A lost week or more

The day after my trip to the Jay County Fiber Fest and Spin In, my throat caught fire. I've been virtually comatose ever since with the worst head cold I have had in years (thanks, g'daughter!) This past Monday, I finally felt well enough to take a short walk around the nabe. Tuesday I made it to yoga - the forward folds made my ears pop. Today I managed a little yardwork. I would have been more worried about the duration of this illness, but the g'daughter's pediatrician said something to my daughter about this year's cold virus being particularly long lasting.

The good news is, when I wasn't binge-watching "Nurse Jackie", I was binge-knitting the poncho with no name. Despite my inability to count, the first two panels came together perfectly.

For the Best Innovation of the Year, I nominate Clover Wonder Clips. I have tried all sorts of other methods to hold two pieces of handknit fiber together for seaming, but nothing works as well as these clips. AND they are much easier to see than straight pins.

The i-cord seaming was tedious but inspired. Since the stitches on the edge of the fabric had been slipped, there is a slipped stitch for every two rows. I worked the slipped stitch into the i-cord with one pass, then created an i-cord row without the slipped stitches.

In other words: Cast on 2 stitches; k1, slip 1, pick up the stitch from each piece of fabric through both loops, k through all the stitches; pass over slipped stitch; slide stitches to other end of needle; * k2; pick up stitch from each piece of fabric through both loops; slide stitches to other end of needle; k1, slip 1, k through all the picked up stitches, pass over slipped stitch; slip stitches to other end of needle; repeat from *. Got it?

Because of my counting mishap, I am wary of getting the second side panel to line up as well as the first. Each side panel has short rows across the top, to provide some shaping. I really, really, REALLY want the poncho to be symmetrical.

Working the i-cord and pinstriping require I sit at a table, which taxes my scoliotic back. After a certain point, these tasks cannot be avoided, though. Onward!

Slow fiber vs. fast fiber

Just what I need - another hobby.

Some of you may recall that I experimented with weaving, using a toy loom and a cardboard one. That whet my appetite.

So yesterday I attended a class in weaving on a rigid heddle loom, at the Jay County Fiber Fest and Spin In. In the process, we each took a turn at the individual steps involved, including the actual weaving of fabric out of Red Heart Supersaver and Lion Brand Homespun yarns.

Within a relatively short amount of time, we each had a square of our very own weaving to take home. That is when it occurred to me that, rather than knitting certain large and/or tedious objects, weaving them would be faster. And, I think, result in a better finished product.

Take place mats, for example. Dissatisfied with what is available in stores, I've contemplated making my own, but the idea of knitting rectangle after rectangle dissuades me. However, one could string the warp on a loom long enough for three or four (or more?) place mats and weave them in practically no time at all, compared to how long knitting would take.

Of course, sewing would take even less time, but I sew only under duress. I'm not very patient when working with material and thread, and I'm sure whatever I managed to put together would look wonky and ragged.

Besides place mats, I can see weaving table runners, tea towels, rag rugs, cafe curtains, even clothing and accessories. Knitwear would still be preferred for certain things - hats, mittens, sweaters, etc. - but weaving would be an excellent alternative for appropriate projects.

Of course, to weave, one needs a loom. Also, more experience than what I gleaned from a few hours on a Friday morning. I have some books on hold at the local library, and plan to attend the Black Swamp Spinners Guild Market Day and Fiber Fair in a couple of weeks, where I know there will be opportunities to purchase a loom. And I am not averse to planning vacations around fiber fests where there are frequently workshops.

But where would I put a loom? Right now, I don't even have a dedicated space for my spinning wheel. At one point, yesterday's instructor spoke of his dream to open a weaving studio, where people could come and use one of his looms. He lives far enough away that I would not find that convenient. But I really glommed onto the idea of having a fiber studio of my own. I live by myself in a three-bedroom house, you would think there would be space. I'd have to convert the guest bedroom, which would mean getting rid of a double bed and making the rare guest sleep on a twin in the room currently reserved for my g'daughter. Or I could usurp the g'daughter's room, merging her crafts into mine. It's not like she lives here (although sometimes it seems so).

Toward that end, I started rearranging the yarn and roving stash. O.M.G. Where did all that fiber come from?!? I can't spin or knit fast enough to make a dent in it.

But maybe I could bust that stash with weaving?

Faves?

This has not been a good winter for wearing woolens, but yesterday was cold and snowy. I wore an orange (store bought) sweater I had forgotten I owned, with a pair of orange-ish socks I knit specifically to wear with this sweater. (I don't have many orange clothes.) I really like the socks because of the gradient colors (although the yarn was a bitch to knit) and admired them all day.

Which brings me to the topic of favorite handknits. Do you have any? There are a couple of projects I am especially proud of. One is the Fibonacci Cardi-vest I knit for my SO. Another is the Easy as Pi(e) blanket. Both were big projects that involved learning new techniques. I get that zing of accomplishment whenever I see them.

I also feel warm fuzzies whenever I see a gifted handknit in use. These projects were knit with love, but I also like hearing how my daughter receives compliments on her slouchy hat. On the other hand, my SO's grandson has managed to lose both the hats I have knit him, so he is off the handknit gift list.

Your thoughts?

From the mouths of babes

Yesterday my granddaughter wanted to make a cat doll out of felt. She drew one and I sewed it up on my old Singer. It is the first time she had seen me sew on a machine, and kept exclaiming, "You're doing a GREAT job, Grandma!"

She is sure easy to please.

Decisions, decisions

The self-designed poncho has hit a snag: seed stitch and stockinette stitch have different row gauges. I was hoping to join the center panel (seed stitch) with the side panels (a wide rib in stockinette) using i-cord. Since I slipped the first stitch of each row on both pieces, I knit a row of i-cord with stitches picked up from the edges of each piece, then knit a row of i-cord without picking up stitches from the edges. If I want to ease the two pieces together, I will have to skip more stitches on the stockinette side, which I'm not sure I want to do. However, if I abandon the wide rib, I also abandon the pinstriping I was planning for the purl columns.

This problem is a good lesson in how one design decision can affect subsequent design decisions. It is also a good reason for taking a self-designed project one step at a time. Ideally, I should have made some kind of mini-poncho with swatches, to see if my ideas would work. At least I checked after knitting the first side panel instead of forging ahead and knitting all four, and THEN discovering they would not play well with the center ones. In fact, I should knit that mini-poncho NOW, before I make any decisions about the current state of affairs.

At least my transportable project is going well.

The Jollyville colorway has narrower stripes than the other xmas colorways I've worked with, which adds to the fun.

A big deal

I *finally* finished the Easy as Pie blanket. This project has been so close to being done for so long that I almost lost hope - each of the final bits took *forever*. It seemed once the circles were squared, things should wrap up (heh) fairly quickly, but first. The squares had to be attached into rows, the rows attached into a blanket, the blanket edged, the edging bound off, and *then* the ends wove in. Fortunately, I had taken care of the ends for the squared circles quite a while ago, or the blanket might still be languishing on the coffee table.

Pattern: Easy as Pie, by Anna Richardson
Yarn: Ella Rae Classic Solids, in 75 Green, 60 Yellow, 70 Tang, 41 Blue, 68 Orchid, 31 Red; Patons North American Classic Wool Worsted in 77110 Navy, and Cascade 220 in 8401 Silver Grey
Needles: US7
Modifications: Used worsted weight yarn instead of DK, and went up a needle size; made seven motifs instead of 2; created 4x4 square instead of 3x3; used suspended bind off around edging

This blanket is for my granddaughter, and while finishing it, I decided no more blankets for her until she leaves for college. Once I laid it out to block, though, I'm thinking this one is big enough to go to college, assuming it lasts that long.

If you wish to make this blanket, here are some helpful hints:
How to do a Left Lifted Increase (LLI)
Grafting tutorial
More info may be found at my Ravelry page.

Why couldn't I design a HAT?!?

For several years, I have wanted to knit myself a poncho. If I voiced that wish out loud, it usually brought quizzical looks. Then this season, ponchos began appearing in department stores. Although I doubted I could get one knitted before winter's end, I embarked on this journey.

First, I pulled out a pattern from my Ravelry queue, then bought the required amount of yarn. Given the size of a poncho, I went economical and purchased Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool, in Oak Tweed, on sale. Only later did I realize the "tweed" would not work with the big fat cables of my desired poncho, as the stitch definition is non-existent. That's when I veered into design-it-yourself territory.

One advantage of DIY knitting is if I don't like something, I can change it up. Unfortunately, that is a disadvantage as well, as I keep second guessing my design decisions. Currently, the poncho has three panels, front and back, with the center ones in seed stitch. The side panels are 5x1 ribbing, with the plan to pinstripe the purl columns in contrasting yarn. During a brief period of insanity, I considered switching from the wide rib to a lattice stitch, but swatching again revealed that lack of stitch definition.

Why panels? For one thing, I think sewing them together will provide some "backbone" to the fabric, hopefully preventing too much stretching. Also, I can knit the panels on straight needles, which I find easier when having to purl much. The width of the poncho will be elbow-to-elbow, with each "sleeve" ending in ribbed cuffs, like the original pattern. The back will be a bit longer than the front.

Another plan is to use i-cord in contrasting color for edging and for the seams. We'll see how that goes. The front center panel includes short-row shaping for the neckline. I'm debating on either a cowl collar or a hood.

Oddly enough, as the design was taking shape in my head, my daughter showed up with a store-bought poncho that greatly mimicked what I had in mind, purchased for about $20 at the mall. *sigh* But mine will be better, warmer, and a work of art (I tell myself).

Meanwhile, I'm slogging along, wondering why I couldn't be inspired to knit something smaller. Thank goodness for books on CD.

Last pair of xmas socks

My SO is always understanding when his xmas socks are the last to be finished. And usually that finish date is after xmas, sometimes soon, sometimes far after. I started these xmas eve day, and now over a month has passed and I am just now getting them finished. It's not like they are the only WIP on the coffee table.

Pattern: Short-row heel and toe basic sock, by Wendy D. Johnson
Yarn: SSYC Poste Yarn, Striping, in 'Island of Misfit Toys' and SSYC Simply Sock Yarn in 'Silver Lining'
Needles: US1
Modifications: None really, other than to knit the toe and heel in contrasting yarn, as self-striping yarn does not work well with short rows.

One of my sock-knitting techniques that has evolved over time is to make the leg about as long as the foot, when folded in half. Otherwise, the recipient complains that the leg is too short. Sometimes longer legs means extra yarn, which in this case takes the form of contrasting heels and toes.

I'm pleased with my efforts to match stripes. This yarn makes it easy, as the length of the color runs is very consistent.

I shouldn't say these are the last of the xmas socks; they are the last of the xmas *gift* socks. I have two more colorways of the Poste Yarn, to knit socks for moi. After all, we can't let everyone else have all the fun socks.

OMG! These mittens are SO warm!

I started these mittens over a year ago, reached the point where all that remained was to knit the second thumb, and stopped. If memory serves me (a big IF these days), I struggled through the first thumb, then there was a tear in the fabric of the space-time continuum. Suddenly, almost fifteen months had passed. What possessed me to finally finish these? Your guess is as good as mine.

But finish them I did, and today, when the temps were in the single digits and the wind chill WAY below zero, was I glad. That wind chill did not penetrate the fabric AT ALL. Me thinks all future mittens will be double knit, one way or another. (Except the current pair I am working on for g'daughter - one is done and I'm not redoing it.)

Pattern: The Red and the Black, by Laura Ricketts
Yarn: Cascade 220, in gray and black (colorway numbers unknown - this was leftover yarn)
Needles: US5
Modifications: Not intentionally. The two thumbs do not match, nor are they the same length. Thumb #1 is not according to the pattern, and I chose not to reknit it. I did reknit thumb #2 and still it came out the wrong length. Wabi sabi.

These mittens were my first (and not very colorful) foray into colorwork. I am particularly proud of the floats (although I have to be careful not to snag them with a thumb nail). I assume the mitts will felt a bit with use, and then they will be perfect.

Happy New Year!

I've come to the conclusion that there is no point in New Year's resolutions. I usually make the same ones each year - eat less, exercise more, keep a cleaner house, etc. - and usually fail. Instead of calling them "resolutions", maybe I will refer to them as "habits of the heart", some general goals to strive for without treating them as make-or-break commandments.

Regarding my knitting, here are some "habits of the heart" I am going to strive for:

Quality over quantity: I simply enjoy knitting, and sometimes get caught up in cranking out yards and yards of knitted products without paying close attention to the quality of what I am knitting. Consequently, there are sweaters that are too big and shapeless to wear out of the house, socks too small to wear at all, gloves made of too-stretchy alpaca, mittens that don't match, etc. Going forward, I resolve to pay more attention to knitting with the appropriate yarns, on right-sized needles for the desired fabric, in correct gauge.

Let's be practical: Over the years, I have knit a variety of items that never see the light of day once finished. For example, when my g'daughter was a baby, we could dress her in all manner of hand knits, but now she has opinions and a fashion sense that does not include the sweaters I so lovingly provided. Another example are shawls: fun to knit, not so much fun to wear. Going forward, I resolve to knit only what is asked for or agreed to, in colors and yarns the recipient approves. (The only exception to this is xmas socks - I get to have fun with those.)

Break away from patterns: I developed the habit of slavishly following patterns because 1) that is one way to learn, 2) it is quicker than coming up with my own patterns, and 3) if the results are not so good, I can blame it on the pattern (whether that is an accurate assessment or not). Now I have plenty of sweaters and blankets. Everyone I knit for has socks, gloves, scarves, hats, afghans galore. And I am retired, so time is no longer of the essence. Going forward, I resolve to invent my own designs, experiment with how to construct them, enjoy the journey instead of the destination.

What about you? Are there any knitting goals you would like to achieve this year?

Knitting binge

Even though my family celebrates xmas on xmas eve, I usually feed someone on xmas day. Not this year. Some might think it sad to spend xmas day alone, but after all the flurry of xmas preparations, I was ready for a day of R&R.

To get through all the holiday knitting, I listened to a lot of books on CD, the most recent one Stephen King's Under the Dome (30 disks!) Not quite done with that story, I binge-listened while I binge-knit this hat for my g'daughter.

Pattern: Official Kittyville Hat, by Kitty Schmidt
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash, in colorway 838 (pink)
Needles: US7
Modifications: worked and reworked the ear flaps until I was satisfied (see below); also, no ears.

I've knit this hat before, but always in dark colors. In pink, the ear flaps just did not look right along the edges. I tried this, that, and the other thing, and finally settled on slipping the first stitch of each row knitwise, then always knitting the last stitch of each row. That seemed to clean them up, at least well enough.

Ordinarily, I would knit this yarn on US8 needles. Since my g'daughter is but five, I used US7's with the hope that the tighter gauge would mean I would not have to adjust the pattern to get it to fit her smaller head. She hasn't tried it on yet, but the styrofoam head is close to the same size as hers, so here's hoping.

Christmas Island socks

This pair of xmas socks went much smoother than the others, helped by the absence of ribbing except at the top of the leg. They were for my daughter, so they are also in a smaller size than the other xmas socks, so knit up relatively quickly. Thank god.

Pattern: Short-row toe and heel basic socks, by Wendy D. Johnson
Yarn: Simply Socks Yarn Co. Poste Yarn, Striping in 'Christmas Island' and Simply Sock in 'Silver Lining'
Needles: US1
Modifications: Used Turkish cast on

The quality of the dyeing of the Poste Yarn makes stripe matching a breeze. Again, the 'Silver Lining' was a good selection for the contrasting heel. I've also learned that, when folded at the heel, the sock leg should be about the same length as the foot, or there will be complaints about them being too short.

So, three pairs of xmas socks were ready and waiting on xmas eve. I am knitting a pair for my SO, and may just have to knit a pair for myself, as the colorways are so enjoyable. Then I may take all the leftovers and knit up a crazy pair of socks or gloves with them. Wouldn't that be fun?

Santa Claus, IN socks

Xmas is over, and per usual, I didn't quite finish all my xmas knitting. Most, but not all. I'll post what did get done over the next several days, before the xmas spirit departs for the North Pole.

I think I knit these socks twice over, as I struggled with needle size and fabric density and angry knitting gods. I even managed to bind off too tightly, despite using Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off. The needles were a square set which I grew to detest, not because of the shape but because of how sharp they were. Note to self: save them for lace knitting.

Pattern: Short-row toe and heel basic socks, by Wendy D. Johnson
Yarn: Simply Socks Yarn Co Poste Yarn, Striping in 'Santa Claus, IN' and Simply Sock in 'Silver Lining'
Needles: US1
Modifications: Used Turkish cast on

The chicken-legged men in my immediate family prefer ribbed socks, another annoyance, as I have never fully mastered the art of the purl, despite much practice. Fortunately, the troubles of this pair were balanced by the wonderful yarn in wonderfully xmas colors, enhanced by the contrasting heel. 'Silver Lining' worked with every pair of xmas socks I knit.

These socks were for my son-in-law, who is usually non-committal on my knitted gifts. I later asked my daughter if they fit okay, and she said, "I guess. He's wearing them." That is a good sign.

Holiday, FL socks

Because I hate the pointy square needles I am using for one pair of xmas socks, this pair, started at a later date, reached the finish line first. This pair is also the largest to be knit, so I am happy to have them done early. Theoretically, the others should be a breeze. (HA!)

Pattern: Short-Row Toe and Heel Basic Sock, by Wendy D. Johnson
Yarn: Simply Socks Yarn Company Poste Yarn, Striping, in the colorways 'Holiday, FL' and 'Silver Lining'
Needles: US1
Modifications: Surprisingly Stretchy bind off

Since these are knit big (80 stitches around), I knew I would need some extra yarn. A worker bee at Simply Socks recommended the 'Silver Lining' colorway, and I *really* like how it looks with the stripes.

Honey cowl for my little honey

I decided to knit my g'daughter a Honey Cowl. Since she is but 5 years old, I chose the middle length and made it only half as wide, but I think I could have gone with the full length - kid heads are not that much smaller than adults. She loves pink, so pink it was, pretty much guaranteeing that she will actually wear this handknit.

Pattern: Honey Cowl by Antonia Shankland
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash, in 'Rose Petal' colorway
Needles: US8
Modifications: Half the width, used worsted yarn instead of DK

Trying to photograph a cowl without a live model is not easy. Mr Manly and The Head helped, but in a rather macabre way.

Had I had knit this with US8 needles on DK yarn, it would have had more drape, I'm sure. Something to keep in mind if I make another one of these. And I might: this is my second one (first one is here), and it is an easy, relatively quick knit.

Socks will be the death of me

I don't know why I am having so much trouble knitting socks this season. I have reknit as much as I have knit. One plus of reknitting is, after ripping back one heel turn and two gussets, I decided to preserve the yarn striping from the foot to the leg by knitting a short row heel in a contrasting solid color. One of the worker bees at Simply Sock Yarn recommended the Silver Lining colorway, and I am quite pleased with it.

I'm using a set of square DPNs (by Kollage) that are adding to my misery. It's not the shape but the fact they are the sharpest needles I have ever worked with. They pierce the yarn plies, making the yarn seem splitty when it really isn't. The needles also pierce my finger tips on occasion. I'm sticking with them for this pair of socks because I'm afraid to change needles midstream.

Since I have another set of US1 DPNs, I started a second pair of socks for Big Foot, aka my son. I'm using Silver Lining for not only the heels but the toes and maybe some stripes on the leg if I seem to be running short on yardage. The first toe has been knit twice, but the second toe required only two rows of reknitting.

Maybe I am finally getting the hang of sock knitting? (Knock on wood.)

Two steps forward, three steps back

The xmas sock knitting efforts have not been going well. First, I thought I would knit plain ordinary socks with ribbing for the instep and leg. That just didn't seem to be going very well, so then I got the idea to knit Jaywalkers, a very good pattern for self-striping yarn, but toe up, so I didn't have to worry about running out of yarn. I ripped back to the toes, and the knitting went well, but the socks seemed HUGE. I kept telling myself that it would be okay, but after reaching the heels, I could lie to myself no longer. I ripped all the way back to the beginning, switched from US2 to US1 DPNs, and reverted to plain ordinary socks but without the instep ribbing; I plan to rib the legs.

I blame all this back and forth on Irish cottage knitting, aka lever knitting. A while back, I switched to this style from continental and was very pleased with the resulting fabric. However, initially my knitting was tighter than usual, so developed the habit of upsizing the needles. Well, my Irish cottage knitting must be more relaxed these days, as one needle size up is one needle size too far. I suspected this might be the case, as I knit the bathroom curtain on US6 needles because upsizing to US7 felt too floppy, but at the time I blamed the cotton yarn.

There is something hinky about gauge and my knitting, though. Sometimes my gauge is spot on, as with the Jaywalkers, but the resulting fabric feels unsatisfactorily loose. This is particularly troublesome with socks, where the fit should be snug and the fabric dense. I'm wondering if, instead of aiming for the pattern gauge, I should figure out what gauge produces the fabric I want, then work the pattern according to that. There is some sweater knitting in my future, so I may have to experiment with this idea.

And now I am also wondering if my dissatisfaction with continental knitting might have been resolved with a similar strategy. Hmmm.

What to do with all that leftover yarn

I picked up a copy of Mini Skein Knits from the library as it looked interesting and useful. While I probably will not directly knit any of the patterns, they do give a knitter lots of ideas for small skeins and leftovers.

One oddity about the book is it provides instructions on how to make a knit stitch, a purl stitch, an increase, a decrease, how to cast on and bind off, etc. But nowhere are there instructions about colorwork, which abounds in the patterns. I don't find Fair Isle to be all that intuitive, but hey, maybe that is just me.

Don't do this at home

Knitting a curtain is about the dumbest thing I can think to make out of yarn. Blankets are larger, but at least they are cozy on cold winter nights. A curtain could be sewn from cloth in about an hour, max. This thing took *forever*. BUT it is an excellent stash buster of a project.

Pattern: My own concoction (using chart A from Hybrid Vigour Shawl on knitty.com)
Yarn: Dem-N-Nit Pure Indigo Cotton, about 9.5 skeins
Needles: US6

It shrank about two inches when washed, which I planned for (although the rod pocket is a bit tight). The indigo is kind of dark for my decor, but I expect it to fade as time goes by. I learned from another curtain project to make it wide enough, so it provides excellent coverage. All and all, I am satisfied. And *relieved* that it is finished.

The race is on

Breaking with a relatively new tradition, last year I did not knit xmas socks. To make up for it this year, I am not only knitting socks as xmas gifts, they will be knit from xmas-themed colorways. Unlike the Yarn Harlot, who can knit a couple of pairs over a weekend, socks take me much longer. Before I retired, I might complete a pair over the course of a month. There aren't enough months between now and xmas, though, so I'd better double up that effort.

I'm fairly dedicated to toe-up socks these days, but discovered the hard way that self-striping yarn is not conducive to short row toes.

Then I had what I call a stupid day, one of those days when I can't seem to do anything right. In this case, despite have executed a Turkish cast on multiple times in the past, I simply could not get it to work; after a couple of rows, I consistently came up one stitch short and was unable to figure out where that stitch went. So I tried some other toe-up cast ons, each a big FAIL. I wasted HOURS on this fruitless task. ARGH!

Fortunately, the stupid day was followed by a better one, and I figured out that I needed to hold onto the tail to keep from losing that stitch. Two Turkish cast on sock toes coming right up.

To avoid the dreaded second sock syndrome, I knit both socks in parallel. To complete my xmas mission, I need a schedule to tell me how many inches to knit per day. Ordinarily, I do not set knitting deadlines, but between the desire to return to tradition AND to knit these gifts in xmas-themed yarn, I am making an exception. We'll see how that works out.