitting with Dog Hair by Kendall Crolius and Anne Montgomery.

Did you know Baryshnikov's leg warmers are supposedly made from his dogs' fur? And did you know that dog hair is warmer than wool? And once it is washed, it won't smell doggy?

This short book provides a primer on carding, spinning, and finishing pet yarn, as well as some patterns and resources and summaries of which breed produces what kind of fur.

I haven't actually tried making pet yarn, but it is an idea worth playing with. Besides, I have to groom my pets anyway; why not collect the fur and see what I can do with it?

Chloe's Cool Cats

I started the SnB Alien Illusion Scarf a while back, but instead of using Brown Sheep Nature Spun, I went with Plymouth Yarn Encore. You wouldn't think it would make much difference, but it did. The scarf was too wide and too stiff, so I frogged it.

When I decided to give illusion knitting another try, I went with the Brown Sheep yarn but chose a different pattern: Cats in Shades. The yarn made a huge difference, and I like the cats better than the aliens.

Here we are, starting out. Already you can see the curl at the end of the scarf. As the knitting progressed, the sides curled a lot as well. And, as this photo shows, the side I carried the yarn up is a little tight (my fault - I tugged too hard when changing colors).



Consequently, I blocked the sh*t out of it, giving the scarf a full twenty minute soak, then smoothing the sides and pinning the ends. If I were to do it again, I would try heavily spritzing the edges instead, as the scarf really stretched.



Not that the results are all that bad. The colors are "spring green" and "snow".



BTW, I purchased the yarn online from Flying Fingers Yarn Shop. They were very accommodating.

New Year Resolutions - 2007

The Parade section of this past Sunday's newspaper had a short, amusing article by Ellen Generes about making resolutions. The serious point of the article was to make resolutions you will keep instead of the usual self-improvement promises that result in a sense of failure by mid-March. What a good idea!

The only resolution I am making this year is to do something fun each month this year. So far, I have January through May covered:

January: Women's Weekend. Ordinarily, a bunch of us get together twice a year for a weekend of no kids and no men. We eat chocolate, drink wine, smoke cigarettes, watch R-rated movies, play cards, etc. This started when our kids were little, and now that most of us have empty nests, instead of being easier to get together, it just gets more and more difficult, especially in the fall. This past fall, we failed to get together at all, so now we are planning a makeup date this month.

February: John Prine, at the Embassy. I'm not big on crowds and crowded places, but when the performers I favor bother to include the Fort on their itenerary, I gotta go.

March: Basic sock class, at the Cass Street Depot. I'm sick of scarves and hats and fingerless gloves, but I don't want to do something big (still burnt out from that shawl and I have some afghans that have stalled), so socks sound like a good alternative.

April: The Fiber Event in Greencastle. If I can't have my own sheep, the next best thing is a fiber festival.

May: A writer's conference, "Zen Connection for Writers," at the Christine Center. I haven't actually signed up for this yet, but will, as soon as I find the brochure. The Christine Center is in Wisconsin, not too far from where my ancestors settled upon coming to this country. So, while I am in the neighborhood, I will visit a few gravesites.

There will also be more Women's Weekends, maybe another fiber festival, a vacation or two (my SO wants to go west this year), and hopefully some other good times in the near future.

Nate's Armwarmers

Unlike the Ladylike Lace gloves, I had to knit only three of these armwarmers to get one pair. But I unknit and reknit the bind off several times, then unknit and reknit the top inch on each before being satisfied.

This is the start of the first one, which I knit 'way too tight. (Frequently, when I knit something for the first time, I tense up and knit tightly.) Since the pattern is a nice 2x2 rib, armwarmer #1 stretched enough for a nice fit, but after wearing it a while, my fingers grew numb.



Armwarmer #2 knit up just right, so I frogged armwarmer #1 and knit up armwarmer #3. Done, right? Wrong. See how the tops bell out? They were much too loose, and they would probably stretch with use, so I kept trying different bindoffs to tighten them up. I eventually settled on purling the bindoff stitches.



As much as Nate loved the armwarmers, he left them behind xmas day. I tried them on one more time before mailing, and decided the tops were still too loose. What to do? I decided to rip back an inch or so on each one, and reknit, using smaller needles. Thankfully, this worked well.



BTW, I knit these in Plymouth Encore worsted, using this pattern from Gaea Creations. Besides the above problems, I struggled with the "make one" stitches, never quite getting them right, hence the eyelets along the thumb gusset. I have since learned how, from Knitting Help.

Janine's Dishcloths

The last time I met my friend Janine for coffee, I pulled the Bauhaus dishcloths from my knitting bag, just to show her. The look on her face told me that she needed some dishcloths of her own. She loved the colors ("maize" and "seaspray" in Lion Brand cotton), but I didn't like the pattern.

Living in a small house and blessed with a wonderful public library system , I don't buy very many books, but I make an exception for reference books, especially reference books about knitting. One such book is The Knitting Stitch Bible, by Maria Parry-Jones. I purchased this without a clear idea of what use I would make of it.



Light bulb moment: I could play with the stitches in the book while making dishcloths. So far, this scheme is working out well. I practice a stitch in colorful but inexpensive yarn, and by the time I get sick of it, the dishcloth is nearing completion. Then I have a small but useful gift.

Here is the double moss stitch.



And here is the basket stitch.



Another source of stitch patterns is the Lion Brand Stitchfinder. That's where I found the "purl ridges" stitch I used in the following piece.



Janine and I met for coffee again a couple of days ago, and she was thrilled with her new dishcloths. Unfortunately, I had goofed up the bind off on one, which I didn't notice until it was laid out on the table before us, so I had to confiscate it to make corrections. But she has two out of three to start the new year.

How To: Knit a Dishcloth

I like to edge my dishcloths in garter stitch, so I add 2 stitches for the left side and 2 for the right; I use placemarkers to remind me about the edging. Also, I favor the long-tail method of casting on, and thus either start with Row 2 or knit a row before starting the pattern.

How To: Double Moss Stitch a Dishcloth

Cast on in multiples of 2, plus 4 for the garter stitch edge.
Row 1: K2, *K1, P1, repeat from * to last 2 stitche2, K2
Row 2: K2, *K1, P1, repeat form * to last 2 stitches, K2
Row 3: K2, *P1, K1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, K2
Row 4: K2, *P1, K1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, K2
Repeat rows 1-4 until height of piece is approximately the same as the width.
Bind off. Weave in ends.

How To: Basket Stitch a Dishcloth

Cast on in multiples of 6, plus 3, plus 4 for the garter stitch edge.
Row 1: K2, *K3, P3, repeat from * to last 5 stitches, K3, K2
Row 2: K2, *P3, K3, repeat form * to last 5 stitches, P3, K2
Row 3: K2, *P3, K3, repeat from * to last 5 stitches, P3, K2
Row 4: K2, *K3, P3, repeat from * to last 5 stitches, K3, K2
Repeat rows 1-4 until height of piece is approximately the same as the width.
Bind off. Weave in ends.

Knitting Rules!

When one sees oneself in a book one is reading, one either laughs or cries. While reading Knitting Rules! by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (the Yarn Harlot), I laughted a lot, even when it hurt a little. I am still not quite comfortable with my obsessive-compulsive knitting, and I am in denial about my stash. It is telling that the first scrap of paper I grabbed to use as a bookmark was a yarn ball band. And according to this book, I am an "organic" knitter, although in lieu of sheep, I have an angora lop rabbit.

That said, this book is fun to read if you have some experience knitting. And the project-specific chapters are helpful if you have some experience knitting those types of projects. For example, I have knit several hats, so the chapter on hats provided additional information and insight. But I have never knit a sock, so the sock chapter went right over my head. But don't skip the glossary at the end, as it is the funniest.

The best two pieces of advice this book offers are: There are no knitting police, and It is only knitting. In other words, don't be like me and follow patterns slavishly, and don't be afraid to even start. Yarn is very forgiving. It can be knit and frogged and knit again another day.

Another Bauhaus

Just like the previous ones, this Bauhaus-inspired design is crocheted in Lion Brand cotton. This dishcloth was a good in-flight project, but I think I hate crocheting cotton yarn. It has no give and the corners would not square up the way I wanted and the result was rather stiff. My daughter agreed to take it off my hands ("Hey, it's a dishcloth.")



BTW, the pattern is available free on the Lion Brand website.

And, for those who want to learn more about the Bauhaus movement, I recommend Women's Work : Textile Art from the Bauhaus by Sigrid Weltge-Wortmann.

Wanted: This Sweater

This photo of Jamie Lerner (prez & CEO of Cittio) appeared in Information Week (photo credit goes to Gabriela Hasbun), and I fell in love with the sweater. It looks like it has a belted hood. Wouldn't this be a cool gift for that manly guy in your life? If I could see it in real life, maybe I could figure out a pattern for it. (Dream on!)

Swallowtail Shawl Blocked

It's about time, right? Here is the final, ready-to-be-shipped version of the swallowtail shawl I whined about ad nauseum. (For the rest of the story, look here.)



The spare bed came in handy for a blocking surface.



I could not find any straight pins labeled "rust-proof" so I used brass plated safety pins, which actually worked well. I contacted Rowan about the best way to block their silk wool DK, and they suggested pinning, then spritzing, which also worked well. So I pinned, spritzed, then after the yarn relaxed, I repinned.



Even Fern liked the shawl.



I wore the shawl to work yesterday, primarily to show off. It kept my shoulders warm.



Today it goes into the mail, as it is a gift for my stepmother.

When I was about a third of the way through this shawl, I swore I would never do another. Finishing it gave me a great sense of accomplishment, so I might do another one someday. But the biggest payoff has been that my other knitting projects seem so easy now. I feel like I can knit just about anything.

Sean's Go Go Garter Scarf

Another SnB "pattern" - garter stitch in super chunky yarn - using Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick®. I needed something quick and I wanted to make something from super chunky yarn, just to see what it was like, so here we are. I still don't like using those giant plastic needles, but the end result is just fine.

Olivia's Keyhole

My daughter did not like the armwarmers I knit her, so I frogged them and knit the SnB Windy City scarf, but much longer and in stripes. I also reinforced the keyhole as it seemed rather flimsy.



This is in Lion Brand cashmere blend, which is becoming one of my favorite yarns. It's very soft and springy.

Jason's Kittyville

The Boyfriend liked my daughter's SnB Kittyville hat so much, he wanted one of his own, sans ears. I used Plymouth Yarn Encore worsted, and since his head is kinda small, I dropped down a needle size. The charcoal gray looks almost felted in real life. Très élégant!

This One Is For Me

I love the SnB Coney Island Fireworks scarf so much, I am keeping it for myself. It's a great accessory when I dress in black - light and airy and colorful and playful. It looks better in real life than in photos, but here are a couple anyway.



I did not enjoy knitting it, though, because I don't care for knitting on big plastic needles and I don't like knitting yarns with no give, like fun fur and eyelash. Fortunately, it went quickly and produced lovely results.



For the record, I used Trendsetter Yarns Shadow just like the pattern recommends, but chose Berroco Ultra Alpaca for the other yarn, partly because I wanted something warmer than fleece, but primarily because it was available where I was (at the Yarn Basket), and the fleece was not.

Knitting Vacation

I spent several days with me da and stepmum last week. We did all those exciting things oldsters like to do: daily grocery shopping (part of my dad's exercise routine), TV watching (they refer to "Wheel of Fortune" as "Spin the Wheel"), TV tray dining (good spaghetti and meatballs takeout), etc. My dad didn't want to "go anywhere or do anything" during my visit, so I went armed with yarn. They were happy to have me there and I was happy to sit 'n knit.

However, my stepmother did not understand why I would knit something that could be bought. I tried "I knit this scarf with love" and she countered "It can be bought with love." I explained that I practice stitch patterns while knitting dishcloths because when I'm done, I have something useful, and she told me how cheap dishcloths are at Walmart. But when I was halfway through the SnB Coney Island Fireworks scarf, she began to eye it and ask what I planned to do with it. So I guess you can question the value of knitting while still coveting the results.

I'm still recovering from the trip, but tonight I plan to weave ends and sew seams, so hopefully I will have some pix of finished projects soon.

On the Road

Out of town, visiting family, in Massachusetts. And, of course, had to check out the LYS, the Yarn Basket, and buy some yarn, natch. After the swallowtail shawl, I needed something easy to knit, and have been working on scarves from SnB. For the Coney Island Fireworks scarf, I needed Trendsetter Yarns "Shadow" and the Yarn Basket had it, on sale - lucky me! They did not have the Brown Sheep fleece yarn, though, and I was too impatient to look for it elsewhere, so I bought a skein of Berroco Ultra Alpaca. The two are pairing up quite nicely. I also bought some Patons Shetland Chunky for the SnB Basic Garter Scarf (I'm in a hurry!) And, because I plan to learn to knit socks, I jumped the gun and picked out two colors of Austermann Step ("mit Aloe Vera und Jojoba Ol"). When the final total rang up on the cash register, my dad commented, "At least it's cheaper than golf!"

I also finished the Windy City keyhole scarf for my daughter, in Lion Brand cashmere blend, the very yarn I used to make the arm warmers she rejected. After working with cotton yarn for dish cloths, it was a real pleasure to handle something soft and springy.

More later!

How It Starts

Since I have started knitting again, I have been hearing about other knitters' stashes. My first thought was, Well, that will never happen to me. I don't buy yarn unless it is for a specific project, so my so-called stash consists of only leftover yarn and soon-to-be-used yarn. That doesn't count, does it?

And the sweaters I bought at Goodwill don't count, either, since I haven't frogged them yet. Right?

Nevermind that my daughter came over one day and brought The Boyfriend and pizza and we had to eat on the couch because every other ordinarily suitable surface was covered with yarn and yarn projects. (The couch stays relatively clear because 1) the coffee table holds a lot of yarn, and 2) my scoliosis makes sitting on the floor uncomfortable.)

And nevermind that Saturday afternoon I tidied up the living area by shelving knitting books and relocating knitting projects, in anticipation of my standing date with my SO, but by Sunday afternoon, said living area looked like a yarn explosion. (How does that happen, anyway?!?)

One of my recent no-brainer projects has been to knit dishcloths out of Lion Brand cotton yarn, experimenting with different stitch patterns. A favorite color combination has been "seaspray" and "maize", so I stopped at Joann's to buy some more. They had the seaspray but not the maize. But I really like red, so I added that to the seaspray in my basket. And they had some nice variegated shades. And I want to make myself another scarf, in black wool and eyelash yarn - STOP! I made it out of the store with just four balls of the cotton yarn. (I am so disciplined!)

Then I stopped at Hancock's because I knew they would have the maize. But they had some other colors and color combinations. I had neglected to pick up a basket, so eventually I had a ball of yarn stuck on each of the five digits on my left hand. This caused a cramp, so I stopped picking up yarn and headed for the cash register. (Pain helps enforce discipline.)

So now I have a bunch of cotton yarn that will be turned into dishcloths as time allows. Does that constitute a stash? Or the start of one?

Do I need an intervention?

Swallowtail Shawl Saga

Here is the whole story of the swallowtail shawl:

Start

Progress

Whining

Nupps

Homestretch

Ready to block

Swallowtail Shawl Done! (Almost)

I arrived at class on Saturday, ready for the bind off, except for a dropped stitch too many rows before. Fortunately, my instructor was able to pick it up somehow, so I was the only one in the class who actuall finished the knitting. (Pat on back.)



My MO is to rarely swatch and rarely block, but after viewing this shawl on the
Woodlandsprite blog site, I decided I must block. This is a gift for my stepmother, and I am flying in for a visit later this week, so I think I will take it along and block it there.



The second photo shows where I attached each ball of yarn. The first section did not use much, but by the time I got to nupping, the silk wool was running low. I was sweating the end, as I had already purchased the last ball in this color at my LYS, but I finished with a few yards to spare.



Whew! Now I can have my life back. As an antidote, I have been knitting dishcloths.