Tuesday, December 31, 2013

4x4= gauge math

I don't know of a single knitter that loves the gauge swatch. I'm sure many knitters have the same problem with swatches that I've experienced:
1. Once complete and blocked, math done, and you cast on ... the math was wrong and you have to rip and start over.
2. Not blocking the swatch will not give accurate numbers either ... But I often have better luck unblocked. Weird
3. If you don't swatch and only go by the stitches/inch measure given on the yarn ... Then you may not match the pattern and it's still off.
Sigh.
I've gotten around gauge swatch most of my knitting career by designing the sweater pattern myself or only appropriating parts of another designers pattern and still making up the math for mine as I go.
Cloudberry cardigan is progressing nicely. One sleeve is almost done and ready to attach, and the yarn for the other sleeve is almost done spinning ... In this calm and pleasant time of knitting I began contemplating the arduous task ahead. Writing up the pattern.
As I don't often follow gauge swatches myself, I wonder at my ability to write a gauge swatch or alternate instructions for a pattern. Even if the pattern is fairly simplistic and easily adjusted. So, here is the swatch...
It is 32 stitches across by about 50 rows high (that does not include the 20 rows that are the turned hems seen in the back. It is 5x5" which means that it should be 6 stitches per inch when I cast on. Wrong wrong wrong. When I first cast on for a 38" round sweater (a nice large) I had 220 stitches going round. I knit the hem and then did a 'test' measure of the piece. 44"! GAH!
Starting over I decided to use 5 stitches per inch, which should have been 190 stitches at cast on. But I cast on 180 stitches to be increased by 6-8 at each armpit creating a slightly larger upper body for the yoke. Yes, this is a slightly smaller sweater, at only 36" around - but that doesn't include the 1" front edge for the buttons. Incorporated into this 'fuzzy' math was the knowledge that the sweater is going to stretch really really well when blocked.
Instead of having as sweater with positive ease (larger than my body measurements) I actually have a -1 ease. It will be a nice snug little sweater - not the larger sweater I was afraid of creating.
Now I only have to be afraid that it doesn't stretch as much as I want and I can't wear it. Poop.

To distract myself I started more spinning - probably for the sweater, but I feel really smart.
See those two balls? They are each 1oz of fiber. Each one will be spun and then plied together. My hope is that I will be much closer to having bobbins that contain the same yardage if they start with the same number of ounces. Wishes and horseshoes ...

Be excellent to each other!

Monday, December 23, 2013

Process knitter

Processes are fascinating. A few weeks ago I was privileged enough to hear a speech by Franklin Habit at the mn knitters guild. It was AMAZING and gave me a greater appreciation of this trait I feel that we share (and I have it to a much smaller degree). Wanting to understand the creation of something by starting from the most basic element and going through every process to learn how each portion is created leading up to the creation of the finished product.

To me, in my knitting, that means understanding and working with sheep fleece, roving vs. top, spinning, twist, dyeing, and multiple cool knitting styles. To this end I have purchased spindles and top to learn spinning. Many thanks to the lovely people submitting to youtube for the tutorials (I learned from you)! I have purchased a spinning wheel and WAY more cormo top than I need (but absolutely love)! In a corner of my apartment also sits a bag of Greener Shades dyes for when I finally take the plunge and dye some of this handspun loveliness that I create each summer. In another corner are cones of mercerized cotton that go with my knitting machine - because I wasn't far enough down the rabbit hole.

See it? Somewhere at the bottom of all the things is a rabbit.

And it's a deep rabbit hole. Of course I tell myself that all these acquisitions are to further my understanding of my materials and provide better finished products.

I am sure that these skills do lead to more knowledge that in some way informs my decisions in my projects.

But I can't hide it from myself any longer ... I shall finally confess, I just love everything that has to do with wool. There is a compunction deep inside that must, I must do all these things related to wool. These things are fascinating, worth trying, and investing.

My current project, which has been the topic of many blog posts, is the perfect example. The cloudberry cardigan is a beautiful mix of fiber, designing, and knitting. It's all three ... Three spokes of the process.

And the process continues. I've finished a small skein so the sleeves may commence. Please enjoy this small glimpse into my love of the process.

So, I don't own a niddy-noddy (that wooden thing for creating hanks of handspun yarn and I don't know how it works). I discovered years ago that I could create hanks of yarn by winding them around my swift. That stick thing in my hand? That is my favorite wooden spoon ... Best tool ever.

Here is the new hank that has not had a bath yet, setting the twist. When done I measured (and this new thing I just learned!) the twist is about 20 degrees. I'll soon create my own gauge thing to measure the twist. Sort of like a compass, way cool.

The creamy hank after it's bath. You can still see the bits of fluff and fuzz that didn't spin tightly. And I like it. It's not perfectly smooth ... But I love the look of the sweater and that is what matters.

Now I have 180 yards more for the sweater ... And need to keep spinning. From the math I guess that I need another 400 yards or so for the sleeves and the rest of the body. The process continues. Each time one phase ends another begins up continuing on in the cycle of crafts and creation.

 

In other quick news I finished the lovely thing with the glorious buttons ... But as it's a gift here is my favorite picture that doesn't show what it actually became. Sorry.

So, happy holidays and

Be excellent to each other!

 

Friday, December 13, 2013

Knit till you drop ...

I'm hoping this is a figurative phrase for my day. Tonight is Drunken Knit Night at my favorite pub with some of my favorite ladies! But this means we are drinking and knitting at the same time! Oh my!

I've thankfully brought two projects with: one which must be finished by Christmas and the other is straight stockingette going back and forth. Both projects carry their own knit till you drop hazards. The Christmas project includes cables which is more difficult with my tendonitis - so my hands may stop knitting from the swelling. The stockingette is a large amount of stockingette for a sweater ... Which still requires another 700 yards to be spun for completion.

So, let me digress. The cardigan comes along well. I've got about 14" done on the main body. I just joined my second ball of yarn, the next 400 yards. I only had 1100 yards spun for this project - and upon joining the second ball determined that it was TOO THIN! Somehow I spun lace weight and thought it would pass as fingering ... Which it won't in such a large project as this with multiple skeins.

See that section beneath my finger that looks a little thin compared to the rest? Hmm ... Lace weight.

So, lesson learned. Not only will I spin all the yarn required before I begin a project. But I will also check on a yarn gauge what weight it has become!

Really, the project has a lot of great yarn variability. When I spin I leave the bumps and fluffy sections in that create slightly large stitches occasionally. I love the resulting look. It feels much less machine made ... And has that air of handmade love and hugs.

Here's the skein I ended up using and eventually practicing my photography with ...

In sum: my fingers may fall off from too many cables, too much spinning ... Or being a bit punchy at knit night tonight. We'll see.

Be excellent to each other!

 

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Knitting right along ...

Tettegouche is released, another pattern started on the needles, more projects percolating in my head ... And I bought more yarn. The trap, the ever present trap of new projects and shiny new buttons... It lured me past the realm of practicality and into the happy world of a project bag filled with UFOs.

But isn't the yarn so pretty? It's worsted weight Plymouth select merino superwash. They call it color 43 ... And I call it dragonfly. And the buttons! The buttons are lovely and shiny and perfect!

Hopefully these ingredients will work themselves into a button-up cowl by Christmas ...

 

In other news, it's been the perfect weekend for knitting. Not only did I purchase a new project, but an arctic blast has plunged the Rockies and Midwest into a freeze. For the past three days it has not reached 5 degrees F. Which means that the new project was started and much work completed on the body of cloudberry cardigan.

Please pardon the yellow ness of the photo. It really is a creamy natural white. That is one skein of handspun cormo, 425 yards all done. I'm guessing I shall need roughly 1400 yards to complete the cardigan, and I only have 325 yards more of another skein. Time to start spinning!

If anyone is looking for me, I'm locking myself away in my living room hibernating with my spinning wheel and needles until it warms up.

Be excellent to each other!

 

Monday, November 18, 2013

So proud ...

Many weeks ago I wrote about a sweater I started designing before I began the testing for Tettegouche. And, as Tettegouche is done testing and released! I've gone back to the sweater idea and I have a real proud.

I started with this sketch and these buttons.

And then I created the cakes of my handspun cormo.

Here's the proud: I started a swatch! I did a picot edge, some stockingette, the flower lace stitch and finished with a picot edge.

Now I can measure my square, that is 32 stitches across and 50 rows high, and get accurate counts for how many stitches I should cast on for my seamless cardigan! Oh my gosh, I'm pleased as punch.

Be excellent to each other.

 

Friday, November 1, 2013

Rethinking my position on gauge

I often don't do gauge in my knitting patterns. Shawls rarely require gauge and the sock pattern I wrote ended being very stretchy so it could accommodate many sizes ( I think, I've never been told otherwise).

Every knitter comes to term with gauge, and sometimes I utterly fail at getting correct gauge - or even doing a swatch before starting the project. Recently I began the carousel socks on knitty.com. I did the entire calf of the sock before I tried it on.

It wouldn't pass over my heel. Gargh! I didn't do a gauge swatch, obviously.

So, the creative hat came out ... I thought a bit, asked some knitter friends ... And received the marvelous suggestion to turn these slightly wonky sock into mittens or fingerless mitts!

So I left 1 inch unattached when you would normally do the heel, for the thumb, and them knit to the end of my fingertips.

Now I can synch the end of that together and create mittens instead.

Of course I need some thumbs ... And to finish the other mitten. But I shall now I have mittens to replace the first pair I ever made years ago.

So, thanks Rebecca from MInnesota knitters guild! Great idea, and they are fabulous mittens.

Be excellent to each other!

 

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Knitting cleaning ...

Theme of the week is cleaning ... And knitting.
Really, the theme of every week is knitting, and eating chocolate. But the chocolate part is given.
The reason the knitting theme is cleaning is because of a current project I've started for she spinning group I've joined.
Every month the 'Whorling Spinsters' meet at the textile center in Minneapolis. They spin, exchange news, share tips and projects ... And try joint experiments. This month spinners were encouraged to take home a sample of 'undesirable' fiber from a local sheep farmer. The farmer raises the herd for meat and was told that the fleece was not worth much. A member of the group is a friend and wanted to show him that the fiber is usable and very versatile - it just isn't super luxurious like merino.
So each spinner took a few ounces home to clean, card and bring back to report.
I used the soaking instructions from Deg Robson's the Independent Knitter. Here's my bit of fleece soaking in hot water inside a lingerie bag - kept it all together and from getting handled too much.
I soaked the fleece twice in hot water for 20 minutes each soak, and then 15 minutes in water with some dawn detergent (non-phosphate), another dawn soak, and a final 20 minute hot water soak to get out the last of the detergent. All told it was about an hour and a half of soaking and dumping water. The first batch was super brown and dirty. Each soak got progressively cleaner and now the fleece is a lovely cream color with bits of grass left.
So far my experience has been good. We'll see what it's like when I drum card everything next Monday.
I might even be brave and try to dye the whole thing before carding. As I won't dye it afterwards.
Also, I plan to spindle spin the whole thing instead of using my wheel. I hope to get a different feel for the fiber, especially with one I know won't be as slick and short as merino.

Remember last week, my lesson on dishcloths on a knitting machine - it went very well! I bought two extra cones of cotton to make dishcloths.
There they are! And they work fabulously! My housemates love them already! And I've got a set of 4 ready for an upcoming present. My only need left is to buy a humidifier. My apartment is so dry (with the heat on) that the yarn becomes like static cling and sticks to itself as it goes through the machine. This is making the machine do weird things and not make perfect little dishcloths.
So, I've cleaned a fleece and made things to clean my kitchen. All that's left is to actually clean.
Oh, if only that was as fun as knitting.
Be excellent to each other!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

63 and counting

Who's begun counting down the days? As knitters I don't think we're ever ready for that countdown ... hand knits for loved ones ... The crunch for finishing the lovelies for Christmas.

Last year I planned way ahead. I had a giant project in the works: the velociraptor sweater for my husband. I started early November and finished with a week to spare for blocking before his birthday dec. 21st. Offda. Here's a photo, the charts are on ravelry. And I use Elizabeth zimmermans percentage system for sizing the yoke-sweater.


This year I am keeping the project simple - at least for the holidays. The rest of the projects are just as awesome, geeky, and inspired (if I may say so myself) as the velociraptor sweater. There are three new designs floating around. Two sweaters and a shawl (that is still percolating). It will be the winter of charts, crazy new techniques, and machine knitting!

But back to the holidays: this afternoon is my next lesson in machine knitting, and is the link to knitted Christmas presents!

I have some lovely Cascade yarns ultra Pima cotton ready to whip into some machine knit dishcloths. I'm excited for the experience, as I've never hand knit a dishcloth before ... And I'm excited to use these intense colors to make some intensely awesome Christmas gifts!

Be excellent to each other!

And don't stress too much about the hand knits for the holidays. A hand knit two weeks late is still a special gift. (And I've been a month late before. Breathe.)

 

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Knitting tech

This week I am attending JNUC 2013, the international conference for users of JAMF and their Casper suite. In my day job I am moderately techie. I didn't major in comp sci, I don't do anything with the server and network. I make the iPad program run. I manage the software behind the scenes, deal with any problem apps/settings or breakages. Some of the talks at the conference are over my head. But that's what makes these fun (besides hanging out with 1,100 people that all love this work as much as I do). I LOVE learning. If I had enough money I would go back to school for another degree - and design full time. Those are compatible. Right?

Back to the title. I am a visual learner, and at conferences I need something to do with my hands. Luckily, I'm a knitter.

Hello, my name is purplbear and I knit.

I've been working on my butterwillow shawl at the conference.

See?

That was yesterday. Today I am about 6 rows from binding off. It's been the perfect project for a conference. Complicated enough that I like it, but with really short repeats and mostly knit and purl stitches that I can listen without thinking too much about what I am knitting.

Also today ... I met a fellow knitter from Seattle.

I have to admit, my clothing choices have been intentional. All days of the conference I am wearing hand knit shawls. Sort of like a badge or flag to meet new friends. "Here! Over here! I'm a knitter! Come talk to me! I'm approachable!" Knitting does make you approachable. You are making a thing that is filled with love and care for someone, how can you not be a nice person?

The knitter from Seattle was very nice. Sadly we didn't get much time to chat about our knitting. We are in sessions all day for the Casper suite that we all use in our day jobs.

But this coming April will be the knitter convention, YARNOVER! I love knitters.

 

Be excellent to each other!

 

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Be careful what you ask for...

Or you just might get a cat purring himself to sleep on your lap. For the first time ... In 4 years!

We bemoaned not having a lap cat. We tried every trick for years. Gentle cuddling while holding - for limited amounts of time. 10 seconds holding on lap ... Every once in awhile.

Our cat has finally decided that his human' slap is an okay place to be.

Which is why I am holding my iPad in the air and typing one handed to avoid putting anything on the cat. It's why my nose itches and I haven't been able to blow it. It's why my legs are getting warm.

Be careful what you ask for.

 

The Tettegouche test is going well. Some math has been redone. A few errors found. Some instructions clarified and been rewritten to make more sense. One woman has already sent me a photo of her project - which just is so ... Jazzy. It's inspiring to see the yarns that people choose. Everyone looks at a pattern slightly differently, and therefore colors vary accordingly. It's a great thing to see unfold as these people knit this thing that I've only had in my own brain for so long.

While the test goes well I continue to plan new projects. I'm determining how I would construct a sweater on a machine, and write directions for it to be done by hand. Charts and fair isle are also being designed. There will probably be a white sweater with the lace and linen buttons (from a drawing in a previous post) and then a sweater for a friend in pink with a yoke of dancing elephants. Uh-huh ... Too cute.

Be excellent to each other!

 

Sunday, October 6, 2013

No test anxiety involved

Shh. Testing is in progress. But no worries, no stress or anxiety involved because there are no right answers.

Or maybe there are right answers in knitting. I don't know: unless the answer is a knit '42.'

Finished the write up for Tettegouche last week and sent the call out for testers via 'the testing pool' on ravelry. A few preliminary findings:

  • Checking the charts over and over again before inserting them into the final document was a great way to save headache and extra editing in the end.
  • Remember: break at the section to change the direction of the pages for extra long charts (and it's okay to have to look up this formatting on google every time I write up a pattern)
  • Super cool trick: 'edit' choose find > replace - you can find certain text and replace it with other text. That m3 I decided should be written as k3into1 ... SO EASY TO CHANGE! This made editing the written section so much easier. I dread hunting through to find the mistyped stitch to replace it. I must have used this section 5 times already and I know I will use it again!
  • DO NOT post for testers on a Saturday morning. Lovely people did contact me and several are testing ... But if I shall be gone all day Saturday it means I can't respond to people until the following morning. Sadly this resulted in several ladies committing to other tests.

But the PDF is sent, and knitting shall commence. This is a fun time, I enjoy seeing the yarn that others choose and seeing the pictures as people post and compare. I've often had testers ask if they can change the weight of the yarn or size of the needles. This would only be a problem if all the testers made this change. When one person changes the specs of the pattern for their knit ... It is educational. It lets me know that the pattern works in different yarn weights. It helps in the decision of which needles to recommend or whether more notes are needed on a gauge.

While the test happens I have a simpler knit along with the second sample of Tettegouche. The new knit is buttonwillow in yellow. So of course I called it butterwillow. The testing is a fun phase stage of the design process and so a new fun knit is required.

Hope everyone else is also having fun.

Be excellent to each other!

Monday, September 30, 2013

Pattern writing ... The font of creative ideas and procrastinating

Tettegouche sample #1 is off the needles. The yarn for the final knit is chosen and started.
The photo is from knit group on Sunday morning. Behold the glory of coffee in the background.
Here's my checklists for Tettegouche and starting a test knit on time (two weeks):
  1. Select final yarn for test knit (for photography) -DONE
  2. Do another edit of charts for pattern. -DONE
  3. Begin writing the instructions and giving some sort of story to pattern. -DONE
  4. figure out how to change the orientation of pages within document - did it last time and totally forgot how it works.
  5. Finish writing chart section. -DONE
  6. Finish writing up the written section.
  7. Stop procrastinating on writing the written section.
  8. Advertise test knit.
  9. Coordinate with knitters.
  10. BEGIN!
So, the list is going well. The writing is begun, but the worst is yet to come.
I don't knit from written directions - I am a visual person and work from charts, all the time. Formulating the written section of the pattern is always the hardest and always includes the most mistakes. But it can be rewarding. Especially when I finish and it has no mistakes (after correction from the lovely testers).
The list of Tettegouche is begun. And today ... Today I fell into the trap that is "pretty shiny oh want!" that is a new idea for a pattern.
At Yarnover last year I bought one thing. Buttons. They are glorious, made from vintage linen they satisfy so many loves, recycling, antique things, pretty pretty fabric, and BUTTONS! The goal with these lovely buttons has always been to knit a lovely cardigan to accompany their awesomeness.
Today, while procrastinating on the Tettegouche list, I drew a pretty picture!
AND! With my beautiful buttons I plan to use my beautiful handspun cormo! Can't you just see it? Squish it? Smell the fresh and comforting aroma of handspun wool?
I can. And someday when I should be writing up Tettegouche I will be starting this sweater.

Be excellent to each other!

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Picking yarn by smell

Tettegouche sample knit #1 went very well. I love the color variation. But I am very well aware that the color variation will not photograph well and represent the stitches and texture of the shawl.

So I must knit the shawl again - mwahahaha!

I traveled to my local yarn shop for the purpose of finding that special skein of yarn that MUST become this shawl. I looked, I hunted, I asked for help. Both lovely gents at the store pointed towards different yarns. One started pulling skein after skein down and piling them on a table for me to dabble in.

As we picked yarns and created a larger and larger pile on the table I realized I had a problem. All the yarns were in aqua, blue, teal, emerald and seafoam. They all matched previous knits: Leaves & Trellis, twin leaf socks and Flores Gloria! ALL OF THEM! GAH!

The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. I put down the twisted sister and three Irish girls. I admitted I had a problem and the lovely gents came to my rescue. Among a box of glorious blues and oranges was a solitary skein of Dragonfly Fibers in Ye 'Ole Chestnut.

Pine, Lake Superior, fog, campfires, hikes along dirt paths, moist earth - I can smell all those when looking at this yarn. It is Tettegouche in essence. At 475 yards it will make a glorious second knit.

The yarn is glorious. The snarly terrible mess that was winding the yarn was painful. It's like they has wound separate sections around different niddy-noddies and then combine them all together in random clumps. As you wound you would sometimes be pulling from the top section, sometimes from a winding further down ... And then to the top again. The strands were crossing! GAH again!

After several breaths and a round of a game with hubby I returned to the skein and found a solution in putting the hank around my knees and slowly pulling it apart by hand and then using the winder. An hour long process - but it worked. Knitters are nothing if not steadfastly determined to use beautiful skein.

The wound skein is sitting in the project bag waiting for the pattern to be written and testing to begin. Again, hopefully mid-October. The charts are about done, I just have to determine on garter or interesting edging. Interesting always wins, I just have to find the shorthand for a single stitch cabled over two other stitches. C1F2? Like the edge in the picture below?

Once I figure that out the rest will write up really easily and then if the fun of testing! Fun!

Be excellent to each other!

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Designs and donuts

An eventful weekend has come and gone. The weather cooperated fully. Saturday morning saw my lovely red bicycle loaded and ready for the 20 mile round trip to a friends to make homemade apple cider donuts! Doesn't your mouth just water thinking about tasty fresh donuts.

Following the success of Saturday I attended a new knitting group on Sunday morning with a friend of my new roommate. The people were amazing! A diverse group of fiber enthusiasts, people knit, spun, crocheted, and just came for the talk. Plus, any group that gets together on evenings to watch doctor who or swaps vegetables for canning supplies - they're shiny.

On this particular Sunday I had extra cause to be joyous. The first version of Tettegouche is finished! (Not blocked). Without blocking the lovely blueberry stitch and wavey edging aren't that easy to see: but they are there!

With the first knit off the needles I'm beginning to refine the charts (make sure there are no mistakes) and, more excitingly, hunting for the next yarn for the final sample knit. I'm torn between more Madeline tosh light and this lovely dream in color smooshy. I think Steven Be is in my future. Perhaps for some slate, blue grey yarn. I think that will be right color.

 

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Adversity leads to creativity ...

Last Thursday I came down with the crud. Probably the flu. Whatever it's name it laid me flat and stomped all over my poor respiratory system. I spent several days on the couch and bed, eating soup for every meal and pounding more tea than humanly possible.

Today, I've finally recovered enough to work and write.

With the prolonged periods of couch time I spent some fruitful hours working on the much neglected Tettegouche shawl pattern. Pouring over books and knitting swatches I finally came up with an edging I like.

Behold!

It's a really bad photo taken on my lap, but you can sort of see the undulation of the edge. And you can definitely see the lattice like formations between the body and edge. It will look sweet!

In my mind, I see this shawl also in a silvery green/blue color. Like slate. The color of the rocks up on Lake Superior.

Now to try and find that color to knit this shawl again as a test of the pattern and create a solid colored piece for photographing for the final PDF.

My new self-imposed deadline is to start testing mid-October. Interested?

Also, if you know of a lovely wool yarn in a slate green/blue that isn't too dark and would show stitch defnintion really well, please!

 

Be excellent to each other!

 

Sunday, September 8, 2013

I think I can ... I think I can ...

Two + years and counting. The galadriels mirror shawl has been on my needles for two plus years. I wrote about this shawl last time, how I was going to finish it, how it was beautiful, how it was terrible for my tendonitis.

It is terrible for tendonitis.

The twisted stitches are brutal, the k2tog twisted stitches are the speed bumps in my knitting road.

And it is still unbelievably gorgeous. I've been knitting every few days for a few weeks now, and it feels as if I have been 10 rows away from the end for the entire time. The photo was taken two weeks ago, and it still looks like that today. I've knit tons of rows.

Someday it will be done. Someday I will bind off and then find somewhere to block the enormous 80" shawl (I'm guessing, but I think it will be that big).

When I finish I will finally return to the shawl I am designing name Tettegouche. When I finish I will ice my hands for a week and stow this shawl away for the MN state fair creative arts competition next year. When I finish I will applaud every other knitter who has finished this amazing pattern. And then I will spend the next month only making dishcloths - before I decide to tackle another amazing and complicated pattern.

 

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Packing the knitting

We're moving! Everything gets packed.

The other day all the knitting said goodbye to the light of day.

The sad part of this story is that the knitting is going to live in these containers when we move. We will have slightly less storage space and space overall. So my lovely shelf, upon which all the yarn didn't fit anyways, will now be used for linens and the yarn is going to live in the dark, under the bed.

At least it will have the knitting machine for company. And sometimes the cat. He likes to sleep under the bed.

Happily, I found a project that I had hidden at the bottom of a project basket. It is Galadriel's Mirror by Susan Pandorf.

This project has been in progress for two years. It is an exquisite design ... But unhappily for the tendonitis knitter it involves twisted stitches, wrapped stitches, and bobbles/nupps. Both twisted stitches and bobbles/nupps require working on the wrong side as well. If you don't twist the twisted stitches on the WS too they look funny. But bobbles are tedious. But I cheated and did nupps, which create five new stitches in one. And then on the WS you purl all five stitches together creating a lovely rosette looking bobble. And I cheat further and use a crochet hook to gather the nupp stitches which make them lean left instead of turning into a rosette. But at least my hands aren't so badly abused.

Also, never ... Never ever use any sort of cotton blend for a large complicated shawl if you have terrible hands problems. Never ever. That is half the reason this shawl was difficult. The yarn has no bouncy give. Nothing. But it does look smashing in person. Lovely cotton/silk blend of Lyndon hills Bristol yarn gallery in grey. Lovely in person.

My hands were mostly abused when doing the main body. Which is why this lovely shawl has been sitting in the bottom of a basket for a solid year. Poor thing. It is now in the light of day, and I've finally reached the knit and purl edge section that occasionally has knit togethers and yarn overs for shaping. Moving along slowly, but ... This year ... This year it can be done.

So, fair warning. Go slow tendonitis knitters. Use stitch markers. And most important ... Do not shame yourself, feel badly, or bemoan those projects that languish under the basket of other pretties. Sometimes they just need a bit of time to percolate, and think about how badly the non-springy yarn treated your hands.

 

Be excellent to each other!

 

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Creation green stuff ...

Theme of the week is green! Or it was two weeks ago and then life happened. And the theme was no longer green but brownies and dinners and parties!!! But two weeks ago the creation theme was green. I have photographic evidence.

Husband and I went to the farmers market on a Sunday to procure some basil and other fresh produce. Basil was by far the most abundant thing we purchased. I believe my scale registered over 400grams. By the way, that bowl is 12" wide or more.

And some of the leaves were really really huge!

 

 

After remembering to purchase walnuts, pesto was made! I consider 200grams to be one batch.

I used:

- basil, from plants that have not yet flowered (didn't do that last year and it made sour tasting pesto)

- extra virgin olive oil

- walnuts (toasted or not depending on time)

- parmesean

400 grams of basil leaves made approximately 2 pints of pesto which I put in sandwich bags and popped in the freezer for later use. Mmm!

Staying green I kept practicing with the knitting machine (and used greenish yarn, hence green theme).

I finished the second of the striped socks, which looks like this (see left photo). I also made one in a teal color. The second knitting adventure was rounded off with testing whether I could adjust a pattern to work with different sizes. And also make something wearable.

I cast on 64 stitches across the machine bed.

Knit 20 rows. And turned a hem. Knit 6 more rows.

Create short row heel across right side 32 stitches.

Knit 62 rows along all 64 needles.

Create short row toe across right side 32 stitches (rational is that when you seam the toe that seam will now happen on the top of your foot, not the bottom).

Knit 6 rows with waste yarn.

Crochet to seam the toe and side. TADA!

1st ankle sock on knitting machine. IT FITS!

Be excellent to each other!

 

Friday, July 19, 2013

Expanding the collection...

Let me introduce the newest member in my knitting family...

No given name yet, but called a Brother K840

I haven't named it yet, but it will be the stallion in my herd of knitting accessories and machines.

The decision to buy a knitting machine percolated for years before the capital to realize my dream materialized. My desire for this machine is driven by two forces: first, the knowledge that tendons in my hands are damaged and only capable of so much fiddly work (damage which cannot be undone only managed and improved somewhat). Second, that the small budget of a budding designer does not include sample knitters and the first samples must be made by me. Also, that it is possible to have more ideas for designs than time in which to finish them all. The large stockingette chunk of sweater can be designed in two seconds, and knit over a week or more on needles. Presto machine, now stockingette sweater is done in 30 minutes! (Or more, this post does not presume to give accurate details on the time and energy involved in machine knitting.)

Ideals aside for a moment, I'm pumped about learning this machine. For the first time while knitting I am taking lessons ... Which are prompting me forward through these new techniques must faster than anticipated.

Second little learning sock on machine, first of the pair in this yarn.

To the right is the second sock (little Christmas ornament sized sock) made on the machine. The first was in an awful, or awesome, hunters orange. The mate to this lovely little sock is waiting to be seemed (something I also learned to do using the machine). The whole sock probably took an hour, including seaming. And the second went faster.

The real learning curve, for me, isn't the pattern directions or the techniques. It is the mechanics of the machine. Suddenly, there are moving parts and wand looking things instead of two straight sticks. Tension is controlled by something that looks like bug antenna, and it must be right or the whole thing gets gummed up.

On the second sock I learned how to pick up dropped stitches, fixed an improper crochet seam and hide my mistakes.

Some people think this machine will help me use more of my stash to make more things.

Some people didn't quite understand that now cotton yarn is needed to make dishcloths. I'm going shopping this weekend!

Oh, and advice: if you plan to buy a machine - read everything you can find first, buy used, and if possible buy from someone in your area that might have other services like lessons or repairs too! Even if you think you know everything, there is still so much to learn!

 

Be excellent to each other!

 

Monday, July 15, 2013

Yarn at altitude ...

My husband and I just returned from our summer vacation. We drove for 16+ hours to Grand Lake, CO; which is located right next to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) and 1 hour from Estes Park. As my first time west of Fargo, ND we made sure to take the scenic route through Colorado, along US-34 through Roosevelt National Park, into Estes and then along the Trail Ridge Pass through RMNP.
I give you these details because they bear upon yarn related topics.

Our entrance to the park began with the daily crossing of the bighorn sheep. They cross the highway every day at 4-4:30 pm. The park rangers are always there with their stop signs.
These will be my future heard.

My new bighorn flock.

View from Rainbow Pass.
To go along with my new flock, and all the yarn I will have to make from their fleeces - there were some really spectacular views ...

Of course little photos don't convey the full scale of these peaks, which aren't even the highest in the Rocky Mountain chain.







Elk in the tundra. A male is leading the herd.



We reached an altitude of approximately 12,000 ft. That altitude is the elk's living room. They were grazing on several slopes along the Alpine Pass.

After climbing the Alpine Trail to a peak - and drinking water and breathing - we gazed at the splendor of the mountains, seeing many trails calling our names. Next time.






 More photos:

Wildflowers of the tundra. Yellow is the common yellow monkey flower and blue is Mountain Fringed Gentian.
View from the peak of the Alpine Trail. Over 12,000 ft. Oh, and in case it seems too epic, you drive up to 11,500 feet and walk a short trail the rest of the way. You still breathe incredibly hard.
Baby marmot.

In the Kawuneeche Valley a cow and calf graze by a stream (which might be the beginnings of the Colorado River).
Elk grazing in the early morning light. There were larger males in the tundra lazing on the slopes.
Wildflowers by the beaver ponds, they are Little Elephant Head.

A little tired, and definitely feeling the altitude I spent my last day in Colorado relaxing. I worked on a Calypso sock being done in knitpicks chroma fingering - all done english style! It gave my poor trigger finger left index finger a much needed break.

While knitting the sock, ideas for new designs floated through my head - ideas like Monkey Flowers (yellow flower) and Little Elephant Heads (pink flower). A whole new set based on RMNP.
Plus, I'm learning how to use a knitting machine this week! After my three lessons and some assistance I hope to be churning out a few sweater designs!

Be excellent to each other!

Friday, July 5, 2013

Dream a little dream of yarn ...

Occasionally a dream is both intense and super satisfying. It's a change from dreams that are stressful, chaotic, and upsetting. During college I took a psychology course, focusing on dreams and the subconscious. It both improved my ability to remember my dreams, and provided lots of fun conversations with friends. Here goes:

 

A woman meets up with a party at a hotel. The lobby is designed like an atrium with stairs that ascend to terraces along the sides. Several terraces are the location of restaurants, set among the trees and cobbled avenues of this inside paradise. The woman's destination is a terrace restaurant towards the rear of the atrium. It specializes in small dishes of rare delicacies.

The party she is meeting more closely resembles an expedition force, only with two children tagging along. There are three men, two other women and a small boy and girl.

One man wears a long brown duster coat with an Australian cowboy or rancher hat. He face is angular, but very pale considering his outfit suggests a career of horses, dust and sunshine. Another man wears a beret upon his curly brown hair. He is dressed in a simple white button shirt and hiking pants with lots of pockets. Behind glasses his eyes are sharp, but turn kind with a smile as the woman approaches. The third man wears black with a sumptuous velvet vest over top. He tries to look arrogant, but comes across as slightly nervous.

The children sit quickly, as if they were expecting to be rebuked for causing the slightest disturbance, but upon the woman's arrival, they become slightly less withdrawn and smile and laugh together as they begin a quiet game. One of the women is obviously their governess or guardian as she sits close by supervising their game. The other is dressed as an art instructor. Long smock covered in paint, but underneath the woman arriving can discern a smart black dress with sensible shoes. A conglomeration of clothing items, that somehow work together to give the woman a bohemian, slightly cosmopolitan air.

 

Once arrived the woman is greeted joyously. Her journey to the atrium has been long and hard. She doesn't remember all her travels, but she remembers suffering loss and heartache. These people around her smile at her, asking for particulars of her travels, but understanding when she would rather remain silent.

There is one important piece of information that she shares. The house is occupied by a sorcerer or a demon. Their jobs will be hard, but not impossible. He has gotten complacent and merely let's his household traps maintain sefences without supervising.

The group finishes their meals and prepare to depart. As they rise their waiter returns to the table brandishing a knife at the smart cosmopolitan woman. From her frock she reveals a long blade, engaging with the demon as the rest of the party flees.

Somehow the groups escapes the atrium, but the cosmopolitan woman doesn't rejoin them. They leave her behind getting away in the cars parked outside awaiting them.

A short, or infinitely long time later (the woman can never remember) they arrived outside a dark house. Lights do not appear through the windows and ivy has been climbing the gate and exterior giving an abandoned look. But, it is not abandoned. It is defended. Well.

The man in black with the velvet vest approaches the gate with a key, it unlocks noiselessly and the party enters. Once through the gate shuts quietly behind them, clicking as it shuts. At least some in the party expected some loud and ominous noise as they breath slowly out in relief.

Approaching the door the party is distracted by lights bursting into illumination to the right side. Loud clanking noises accompanied by tinkling music are heard. The children grasp the reality first, that a carnival or amusement park has been constructed on the property.

While investigating this new construction (the woman knows it wasn't here before) the children ask to investigate the smallest roller coaster. Their guardian quickly discusses with the three men and they leave the group on the main path as they ascend to the ride. The ride starts without warning, somehow grabbing the children and woman carrying them along the rails in rickety cars that wail with every turning. The rest of the group can only watch in horror as the children and guardian approach a low hanging sign post above the tracks. The sign slowly moves down as the rides approach, falling the last few feet giving the riders no time to react as their heads appear to be chopped off as they pass under. Their bodies disappear and the group is left to mourn their loss. The two women and both children are gone.

The group quickly leaves the horrific amusement park, returning to the front door. Again the man in black and the vest is able to easily open the door and they enter. There are no lights. The man in the duster approaches a brazier to light it, a creaking sound is heard. Footsteps. Shuffles. A crowd is gathering upon the stair landing. Shambling down the little light of the flame reveals defiled monsters. The man in the vest reveals a glowing blade. Turning quickly back to the woman he hands her the key, he turns back to the creaturs and engages in ferocious battle.

The man in the beret and the man in the duster hurry the woman down and side passage. She finds a door leading to another staircase which she knows, somehow, will take them upstairs to the largest bedroom in the house.

The two men and the woman carefully ascend the stairs, no longer trusting the house. Upon the second floor they leave the stairwell, turning right towards the largest room.

A glowing light fills the hallway, at the very end of which, outside the doors, is a large glowing creature. It glows red, the color of anger, and it watches them. It appears to sense their intentions to enter this room, raising upon its haunches to growl a low threat. The woman and the men turn towards a smaller room and the creature sits back down appeased that they do not intend to enter its domain.

Inside the smaller room are chairs and a small bathtub behind a scream.

The loss of five of their companions has drained the woman's resources to continue on. She draws a bath and slips into the warm calming water. The man in the beret and the man in the duster sit in the chairs behind the screen.

The woman almost falls asleep, her head almost slipping beneath the surface. She jolts upright, causing the man in the beret to call out whether she is alright. Responding in the affirmative to two men continue talking.

The woman begins to follow their talk, hearing things of enchantments, a quest, the dangers of their road. As she listens the woman begins to understand. The man in the beret does not believe their companions dead, merely taken. The man in the duster believes their companions are being tortured to obtain information. It seems unreal. All these people that the woman knows as an acquaintance are being tortured. For what?

"Does she know?"

"That she holds the key, no. She hasn't realized."

The woman has a key. Whether she is the woman they speak of, she has a key. The man in black and velvet gave it to her before he saved them from the demons.

She rises from the tub splashing large quantities of water upon the floor in her haste. The quickly robes and rushes to the door of their room.

The two men hurry towards her, but she holds up her hand. Looks of understanding cross their face, looks she doesn't understand.

She opens the door, approaches the creature ... Instead of challenging her is slowly moves aside, allowing her to pass. Once through it growls at the men challenging their entrance to the same room. The woman puts the key in the lock, the key the man in black gave her. The key turns and she enters a room bathed in light.

Or darkness and red burning?

Or light ...

The woman closes her eyes and breathes.

A slow growl greets her ... But her nose senses a warm musty smell. A smell of wood, oils, fabric, and a familiar comforting smell.

The growl grows louder as the woman inhales over and over.

 

Lanolin. She smells lanolin.

The growl turns to a whine. She opens her eyes to a brightly colored and wonderfully light room in which sit baskets of...

Roving, yarn, half finished garments. A spinning wheel sits in one corner. A knitting contraption in another.

She beings to remember. This is her room. Filled with her passion, knitting, yarn, spinning. The warmth of the fiber in her hands - the smell of the sheep as the cleans the locks.

Somewhere a deep click is heard and feet approach up the stairs.

The door is thrown open wide by the man in black and velvet with the other two gentlemen behind.

She remembers.

Her husband.

Their household.

The children that are hers! Safe! As they had been trapped only by the malignant spirit which used her S the key to his enchantment. So long as she didn't remember, so long as she didn't know ... They were all under his power. He used her memories, leaving her with nothing. These memories gave him the power to take their house and begin building his power.

Her people found her quickly and began moving to return her to house in an attempt to overthrow the spirit or power.

Her room of yarn was again hers.

Her husband walked her towards a wall, covered with a carved tree. The wall moved at his touch and more passages were revealed more passages of glowing rooms that smelt of different crafts... Singed wood, warm butter and crusty loaves ... Their house was warm. It was filled with their wonderful passions. Her memory was hers again.

 

 

And there was yarn!