Oops! Errata for Alice Socks

Tue, 7 Sep 2010 11:01:43 -0400

I would like to apologize to anyone who has purchased and been confused by the directions for the Alice Socks. The pattern asks you to cast on 72 sts, and knit 8 from chart A, 20 sts from the center chart, and 8 sts from chart B, which is all well and good. The only problem is that there were 22 sts in the center chart. The reason for this issue is that I included the purl stitch between the cable patterns in both charts A & B and the center chart, so what should have been a purl stitch that only appeared in charts A & B it appeared in all three. The corrected version is now up on ravelry, so if you purchase the pattern now it will be fine. If you have already purchased the pattern from ravelry, then simply re-download it and the new copy will be correct. If you have purchased a paper copy of this pattern please email me here with where you purchased it from and approximately when, and I will send you the amended version. Again, I apologize for this issue, and I hope it has not caused too many people trouble.

New Pattern: Esme Shawl

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:33:32 -0400

This new shawl features a stitch pattern from Barbara Walker’s A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns, and the exact stitch pattern is called Bell Lace. It’s a fairly accurate name, as the pattern does resemble a series of bells. When I saw this stitch pattern in the book I immediately knew it needed to be a triangular shawl. However the book included written instructions, and I prefer to work with charts. Also the pattern involved an 18 plus 1 stitch repeat, which meant you would need a total number of stitches that would be a multiple of 18 plus one, such as 37 = 18 x 2 + 1. So to start with I had to create a version of the pattern that increased from one stitch at the bottom of the shawl into 19 sts, also I had to find a way to increase the the number of stitches in the shawl maintaining the pattern, or something close to it. You can see those details in the pictures below, I think I did a pretty good job. It took several tries before I was happy with the result, and I very nearly scrapped the whole idea, convinced this pattern was just not suited for a triangular shawl, yet here it is. I’m glad I stuck with it.

CABLES + tiny stitches of doom = new project!

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 12:40:46 -0400

The sweater you see pictured above is Morrigan sweater from No Sheep for You by Amy Singer, editor of knitty. This book was published back in 2007, and when I saw it for the first time I knew I had to own it. I put in an immediate request for my next gift getting occasion, birthday I think. My mom has always been very good about going along with reasonable present requests, so I knew that putting in the request made it as good as mine. I liked several of the other patterns in the book, and before even considering tackling Morrigan I had already knit a Tuscany Shawl out of Elsbeth Lavold Hempathy. Shortly after getting the book I looked around for yarn to make the sweater. The yarn the pattern calls for is Rowan Calmer, a delightfully soft yarn, that for some unfortunate reason has only ever been made in pastel colors, or at the very least that has been the only colors I have ever seen it in. It is also a rather expensive yarn for a sweater so laden with yardage eating cables. I soon got distracted by other projects I found, and the Morrigan yarn issue ended up on the back burner. A full two years later I remembered again the issue as I was walking around WEBs wondering what to get. Anyone who has ever visited this behemoth of a yarn store will understand how quickly you get overwhelmed there. If you ever go I strongly recommend deciding on a project or two to get yarn for before you go there. The yarn fumes often make it hard to think in there, and the clearance section in the back is dizzying. Fortunately they had the book in stock, and I figured out the weight and yardage I would need. I found some calmer there, but once again the only colors they had were those wearable by blondes only. After considering many options, several of which would have cost me well over $150 to make one sweater I finally found this:

It is a 70/30 merino wool blend, Meriboo from Frog Tree. I am hoping it will be light enough that the resulting sweater will be wearable in temperatures at least slightly warmer than subarctic. Here I am about 7 months after purchasing the yarn, and I finally have it cast on. So far I am loving the pattern. There are about a thousand charts to keep track of while knitting but my post it system coupled with the row counter on my ipod are working out well. I can only work on it for a little while at a time before my fingers start to hurt, something about the constant cabling, but given the extensive concentration needed to keep up with all those charts I can only stand to work on it for a bit at a time anyways. It is definitely not a project for knit night. Progress is definitely slow, especially if you consider all the time I spent planning this sweater, but it is going to look awesome when I am done. This will definitely be a sweater I will don with pride at knitting events to showcase it where it will be appreciated.

Time

Sun, 1 Aug 2010 12:10:38 -0400

Probable the number one excuse I hear from non-knitters for not learning or starting or restarting knitting is that they don’t have time. With me, as with most Knitters I know, this excuse does not hold a lot of water. I often knit while watching tv, riding public transport, sitting in a coffee shop with friends or waiting in any type of waiting room or line. Most people engage in some or all of these activities fairly frequently, so the whole I don’t have time to knit excuse seems rather weak. However, lately I have been finding myself using the same excuse for other activities I could easily accomplish using similar bits of time here and there. Updating this blog, keeping in touch with friends far away, and me designing have all been falling into the background for the time being. I find myself reassuring my inner guilt that I will catch with these things when I have more time. After experiencing this phenomenon from either end, both the excuser and the excusee, I am starting to formulate a theory about what people really mean when they say the do not have the time to do something. The human working memory can hold, on average, 7 items at a time, this is why phone numbers are 7 digits long. This means that at any one time your mind can only hold 7 things. That means if you are thinking about what to make for dinner, the three items you will need to get from the store, the project your boss wants for this afternoon, and how soon till your coffee break there is no more room for things to float around. You will have to drop one if you start thinking about something else. This kind of maximum capacity likely holds true for more types of things than we realize. For example I recently heard a talk about self control where the researchers main theory was that you had a personal store of a maximum amount of self control. That meant if you restrained yourself from blowing up at your boss when he heaped an unreasonable amount of work on your desk with an insane deadline then you probably wouldn’t have enough restraint stored up to pass up the cookies in the cafeteria, despite a recent promise that you were going to eat healthier. I think you also have a maximum capacity for projects, and on top of that I predict that products of greater significance and requiring more effort take up more of your reserve space. I recently came to this hypothesis while writing my MA thesis. This paper is the culmination of two years worth of research, and if I fail it I don’t get my degree, making those two years basically worthless. On top of that level of significance it is the single largest undertaking I have ever been through. Right now the completed thesis is around 100 pages double spaced with graphs and tables included. While I was writing this monstrous document the list of other projects that I just didn’t seem ready to tackle grew and grew. Despite the fact that at the end of a long day of writing I would step away from the computer and have some time to do something else, I still never managed to get much that would require significant amounts of brain power. I stopped designing, the technical level of my knitting projects decreased, I rarely called or emailed friends and I didn’t write a blog entry for four months, though part of that last issue may have been tied to my need to step away from the computer. When I thought about why I wasn’t doing these things the answer I always came up with for myself and others was that I didn’t have time. Upon reflection, I did have time, maybe not lots of time, but time to certainly do some of these things. What I really meant was I just didn’t have the brain power and/or the energy. So the next time somebody tells you they don’t have time to knit, reel in the snarky comment you may have at the ready and think about what they might actually be saying. Probably it is something more along the lines of I don’t have the energy and brain power to learn something new right now, but I admire how dedicated you are to be taking on this extra activity beyond what I can do. Its a compliment, take it with grace. Check out the picture above for a look at the things I have been knitting while I didn’t have “time” for much else.

Alice Socks

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:01:42 -0400

Here is the latest pattern available on Ravelry here. These socks are inspired by the amazing cable work of Alice Starmore’s designs. I made one of her fisherman’s sweaters a long time ago, and it took over a year (picture below). If you look closely you might be able to see the on cabling mistake I made. Here is a knitting version of those magazines you used to read while waiting for the dentist, like find all the hidden pictures. I left off the enormous collar the design included, mainly because I ran out of yarn. I bought this yarn, Reynolds Rapture, because I found it on clearance. It was on clearance because it was discontinued, so when I ran out part way through this sweater I was in trouble. Apparently Reynolds in their infinite wisdom made several light purple colours for this yarn, and I had to scour the internet to find the exact one I needed. I finally ordered more, but ran out again two rows into the collar. Rather than drive myself crazy looking for it again, I used the yarn harlot’s bind off that doesn’t use any more yarn. It involves a crochet hook, and no I do not remember which post it was in, but it was years ago. I love the sweater still. It is big, comfy and so so so warm. In designing this sock I wanted the socks to look and feel like one of those sweaters only for your feet. The yarn is from a local dyer who also owns a cozy shop in Jordan Village, The Fiber Garden. The yarn has merino and alpaca and nylon in it, which makes it soft, warm and durable. All properties of one of Alice’s sweaters.

Etsy Store & A New Pattern

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:34:49 -0500

The etsy store is officially open for buisiness!
Check it out here!

I am so excited about this. I had a great time dyeing these yarns, and I hope they end up in happy homes. I already sent out the red and black one down here to my first customer, a friend of mine from Maine. Each of these skeins is sold as a kit and comes with the pattern you see pictured above A Cowl to Dye For (punny, right?), which is also available on ravelry by itself. Just wanted to take a second and share these with you before I head out to knit night.

I’m Dyeing!

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 08:50:54 -0500

Recently I ordered 10 skeins of bare worsted weight merino wool and a starter set of Jacquard acid dyes from Knit Picks. Last night I cleaned the kitchen thoroughly, soaked some of the wool in warm water in dish soap, as several people online have said you should do that, but others say its not necessary. Scientist that I am, I soaked 5 skeins and didn’t soak five skeins, we will see which ones come out better. I also bought a giant pot so I would be able to put in several skeins at once, also rubber gloves and a giant thing of white vinegar. This morning I woke up ridiculously early for my day off, and like a kid on Christmas morning could not get back to sleep for my excitement. I put away all dishes that I intend to eat out of at some point, and started messing around with dye powder, gloves and vinegar. Currently that pot has 4 skeins, two that were soaked an two that were not, some sapphire blue dye, and a bit of vinegar. I read somewhere that more vinegar would mean more variation, so I was generous. When they come out they will be over-dyed with vermillion in patches around the skein. My goal is to creates several skeins that are blue in places and purple in places, we will see if that happens.

* * * * * *

Ok, first skeins are drying outside now. Thank goodness its a nice day, now I don’t have to stink up the apartment with vinegar smell. This also presents the other bonus of not accidentally dyeing the cats, since Steve likes to hangout right under drying wool. One skein turned out really dark blue, with hints of purple in places, just hints. The other is looking blue with red. I may over-dye that one again, but I want to see what it looks like dry first. This is so much fun, will definitely be ordering more yarn when I can. Two more blue skeins are getting dyed with the other red. I am also using them as an experiment with string across the top of the pot to keep some parts un-dyed.

* * * * * *
So all in all I have 10 skeins of yarn in various pretty colours. I now have to work out what to call all of them, and what to do with all of them. Chances are you will see most of them on sale online. I already have a design picked out that is going to be knit up with one of them. I will keep you posted.

Promise Fullfilled

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:38:21 -0500

I realized that in my last entry I said I would try to show more pictures of works in progress. Now technically I am almost done knitting this sweater, but as you can see it is far from finished. Steve, my cat you see above has clearly already approved of it. He walked right up and sat down on it as I was trying to set up my laptop to take a picture of it. Any of you who own or have ever owned a cat will know that finding the focus of your attention and then walking right up and sitting on it is typical cat behaviour. (Yes, I have been in Canada for over a year now, and I have relearned how to spell. Though I still refuse to see the word check with a q in it, but zed is much more fun to say than zee.) My other cat Magpie loves to sit on my knitting directions. Even as I type this Steve walked up to me and tried to insert himself on my upright torso since my lap contains the laptop. At one point, hopefully this will be the Farmer’s Market Cardigan by Connie Chang Chinchio from the Fall issue of Interweave Knits. Right now I am putting a lot of faith in Connie, since it still looks like a giant blob even though most of the knitting is done, and I am at the point in the directions labeled “finishing up”, which usually is the point at which I can really see a sweater amongst the pieces I have made, usually its even the sweater that I can see in the picture. Right now what I have sort of looks like it might be a sweater, someday, but I have yet to really see how it becomes the pretty sweater in the picture.

Jingle Jingle

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 21:53:34 -0500

Where did December go? Swallowed into a vortex of holiday doom, or some such thing. This year I got two classic family holidays, which was a nice, double the presents, but also double the gifts. My boyfriend’s family are not knitters nor are they used to having knitters around. (Well, his sister knits, but she is not nearly addicted enough to be considered a knitter; she doesn’t even have a stash!) This means that knitted gifts are not only appreciated, but expected, nigh on demanded. So I spent a lot of time knitting for gifts this year. Which meant that by the end of it I was heartily ready to do some selfish knitting. On my holiday travels I had picked up some Dream in Color Knitosophy yarn in the Superhero colorway at The Knitting Experience, my formerly L-YS How could I resist that? (Some day I will remember to take a photo of yarn before I cast it on, cause I love the before and after pictures, but not this time.) Shortly after the last present was doled out I cast on for the Shurtugal socks, check out the finished result above.

I am writing more and more knitting patterns these days. Keep watching the Yarn and Fiber Co website for new ones coming out. Also check out the Patti Waters Project Giveaway! Also keep checking Ravelry, as there will be patterns appearing there sometime in the future, depending on how much I can neglect my school work and get away with it.

In Public!

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 09:10:36 -0500

Yesterday I spent a good portion of my day knitting in a Starbucks that is attached to a Chapters (the Canadian version of Barnes and Noble or Borders). My friends and I were able to scout the area and pounced on some centrally located comfy chairs when the opportunity presented itself. During the course of the day we knit, drank expensive holiday themed beverages and watched people go by. We spotted a girl wearing a purple Vivian hoodie, but were too slow on the draw to kinnear her. My friends were able to convince me that if I tackled her in the middle of the crowded Starbucks stole her sweater and ran away that I would probably not be able to return to said Starbucks, which does in fact make it not worth it, sort of. We heard a woman delighted to see “young women knitting” as she put it, who also affirmed that she “could never knit”, which barring some sort of joint related disorder or a missing limb, which did not seem to be an issue for her judging by her grip on the paper cup, is not something I can understand. Never? I can see affirming that you might have a difficult time knitting, or maybe it looks hard to learn and thinking your time is better served elsewhere, not sure where that would be but maybe you would think that. But never? We are talking about a craft that used to be taught to every lady who could not manage to put the brain cells together, according to the thinking of the time, to do things like own their own property or vote back in the day. We are talking about a craft that six year olds used to do between their chores generating a pair of socks in a day on smaller needles than can even be found in most knitting shops today. But you are somehow incapable of ever being able to knit? I don’t buy it. We ran into another classic reaction to knitting: the can you make something for me response. To be fair this nice person was willing to pay, and I gave her my email address in case she really knows what hand knitting is worth and would be able to pay for my time. However, this also has the benefit of our being nowhere near her when she hears that at several hours of a skilled person’s time plus the cost of materials ends up as more than most people are willing to shell out for an entire outfit, let alone one accessory. We also found some knitters, nice people who stopped to chat with us for a bit. They were some of those rare knitters you only hear about, the ones who are still knitting at home with patterns and yarn they bought at real stores. They did not have their own stitch and bitch to go to, and they had never heard of ravelry! Of course they wouldn’t have, who would to tell them? We did, and maybe we will see them next week at our regular meeting which we also told them about. All in all we had a pretty good day knitting, chatting, and sipping. Hopefully we showed some people that knitting is not just for grandmas.

On another and completely unrelated note, I have some new patterns that will be available soon at The Yarn and Fiber Company. These are made out of the lovely Ivy Brambles yarn, an independent dyer, husband to the owner of Y&F. They have allowed me to design for them, generously providing materials to work with and complete creative license, which is a pretty huge vote of confidence. Check out the pictures above, and if you like them go get them either by showing up at their shop in Derry, NH, or stalking the website until they put them up there. (I will provide a link when that happens.)