Fair Isle Cotton Socks/Happy Easter

After completing the test sock for my design using Cotton Fine, I wore them, washed them in machine on hand wash cycle, hung to dry, and then wore again for a full day before photographing. Don't "E-e-e-w-w-w-w!" You can't smell from a picture.
The shrinkage was tiny. I'm thinking to not have any negative ease in the next pair. The jog which I didn't try to remedy is noticeable, but since it is on the side of the foot, I don't care. I don't like the heel flap after the gusset pickup. I will use the side stitches of the heel flap as selvedges in the next design. Washing did improve the look of the pickup stitches from the original. They are tighter.
The star toe not only looks good, but it feels good. Candace Eisner-Strick told me a year ago that she uses this more and more. It is speedier than the Kitchenered toe and I am all about speed.
I am planning several patterns using this yarn. Stay tuned.

DGS#2 visited for Easter dinner and a personal egg hunt. He is the most joyous child I've ever known, and I think this picture captures that.
He is also a serious independent young man. Each plastic egg was scrutinized and opened before proceeding to find another.
DH's mom also was here. She got a bit chilled watching the egg hunt, so I loaned her my Malabrigo Clapotis. I almost didn't get it back. I think a Malabrigo shawl must be in her future.

Vertical is always best

I started knitting (50 st cast on) at the brownish stripe at the right side of back and knitted until the back was able to reach from shoulder bone to shoulder bone with a tiny bit of stretch. The bottom border is 7 sts of seed st; the basic pattern is k3 rows, p 1 row. I alternated using two skeins of Iro in order to avoid larger areas of dark patches.

I determined how wide to make the shoulders by trying it on. Then I decreased about 2 inches at one time followed by decreasing one st every 2 rows 4 times in order to make the neckline. I just kept trying it on to make sure it fit.
I ended each front with 8 rows of seed stitch to mock the bottom border.
My adaptation to accommodate the "girls" was to add 4 stitches to the length of the front. This was the only way I could think of to create the effect of a short row in sideways knitting.

I used most of 4 skeins of Iro. I knit the body on a size 11 which kept the fabric from being too firm and then switched to a size 10 for the 8 rows of seed st in front. I sewed the shoulders using mattress st. I left the neck as it was. The chain selvedge I knit there was sufficient finishing. I did crochet crab st around the armholes, mostly to prevent them from stretching.

It was quick and I do like it. I will block it and stretch it just a bit lengthwise.

New Sock Pattern

I have finished the Herbal Socks and finally written the pattern. It is downloadable at my site. The St. John's Wort pattern stitch looks very nice with handpaints that have very small repeats. One new wrinkle I tried with this pattern was to knit my gusset sts in a twisted rib. This firmed the gusset nicely and I plan to use this again.


I really like this Opal Rainforest sock yarn. The thicker stripes combined with the tweedy effect is rich looking. I'm never disappointed in Opal yarn.

Enjoy the pattern and please email me if you have any problems with it.

Public Art????; New Projects

This redefines Fiber Art. I was sent this by a friend on a list I read. It captured my imagination. I wonder if the Charlotte Knitting Guild could use this to jump start a publicity campaign. Just a thought.


Noro Iro. I'm designing a sideways vest using this yarn. This is one part of a single skein which I knit in various st patterns to determine what I wanted to use. I chose the Knit 3 rows, Purl 1 row pattern to get a vertical stripe and a vertical texture. I added a border of seed st at the bottom. Because the color repeats tend to segregate the dark colors and the bright colors, I am using two balls at a time. This is a better look for me. I'm also forcing the colors I want near my face and trying to keep some darker ones under the armhole. Any slimming trick I can try!!! I'll post progress picture later.



hhobama sold me the yarn above to make a Sidna Farley Ribwarmer. The back will be the solid Malabrigo worsted named Geranium; sides and front are in the Kureyon. She promises mixing the yarns will receive rave reviews. I'm pleased that the Kureyon contains a few colors I never wear; nice to get a bit outside my rut.

The original EZ ribwarmer pattern and Sidna's are a bit too boxy for me, so my challenge is to figure a way to add some curves. More when I am underway.

Bargain Knitting Books; Stretch response

Check out this website from the Yarnmarket. It is their Bargain page for slightly damaged books. Both of the books below are under $10 and are the last two books I would ever be without.


Montse Stanley was a Spanish architect living in London. This has wonderful line drawings that make techniques easy to see. It is organized well and is easy to use. The section on cast ons and bind offs is worth the price, but there is so much more.
Maggie Righetti was not only a great knitter, but she could write. You will love reading this book because it is humorous as well as practical. My favorite Maggie Righetti chapter is "Buttonholes Are Bastards."

There are plenty of other books and some nice yarns for very good prices. Enjoy.

As to the stretch factor of the Fair Isle socks I am making in Cotton Fine---I'll let you know. I wore the finished sock all day yesterday and it didn't stretch out at all. After I launder, I'll advise.

Fair Isle Sock swatching

Last year at the Colorado Knitting Camp, Candace Eisner-Strick taught a lovely three day workshop on fair isle techniques. It was wonderful. Candace is a tremendous teacher with the ability to allow students to go separate routes from what she planned for class. Why do I love that in a teacher? Well, if you know me, . . .

The owner/manager of Brown Sheep Yarns was one of the students and Peggy is a phemon. She even brought yarn to share--All colors of the NatureSpun sport weight and all colors of Cotton Fine, the baby brother of Cotton Fleece which I love. The Westerners and Mid-westerners just lapped up all the wool we had and knitted away. Over in the corner sat the lone Southerner just a knittin' that cotton, and praising it's characteristics. At the end of the workshop, Peggy gave me all of the Cotton Fleece she had brought---over 50 skeins, each in a different color. I'm still speechless.

The campers will be taking a bus trip from Ft. Collins to the Brown Sheep Factory this year, and I wanted to show my appreciation to Peggy. I am attempting to design some fair isle sock patterns to give her. These pics are my swatch attempt. I'm testing the different patterns in a short sock so that I can do some washing and wearing tests as well.

Just thought you'd like a look at one designer's slow process of design. Gee, I wish I could do some of this on paper or computer, but it just doesn't work for me.

In the mean time, check out Cotton Fine in you LYS. It knits lace beautifully and I'm far from the first to use it for socks.

Holly's Einstein; Free patterns

Einstein Coat made of Noro Kureyon

This coat was mostly knit by my friend and knit student Holly. It was her first big project and has been on the needles about two years. Before the coat was finished, Holly developed some medical problems that have impaired her eyesight. She had invested so much time and treasure in this coat that I couldn't stand to see it unfinished. I volunteered to add the sleeves and collar and the final finishing. Well, what with two hand surgeries, it took me forever to get it done, but I was determined she would wear it this winter.

I finished it this week and all of us at Charlotte Yarn had great fun in seeing Holly try it on. She was very pleased with it and I was so proud of her. After she left, Anne handed me a card from Holly. Holly knew I wouldn't accept money from her, so she left some with Anne to give me after she left. Since I was stuck with it, I decided to do something special, something I had never done before. This morning I got online and sent the money to Hillary's campaign--hence the new avatar in the sidebar.

I haven't given up on Hillary's campaign nor on my dream to see a woman president in my lifetime.

Not all knitters are women--are they Dave, JP, Michael? But knitting has brought me into a special world of women of so many varieties. Powerful, humble, compassionate, creative--and all generous and giving. Women are wired differently from men. We can do anything a man can do and vice versa, but we will probably go at it from a different viewpoint. I think this country needs this viewpoint. I'm shocked at how much this election means to me. It is a physical thing; I can feel this great wish in the center of my chest. The only other time I felt like this was when I was 16 years old and went door to door campaigning for Carl Sanders for governor of Georgia. Carl won; I hope Hillary does too.

For the non-political out there, I wanted to share these two patterns I tripped across. The first is socks and the second is wonderfully weird.

http://platzhalter.blogspot.com/2007/11/primavera-socks-free-pattern.html

http://amysbabies.wordpress.com/magnetic-katamari-pattern/

New knits--Beaded Scarf

You're just going to have to rotate your head. I cannot get this to upload correctly and I am not in the mood to mess with it anymore. I'm not in a bad mood, but I just want this to go smoothly and then I want to knit on my new vest.

This is the Hydrangea Scarf pattern from Fiber Trends that I am using for my Beaded Scarf class coming up this month. The original pattern does not have beads, but I added them--a trick I will teach in the class.

More and more I am loving beads with lace. I'm not looking for bling, hence the bead choices are subtle. I'm looking at the way that the weight of the beads helps the fabric drape. Also the beads are a nice touch and you can take them quite wild if you want.

This yarn is Simply Shetland's Cashmere Silk blend. Charlotte Yarn has it in quite a few colors so I chose it for the class sample. It isn't buttery soft, but has a nice hand, much like raw silk. The yarn has enough texture that it holds the lace pattern open to view. It creates a very elegant casual look. Two skeins will make a 10" X 75" scarf--or longer.
I used a size 4 needle and a size 12 steel crochet hook to place the size 6/0 seed beads.

I bought the beads from Emilia Beadelia's Bead Shop on ebay. Jennifer has great prices and great products. Ordered new beads from her late Tuesday and received them today. Obviously great service. Highly recommend. Order size 6/0 to get a bead with a large enough hole to use with the crochet hook technique.

Error--wrong URL

On Thursday, Feb. 7, I posted a comment with a link to a photo of a mohair balaclava. WRONG! I inadvertently linked to a lovely Noro shawl knit by Ray Whiting. I had saved Ray's link to use to talk about a clever use of a yarn's dye pattern. I'm so glad Ray contacted me and allowerd me the opportunity to clear this matter up. From now on I will check my URLs.

The sarcastic dig about the mohair balaclava was meant to reference this link. Well, it was another picture by the same person. On ebay this knitter goes by mohairknitter and offers for sale catsuits for humans made of mohair. When I went there today, there were no items for sale. I did find this website.


Take a look at the sites, enjoy, and knit on.

Making Things: A Family Affair

While I've been knitting and nursing my hand this weekend, Steve has been busy building his new climbing bike. For the last few weeks parts have arrived from various locations. None of them weighed as much as the box they were shipped in. I know our postman wondered why we were having empty boxes shipped to us. He's delivered so much yarn that he knows we are a bit strange.

Don't you love the name of the company that made the frame. Fetish cycles. We knitters know that fetish is a perfectly acceptible word for describing yarn passion. I guess it works for cyclists too.

He took it for a long shakedown ride---what we would call blocking---and pronounced it perfect. Now to find some hills to climb.

My recovery is going well. I am knitting almost as much as I'd like. I've been swatching the new Iro. I think it will be a sideways vest, but still haven't settled on the stitch structure. I don't want it to be too stiff.

No projects finished this week. I just pile them around my chair and knit a bit on each one. Almost finished with a friend's Einstein coat and new sock pattern. I have the itch to do an elaborate fair isle piece, but I may just do a pillow or bag. I don't have the itch to do the shaping the way it should be done.

Enjoy President's day.

Jake, Arm, Wow

This is Jake riding to Ga. in DGS's carseat. Just a pic to demonstrate real adorability to all the cat lovers I know. :)

Hand great; no pain; knit 2 rows last night.



I received a comment on Ravelry about my Dare to be Red scrumbled bag. It was from Prudence Mapstone herself. Wow! I was honored she took the time even to look.

All in all, it's been a great week.

Surgery over! New yarn

be patient. i'm typing with one hand. my surgery went well this morning as expected. all the people at cmc-mercy are very kind and supportive. didn't know i had so many friends until today. toby not only took me and waited patiently, but even dressed me to come home. steve returned from his business trip to find me partying. hope the no pain thing continues. Thanks to all for the emails and well-wishes.

pre-surgery, one just needs a present. okay, that's a weak rationalization and I don't want to hear about no stinkin' stashalong resolutions. i needed comfort. the kind that only noro can bring. this is iro, color 54, lot a. i only bought 8 skeins; i could have bought more---if remi had had more. It will probably be a vest. maybe entrelac, maybe side-to-side.
Also bought this bag from knipicks. it's this darn chartreuse binge i'm on. someone please take away my credit card.

Slice and Dice

This is an older project designed by Jane Slicer-something. Her swingcoats are also wonderful, bright, sometimes downright loud. You need a big personality to wear some of them. Anyway, I pulled this out of the cedar chest and brought it to my newly created dressing room. It is made out of a great merino yarn that reminds me of Aurora8. No, I don't remember the brand. I bought this as a kit at the TKGA National Convention a few years ago. (When you travel with Pat Moore, be prepared to spend.)
I shortened the back by leaving out the bottom two rows of mitered squares which made the back pointed like a triangular shawl. I didn't put the buttonholes and buttons that the pattern calls for. It is double breasted and I like to fasten it with a short knittng needle, if at all. I put it on to wear out and. . . .
This is what I discovered.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't have any more of the yarn, and this involves 4-5 rows of corrugated ribbing. Guess I have a challenge. Any words of wisdom will be appreciated.
I think it comes to BAM Weds. night for group therapy.

It's Love----True Love!!

It's Malabrigo!
I don't wear wool. I don't wear worsted weight garments. Jet has lost her mind knitting a Clapotis out of that heavy wool. All words that I am now eating.
I finally succumbed to the lure of softness. I'd been looking at this yarn for years, but always had an excuse not to buy it. I thought of it as garment yarn and too hot for North Carolina. I never saw the sense in felting with it--what a waste of good yarn. Jet knocked me for a loop when I saw her finished Clapotis. It was gorgeous and you could feel the softness across the room. I just gave my second Clapotis to a friend for her birthday----well, it was just obvious that I was supposed to knit the third one (and the one I am going to keep for me) out of the Curacao colorway (I'm not a subtle person.)
I did the requisite Ravelry search and finally spoke to Jet about size. She knit hers exactly as written used 4 skeins. It was a go. It looks beautiful. I'll share a full pic when it is finished and blocked. Did I mention how much I love this yarn?

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. That's how I felt today when I was working on my Top Down Central Park Hoodie. I just discovered that I started the front cables at a different row. They are only a little off and I may just create a distracting front band to hide it. NO, I'm not showing you a picture. I'm hiding this goof as long as I can. I'll never fool turtlegirl76
but she cuts me slack for senility.

I cast on a new project--as if I needed it--using Louet Euroflax from my stash. I'm making the another KAL lace shawl (No, I still haven't blocked Swan Lake) designed by Monica Eckert. The shape is wonderful; not quite a circle, but close enough to stay on your shoulders. I can't post a picture yet because the pattern won't be released for about 6 weeks. I'm using worsted weight linen even though the pattern calls for lace weight. I'll probably just stop when it is the length I want and add a border. My main interest is in the shaping, but it looks very nice in the photos from people who are up to date on the clues.

Thanks to all of you who have rushed to sign up for my classes. Only one more opening in the Fair Isle class. I did take the sign up sheets to the shop Friday, so you should have no trouble with sign ups.

CPH update; New Classes

Not much further, but at least the back and front sort of match. I really like it but haven't had quiet time to get back to it. Top down, different gauge, move the cables---I have to have quiet to prevent brain sizzle.

Yes, there are many markers across this back row. They each say "Hey, Stupid, pay attention here." Much easier than fixing mistakes or even paying close attention.

New classes are up on my website . Take a look. Fair Isle spaces are going quickly. Several folks have requested an Intarsia class. If you would like to be included, let me know and I'll just add that in somewhere.

New Projects being considered:
a summer lace shawl in linen
socks, always socks (new pattern coming soon)
a top down design, probably sleeveless, to teach sweater fitting skills
handpainting yarn in my kitchen

Herbal socks

New sock pattern! Yarn is from Opal, the New Rainforest collection. It is #1616, called Pfau.
I love the long bands of color and just added texture to the cuff with a stitch I saw in Interweave Knits recently. I edited the st pattern and present to you St. John's Wort in the round. It shouldn't surprise you to know that I have three bushes of St. John's Wort in my backyard.
It's simple to knit and for those who don't want to wait for me to type out the official pattern (which could take until next June) here is the stitch pattern.

A repeat of six stitches.

Rnd 1: *sl1 pwise wyib, K2, psso, K3*
Rnd 2: *K1, yo, K4*
Rnd 3: *K3, sl1 pwise wyib, K2, psso*
Rnd 4: *K4, yo, K1*

Repeat

This is the way I tweaked the gusset. I knit a K1tbl, P1 pattern on all the gusset stitches until I had decreased to the number I wanted for the foot. The twisted knit st adds a crisp texture and firms that section of the sock.
Extra pictures of the socks before I finished.

If you are new to socks, I'll get the pattern up on jpknits.com and Ravelry as soon as I can.

Freeform /Scrumbling

This is my Dare to Be Red bag made from red yarns I've collected over the years. I took it up to Charlotte Yarn today and Remi drooled over it. I hope she will sit in on the class.
This is a perfect long term project for a young mom. You knit in little bits and keep them all in a bag until you have a bunch. Notice all the clearly defined amounts in that sentence. Then you sew them together or onto something else.
Some things look great in three dimensions.
Others can be a nondescript shape
Bits shaped like a leaf are always perfect in my mind.

I posted this on Ravelry last week and got a comment from Prudence Mapstone who has revived this art. Google her and look at all the wonderfully bizarre things she and her students have made.