All the pieces for Bridie are complete and I’m knitting the button bands on the asymmetrical front.
Finishing requires my full attention, so I wanted to have a small project that would be easy to start and stop and carry in my bag. Haven – a scarf from Heartfelt The Dark House Collection by Kim Hargreaves looked like the perfect project. I pulled skeins of Rowan Cocoon in Tundra from my stash and went searching for 8 mm needles. I found a bamboo pair but after casting on the required number of stitches they were decidedly too short. I glanced at the vase of my Grandmother’s needles – heavy straight sticks in every color, size and length, but none in the size I needed. I really wanted to start this project, so I cast on using 6.5 mm needles. I knit two repeats of the lace pattern and wasn’t completely satisfied. No surprise that my gauge was off and the stitches looked forced and uncomfortable. I put the knitting aside and picked up a book to read for the rest of evening. A few pages in I remembered a drawer full of my Grandmother’s circular needles, each stored in a plastic bag with the number written on the outside. I was in luck and quickly found an 8 mm circular needle. I grabbed a new skein of Cocoon and cast on. After one repeat it was clear that this was the size required to create a scarf with big, soft stitches. It’s comforting to work with the same needles that my Grandmother once used – they are a bit louder than my addi’s, but it’s a pleasant sound, the sound of needles clicking.

Posted by brooke at 03:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I’ve been knitting a lot lately – enjoying every stitch.

The Beaded Cami didn’t linger too long on the needles. I really liked working with Rowan Purelife and love the result with the A line shape of the design. Drapes and flows quite nicely for cotton yarn.

Beaded Cami by Black Dog Designs
4 mm needles, 5 skeins of Rowan Purelife no. 986
mods: picked up stitches on front bodice, knit one center motif

The wool that currently occupies my needles is Bridie by Anna Bell.

The incredibly soft, luxurious yarn and pattern make for a great evening of knitting.

Posted by brooke at 03:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

A few months ago I shared with you two new yarns, both organic, that I hoped would bring simplicity and calm to my needles. I wanted something I could wear as the weather became warmer and decided the Beaded Cami by Black Dog Designs was the perfect pattern for the Rowan purelife organic cotton. It's soft and has a gentle drape to it that is really lovely. Knitting can be many things, but I think I love it best when the process becomes a meditative act and gives me a moment in the day to breathe, relax....and just knit.

Posted by brooke at 08:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

*

Chinese Style Pullover
Hand-Knit Works by Setsuko Torii
(Kit 89 from habu)
A-60-115 & 117 Shosenshi Paper, 6mm needles
mods: 5 extra Reps to length, single crochet around armholes
5 brown 19 mm buttons (#BO-8-1) from habu
* the first three photos were taken yesterday after it had been hand washed (it felt like seaweed when wet, but once dry it retained the texture), the last photograph was taken outside in bright light a week ago immediately after finishing

Sculpture. Texture. Knitting.

A garment that bears greater resemblance to a piece of art than a softly folded sweater on the shelf. And yet I love it. I finished this top while traveling and didn't realize until later that the neck line was off - more boat neck than turtleneck. I didn't fix it because after sewing the two pieces together the neck line felt quite comfortable. The V's that make up the stitch pattern accentuate the nature of the yarn, flat linen contrasted by purly bumps. The dark and delicate buttons really complete the pullover. The Japanese numbering system, challenging at first but quickly clear and easy to understand, made for a interesting knit. There were so many things about this project that were new and challenging - a new way to read and execute a pattern, a new yarn (with the cones on a towel rod type tool for smooth knitting), a new construction (I really like the way the arm holes and shoulders are constructed). Surprisingly comfortable when worn, the sound that is created when on the needles doesn't disappear with the bind off. My movements are accompanied by subtle sounds - it's as if I am walking through fields of wheat.

I cast on for this project after seeing Pullovers by Kirsten and Olga - thanks for the inspiration!

Eager to start another Setsuko Torii design as soon as this one was finished, I started another project from Hand-Knit Works.....details later this week.

Posted by brooke at 06:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Above, the front piece of the Chinese pullover…nearing completion of the back piece and waiting for buttons on backorder.

And some news… I’ve been working on a separate home for my weaving work:

newov

It’s just a placeholder for now, but I’m looking forward to the development of this new space.

Posted by brooke at 08:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The room was flooded with light when I took this photo, making the color of the yarn look a bit lighter here.

It’s the start of a new knitting project, the Chinese Style Pullover by Setsuko Torii from Hand-Knit Works (kit-89 from habu). I received my copy a few months ago and was having trouble deciding where to start. All the garments are so gorgeous. I was inspired to get kit-89 after seeing beautiful versions here and here. Last weekend I was in the back room at habu, standing in front of the colors and trying to decide what two strands would look good together. I compared huge light hanks of shosenshi paper, finally choosing khaki and gray. I’ve only knit about 5 inches and already I’m in love with the texture created by the linen yarn. The pattern, the sounds of the material as you knit and the surface texture of the garment make for a new and invigorating knitting experience.

Posted by brooke at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

After working my last knitting project in dark, bulky yarn I’ve been craving something light, organic and skinny. I have an idea in my head of what I want to make – something simple and streamlined. Seeking simplicity – in life and my knitting, that’s what I want right now.

Top: Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Organic Cotton | 100% color grown cotton | Organic Birch

Bottom: Rowan purelife | Organic Cotton Naturally Dyed | Quebracho & Cuba

Posted by brooke at 09:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Aran Coat
Knitting Around by Elizabeth Zimmermann

yarn: Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Chunky in Stout, Shade 554 Lot 19G4 – 11 balls
needles: 32” and 16” US 10 addi circular needles and US 10 dpns
buttons: 5 wooden toggle buttons #W35 from Durango Button Company
size: 34” around body, 29“ from shoulder to lower edge
steek: crocheted steek using 5.00 mm crochet hook, used Eunny Jang’s tutorial here, although I cast on 4 sts as suggested I would RX cast on 5 at the center front
mods: 12 st Sheepsfold instead of 10 st
9 st Ribbon Cable from The Opinionated Knitter replaced the Fishbone pattern
Followed the shoulder epaulet directions but the actual epaulet is not as pronounced on my coat.
The hood – the only part of the project I’m not completely satisfied with as it’s too deep. I love the way the increases organically shape the hood – it looked okay while I was knitting it, but unfortunately it is too deep. The height, 12 inches, is perfect and the epaulet worked out beautifully. Shoulder holder and afterthought pockets to be added at a later date.

[close up of the coat here]

This project was filled with new things I hadn’t tried before and the process, from planning the coat and stitch patterns using a circular schematic to knitting the Sheepsfold pattern, was pure knitting bliss. I no longer fear the crocheted steek, but find it beautiful. I loved working EZ’s sewn cast off (her favorite for garter stitch) on the front borders. Perfect tension, even stitches, neat edges – a cast off that gives the garment the finished look I’m always after when completing a project.

I’ll miss sitting down each night with the huge mass of wool on my lap and Knitting Around at my side. Knit in chunky tweedy wool, my perfect winter project is now my favorite winter coat.

Posted by brooke at 09:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (28)

Today I sat down at the table with the finished body, sleeves and hood of my Aran Coat and prepared to cut my knitting.

crocheted steek using Eunny Jang’s tutorial

The crocheted chains in place, I took out my scissors and carefully cut each ladder thread, working my way up 28 inches of coat. Then 12 inches of hood – worked separately to give you a chance to breathe between the two sections. I cut the last thread, examined the entire coat and slumped back into my chair exhausted. Keeping in mind that I practiced on swatches twice yesterday, I must say the crocheted steek is surprisingly comfortable, beautiful even. Next up….garter stitch borders and toggle buttons.

Posted by brooke at 09:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

Inspired to cast on after seeing this scarf – beautiful materials, so dark and dramatic.

I finished my Bainbridge Scarf late last night using Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend in Dove (1 skein, US5 needles, 2 days to knit). I think the recipient is going to love the soft silky texture and unexpected construction. I enjoyed the knitting and plan to cast on another scarf tonight…

Posted by brooke at 07:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Every night this week I looked forward to curling up on the couch and working on Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Aran Coat. I’ve made good progress on the body and have started the sleeves. After spending so much time with this huge mass of knitting in my lap I finally set it on the floor to measure the length and see the progression of the Sheepsfold pattern.

I neglected to mention in the last post that I’m working the Sheepsfold pattern over 12 stitches. It’s the signature pattern on the coat and I really wanted it to stand out.

I also have been working on my current weaving project. The weft (cashmere) is almost covering the warp, resulting in subtle surface texture. I’ve been reading On Weaving by Anni Albers and the chapter on Tactile Sensibility reminded me of why so many of us crave creating with raw materials. Daily life is surrounded by sleek packaged products that, while save us time, have numbed our tactile sensibility. We love experiencing, as Albers calls it, material “in the rough”. Spinning raw fleece into beautiful plies of color. Weaving with handspun yarn and letting the unevenness of the material create the texture. Knitting with wool to create textural cables and bumpy garter stitch. We finish a project and our senses are revitalized – we can’t help but start the process again.

Posted by brooke at 09:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Chunky in Stout

This weekend I cast on for the Aran Coat from Knitting Around by Elizabeth Zimmermann. The coat features a stitch pattern of EZ’s own design called Sheepsfold. (Grab your copy of Knitting Around and turn to page 164 to read the back-story of this stitch pattern.) I used Meg Swansen’s method of planning an Aran garment, sketching a circular schematic on paper to decide the placement and stitch count of the patterns. Based on my gauge and the number of stitches to cast on to achieve my desired coat circumference, I replace the Fishbone pattern with the Ribbon Cable from The Opinionated Knitter. I’m really enjoying the Sheepsfold pattern, the way it moves back and forth, watching it grow. The sweater becomes a coat by cutting down the front of the body/hood and adding wide garter-stitch borders and toggle ties. Knitting around on US 10 circular needles with chunky tweedy yarn – I think I’ve found the perfect winter project.

Posted by brooke at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

I’ve started my holiday knitting and this year I’m knitting hats. I’m using Manos Del Uruguay and the hat patterns from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Rolled brims, ribbed brims, garter stitch ear flaps in an assortment of colors.

The first hat is finished (most of the recipients don’t read here so I’m free to share the pretty stitches) in English E.

What is your opinion of Manos? I think most knitters either love it or hate it. I love it. Here’s my favorite skein from my collection – Wheat

Strategy to finish hand knits by Christmas – stick to hats knit in the recipient’s favorite color

Posted by brooke at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

wool pods at Rose and Radish

felt fabric interiors by Claudy Jongstra

Posted by brooke at 05:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I’m slowly making progress on this cardigan. The sleeves moved a little faster than I was expecting (maybe because of the lace pattern), but they still took me about a month to knit. This morning I started the raglan shaping. I’m looking forward to finishing this project – nothing against the yarn or pattern, I just really need to move on…

I enjoyed reading your comments on my last post. I think the appeal of Oslo is that it looks modern. Something to knit and wear now with its structural cable and clean lines. I really want to cast on, but I think I’ll break my usual habit of overlapping projects and finish this before starting a new project.

Posted by brooke at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Cairn, Crag, Tarn, Tundra….I absolutely love the shades of Rowan’s new Cocoon collection.

The yarn reminds me of what I already have on the needles, so I think I’ll finish that project first. There’s also the question of knitting two sweaters in a row with yarns so similar in fiber content. But the Cocoon is chunky and I haven’t knit with 6 mm needles in ages.

Waiting in its not so rustic habitat...

I was thinking of knitting Narvik in one color – I love this photo (slightly different than the one in the magazine), the cables, the stitch pattern on the sleeves. But if I take away the model with braids wrapped around her head and the beautiful landscape behind her, do I still want to knit it? There’s something about the styling in the photo that makes me forget it’s cropped, something that makes it look almost wrap-like. I may just go with the more tailored Oslo. Ah, decisions. I love thinking about what to knit next.

Posted by brooke at 09:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Thank You to everyone who stopped by and left a note about my Lenten Rose socks. And now on to the next pair... :)

I bought this yarn last December, eyeing it every time I looked at my stash. When the Spring IK arrived in the mail, it was put aside for a month. Just wasn’t ready for all the spring looks – except for the socks. An issue with two amazing sock patterns! I love Eunny Jang’s Entrelac Socks - I’ve never tried entrelac, so those will definitely be a future knit. (With much thought about what two yarns to use.) The moment I saw Roza’s Socks by Grumperina, I knew the pattern would be a perfect match for the minty Brooklyn Handspun Signature sock yarn in my stash.

This Signature yarn is so soft – love the tight twist and comes in a generous 480 yards. I’m using Lantern Moon five inch ebony 2.25 mm dpns from Knit-Purl (they only show the 7 inch on their web site, but at the time they were out of stock and said they had the five inch sox stix, so I opted to try them out.) I prefer knitting socks with dpns, but I always find it hard casting on all those stitches with out twisting. (It’s probably just me, but the needles bounce and twist when I cast on dpns.) Lately, I’ve been casting on all the stitches to a circular needle and then transferring them to the dpns.

Solid, minty colour, plays well with this beautiful pattern.

Posted by brooke at 08:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)

Savoring every stitch.

Pattern & Yarn: Lenten Rose Socks - Petals Collection – Sundara Yarn (100% superwash merino wool, 350 yards, 100 grams, “Lenten Rose”, 1 skein)
Needles: 2.25 mm Blue Sky Alpacas dpns
Notions: included 20 inches silk ribbon, cut in two 10 inch strips

Did you get your Cherry Blossom? I’ll be celebrating spring with some of this yarn in silk lace weight which will arrive in April. Now I just have to find the perfect pattern.

Posted by brooke at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)

Winding a skein and knitting until I need another allows me to savor the project and amplifies the process of creating a sweater. But my preference for winding yarn as I knit challenged the progress on Ariann last week. I finished the first skein Tuesday. The rest of the week I couldn’t find the time or energy to wind up more yarn so late in the evening. All I wanted to do was to sink into the couch and knit. (A new sock with the ribbing complete connected to approximately 400 yards of yarn was what I reached for each night.)

Ariann waiting for the weekend…

^{natural beauty - occasionally I run into a fleck of straw}

To make up for last week, I wound up three skeins of Beaverslide this morning. A weekend of good knitting ahead…

Posted by brooke at 08:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I’ve been working on Ariann all week and am about to knit the first one row buttonhole. This is my first cardigan and I’ve only knit buttonholes on kids knits using the yarn over method, so I decided to try out a few before placing the first of four 3-st buttonholes on this cardigan.

One Row Buttonhole

1 – Elizabeth Zimmermann’s one row buttonhole from Knitter’s Almanac without turning the work
2 – slipping the stitches knitwise (Hint du Jour by Bonne Marie - Buttonhole Version D)
3 – one row buttonhole, slipping stitches purlwise (video here)

I’m going to use Bonne Marie’s suggested buttonhole since it looks neat and sturdy.

This has been a really satisfying project thus far – the pattern has a really nice rhythm to it and the yarn is knitting up beautifully.

And some lovely scents brightened my week…

handmade soap by Megan…Springtime Lure [Lavendar & Lime]

And I was expecting glorious colors, but wasn’t expecting it to smell lovely too (yes, I sniff yarn!).

sock yarn by Wollmeise

Posted by brooke at 01:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

I swatched once and am ready to swatch again. Enter new yarn slated for Ariann. Beaverslide Dry Goods, natural wool grown in Montana, 2-ply worsted weight in color cottontail. This particular color has more fine kid mohair than the other worsted weight yarns, but the natural color is exactly what I wanted for my Ariann. (BTW, Go check out Kristi’s Ariann-simply stunning.) I’ve never been so excited to swatch!

Posted by brooke at 01:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

After seeing Julie’s Wonderful Wallaby, I knew I had to knit this sweater for my friend’s little sprite. Comfy pouch, hood and it’s seamless!

Pattern: The Wonderful Wallaby by Cottage Creations
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Cotton, 2 1/2 skeins
Color: Shell, # 606
Size: Wanda Wallaby, Size 2
Gauge: 9 sts = 2 inches
Needles: 4 mm addi circular and dpns, 5 mm 24” addi circular and dpns, extra 5 mm circular needle for pouch
Cast on: alternate cable cast-on
Note: I purchased the pattern from purlsoho, but the Cottage Creations patterns are available at many online stores.

Written with a nod to Elizabeth Zimmermann this hooded sweater features a hand-warming pouch and cozy hood. The body of the sweater and sleeves are knit in the round, joined at the yolk and zooom….speedy, seamless knitting! The pattern booklet includes sizes for children 2 to 12 and adults petite to super size. I replaced the garter stitch borders with cables, adding them on whim last week when I was knitting the pouch. I thought, why not? And although it wasn’t a huge change to the pattern, it was fun to mix it up a bit. (Hhmm…what will I do to the neck and hood?) Once I got to the placket I knit two small cables, adding a few stitches to account for any pull they would have around the front of the neck. I decided not to include the neck ribbing, but looking at it now I wish I had knit that key detail. It’s only one inch of K1 P1 ribbing, but I think it probably helps define the neck and shape of the hood. I continued the cables from the placket up around the edge and wove the hood to a point using Kitchener stitch.

Want more? Check out the Wonderful Wallaby Flickr Group

Posted by brooke at 09:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Progress on the Spider’s-web shawl from VLT – one repeat of the Barège pattern complete.

I was going to write about….but lost my train of thought after reading Fricknits today. I am easily distracted when it comes to yarn.

Posted by brooke at 04:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

French printed Barège shawls (two yards square and named after a village in the Pyrenees) were very popular. It is possible that Miss Lambert’s Barège pattern had come from France but just as likely that she was trying to emulate a current fashion as knitting.¹

I’ve been knitting late each evening, working on Miss Lambert’s Spider’s-web shawl in the half hexagon size from Victorian Lace Today.

I added this book to my knitting library after reading Grumperina’s preview. I was sure I’d knit the Myrtle Leaf Shawl as my first lace project from the book, but I couldn’t stop looking at the Barège pattern by Miss Lambert. Shown in three different sizes (full hexagon, half hexagon and fichu) and three different yarns, I couldn’t resist the beauty of this stitch. I tend to overlook things like, say, knitting 117 rows of simple ray shaping to actually get to the pattern. I’ll finish Chart B tonight and should be ready to start knitting the Barège pattern tomorrow evening using size 5.5 mm needles. (The half hexagon pattern requires multiple needles sizes, going up a needle size for each chart.) The yarn is silk merino hand painted lace from Yarnahoy in color Chocolate Cinnamon.

Cross-posted at the Victorian Lace Today kal.

1 Victorian Lace Today, pg. 45

Posted by brooke at 08:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

It really is amazing how these windy scrolls¹ take shape before your eyes. I didn’t hesitate to jump into this project even though I had yet to try two stranded knitting.²

While knitting the body of the mitten I realized that I was holding the dominant yarn in the wrong hand. The little red v’s looked lost in the white stitches, so I switched the red yarn to my left hand. You can see where I made this change and how I didn’t do a very good job of keeping myself on track with the chart. My knitting lacks neatness in areas I think of as transitions: when I knit the decreases for the mitten top, when I pick up stitches around the thumb (which is a little short). This is something I hope to work on in future projects and in the second mitten.

Knitting with two hands proved to be comfortable and I don’t think I had any major problems with tension. The woman who taught me to knit a few years ago knit Continental style, but I quickly switched to English style. My Grandmother showed me how to knit this way when I was young and although I didn’t continue the craft at that time, there must have been some physical memory of how to hold the yarn and needles. If my Grandmother³ was here with me today, she’d say, let me see your floats.

Wishing you all health and happiness in the New Year!

1 Eunny Jang's Anemoi Mittens.

2 A note on how I approach areas of knitting that are new to me. I cast on and forge ahead even if it doesn’t look perfect or I make little mistakes along the way. If it is wrong I’ll rip, but if there is a tiny mistake and I know how I made it and can learn from it, I just keep on knitting. Honestly, if I ripped out every mistake I’d never finish a project. It’s important to finish something that’s new and get the full flow and experience of the process. Push yourself to new knitting heights, put it out there on your blog, the next one can be perfect.

3 She knit amazing Fair Isle Christmas stockings for everyone in our family, including a sock she knit before she died intended for the first grandchild. A second grandchild has recently joined us and needs a stocking. I’ve slowly started knitting for family members this year but I’m hesitant to branch out into the stockings. It’s totally crazy, but I don’t want them to think I’m trying to take over something that was hers. I’m sure they don’t feel this way. They’ve sent me her needles and patterns. They obviously want me to carry on the tradition and yet I hesitate to knit this item. Knitting this mitten was a good first step in trying the technique, now I just have to get over the feelings that come with knitting a sock.

Posted by brooke at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

Pattern: Badcaul socks by Amelia Raitte My Fashionable Life *
Yarn: Koigu kpm, 2 skeins
Needles: 2.5 mm circular needle
Notes: knit in the spirit of Socktoberfest, finished a little late :)

Short and sweet today. Simply, I loved knitting these socks. They lingered in my knitting basket with only the ribbing left to finish, guess I just didn’t want to cast off. Yesterday we had a lovely Christmas dinner with family, an evening that ended with everyone wearing paper crowns. Hope you’re enjoying the holidays!

* On the needles in 2007? Definitely Anna’s Flicca and Bridie.

Posted by brooke at 06:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Are you working on your two-stranded knitting project right now? Me too. Knitting my first two color project, reviewing tips, slowly moving cropped yellow post-its up the chart and listening to this. Now back to the knitting!

Posted by brooke at 08:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Pattern: Shifting Sands by Grumperina
Yarn: Rowan Silk Wool Dk (No. 304 Cord) - 3 balls for scarf measuring approx. 60" (4th ball required to add fringe)
Needles: Lantern Moon 5 mm straights
Mods: Cast on 32 sts

Beautiful pattern full of cable-y goodness. Thank you Diana for suggesting Rowan Silk Wool when I asked for advise on yarn subs. I absolutely loved knitting with this yarn and really got into the rhythm of the pattern. I almost forgot I was knitting a scarf! I submerged it in water and pinned it out on the rug (surrounded by chairs so in the morning we wouldn’t step on it). The cables really wanted to pull in so I had to use lots of pins to keep it at my desired width of 5 inches. Despite the severe blocking, the yarn still retained the punch of the textured cables. Off to the post office to mail it to my dad (insured!) and I probably should grab this sock to knit while I wait in line.

Posted by brooke at 02:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

A quick look at the corrugated ribbing of my Anemoi Mittens before I dedicate the day to finishing dad’s scarf, baking cookies, wishing for snow, making holiday cards and going to the local nursery to get my MIL an amaryllis plant. (A thank you for helping us take care of our dog who had an allergic reaction this week. Her lower eyelids puffed up and one ear had angry red hive marks. A small dose of Benadryl cleared it up and she’s better today.)

I knit the ribbing using 2.0 mm Blue Sky Alpacas dpns and then moved the stitches to a circular 2.5 mm needle to start the body. (I prefer dpns but was unable to find a pair in this size after searching through baskets and my needle drawer.) The cuff looked really small after doing the tubular cast on, but once I took out the scrap yarn (and knit a few rows) it loosened up a bit. Thank goodness for being able to try on projects as you knit. It fits but it’s definitely a snug cuff. Nice and cozy – now if it would only snow!

Posted by brooke at 08:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

I really wanted this Cascade Dolce to work for Ariann, but I can’t get gauge so the yarn is off to the stash to hibernate till next year. I’ve been following Cara’s Ariann and I’ve caught the bug. I have some Cascade 220 in gray and coral that would work and will swatch again tomorrow.

I started Eunny’s Anemoi Mittens with this Sundara Yarn and white koigu. Hopefully pics tomorrow of some pretty corrugated ribbing.

Posted by brooke at 11:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Thanks for the great yarn suggestions for the Shifting Sands scarf.

First up, Rowan Silk Wool Dk. This yarn is so soft and definitely would be nice wrapped once or twice around the neck. I cast on 32 stitches instead of the 52 in the pattern.

Louet Gems Opal Sportweight

Here it is knit up, a festive color and also quite soft. I like the generous width (here 6.5” unblocked) and would definitely make it 60” long for my tall dad. I think some of my stitches look a little stretched out or elongated – maybe because I pull the yarn too much when I cable without a cable needle? Anyway, must decide soon which one to keep on knitting!

Posted by brooke at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Perfectly describes this Classic Elite tweed yarn. It’s my rustic version of the Equestrian Blazer to be worn in the country walking muddy roads with my dog. Lately a knitted jacket is all I’ve needed with the warm weather this season. The yarn is knitting up nicely, structured but not stiff and the short rows give it a clean shape. I plan to start my Christmas knitting this weekend. I’d like to knit my dad a Shifting Sands scarf. Any yarn substitution suggestions -what’s your favorite sportweight yarn?

Posted by brooke at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)

“This is the oatmeal of mittens.” - Yarn Harlot

Thrummed Mittens
Pattern: Yarn Harlot
Yarn: Filatura Di Crosa Antarctic Wool Superwash, 2 balls plus a bit of a 3rd for thumbs
Fiber: Superfine Merino from The Yarn Tree, approx 1 oz.
Needles: Brittany 3.25 mm & Takumi bamboo 4.25mm
Notes: knit the thumbs following the pattern for thrummed mittens in the Winter issue of Interweave Knits

I’ve been wanting to knit a pair of these mittens ever since seeing Veronique's thrums. The project also fit a few requirements I had in mind when the desire to start something new hit Saturday morning. Small, practical, warm, uses yarn (and roving!) from stash, knit in stockinette stitch. Okay, it could have been anything...thrummed hat, thrummed socks... :) I imagine I’ll get lots of use out of these and they were a blast to knit. I can’t help but laugh when I look at them –neat little stitches on the outside and crazy wooly roving on the inside!

Posted by brooke at 08:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Pattern: Fred Textured Sweater from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms, Beautiful Designs Using Organic Yarns by Louisa Harding
Yarn: Green Mountain Spinnery Cotton Comfort (20% organic cotton, 80% fine wool), 3 skeins
Needles: Crystal Palace straight size 3.75mm and 4mm, addi circular 3.75mm for finishing neck edging
Gauge: 22 sts and 30 rows = 4 inches st st with 4mm needles
Size: 6 mos.
Started: knit this swatch on Aug 13 and started the project shortly thereafter
Completed: Nov 9
Notes: The left front shoulder has three buttonholes. I crocheted three small buttons because I didn’t have small enough buttons on hand.

I worked on this little baby sweater secretly for months and finally mailed it off last week. Just in time -the little guy was born this week. The chevron pattern is easy, but required a bit more attention to keep the pattern correct when incorporating the decreases for the body pieces and the increases for the sleeves. I think the start/end markers on the chart for the sleeves are off a stitch because they didn’t match up to the number of CO stitches. I adjusted the markers to make it work. I chose unbleached white, but the yarn also comes in other gorgeous colors.

I love the progress shot above – I thought I was so close to finishing, but then the sleeves – baby or adult they always take longer than you expect!

Posted by brooke at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Thank You! for all the comments on my surprise jacket. Despite all the garter stitch it really was a great knitting experience – and it’s so quick! I’ve been pondering what EZ project to knit next. I may dig out the EZ pi shawl from A Gathering of Lace that I started last spring.

When I first started knitting, I never thought I’d like knitting lace. The entire circular cord covered with hundreds of loops, the wound up ball of lace weight yarn that doesn’t dent until after multiple charts, the bunched up stitches carried around in your bag for months and months. Now I want charts, the thinnest of yarns and 3.25 mm needles (and a copy of Victorian Lace Today, please).

Above, Ene’s Scarf from Scarf Style, two out of four charts done and soaking up windowsill light.

Posted by brooke at 07:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Cast on for my first EZ Baby Surprise jacket from The Opinionated Knitter. I’m using Kona Bay Wool from my stash. I was planning on knitting the entire jacket in blue, but after doing a provisional cast on in green for the sleeves, I may add some stripes (or maybe just do the I-Cord trim around the edges in green). It took me a minute to figure out where to add them, but I think this is right.

The stripes will look surprisingly different once the flat knitting is finished and it’s folded up origami style!

I’m on the second Badcaul sock and if I knit this one at the same rate as the first, I should have a pair by Sunday.

Notes
More Baby Surprise
Blue Garter's jacket
Whitney's jacket at PurlBee (Purl Soho’s blog) - knit entirely out of koigu kpm

Posted by brooke at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

October tumbled in and my routine changed a bit.¹ My knitting slowed down and I found myself putting down the needles and heading outside to take extra long walks with my dog. I welcomed the slowing pace of my knitting and tried to appreciate the small progress I made on Ene’s scarf. I’m really happy with the way the yarn is knitting up and stop frequently to look at the stitches.

Sunday morning I made coffee, the cold tiles beneath my bare feet. I couldn’t stop thinking, I really should be wearing a pair of handknit socks! Badcaul socks to be specific. Sometimes you see someone knitting a pattern and you think it is quite lovely and want to knit it too. The pattern can be purchased individually or as a set with Nautilus and Giotto. Lots of new things in this pair for me…knitting socks with one circular, Turkish cast on, cabling without a cable needle and knitting them toe up. Actually, I tried toe up once and struggled with it, so I’m giving it another go using this koigu solid from my stash. An obvious nod to the season but I couldn’t resist.

ETA 1 I knit with some spiders last week!

Posted by brooke at 09:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Ribbing and just a few rows of a new pattern and yet I’m excited to show you the progress I made on a new project this week. A cable tunic with scooped neck from Kim Hargreaves’ Touching Elegance Collection using Rowan Kid Classic. What caught my eye in this pattern were the cables (cables like none I’ve knit before). Paging through A Treasury of Knitting Patterns I found they’re called Staghorn cables. Cushioning these wide, elegant panels are Trinity stitches. The knitting has been intense and satisfying, probably because I’m doing something interesting on every row. (Trinity stitches are worked on the wrong side.) Both of these stitches are commonly used in Aran knitting and although I’m not knitting a Fisherman’s sweater, someday I’d like to knit a sweater with fisherman’s ropes and lucky honeycomb stitches.

Posted by brooke at 09:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Go over to Put Your Flare On and watch a great utube animated short.

(And if you haven't already, check out Kate Gilbert's link to another utube knit video.)

Posted by brooke at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It was one of those busy weeks where hardly a stitch was knit but knitting was always on my mind. What will I knit for Zimmermania? I wanted to knit the Loden Green Aran as my first project for this knit along but need a bit more time to find the perfect yarn. (And digest whether or not I can handle steeks.) Late Friday evening I remembered seeing a great hat, the Watch Cap, in The Opinionated Knitter using a stitch that Elizabeth Zimmerman calls Prime Rib (also known as brioche stitch). In Knitting Without Tears, she says that the stitch is often mistaken for Fisherman’s Rib, but that Prime Rib makes a much “richer and fruitier rib”. I’m casting on for the Watch Cap using the Manos del Uruguay on the right (it’s more golden than yellow in person) and size 9 needles. The pattern is in both books mentioned above.

Posted by brooke at 11:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Pattern: Anna Socks by Nina Chakkour, Rowan 40
Yarn: 3 balls of Rowan 4 ply soft (didn’t use the entire third ball)
Colour: Espresso
Needles: 3,25 mm and 3,0 mm lantern moon dpns
Gauge: 28 sts and 36 rows over patt using 3,25 mm needles
Started: 9.4.06
Finished: 9.15.06

Notes:
The leg
I tried the sock on as I knit and went down a needle size an inch or two below my calf. (I knit the leg for 27 cm and then switched.) I knit the ankle and foot of the socks using smaller needles and am happy with the fit. I thought about doing some calf decreases using the HJS Studio Shaping Knee Socks tutorial – entered in all my measurements but decided not to add shaping.

The heel
The last line of Shape Heel says to break the yarn and leave stitches on a holder. I didn’t break the yarn because the next step is to knit across these stitches and then pick up along the row-edge heel stitches. I wasn’t satisfied with the way I picked up the stitches on the second sock and pulled them out. And then something happened that I was not expecting - the edge of the heel flap started to unravel. I think I experienced a moment of knitting insanity when those stitches escaped. I quickly picked them up and then continued knitting the gusset. (Maybe they came out because earlier, when I knit the heel flap, I slipped the last stitch on every row.)

I decided to wait to cast on a new project and finish these socks. (Odd because I almost always cast on a new project after finishing one sock. Guess it was enjoyable knitting. I also realized that although socks are not my favorite garment to knit, I do like knitting lace socks!) I knit these while listening to Brenda Dayne's Cast On adventures in natural dyeing. What's your favorite knitting podcast?

Posted by brooke at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)