Don't Talk About Work

Penguin Sweaters

2011-10-29T10:13:00.006-04:00

I was on Cute Overload this morning, showing TL some photos of dog costumes. He hadn't seen the site before (not surprisingly). While there, I saw this photo of a penguin wearing a little sweater. At first, I thought "How cute! How weird is that?" "Why would anyone do that?"

When I clicked over to The Yarn Kitchen blog, to look at the pattern, I realized it's a charitable work. These poor little penguins have been effected by the oil spill in New Zealand; and the sweaters are to help them stay warm and prevent them from eating oil, too. You can read all about it on the blog post.

According to Cute Overload, they have enough sweaters for now. I went back and read the CL article after seeing the Yarn Kitchen post. The image above is from the Cute Ovcrload site

New phone New Blogger app

2011-09-23T20:27:00.001-04:00

Well, we decided that since M's schedule had changed so much that he couldn't pick up TurtleLad every day that TL would have to start riding the bus and then walk 2 miles from the bus stop to home. It was a hard thing for me to be Okay with, but he is in middle school. So, because he'd worked hard all summer to earn his 1st mp3 player, we decided to 'upgrade' his reward to a phone (which does play music). Naturally, this decision caused TL's parents to research the best phones and balance it with the budget, etc.This caused us to gauge these new phones against our Really Old phones -- I mean our plans had expired over a year ago -- and we found our phones wanting.The result? Not surprisingly, we have 3 new (refurbished) smart phones at our house. YAY! I just downloaded a Bloogger app, so I should be able to post more knitting stuff.At least there's a chance I will be able to post on-the-fly from the phone.

Review: French Girl Knits

2011-09-18T18:41:00.001-04:00

I have wanted to look at French Girl Knits 9781596680692 by Kristeen Griffin-Grimes since the time it came out in 2009, but I only now have carefully looked at it. Most of the designs use seamless construction, building on Barbara Walker’s and Elizabeth Zimmerman’s techniques. The 18 patterns are nicely photographed, showing garments on models and showing details of the construction from a variety of angles. Griffin-Grimes includes short sections on different seamless construction methods: side-to-side, top-down raglan, bottom up raglan, top down set in sleeve and bottom up set-in sleeve construction. The book includes a few other tips, such as grafting mohair yarns and knit to fit. For all these sections, the book is worth checking out. Some of the patterns are very nice and have interesting construction. Other patterns are not at all to my liking, so taking up precious bookshelf space is debatable. As with any knitting book, remember to look for corrections online.

The patterns are all given French women's names, which is less helpful than their subtitles, so I'll ignore 245 a and go for b. Oh wait, that was like work. I thought the Cable-edged cardigan (Sophia) on the front cover was fine, and then I saw the back (haven't found a picture online) and now I may want to make it. The Cable and lace jacket (Stella) also has interesting construction and it looks like it would move well. I like the Airy Shrug (Veronique) so well that I may purchase yarn for it this week.

Notes mostly for myself: Other patterns I like include Tunic tank (Nadine) and Short sleeved cardigan (Viola). The lacy tie-hem tunic uses KidLin Lace. I haven’t seen this yarn before and now I’d like to find it since I am unfamiliar with linen mohair blends. A couple other patterns worth noting due to popularity in Ravelry (but not of interest to me) are the Lacy cap-sleeve top (Delphine) and the Leather-laced cardigan (Wrenna).

Review: Glamour Knits

2011-09-18T09:29:00.001-04:00

Glamour Knits 9780307347206 by Erika Knight has a mere 15 patterns andlittle text. The patterns mostly involve ribbons, sequins or other sparklyelements. There are few patterns that I find at all appealing. If I made the Cable Vest, it would be in something other than Lurex Shimmer. I like the Lace Top except for the ribbon/organza bits. The Ribbed Shrug looks pretty ordinary and non-glamorous, which makes it more appealing than most items. Each item has 2 color photos, one worn by a model, and one with no model.I’m sure it saved a lot on production costs, but I find having all the picturesin the front and the directions at the back with purple-scale photos a bitawkward. It is like a common magazine layout, but the photos at the front arenot labeled or numbered so it is not as easy as it should be to find theinstructions when looking at the picture. Since there are so few patterns, itdoesn’t take too long to flip through them all to find the one you want. A review on Amazon says the patterns are full of errors, which made any slight interest in this book vanish for me.

Review: Luxe Knits

2011-09-17T18:44:00.000-04:00

Luxe Knits 9781600592836 by Laura Zukaite has some interesting techniques in it, but the designs are more high fashion than I wear. The garments are shown on impossibly skinny women in unnatural poses. The photography is artistic but it fails to actually show the garments properly. Pictures of accessories can mostly show the model in a whole outfit and you can’t see the accessory. Pictures may be sharp on the models face but out of focus on portions of the knitting. The descriptions may refer to elements of the design (such as the front) that are never shown. I really want my knitting books to focus on the knitting in the picture.

That said, the book is interesting to flip through. The original sketches are included and there are a couple of sentences about the design, so it is interesting to see the design process at work. The Shawl Sweater is an interesting design. You can see it in the preview linked above. The technique used for the Tonal Skirt and the Tube Scarf are interesting, slowing transiting through various colors. The scarf is even something I could consider making. The Herringbone Purse (not in Ravelry) has a nice look, if it was made half or a third the size. Zukait incorporates leather lacings into the knit as part of the herringbone and then they become the handles. The Cable Wristlets (not in Ravelry) are made on straight needles so Sari may want to take a look at that pattern (not being a fan of dpns). I like the effect of lace weight yarn as a simple semi-sheer panel inset in a deep v neck cabled sweater (Deep V Sweater) but I can skip the huge asymmetry of the hem. The Fitted Blouse might be nice, with its waffle on top and fitted ribbed bodice below, if only there were photos where the top wasn’t all stretched out by the models elbows. If I crocheted, the Half Moon Stole (not in Ravelry) might be tempting. The Peplum Cardigan looks wearable by people I know. One more thing - wow the designer uses a lot of cashmere (and silk). Overall, the book is worth looking at but I don’t think I would ever make something from it.

Bamboo Dishcloth

2011-07-14T14:35:00.003-04:00

So Rick and I went to some garage sales last month, and I got a fabulous knitting guide from the 1960s with 900 stitch patterns. I have been experimenting with using them to make dishcloths. This one turned out well, so I will post the pattern here.

I used Sugar and Cream Cotton yarn, color? I never save the ball bands!
Size 8 needles--use 1 size larger than you usually use

Cast on 36

Rows 1-3 Knit all

Row 4 Knit 3, *yo, K2, pass YO over the K2* repeat ** until 3 stitches left, end Knit 3

Row 5 Knit 3, purl all to last 3, end Knit 3

Repeat Rows 4 & 5 until the cloth is your desired length.

End with 3 rows Knit, then cast off loosely.

The picture is right off the needles, so you can see that blocking some will help. This is a pretty thick cloth with some texture for scrubbing.

3rd Annual Carolina FiberFest

2011-05-23T08:19:00.004-04:00

I went to the FiberFest on Sunday morning with my mother-in-law. Our men-folk were also at the NC State Fairgrounds, but they wandered about the rest of the "Got to be NC Festival" of which the FiberFest was a part. This year's Carolina FiberFest was quite a bit bigger than last year's, and just as fun. I didn't take any classes, but I did have a great time wandering through the demos and vendor booths. So much alpaca (and angoras and buffalo and cotton and wool), so little time!

Since my workshop is now nearly complete (blog post and photos coming soon), I took the precaution of going through all of my yarn before going to the FiberFest. I had to organize it anyhow, so I thought checking to see what I owned before going to buy more was essential. MM was very happy with me for at least trying to put the brakes on. I only bought one ball of lace weight yarn, Schoppel Wolle Zauberball (lace ball), in shades of blue. I couldn't resist it, but found out that the free pattern it came with really won't work with the yarn. Oh well, I'll find another.

My mother-in-law, however, found more that she couldn't resist. She bought some lovely pure Angora yarn from the Cozy Rabbit Farm that she'll use to knit a headband/ear warmers with. She travels a lot and needs something she can take along. She also found that she needs to have a lace shawl for her travels, but when she said she didn't think she's up to knitting lace, I volunteered to help her out. I'm so generous! lol She found the pattern and yard she wanted at The Unique Sheep.
The ladies there were very helpful, and helped her to find just the right colorway for her. She had to order the yarn I'll use to knit the shawl because they were out of the colorway she liked in the fiber that doesn't irritate her skin. Since she sensitive to wool, she tested a merino superwash/Tencel mix and it turns out she's fine with this fiber. Unfortunately, they were out of the colorway she liked best (Carribbean) in this fiber, so we'll have to wait a couple of weeks for it to come in.

I also finished up a sweater this weekend for my friend's daughter who turned 4 over the weekend. I will get it back and take some photos to post here. Yes, I should have remembered to take photos before wrapping.

Spinning with Beads (handout)

2011-04-29T09:46:00.004-04:00

This is the handout used for my class on Spinning Beads into Yarn at the Iowa Federation of Handweavers and Spinners.

Spinning Beaded Yarn

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT DESIGN

What size yarn will you be spinning? This can impact the distance between beads and the size of the bead you use.

Will you be weaving or knitting with the yarn? Beads will be a lot closer after the yarn is knit than in the skein, so if you are spinning for knitting you will want the beads further apart than if you are spinning for weaving. If knitting, what size needles will you use? Knitting on bigger needles takes more yarn, so space your beads accordingly.

How heavy are the beads? Make sure the yarn can hold the weight. Note that a single bead may feel light, but if you use a lot of them, the yarn can become heavy.

How big are the beads? You don’t want them to be lost in the yarn (or why go to the bother), but you also want them to work with the yarn in the technique you are using. For example, can you knit a stitch using the bead? If you use large beads, make sure they can go through the orifice and do not hang up on the hooks.

What is the final project? Will you use the beads all over (like in a scarf) or as an embellishment/trim or as an occasional yarn (stripe)? If the beads will be all over, you may want them smaller if the item is to be worn.

Do you want the beads to be obvious or subtle? This can be done with size, quantity, color contrast with yarn or sparkle. Beads will show up better in a fairly solid color yarn. They can get a bit lost in yarn that stripes, and if the yarn has a lot of color, small beads can easily be too subtle. Matte beads that are a close match to the yarn can vanish.

Consider using a mixture of sizes, types or colors of beads.

Make sure the beads will hold up to the care requirements of the item, e.g. are they washable?

Some beads have sharp edges, like crystals, and may cut your fiber.

GENERAL TIPS

Always sample for the final project — I find it hard to judge the spacing of the beads and whether I like the effect. I am not good at following my own advice.

Remember the beads will wind up on the inside, not just the outside. You may want to use twice as many to account for this. They will not be evenly distributed on both sides and the stitch pattern may effect this distribution. Beads will be denser in some areas through chance. If you really want beads in specific places, you should add them when knitting or add them to the knit/woven item.

If the item will be tight against (not just next to) your skin (e.g. cuffs or hatband), you may want to skip beads there since beads will be inside and then may be pushed into your skin.

Adding beads takes time. One option is to add beads only to a portion of the yarn, such as for an edging.

If you will be knitting, you may want a long section with no beads for the cast on/off.

METHOD 1: STRING BEADS ON SOMETHING AND THEN PLY WITH YARN

The yarn needs to be consistently small enough for the beads to go through, strong enough for the weight of the beads, and smooth enough for the beads to slide on. You will be sliding a lot of beads, so make sure the yarn/thread is up to it. Keep this in mind particularly with option 3. The hole in the bead will need to accommodate two threads passing through the hole when you thread the beads onto the yarn.

Think about what effect the direction of plying will have on the yarn you string the beads onto—you don’t want it to come apart!

If you are adding beads only to a portion of the yarn, such as for an edging, you will want to include the extra thread without beads in the ply to keep the yarn consistent in the beaded and non-beaded sections. If you are using a sewing thread in a matching color this may not be necessary.

Note that the holes in some beads vary a bit in size. You may be able to get the yarn/needle through some beads but not others. This is particularly an issue with small beads.

I find it easiest to knot the thread with the bead with the handspun at both ends to make sure the beads can’t come off.

OPTION 1: ON A THREAD OR OTHER VERY FINE COMMERCIAL YARN

The thread in this case will not be a major element in the yarn design. However, a contrasting color will show up. You could use a metallic yarn to add sparkle all through the yarn, as long as the beads won’t abrade it. You could use a thread very close in color to try to have the thread disappear. You can buy silk thread from the fabric store; it is more limited in colors and a bit heavier than regular thread.

If you want to use size 11 seed beads, sewing thread will be your option. You will probably need to use a bead needle (size 10) unless you have a very fine sewing needle. Beading needles are long which makes stringing the beads easier. I hold the spool of thread on my niddy noddy.

Remember—if you are sampling with remnants on spools, and if you have strung a lot of bead on the thread, when you run out of thread, all the remaining beads will scatter across the floor.

You can use thread with only 1 handspun ply, but you will probably want to use bigger beads to make sure they don’t get lost in the yarn design.

OPTION 2: ON NOT AS FINE COMMERCIAL YARN

You can use any yarn fine enough to pass through the beads you are using. The yarn will be visible so make sure it adds to your yarn design. Yarn intended for warps should generally work well.

OPTION 3: ON HANDSPUN

Keep in mind the consistency and smoothness needed if you decide to use handspun. You will need to put all the beads on at first and slide them down the yarn. This could be a lot of abrasion for hundreds of beads moving along the yarn, so make sure your yarn is up to it. I typically do this as a variant on method 2 (see below).

BASICS

String all the beads you expect to use (and then some) on the thread. Add more beads than you think you will need so that you don’t run out of them; otherwise you need to cut your thread, add more beads, and knot it or stop your skein.

For example, if you are plying 100 yards and want a bead every 1 foot, this is 300 beads. You may want to think about your skein size to help make the number of beads to move manageable.

I hold several inches of beads in my hand so that I can release one bead when ready. I try to keep the bead thread with one of my plies so I make sure it is getting plied properly. I try hold my hand back a consistent distance from the orifice and then release a bead when I see the previous one enter.

Treadle slowly. You will be going a lot slower than you normally ply, especially at first. I need to stop semi-frequently to adjust the beads or put more in my hand. Be sure you actually ply the right amount—I often concentrate too much on adding a bead at a semi-regular interval that I over ply.

Plying is MUCH easier off two bobbins. A center pull ball is difficult. Andean plying is even harder, even with small samples.

METHOD 2: ADD BEADS WHEN SPINNING

I find pre-drafting helps.

You can use larger beads for this method. You can also use larger seed beads, such as number 6. With a finer fishing line number 8 beads work fine.

Fold a piece of fishing line in half. Make the fold crisp enough that you can feed it through the center of a bead. It helps to have tape over the loose ends so the beads don’t fall off. You can also use heavy thread—see “Beaded yarn” by Allena Jackson in the resources.

Spin some. Break off the roving and insert the unspun end of the spun yarn through the loop of the fishing line. Slide a few beads off the fishing line loop onto the yarn. Reconnect the roving and start spinning. You can slide the beads along the yarn to put them into place.

Note that if the yarn you are spinning is much smaller than the hole in the beads and/or if the yarn is quite smooth the beads will not stay where you leave them. Very slick beads (such as those lined for added shine) will also slip. When beads slip, they will just pile up around the hooks instead of moving with the yarn. When plying, you can easily move them around to space them as you want. If you know the beads are going to pile up, you could leave the beads in clusters or 4 or so and then move them when plying, but I find it difficult to know how many to leave for the amount spun.

Moving beads when plying is a bit like Method 1, Option 3, but the beads don’t need to move nearly as much on the yarn (and there won’t be as many sliding along the yarn and they won’t be moving as far). Unlike in method 1, the beads naturally move up to your hand, which I find easier. If you add the beads as you spin, you can make sure you don’t have any thick spots that the beads can’t move across. If you string them at as in method 1 and hit a thick spot, you will simply be stuck.

This method with carded wool has worked for me. The beads do not stay in place when I have used merino top.

METHOD 3: ADD BEADS WHEN NAVAJO PLYING

The instructions I read suggested a small crochet hook. I also tried my looped fishing line. Since I could have more beads on the fishing line I found this easier.

Use the crochet hook or fishing line to put a bead over a loop. Slide the bead down to the bottom of the loop. You want a large enough loop so that there is enough twist that the bead doesn’t come off the loop. I had to stop every time I fed on a bead, but other people have been able to get a fairly smooth rhythm.

Note that you will be feeding the bead through 2 strands of yarn for this, so keep that in mind when deciding how fine to spin and how big the beads need to be. Four strands go through the hole through the loop with the fishing line.

One design option with multi-colored yarn would be to use different color beads based on the color of the loop.

METHOD 4: ADD BEADS BY JOINING SECONDARY BIT OF FIBER

I have just learned this technique from this YouTube video. You can use it to put beads on a singles yarn. “Spinning a Beaded Single” by Wind Rose Fiber Studio. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz-sANnxVi0

Begin by feeding one bead over fairly small bits of roving using your fishing line or a fine crochet hook. Set these in an easy to reach pile. Pre-draft your fiber. As you spin, every so often pick up one of the bits of fiber with a bead. Join this to your yarn without breaking off the fiber. As you do this, be sure to draft the main fiber more than usual so you don’t get a thick spot. Your goal is to have yarn both inside and next to the bead, holding it in place.

When I did this, I found I often over drafted the main fiber and wound up with no fiber outside the bead. I over spun my singles. However, this could also work as one ply for a two ply.

RESOURCES

“Dew drop fabric” by Laura Harrawood. Spin-Off (Spring 2004) p.38-39

“Beaded yarns” by Judith MacKenzie McCuin. Spin-Off (Winter 2003) p.50-54

“Beaded Yarns for a Little Scarf” by Judith MacKenzie McCuin. Spin-Off (Winter 2003) p. 57

“Novelty act” by Stephanie Gausted. Spin-Off (Spring 1997) p.40-43

Spinning Designer Yarns by Diane Varney. Loveland, Colo.: Interweave Press, 1987. p.85-87

“How do you spin beads into yarn?” http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/2007/08/how-do-you-spin-beads-into-yarn.html

“How do you spin beads into yarn? (Part 2)" http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-do-you-spin-beads-into-yarn-part-2.html

“Do you add extra plying twist to keep beads in place?” http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/2007/09/do-you-add-extra-plying-twist-to-keep.html

“What thread do you use for spinning beads into yarn?” http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/2008/01/what-thread-do-you-use-for-spinning.html

“Beaded Yarn” by Allena Jackson http://www.spindleandwheel.com/content/view/39/54/

“How to Spin Beads into Yarn: A Plying Method” by Neauveau Fiber Arts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxIlXEbP8HQ

“Spinning With Beads” http://www.artofspinning.com/SpinningWithBeads.shtml. Includes Navajo plying info.

My blog entries:

Bus hat

2011-03-22T20:52:00.003-04:00

Coming home on the bus today, I noticed a woman’s knit hat (of the basic slightly slouchy variety). I notice knitwear fairly often and even sometimes make a short-lived attempt to figure out the pattern. In this case, the woman was sitting right in front of me and the pattern looked quite simple, so I tried to figure it out. And then I quickly made notes on my iPod touch. Then I took a quick snap with my phone. Maybe I’ll even figure out how to get the picture off my phone without costing any money…

So, here are my quick notes. I have no idea how this would work out in reality.

Cast on 120 stitches. I think it is a worsted weight yarn. On smaller needles, do K1P1 ribbing for 1.5-2 inches. Switch to bigger needles (it is a drapey garter).

Next round knit all.

Next round *purl 14, knit 1 (8 times total).

Repeat these rounds for … um ….(OK, note taking fails here) … a few times before it is time to start the decreases… I think the phrase is “do until done”.

At the appropriate time, start decreasing. I think it will be a sl 1, k2tog, psso (i.e. a symmetrical double decrease). Center the decrease on the stockinette, so you have nice triangular garter panels separated by a line of stockinette. The last round should have 8 stitches, joining together at the top.

Okay, not the best pattern, but possibly enough so that even if you haven’t seen it you could knit it. And now I’ve put my notes somewhere that I might not lose them.

Hats-Hats-Hats

2010-11-20T21:30:00.003-05:00

So, I finally learned to use dpns, and it is hat season. So far this week I've made a red beanie (rejected by John), and a Who hat. The Who hat was for Ashley but it looks a little big. It might be someone else's Christmas present.

Tonight I am going to start working on a beret for me. We are going to Minnesota in a week and it will be cold for sure.

Swedish knits: classic and modern designs in the Scandinavian traditon -- Review

2010-08-14T13:31:00.003-04:00

I grabbed this book because I liked the look of the scarf on the cover. However--the title of this book is completely wrong....this is a wonderful book for new knitters.
There are basic instructions, basic and advanced stitch patterns, and the best part--a chapter on "averting disaster" with the best instructions and pictures for correcting mistakes that I have seen. There are patterns--which of course lean heavily towards sweaters. There are also instructions on making your own patterns, including measuring.

Overall, this is a pretty decent reference book. Recommended for new knitters to add to their reference library. Experienced knitters--use a copy from the library!

Pattern writing is NOT fun

2010-07-27T21:05:00.003-04:00

So, I need to make a scarf pattern for someone to wear at football games....and because it will have obscene language, I am pretty sure I will have to do something on my own rather than find a pattern.

The color scheme will be black and gold (Go Hawks!), so this would also lend itself to shadow knitting....but I don't know how to do that either.

I have found some knitting/chart pattern generators online, but they really don't seem to be working the way I intended. I may have to use graph paper and just do it the old-school way.

I am thinking that intarsia will be a)too much work b)look terrible in the back. Duplicate stitch will be first. A hat with an intarsia border might work ok too.....but might not have the same affect as a scarf.

And why do I care how this looks, since it is a joke after all? I expect my design to be on national tv, as the intended recipient--Russell--is always in the front row at football games.

400 Knitting Stitches : a complete dictionary of essential stitch patterns- review

2010-07-25T15:42:00.002-04:00

I had high hopes for this book, and the online reviews looked good. However--it is not something I feel compelled to add to my knitting library.
+lots of interesting patterns, arranged in logical categories
+charts included (not that I care)
+binding lets the book mostly lie flat when you have it open
+18.95 list price is decent

-instructions sort of ramble on and don't have line breaks--so they sort of go like this 1st:blah blah blah. 2th, 7th, 9th rows do this. 3rd do something else.
-no yarn or needle size recommendations--you are just supposed to intuit what would work best
-the title made me think this would be very comprehensive, but there were lots of patterns missing

Check this out from the library before purchasing.

Vogue Knitting Shawls & Wraps - review

2010-07-17T12:07:00.002-04:00

As I would expect from Vogue, this is a gorgeous book, with patterns at all skill levels, including the adventurous and the easy (felted shawl). The directions look complete, with charts and written instructions.

The only problem that I see is--many of these projects require numerous skeins of high end yarn (10 skeins of cashmere = $375-500!!!) and if you wanted to exactly replicate the look, it could be beyond expensive. No yarn substitutions are suggested, but since sizing is as important with shawls and wraps, you could probably make adjustments.

At $24.95 list, I'd recommend looking at this at the library first. I will probably try to buy it at a discount so I have enough money left over to buy yarn.

Review-Reversible Knitting by Lynne Barr

2010-07-11T13:40:00.005-04:00

This is a beautiful book, great illustrations, very complete instructions, nice photography, which probably explains the $29.95 price. However--I find many of the stitch patterns overly complicated, (19 row repeats!) and flat out ugly. I did like two of the patterns--for a 4 color reversible bag, and for a hat, but in reality--I wouldn't even check this book out from the library.
NOT recommended except for those who really like to experiment.

Carolina FiberFest 2010

2010-05-28T13:22:00.005-04:00

The second annual Carolina FiberFest was last weekend (May 21-23) and it was great! I took some time on Friday morning and went over to the NC State Fairgrounds. The whole festival was put on in conjunction with an annual AgFest, so there was a lot of bustle on the fairgrounds in general. I went on Friday to beat the crowds, and I'm glad I did. I met up with a few friends, picked out some new yarns, met some new friends and signed up to take a spinning class next month!

I've been toying with the idea of learning how to use a drop spindle for a long time, mostly to copy WK. :) just joking A few months ago, I picked up a book called "Spin to Knit" by Shannon Okey. I intended to review the book here, but never got around to it. I did actually read the book, though, and think it's very informative and helpful. I just didn't have any fiber or tools, so I didn't dive right in. There were a lot of people spinning in the vendor booths, at exhibit tables and so forth at the FiberFest, so I started thinking of buying a drop spindle. I even interrupted someone who was spinning in her booth with some questions I had from reading. She gave me a nice little demo and some advice (which I think I can remember until I get a spindle).

One of the ladies from the Twisted Threads Fiber Arts Guild was at the FiberFest, and we started chatting when I sat down at their table to knit for a while. Anyhow, she let me know she's teaching a drop spindle spinning class at my favorite LYS on June 6, so I ran over and signed up. The fee includes fiber and a drop spindle, so I decided it would be best to strengthen what I'd learned from the book with hands-on practice.

Hopefully, the next time I post, I'll have a photo or two of something I've accomplished!

Linking to Other Blogs

2010-05-18T14:59:00.004-04:00

So, after reading someone Else's blog today at lunch (shocking!), I realized there must be an easy way to include links to interesting blogs on our blog. So, I not only was right (also shocking), I figured out how to and linked to 2 blogs in the right-hand navigation column. I think that they will be interesting to all of us, and not just me. Sorry if I'm wrong! :)

I encourage you both to also add blogs that you think we'll all like.

Knitted Sea Creatures

2010-04-27T20:55:00.006-04:00

Here is a photo of the sea creatures (all invertebrates), that I knit for a friend's baby boy. I had intended to get them done before he was born, but I ended up getting them done by his 1st birthday. Considering the problems with the patterns, and the amount of un- and re-knitting I had to do, I think I did pretty darn well! I could add all the details about the designer, the yarn and needles, etc., but I frankly didn't jot enough down and would have to make up at least 1/2 of it.

Oh, and I did really get these done in February, so I'm pathetic, but not quite that pathetic.

New Blog to look at

2010-04-27T20:53:00.003-04:00

I thought you both might be interested in this blog. "Bee Log" It's not knitting, but it is about a hobby! http://mtbees.blogspot.com/

"Vinyard" handspun yarn

2010-03-03T17:53:00.003-05:00

In October I went to the Bishop Hill Spin-In. One of the items I purchased was a 4 oz bag of “Transitions Painted Roving” (70% wool, 20% silk and 10% mohair) in the Vinyard colorway from High Prairie Fibers. It was my first post-broken arm spinning. I have almost 600 yard of Z spun singles. (I’m a bit fuzzy on the total because the counter on my skein winder wasn’t always advancing properly).

Here it is in the bag, unspun (I should have taken it out, but I took the picture with a broken arm and it seemed like a lot of work at the time).

Here are the two skein side by side. Because of the color change they look very different.

Close-up of the brown-green half.

Close-up of the grey-purple half.

Brown-green wound into a ball.

Grey-purple wound into a ball.

I am planning to make a two-sided cabled scarf. I’ll have to play around and see if that works with the yarn. But that is what I planned on before spinning. In November L started a scarf that I liked (Ondeleux Cables). Lily Chin had a guide to the reversible cables in the Winter 2009 issue of Interweave Knits.

Christmas Dog Shrug pattern

2010-02-02T11:20:00.004-05:00

I always prefer to work from someone else's patterns. I was running out of time, and this one was a great idea, but would have taken too long.

This was written specifically for Roxy, a 6-pound Yorkie mix. I used Red Heart Christmas yarn--red with gold.

I didn't write down everything exactly, but this is pretty close to what I did. (I guess you could call this an Elizabeth Zimmerman type pattern...even though I don't like her style).

Cast on 16 stitches and make 1.5 inches of K2, P2 ribbing.
Then: increase 1 stitch for the next 10 rows.
Garter stitch until you are 2.5 inches from the full length. (Roxy's version is 16-18 inches total).
Then decrease 1 stitch for the next 10 rows.
Then K2, P2 for 1.5 inches.

Sew up the ribbing + a couple of rows of garter stitches on each side. Put on dog, and see how long it lasts!

Adapt this to your dog/any yarn:
measure around the dog's lower front leg--this gives you the width of the bottom of the shrug

measure from the dog's lower leg, across back to similar place on other front leg--this gives you the total length

I've finally done it!

2010-01-26T23:03:00.003-05:00

I have finally figured out how to use DPNs. I think it only took me 4-5 years, 10-15 books, personal instruction. Ok--to be truthful, I can only seem to make it work if I have 3 needles in a triangle shape, but it has opened up a whole new world for me.

I have made 2 hats so far, and will probably make many more. I like one skein projects best. I like to finish things. I'm a project knitter for sure.

Review: Knitting in Tuscany

2009-12-29T18:20:00.001-05:00

Knitting in Tuscany 9781933027753 by Nicky Epstein is a good book for an armchair traveler. She includes not only patterns but also information about Tuscany from a knitter’s perspective. Much of the information is also simply about Tuscany – her favorite places, sites and, of course, the food. I already wanted to go to Tuscany, and her book has only encouraged this desire. Nicki Epstein does a lot with embellishment and based on designs I had seen of hers before, I wasn’t expecting to like much in the book. I was pleasantly surprised. There are two items added to my possibly make list—the Cypress Capelet (looks really useful for wearing at work to block the cold breeze on me) and the Cashmere Necklette (although I’d probably skip the beads). However, some of the other items were still interesting and I can appreciate her skill as a knitter and her creativity. I thoroughly recommend checking this out from the library, especially if you are looking at the snow and wishing to be somewhere else.

Review: Japanese Inspired Knits

2009-12-29T12:38:00.001-05:00

Japanese inspired knits 9781596681149 by Marianne Isager has 12 patterns in it, one for each month. The author is Danish and she was inspired when living in Japan, as the title indicates. The patterns use fine yarn – often doubled, often a mix of wool and alpaca. It is all yarn in her line. Even with the doubling the needles tend to be small – size 2 is the most common but 4 and 6 are also used. Many of the patterns also teach a more advanced technique, such as double knitting. Because the yarns are fine, she is able to work in a lot of detail in garments that still drape and flow. Several of the construction shapes, such as the fan are unusual. In other cases the stitch patterns work with the colors for interesting effects, such as rice fields. I really like this book and it is now on my list to buy.

Review: Knitted Jackets

2009-12-18T18:50:00.003-05:00

Knitted Jackets: 20 Designs from Classic to Contemporary 1596680261 by Cheryl Oberle is a nice enough Interweave press book. However, very little seemed like something I would wear. Everything seems so loose and boxy and seems a bit heavy, but this is probably because they are jackets. I think this means knitted jackets may not really be for me. The author states that most of the fitting is in the sleeve length since jackets are meant to fit over the top of other garments. Each pattern indicates the Craft Yarn Council of America's yarn weight and sizing. Most of the pattern use yarn of size 4, with some of 3 and 5. There is a pretty even spread of patterns for standard, loose and oversize fit.

L brought this book to knitters a few weeks ago, and I liked the book better then, so it may just be my mood. We talked a bit about wabi Sabi and how good it would look in Noro. It is made in panels-the back is in two narrow sections, so when you knit them, the colors will stripe in a similar fashion to the front pieces. I thought Northwest Celtic was an interesting take on a Salish style sweater. A few look comfortable, like the Wrapper and Three sisters, and possibly even the Bloomsbury jacket, so I guess I like the book well enough. The patterns have a mix of colorwork and texture and lace, and more dressy to more casual, so it is a reasonable overview.

Review: Knitting in the Sun

2009-12-18T18:43:00.004-05:00

Knitting In the Sun: 32 Projects for Warm Weather 9780470416662 by Kristi Porter is a pretty new book. I perhaps would have been more receptive to it when there wasn't snow on the ground. For the most part, I did not particularly like the patterns-they just aren't me. One nice feature is that each pattern lists skills used. Also, you go to the publisher's site to download some of the pattern, which as long as the links are permanent, is nice so you don't need to photocopy them to mark your place in the pattern. My favorite item is the Anna Maria tank, which has some nice shaping and the lace accents the shaping. The author pairs it with the Quimper bolero, which looked fine in the side photo, but from the front is not to my taste. The Hollyhock tee is also fairly attractive and I could see making it. The Bordeaux lace shawl is nice, but I can't say I like it better than other lace stoles. One of the items that I find most attractive is something I would never make-the Black sea gored skirt. So, not a book for my collection, but if you live in a warmer area, you may want to look at it (and JQ - I'm sure you need the smocked tube top).

Review: Handknit holidays

2009-12-17T19:52:00.004-05:00

Apparently I am in the mood to look at knitting books....

Handknit holidays: knitting year-round for Christmas, Hanukkah and winter solstice 1584794542 by Melanie Falick is a pretty nice book. As the subtitle indicates, a variety of holidays are included. And as the subtitle implies, the book is not full of last minutes gifts. Some of the items could be made on a deadline, but others are quite complex. The book is collection of about 50 patterns from 30 designers, including Veronik Avery, Nicky Epstein, Norah Gaughan, Priscilla Gibson-Roberts, Annie Modesitt and Jolene Treace. Some of the patterns are fairly standard fare, some are not at all to my liking, but there are some that have some nice elements. The Stained glass scarf looks like an easy introduction to double knitting and is probably the item I am most likely to make from the book. I may also make the snowy triangle and hat -- I have been contemplating making a scarf like that and it is nice to have a hat pattern to go with the modular triangles. I enjoyed reading the short blurbs before each pattern and looking at the book, but now it can go back to the library.

Review: Great Knitted Gifts

2009-12-15T21:06:00.007-05:00

So I was waiting in the public library for a friend and so I was filling in time looking at the knitting books. I started on the new shelf and then moved to the recently returned section. Needless to say, several had to do with knitting for gifts or holidays. I flipped through a couple and was so disinterested I couldn't even pretend to do a review (if I had more time I would have gone to one of the library computers and given them a big ol' yawn. I did check out a couple, so without further ado....

Great knitted gifts 1402713231 by Andrea Shackleton & Gayle Shackleton is not a book of quick knits. It is not a book of holiday items. The projects are gifts only in that the authors think they would make good gifts. There are 4 chapters - Circles and Dots (5 patterns); Flowers (7 patterns); Squares and Stripes (8 patterns); Kids and Holidays (11 patterns). Many of the patterns use intarsia. Most of them are quite different from what I've seen elsewhere. Despite being attracted to "dotty" patterns lately, nothing in the dot chapter grabbed me. In fact, only one pattern grabbed me, and the more I look at it the less it is grabbing me.

One interesting thing, as a handspinner, all the yarn is handspun, in sportweight wool. Yarn weights (not yardage) are actually listed at the back, not with the patterns. I expect this might make it harder for a non-spinner to make the items.

So, overally I'd give the book a pass, but if you see it on a shelf it is worth flipping through.

Review: Knitting and Tea

2009-12-14T18:41:00.006-05:00

Knitting and Tea 9780307352217 by Jane Gottelier combines information about tea and knitting in one book. All the writing is about tea, not about the patterns. The pictures are nice and it is really fast read, so not a bad one to read in the aisle at the library. The introduction states “In keeping with the wistful, evocative feel of this book, the styling is deliberately retro and many of the garments accompanying our designs are vintage.” Ravelry has little on it, but there again are some images from the book on KnitPicks.

It is divided into 6 sections – Ceylon, Somerset Single Estate Tea (with the text primarily about Strawberry Tea served during cricket), Green tea, Afternoon tea, Builder’s tea and Rose pouching tea. Each section has one recipe (Clotted cream biscuits, Bakewell tart, Mini meringues etc.).

There are some interesting tidbits of information about each of the teas. For example, Anna, Duchess of Bedford allegedly started the afternoon tea phenomena in the early 1840s when she started requesting tea and cakes be sent to her boudoir during the long stretch from a light lunch and a fashionable late dinner. Another odd bit is that because of the slightly curved lip on a porcelain tea cup, the tea goes to a different part of the tongue so some tea allegedly tastes better out of a cup than a mug. It also describes Builder’s tea, which is basically cheap and strong and usually quite sweet.

As to the knitting, a large proportion of the 25 items are embellished with beads, sequins, embroidery or tassels, not really my style (and you really need to see the tea cozies). In several cases if you remove the embroidery or beads or weird yarn loops (such as on the Flowerdew evening tank), the item is quite nice. I also thought the Girl’s argyle cardigan was rather sweet, using beads as part of the argyle. Other items use somewhat different stitches, such as the Builder’s cable sweater, which uses bound purl stitches in the cables, not a look I like, but interesting to see.

In the end I was surprised there were as many patterns I was noting, at least for ideas, including the Somerset cable sweater and the Striped gloves, and a few others that would be nice without the embellishment (e.g. the aforementioned tank), but this is definitely not a book to own.

Review: AwareKnits

2009-12-12T20:55:00.004-05:00

AwareKnits : Knit & Crochet Projects for the Eco-conscious Stitcher 9781600594694 by Vickie Howell and Adrienne Armstrong has some interesting information in it. The patterns are in Ravelry and once again, I’ll link to the KnitPicks site for DJ to see pictures.

Vickie Howell’s books are generally for a younger (and hipper) audience than I, usually teens-early twenties. The patterns in this book don’t make me feel as old and aren’t as trendy as some, so they won’t date as quickly. Many of them are pretty standard fare you can find elsewhere, but nice enough. The look pretty easy and mostly fairly fast knits (except for blankets). As the title says, the book includes both knit (23) and crochet (8) items, including a few baby items as well. The patterns use a variety of yarns from different companies, but most are worsted to bulky in size. A really wide selection of fibers is also used, including alpaca, cotton, camel, linen, soy, corn, paper, plastic bags, jute, t-shirts and of course wool.

The author’s consider all the projects can be considered sustainable for one of these reasons:

The source material comes from a crop that is consistently in abundance and therefore easily regenerated.

The wool comes from animals that were raised organically and humanely.

The “yarn” was created by recycling and repurposing otherwise disposable objects.

The production and sale of the yarn supports and benefits the livelihood of independent people or communities.

The best part about the book is the information about the environmental impact of various fibers and other things to think about (such as buying locally, buying well made items that are fair trade, even though they cost more, etc.). None of this was new to me—I have been aware of all this for at least the last decade, but it was nice to see it in a mainstream book. The comments are not in depth, but they encourage you to think about things. I especially appreciated the bit on cashmere and how cheap cashmere is causing environmental problems (again not new to me, but something I don’t see other people mentioning very often).

The authors also give short blurbs about several organizations of interest to knitters with a sustainability/fair trade interest. I had not heard of most of these: Manos del Uruguay; Rwanda Knits Project; Krochet Kids International; Oomingmak Musk Ox Producers’ Co-Operative; Quaytu; and Fair Trade Knitters.

The pattern that is the most interesting to me is the baby sleep sack. I have never heard of such an item. If it would make a good baby gift, it would be easy to make (or something similar). It hardly needs a pattern – it is basically a 14.5x12” bag with a bodice about 9x5, with a design in front and 2 buttoning straps. I’ll probably be told patterns of this sort are in tons of baby knitting books, which I just don’t make a practice of looking at.

Another item I found interesting is the Capelet Crusader. It is crocheted using two strands of yarn – a silk/bamboo blend held with a Habu textiles linen paper yarn. I find it interesting to see how this yarn is used.

I could actually contemplate making something in the book if it happened to be around (like if I was to turn some of that KoolAid yarn into fingerless mitts soon), but I don’t think I’d ever seek the book out.

So, definitely not one for me to own, but other people may like it. And it would be a good introduction to the issues for someone not aware of them (especially for someone younger).

Review: The Alchemy of Color Knitting

2009-12-12T09:15:00.007-05:00

The Alchemy of Color Knitting: the Art and Technique of Mastering Exquisite Palettes by Gina Wilde 9780307393555 is an attractive book that has 25 patterns that show off Alchemy yarns extremely well. This book is new enough you can’t see much in Ravelry. There are some good pictures on the KnitPicks site, but most of my favorites aren't included.

The book explores color in different ways and each project has a color exercise, e.g. “combining analogous and complementary colors for harmony and contrast”. The author explains what is going on with the colors so that you can make your own choices (e.g. choosing different yarns in the same color with different textures). It is begins with an introduction to color theory and then has 3 sections: monochromatic color; working on the color wheel; and hue, value and intensity.

I really like the Chakra scarf. I have wanted to learn mitered knitting so this could be a good project. It uses cashmere/silk in a light solid, a dark solid, and a variegated yarn that goes with both the light and dark

There are two projects with dots that have some appeal — Music of Chance cardigan and i. Shibori messenger bag. I think I am more attracted to the colors in the bag than the design, although the silk/wool that fulls and the slipped silk that doesn’t is also nice. The sweater (like the Baby Dotty blanket in Mason Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines) appears to be made with variegated yarn. However, it actually is made of 3-4 feet lengths of solid colors which the knitter then changes. She explains at the back how to weave in ends as you go—I really need to learn how to do this.

While the photos are lovely, they sometimes seem to be essentially a detail of the same photo rather than showing a new angle. Additionally, sometimes they don’t show what is mentioned in the text. For example, both pictures of the Silk Road tank show virtually the exactly same angle. Neither shows the front, which the text says is “simply styled, leaving all the excitement for the back”. However, I can’t imagine making a garment without actually seeing the front. Also the Vallarta wrap is shown in such a way that the trim is hard to see, even though the text says “The piece changed completely, dramatically, once the near-complementary color was introduced.”

Some of the projects make nice use of doubling yarns for more complex effects. The Chromodevo pullover uses a single ply light worsted silk yarn and silk/mohair fingering yarn. The impressionists wrap uses two strands of the fine yarn to make intermediate colors to aid in the transitions. The Cutaway cardigan uses two variegated with a unifying color. Wilde states “The key is picking two colorways (or variegated yarns) that have at least one color in common, and if possible, share an analogous relationship.”

The Alchemists hat is knit with crochet embellishment in whatever colors and textures you have around. I think K might enjoy making this.

However, overall there are few patterns I specifically want and there are only a few interesting tidbits of technique, so it is a great book to check out from the library, but not to take up space at home.

Rating: 3

Review: Mason-Dixon knitting outside the lines

2009-12-09T15:13:00.003-05:00

I was inspired by Sari and thought I should get back to the book reviews. I even created a Zotero group of recent books in the local library to try to inspire me to work through them for review. We'll see how that works out. (The group is private and just me, but if anyone else wants to join that group, let me know.) I am going to include links to Ravelry for the patterns that I mention. DJ – you can see a couple of the images i mention here and click "view more images" (but you really should just sign up for Ravelry and go to your local library to look at it).

I just finished Mason-Dixon knitting outside the lines : patterns, stories, pictures, true confessions, tricky bits, whole new worlds, and familiar ones, too 9780307381705 by Kay Gardiner & Ann Shayne. This is a follow-up to Mason-Dixon Knitting 0307236056. Like that book it is engaging, written in Kay's & Ann’s chatty style. The book is nice enough but not one I want to own. It has few patterns I can see myself making, although there are several things that I like.

The Liberty blanket is gorgeous, but I’m sure I’d never make it. The Margaret sweater is also nice, but I doubt I would ever make it, and definitely wouldn’t put words on it.

The Heartbreakingly Cute Pilot Hat has interesting construction so I may actually make that. I disagree with the name -- it isn't heartbreakingly cute, but it is OK.

I am finding myself attracted to the idea of something with dots on it (like the Baby Dotty blanket) or a very light cardigan (Cardi Cosy) or a string bag (Monteagle Bag), but I may not make these versions of the broad type.

They did convince me that I should make top down sweater (Daily Sweater), but this probably means going to Elizabeth Zimmerman and Barbara Walker.

I’m sure I would never make the lantern covers or embellish dish gloves. I mean, really! Life is too short!

The book is well worth checking out from the library, but not worth squeezing onto my crowded bookshelf.

Overall: 2.5

Book Review - Hattitude: Hats for Every Mood

2009-11-25T16:01:00.002-05:00

by Cathy Carron, $19.95

I was very excited to get this book, but now I am not so sure about it. There are many hats in the book, many different styles using many different yarns, but there are a few problems.
- Most of them take expensive yarns (Ozark Mountain Handspun, Classic Elite...)
- The yarns are not washable (not so good for gifting in my case)
- Some of the stuff would just not be wearable except in an urban area by someone with a very high level of confidence
- lots of patterns require the ever evil DPNS
+ lots of interesting shapes that could be fun to play around with
+ lot of different colors
- not much for men

So-recommended for those with deep pockets, a very full stash, or hat lovers. Otherwise-borrow a copy from the library.

I am Knitting!

2009-08-30T18:03:00.002-04:00

OK, I am knitting, really. It just that it seems like I am also unknitting just as much as I'm knitting. I've been trying to make these cute little sea creatures for MONTHS, but the directions have so many (random) errors! I have to knit, recognize that there's something wrong, then unknit and do Math (for heaven's sake), then try again. That's all I'm going to say. I'm not going to blame the designer, nor am I going to curse.

Have a pleasant Sunday evening.

Pink squares for mother's day

2009-04-22T17:09:00.002-04:00

Extreme Sheep LED Art

2009-03-20T15:01:00.002-04:00

I just saw this on a friends blog and since it has to do with sheep and has nothing to do with work, I think it belongs here

Spinning with Beads Part 3

2009-03-17T19:38:00.007-04:00

A year ago, I was to have done the Spinner's program on spinning with beads. We were iced out so the program was cancelled. I'm doingit tonight. Basically, after it was cancelled, I did nothing (except start another sample which really just resulted in beads spilling on the floor due to too little thread on the spool. I put everything away -- even the spools of thread with beeads on them. I did eventually reshlef the books and Spin-Offs, but otherwise nothing.

Fast forward to this weekend. Oh yeah, I'm doing the program (in 45 minutes). How do I do this bead thing again? Hmmmmm..... So I made a few new samples. I reread my blog postings. I found 1 new method (but didn't really look for new information). I certainly didn't review any of the real sources. I did try the new method. I am close to ready to demo some things -- except I need to spin a bunch more to ply. (So instead I'm blogging and chatting with JQ -- I am such a procrastinator).

I actually did type up my notes. I am posting them here so I don't need to make a bunch printouts for the few people who might actually want one (since I don't expect anyone in the Guild will have any more idea than I do regarding when to use beaded yarn -- we just aren't the beaded yarn type of group). So without further procrastination...

Spinning Beaded Yarn

Sample

Always sample for the final project. Yes, you are always told to sample. But for beaded yarn I think it is particualrly important to sample and then knit/weave with the yarn to see the final effect — I find it hard to judge the spacing of the beads and whether I like it. (This of course is more difficult for me since I haven’t figured out any time I would actually wanted beaded yarn).

Will you be weaving or knitting with the yarn? Spacing will probably be different for the final project. Remember in knitting, beads will be a lot closer after knit than in the yarn.
What is the final project? Will you use the beads all over (like in a scarf) or as an embellishment/trim or as an occasional yarn (stripe). Also if knitting, what size needle will you be using?

What size yarn will you be spinning? This also will impact the distance between beads and the size of the bead you use.

How heavy are the beads? Make sure the yarn can hold the weight. Also note that a single bead may feel light, but if you use a lot of them, the yarn can become heavy.

How big are the beads? You don’t want them to be lost in the yarn (or why go to the bother). But you also want to make sure they can go through the orifice and not get hung up on the hooks.

Do you want the beads to be obvious or subtle? This can be done with size, quantity, color contrast with yarn or sparkle. (Note: matte beads that are a close match to the yarn can vanish (see my beaded hat for details.)

Remember the beads will also wind up on the inside, not just the outside

You may want to use twice as many beads to account for this
They will not be evenly on both sides. They will wind up heavier in some areas. If you really want beads in specific places, you should add them when knitting or add them to the knit/woven item.
If the item will be tight (not just next to) against your skin in some areas (e.g. cuffs or hatband), you may want to skip beads there since beads will be inside and then may be pushed into your skin.

If you will be knitting, you may want a long section with no beads for the cast on/off. You could also spin some of the same yarn with no beads and then switch to the beaded yarn.

Method 1: String beads on something and then ply into yarn

Think about what effect the direction of plying will have on the yarn.

The yarn needs to be consistently small enough for the beads to go through the bead and strong enough for the weight of the beads. You will also be sliding a lot of beads for a lot of the yarn, so it needs to hold up to this abreasion. Keep this in mind particularly with option 3.

Option 1: On a thread or other very fine commercial yarn

Note: if you want to use tiny seed beads, this will be your option.

The thread in this case will usually not be a major element in the yarn design. However, a contrasting color will show up. You could use a metallic yarn to add sparkle all through the yarn (I have seen commercial yarns like this). You could use a thread very close in color to try to have the thread disappear.

Remember — if you are sampling with remnants on spools, and if you have strung a lot of bead on the thread, when you run out of thread, all the remaining beads will scatter across the floor.

Option 2: On not as fine commercial yarn

You can use any yarn fine enough to pass through the beads you are using. You might want to use a commercial yarn that will add to the yarn design, such as a silk or a fine wool.

Option 3: On handspun

Keep in mind the consistency and smoothness needed. As long as you can thread the beads on the yarn and they can slide, this is perhaps the easiest method in that it seems to require the least fumbling when first learning to ply. However, since you need to be able to string the beads on already spun yarn and the yarn needs to allow for sliding, this limits your options. You have many design options in Method 2.

Remember you can have the beads on one ply or both. this might be a way to use different beads (one on each ply), but in general you probably only want beads on one ply.

Basics

String all the beads you expect to use (and then some) on the thread. A beading needle can help (large eye for yarn that will compress so still get through beads). Note that the holes in beads tend to vary a bit in size. You may be able to get the yarn/needle through some beads but not others.

Hold the yarn with beads in one hand when plying. Hold back all the beads and release a bead when you want it. You can ply the yarn with one other yarn or it can be with more than one yarn. If the beads are somewhat big and you are plying with multiple yarns, try to get the bead between the plies to help lock them in place.

Note that you have to pre-string all the beads. Then all the beads slide down the yarn. This can be a lot of beads. You may want to make smaller skeins so this isn’t an absurd number of beads to move.

This is MUCH easier if plying off two bobbins. A center pull ball is difficult. Andean plying is even harder. Trust me.

You may be going a lot slower than you expect because you are concentrating on the beads. Be sure you actually ply the right amount. If you ar

Method 2: Add beads when spinning

Number 6 seed beads work well for this.

String beads onto a folded over piece of fishing line. Push the folded end through the hole in the bead.

Spin some. Break off the roving and insert the fluffy end (yes DJ, that's a technical term) of the spun yarn through the loop of the fishing line. Slide a few beads off the fishing line loop onto the yarn. Reconnect the roving and start spinning. You can slide the beads along the yarn to put them into place. Be sure the beads are not in the drafting triangle.

Note that if the yarn you are spinning is much smaller than the hole in the beads and/or if the yarn is quite smooth the beads will not stay where you leave them. They will likely not feed in smoothly — the beads will hang out while the yarn winds on. You can easily move them around when plying to space them as you want. You could also just leave the beads in clusters or 4 or so and then move them when plying. Moving them when plying is a bit like Method 1 (especially options 2 & 3), but the beads don’t need to move nearly as much on the yarn (and there won’t be as many sliding along the yarn).

This method with carded wool has worked well for me. The beads do not stay in place when I have used merino top. I can move them into place when plying, but keep this in mind.

Other than the frequent joins, this works pretty well. On the carded roving I think I was able to get a bit of a rhythm. on the fine, smooth merino top I never got a rhythm since the beads kept not feeding on.

Method 3: Add beads when Navajo plying
I just ran across this method on http://www.artofspinning.com/SpinningWithBeads.shtml

When Navajo plying, on some of the loops, feed a bead onto the loop.

A crochet hook is recommended, but I couldn’t find my smallest one. I used the looped fishing line and it worked. I had to stop every time I fed on a bead, but it worked OK. Constantly stopping removed any rhythm I might have when Navajo plying, but in an odd way it helped since I had to go slowly. It is farily easy to decide on a spacing by making loops of about the same size and then adding a bead every X number of loops.

Slide the bead up the loop — both so you have a big enough loop to pull through another loop and also so you have a reasonable plied distance to hold the bead on.

Note that you will be feeding the bead through 2 strands of yarn for this, so keep that in mind when deciding how fine to spin and how big the beads need to be.

If you are navajo plying yarn with multiple colors, you could also have different color beads ready and then choose which bead based on the color of the loop.

Resources

(Of course, I didn’t review these before re-preparing for spinning meeting tonight).

Spin-Off Spring 2004 "Dew drop fabric" by Laura Harrawood p.38-39

Spin-Off Winter 2003 "Beaded yarns" by Judith MacKenzie McCuin p.50-54

Spin-Off Winter 2003 "Beaded Yarns for a Little Scarf" by Judith MacKenzie McCuin p. 57

Spin-Off Spring 1997 "Novelty act" by Stephanie Gausted p.40-43

Spinning Designer Yarns by Diane Varney p.85-87

“How do you spin beads into yarn?”http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/2007/08/how-do-you-spin-beads-into-yarn.html

“How do you spin beads into yarn? (Part 2)" http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-do-you-spin-beads-into-yarn-part-2.html

“Do you add extra plying twist to keep beads in place?” http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/2007/09/do-you-add-extra-plying-twist-to-keep.html

“What thread do you use for spinning beads into yarn?” http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/2008/01/what-thread-do-you-use-for-spinning.html

“Spinning With Beads” http://www.artofspinning.com/SpinningWithBeads.shtml

Color problems

2008-12-13T09:57:00.003-05:00

Several years ago, DJ gave me a lot of yarn. Included was some really nice yarn in WK colors that I decided to use for the Back-to-School U-Neck Vest. I didn't have enough so I ordered more, but didn't pay a lot of attention to it when it came arrived. The yarn has a lot of colors in it so I thought that a different dye lot couldn't be too bad. I got about halfway done with the vest using ther original yarn and then pulled out the new yarn. Completely different! Same colorway, but it is in clear, bright DJ colors not the lovely muted fall colors that I was expecting. Fortunately I over bought the new yarn and should have enough for the whole vest and I'll be once again left with the original yarn from DJ. Now I need to decide if I will be overdyeing the vest with a yellow/brown to tone the colors. I'll get a picture taken and posted, I promise, but for now I thought I'd at least post something.

Radical Knitting

2008-12-07T19:35:00.002-05:00

I've been a really bad blogger. L has been bugging me to post things I've finished or am working on. I could tell you the sad tale of the purple socks, show DJs birthday present, show the moebius scarf I don't like and am ripping out, the vest I am making for myself, the hat for my Mom that I made and didn't photograph, the shrug I will be making for my neice and the 1965 pattern my MIL has used, or the llamaI've been spinning. I think I haven't blogged in so long there is at least one other pair of socks, the dye workshop and I'm not sure what else I'm forgetting. I could also post about new yarn and books in my collection. But I won't. Instead I'm going to simply post to a Colbert Report video on Radical Knitting.

3-D Paper Snowflakes

2008-12-04T10:28:00.004-05:00

I've seen these snowflakes hanging around the library for a couple of years, during the appropriate season, and I really like the way they look! I have finally tracked down the person who's making them and asked for the directions. I thought I should share them here, since I know how much you both enjoy the paper arts!

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-3D-Paper-Snowflake

Dog Sweater season + I love Etsy

2008-10-01T13:53:00.001-04:00

Ok, I have to admit that I am a little bit obsessed about my dog, and making her sweaters. But--what is the point of having a little purebred dog if you can't dress her up? And she needs sweaters when it is cold out--she's a Boston Terrier.

I also love Etsy, and try to buy from there as often as possible. Because of my book addiction problem/issue, I am trying to buy less books and use free patterns. Where is this going? Well, now I have found some patterns I HAVE to buy......come on--this Obama sweater would be kick-a*s at the dog park!

No Money for Yarn? Try paper.....

2008-09-25T10:51:00.001-04:00

Evidently, you can spin newspaper into a useable fiber.
Instructions available here.

That's waaaaay more work than I'd ever do, but it is a cool idea.

Farewell Sherman

2008-09-04T21:39:00.002-04:00

After only 10 years, our much-loved dog Sherman has departed. I was working on a sweater for him, but I think I will just throw the entire project & yarn out. I don't have the heart to either rip it out OR reuse the yarn.

I have spent most of the summer working on dishcloths. Of course, I haven't remembered to take any pictures of them, but I did get about 8 done.

I went on a Malabrigo buying spree a few months ago, and I have been saving some of the balls for a "special" project. I think I found it. I will make this felted bag.

The last felted bag I made (a huge tote) went to Lisa, who re-gifted it to her mother. Lisa doesn't "do crafts" and I don't think she had any idea how long it took to knit the bag. Fortunately--her mother is crafty and likes it a lot.

Twist Collective & Knitting magazine publication models

2008-08-12T23:03:00.003-04:00

If you haven’t seen the first issue of the Twist Collective, you should definitely look at it. There are some absolutely lovely items. The articles are all free and almost all the patterns cost $6 or $7, so unless I am about to make one of them, I won’t be acquiring the patterns. The publication is trying a new publishing model, with a major goal to fairly compensate designers.

Alternative web serial publications models are an interest of mine. Yes, I do realize I will probably go against the name of the blog, but I will stay focused on knitting publications. The different knitting magazines I look at have distinctly different approaches to the web.

1) Knitter's Magazine is a traditional print publication. They do a good job of showing current and past patterns in their gallery. Other than that, their online presence is pretty dull.

2) Vogue Knitting is a traditional print publication with a website that has some added content, including web exclusives. They have charts for many patterns on their site. It makes little use of previews or of images from past issues. Last winter, they redid their site and tried to add more interactive features, KALs etc. but what I really want is pictures of all the patterns in the current (and past!) issues with the yarn requirements. No one does this, but it is what I want.

3) Knitty is completely free, but is structured much like a traditional publication. It has had some of the most popular patterns in the knitting blog world, probably in part because they are free and therefore so easily accessible to everyone. And of course because they had had some really good patterns. (The 4 patterns listed first in Ravelry as the most popular all come from Knitty - Fetching, Monkey, Calorimetry and Clapotis). I have made several things from Knitty, but if they weren't free, I'm not sure how many I would have made.

4) Interweave Knits has images of current and past issues (at least of the ones in stock). They include additional pictures of garments, but these aren't easy to get to for past issues. They have also added Knitting Daily, a blog/email newsletter with chatty and instructive information. One interesting feature is the gallery where a few garments from an issue of IK are modeled on Interweave staff members, with comments about how the garments should be altered for their body type. They have also begun selling individual patterns from out of print issues. This is great for the consumer, but I think it might not have been great for the designers. I don’t know what kind of rights agreement people sign, but I have the impression that once Interweave has paid a designer, it is Interweave’s forever, to publish (or not) in a compilation or as an individual download. With the web, some patterns become runaway success stories and the designers don’t seem to receive any additional compensation for a blockbuster pattern.

5) Twist Collective has free articles but the patterns cost money. They seem to cost more than the IK patterns, which I find interesting (especially since you can buy all the IK patterns in one issue or in a book for far less money than it would take to buy everything in a TC issue). The designers/authors also retain rights to their patterns/articles to republish in the future or work into longer articles. I really like this bit (SPARC and all that). The cost per article idea is OK, like buying one song. However, one song generally costs about a dollar, which means buying a whole CDs worth of songs costs about the same as a CD. In this case, one pattern from the TC costs almost as much as one whole issue of a magazine. I realize that individual patterns are often priced at a similar price to the TC (or even more), but I am having a hard time getting my head fully around this model since it is a magazine. If it was a website with really cool patterns you could buy, I don’t think it would bother me as much, so I think it is semantics and mostly my problem. The group of designers for the first issue is fabulous--I wonder if they'll be able to keep up the momentum?

It will be interesting to see how all this looks in a year.

Interweave Knits, Fall 2008

2008-08-12T20:26:00.002-04:00

My fall 2008 IK finally arrived. L mentioned at dinner on Friday that she had gotten hers the day before. I haven’t finished reading it (despite being on vacation at home) but I have made a good start!

So, what do you like in the issue? I want to look at the book Inspired to Knit, as well as Poems of color and Everday knitting. (I have wanted to look at Selbuvotter for some time now.). I thought Yarnmarket impressionistic palette was interesting, seeing how different designers interpret the same painting in yarn.

I like the Dumpling bags, the Fresco Fair Isle mitts, and the Winter twilight mitts, but I’m not sure I’d make either. The Knotty or Knice socks are OK, but I have quite list of socks to make but 20 or 30 pairs from now, maybe I’d be interested… I like the Estes vest and might even make it if I decide it is something I need. There are aspects of the Backstage tweed jacket that I like, but I really dislike the way it closes in front. That’s about it. Not much really grabbed me this time.

Review: Shear Spirit

2008-08-12T12:20:00.004-04:00

I really enjoyed reading Shear spirit : ten fiber farms, twenty patterns, and miles of yarn, by Joan Tapper with photography by Gale Zucker. The pictures are great and there is very interesting text about the different farms. It is clear that in all cases the people love the land and the animals, but otherwise are quite different. The farms are from across the US with a variety of fiber animals. The owners have a widely different backgrounds. The farms generally emphasize local foods and products. The patterns in the book are OK but what I liked best about them was seeing the yarns in use.

Meadowcroft Farm in Washington Maine, run by a single mom, which has Polwarth sheep, She dyes the yarn using sea water and solar power, called Seacolors.

Tregellys Fiber Farm in Hawley, Massachusetts has a wide variety of animals including Karakul, Soay, Shetland, Icelandic, Navajo-Churro and Jacob sheep, Bactrian camels, emu and yak, The yak have created a connection to Tibet and Nepal. Dyeing is done by Botanical Shades. The former Cornish fisherman weaves with the fiber.

Autumn House Farm in Rochester Mills, Pennsylvania has Karakul rams crossed with Border Leicester ewes. The fibers are dyed and carded on the farm. They are very self sufficient, even including natural gas from wells on the farm.

Misty Meadow Icelandics Farm, a small hobby farm in Minnestrista, Minnesota raises Icelandic sheep. Felting is a major textile activity here.

Kai Ranch in Blue, Texas has angora goats. The owner dyes the fiber and also raises colored angora goats, which are quite rare. She uses the yarn primarily in weaving.

Victory Ranch in Mora, New Mexico has alpaca. The owners grew up on the south side of Chicago so have had to learn everything as they went along.

Lazy J Diamond Ranch in Rocky Ridge, Arizona has a Churro flock. The yarn is dyed and woven by the Navajo family.

Thirteen Mile Farm in Belgrade, Montana raise sheep in a predator friendly manner. They use solar panels to power their picker, carder and spinning frame. They also dye the fiber.

Goat Knoll Farm in Dallas, Oregon raises cashmere goats. Their mid-life hobby farm quickly turned into a business.

Old Mill Farm in Mendocino, California raise Cheviot-Karakul crosses. The sheep are only part of the farm and fiber was not the original goal.

Rating: 3.8

Review: Natural Knitter

2008-08-09T10:45:00.003-04:00

The natural knitter : how to choose, use, and knit natural fibers from alpaca to yak by Barbara Albright has been out for a year now. I had glanced at it but hadn’t really taken the time to look at it until a couple days ago. It is a really nice book. In many ways it is similar to the Knitter’s book of yarn. It covers fiber types (but not construction techniques or manmade fibers), has great pictures, includes information about various companies and includes patterns. I found the book more interesting that the Knitter’s book of yarns. I liked the selection of yarn companies better. I like natural fibers better than manmade fibers, so their absence was not a loss. I also really like a lot of the patterns (you can see some of them here). Albright had a great collection of designers for her book and they made some fabulous items. I think the book may be put on my Christmas wish list. The only irritating thing is that one of the cover images is of yarn with beads in it but this isn’t included in the book anywhere.

Rating: 4.3

Sheep at the Frankfurt Museum of Communication

2008-08-09T10:14:00.004-04:00

A friend just sent me pictures of sheep made from old telephones. The sheep are in Das Museum für Kommunikation Frankfurt http://www.museumsstiftung.de/frankfurt/d311_rundgang.asp# If you click on the top quick time video you can the sheep in their natural habitat. But, far easier is to just use flickr (which is how we found them originally) - http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=telephone+sheep

I don't think I'll be spinning that fiber. But maybe that's where fiber optic cables come from

Review: Knitter's Book of Yarn

2008-08-09T09:51:00.004-04:00

I had heard rave reviews of The knitter's book of yarn : the ultimate guide to choosing, using, and enjoying yarn by Clara Parkes, so I looked forward to when I would have a chance to look at it. I read the book quite quickly and did like it. It covers all sorts of fiber types and yarn construction and explains how these impact knitting. However, as a spinner, I found that I already knew most of the material in the book. (If I wasn’t a spinner I think I would have been more excited by the book.) Parkes also highlights various yarn manufacturers and companies. This information was especially interesting to me, helping put a face to many of the lovely yarns available.

I had not expected a lot patterns, but a large section of the book was devoted to patterns. What makes this second half of the book so interesting is that she explains why this pattern and this yarn type go together well. I found this quite instructive. However, as patterns go, there were only a few that I am thinking about making.

The pictures in the book are really nice, making a great book to just flip through.

Overall, I’d give the book a 3.4, but as I said above4, if I wasn’t a spinner it would probably be higher (and would likely be a book I would want to own).

Bad Blogger

2008-08-09T09:43:00.002-04:00

I have been a very bad blogger for months now. I have read knitting books and returned them to the library without reviews. I have bought yarn. I have spun yarn. I have dyed fiber. I have knitted (although I don't think I've finished anything if you ignore the top I wore once and have decided I need to redo). Have I posted on any of this? No. Do I have a good excuse? No. DJ has been complaining there is no new content. It is no wonder that L said she hasn't looked at the blog for a long time and wondered if I had added anything (I think the answer is "no"). The only think I can say in my defense is that this is a shared blog and none of us posted anything in July. Ah well -- it is summer...

I will be putting up at least 2 book reviews today, so maybe I can start to get back on track.

Koolhaas hat

2008-06-20T09:43:00.002-04:00

I loved Brooklyn Tweed's Koolhaas hat when I first saw pictures of it. (Of course, Jared does such beautiful photography, it is hard not to love everything he does.) One of my goals for the Philadelphia yarn stores was to get yarn for this hat (in part because it would be a small amount of yarn to bring home on the plane).

Pattern: Koolhaas hat, by Jared Flood
Yarn: The Fibre Company Khroma WW (50% Baby alpaca, 50% merino) in Bougainvillea, 1.2 skeins
Needles: Size ??
Began: March 2008 ; Completed: March 2008
Modifications: fewer repeats because the yarn is bigger than called for in the pattern

Socks

2008-06-19T17:52:00.003-04:00

I am woefully behind on blogging about projects. It is really pathetic that I haven’t blogged yet this week given that I am at home since I’m not essential. Life will be back to somewhat normal next week, but I’m not sure where I’ll be working. There are two pairs of socks for me that I am skipping right now—one because it annoyed me so much and the other because I’m not finding the pictures offhand.

DJ gave me sock yarn for Christmas. I used it as conference knitting this winter.

Pattern: Ummmmm…. I think it might be Madder ribbed sock, from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Lana Grossa Meilenweit 100 Multieffekt (80 % Pure New Wool, 20 % Polyamide) in 3010, 1 skeins
Needles: Size 0?
Began: January 2008 ; Completed: February 2008?
Modifications: probably minor, but I have no idea what they were now. I may have added some repeats to increase circumference

I almost got a perfect match out of the socks but it is just ever so slightly off at the toe. I had no idea what the yarn would do. It worked well putting the “laurel wreath” in the center of the leg, at the heel and foot.

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A.
Yarn: Zitron Trekking (XXL) (75 % Superwash Wool, 25 % Polyamide) in 136, 1 skeins
Needles: Size 0?
Began: March 2008 ; Completed: April 2008?
Modifications: I don’t think I made any, other than making the leg a little longer

I’m not sure why these don’t match at the toe. Maybe my gauge differed? Maybe the color lengths in the yarn differed? The first day I wore them it rained and my old black shoes leaked, so now one of the bottoms is stained dark. Oh well, I guess I won’t take my shoes off and prop my feet on the table. (My father would have been horrified that I would even consider such an action.)

Sandbagging

2008-06-12T10:57:00.000-04:00

It has been an odd few weeks here. My Kool-aid dyeing was in part a good way to spend a holiday weekend, but also a light activity to do while I was also getting a powerpoint ready for a job in Wales. After returning from a conference, I then needed to get ready for the phone interview, and so spinning the fiber was a good activity to mix in. I had been thinking I could some really great (i.e. obnoxious) sock yarn for DJ. Unfortunately the fiber is too coarse for that. It would be scratchy next to the skin and the yarn is too coarse. I spun half of it an Navajo plied it. The plying is really lousy because I am out of practice and I think I was getting pretty freaked about the possible move so far away.

Meanwhile, flooding in the state is awful. Unlike the flood of 1993, it is hitting all the rivers, not just some. That means that all rivers are at records stages and major cities (OK, what passes for major cities in this area) have had down towns evacuated. The river in town is not yet at record levels – but we are downstream from some major flooding, and that has yet to reach the dam and water has been going over the spillway for a day and a half now.
So far only one street is under mandatory evacuation, but the University is closing many river side buildings. I will be helping to move materials out of the basement in our slightly higher river side building.

Earlier this week I helped with sandbagging. If you ever do this, do not do the tying of bags unless you have the metal things and the tool to twist it. I didn’t have one for the first chunk of time and even with gloves, I cut up my fingers badly. Now this is relevant to knitting and spinning because my left index finger is very sore, right in a place that I would use for knitting and spinning. Knitting is much slower when I don’t use that finger.

What am I knitting? Well, I need to make something for DJ out of that weird yarn. Fortunately, the fruity Kool-aid smell is going away. the yarn looks a bit like that zebra fruit striped gum that was around when I grew up. I’ll take a picture of the 2nd batch that I am still spinning. I didn’t want to document the yarn because it really is terrible plying. I am trying to something for DJ that doesn’t look quite so Kool-aid clown like. We’ll see if it works.

Kool-Aid Dyeing

2008-06-04T18:37:00.002-04:00

At Spinner’s last month, NW showed us yarn and roving dyed with Kool-Aid. She then gave packets to any of us who wanted to try it and referred us to an article in Knitty. I thought it sounded like a good Memorial Day weekend activity.

Of course, I couldn’t just use the packets by themselves, I had to experiment a bit more. NW had some very nice colors by dyeing grey. I decided to mix the colors to see what I could get. By Kool-Aid dyeing standards I was pretty careful about measurements, but I was pretty casual in my measurements.

I used fleece from an unknown breed, but I think the sheep was named Freckles. (Yes, very useful piece of information.) Maybe M remembers – I bought it with her about 9 years ago specifically for combing. The wool was cleanish. It was a bit greasy and some of the locks were quite tight and in most cases I made not attempt to loosened them up to absorb the dye better (so the results are uneven, which should help with the over bright colors).

I weighed out about 12 gr (+/- 2 g) for each sample.

I did 5 samples at a time using 2 packets of Kool-Aid (or Mixaid)

I mixed each packet with about 10 T of water. I then added dyes to the 5 small containers in the following manner:

Dye A: 4 T Dye B: 0 T
Dye A: 3 T Dye B: 1 T
Dye A: 2 T Dye B: 2 T
Dye A: 1 T Dye B: 3 T
Dye A: 0 T Dye B: 4 T

Starting at the right in the photo, the pairs are:
Mixaid Tropical Punch & Mixaid Grape
Mixaid Tropical Punch & Kool-Aid Lemonade
Mixaid Strawberry & Mixaid Lemon-Lime
Mixaid Strawberry & Kool-Aid Orange
Kool-Aid Black Cherry & Kool-Aid Lemon-Lime
Kool-Aid Grape & Kool-Aid Orange

The 2nd to last pair above included ½ t of Black Cherry with the Lemon-Lime to mute the green a smidge.
The last pair included 1 t of the other color in the first and last samples

I then added enough water to cover the already wet wool and put it in the microwave for 2.5 minutes (my initial water was warm but not really hot). I let it sit for a bit and then another 2 minutes. I waited again and then another 2 minutes. I checked it at this time to see if it was done. I think I went a few more times on a couple of these in a failed attempt to get all the color to be picked up. (The red dyes fully absorbed but the yellow and the blue were not fully absorbed by the wool.)

Checking In

2008-05-28T07:47:00.003-04:00

OK, I have been absolutely awful at keeping up with putting on new posts here. I keep getting derailed by the "sudden" need to knit baby gifts. I have several projects (and photos) to add, but I have to get everything together first. Since I last posted, I knit a lace scarf, a hat for TL, several baby gifts, and most of a cardigan for myself. I am actually working on the sleeves, so I should be done before I take a trip in June. That's my current goal.

So, I'll do my absolute best to get more posts here, including photos of "old" projects by the weekend. Probably I'll have time on Saturday while TL plays a video game with his best buddy.

Knitspeak: an A to Z Guide... - review

2008-05-03T16:55:00.002-04:00

First of all, I just want to say that I hate titles which combine two distinct words into one. The title of this book should be Knit Speak not Knitspeak!

This book is a complete waste of time & money. Everything in this book is very basic, and most of the content can be found in any basic knitting magazine, book, or Knitty.

The other serious problem with this book is the format:
small size
should be spiral bound, so you could leave it open to refer to it
booooooring, black, white and blue colors inside

Don't even bother looking at this one.

Vogue Knitting - The Ultimate Sock Book - review

2008-05-03T16:41:00.002-04:00

Ok, I know it is sort of hilarious for me to be reviewing a sock book, when I have never a) knit a sock b)even tried c)learned to use DPNs. This book has the feel of many other Vogue knitting books--beautiful illustrations--high price tag--lots of ideas, but it's a little bit weird. I like lists, so here goes:
1. The techniques illustrations are useless. The attempt to make small, artistic little drawings fails.
2. Gorgeous photography makes you want to try everything.
3. Brief history of knitting socks is interesting. I am not generally a big fan of history, so that's saying something.
4. Uses a variety of yarns--always a plus in my book.
5. There is a fairly nice sock yarn chart by weight, but of course it covers the high-end brands only.
6. Many techniques are covered: toe up, cabled top, ribbed, lace, argyles, etc.

Recommended for the advanced knitter, or sock lover. Check it out at the library first--$29.95 is a lot for a book unless you really love it!

Knit by Janine Flew (Handmade Style series)

2008-04-26T16:09:00.002-04:00

I recommend this book for new knitters. There is a brief history of knitting, but the best part are the instructions. For example--there are clear written instructions on how to pick up stitches, but also color pictures, with a different color of yarn to highlight. Most of the patterns (27) are rather basic, but the yarn combinations can be interesting (or ugly, depending on your point of view). Specified yarns can be expensive, but this book uses multiple brands of yarn. My only criticism is that I would have liked yarn substitution tips.

TKGA

2008-04-19T15:52:00.002-04:00

Have you heard of The Knitting Guild Association (TKGA)? Membership comes with a subscription to Cast On (which I don’t recall ever seeing). They offer correspondence courses and also a Masters Knitting Program. A couple of women in the local craft guild have done the first of three levels and are just starting on level two.

MASTER LEVEL I hand knitting
This is the first of three levels for hand knitting. Written instructions provide details for the following items you must complete and send for Committee Review. Unsatisfactory submissions may be returned for rework with constructive suggestions for improvement. You must pass Level I before purchasing Level II materials.
· Sixteen knitted samples: three swatches each of ribbing and basic stitches and gauge, mirrored increases and decreases, yarnovers, cables and color change.
· Seventeen questions to research and answer.
· One hat.
· Two-page report on blocking and care of knits.

MASTER LEVEL II hand knitting
This is the second of three levels for hand knitting. You must pass Level I before purchasing Level II materials.
Requirements to complete Level II include:
· Twenty-one knitting samples: seams, decreases, lace and cable patterns, buttonholes and pick up stitches.
· Nineteen questions to research and answer.
· One traditional argyle sock.
· One Fair Isle mitten.
· One vest.
· Four book reviews.
· Two-page report on the history of knitting.

After you complete level 3 (and spend $300) you get a pin. Yep, all that, and you get a pin. I know, you do it for the personal accomplishment and to learn. Actually, level 1 sounds doable and like I would learn a lot so it is oddly tempting. I’m hoping the women bring their level 1 work to the next meeting so I can see the samples. Never having done Fair Isle or intarsia, and not being too good at seaming yet, level II sounds too advanced for me at this point. I know I could learn and do it, but it doesn’t say “hey, you could do this” quite as much as level one.

I haven’t heard of this group from the long term guild people, although they are active in national weaving & spinning guilds. I also haven’t been hearing about it blogs (not that I have read knitting blogs much in months), so I wonder if this group is yet another subset of knitters — maybe not a group for me.

Works in progress, sort of

2008-04-14T14:03:00.004-04:00

Here are some of the things I have been working on lately. The green bag was an experiment that failed. I like the shape of it (Cascade Luna yarn-fast!) but the handle doesn't work at all. The original pattern had 2 handles but I thought this would look better. It looks nice but is totally non-functional.

Home Ec Workshop sells the plastic daisy Crystal Palace needles. They are cheap, light, and fabulous. I almost like them as much as addi turbos. I bought 6 more pairs yesterday.

The orange sweater is an unfelted dog sweater. The yarn is kettle dyed--my favorite. It's too big unfelted, but I am afraid it will shrink a lot in the washer. I tend to NEVER want to make swatches.

The pink and brown sweater is for Sissy--also to be felted. It is made from Paton's Soy--which is a horrible yarn I can't recommend. The colors are beautiful, but the entire time I worked on this, my hands felt greasy. I talked to someone else who used this yarn, and she was of the same opinion--beautiful colors but feels terrible when you work with it. It also feels a little bit itchy to me.

Provisional Cast on instructions

2008-04-12T22:14:00.001-04:00

Ok WK--I found some decent instructions for provisional cast ons, and lots of tips for lace in general here.

2008-04-12T17:22:00.003-04:00

I LOVE Claire Crompton's books. This is the 3rd one I have purchased. While I don't think I will make all of the bags, there are some very nice ones. It's the little things that I like about her books: the back edge has a ruler and and an abbreviations guide, and and even though they are hardcover, there is a flap to hold your page. Best part for me: her directions are line-by-line, no "repeat row 2" stuff, and large.

The first bag I will make is from the cover. It's a stash busting bag that is simply woven strips of stockinette stitch--looks like patchwork, but easier!

Knitty--spring 2008

2008-04-08T20:41:00.003-04:00

So what do you like in the new issue of Knitty? I like Marjorie. I also like Honeycomb, but I don't know if I like it better than a vest in Fitted Knits. Laminaria is quite attractive but I haven't caught the shawl bug yet. The Posey socks look interesting, but I doubt I would ever knit them and am not convinced they would stretch in a proper sock like way.

The Spyrogyra gloves are also fun, but very similar to the gloves made from the Pomatomus sock pattern. I mostly found these interesting for the spinning/drafting information elsewhere in the issue. In fact, all the knittyspin articles are interesting (if you are interested in spinning).

I liked the yarn roundtable, but the other knitting articles didn't particulalry excite me.

I'm sure there are other patterns that will grab me later as I see other people making them. That's the way it seems to work with Knitty -- it sometimes takes seeing the same project in different ways to really get sold on it. I guess this would in part be the proof of open access working. Sorry... I forgot myself there for a bit.

Creative Knitting Magazine

2008-04-06T16:28:00.002-04:00

I usually purchase 2-3 knitting books per month. The goal is 1, but if there is something good at the UIHC bookstore, I have to get it. Fortunately, they don't sell this magazine. I purchased 2 issues of it, and then for some reason I got a $10/year subscription offer. Well, that's the magic price for Sari--subscription ordered. I like this magazine, because it has a variety of patterns--many of which are sized to at least 2x. I'm not sure I'll ever knit a sweater, but it's nice to know that I could.

Last week, I took a lace knitting class. It was pretty much a waste of time for me--I didn't get much out of it. I don't know why I think that I can take creative arts classes when I need to pay attention--I always get overstimulated and can't think straight. I do however, think that maybe I can do some easy lace knitting like this now.

Felted Bag for Sandy

2008-04-06T15:47:00.003-04:00

This bag was sort of an experiment, but I like the way it turned out. I will be sending it to Sandy for her birthday (which was yesterday). It is made from Malabrigo yarn (the bright blue) and Noro kureyon. It felted beautifully in about 1 cycle. The pattern was adapted from an online pattern for a Celtic bag, but with different handles. The handles are knitted diamonds that go into a small strap with an i-cord middle. Initially, I wanted to make the handles from Noro, but I ran out of yarn 2/3 of the way through handle #2! To dry the bag, I stuffed it with plastic bags, and then sewed the top shut and handles together. I have never done that before, but it did make the top edge even. The Kureyon felts a little bit fuzzy, but it looks good.
This was knit on #9 circular needle with 1 strand. It took way to long to make!

My next project is a satchel made from Knit Picks yarn. The yarn is a nice color, but feels terrible. It is going fast though.

I like working with Malabrigo. I ordered 4 skeins from Ebay last month--everyone else was sold out of the colors I wanted.

Review: Heirloom knits

2008-04-05T09:37:00.002-04:00

Heirloom knits: 20 classic designs to cherish by Judith McLeod-Odell has patterns inspired by 1820-2010 trends. This sounds great, but I actually don’t like most of the projects. I’m sure it doesn’t help that most are shown in white. White might be traditional and I know I could change the color, but it just doesn’t help to drawn me to the project. White pillows, rugs, or throws just wouldn’t stay white in my house and I can’t see knitting an all white (or 1930s pink) blanket.

The 1860 lacy leaf throw is pretty, but it isn’t something I’d make. I started being tempted by the 1940 art deco quilt (but made as a blanket, not a quilt so I could avoid the quilt ties) until I realized it would be a huge amount of piecing together of knitted squares.

There is a short section on the history of knitting and on knitting basics. It also includes a section on embellishments. That section looks nice, but if you are interested in embellishments, I know there are whole books on them, which are presumably better/more complete.

Rating: 2.6

Review: Not tonight darling, I'm knitting

2008-04-05T09:15:00.004-04:00

Not tonight darling, I’m knitting by Betsy Hosegood is a good dentist office book. It has a lot of short, sometimes humorous bits you can read in short bits of time. I was fairly disappointed by the first ¾ of the book. There were no patterns or techniques that held the book together. There wasn’t anything new to me. If you are new to knitting, the book would probably be more entertaining. If you haven’t looked at as many knitting books, you might be more entertained. However, it wasn’t as entertaining as Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s books and it didn’t have any useful tips in it, so I think there are better options for books.

I liked the last ¼ of the book much better. It gave a short survey of knitting from the 1930s to the 21st century. The historian in me combined with family roots in costume design probably combine to make me interested in this. Yes, you could never tell by my wardrobe, but I actually find fashion history interesting. I did grit my teeth when the book referred on p.84 to the Wall Street Crash of October 24, 1926, so even the part of the book I liked has it flaws.

Rating: 2.2

Interweave Knits Spring 2008 -- Parte Deux

2008-04-02T07:57:00.005-04:00

I think this is a great idea. Thanks WK!

You, of course, are right, I do have this issue, but I have not taken the time to actually read through very much of it. I was supposed to last evening, but it suddenly became very lovely out after days of much needed rain. So, instead of having a quiet evening on the couch, MM and I spent the evening on the deck, drinking a couple of beers and relaxing in the sudden evening sunshine. This time we were glad the weather man was wrong. I was knitting while we chatted, but forgot to get out the IK.

I reread your post this morning and clicked on all the links, etc. I really like many of the sweaters you already mentioned, but now that I've seen the Knitting Daily blog (yes, I'd never seen it before), I'm not so sure I could make the adjustments necessary to get any of them to look good on me. I guess I should try before giving up! I think it's really great to see the same sweater on the different body types, and I suppose I could try to learn something about shaping ...

The one I really like, although the color is wrong for me, is the Holly Jacket. I am not sure about it for me, but I have a colleague who would look great in it, unfortunately I haven't convinced her (yet) that she needs to learn to knit. She did like it in the magazine (she was on "vacation" with us, WK). For myself, I can't see knitting sweaters that will end up highlighting the fact that I should do a lot more exercising of my abdomen. I need to look at the lace patterns again, there are a couple that look interesting, especially the Cobweb Lace Stole.

CARDIGAN UPDATE: I have completed 3 parts of the cardigan! I got the entire back finished except for binding off on the way back from Atlanta. And I have finished off the two front parts since then. Woo Hoo!! I'll have to devote a few blog posts to what I've been working on since December ... and take photos.

Interweave Knits Spring 2008

2008-03-29T12:10:00.003-04:00

I thought it would be fun if we talked about new issues of magazines that come out. I know JQ has this issue of IK. If you don't have this issue, you can see the projects here. You can also see several of the garments on women who work at IK here.

So, what do I like? I think the Flutter Sleeve Cardigan looks like a good thing fo me to consider. I also like the Printed Silk Cardigan. The Dovetail Pullover might be a possibility to make as well. Finally, the Chameleon Scarf is great fun.

The fountain hat is somewhat fun and the pattern is even free.

An of course, some of the ads have nice looking garments. I like Blue Sky Alpaca's skinny cardigan(p.19). Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend Shannon Shell might be OK (p.30). Fibranatura Ocean Lace cardigan on p.81 is nice, but similar to my orange sweater. The Aurora yarns "Meets in the middle top"on p.91 looks like it might be a good pattern. And finally, I like the Sirdar Ecowool DK ribbed jacket on p.105.

I also thought the article on finishing by Véronik Avery was quite good.

So what do you like in this issue?

Deadline knitting makes for dull blogging

2008-03-17T09:15:00.002-04:00

I've been a bit quiet. Much of that can be explained by frantically working on the baby gift for CS. I got it mailed in time to reach the shower. Then I have had to focus on that forbidden topic in preparation for a "vacation" in Atlanta with JQ. I have not blogged about several cool books (which I have now had to return to the library), the new hat I made for myself, the "felt" bag experiment (S it is now fulled), the spinning I am working on (including an embarrassing episode in the whole bead thing), the scarf and hat I am making for DJ to use up stash yarn, and the new books and yarn I bought. I hope to have the scarf and hat for DJ as well as a "downstairs hat" for Mr. DJ finished shortly after I return to town so they can get mailed. I have the same 2 pairs of socks for TH hanging out on the needles. I might bring one along on the plane and then start a different pair for me. or I may start a third pair for the trip....

Knitting update

2008-02-25T10:28:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I went to a knitters group that is meeting at LYS2 (website still under construction). I found the group by Googling LYS2 and found the Meetup site for knitters in this area. They meet every Sunday at 3:30. They had been meeting elsewhere but have moved to the new yarn store. It is a really nice group of people and I’ll try to go when I can. There are several people on Ravelry so we need to connect up that way too. I also had a really good cup of tea. I particularly enjoyed meeting with other knitters because I have missed all the guild meetings this year. Knitters was canceled last week due to weather. Weavers is canceled tomorrow because the plow from the street completely blockaded our parking with big mounds of ice.

I am continuing to make progress on the baby gift for CS. I need to seam up the sides of the shirt. I guess I could post a picture, but it isn't that exciting to look at right now. I have about 4 1/3 balls of yarn to go on the blanket. I am still hoping I can get it in the mail in a week. I am using more yarn than the pattern calls for, although my gauge seems really close. I barely have enough of the orange. I definitely need the extra ball of the multi-color green (it calls for 6 balls, but my estimate is 6 1/3 balls – each ball does 27 rows and there are 170 rows, including cat on and bind off). I might have enough left at the end for another baby hat—possibly in the infant size. I might make it for the new baby across the street, who I have yet to meet.

In other news – the weather was very nice both days. It was sunny and warm and felt like spring. That is, if you ignore all the snow and ice. The ice is really thick in many places, making the roads very bumpy. There was a huge puddle on a nearby street (an intersection that we walk or drive through every day). TH and I went out to find the drain. We worked quite hard on one spot where we first thought it was, but we were wrong. TH assessed the whole area again and the next time found it. When we (mostly he) made a channel for the water it went whooshing by. We also cleared a drain on our street, but it wasn’t as hard to find or clear. On Sunday, we took care of another drain. The ice was super solid for about the bottom 6+ inches. Above that it was just really hard. I had no chance on the super solid ice.

Why did we do this if it is warming? Because today we are expecting cold rain turning to ice and then snow is expected and it is supposedto be below zero for the rest of the week. The huge puddles would have gotten even bigger and then frozen into large ice rinks. DJ had a similar situation a few weeks ago, but she and her neighbor were looking for the drains in the rain as the water was rising on her street.

Yet another hat for DJ

2008-02-18T19:45:00.005-05:00

When in Philadelphia, I bought yarn. I told JQ I would make something with some of it before a conference in Atlanta next month. So, I made another hat for DJ. I have yet to make a hat for myself. I have only made 1 for TH. I’m not sure I’m that happy with the hat, but that hasn’t stopped me from wearing it.

I thought I would make Foliage out of this yarn. I realize the color is not like foliage, but I thought it would like nice anyway. The pattern is for 2 weight of yarn. You end up with 96 stitches for one and 64 for the other. Unfortunately, I determined that 80 stitches would be right for this yarn. Because of the construction of the hat, I wasn’t sure how to adjust it for a different yarn size. Out came The New Knitting Stitch Library to find a lace pattern that would work in about 80 stitches.

Pattern: none (see below)
Yarn: Terra, the Fibre Company, African Violet (1 skein)
Needles: size 7, double point for rib, size 9 for rest
Began: February 2008. Completed: February 2008

Cast on 80 stitches. Work 1x1 ribbing for about 8 rounds. I should have inserted a plain row of stockinette before I started the pattern, but I didn’t follow pattern 218 (multiple of 16 stitches). Repeat 2.5 times. K2tog (or P2 tog) all stitches for 1round, knit (or purl) one round, k2tog (or P2 tog) etc. until you have decreased to 5 stitches. Break yarn and pull end through loops.

The color is better in the outside shot. The sun was so bright on the snow on Saturday that I couldn’t keep my eyes open for the photo.

Review: The yarn book

2008-02-17T14:51:00.003-05:00

The yarn book : how to understand, design, and use yarn by Penny Walsh is a book we are adding to the spinner’s library. It is not specifically for spinners and I thought it might be of interest to knitters as well. The book covers the history of spinning, materials, yarn spinning mechanisms, handspinning techniques, yarn in fabric and contemporary yarns. The handspinning techniques chapter isn’t so much about how to make the yarns as describing and defining different types of yarns, especially novelty yarns. This could help a knitter have a better understanding of yarn so she can better choose commercial yarn. The chapter on yarn in fabric is primarily about weaving. The book defines many different types of fabric (from barathea to velvet).

I have done quite a bit of reading on the history of spinning and on different types of fibers so this was largely a review, but in general it looked quite good. The book gives a pretty good overview to many aspects of yarn, but it really is an overview. To be fair, I read the book quickly today because I need to bring it to our meeting on Tuesday (and I’m busy tomorrow)—I purchased the book in November but I just now got it read, procrastinator that I am.

Some of the spinning techniques and their photos were a little confusing to me. For example, p.87 has a pictured labeled “spots being inserted into ply” and the same photo on p.92 is labeled “plying thread winding across slub”. Both captions seem appropriate but using the same photo makes it more confusing for me.

Also, some of the fabric definitions confuse me, such as the difference between “Crepon: crepe yarn in weft only, giving fluted vertical pleats” and “Moss crepe (silk): woven from pairs of alternating ‘S’- and ‘Z’-ply crepe yarns in weft only to give a spongy handle and good draping quality”. Crepe is defined as “pairs of alternate ‘S’- and ‘Z’-plied yarns in wasp and weft,” so if you put this into the crepon definition the structure sounds to me like it is the same as moss silk.

One other thing I am unsure about is the placement of bamboo in the cellulosic fibers (with flax, cotton, hemp, jute, sisal, nettle and paper) rather than with the regenerated fibers, like rayon and viscose. My understanding was that bamboo yarn was made in much the same way as rayon and not flax and hemp (see these sites).

Despite these problems, I think it is a good overview collecting together a lot of information, and a book I can easily see JQ or DJ being interested in.

Rating: 3.4

It's snowing

2008-02-17T10:22:00.003-05:00

OK, that's not really news, these days. At least the freezing rain stopped--I prefer the snow.

Yesterday was beautiful. We took a nice walk downtown to do some errands. We also went to the new yarn store in town! That's right, the yarn store in the neighboring town will now need to called LYS3. The new LYS2 is downtown and walkable at lunch from work. It also sells interesting fabric and has a coffee bar. This might not be a good thing for my budget... I didn't get anything when there, although many things tempted me. I had nothing in particular I needed and I didn't want to try TH's patience. Several days ago, S went there and bought a bunch of stuff. I'm hoping she will blog on it. Janna may also blog on it since I saw her there enjoying a coffee (with her new yarn).

You know you keep the house too cold when you find an icycle in it.

TH pulled this off the house from the bathroom window. Here is a view from the window.

In knitting news, I bought some yarn for baby presents for CS. The shower is in early March so I need to be moving. The hat and booties are done. I have just started the jacket. And then there will be the blanket. The yarn is Bamboozle (55% bamboo - 24% cotton - 21% elastic nylon) from Crystal palace and I am using one of their free patterns.

Review: Luxury knits

2008-02-16T19:40:00.005-05:00

Luxury knits : simple and stylish projects for the most desirable knitwear by Amanda Griffiths was not a book I had heard of when I picked it up from the recently returned shelves at the library. It sounded like it might have some nice things in it. It is a pattern book with a small amount of information about luxury yarns and some good pictures of finishing. The garment diagrams are all at the back, which I find quite inconvenient (and I thought they were missing until I finally got to the back of the book).

There are over 20 patterns, none of which I have any interest in making. Part of this is that I can’t see using an expensive yarn like cashmere for a draw string bag or a baby shirt that will need to have all sorts of things cleaned off it (and also is a short use garment that I feel is inappropriate for cashmere, but that is another discussion). Some of the garments are attractive, but very simple and not unusual (th garter stitch scarf and tam made of kidsilk haze and Rowan 4 ply are attractive). Others are just unappealing to me, such as very wide necklines falling off the shoulders or lacy sweaters that I fear I would instantly snag.

What makes this book less appealing is that i don't think the sweaters fit the models very well. I think that many of the sleeves are too long, giving a heavy bunch look on what should otherwise be a very light sweater. Even worse is the cardigan that has a seam in the back that bulges out in the lower back. Another cardigan has very uneven front panels, off by probably two inches at the bottom. The sides should be even - it just wasn't blocked correctly or is hanging poorly and not showing the garment well.

The lace cardigan and camisole is fairly nice, but I would lose the ribbon. I thought the tank was relying on it for shaping, but when I finally found the diagrams it turns out the garment is somewhat shaped.

Rating: 2

Review: Cables Untangled

2008-02-16T16:12:00.004-05:00

Cables untangled : an exploration of cable knitting by Melissa Leapman contains the basics of making cables, several patterns and a stitch dictionary. The instructions look clear, although I know the basics of cables and have not tried to use the instructions for more complex cables. She includes tips, like purling the first stitch after a cable through the back of a loop (and correcting the twist in the next row) to avoid an elongated stitch in the pattern. She includes both charts and written instructions for the first few patterns. She also gives some tips for designing with cables.

There are several patterns I like quite well. I particularly like the two color pillow. I think S might really like the Little bag with handles. I also like the Harvest Tweed Afghan, which pairs bold cables with lace and the Entwined cables pillow.

The stitch dictionary includes 24 rib patterns, 54 panels, and 43 allover patterns. I know there are other stitch dictionaries for cables and I haven’t compared them. There are some very nice patterns, but also a fair number that I don’t like based on the sample picture. However, it may be that those I don't like on their own would look really good as part of a larger design--this is definitely something I need to learn about.

Rating: 3.8

Review: Morehouse Farm Merino Knits

2008-02-16T10:53:00.006-05:00

Morehouse Farm Merino knits : more than 40 farm-fresh designs by Margrit Lohrer is an attractive book. It talks about the farm, the sheep and how the business got started. Morehouse Farm was one of the first merino producers in the United States. They now dye the yarn in many pretty colors and the looking at the colorful projects with the soft wool certainly perked up a grey February day.

The book includes a fair number of designs for children that are bright and fanciful, often incorporating animal shapes. The other patterns are for fairly simple garments; if you want complex patterns, this book is not for you. The author enjoys knitting as relaxation and a time to think, as she describes on p.16:

My approach to knitting is pretty simple: I want to knit, knit, and knit some more. My favorite projects are yards of scarves and acres of blankets. Stop-and-go projects bother me—stop and check, stop and read, stop and count—they don’t give m time to think. Knitting is the time when I digest the day’s events, my life’s, and the world’s. Life’s meaning, for me, resides in the rhythm of knitting. And to come to grips with what’s happening around us in this world of flashing images, quick talkers, and meaningless sound bites, you need hours of knitting.

The projects incorporate slip stitches, dropped stitches, knitting into the row below etc. to achieve some nice results. I like the huck lace shawl, which is based on a common weaving pattern.

I also really like the Indian corn hat and scarf because the pattern and colors in the yarn do such a good job of mimicking the corn.

The author includes several projects for the home that are felted (often just slightly). This seems like a good approach with the pillows (see the cover of the book). She knits the pillows in the round. More interestingly, she knit the blanket in the round. After fulling, she cut it apart between the first and last stitches of each round which gave nice, straight sides to the blanket.

Rating: 3

Knitting Pattern-A Day-Calendar

2008-02-13T09:07:00.004-05:00

So, I got this calendar for Christmas. I like it, even though some of the patterns are definitely not for me. I have been flagging the ones I might like, and it turns out that I have about 10 flagged so far and that's pretty good for 7 weeks worth of patterns. I found the calendar site through which a designer can submit patterns for the next calendar. It includes a TOC for this year's calendar.

The reason for mentioning the calendar, in truth, is because twofold. I decided I could rate it like WK does for books and I LOVE today's pattern.

I am trying to not read ahead, but the pattern directions seem to be clear (good since this is an edited work of patterns from many designers), the yarns are ones I can imagine using, no polyester, man-made yuck so far, and the photos are helpful. There isn't a stitch dictionary, as there is in many books, but I think they'd have to have an appendix for that. Difficult in a calendar page-a-day format. Also, there is a good mix of types of projects, hats, socks, washcloths, etc. One caveat is that several patterns, including today's take up more than one day (page), so you really don't get 365 patterns. Not a huge problem since there's no way I could knit them all in one year. Unless I decided to become a stay-at-home person, which would put a crimp in my knitting budget!

So today's pattern is called "Tortuga Hat Pattern" and was submitted by Lynn Bartsch. I searched for an image online, but couldn't find one, so you'll have to wait until I make TL one or buy the calendar. This pattern takes 3 days worth of calendar, so it might be a while. I feel I have to make it pretty soon, though, or TL will hate me for making it for him, although Lynn seems to have made one for herself as well as her kid.

Compo's Hat

2008-02-10T17:37:00.000-05:00

Back in November I listed my planned projects and then immediately started something that wasn’t on the list, but I never blogged about it.

We enjoy watching Last of the Summer Wine, a BBC comedy that started in 1973? One of the characters is called Compo. He is consistently described as “scruffy.” He always wears a green knit hat. The first several years the hat was different, but sometime around 1980, the same hat was worn until the actor’s death in 1999. TH wanted a hat like Compo’s.

I first made the hat using stash yarn—Araucania Nature Wool in green. Unfortunately, although the color was right, it fit me and not TH, so I ripped it out (yes, it was virtually done and I completely frogged it. In theory I could have moved up a needle size or two, but I was using size 7 dpns. I don’t own size 8 dpns (yet) and I lost my size 9 dpns from about October until two weeks ago.

Obviously, I needed to buy new yarn, so TH and I went to my LYS2 to find wool he would like. Once there, green no longer seemed quite as important. TH really liked a deep red. The yarn was too thick this time—especially since I would be using size 7 needles (why didn’t I just get new needles?). This means the hat isn’t quite as good as it should be so I’ll need to make him another one eventually.

Pattern: none
Yarn: Cascade 128, 9404 (1 skein)
Needles: size 7, double point
Began: November 2007. Completed: November 2007

Cast on 88 stitches. K1 P1 ribbing for for about 2 inches. K2 P K2 P K4 P (repeat for total of 8). Make 2x2 right twist cables in the K4 section. Continue until 7 or 7 1/2 inches (or until you need to decrease because you are running out of yarn--a bit more would be better for thick yarn)—this was 6 cable twists for me. Start decreases in P between pair of K2s. Continue decreasing here. Next do decreases on every other cable, leaving a nice + of cables going to the top of the hat.

Even though the yarn isn’t really right, I think it does look like Compo’s hat. Yes, this is a very easy hat, but it is the first time I saw something and figured out how to make it, more challenging because for some reason they don’t give great knitting shots and I was watching it “live” so I couldn’t pause the show.

Review: Knit kimono

2008-02-10T10:49:00.000-05:00

Knit kimono : 18 designs with simple shapes by Vicki Square sounded like a very interesting book after I listened to the Knit Picks podcast. I had heard of the book before but it wasn’t something that seemed interesting until I heard the author talk about it. This review will incorporates part of what I heard in the podcast. The author wanted to write a book that was inspiring in a different way, something that wasn’t similar to the other books being published. She did a lot of research into the history of the kimono, and the book gives a nice introduction to the changes of kimono style through time.

Kimonos can be very simple or can be much fancier. They essentially are several scarves pieced together, making them a good beginning project. The author’s background is in print making. This perspective comes out in her view that kimonos make a good canvas to experiment with color and texture. Because the garments aren’t fitted, experimentation is easier, allowing one to approach knitting in a more artistic manner rather than as a craft. Because the garments are not fitted, you don’t need to worry about spending a lot of time on something that doesn’t fit.

Kimonos are also more dramatic and artistic than a standard sweater, so they also encourage people to try different things, both in knitting and in wearing. The garments dress up or down very well. Being knit, they don’t wrinkle and so would make good traveling clothes.

The author has used good colors, yarns, textures for each of the kimonos. However, I’m not convinced I would want to wear many of them. Perhaps if I tried them on I would feel different, but instead I often see loose sleeves that would get in my way and wide garments that might fall annoying off my shoulders. I also feel that some of the designs, while attractive, would look better in woven material. The designs I was most attracted to are the shorter jackets and the vests, which surprised me a bit.

You can see many of the designs on the Knit Picks site (click view more images).

Rating: 3.4

Review: Fabulous felted hand-knits

2008-02-09T20:44:00.001-05:00

Fabulous felted hand-knits : wonderful wearables & home accents by Jane Davis has a good explaining of felting (fulling) knitting. She covers the basics, as well as using embroidery before and after fulling, cutting pieces after fulling and then sewing together and the use of novelty yarns. The most interesting point to me was her use of cotton crochet twine to help things keep shape or to effect the way things shrink. Much of the introductory information is available through Google books.

For the most part, I wasn’t too excited by her projects. I did like the cloche, which uses embroidery before fulling for the flower. The author says cloche shape happens fairly naturally because edges tend to flair out/not shrink as much when fulling. (DJ, this would explain your lumpy “finish it yourself” purse I just gave you.)

Rating: 3

Review: Socks socks socks

2008-02-09T20:09:00.000-05:00

Socks, socks, socks : 70 winning patterns from the Knitter's magazine contest by Elaine Rowley was published in 1999, but I had not really looked at it yet. It has some really nice and some very interesting patterns in it. Most of the socks are for women, but there are a few that are for men (and a few more for adventurous men). Some of the socks are quite easy and some look really hard (like the ones on the cover that I love, also in Unexpected Knitting). The text about the socks sometimes has really great tips, like that with Autumn leaves, made from handspun (by Darcy Hobgood):

“I started my socks just above the heel with an invisible cast on. By knitting
both feet first, dividing the remaining yarn in two, and picking up stitches to
knit the cuffs from bottom to top, I could maximize cuff length and still
eliminate any fear of running sort of yarn.”

Because this book is widely known, I’ll just mention my favorites. The tweed socks look like a great way to easily use smaller amounts of multiple colors. The colors are mixed with slip stitches.

Lucy Neatby’s travelling socks are fabulous, but since I haven’t done multi color knitting other than simple stripes, these won’t be made any time soon (sorry DJ).

I also really like the turn of the century socks. Again, these won’t be made anytime soon.

There are quite a few other patterns labeled “experienced” that I also like (such as Harry’s socks, Best of show socks, Bob’s socks, and Austrian patterned knee socks), I also like Salsa socks which are merely intermediate level, so maybe I should consider them.

I really like the Wedgewood socks, but I’m quite sure why they are really grabbing. Possibly because the inspiration comes from a 1789 museum piece, not that I am a big Wedgewood fan (these are more likely, DJ).

Another fun one is the building block slippers. These are knit flat and the folded into the right shape.

I do like the book quite well, but in the last 8 years there have been so many other great sock books published and patterns on the web, that the book isn’t as compelling for me as it probably was when it first came out.

Rating: 3.5

Beaded hat

2008-02-09T19:08:00.001-05:00

I finished the beaded hat for DJ.

Pattern: none
Yarn: handspun, partially novelty yarn samples
Needles: number 6, double point
Began: February 2008. Completed: February 2008

The knitting is not exciting (cast on 88 stitches, stockinette the whole way (so reverse stockinette shows beads on rolled edge), when just enough yarn was left to decrease (5 5/8"” from CO edge), start decreasing every other row, dividing hat in 1/8ths). I tried a bit of pattern at first, but since the whole point of this is the handspun yarn, I decided to keep the knitting very simple.

The hat uses one of my first beaded yarn samples for the rolled edge, then multi-roving yarn (with the darkest/least pink end used first so it would be covered by the rolled edge, followed by a pinker section of the multi-roving yarn held with a sample of slub yarn from last fall, and then finishing with multi-roving yarn with beads. It is very hard to see the beads, even in person.

Disappointingly, DJ can't see the flickr pictures on break at work, so I now know I can post surprises for her and she can only read about them.

In other news -- I checked out a whole lot of books from the library and am trying not to look at them until I have written up a review so expect to see a bunch of book reviews.

Review: Knit with beads

2008-02-09T18:07:00.000-05:00

Knit with beads: Stunning shawls and wraps : easy techniques, 15 beautiful designs by Scarlet Taylor give clear directions for knitting with beads in various types of stitches. Almost all the techniques call for pre-stringing the beads. The techniques are divided based on the type of stitches so they can be applied to many different patterns. The author encourages you to find stitch patterns that beads would complement, visualizing a bead “in a ‘valley’ between stitches of in the hole made by a yarn-over in a lace pattern”. While the projects don’t excite me, they generally make good use of the beads. Often the beads are in trim or just an accent, or even in a picot edging. The yarn choices are fairly good— I found I like the look of a few beads with tweed yarn.

The tips and instructions look great. There is a nice introduction (much of which is visible in Amazon). The author covers garter stitch (add on a wrong side, beads sit between stitches on right side), between purl stitches, slip stitch (where you carry the yarn with the bead in front of the slipped stitch), through a stitch, on a yarn over. These techniques all involve pre-strung beads. She notes it is important to watch your tension so the beads don’t droop but also so you don’t get a pucker. When knitting through a stitch, if the beads aren’t sitting correctly, it may be the bead is too small for the size of stitches.

She also covers hook beading, in which beads are added to the yarn at each stitch, a technique that is good for delicate yarns (so you don’t need to move the beads along the yarn). You use a small crochet hook to pull a loop through a bead and then knit through the loop as usual. An important distinction for this type is that the hole runs vertically, not horizontally.

Next she covers sewing beads, which allows you to use much smaller beads. It also allows you to position beads after the item is complete. The author cautions not to put too many beads in a straight line near each other because it will reduce the stretch of the knitting. The final chapter is about using sequins.

Rating: 3.3.

Snow day

2008-02-06T19:13:00.001-05:00

We have been getting a lot of snow lately. On Sunday we were supposed to get 1-2 inches. We got 6-8". We went to a friend's house in the afternoon and it was really hard to see through the snow. We came home early evening during the Super Bowl after the snow had stopped. It was really beautiful. The city was extremely quiet (everyone was watching the game or otherwise occupied indoors). We shoveled the front but not the back.

In the morning I started walking to work and very quickly it started to rain/sleet slightly. And thunder. I should have turned around for an umbrella. I should have checked for bus money. But I had no idea the rain would get as heavy as it did during my walk. I called TH and suggested he shovel the back before the rain made it really heavy and messy. This meant I succeeded in getting him out in the rain too. Fortunately I had dry socks at work and I have a heat register I can control. I literally wrung out my hat and the cuffs of my coat (the shoulders were also soaked but I couldn't wring them well). Everything was pretty dry by the time I walked home. The walk was very messy because so many people hadn't shoveled Sunday's snow and the puddles were impassable in many areas. Because the walk was going to so much fun, it seemed like a perfect time to check out seven knitting books. DJ was returning from my mother's and picked me up on the way home--about 3 blocks from home.

Yesterday more snow was expected so DJ left pretty early. About 1 PM the snow started and it kept coming down lightly all afternoon. This meant for more messy walking, so I took the bus.

I was planning to take the afternoon off for a knitter's meeting and also to have lunch with RMC. We had a bunch more snow by morning so I decided to stay home. School was cancelled. The University even cancelled classes. They have cancelled twice this year, which in part is a comment on the weather, but probably is largely due to a new alerting system they started for emergencies so now they can actualy contact everyone quickly to let them know of a cancellation. Knitters was cancelled, as was my lunch with RMC. We shoveled in the early morning and in late morning and in late afternoon. A very kind man used his snowblower down much of the block, so I didn't need to shovel the sidewalk again (TH was doing the back). I'm not sure which neighbor he is--I smiled thanks, but I'd like to thank him properly because he has done this several times this year. This is the first time I saw him.

I haven't done much knitting today. I did a bit on a hat which is very simple, meant to show off beaded, slub and multi-roving yarn. I keep ripping it out and adjusting which yarns to use, correct the sizing etc. I also knit a bit on one of TH's socks at the coffee house. Yes, we walked downtown to return one of the books and more importanly to get milk. While downtown, a stop for cocoa seemed in order.

Review: Vogue knitting caps & hats

2008-02-06T18:12:00.000-05:00

Vogue knitting caps & hats by Trisha Malcolm is an older book than I realized when I picked it up off the recently returned shelves at the library. Vogue has published a 2nd book on the same theme. I really like this book. I can’t say I like every hat in the book, but there is a wide variety of shapes and styles (by a variety of designers) and I can definitely see making several of the hats. Each hat has its own picture next to the instructions, which makes it easy to use. Another nice feature is that each hat is also shown on a hat form as well as off. I haven’t made any of the hats yet, so I can’t comment on the instructions.

You can get a some sense of what is in the book by looking at Google books (although I will note that the first few pictures do not accurately reflect the color in the book–two pictures being black and white and another being way off when they color corrected for the yellow paper). The pictures on the Vogue Knitting site aren’t from this book—they may be from book 2. (In fact, one of the hats is also pictured as part of book 2, but with a different name!)

Rating: 3.8

Review: The Knit Hat Book

2008-02-06T08:53:00.000-05:00

The knit hat book : 25 hats from basic shapes by Nicky Epstein is another book I picked up randomly at the library. It is not a book for me. First, I don’t like that several hats are in one picture rather than with the instructions. It makes it harder to use the book (although cheaper to produce, I’m sure). Secondly, most of the hats are one’s I have absolutely no interest in and don’t know anyone that would want to wear. They are heavily embellished. They remind me of Ladies Bird Watching Society hats (sorry, this is a reference only DJ will understand—it comes from a play from our childhood and the hats our father designed). TH was speechless when he looked at them. I’m sure you could embellish the hats in other ways, but none of the embellishments inspire me. Th hats without embellishment are generally fine, but did not seem very unusual.

There are a few hats that are OK. One of them on the cover with the “leopard” brim looks like something for CL. There is also a decent pattern (“Chameleon”) for a basic hat with a diagonal rib. The hat is shown with the brim folded and rolled in different ways.

Rating 1.3

Spinning commercially dyed rovings

2008-02-03T14:33:00.000-05:00

Two and a half years ago I took a workshop with Deb Menz called “Spinning commercially dyed rovings.” I enjoyed the workshop and thought I would put my notes about it in the blog.

Deb typically spins singles and she rarely plies. She only plies when she particularly desires it in the design. She uses her yarn for knitting (as opposed to weaving). She doesn’t like the striping that can occur with handspun from variegated rovings. She prefers smaller amounts of color, more like pointillism. She also finds more colors easier to work with than fewer in her projects. She thinks most commercial roving doesn’t use enough color. These preferences explain much abut her technique.

In short, she is getting an effect like plying in her singles yarn, using a lot of color, but not getting muddy colors (as might happen when dyeing large quantities of small amounts of color on roving if you aren't as good a dyer as Deb Menz).

Each roving, even if in multiple colors, has a dominant color (hue, value and saturation). Think about the rovings in this way and then look at other rovings that are analogous or complements, using standard color theory. Twist the two roving together and hold them at arm’s length to see how they look together. You may want to use two or three rovings at a time and you may want to use unequal amounts of each. It is important to pay attention to value differences in the rovings.

Split off a thin section of each roving and then predraft them together so they will start behaving as a unit. Then spin a yarn using the two or three rovings at the same time. Experiment with the size of the yarn – a thin yarn will have much smaller bits of color than a thick yarn. Try to keep all the rovings in the drafting triangle evenly.

The yarn will often have a “barber pole” effect, which some people don’t like in a yarn. Deb cautioned not judge a yarn until you see it knitted up.

The singles yarn should ply back on itself to make a very puffy yarn. This is far less twist than is added for energized singles and this shouldn’t make a huge difference in the knitting. You can also spin it intending to ply for yet another effect,

After the workshop, I realized what would have really helped my record keeping is if I had put a small amount of plain roving (white or black) between each sample to easily differentiate. And in a class like this where you will have a lot of samples make from a wide variety of things, it would have been really helpful to take a picture of the rovings for each sample. As it was, I had very spotty notes and jumbled memories.

I knit my samples into a very odd sampler. I tried to label some of the sections of it. My labels are:

Various random combinations (1st is red with variety of other colors)
Two rovings, color in common
Two rovings, analogous colors – 4 different rovings
Three rovings, analogous colors
Three rovings picked randomly (Deb toss them over her back to workshop participants)
Two rovings, dull colors; various two roving mixes (possibly 8 different), including complements, warm/cool and value differences.

I also made a small sample of two different combinations of three rovings plied together.

I think these samples came from when I showed this to Guild. One sample is singles and the other is plied.

Now, why am I writing about this out if the workshop was so long ago? Well, I still have odd bits of the merino roving around. I have been using them in some of the novelty yarns. I want to actually make something using beaded yarn, so I have decided on a hat, with beads only in some sections. Because I’m not too fond of the bright pink, I have used that for several samples and the beaded hat might work for DJ. So, I pulled out all the analogous colors + yellow and started spinning some of this yarn for the non beaded section. I also added pink beads which blend well and added beads to another small skein.

The beads are so close a match and there is so much going on in the yarn that the beads are extremely difficult to see. It may not be a good use of the beads, but it’s all an experiment. The size 6 seed beads beads are about 18” apart.

Review: Simple knits with a twist

2008-02-03T12:52:00.002-05:00

Simple Knits with a Twist unique projects for creative knitters by Erika Knight tries to show how you can make items out of unconventional materials and/or make non-clothing items and to think a bit differently about knitting. These are nice theories, but overall I was unimpressed. The cover actually shows 3 of the best projects. If I was 8 I would like the satin ribbon slippers (lower left). The upper right of the cover has a bag made out of strips of net fabric, which gives an interesting look (but not something I would want).

I think the pillow made of strips of wool felt (painted with fabric paint in stripes) is the most interesting item. It is very simple, but a bit unusual. I think the felt gives an interesting texture for a large decorative pillow.

The book also includes a dog sweater that S might like. I think it is kinda cute, but I don’t know anything about what makes a good dog sweater.

Other items of note include the retro poodle bottle cover (“This retro look—once the domain of the church-rummage sale—is now de rigeour.”) and the Aran armchair cover (both have good pictures at Amazon). The book also includes a plastic carryall made from old plastic shopping bags. One of the things I like about knitting is the feel of the yarn. I don’t think knitting plastic would give me the same tactile enjoyment. She also includes a quilt made of both woven fabric and knitted strips to coordinate. I’m not convinced I’d like the mix of the two in a quilt (for feel and wear). There are also some big black and white op-art wall hangings, an intentionally laddered sweater and a bean bag chair made of old jeans and knitting.

The final item I’ll mention is a hanging basket liner made of cotton kitchen twine. If you ignore the pom pom under the basket, it doesn’t look too bad in the photo. I really want to see it after the plants have been watered a few times, dirty water starts dripping through it (with the pom pom getting more disreputable all the time). It will be really good by the end of the season when mildew is growing on it. Making this seems like a fabulous use of my time.

Rating: 2

Preemie Cupcake Hat

2008-02-02T15:20:00.000-05:00

I have made 3 hats for the preemie project so far. I haven't been following the guidelines very well--they mostly want pastels, which I find boooooring!

This is my favorite so far, and it is mostly complete. Even better--I wrote the pattern myself, which will be posted eventually.

I think this will look better with a small flower on top, but I don't have the right colors of scraps. It is made with cheap acrylic washable baby yarns, and I can probably make about 5-10 with 2 skeins of yarn.
--------------------------
Preemie Baby Cupcake Hat Pattern
1 skein Caron Simply Soft, color bone for base
1 skein Bernat Baby Bouchle white for frosting (makes multiple preemie hats)
Size 5 needles

This pattern can be worked in the round with DPNS or on regular needles and seamed up the back.

Cast on 48 stitches
Rows 1-10 K2, P2 ribbing
Rows 11, 12, 13 Purl all stitches
Row 14 Knit all
Row 15 Purl all
Row 16 K2, k2 Together until end of row
Row 17 Purl all
Row 18 K2, k2 together until end of row
Row 19 Purl all
Row 20 K2 together until end of row
Row 21 Purl all
Row 22 Bind off the remaining stitches or pull the yarn through them all at once.

Sew seam if necessary. Add optional trim or appliques to the top of the cupcake.

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

JQ's First Cabled Project

2008-01-30T23:23:00.001-05:00

So, it's been a while since I've done more on the blog than to make the occasional comment. I have very few legitimate excuses. I had a brief bout with pneumonia in late November/early December, which is why this hat took me longer than planned if you count the 2 weeks I didn't do much of anything except cough.

I did do some knitting since my last, long-ago post, but not all that much. I finished off a little sweater for Blaze, but I haven't sewed it together yet. I made the hat in this post over a month ago! I guess the holidays did happen in there which sort of distracted me from doing any craft-related tasks.

The recipient seems to really like it, which is very good. This is the first time I've done anything with the cable class I took in the fall. It was a lot of fun and very rewarding, and I learned how to un-knit cables, too. I probably did not get all the incorrectly crossed ones out, so if you see any in the photo, it's too late! The hat is in use and as far as I know, my colleague hasn’t found any boo-boos.

Pattern: Shedir by Jenna Wilson, available for free from Knitty.com
Yarn: Rowan Calmer in Garnet (#492)
Needles: US size 3 (dpn and 16" circular)
Began: November 5, 2007
Finished: December 10, 2007

Spinning with Beads Part 2

2008-01-28T21:07:00.000-05:00

I knit several of the first samples I made. First up was #2, the small sample of cabled yarn with beads on one ply. It looks better in reverse stockinette.

Fewer beads show on the stockinette side and it curls a whole lot (hence the scissors).

Another small knitted sample is of #5, which is the bright silk plied with itself. The colors in the yarn become more muted since it mixes in the ply. The orange beads provide quite a contrast for the now somewhat muted yarn.

The other sample I knit is #3. I started on #3 (3.25 mm) needles. About halfway through the sample I started to switch to gradually smaller needles every few rows, eventually getting to #0 (2.00 mm).

Next I tried to follow instructions. I used some merino top. To add the beads when you spin, you spin some and break off the yarn. Meanwhile, you have beads (such as size 6 seed beads) on doubled fishing line. You then take the fluffy end of the yarn and put it through the loop. You can then slide some beads off the fishing line onto the yarn. You then get back to spinning and place a bead where you want it, sliding the rest down until the next spot for a bead. I had no trouble with this part. My difficulty came in that the beads didn't stay in place and the all bunched up on the hooks. I was fussing with the beads so much that I didn't spin too well--in some places the yarn was terribly underspun and fell apart when plying. I plied it from a center pull ball and adjusted the beads across one ply when plying. The beads are about 5.5-7.5".

I tried the same technique again using wool that wasn't nearly as smooth. The beads still didn't stay in places completely, but it was a lot better. I tried to space the beads when winding it into a ball. I put the beads all across the yarn and then plied it on itself. Center pull balls do not work well for this, especially for the strand from the center of the ball. I needed to do a lot of fiddly stuff to position the beads. This meant the center pull ball kept snarling up and so again, the plying stinks. The beads seem to be about 6-8" apart.

I tried again, but this time all the beads are on one ply and the other is plain yarn. I plied off two bobbins. I still needed to adjust the beads but it was MUCH easier.

Next I made a very small sample. I used wool (which I was plying at the time) as a core and wrapped it with silk from a hankie pulled out quite fine. If I do this again, I shouldn't make the silk so fine/thin. I then plied it on itself with a thread with some largish beads. This did not feed on at all well, getting caught on all hooks.

I then spun up the rest of the silk hankies and spun up some green merino. I plied them together with maroon size 11 seed beads on a thread. The beads are 7-9" apart. The beads a subtle, but I think it might make a nice accent.

I had some extra wool, so I plied it on itself with some sparkly brown beads (that have been in the family craft supplies for about 25 years--they were in an old non-child proof medicine bottle) labeled by DJ. I wanted to try sparkly beads but I don't know that the brown was a good choice (other than being what I had on hand). The beads are about 3.5-5.5" apart.

A few things to keep in mind--think about the weight of the beads in relationship to the yarn and the use of the yarn. I think the distance of the beads needs to be based on the final use. How many beads do you want to show? Will you be knitting or weaving? What size needles will you be using and how much yarn does it take to make a single stitch?

Review: Knitorama

2008-01-27T10:46:00.000-05:00

Knitorama : 25 great & glam things to knit by Rachael Matthews is a very quirky book. JQ should look at it (unfortunately, I don’t think there is a copy remotely close to her). It is written by one of the organizers of Cast Off, a London group that knits in public, with each meeting at a different place and time to expose more people to knitting.

The author states:

Organizing a knitting circle in public is relatively easy. You can’t really get in trouble for group knitting because you are “just knitting.” You can use the preconception that knitting is a harmless pastime practiced by old ladies to your advantage. You will always appear peaceful and non-threatening when you are knitting, so use this image to make the most of public spaces that you wouldn’t normally use. Some public spaces have terrible lighting. Cast Off members recommend wearing mining lamps, which consist of a lamp on an elastic headband.

You just gotta love a group that operates like this. When looking at the Cast Off site, I saw the project to try to cover a WWII tank with a pink blanket as an anti-war protest in Denmark. I may need to send in a square (and TH says I may need to teach him to knit).

The book begins with basic instructions. They are not as thorough as in many books, covering a lot of techniques very quickly. Many photos in the book are superimposed on 1950s and 1960s interiors, adding to the book’s campiness. Most of the patterns are far from practical—the duster glove and the apple cover (which I could use because my afternoon snack can get a bit banged up on the walk to work), fried egg ear muffs and the shoe laces are some of the more useful items. Many of the patterns are for food, such as Battenberg cakes, ham and cheese sandwiches, a glass of stout etc. The knit turtleneck and vest for the hot water bottle is probably the only thing I am tempted to make. Although if DJ actually got TV reception, she might appreciate the bad TV hand grenade.

I do need to share a bit of the commentary on the garter: “We were discussing what a garter is for because you usually have just one, so it’s technically not for holding up stockings. So apart from being beautiful, we suggest you use it for all sorts of things like holding shopping lists…”

While this isn’t a book I want to own or would even use, I really enjoyed reading it and it got me thinking about knitting in some different ways.

Rating: 3

Ravelry scares me

2008-01-27T04:39:00.000-05:00

No, I am not on Ravelry. This is my current world:

I have 2 year old pictures on my camera that I can't seem to get on Flickr.
I desperately need to update my regular blog.
I get updates on MySpace from people I knew in high school or college. I can barely keep up.
Facebook is out of control--and I am supposed to be keeping up a Facebook page for my real job.
My stash is now condensed to a huge ziplock bag, and my needles are all in one place (mostly) for the first time ever. I have discovered that I have 2 addi turbos exactly the same size, and lots of sets of bamboo the same size. I fear I am falling into my old pattern (like I did with cross stitch) of just buying whatever is necessary for the current project. Improvement on old pattern: I am not chucking the remainders when finished (mostly).

From what I can tell, Ravelry seems too much like cataloging to me. I don't feel the need to keep track of my former projects to quite that level. I obviously can't keep track of my needles and I just don't care about my stash that much--probably because I just buy new stuff when I see it!

Warning--whining coming.....
My new year's resolution was to have more balance and fun this year. I don't think I am making it. Summary of last week (first week of classes)
Monday, MLK holiday: worked 6 hours in office, 3 hours at home
Tuesday worked from 7:20am - 8:10pm
Wednesday worked from 7:10am-7ish pm
Thursday worked from 7:25am-5pm
Friday worked from 7:10-6:05pm
Saturday worked from 9:40-3:30 training new students
And, I am not counting the phone calls, or reading/responding to emails at night here.......or the fact that I had only one real lunch break, and I don't take other breaks during the day.
I really do LOVE my job most of the time--except when I am this tired.
And....the name of this blog is: don't talk about work!

Yarn Stash

2008-01-26T19:19:00.000-05:00

I just finished putting my pictures for my stash in Ravelry. It is a bit scary. OK, a lot scary. I made the mistake of showing TH. He says he has no sympathy for my lack of money. I pointed out that much of it is gifts, yarn I spun a long time ago etc. I really need to get busy and use more of it. The big problem is that I keep not having the right yarn, so I need to buy something more to supplement/coordinate/extend the yarn. I'm also such a slow knitter that it doesn't go away very quickly.

I have been sitting around today not doing much. (Other than a trip downtown which involved checking out four more random knitting books). I have a cold. The main symptoms are sneezing, watery eyes, and being stupid. I am also sleepy and am getting a headache. The being stupid part and wanting to be under a blankie is limiting what I can do. Since the last post, I have done a bit more spinning with beads but it is pretty challenging for a groggy head. However playing with the pretty fiber and beads is nice and knowing it is just samples and doesn't need to be particularly consistent makes it a decent thing to do with little brain power. I'll try to post more pictures later this weekend.

Review: Sensual Knits

2008-01-26T11:04:00.001-05:00

Sensual knits : luxurious yarns, alluring designs by Yahaira Ferreira has several very nice designs in it. There are also several designs that I would consider if I was younger and shed a few pounds. The patterns all call for luxury fibers. Some of the patterns are not as timeless as I would like for such expensive fibers. The patterns are meant to be “classic without being boring” and to give the knitter a “one-of-a-kind look” or “a custom piece, couture if you will.” I find these ideas to be potentially at odds with each other, unless (and this is confirmed by my opinion of the patterns, some of which seem classic and others much trendier).

The book is also frustrating in that it lacks some key photos. For example, the Demeter camisole is described as “This deceptively simple camisole hides a sexy little secret. The sweetheart neckline gives a hint, but the low scooped back screams “siren.”” Unfortunately, there is no picture of the back, and even the pattern schematic doesn’t show the back! (You can see one here). Another example is the camisole-sweater twin-set. The camisole has lace details that don't show with the sweater of it (see Nov. 30, 2007 post by the designer).

I like the Sayuri sweater (one of the extra pictures on Amazon) enough it is on a list of things I might make. I think Ivy dress is very attractive, but I would never make it for myself.

There is an errata here.

Rating: 3

Spinning with Beads Part 1

2008-01-22T18:46:00.000-05:00

Next month's spinning program is about spinning with beads. I volunteered to learn about it. Unlike last year, I actually started on this several weeks early.

First, here are some sources:
Spin-Off Spring 2004 "Dew drop fabric" by Laura Harrawood p.38-39
Spin-Off Winter 2003 "Beaded yarns" by Judith MacKenzie McCuin p.50-54
Spin-Off Winter 2003 "Beaded Yarns for a Little Scarf" by Judith MacKenzie McCuin p. 57
Spin-Off Spring 1997 "Novelty act" by Stephanie Gausted p.40-43
Spinning Designer Yarns by Diane Varney p.85-87

I haven't read these yet but they look good:
http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/2007/08/how-do-you-spin-beads-into-yarn.html
http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-do-you-spin-beads-into-yarn-part-2.html
http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/2007/09/do-you-add-extra-plying-twist-to-keep.html
http://askthebellwether.blogspot.com/2008/01/what-thread-do-you-use-for-spinning.html

Despite having read the Spin-Off articles and the selection from Varney's book, I didn't follow any of the instructions. Instead, I messed around yesterday. The day before I added the rest of my commercial and most of my handspun to Ravelry stash (pictures not yet added). I also made my Ravelry avatar (an abstract self portrait in yarn). In the course of all this, I set aside some odd bit of samples etc.

1) Silk I spun a long time ago and never plied. I dyed it at a long ago dye workshop and it looked far too much like M's elementary school daughter (who is now in college). I plied it with a lavender sewing thread on which I strung matte pink delica beads. I used up the thread on the spool before I ran out of the silk (see #5 below). The pink beads are fairly far apart (probably 10-14" -- I wasn't too exact). It is currently overplied, but possibly OK as a novelty yarn. I used a wide spacing because I thought I might ply it on itself, but I would need to add more twist first. The beads are very subtle on the silk.

Before:

After:

2) Wool I spun a long time ago when I was learning Navajo plying. It was overplied. I added more plying twist and then strung #6 seed beads onto it and plied it on itself. The beads are again a close match in color. It is slightly overplied, but not too bad. These beads are about 5-6 inches apart. I ran out of beads before I finished plying, a problem when putting beads onto the yarn before plying.

3) I lightly spun silk hankies with a blue sewing thread on which clear seed beads (size 11) were strung. The beads are probably 3-6 inches apart. Because this is essentially a lightly spun singles, it is obviously not balanced, but I think it is OK as it is.

4) This yarn is from the first roving I ever got (gift from DJ). Some went into a knitting/weaving exchange years back. Some is in my stash. And then there were these two odd bits of thing, not well spun singles in two center pull balls. (I hardly ever get rid of bits of yarn.). I was going to use more seed beads, but then I thought I'd try something odd. I used red tiger eye chips. I used a beige thread (bad choice -- it shows very obviously) with stones 3-4 inches apart. I plied the two yarns and thread together. I tried to push the chip stone up between the two plies to help hold it in place, but I often missed and I think the thread would easily snag and break. After I ran out of the stones I had threaded I plied the rest of the yarn. I then cabled it on itself. This one made a horrible clatter when spinning and sometimes got caught on the hooks. One or two of the chips also wouldn't go through the orifice without fiddling with them.I think the yarn is really ugly and can't picture using it, but it is a good experiment/sample. The good part about the beige thread is that it is obvious, so I can probably extract it from the yarn if I want.

5) For the last sample, I strung size 11 orange seed beads on lavender thread and plied the remains of the silk from #1 on itself. As with the stone chips, I tried to put the seed beads between both silk plies. The beads are 1.5-2.5 inches apart. Since the silk is plied on itself, the color is more muted than for number 1 and the yarn is heavier. The orange beads provide much more contrast to the yarn (and are a bit bigger than the pink beads).

Contests

2008-01-18T17:21:00.000-05:00

I actually can be quite competitive and ambitious, believe it or not.
Now I have a new goal: preemie project crafty contest. I'm going to Des Moines tomorrow, and if I can find some organic cotton, I will try to make something for it. The advantage of preemies--they are even smaller than dogs!

Necklaces

2008-01-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

I made jewelry for Christmas presents. To be fair, TH helped design the pieces. Even though they aren’t textiles I thought I could post about them. I’d tell you about them, but I honestly don’t remember what most of the stones/beads are.

This one is was for my mother:

This went to my SIL:

This went to my MIL:

This went to DJ (using beads scavenged from a necklace from AL, leftovers from something I made a while back for myself, beads that have been around since I think DJ was in high school, and beads bought particularly for this):

DJ's Purse

2008-01-17T07:34:00.000-05:00

DJ’s birthday was in October. I had the knitting for her present done in September and all the felting except the handle done before her birthday.(The purse should like something like the one here). I didn’t find a decent handle in town, so I made I-cord and felted it sometime in October. And there it has sat pretty much since then. I got back it just before Christmas, but then when I found out I wouldn’t be seeing her, I put it down again.

So, here are pictures of the purse before felting and after felting. I included a ruler for scale. I also included Pink Bear for scale.

After:

Pink Bear was one of my teddy bears as a child. She made it through the final culling sometime in high school or college. My Mom kept her around because she liked having a childhood reminder. Fast forward to the introduction of my mother’s cat. The cat has poor manners and Mom used Pink Bear (with my permission) to protect her hands/play with the cat when Smokey Jo was particularly rambunctious. This was fine until I actually saw Pink Bear all beat up by the cat, with several tears. I gave my Mom Floppy Wolf instead – a sturdier toy for the cat.

Poor, battered Pink Bear came home with me to be mended and then be packed away with other childhood memories. Mending is not my strong suit so … uh… a long time has passed and she still hasn’t been mended even though she is sitting out next to the TV where I see her regularly. The result is that she has now been used to show scale. And she has gotten a new hat.