There is great satisfaction in creating a beautiful fabric by hand. I can't help but stop frequently to admire the drape and texture of this knitted fabric. There are lots of emotions between the stitches and plenty more to come as I continue to knit this piece over the summer months. I knit when I’m tired and exhausted and when I'm filled with joy and happiness. When it’s not tucked in my bag, I leave it on my worktable mixed in with my weaving tools and other fiber goods. As I busy myself in the early evening with household things, I glance at the stitches in progress. I’m reminded of the past few months and am eager for that late evening moment when I can knit a few more rows.

Posted by brooke at 01:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

After a week of rain, the sun is out! This scarf was the swatch I knit before making the grey version. Knit for needle size and drape of fabric, it’s too short to wear comfortably, but I can’t help but throw it in my bag along with my current knitting project. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

[new handwoven fabric up at newov]

Posted by brooke at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Empty cones and scraps of organic cotton greet me as I set up my swift to wind a 9 ounce skein of linen yarn from habu. I stretch the huge skein around the swift and begin to turn. Weighed down by the yardage, the swift turns slowly, transforming the skein from one nest to another.

I love assemblage’s paper crane garment, so I was thrilled when she released the knit version of the her design. I especially love the way the neckline is shaped organically by the roll of the fabric. Linen is a perfect fiber to work with at the moment, casting on during the heart of spring.

Posted by brooke at 09:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The cashmere scarf, finished and gifted many months ago. Habu cashmere held double on 4 mm needles.

I don't have any new knitting to share....at the moment I'm working on my weaving site, newov.

Hope to be back in this space soon.

Posted by brooke at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

Habu cashmere purchased last year*
Saving it for just the right moment
Knitting two strands together
Soft color and texture

Happy New Year!

*A-34-8101 - now on sale. Worth a look even if you are slow stashing this year.

Posted by brooke at 04:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

I think this will be my last pair of socks for this year, but you never know, I’ve fallen into the habit of grabbing my sock bag with needles secured in a knitzi when I have a moment to knit.
This pair of socks has a shaped common heel. After knitting the heel flap you break the yarn, divide the stitches and use Kitchener stitch to graft them together. It felt strange breaking the yarn at the heel and rejoining it to pick up stitches along the side of the heel flap. I find comfort and security knitting with one long, continuous strand of wool. (I dream of a never ending ball of yarn in my bag. I pull the strand for more wool to fill my needles – it’s a skein with unlimited yardage and the rhythm and flow of my knitting continues uninterrupted.) The finished heel looks different than most knitted heels and I was eager to finish a sock and see how it would feel on my foot. I was pleasantly surprised that it’s a perfect fit! The straight pattern of stitches running down the leg and onto the foot makes for a quick, neat sock. A fresh, wooly hand knit pair ready to take on the coldest of winter winds this season.

Flammegarn Socks
Folk Socks by Nancy Bush
Koigu KPM #2405, 2 skeins
2.75 mm Lantern Moon ebony double-pointed needles
mods: CO 56 sts, no calf shaping, 8 inch leg

Posted by brooke at 02:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Socks have been the focus of my knitting lately. Small but interesting projects I can manage during the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Part of me wants to cast on for a sweater (the season calls for piles of wool to be wound and knit!) but I just can’t take on a big project at the moment. So I’ve been knitting socks. Unrolling small bundles of knits and needles. Savoring the moment when I can get in a stitch to turn a heel or shape a toe.

Gentleman’s Half Hose in Ringwood Pattern
Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Trekking Pro Natura, 75% wool and 25% bamboo, color #1512
2.75 mm Lantern Moon dpns
Mods: CO 56 sts, 8 inches long from cast-on edge to top of heel flap, no leg shaping

Posted by brooke at 08:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Rich, deep colored yarn, knit in a pleasing pattern of knits and purls that remind me of bars of chocolate. I modified the pattern, casting on 64 stitches and decreasing to 56 stitches, to accommodate a larger needle size (2.75 mm) and my foot measurements. I like the twist of this yarn – not too tight or beady – and the bamboo content is a nice alternative to nylon. I’m curious to see how they feel and wear over time, but at the moment they are quite comfortable.

Gentleman’s Fancy Socks
Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Zitron Trekking Pro Natura (75% wool and 25% bamboo fiber) #1503, 1 skein
2.75 mm Lantern Moon ebony double-pointed needles

Posted by brooke at 03:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

I love working with materials that are organic and not treated with chemicals. There’s nothing covering the beauty of the wool, nothing masking the true nature of the yarn. A bit rustic and wooly on the needles, the yarn knitted up is softer, full of depth. Long, ribbed leg warmers for a cold day.

organic leg warmers (CO 48 sts, knit 2x2 rib for approximately 21 inches, BO in rib)
yarn: Treliske Organic Merino in Brown Tweed, approximately 120 g
needles: 3.5 mm Brittany dpns
gauge: 5 spi in st st

Posted by brooke at 04:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

I didn’t start my socktoberfest socks until the last few days of October. But despite my late start, I’m excited to be back knitting socks again. Inspired by Mustaa Villaa’s socks, I cast on for a pair of Heelless Sleeping Socks by Nancy Bush. There’s a lot of purling in this stitch pattern, but they still move quickly on the needles. I knit them as written from stash yarn using my favorite rosewood dpns – all factors that make for good knitting and warm feet.

Heelless Sleeping Socks by Nancy Bush
Knitting Vintage Socks
2.75 mm Lantern Moon rosewood dpns
Koigu KPM 2 skeins

Posted by brooke at 09:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Another Baby Surprise Jacket with a stripe sequence similar to the one I used in my first BSJ. The stripes start at the same time as the increases in the beginning of the pattern, with one or two ridges between each stripe. One ridge between the contrasting color was done above, but I prefer the look of two ridges as done in my first blue and green version. Instead of buttons, I used a new zipper from Purl. I mistakenly purchased a non-separating zipper, but decided to go ahead and sew it in using this tutorial by The Purl Bee. I’m not sure when I’ll get around to buying another zipper, so for now it’s a Baby Surprise pullover.

Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Koigu KPM #2341 – 1 skein
Nature’s Palette #NP 115 Dusky Plum – 1 skein
3.5 mm needles
YKK 7” invisible nylon zipper in grey from Purl

Posted by brooke at 06:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I layered my new Balsam over a sweater today before heading out for an afternoon walk. Layers of knits. Spirals of warmth that gently wraps the shoulders. A bit of knitted elegance for the everyday.

Balsam by Ilga Leja
Jade Sapphire 8 ply cashmere in pewter, 4 skeins
4 mm and 5 mm needles
modification: knit neck warmer length for 11 inches and then started shaping

Posted by brooke at 05:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Sometimes there are evenings that call for knitting without fuss or excess detail. And rounds and rounds of stockinette stitch can be quite satisfying in small doses. I set out to knit myself a pair of wrist warmers after seeing this pattern, based on warmers from toast. I cast off late last night and found the warmers this morning catching the most amazing morning light.

toast by a friend to knit with
4.5 mm needles
Shokay in Earth, 1 skein

Posted by brooke at 10:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

I closed the week by finishing a book and completing a new fall sweater. And yet they both carried over to a misty, foggy weekend. Characters lingered in my mind as I wrapped myself in grey wool to take off the morning chill.





This sweater calls for five buttons. I dug through my Grandmother’s stash in hopes of finding a full set. Coming up empty, I sewed on this single button as a temporary closure. However now that I see this beauty in place, I may just continue to wear it with the one button.





Flair by Wendy Bernard
Size Small
Jaeger Extra Fine Merino Aran (10 balls)
4.5 mm needles

Posted by brooke at 01:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

There was a hint of fall in the air this morning on my daily walk. I look forward to the days when the weather turns cool and crisp and I can slip on my new tweedy mitered mittens. I loved this quick and satisfying project and am already planning my next pair.

Mitered Mittens
From Knitter’s Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Yarn: Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed in Ash (2 balls)
Needles: 4 mm dpns

Posted by brooke at 03:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

While a pair of EZ’s mitered mittens block, I thought I’d share some new yarn.

I had the urge to knit with some Rowan Big Wool, thus the resulting stack of fat plied yarn in a deep smoky colour.

And this bundle of yarn my parents bought for me on their trip to Buenos Aries this summer. A second bundle and some beautiful shawl pins were also purchased (all from this store) – enough yarn to create both a knit and woven shawl. I can’t wait to experiment with the different textures.

Posted by brooke at 04:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

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 (8)

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 (15)

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)

Rowan Kid Classic, colour Crushed Velvet

The swatch for Victoria is now drying. The kit came wrapped in stripped brown paper stamped Royal Mail. Inside, a box filled with gorgeous yarn, pattern and a pretty little card (and a rep from Kim Hargreaves emailed me to make sure it “arrived safely”). This weekend I hope to start this project, continue to read a new book and take a walk or two outside.

Hope you all have a great weekend filled with good knitting!

Posted by brooke at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Thanks for your knitting expertise regarding increases. I used M1 left increases and then started the lace pattern on the next row. After knitting a few rounds I found that Veronique was right – the increases are practically invisible in the ribbing. There were four increases in the same row and I made them all lean left. (I may do paired increases as suggested by Julia and Siow Chin for the second sock. Not so much for looks I guess, but for the feel of things being balanced.)

I’ve been working on my must-knit list for the fall:

Sweaters
Aran Cardigan, Knitting Nature
Asymmetrical Cardigan, Knitting Nature I was going to knit the hex coat but now I want to knit this pretty, textured cardi.
Juno, Rowan 40

Vests/Tunics/Tanks
Victoria, Kim Hargreaves My next project.
Sizzle, Wendy Bernard

Socks
Anna socks, Rowan 40 in progress
Canyon Hiking socks, Julia Trice for Knit Café knee highs with calf shaping

Home
Log Cabin blanket, Mason Dixon Knitting I just got this book and I can’t believe how much I love it. I’m sure you’ve seen the gorgeous blankets knit by Cara and Terhi. I may even knit a dish or face cloth after seeing some over at Spitting Yarn.

Baby, Lace and Accessories – tbd.

What’s at the top of your must-knit list?

Posted by brooke at 06:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Need your knitting help.
I’m increasing the amount of stitches I have on the needles on the last rib row for the anna socks using M1. Do you always knit into the back of the horizontal loop when it is in ribbing? For example, if I M1 between two purls or M1 between a knit and a purl-do I do anything different? Is there more than one way to make one?

Posted by brooke at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Pattern: hydrangea socks, petals collection
Yarn: Sundara Yarn
Needles: 2.75mm
Gauge: 18 sts/2 inches in pattern
Started: 8.25.06
Completed: 9.2.06
Notes: Second sock/gusset, I lost track of the decrease rounds and didn’t count the stitches before I knit the foot of the sock. When I got to the toe decreases I realized that I had two extra stitches. I don’t think it made a huge difference, but I still wish I had checked the number of stitches on the needles before continuing the foot.

Yarn for my next pair of socks, Rowan 4ply soft in espresso.

ETA: I’m in the habit of buying one extra ball of yarn for all my projects. Sorry I didn’t realize I threw in that extra ball when taking a picture of the Rowan yarn above. The pattern requires 4 balls and uses needles US3.

Posted by brooke at 01:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

It was perfect timing –checking a project off my list, thinking about what to knit and then getting some really good sock yarn in the mail. Two new sock yarns to be exact and I cast on for both of them!

My petals package arrived on Friday and seeing as I had hardly a stitch on the needles, I started knitting the spirals of the hydrangea sock. This pattern really moved and I ended up finishing it late last night. I cast on for the second sock immediately after finishing the first (!) and in my excitement, snapped my first dpn. Poor rosewood needle. Luckily I’m obsessed with collecting needles and had an ebony dpn of the same brand and size to fill in until I get a replacement set.

More on the other new sock yarn tomorrow…

Posted by brooke at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

This sweater has been in my work-in-project basket since February – and finally it’s finished.

Sadly I wasn’t able to complete the hourglass sweater using my original yarn choice. I’m still in love with this fresh green yarn – but it just wasn’t meant to be for this sweater. (It is the specified yarn choice in LMKG, however, this knitter found the yarn difficult to work with – despite the beautiful color and look of the stitches knit up.) I also was knitting it a size too big – something I had a hunch (gauge was okay) about after knitting a handful of rounds. But I kept on knitting. I guess I just really wanted it to work – for the love of this yarn, I’ll make it work! A few more rounds and it was apparent that it would be huge on me, so I pulled the whole thing off the needles! Yet I was determined to knit this sweater. I started over using some Alpaca & Silk in dark green, mourning the cash iroha.

I’ve been working on this sweater since February. (Sorry, said that already, but you know how it is.) Knitting a few rounds here and there. Finally I got to the sleeves using the little circular needle. (I never did switch to dpns.) Once I got to the yoke it was fast knitting and before I knew it last night I was seaming down the hems. It’s finished!

I’m less than thrilled with the results of the sweater (the collar is a mess). But rather than agonize over it, I’m moving on. I have zero sweaters on the needles and a wip basket that’s pretty much empty. I’m so excited for the fall! Leaves crunching under feet while walking the dog. Evenings spent with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate. And of course knitting. Lots and lots of knitting.

Posted by brooke at 08:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Over the weekend I tried to match up projects with yarn and discovered I don’t have enough sweater yarn stash. Those big plastic bags of perfectly lined up skeins of yarn. I’m depressed. I don’t have a good sweater stash. I’ve been looking for yarn sales and check the sale bins every time I visit the yarn store, but haven’t had much luck. All I have is this Karabella Aurora Bulky yarn. Not bad yarn, just never seems to match any project on my list. It’s very springy and ropey and, well, bulky. I do have shawl and sock yarn stash, but I’m finding those yarns are easier to acquire than sweater stash. If you see any good yarn sales on the web, let me know!

Some news. Did you see the cute newsboy cap by Annie Modesitt in the new knitscene? Something fun to knit and wear –and in style- there are tons of knitted hats in the new Elle magazine.

I finished a sock. The pattern is a basic stockinette stitch sock from Sensational Knitted Socks. Knitting socks is not my forte. I love knitting them but I have yet to knit a perfect pair. (A knitting goal of mine.) This sock is too big for me, but really comfy. Must cast on for the other soon…

Yesterday I went to the Neue Gallery with family. If you live in the NY/NJ/CT area you must see the five paintings by Klimt before the exhibit closes on September 18th. Adele Bloch-Bauer I – the position of her hands, her gaze out from the canvas and the way Klimt captures the texture and flow of her dress with oils and gold is stunning. I hit museums for a burst of inspiration – something I must make time to do more of this fall.

Posted by brooke at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I can’t stop thinking about all the things I want to knit this fall. I’m in planning mode. Planning projects to feed my knitting soul and projects that will be knit as gifts. I’m thinking all the ideas in my head should be put to paper as a chart. (Does that take the fun out of it? Maybe. But I love comparing patterns, yarns, possible substitute yarns, writing, taking notes and swatching!) Do you plan or keep a list of projects you want to knit?

Planning ahead…and then this week getting a stack of vintage knitting magazines in the mail from a friend. First, Cable Knits.

Cables sandwiched with big wooden buttons.

Second, Fashions for Men and Boys. I was just thinking about how I’d like to knit a cardigan or sweater for my dad.

Magnified knits.
It was such a surprise to get these in the mail. So thoughtful of my non-knitter friend. And I think there are some classic designs here that would be fun to knit.

I started knitting a sock this week out of sweetgeorgia yarn.

I was using this small silk bag to hold the yarn all week. When I went to photograph my progress I pulled out the yarn and it had formed a beehive shape, very fitting since the colourway is called honey fig.

yarnhive

Posted by brooke at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I was under the weather and in bed for a few days -but I’m finally back to my old self. Dusted off my computer late yesterday and was re-energized by the new comments on the icarus shawl. Thanks everyone!

Zero knitting was done last week, but I did get some yarn in the mail. Green Mountain Spinnery Greenspun¹ Cotton Comfort – 80% wool, 20% organic cotton. It was on sale (odd weight) for $9/sk (Reg. $11.25). (The flyer says the sale ends August 31st.) I’ll be knitting either the Fred Textured Sweater or Harvey Kimono from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms by Louisa Harding. Here’s the baby swatch I started today. So far I like knitting with this yarn – not too itchy and not too heavy. A preview of a few patterns can be found on Interweave’s website here.

Now I have to go catch up on feeds of my favorite knitting blogs - I’m curious to see what you’ve been knitting!

1 The Greenspun yarns are washed and spun with vegetable based soaps and oils rather than the petroleum based products standard in the textile industry. No chemicals are used to bleach, mothproof, or shrinkproof. –Green Mountain Spinnery, Vermont

Posted by brooke at 06:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A 12 inch circular needle and coffee in triple digit heat? Someone hand me the dpns and ice.

Posted by brooke at 04:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Pattern: scroll stitch from Barbara G. Walker’s A Treasury of Knitting
Yarn: Tilli Tomas Pure & Simple silk
Needles: 4.5 mm addi
Finished Blocked Size: 57.7 inches long, 5 inches wide
Started: 7.12.06
Completed: 7.28.06

Posted by brooke at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Pattern: Icarus Shawl by Miriam Felton, Interweave Knits Summer 2006
Yarn: Sundara Yarn hand-dyed silk lace, color 012
Needles: 3.25mm Addi circular needle
Gauge: 21 sts and 38 rows equals 4 inches
Finished Size: 72 inches wide, 36 inches from center top edge to bottom point, after blocking
Started: 5.8.06
Completed: 7.26.06

I am usually eager to give my knits away, but this one will be hard to let go. It’s off to my sister who I know will appreciate it, especially because of its color. Red is her favorite and I think this yarn is the perfect shade. Vibrant. Bold. Rich. The pattern has a simple elegance that I think suits her style. There are mistakes - a few lace patterns on the left side that don’t line up and look like they are taking flight. Knits and purls with minds of their own – or at least that’s what I tell myself when I make mistakes knitting lace.

Posted by brooke at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)

I needed a little project. Something easy that I could work on while I tackled my wips. Knit a little of this, a little of that. Maybe a scarf. I’m in a scarf-knitting mood. Weird - I haven’t knit a scarf in almost a year, let alone had the desire to knit one. I made a list of yarns I wanted to try and headed to one of my lys. A list of yarns for a scarf? But at this particular store I tend to buy yarn in bulk with no pattern in mind and usually in a color that 10 minutes later I hate. I left with lots of good yarn, but forgot my list on the counter - which also contained my grocery list. The list went something like

TT 1 sk
Manos mint 2 sks
Madil Kid Seta souffle & lime
Asparagus
Eggs
Almonds

They didn’t have the Madil Kid Seta so I’ll have to add that to a new list. It will be combined with the manos based on a pattern/yarn combo from a book. I decided to get a bit more creative with the first scarf, using a stitch pattern out of Barbara G. Walker’s A Treasury of Knitting Patterns.

Posted by brooke at 08:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Thank you for all your comments on the turbulence pullover. I plan to knit another pattern from Knitting Nature – maybe the hex coat, but make it shorter and smaller?

Last night I did a quick summer inventory of my wips. I was hoping I wouldn’t have a complete meltdown counting the total number of projects I have on the needles. I only counted ones that were in sight – it was late and I couldn’t face a closet of bins filled with started and abandoned projects hidden between skeins of yarn. That said, the damage wasn’t too bad. The breakdown.

Two lace shawls. I think it’s okay to have one, even two lace shawls on the needles without touching them for weeks because knitting lace takes time, patience and stamina. I’ll probably always have some kind of lace shawl in the wip basket.

A sweater. The hourglass sweater that I didn’t finish in time for the Olympics. I ripped and started this sweater a couple of times and eventually changed to a different yarn. (That’s the cash iroha above. I’ll show the new yarn later…if it works.) Disappointed in myself that I wasn’t able to finish it…but I will eventually.

A pair of socks. Toe up. I don’t like the yarn. I’ll be ripping it.

My goal is to finish these by the end of the summer- to have a clean slate come fall. (But I’ll still probably start that hex coat!)

Posted by brooke at 08:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

my lunch (plus coffee, always coffee!) - reminds me of the yarn (I'm still not sure of the true colour, pink or deep red?)

Pattern: Turbulence U-Neck Pullover Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan
Yarn: Debblie Bliss cashmerino dk
Needles: Addi turbos 3.5 mm & 4 mm
Gauge: 22 sts and 30 rows = 4 inches
Modifications: None
Size: Petite
Started: 6.14.06
Completed: 7.4.06

This pullover was a straightforward knit – make a front, back, two sleeves, submerge block and then sew, sew, sew. The front piece with the gorgeous cable was the most interesting part of the project, but it went by too quickly. I stuck to the pattern, but if I had to knit it again, I’d consider knitting it in the round and adding waist shaping. It’s big on me and very square/boxy – my own fault, I should have taken the time and adjusted the pattern knowing that the measurements given for the petite size were going to be too big.

The turbulence cable chart is missing row 36 – no big deal, just follow the established pattern – then the next row will be a knit row and you decrease 4 sts between the markers evenly.

I’m not completely satisfied with the finishing job I did on this sweater. I spent days blocking, carefully pinning the pieces together, sewing them up, picking up stitches. I held up the sweater and knew immediately that I needed to work on assembling a sweater. Maybe pressing the seams would help, but I think it would just emphasize my sloppy sew up job. More practice? (This is my second sweater with set in sleeves and lots of seams.) Bottom line: I want my projects to look hand-knit, not homemade. It’s all in the details and finishing, no?

Posted by brooke at 06:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Progress on the Turbulence pullover.

front with center cable

finished back piece

Cables are classic and my favorite stitch pattern to knit.
My love of cables began back in October 2005 when I became obsessed with a cabled hat and scarf pattern from Rebecca 30. I knit it in soysilk, karabella and ggh cashmere. Knitting the hat with soy silk was the first time I used dpns – I remember that day at my lys vividly – attempting to knit with multiple needles, trying to decipher a Rebecca pattern, using soysilk yarn to make big cables and eating jellybeans from a bowl on the table.

Posted by brooke at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Yesterday a few friends stopped by - I had the back of the Turbulence U-Neck Pullover on the table. (Earlier in the day I had been walking around the house and knitting rows of stockinette. Walking because sitting for too long makes my back feel stiff and knitting because I can’t stop. Eventually we left for a family lunch and I left it on the table, separated from its pattern.) So when they inquired about the knitting, I ran upstairs to get Knitting Nature and showed them the back cover. They loved the cable on the front of the pullover. I felt like screaming, I know! Isn’t that the most amazing cable! I showed them a close up and the chart. You’re going to knit that? It does look challenging, but I was thinking, I’m going to knit that!

Lolly put it best when she said at the end of her book review, “Destined to be a classic, and destined to be on my needles!”

Knitting Nature References:
Sknitty’s finished Roundabout Leaf Tank

Grumperina’s Pentagon pullover

Posted by brooke at 09:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

pattern: hat from Pea Pod Baby Set Designed by Kate Gilbert
Interweave Knits.com Summer 2006 online pattern
yarn: Debbie Bliss Cotton Cashmere – less than one ball
needles: bamboo dpns size 3.75mm
size: 12 months
started/completed: june 11-12

Two lace projects already on the needles and I decided to start a third yesterday. I still need to buy yarn for the sweater and will pick something other than white. The hat was a quick knit so it won’t be a big deal knitting another one to make a matching set.

ETA: The lace pattern should be centered between the decreases-oops, mine's not centered! (Didn't catch it until a reader pointed it out. Thank you!) See how it should look here.

Posted by brooke at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

The stockinette-stitch body of the Icarus Shawl.

I knew what I was getting myself into after looking at the charts and photo. I’m knitting this for someone else, who only likes a little lace. Knitting with the recipient in mind, I think the edges/end of the shawl offer just the right amount.

Indulge me as I stretch out the knitting to show you I’m finally at the good stuff.

My inspiration to finish? Joyousknits finished Icarus Shawl here. It’s gorgeous!

Posted by brooke at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

A quick look at Greetings from Knit Café by Suzan Mischer.

what I would knit Canyon Hiking Socks, Huge Triangle Shawl¹, Lala Scarf, Red Carpet Gown
what I wouldn’t knit Felted Saddle Blanket
patterns here I haven’t seen in other books Boxer Shorts, Yarmulke
controversial I know people have very strong feelings about knitted dresses…There are two in this book, and I like one of them (!) - The Red Carpet Gown.
reason I bought the book It opens with a few pages on the making of Knit Café. I think every knitter has wanted to open a yarn store at one time or another and it’s fun to read how Suzan Mischer came about opening hers. The book goes straight into the patterns (no pages on tools, gauge) - each project is by a different designer, contributors include Julia Trice, Deena Williams, Mary-Heather Cogar, Kat Coyle …
knitter friendly ? Will have to knit and see.
cast on I would probably start with the Lala scarf because I have KSH in my stash.

¹ A friend asked me a few months back, “Do you knit throws?”. I think this would be a good gift. The pattern starts off by saying that it’s not the quickest knit and yes, it’s stockinette. Anyone else starting his/her Christmas knitting in June?

#

Posted by brooke at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

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I was in Queens for work today, battling holiday traffic and rain, searching for a yarn store. (Okay, actually I wasn’t searching, I was on a work-related errand. Definitely no thinking about knitting, looking for yarn or knitting during work.) Where are all the yarn stores in Queens? The only one I know of is Smiley’s. Is this an untapped market? Or do knitters just take the train into Manhattan and shop at purl, habu, the yarn co… On the way home I picked up this book – I can never get enough of these hard cover coffee table-like knitting books. I can’t resist. Next up, the health food store to get some organic chocolate. By the time I got home the sun was out and this cashmere sock yarn was in the mailbox. Now what to do first…read, eat, knit?

Posted by brooke at 08:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Icarus shawl progress.
Five repeats of chart 1.

Posted by brooke at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Canvas, silk, velvet & brocade, cotton, recycled… So many ways to carry knitting projects.

I must have my knitting with me, even if I know I’ll only have a few moments during the day to knit. I probably look like a bag lady, knitting bag over shoulder and handbag with everything else. So far I’ve been able to keep them separate –wonder how long that will last? Here’s a little flash of my knitting bag. Work in progress, notebook, pattern. Crystal Palace and clover needles, light enough to carry around just in case someone wants to learn to knit on the spot. Some alpaca and silk hiding in the corner. How do you carry your knits?

Bag by Offhand Designs. Knitty (hey, the Spring issue is up!) reviews it here and you can find it in pretty colors over at pureknits.

And one last thing. Go read this.

Posted by brooke at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Is there someone in your life who you wish would knit? Someone who, despite your efforts, hasn’t shown any interest in starting to knit him/herself? When they visit do you casually throw a skein of yarn at them to see what kind of reflexes they have to wool? Do you keep your bookshelves filled top to bottom with fiction, except the shelf at eye level, which contains all knitting books? Or do you just put yarn and needles in their hands and say, try it?

Wish she would knit. For me this person is my sister. She has supported my knitting…buying me knitting books, tagging along to the yarn store and wearing what ever I knit her. (She actually wears what I knit! In public and sends emails with photos of her wearing the knits to family and friends.) I don’t want to push her into knitting. And you’re probably wondering why I don’t just say, Hey, wanna learn how to knit? Not sure why. But I just realized recently one thing. That I’m a big fat selfish knitter. I haven’t been knitting items in her favorite color. Red. And the perfect example of me being a selfish knitter is that my next thought was about my stash…If you stayed at someone’s house, and the shelf next to the guest bed was filled with yarn in blues, greens and browns and your favorite color was red, you wouldn’t want to knit either. My plan is simple. 1. Start knitting things in red for her. 2. Keep a ball of red yarn and bamboo needles in my bag, so when I see her she won’t be able to resist... 3. Start stashing up on the most luxurious red yarns available.

Above, number 1 & 3. This yarn is sure to get her thinking. Sundara Yarn.

Pattern: Icarus Shawl by Miriam Felton from Interweave Knits Summer 2006.

Also, thank you for all your lovely comments on the finished somewhat cowl.

Posted by brooke at 11:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Pattern: The Somewhat Cowl by Wendy Bernard
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca & Silk in Plum from kpixie.com
Needles: addi turbo circulars and bamboo dpns in sizes 3.5mm and 3.75mm
Gauge: 24 sts and 32 rows to 4 inches
Modifications: None, really. I knit the second smallest size using the revised pattern with waist shaping. My cowl ribbing is a bit shorter than specified in the pattern.
Blocking: I didn’t block the sweater.
Started: 4.14.06
Completed: 5.4.06

Thoughts:
Sweater high. Knitting a sweater top down. Love it! I think this is something I’d find at Barneys. (Sweater high.) It’s stylish and shapely with a somewhat cowl. Back to knitting top down, did I mention how much I love it? I’d be interested in your thoughts on knitting sweaters this way – pros, cons, other good patterns. Did you see the gorgeous Something Red knit by Siow Chin? Also lots of good references on top down knitting there. Maybe Something Red or this pattern in a long sleeve version...maybe in cashmere?

Posted by brooke at 08:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Posted by brooke at 08:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

muted turquoise

I knit 1.5 rounds on the Shetland tea shawl today. It’s not the most advanced pattern, but it’s doing its job – pushing me to try new knitting techniques I haven’t tried before. Specifically the double yarn over. Yo. Circle inside square. Oh yeah, I’m knitting lace, I should have expected some yarn over craziness. The first round contained double yarnovers with decreases on each side.¹ Then on the next round I had to purl and knit into each yarn over made on that last round. Sometimes loops of yarn have a mind of their own. (I’ve been keeping the loop in place with my thumb and found that it doesn’t slip off so easily.) This p k into the yo yo happens twice in the repeat. How is it possible that I’m excited about yarnovers? Just writing this makes me want to get back and finish the round.

¹“The corresponding decreases can follow the lines of holes by right-leaning and left-leaning decreases…The most common form is to work a right-leaning decrease (k2tog) before the yo and a left-leaning decrease (ssk) after the yo…”
A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swansen

Posted by brooke at 10:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Notes - Left: the somewhat cowl Right: the shetland tea shawl

How often do you whip out the tape measure to check your gauge? What affects gauge? Needle size, yarn, pattern stitch, the length of time you knit, your mood, where you knit, when you knit, what you eat/drink while knitting. We all knit differently. And yet, by going up or down a needle size we can get the gauge the pattern asks. (Or as in some magazines, shouts.) I had to get out a tool that hasn’t seen much use lately. The tape measure. I’ve been checking periodically to make sure I’m getting stitch and row gauge on the somewhat cowl. (Yeah, I am!) I also keep a pencil and paper next to my knitting, but don’t need it for this project. (Always a pencil. I’m paranoid about pens ever since reading this post by Grumperina last year.)
This is the first time I’ve knit a sweater top down and I’m loving it.

Posted by brooke at 09:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

blue sky alpacas alpaca & silk in plum - yarn for the somewhat cowl

I sat on the floor, legs crossed, back straight. I tried to meditate the organic way – focusing only on the breath. But after five minutes, I picked up the needles next to me and began to work on the new project I’m knitting.

Mindful knitting as meditation.

Edited to add:
I was just reading ModeKnit and there was a comment that the Summer IK preview is up. (Check out her Bias Corset, perfect for summer.) Ever since I knit this, I’ve been searching for a cute baby pattern. Kate Gilbert’s Pea Pod Baby Set looks like the perfect project!

Posted by brooke at 04:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I’m reading Yarn Harlot. Which one? I have a lot of catching up to do, so I’m starting with The Secret Life of a Knitter and then I’ll move on to Knitting Rules!. (And eventually, At Knit’s End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much.)

Top of the stack:
The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh
Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Knitting Workshop by Elizabeth Zimmerman

Posted by brooke at 08:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Shetland tea shawl has taken up residence on the kitchen table. (My knitting always gets the best real estate.) Despite how much I knit this week, the shawl still looks like an extra large shower cap. It’s starting to grow up. And it’s wrinkly. Doesn’t sound pretty. Doesn’t look pretty. I like watching a project take shape. You walk by it on your way out the door. Or stand and look at it for a moment before you put away the groceries. A shawl knit in the round doesn’t offer this daily change. But working on the last chart, with yo’s, k2tog’s and ssk’s every row, has made up for the lack of big-picture progress. So this is knitted lace!

Posted by brooke at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

574 sts on a 40” 3.25mm Addi needle

Six rounds to knit and then I’ll start the diamond madeira chart. (Check the errata dated 2/6/2006.)

This shawl is based on Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Pi Shawl, with different Shetland lace patterns thrown in between the increases by Dale Long. I’m glad I frogged and re-knit the Shetland fern. It was only 16 rounds and then I got to move on to horseshoes. Gotta love variety.

Posted by brooke at 03:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I finished re-knitting the fern chart on the shetland tea shawl and started a new sock last Thursday. The next day, two of my fingers on my right hand were a little red and swollen. It freaked me out so I took the weekend off from knitting. I was using size 1 Addi’s, knitting a pattern from an IK magazine from last year, using regular sock yarn. Nothing unusual. I don’t think I’m allergic to, gasp, koigu. Maybe I was knitting too much. Maybe my hands couldn’t handle using 5 very very small double pointed needles. And I am knitting the shawl on size 3. ? (In the last year it seems like the needles I’ve been using have been getting smaller and smaller. They don’t come in negative numbers, do they?)

Anyway, not to be superstitious or anything, but I’m taking a little break from knitting socks. (We'll see how long that lasts!) Whah! I really want to knit these!

Posted by brooke at 10:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Far into the night, while the other creatures slept, Charlotte worked on her web.¹

I started knitting Dale Long’s Shetland Tea Shawl over the weekend. Learning Emily Ocker’s circular beginning was a new challenge. It’s a clever way to start, but I had trouble knitting a round with only 9 sts. After multiple attempts and sloppy results, I decided to make things easier for myself and increase the number of stitches. (I used Spellingtuesday’s picture tutorial as a guide for this cast on.)

I already have mistakes in the Shetland Fern chart. (Such an easy chart – my knitting confidence just plummeted!) Keep on knitting? No. I think I may rip. As the picture shows, only two ferns are right, the rest are totally off. It may take me the rest of the week to re-do this web.

¹Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White

Posted by brooke at 05:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pattern: Birch by Sharon Miller for Rowan Knitting Magazine Number 34
Yarn: Rowan Kidsilk Haze Shade 579 Splendour
Needles: Inox Grey Circular 4.5 mm 29”
Gauge:
Modifications:
Blocking: Yarn Harlot's method
Started: 2.5.06
Completed: 3.16.06

Notes: Stocking Stitch version

Thoughts:

This shawl was one of the most pleasurable projects I’ve knit to date. I felt really sad when I was on the last four rounds. Ever get attached to a project?

Music: I knit the bulk of this shawl listening to Rachmaninov by Lang Lang. I'm a mad knitter.

Posted by brooke at 07:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

pattern: embossed leaves socks design by Mona Schmidt IK Winter 2005
yarn: koigu pppm, 2 skeins & a bit of Lorna's Laces
needles: lantern moon rosewood dpns size US 2
modifications: used a different CO than the one specified in the pattern

notes: I started knitting the second sock on Thursday and by late last night I was almost finished, with just the toe left to knit. Usually I would listen to the obsessive-compulsive thoughts of perfection in my head and wait to finish this sock next week, after checking my LYS for more yarn, so the toe would be perfect. But I decided to make due with what I had at home and consider it a lesson in accepting imperfection in an object and my knitting. It also seemed wasteful to buy another skein for only 13 teeny-tiny rounds, so Lorna’s Laces from my stash completed the toe.

thoughts: The variegated yarn I used overpowers the pattern. Solid colors serve as a better canvas for knitting lace designs.

Posted by brooke at 03:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

I still have one sock left to knit of the embossed leaves. Leah asked if they fit or are saggy. The first sock knit up having texture and dimension, but when on it fits quite nicely. It doesn’t seem to slouch down. (Maybe it would with wear?) Must finish second sock!

This pattern is funny. I was speed knitting leaves and then after I turned the heel it took me forever to finish the foot and toe. Which reminds me – I’m going to start keeping a list of projects I want to knit in the future because….I’m knitting socks and a shawl in the same motif. Ever interpret your knitting like you would a dream?

Koigu yarn and rosewood dpns (US2) …I’m sure I’ll get back to this pattern soon.

Posted by brooke at 11:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I made some good progress on birch while flying. I switched to Inox before I left which made the k2tog tbl’s a lot easier - and the join is amazing. This pattern is pretty simple, but after a few of the decrease rows, I’d count the stitches to make sure I was on track. On the two-hundredth or so stitch I realized that I was hunched over and a few inches away from my knitting. Like getting that close to the stitches would make the count accurate! I’m knitting the stocking stitch version of this shawl and love purling back on the even rows. One ball finished, two to go.

Posted by brooke at 02:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The yarn for my next project arrived yesterday. I wound it up because I’ll be traveling over the next few days and want to take it with me.
Despite knitting on the HGS every evening this week it doesn’t look like I’ll finish before the closing ceremonies. I’m feeling like the slowest knitter ever– it’s endless rounds of stockinette! And yet I’ve really enjoyed the knitting, mainly because the yarn has kept me captivated.
Packing a current knitting project for my travels will be a last minute decision. But I’m definitely taking one of the yarns above (Ornaghi Filati Merino Oro in colourway oatmeal or muted turquoise) and a new pattern.

Posted by brooke at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

What do you do with yarn remnants? I've been coveting this small ball left over from one of the first scarves I knit (gifted). I love its texture and the specs of yellow and maroon and orange. I've lost the tag but I'm pretty sure it's Jo Sharp. I'm wondering what to do with it. I never made a swatch, so maybe I’ll knit up a square. Or maybe I should add it to a future project, like a hat or another scarf?

Posted by brooke at 01:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Progress on the HGS.

This just made my Monday.

And oh my, these are so cute!

Hope you all have a great Monday!

Posted by brooke at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Noro Cash Iroha

Today I knit some more rounds of the Hourglass sweater while listening to Marie Irshad’s interview with Annie Modesitt. It’s a great interview and if you haven’t listened to it yet, definitely check it out. Then watch how combination knitting is done and try it for yourself.

Posted by brooke at 08:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was knitting birch during my lunch break and came to this.

I stopped in the middle of the round I was working on, took a picture of this crazy knot and put it aside. Nothing like that to scare a newbie-lace knitter.

...I just read Eunny's helpful tutorial on joining non-wool yarn. Just in time. Thanks Eunny!

Posted by brooke at 02:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A new episode of Project Runway airs tonight on Bravo. I had a marathon session watching all the past episodes a couple of weekends ago and got hooked on this show. They sketch designs, go to Mood, and then sew up their creations.

KO Update: Where have the days gone!? Behind the blue koigu on this shelf is a bag filled with beautiful cash iroha. I wound one skein up before the ceremonies and am still working on it.

Posted by brooke at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hmm…I should have got a lot more knitting done during the blizzard, but the snow and my dog (who possibly loves it more than I do) was calling. I did manage to finish the toe of this sock.

Posted by brooke at 08:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I’ll be knitting the hourglass sweater for the KO.

Last night I knit up a swatch in Noro, gave it a little spray of Evian and some knitting acupuncture.

Yeah, we’re blocked. Our gauge looks good. Now light that torch.

Posted by brooke at 09:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I haven’t knit a sweater in a while and after mentioning that I wanted to knit the hourglass sweater, I started looking at what yarn to use. Choosing the yarn-fun. Choosing the color-fun. Having to buy 10 skeins-whoa! I’d forgotten what a huge commitment making a sweater is and how quickly it empties pockets of cash. In my mind I rationalize. It’s an investment. It will increase in value as the years go by. It will be passed on to (hopefully one day) my children. And if they don’t want it, it will be auctioned off at Christie’s…you know that's how we all feel about our FOs.

It’s been three weeks since I started my search, but I don’t mind because I love, in the words of one knitter, "the hunt”. You know the drill. Go to LYS. Stand in front of yarn. Compare a bunch of colors. Go to the window to see them in the light. Do you ever knit up a swatch at the store? I always feel that I shouldn’t….like I’d be trying one chocolate from the box, and then putting it back on the shelf, wrapper all messed up and box top askew. (I know you don’t eat the swatch, bad analogy.)

Cari asked what yarn I’d use and I've finally decided. Fresh greens just waiting to be knit up.

Posted by brooke at 01:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Nona makes a good point.

I’ll stick to one of pair socks at a time. But I think I’m going to branch out and have at least one other project on the needles. Made me think that switching things up may prove better for my hands long term.
Last year I injured my right tibia – a hair-line fracture. I was running more miles per week than my body could handle and not mixing up my workouts with riding a bike or using an elliptical trainer. The doctor said I probably won’t run mileage like that ever again. The culprit? I ran almost everyday without incorporating cross-training in my workouts.

Not being able to run is hard. Not being able to knit…I just don’t know what I’d do! So here’s my cross-training.

pattern birch rowan magazine no. 34
yarn rowan kidsilk haze
colour splendour 579

…knitting Olympics must be on my mind.

Posted by brooke at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Even though we’ve had a mild winter, my hands are still dry from the weather. They take a beating from all the knitting, walking my dog without mittens and the occasional office paper cut. More now than ever I’ve been putting on lots of crème before I knit. I used to wash my hands well before knitting and then just dive into the project. Dry hands and wool don’t go well together. So now I use shea butter for the cracks on my fingers and if I have any cuts I do a quick soak in a bowl with epsom salts.

Posted by brooke at 09:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Forgot this pattern in IK until I saw a beautiful pair knit here. Inspired to find the magazine from a stack of reading on my desk and start knitting leaves this weekend.

Interweave Knits Winter 2005 Embossed Leaves Socks by Mona Schmidt

Posted by brooke at 08:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

I’m taking my time figuring out the pattern and yarn for the next pair of socks I’ll knit. It’s almost the best part of knitting, right? There are tons of sock patterns and if you’ve exhausted those, you can create your own. Why not mix-and-match stitch patterns?

As Barbara G. Walker says in A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, “Combinations are the key to true artistry in knitting.”

Since I don’t have knitting progress to show, here’s a rendering DH did for me. Initially I was considering it as a logo for this site, but decided to go with my own simple text design instead.

Posted by brooke at 09:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The sun came out and I couldn’t resist taking a few more photos of these socks. There seems to be a bit of a ridge where I picked up stitches for the heel. Maybe I’m doing it incorrectly? This is the second pair of socks I’ve ever knit (and the same thing happened with the first pair). Suggestions on these heels?

Update: While working on another pair of socks I discovered that it is not the yarn that is causing the ridge, but my knitting technique and tension. Jenn pointed out that maybe it was the decreases for the heel gusset. So on my next sock I paid close attention to my knitting during this part of the pattern and found that I was knitting those stitches a lot looser than the rest of the sock. Not the yarn, the knitter!

Posted by brooke at 02:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Second pair of Jaywalkers finished.

pattern jaywalker by grumperina at magknits
yarn sweetgeorgia yarns in river
needles lantern moon dpns 2.75 mm

Posted by brooke at 10:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It’s tempting to want to start new projects and stray from my current knitting plans.

Last night, as I cast-on for the second jaywalker sock, I decided that my goal is to keep things simple.

Knit only one pair of socks at a time. Avoid distractions. Stay focused. Remind myself that what I’m knitting now is satisfying and knit in the moment.

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. -Stephen Covey

Posted by brooke at 09:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

My first hand-knit sweater. Pattern design by Kim Hargreaves for Rowan. I didn’t know how to sew all the pieces together and since I spent so much time on it, using the specified yarn, I wanted to do it right. I made an appointment at The Yarn Co. for a semi-private finishing class. When we started it was pointed out to me that I had actually knit one part of the sweater too short and had to rip and re-knit. There I was with another knitter and the instructor, sitting in the back of the store nervously knitting away on size 15 needles. I had about 20 minutes left to learn how to sew two pieces together using mattress stitch. Maybe it was crazy that I actually paid someone to teach me how to do this. I could have taught myself with a how-to clip. But at the time I felt like I was walking in the dark and needed a little direction. I’m not super crafty (I only knit) and I’m not a seamstress.

In my knitting naiveté I thought the sweater would be sewn together using the yarn I had used to knit the sweater. Not so. I was instructed to match the yarn to a sturdy thread (embroidery yarn). Using something other than the yarn I knit with was particularly important in this case because the yarn was so bulky. I started sewing up the edges using the mattress stitch. It only took a couple of times under those bars to get the hang of it. When I gently pulled the thread taught, the two sides just melted together to create a nice seam. My session time ran out so I finished the sweater at home that night. And on it went. All those increases and decreases shaped it nicely. Love the pretty V neck and the shades of brown, my favorite color to wear. I took it off and folded it neatly. Funny thing though. This sweater takes up space.

Obviously I over looked the obvious. Size 15 needles equals big, bulky, heavy knit-thing. I’ll never travel with this sweater. It would need its own suitcase.

So the next sweater I’ll knit will be the exact opposite. I'm leaning towards the Hourglass Sweater by Joelle Hoverson in Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. Knit in the round and in a lighter weight yarn. The design is simple, but that’s what I’m really looking for right now. I may even knit it in the same color as in the book. I can’t stop looking at it. I never knew I even liked orange!

Posted by brooke at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Finished first pair of jaywalkers for DH. He says they fit like a sock.

yarn koigu painter's palette premium merino
dpn 3.25 mm

Question: Do you block your socks? And if so, do you use sock blockers?

Posted by brooke at 10:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I’m still working on my first pair of Jaywalkers, but couldn’t resist starting another pair last night. I’m cheating on the first pair. You would too if you had this yarn.

It’s sweetgeorgia yarn in colorway River.

Fresh colors and knits up beautifully...I think I’m in yarn heaven.

Posted by brooke at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Where I’m at. Heel Gusset, Second Sock, First Pair of Jaywalkers.

Posted by brooke at 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was reading the latest issue of New York last night, the issue that lists 101 best restaurants in order in NY. Quickly scanned the list. Number 5 jumped out at me. Craft.

Knitting. Too. Much.

P.S. Check out the preview of the new issue of VK out 1/17.

Posted by brooke at 08:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

trellis from knitty.com
yarn Rowan ASC in Ravish
needle size US 7
baby size 12 months
knit dec 4 – jan 5

Here’s trellis, all knit up.
The pattern was easy to follow and although I do have a few mistakes, I’m pretty happy with the result. I knit the sleeves at the same time and finished them on 12/30. This week I finished the collar and sewed up all the little pieces together. (Sewing it was the hardest part for me, as you can see my seams are far from perfect.) I have little round brown buttons in mind to complete this delicious baby cardigan.

To anyone who knits this in the future….you need lots of stitch holders.

Posted by brooke at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I have two small resolutions for the New Year. Simply, I want to choose projects that will challenge me as a knitter and I want to be more adventurous in my yarn color choices.

How to accomplish this? Knit lots of socks. I’ll start off with Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush and try Conwy, Denmark and New England (and Whitby because I love cables).

Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year!

Posted by brooke at 06:52 PM | Permalink

New Year’s Eve is fast approaching and before I make any knitting resolutions I really want to finish a couple of projects. Or at least finish Trellis, the cute baby cardigan I started in early December. I started the sleeves last night and I think finishing in the next few days is a realistic goal.

I’m working on a blog roll for this web site. Until it’s up, here are a few I read that have 12/28 posts:

Little Purl of the Orient
Grumperina
Boogaj

Happy Reading!

Posted by brooke at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Merry Christmas Eve! Jaywalker(s) pattern by Grumperina. I wanted these to be a Christmas gift, but as you can see, it’s Christmas Eve and I’ve only gotten this far. I think they'll have to be New Year's Eve party socks.

The yarn is Koigu’s PPPM. I love how they refer to this yarn as painterly. Do you think your knitting is art or craft?

Posted by brooke at 01:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I said, “Blogs were invented for knitting!”
DH laughed. I remember years ago him showing me a couple of blogs he read. Reading about what other people thought was interesting and clicking on links to those interesting things. I didn’t get it and thought it was madness!
So I was telling him the other day that I have to work on the Categories section of my blog and he was like, you mean tags?
Huh?
del.icio.us.
Cool.

Posted by brooke at 08:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Grumperina posted on 12/20 about who knows about your blog. I think my Grandmother would have loved to read my blog. She was pretty tech savvy. Sent email and e-cards. Her email address had “quiltlady” in it. Over Thanksgiving my parents brought me some of her knitting patterns. I was thrilled, happy and sad as I looked over each pattern book. She did try to teach me to knit when I was about eight years old, but I didn’t pick it up until after she passed. This folder (that’s her hand writing on the folder, always super cursive) mainly contains patterns for socks, mittens and afghans.

Posted by brooke at 07:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night I put in a couple of good hours on Trellis. Here’s the back and left front completed. I think I’ll be able to get more done tonight as well. I have no errands to run, no cleaning to do, no pressing obligations (except for some holiday knitting that I keep on putting off!). I’ve got only one thing on my mind and that’s to work on Trellis.

Posted by brooke at 09:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This pattern has great texture and the cables really pop with the light colored yarn. (I'm sure you can see a few mistakes I made in the beginning, having to do with the left twist.)

Posted by brooke at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The first snowfall of the season.



I’m marking the occasion by starting Trellis. The yarn, despite its cotton content, looks a lot like the periwinkle sky today.

Yarn-Rowan All Seasons Cotton in Ravish
Pattern-Knitty.com-Trellis by Britta Stolfus Rueschhoff

Posted by brooke at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I finished the Rebecca cable hat. This yarn is beautiful. I plan to give it away as a gift.

Posted by admin at 08:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check out this cool yarn sign by DH. It's foam!

Posted by admin at 03:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

side view

Posted by admin at 03:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's the progress on the cashmere cable hat, patt from Rebecca 30.

I'm using the specified ggh cashmere yarn in color no. 5.

Posted by admin at 03:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rebecca 30 patt no. 17.

Same pattern as the soy hat but this time in cashmere by ggh. Yum!

Posted by admin at 03:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ignore frustrations in previous post. I can't believe how much I enjoy knitting with dpns! Once I got a few rows finished, I started to get a rhythm down, knitting quickly. However, my technique needs some work (that's a cable you see in the picture on the right!).

Posted by admin at 09:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another weekend afternoon at a LYS, learning to knit a cable hat from a Rebecca pattern. This is the first time I�'ve used double pointed needles and I have to say it�'s not so easy. Can I do the same pattern using circulars?

I was sitting at the table with other knitters trying to balance the four dpns, occasionally grabbing a jellybean or two from the bowl in the center of the table, when four stitches fell off the end of one of the needles. Who invented double pointed needles and why? I pushed forward and continued to knit ribs and cables in the charcoal colored soy yarn. A fellow knitter said that if it didn�'t work out I could eat it. Not so crazy an idea because a carton of silk soymilk is a staple in my refrigerator.

Posted by admin at 09:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

WIP - cable scarf in Aurora 8.

Posted by admin at 03:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is the cable scarf from Rebecca.
The navy blue is dark and a bit hard on the eyes to knit, so I may switch back to a lighter color after a couple of rows. Cables are classic.

Posted by admin at 03:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

patt no. 4 from Vogue Knitting Fall 2005 - the cardigan done in Debbie Bliss cashmerino astrakhan color 31004.
The yarn is not as difficult to use as I thought it would be when I started - although if I make a mistake I don't plan on ripping because the loops are hard to distinguish from the curls in the yarn.

Posted by admin at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Knitting skinny long scarf in my favorite Debbie Bliss chocolate brown (they brought the color back!) #300008 cashmerino aran yarn with Brittany needles.

Posted by admin at 10:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

finished Rowan sweater

Posted by admin at 09:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rowan Ribbon Twist Collection
no. 10, design by Kim Hargreaves

yarn with size 15 needles

Posted by admin at 10:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

patt by Kate Gilbert
yarn Filatura di Crosa #116 & 198, 100% wool
needles Clover bamboo US10

Posted by admin at 07:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In progress.

Pattern by Kate Gilbert.

Posted by admin at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pink!

Pattern by Kate Gilbert.

Posted by admin at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

gray shrug
Filatura Di Crosa
primo antarctic wool, color 207
patt by Marcia Cleary

Posted by admin at 07:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Knitting has a very meditative quality about it.

The rhythm of breathing that one uses in yoga can be applied to knitting. I've tried to make it an innate part of my knitting so that I can reap the benefits of this type of breathing. Taking in oxygen, lowering your heart rate, calming your mind and meditating on the act of knitting. The effort of each stitch and purl, each loop on the bamboo needle, the yarn moving back and forth, all to create a hand-knit item often intended for someone else.

Posted by admin at 09:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

cable scarf w/bobbles #2
rowan shade 116
completed 6/5/05

Posted by admin at 09:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ribbon twist by rowan
shade 118

Posted by admin at 08:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

cotton tape scarf
cotton tape by rowan

Posted by admin at 03:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

lavender scarf

Posted by admin at 09:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is one of my favorite patterns for a scarf.
Here it is done in a discontinued color by Debbie Bliss, cashmerino aran.

Posted by admin at 09:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)