Graham in black Superwash

I've knit this pattern a couple of times before (here and here). My daughter said she gets a lot of compliments on the gray one and would like more, in neutral colors. I dug through my stash, looking for yarn to use up, preferably a washable yarn because I know her. Here is the first of several.

Pattern: Graham, by Jennifer Adams
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash, in black (72g)
Needles: US5 and US7 circs and DPNs
Modifications: used 1x1 ribbed long tail cast on

The reason my daughter needs extra hats

I knit the medium size, which fits a small to medium adult head. The (free!) instructions are excellent, very detailed. This unisex hat is knit on the wrong side, so that the waffle effect can be achieved with knit rounds between the rib rounds instead of purl rounds. Quick, easy, and fun to knit!

Sixth time is the charm?

I lost track of how many times I crocheted the border on this baby throw, just to rip it back and try again. Running out of yarn didn't help, either. In the end, I settled for two rounds in the lavender instead of three, but I left the last end to weave in at a later date, just in case I find or buy some more yarn. (Right now I am on a fiber diet.)

Pattern: F870 Shell Flower Baby Throw, by Plymouth Yarn Design Studio
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in lavender
Needle: I for initial chain, H for the rest
Modifications: see above and below

I had to start with a larger hook to meet the blanket dimensions - I guess I chain tight - but then switched to the H hook for the rest. The pattern was fine until it got to the instructions for the border. Once I started fiddling with the edge, the instructions *almost* made sense. Since the bottom edge already had a row of single crochet, I broke the yarn and started on the side following the bottom. For the vertical sides, I worked 3 sc into each shell row. For the top (and then the bottom), I worked 6 sc for each shell. Each corner had 3 sc. I could not get the hang of the suggested reverse sc to finish, so abandoned that idea.

At one point, I crocheted two rounds in white Modo Dea Washable Wool yarn. It's more of an Aran weight than worsted, also is not plied but braided? I later deemed it too heavy for the Cascade 220 Superwash, which seems a bit light for worsted.

So much anguish over a baby blanket! I did enjoy crocheting something for a change, although my shoulders did not find it much different than knitting. Something about the micro movements really irritates. As long as I can crochet and knit, though, I will continue to do so.

Veronika cardigan

I'm not sure what it is about this cardigan that I don't like. Even though it came out fine, it just does not look good on me. It may be my lack of boobs makes it hang funny in front. Or maybe it is the color. I have worn brown before but that was before my hair turned gray. Black used to make me look like death warmed over, but now I can wear it; maybe the reverse happened with brown.

Front

Pattern: Veronika Cardigan by Shannon Cook
Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers in colorway 9408
Needles: US9
Modifications: None

Back

One of the members in my weaving guild knit this pattern and wore it to a meeting. I could not take my eyes off it. The opposite direction of the pattern between the front and back intrigued me. If others think the color is okay, I might reuse the yarn and knit a regular cardigan incorporating these details. Maybe.

Folded in half

It is not unusual for one of my fiber projects to turn out fine but not look good on me. I get interested in a stitch pattern or a construction technique or something and away I go. Maybe I should stick with bags and rugs and things I can hang on the wall.

A good day to dye

I read somewhere online that one could dye with sycamore bark to achieve a red color. I couldn't find any more specific information, though, and now I know why. There are several majestic sycamores in my neighborhood, so gathering fallen bark was not an issue. Getting red dye from it was.

No mordant; from left, no modifier, acid modifier, alkaline modifier

I followed the general instructions for dyeing with bark from Jenny Dean's Wild Color. The bark (over a pound of it) soaked for about two weeks, then I simmered it for an hour. After the dye bath cooled a bit, I strained out the bark, added the yarn (Cascade 220), and simmered that for an hour. I left the yarn in the dye bath overnight, then applied modifiers. After a good rinse, I hung it over the tub to dry.

Alum mordant; from left, no modifier, acid modifier, alkaline modifier

In my past dyeing attempts, the colors are never as differentiated as in the book. I wondered if maybe the mordanted yarn was "contaminating" the unmordanted yarn, so this time I kept the alum-mordanted yarn separate from the unmordanted yarn by dividing the dye bath into two pots. It didn't seem to make much difference.

Iron modifier; from left, alum mordant, no mordant

An acid modifier is supposed to make the tone more yellow; an alkaline modifier is supposed to make the tone more rosy. I never have much luck with these modifiers, however. I even check the pH of the afterbaths with litmus paper. Since the differences are so subtle, I may just abandon that effort. Iron as a modifier is another matter; it always produces a dramatic effect.

Eight distinct (if subtle) shades

I was disappointed that the color was more of a soft tangerine than a red. Dyeing with natural materials almost always results in tans, yellows, and greens. I don't wear these colors, but since I started weaving, I can see using them on my loom for items of home decor.

Log cabin scarf

The theme for the weaving guild this past year was COLOR. We explored different ways of using color in weaving. Along the way, I created a log cabin swatch. My SO was quite taken with the swatch. Because he had felted one of the scarves I knit him, I offered to weave him one, using a log cabin pattern. And because he felted a scarf, I chose to weave this one out of superwash wool.

Pattern: Rectangular-ish log cabin
Loom: Ashford 24" rigid heddle
Warp: Cascade 220 Superwash Worsted, in 853 'Butterscotch' and 867 'Lichen' (he picked the colors)
Weft: same as warp
EPI/PPI: 7.5/7.5
Size off the loom: 6' x 6.5"
Size after fulling: 5.5' x 6"

A previous scarf I wove was rather dense because I beat it too hard, which also caused the pattern to disappear. I blamed the yarn (also Cascade 220 Superwash), but it was ME. Trying to NOT beat the yarn down, though, was quite challenging. I worried the weave was too open.

I kept telling myself fulling the scarf would solve that issue, and it did! I soaked the scarf for a half hour or so, then tucked it into the dryer for about 10 minutes before letting it finish by air drying.

The scarf is light and soft and drapes well. The selvages, while not perfect, are an improvement. I'm pleased, and I'm sure my SO will be as well.

Mordanting with rhubarb leaves

Last summer I transplanted the rhubarb, using the roots to dye with. This summer I didn't expect to harvest any rhubarb, figuring it would need a season to settle into its new home. Au contraire. It is doing quite well, so I not only harvest leaves to dye with, I made a pie as well.

I had this funny idea that I could dye all the remaining blanks that I have on hand. The only problem with that goal was I didn't have a pot large enough for all the yarn. So first up was the Cascade 220 worsted.

I didn't take a bunch of photos of the process because it's not different than other attempts to mordant and/or dye naturally: soak yarn, simmer dye material, simmer yarn in dye bath, etc. Since rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid, they mordant yarn, but also change the color of the yarn, which can affect subsequent attempts at dyeing. The only differences I noted in the instructions for mordanting vs. dyeing with rhubarb leaves were the ratio of leaves to yarn and the length of time the yarn sits in the bath. I can't quite recall, but I think I used a 1:1 ratio. I do remember that I let the yarn sit overnight in the dye bath, primarily because I had other things to do.

Just for fun, I took pictures with both a white background and a blue background. The actual color of the yarn is more accurate with the blue background.

While the leaves were simmering, they smelled like rhubarb, but later the dye bath took on a peculiar odor that was not very pleasant. Not horrible, but just odd. Sometime soon I will repeat this process with some sock yarn blanks, maybe even tomorrow because it is going to be too hot to be outside.

Oops

I finished the Pine Forest baby blanket. While photographing it, I thought something was wrong with the light in the room. Alas, it was not the light but me. I neglected to check dye lots, so the first third or so of the blanket is a bit lighter than the rest.

Pattern: Pine Forest Baby Blanket, by Ingrid Aartun Bøe
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash, in colorway 905 ('Celery')
Needles: US8
Modifications: None except to slip the first stitch of each row knitwise

While one might expect a major yarn manufacturer to have their process down pat and produce more consistent colors, I should know better than to ignore the dye lots when selecting yarn. I feel compelled to point out this flaw to the recipient, as I don't want her to notice it later and think it was something she did. And once this blanket is wrapped around an adorable baby, who is going to notice?

Slow dyeing

Since I am on grandma hiatus for a couple of weeks, I decided it was a good time to tackle one of those projects I had planned for the summer. With school starting mid August around here, summer feels half over. Time's a-wastin'!

Project number one was to dye some yarn with onion skins. I had saved up nearly a paper grocery bagful of yellow onion skins - 5 whole ounces. According to Jenny Dean's book, Wild Color, this amount of onion skins would dye... 2.5 ounces of yarn. Wha'?!? It turns out that was not quite accurate, but it colored (heh) my decisions on how to proceed. The yarn I chose was Cascade 220 and Lamb's Pride, wound into approximately one-ounce skeins.

Onion skins

Also according to the book, if I wanted a nice tangerine color instead of yellow, I would have to mordant the yarn with alum. This I did, but using the cold, slow method outlined by Dean. After all, who wants to be slaving over a hot stove in July? I also ended up applying the mordant in two separate baths, as I kept changing the plan. This may have affected the results somewhat.

Primary onion skin bath

The only cooking I did was to simmer the onion skins for about an hour. After straining, this became what I called the primary dye bath. Then I simmered the onion skins for another hour, to create a secondary dye bath. I dyed a one-ounce skein of each type of yarn in each of these two baths, then another pair of skeins in each "exhaust" bath. I then combined the two baths and used that as well on another pair of skeins. I even threw two unmordanted skeins into the final dye bath, just for fun. The idea was to end up with a range of yellow-to-orange colors.

The Plan (before additions)

I chose the cold method for dyeing the yarn, partly because Dean said I could and partly because it's July (see above) and partly because Lamb's Pride contains mohair. Mohair provides warmth but does not like to be heated. The cold method meant soaking the yarn for 12 hours for each stage. This meant DAYS of my kitchen being cluttered with dye pots and other dye equipment.

Orange you glad you are dyeing me?

I'm fairly pleased with the results, especially the Cascade; the Lamb's Pride came out more murky.

Cascade 220

From top to bottom: Primary dye bath, secondary dye bath, primary dye bath exhaust, secondary dye bath exhaust, combined dye bath exhaust, combined dye bath exhaust without mordant.

Lamb's Pride

I think these colors will work well with the henna-dyed yarn I created earlier this year.

Compare and contrast

Not wanting to waste a single opportunity to dye something orange-ish, I took an old yellow-stained-armpit but otherwise perfectly good white tank top and threw it in the final exhausted dye bath, without mordant (although I could have added some mordant to the dye bath itself. I always think of these things too late.)

White tank top now dyed

Next up: dyeing with Queen Anne's lace.

I get a hat too

I thought I was done knitting hats, but I guess I had at least one more left in me, for me.

Pattern: Watch Cap by Judith Durant
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash, colorway 901 'Cotton Candy'
Needles: US7
Modifications: Increased depth by 1"

This pattern is about as simple as can be and produces a nice stretchy hat that fits just about any adult. I made this one deeper because I like to turn up the bottom while still covering my ears.

When you SSK, do you slip knitwise or purlwise? I do the former, but wonder if the latter would be better. Comments?

So maybe I am done with hats... for now. The fact that the weather forecast calls for 60 degree temps tomorrow definitely discourages knitting almost anything in wool. Baa!

Another learning experience

After finishing my ruby red sweater, I wanted a matching scarf. Instead of knitting one, however, I decided to weave one, in a houndstooth pattern of red and white. I went through the motions, but the result was not quite what I wanted.

To warp for houndstooth, one alternates two threads of each color across the loom. I thought the scarf would look nice with solid red borders, so I warped just red on either end, not realizing the result could not be solid red unless I executed something like clasped weft technique, which I was not prepared to do. Oh, well.

Another mistake was using Cascade 220 Superwash. It is just too stretchy, especially as a warping yarn. That is why the houndstooth looks rectangular instead of square. It took me quite a while to adjust to wefting in two colors, too, so the selvages are wonky.

The selvages also looked unfinished to me, so after some experimentation, I added a single crochet border.

Another thing I don't like is how dominant the white is. Even though the yarns are the same, the white takes over, I presume because it is more reflective than red. The scarf has no drape, either, despite some rough treatment in both the washer and the dryer. Using worsted weight for both warp and weft is too much.

All along the way, I kept second guessing my decision not to sample the yarns and pattern. As a knitter, I am used to wasting very little yarn, whereas weaving produces a lot of waste. Creating a sample on my 24" Ashford would have wasted as much yarn as the finished sample would take. My solution to that dilemma is to purchase ANOTHER loom, fittingly called the Samplet. I pick it up on Thursday. Then I will have no excuses not to sample.

Ruby red sweater

I chose the yarn for this sweater several years ago, started knitting last July, took a hiatus for xmas hats, and finally wrapped it up a week or so ago. And I am very pleased with the results (although I could certainly learn to take better photos!)

Pattern: Drop shoulder ski sweater by Barbara G. Walker, with some input from Denmark pullover with simple patterns by Donna Druchunas
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash, colorway 893 'Ruby'
Needles: US7 mostly, with some US8
Modifications: see below

I don't know at what point a handknit garment crosses the line and becomes one's own design. My intent was to follow the Denmark pullover but knit from the top down and knit flat instead of in the round, and things went to hell from there. I swatched the stitch patterns recommended for the Denmark pullover but none of them sang to me. I switched to ringwood stitch for the body and sleeves. However, Walker's invisible cast on was not invisible, so I added some seed stitch to the shoulders. And since swatches lie, the fit was too snug, so I added seed stitch insets at the sides.

I duplicated the seed stitch for the tails (back one longer than the front) but didn't like it for the cuffs, which became 1x1 ribbing. Tried the ribbing for the neckline but it didn't work, so switched back to seed stitch. Before blocking, I was not satisfied with the collar and the sleeves seemed too short. After blocking, the collar was fine but the sleeves grew - I may shorten them.

I'm not a fan of superwash yarn (except for socks) as it feels too stretchy, like it lacks spine. But this was the color I wanted and the finished sweater is very comfortable, with nice drape. Too bad my "experienced" body is so lumpy.

Only one day until xmas

This hat has been done since Monday as well. I started with one pattern in mind, then began experimenting: knit from the bottom up instead of top down, provisional cast on, added Fair Isle, knit ear flaps like short row sock toes, etc. I'm amazed it's finished AND I am pleased with the result (although, like some of my other Fair Isle hats, this one is a bit snug).

Pattern: Based on Amelia E., by Amy Miller
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash, colorways 816 (Gray), 854 (Navy), 253 (Desert Sun)
Needles: US7
Modifications: A LOT!

Amelia E. is knit top down, but I didn't like trying to knit 8 cast-on stitches in the round. I didn't want to pick up stitches for the ear flaps, though, so I provisionally cast on 100 stitches. Then I embellished the plain stockinette with Fair Isle designs. At the crown, I decreased four stitches evenly, then started each section with a k1, ssk and ended each section with a k2tog, with a round of plain knit between decrease rounds.

Back at the lower edge, I picked up and purled a round so I could hem the bottom. And then I get confused. Somehow I ended up with a hem (good) while maintaining 26 or so stitches for each ear flap (also good, but I had to change the purl stitches to knit to eliminate an unsightly ridge). I tried knitting the ear flaps like sock toes, but there were major gaps between the fronts and backs of each one. So I reknit them, like short row sock toes, with the tip being 4 stitches wide. Then I sewed down the hem.

Instead of my usual i-cord tassels, I braided like I braided 4-strand lanyards at summer camp: wrap rightmost strand under two and over one, wrap leftmost strand under two and over one, repeat ad infinitum (or 12", whichever comes first). Each "strand" was actually two strands of yarn, with half in gray, a quarter in navy, the rest in orange.

I knit this hat before discovering this KnitPicks tutorial. Some of the floats are a bit longish. Since the yarn is superwash, no felting is going to help anchor them. Hope the recipient treats this hat gently.

And now I am DONE with xmas knitting!

Only two days until xmas

This hat has actually been done for a while, except for the pompom, which I added last Monday. And then my laptop went to Windows 10 update hell FOR DAYS. I was on the verge of taking the damn thing to Best Buy and reverting to Windows 7 when something resurrected it. I wish one of those so-called Microsoft techs (IT'S A SCAM, PEOPLE!) would call me now so I could give them an earful, just for fun.

Pattern: Based on Little Rabbits Hat, by Michael Storey, published in Easy Fair Isle Knitting (currently no Ravelry link)
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash, in colorways 901 (Cotton Candy) and 871 (White)
Needles: US6 (for ribbing) and US7
Modifications: Knit in the round (who knits Fair Isle flat?!?), substituted cat motif (from same book) for rabbit

The pattern calls for DK yarn, but since I used worsted, I cast on 84 stitches. BUT it is still too snug, as demonstrated by the photo below - the cats are all stretched out. Someday I will knit Fair Isle hats that fit.

My countdown to xmas may seem off to you, but my family celebrated on xmas eve (a Danish custom, I believe), so to me, xmas is on the 24th.