I should know better

One of the primary reasons I have not tried weaving is the expense of a loom. Well, Saturday my granddaughter and I visited the Salomon Farm Fiber Arts Festival where I saw a loom made from cardboard. Ruh-roh. I could barely wait to get home to try this.

I know - not a pretty sight. In my defense, I was babysitting an increasingly restless pre-schooler at the time. It is an inexpensive way to get a taste of weaving, though.

I referenced this site for detailed instructions (which I failed to follow very well), in case you are tempted to try this at home.

Now we are six, plus toes up

I'm still making sporadic progress on the Easy as Pie blanket for my granddaughter. Six squares are done, not sure how many there will be total. That will depend on how the yarn holds out.

The problem with the pattern is there are too many reasons to pause, starting with the provisional cast on and ending with squaring the circle. I'll be marching along, and then have to change cadence, so to speak. Plus, I get distracted by socks.

These are toe-up "boot" socks for my son, knit in DK. Since they are heavier, I also try to make them taller, so they can be worn with boots. Since my son has big feet, I decided to do them toe-up, so I can make them as tall as possible before running out of yarn.

For a while, I was concentrating on toe-up socks. Then I took the Yarn Harlot's "Grok the Sock" class and reverted to top-down. Now I'm tired of that, so it is back to toe-up. One of these days I will try EZ's sideways socks. I know - I am one wild and crazy gal.

222 days until xmas

Have you started your holiday knitting yet? Well, why not?!? I have one gift finished, a pair of what I call boot socks for my son-in-law.

Pattern: Sock Recipe, by Stephanie Pearl-McFee
Yarn: ONline Supersocke 6-ply, 1615 colorway
Needles: US3
Modifications: cast on 60 stitches for the top, decreased to 56 for the foot, my own avoid-the-gusset-gap trickery. (For detailed instructions, see Ravelry post.)

My new resolution re socks is to try to get them to match. I almost made it this time - you can't tell from the photos, but the tips of the toes betray me. If asked, I will say that the difference is so the wearer can tell his right foot from his left.

Or wabi sabi.

The secret is to have a plan

My SO and I spent a week or so in Massachusetts in the very recent past. The primary intent was to visit family, but we also wanted a bit of a vacation, so spent a couple of days in Springfield. While planning our very loose itinerary, I realized we would be within spitting distance of Webs in Northampton. And they are celebrating their 40th anniversary with a sale. Ruh roh!

First, I set a yarn budget, then created a project list, then spent an inordinate amount of time online, scoping out the sale items and tentatively selecting colors. Otherwise, I knew I would be overwhelmed with the sheer volume of choices available and either buy one of everything or not a single skein.

A subset of all the yarn available.

I pictured Webs being a giant warehouse, but the warehouse itself is separate from the store. Yarn is arranged by weight, which helped me avoid the sock yarn. (I have enough sock yarn to last me several years, plus Simply Socks is located in my hometown, so no need to visit those aisles.) They also have books and buttons, so my SO selected buttons for his Fibonacci vest and I was able to confirm the number needed by referencing Knit One Below.

These look black but are actually dark green.

One project I have in mind is a Danish-styled tunic sweater for cross country skiing, for myself. Other than wanting worsted weight yarn, my only criteria was the color, which had to be the perfect shade of red. I found it, and while I was not specifically looking for Superwash, that was a bonus.

Cascade 220 Superwash in the perfect shade of red

Another project idea is a sweater of my own design. I had already selected the yarn and color, so just needed to locate it in the store. Alas, there was not a sweater's worth there, but the helpful staff offered to find it in the warehouse and ship it to me free. It arrived home before I did.

Cascade 220 Heathers, in 'Cordovan'.

I knew I wanted Superwash for a sweater for my granddaughter, but did not know which color until I spotted this one.

Cascade 220 Superwash, in periwinkle

And then, because I like to have a selection of spare winter hats for visitors, I picked out some single skeins for that.

Plymouth Encore, in gray, hunter orange, and brown.

Some of my sweater projects are going to be knit in the round, and since I am rather round, I added some long circular needles to my purchase. (FYI: buttons and needles fall outside the yarn budget. Just saying.) The selection in US7 and US8 sizes was meager - very picked over - which is why one of those sets is "cubics".

Knitters Pride Nova circular needles.

And then we got the hell out of there. I had planned to visit another yarn store, over the border in Connecticut, because it features locally hand-dyed yarns, but I was out of money plus I probably would have selected fingering weight yarns in single skein doses, just right for MORE socks. All in all, I am very proud of myself for sticking to my budget. Different yarns are on sale in May at Webs, if you dare look at the website.

Project monogamy

I'm still here, still knitting. Life intervenes - preparing for major remodeling (follow the progress here) and starting the gardening season (follow that here).

Even though there is yarn here, there, and everywhere, begging to become the start of a new project, I have been remarkably determined to stick with two projects at a time, a big one (Easy as Pie blanket) and a small one (socks, of course). I may add an old WIP or two into the mix, just to whittle away at that pile. Unfinished things make me twitchy.

Medium foot socks, and how to avoid the dreaded gusset gap

These socks were meant to be big foot socks for my big foot son, but my gauge was off - achieved 7 stitches per inch instead of 6 - so now these are going to my SO. I blame my gauge problems on the switch to lever knitting (a.k.a. Irish cottage knitting). I even upped the needle size from my usual US2 to US3 for this DK yarn. AND I knit a swatch! Sometime it just doesn't matter what you do.

Matchy match!

Pattern: Sock Recipe: A Good Plain Sock, by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Yarn: Online Supersocke 6-ply, in 1621 colorway
Needles: US3
Modifications: ribbed top, flap heel, rounded toe, plus details below

I'm a little bit excited about a detail I invented to avoid the dreaded gusset gap. Noticing that the circumference of one's calf just below the calf muscle is about an inch larger than the girth of the ball of one's foot, I cast on extra stitches for the sock top - 60 in this case. Then I worked the heel flap over 28 stitches. While picking up stitches for the gusset, I slipped 2 stitches from each end of the instep needle to each of the gusset needles. Those extra stitches get worked into the gusset and the gussets are decreased to 28 stitches on each side. The foot is then 56 stitches around. This produces a great fitting sock AND no futzing around to fix the gusset gap. Huzzah!

Has anyone read of a similar solution? I can't recall seeing this idea anywhere else, so I am hereby declaring it to be my very own creation. Patent pending.

Back to Portland

The annual Fiber Fest and Spin-in in Portland (Jay County) occurred last weekend. Per usual, I spent too much money but not as much as I could have. (Just say NO to the 19 micron merino in gorgeous, GORGEOUS red-red-red. Oh, and HOT pink, too.)

One fun aspect of frequenting local fiber arts festivals is, many of the vendors are becoming old friends. One bad thing about that is, I feel obligated to make purchases at their booths. Fortunately, they were selling what I was looking for.

Solid colored sock yarn, in this case naturally dyed, walnut on the left, sandalwood on the right, from Little Shop of Spinning.

Roving "rose" in pre-selected colors, from the Big Red Barn.

But there were other vendors (whose names I did not get) to buy from as well. This BFL roving came from the same booth as the above mentioned merino.

Packages of sparkly samples (for blending) were available from several vendors.

And there was pie!

I also took the intermediate spinning class. At the last minute, there was an instructor switch, but it worked out okay. We each got help with our individual spinning challenges, plus we learned to do the "supported long draw" method of spinning to augment the "inch worm" method we all learned originally.

Two hours in a metal folding chair was all my back could take, so I packed up a little early and headed home. In the pre-DST dark. On highways with buggy lanes. Fortunately, the few Amish buggies I encountered had flashing tail lights.

Not the usual cast of characters

After reading the latest from Clara Parkes, I wasn't sure I wanted to read another book of knitting stories, but Knitting Yarns (edited by Ann Hood) is a refreshing change of pace. All of the contributors are writers but most are not knitting writers, and some are not even knitters. There were a few knitting-as-metaphor bits, but mostly the collection focuses on how, one way or another, knitting impacted their lives.

Many of the names are familiar: Barbara Kingsolver, Hope Edelman, Elizabeth Berg, Sue Grafton, Jane Smiley, etc. This book became my bedside reader, the one I reached for when I wanted a little finite something to read before sleep. And there were patterns!

Which brings me to my only complaint about this book: no pictures, not even line drawings, to go with the patterns. To see them, you have to go to the designer's website. Otherwise, this book is a pleasant diversion.

Yeah, what she said

Please follow this link to find out why fiber arts are important: Renate Hiller

I'm calling this one DONE

My SO doesn't usually ask for a specific handknit, but he saw this Fibonacci sweater-vest in Knit One Below and fell in love. The pattern called for detachable sleeves, but I knit it as a vest so as not to bring the curse of the boy friend sweater down upon our heads.

He picked out the 13 colors and the order of the colors. I created a spreadsheet to keep track of the colors and sequencing.

Knitting one below is not difficult, just tedious, as each row is basically knit twice. The result is a double knit fabric that is quite toasty despite its light weight. This vest was knit all of a piece - no seams except the special 3-needle bind off at the shoulders.

The toughest part was knitting the edging, as I could have used a much longer circular needle.

Either I did not understand the instructions for picking up stitches or the instructions were just plain wrong, as I knit the edging at least twice, if not three times before it was wearable. The only other major snafu I encountered was due to my inability to count: one front side was a row or two longer than the other, which I didn't discover until after seaming the shoulders. I'm glad I made the effort to correct it.

I started this project March, 2013, and just yesterday stitched up the armpits and wove in the last of the ends. What took me so long? Just me. My knitting MO is to knit and knit and knit some more, until I hit a snag (in this case, first the edging, then the armpits) and then the poor thing sits abandoned until I put on my big girl pants and finish it.

• Pattern: Fibonacci Sweater-Vest, from Knit One Below
• Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, in 13 tweedy colors; I ordered the full amount suggested in the pattern and have almost half of it leftover.
• Needles: US7
• Modifications: The sample in the book was knit in DK weight yarn, but we went with worsted; for the edging, I picked up one stitch for each row, one for each column; when binding off, I bound off in purl, but around the bottom did a YO bind off, still in purl, so as not to constrict the fabric.

Ordinarily, I don't consider a project done until it is blocked, but this one has sat on Mr. Manly so long that I am turning it over to my SO while winter still holds us in its icy grip. It also needs buttons, which will require some searching. In the meantime, I am considering this project FINISHED.

Scarf x cowl

I wanted a simple project on which to practice Irish cottage (lever) knitting using straights and involving both knitting and purling. There is not much of anything simpler than a scarf, so I grabbed some bits and bobs of Noro left over from another project and knit me a mistake rib scarf.

Since I was using bits and bobs, the color shifts are a bit abrupt, and since I was using left overs, the inevitable happened: I ran out of yarn before I ran out of scarf. So I decided to graft the two ends together, creating a loose cowl. I had not planned to do this in the first place, which meant I had to pick out the cast on. And then I realized I had no idea of how to graft ribbing, let alone mistake ribbing.

I did a little online research, which gave me some ideas, but after the scarf/cowl (scowl?) lay on the coffee table for a couple of weeks, I wound up grafting the ends like they were garter. Another thing I did not plan was beginning and ending with the same color, so that was just dumb luck.

Good enough.

Pattern: None. Cast on 39 stitches, knit mistake rib until you run out of yarn. Join the ends.
Yarn: Noro Kureyon, in colorway 284
Needles: US7

Greens and browns are not colors I usually wear, but after blocking the scarf, I spontaneously tried it on.

It's the perfect accompaniment to my green sweatshirt, especially since it is still ridiculously winterlike around here.

Third time's a charm?

In the Easy as Pie saga, I first knit the LLI stitches as M1's because I did not understand the stitch description in the pattern. The result was a bit lumpy.

Then I knit the LLI stitches as KFB which reduces the lumpiness in the pie but left holes in the square around the pie.

Then I consulted the Internet about LLI and discovered, no, the pattern designer did not make up that stitch like I thought (because I am such an expert). In fact, here is a good description of LLI and all its cousins.

Now the lumps are gone, the holes are gone, and once again, we can forge ahead, having learned something new.

The only question remaining is, will I reknit the first two squares? Can you see the difference? Or will it just bother me?

Shawl we?

I like to knit shawls but I don't like to wear them. The blocking does not hold, they don't stay on my shoulders, the yarn sheds, etc. BUT. Last Thursday, tired of wearing layer upon layer, I chose a single cashmere turtleneck sweater (a gift - I can't afford cashmere!) I didn't think it would be warm enough by itself, so I added the Wingspan shawl and a shawl pin I had not yet used. Voila!

Not only was I warmer, but I received complements on the pairing of sweater and shawl. (I rarely get compliments about my fashion sense, so this is a big deal.) And it did add just enough warmth to keep me comfortable throughout the day.

Now I'm thinking shrugs might be a nice thing to add to my wardrobe.

Easy as pie, sort of

I'm working on a blanket for my granddaughter, something with bright primary colors that might be finished by the time she goes to college. The pattern is "Easy as Pie" and, once you get past a practice square, it is fairly easy.

It is also rather clever. You knit the radii of the circles, making increases to fill in the space between the radii, then recapture those increases to keep from wandering off into who-knows-what kind of rainbow spiral. It's those increases that have been a puzzlement.

The pattern says to "Use the left needle to pick up left leg of the purl stitch below the last stitch on the right needle. Knit into the back leg of this stitch." Not understanding this at all, I simply did a M1 instead, but the results were a bit bumpy.

On the next square, I made more of an effort to follow the instructions, but I am not seeing the difference between those instructions and simply knitting through the front and back of that last stitch. I don't know if what I am doing is correct, but the result is much smoother.

Whatever. I'm going to stick with the latter method and forge ahead.

The lever knitting is getting better. Stephanie said practicing ten minutes a day for 30 days would be enough to create the muscle memory to transition to this new way to knit, but she did not take into account how difficult it is to teach an old dog new tricks. I have been at it for 100% of my knitting time since Thanksgiving weekend and am finally getting comfortable with it. There for a while, it was such a struggle I didn't even want to pick up the needles. Even now, I can be cruising along, and yet hit a wrenching road bump the next day, the next hour, even the next row. It gets better every day, though. My knitting mojo is back.

Another pair of practice socks

I changed my mind about the second pair of socks for my granddaughter and knit them in 2x2 ribbing instead of reverse stockinette. Despite my efforts to knit looser, they are still too small for her. Lever knitting has changed the gauge I usually knit at, so I must make adjustments, either cast on more stitches or use larger needles.

Pattern: Sock Recipe by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, with a short row heel and rounded toe
Yarn: S.R. Kertzer On Your Toes 4-ply with aloe vera, in colorway 3824
Needles: US1 DPNs (round)

Granddaughter still likes them.

Frustrated but resolute

I started a second pair of socks for my granddaughter, with the intent of knitting them in reverse stockinette so I could get some practice with lever knitting (a.k.a Irish cottage knitting) while purling. The first pair of practice socks, while perfectly OK, did not lead to any kind of proficiency, so I thought maybe I should take another look at the videos.

One of my problems is I am still "picking" stitches with the right needle instead of holding it stationary. So I decided to change to a worsted weight project on US7 straights, to learn to hold that right needle still. A "mistake rib" scarf seemed like just the ticket.

I spent most of yesterday knitting a few rows, then watching the video, identifying something *else* I was doing wrong, knitting a few more rows, then laying it all aside. Making mistakes in the mistake rib stitch did not help, nor does the difficulty I have keeping the right needle from sliding through my armpit, but by the end of the day, I had a few inches satisfactorily completed.

Despite all the frustration, I persevere because:

1. lever knitting is easier on my hands, as I don't have a death grip on the needles;
2. lever knitting is easier on my shoulders because I am not making micro movements with them as I knit; and
3. the result is so much better than my usual knitting.

Ever since I returned to knitting and, in the process, switched from throwing to picking, I have been less than satisfied with the outcome of all that knitting. Even though I hit gauge, there is something wrong, like each stitch has too much space embedded in it. Purl stitches are particularly bothersome. With lever knitting, just looking at the sample above, I can see vast improvement. The stitches are more even, more nestled together without being tight, more in touch with the concepts of horizontal and vertical. So, while I'll never be as fast as the Yarn Harlot, I'll keep at it.

Unsatisfied

Instead of "My Unexpected Life in Knitting," the subtitle of yarn reviewer Clara Parkes' book The Yarn Whisperer should be "101 Knitting Metaphors". I think I read somewhere that Clara does not write reviews of yarns she doesn't like - the if-you-can't-say-something-nice-don't-say-anything-at-all philosophy. She takes a similar approach in this "memoir".

The writing is excellent, and, initially, the metaphors are charming, but I kept hoping for more. Each time I thought she was going to finally, finally delve deeper into a personal topic, she would veer into yet another knitting or yarn metaphor. Halfway through, I almost gave up, but the chapter on her time in France renewed my interest enough to keep me going. It is a short book, after all, 160 pages printed on thick stock.

I hope while Clara wrote this, she kept notes on the rest of her story. Maybe in her dotage, she will be brave enough to write it down. Now that is something I would like to read.

Practice socks

These are my Irish cottage knitting practice socks in stockinette. They turned out a bit small - I knit 9.5 stitches per inch instead of my usual 7-8 on US1 DPNs, and I blame the new knitting method. I was also using the square needles, which may have also contributed to the tight stitches.

Yarn: S.R. Kertzer On Your Toes 4-ply with aloe vera, in colorway 3824
Needles: US1 DPNs (square)
Pattern: Sock Recipe by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, with a short row heel and rounded toe

I tried to get a photo of the socks in situ, but most of the pictures were "art shots", i.e. blurry. That kid just does not sit still! As you an see, she is also wearing her leg warmers.

Next trick is to knit a pair in reverse stockinette, so I can practice lever knitting purl stitches.

Tinker's damn

I've been dutifully practicing my lever (Irish cottage) knitting. It's like learning to knit all over again. If the resulting fabric weren't so much better than my regular knitting, I would probably give up. The knit stitch is going rather well, but purling feels awkward. Current practice project is a pair of socks for my granddaughter, in stockinette. The next pair will be in reverse stockinette, to give me plenty of opportunity to learn to purl.

Preschool-size feet do not need the bulk of a heel flap, so I am doing a short row heel on these socks. I have done short row heels before, but for some reason, these gave me fits. Each one took two days to complete. Since I find it next to impossible to unknit (or tink) a picked-up double-wrapped stitch, each time I stumbled, I had to start the heel all over again.

After slaving through heel number one, I thought the second one would go more smoothly. NOT. Each time, just as I reached the home stretch, something would go wrong and one stitch would completely disappear. I don't know if I was accidentally knitting two stitches together when picking up the double wraps or what. I finally decided NOT to pick up the wraps at all, partly because Stephanie P-M said it was not necessary and I wanted to see for myself, but also so if I made an error again, I could back out of it gracefully.

Incredibly, I DID make another error, which turned out to be a dropped stitch, but then was able to finish. And you know what? Picking up the wraps IS optional. In fact, it looks smoother than the heel with the picked up wraps. I think EZ eschews picking up wraps as well. So there you have it - two knitting experts' opinion on wraps.

Warm legs

I use yarn as decor. When my granddaughter pulled a skein of sparkly yarn from a shelf and expressed a desire for something made from it, I could not resist. It is sock yarn, so that limited the possibilities, but every little girl could use a pair of legwarmers.

Yarn: Wisdom Yarns Marathon Socks North Pole 'Balsam Fir'
Needles: US2 and US1
Pattern: None. I simply cast on 44 stitches, knit 2x2 ribbing on US2's for 4 inches, then switched to US1 needles for 4 inches. Finished by binding off in ribbing.

I was going to add stirrups, but that seemed like it would be too bulky for little feet.