So, there I was...

Just minding my own business.

No, let me back up a bit.  I broke my arm in December, and it healed up nicely.  With that came some unfortunate weather-wise aches and problems with my tendons. So, since Sunday night I haven't really been knitting.  I haven't really been able to use the hand because the tendons swelled up... and it put off the blog posts. 

I don't have any knitting progress since the tendons decided they needed attention, but I'm back to typing and I can show you what I got done last week at least.

So, this is where the big russet blob is:

And this is where the giant peach blob is:

I'm actually through 8 repeats of the center on this, and working up to edging...  I really enjoy this pattern, and want to try it in a tencel lace-weight next.

For fun, there's this blob:

It's a combination of 2 laceweight yarns, and it's in kid-mohair, alpaca and wool.  I may even get around to blocking it if I can stop petting it.

And last but not least, I';ve been test driving some possible patterns for quickie-gifts:

Aug 17 is coming quick!

I hope your knitting is treating you well & you're not melting in the heat.

what have you been up to lady?

So, last week, I knit a red sweater.  This week, I'm blocking it.

I took 35 pictures of the darn thing, and this is the only decent shot.

At least they don't look fuchsia today.

This is a scarlet knit, and believe it or not those are the same size.  I totally measured them and everything.  The blocking looks wonky, but the knitting is solid enough.

Let's see, what else?

Ah, I figured out how to make window box leaves accessible to people other than myself.  Here's the test knit that let me use the new directions:

photobox prototype in madelinetosh greens

After that, I wrote a spring version of the pattern and am now test knitting it in the pale green that I dyed myself the other week

I enjoy this color, although it's cooler than I usually like to knit with.

And finally, someone came up with a use for left over peeps

it's melting.... meeeelting....

not every crazy idea here is mine...

The NH Sheep & Wool festival is coming up shortly, which is why I've focused on knitting these sweaters.  I want to get them done before the next one, because they're made with some of the yarn that I bought at last year's show....  and with them done I'll have turned over all of the wool purchased by this time last year.  This is a good feeling for sure.

When time files...

Sheesh, I got snowed under again!

This is the knitting that's been going on in the meantime:

A hoodie, size 6 needs blocking and buttons sewn on

Pieces of Gudrid, actual color is scarlet.  I'd ask why I can't capture reds... but I think I should just accept it.

Let's get a closer look at that:

detail of unblocked cable, photo still 100% color inaccurate

And then there's this:

spring shawl version in pale green cashmere

 A little of this:

light fortifications:  1 oz peach schnapps, 6 oz gingerale, frozen blueberries

 So I wouldn't be afraid to do this:

Actually, not too bad a representation of the color.

This will be a sweater for meeeeee.  It was a ton of fun, and I have more dye-days planned.  Speaking of dyers check out Tanis!  She's having a giveaway, and the prize is pretty awesome.  Even if you don't see yourself wearing a Wispy cardigan in silk, I'm sure you  know someone who would and would love it.  Just sharing the love!

Next week should be more calm.  At least, that's what I keep telling myself....

never let it be said

that being snowed in leaves you with nothing to do

more to come, as time allows today.

Conan, what is good in life?

Where to start.  Hmm, how about here?

Ah, sweet caffeine, with knitting beyond.  This is good in life.

Wait, let's get a closer look at this

Chocolate coffee???  This is GOOD in life.

What else is good in life?  I'm personally fond of quick projects in alpaca.  Something like this:

Knit by mom, worn and loved by boy.  This is good in life.

Shorty announced that this was the best small scarf ever because he doesn't trip on it.  That boy has a way with words.

Then there's lace projects in bulky red wool that photographs like crap even with a renewed flash.  (flash is another story, and I think I'll pretend it didn't happen so that I won't get a facial tic or toss it down the stairs shrieking "knitter smash!" in response)

Scarlet in real life, this is my bulky project.  It's also the only photo that shows the yarn color for the peacock medallion.

This was once enough yarn for a size 10 sweater.  It was my perfect 10 denial sweater, in that I'll never be a size 10 again.  Heck, I haven't been a size 10 since I was 17, so reality and I were clearly not on speaking terms when I bought it.  On the other hand, it's knitting into a niiiice stole... so I guess it wasn't a bad purchase after all.

Interestingly, the peacock is too dark to be seen, the red is closer to right, and the pattern shows some tentative plans.

Medallion stole thoughts are good in life.  I love things that keep my mind busy.

What else?  Oh yes Fleece Artist blues in a new shawl start are good too!

color is good on this one

Love Fleece Artist.  I might have mentioned it in the past, but it's still true.

This is also good in life, especially now that I'm not knitting on it any more.  This one needed a knitter intervention, and I lost a few days of knitting due to exhaustion in my arms from holding it up.  It's almost 3 lbs and all of that in the pearls.  The antique tinted beads in the main body were not that heavy....

teaser pic, this deserves its own post.  HEAVY

And that's sort of where I'm at.  I was thinking I'd take porch pictures but was disheartened by the snow.  Perhaps tomorrow, when I'm not working I'll grab a few for here.  Snow isn't much fun for building, but it does encourage knitting (and coffee!)

Speaking of which, time for more COFFEE!  MMMMMMM.

nowhere near

I can't believe it's already Wednesday.   Good thing I chose 10 days, because I think I can manage that.  I don't have photos of the finished items today.  We got a look at the weather report, and decided that we must push the rest of the porch.  I am, however focusing on the necessary things.

For instance:

Takes a surprising amount of time.

Little man wanted to do some of this:

Hmm, this looks dangerous.

Which turned into this:

no sane adult will eat these.  He's given me two. 

And this vile monstrosity, which he is determined to eat some of:

he wanted me to take this picture, he loves this house and wants me to knit it a cozy

He doesn't ask for much, and there's so much I can't give him that I will indulge him where it isn't insane.  Although my concept of insane may be a bit stranger than most.

This was the knitting I reached for when I got the news of the latest loss in the family.

silk

Alpaca or silk are the most comforting fibres for me to knit when I'm feeling a bit off.  It looks a bunch different now, and I'm hoping to manage finished object shots soon.

In the meantime, I chose some Eco Alpaca Duo for my Aunt's hug.  The colorway was knit up in the store, and it looked like it'd be a heather in lovely chai tones.  See?

does this look like it should stripe to you?

The 4x4 sample was a solid color.  I now know that the striping effect:

Would be well camouflaged in a 4x4 square.  But it becomes obvious once you knit anything of any size.  This yarn is yummy.  It's soft and lovely.  I hope it will give my Aunt some comfort.

Mmmm Chai.

can't resist this yarn

Maybe when I'm done, I'll do some sweaters in it.  It's really nice.
I hope your knitting is warm and soft, and the pattern is fun.

and another world is heard from

Sorry about disappearing for so long.  This weekend, my family and I put up the outside walls on the "let's not freeze our pipes" project.  It was long and grueling work, and I literally just fell into bed once we got done.  Saturday, my Dad, my brother and I cut, sawed, and hammered until just past dark.  I cursed my lack of height again.  If I were even 4 inches taller I would have been more helpful.  As it was, I wasn't tall enough to do as much as I wanted to (even with the ladder I was standing on).  Curse you, barely average height.  Curse you.

Anyway, Sunday I went outside with my husband and the littlest beast and we tyvek'd the outside of the porch.  We're now at a point to do flashing and then windows.  And then we get to do the short wall.  The end is in sight.

I haven't taken pictures of the project this time.  A giant square of tyvek didn't strike me as particularly moving progress, so I'm going to wait until the windows are in.  Instead, I'm posting the pattern for the first Serious Scarf for everyone to enjoy (hopefully:).

Without further ado, here's the basic pattern

Charts are read from bottom to top, right to left (and then left to right).  Rows are numbered.

Here is the key so you can translate.

Key!  Feel free to print both.

So.  The edging of this scarf is simple seed/moss stitch (depending on locale).  There are 5 border stitches on each side, and the main pattern is 22 stitches wide.  You can make a scarf of pretty much any size just by multiplying 22x number of repeats and adding the border stitches.  There is one caveat.  In order for the textured part on the sizes to match, you will want to add an extra stitch to whatever count you come up with for your pattern.

What does this mean?  In the case of my Dad's scarf, I wanted 4 repeats.  So 22x4=88 stitches.  88 + 10 (border texture)= 98 stitches.  98+1=99 stitches to cast on.


After casting on 99 stitches (I used knitted cast on, but pretty  much any cast on you are comfortable with will work), I knit 7 rows in seed stitch (*(k1, p1)  *repeat (  ) to end).  The great thing about this texture stitch is it does not matter what row you're on, you'll always start with a knit stitch.  Front/back, they are the same.

After 7 rows, you will begin your right side pattern row;  however you have an extra stitch that will need to be removed in order for the borders to match.  What I did, is on row 7 I began the right side with k1, p1, k1, p1, K2TOG, and then began the center pattern.  This brought my stitch count back to 98, and made the borders match in a k1, p1, k1, p1, k1 pattern.

From here, I basically knit following the pattern until I was almost out of yarn.  I used roughly 1060 yards out of 1072 yards available;  8 skeins of Lark yarn from Quince and Co on size 6 needles.  I got 12 pattern repeats knit before I was close on yarn and needed to start the end border.  My finished dimensions were 92 inches x 32 inches wide, but you can change your dimensions by doing more or less repeats.

To finish the pattern, make sure you end your repeat on the row 30 of the chart.  You will be increasing one stitch across the top in order to bring you knitted width back to the odd number of stitches you started with (in my example that would be 99).  Personally, I just stuck an extra m1 in across the top of the right side row when I started across.  The picked up stitch is not visible, and it made the borders match.  Then I just knit 7 rows of seed stitch, and used a loose knitted bind off.  Et Voilla!  Block to desired measurements and give to someone you care for.

someone I care for

For those who aren't familiar with charts, here are the written instructions as well.  Please use the CO information from above to determine what size you want to make and the number of motif repeats you will be using.  Please be kind, I did this on the fly.  If you have any questions, feel free to ask :)  I know I can be a bit stream of consciousness.



Row 1 k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, *yo, ssk, k17, k2tog, yo, k1*   Repeat instructions between * for number of motifs desired, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1

Even Rows 2 -30 k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p to last 5 stitches,  k1, p1, k1, p1, k1

Row 3 k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, *yo, ssk, k17, k2tog, yo, k1,* Repeat instructions between * for number of motifs desired, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1

Row 5 k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, *k1, yo, ssk, k15, k2tog, yo, k2,* Repeat instructions between * for number of motifs desired, k1,p1, k1, p1, k1

Row 7 k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, *k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k11, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1,* Repeat instructions between * for number of motifs desired, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1

Row 9 k1, p1, k1, p1, k1 *k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k7, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3,* Repeat instructions between * for number of motifs desired, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1

Row 11 k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, *k4, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k5,* Repeat instructions between * for number of motifs desired, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1

Row 13 k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, *k6, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k3tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k7,* Repeat instructions between * for number of motifs desired, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1

Row 15 k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, *k8, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k9,* Repeat instructions between * for number of motifs desired, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1

Row 17 k1, p1, k1, p1,k1,  *k9, k2tog, yo, k11,* Repeat instructions between * for number of motifs desired, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1

Row 19 k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, *k8, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k9,* Repeat instructions between * for number of motifs desired, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1

Row 21 k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, *k6, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, k3tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k7,* Repeat instructions between * for number of motifs desired p1, k1, p1, k1

Row 23 k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, *k4, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k5,* Repeat instructions between * for number of motifs desired , k1p1, k1, p1, k1

Row 25 k1, p1, k1, p1, k1,  *k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k7, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3,* Repeat instructions between * for number of motifs desired  ,k1, p1, k1, p1, k1

Row 27 k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, *k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k11, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1,*  Repeat instructions between * for number of motifs desired,k1, p1, k1, p1, k1

Row 29 k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, *k1, yo, ssk, k15, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo,* Repeat instructions between * for number of motifs desired, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1

It's Enormous

So, last night I finished the knitting on my Father's Serious Scarf.  This morning, I measured it before soaking it... and it was 72 inches unblocked.   Aha, hahaha.  Perhaps 7 skeins would have been enough.

Anyway, it's currently blocking across my oldest's bed.

It reminds me of chain link fence.

Here, you can see the edging.  Simple seed stitch, but I think it works with the scarf well.

simple, sturdy

Apparently, my husband is contemplating how to get one of his own.  I am reserving judgement until I see my Dad with it, but as far as the spousal unit is concerned this is a success. 

So, it started out 72 inches long... and it's so long it is about 2 feet longer than the king sized bed as it blocks.  No wonder this sucker was so heavy when I bound off the edge.  I hope to get a picture when I give it to Dad, but we'll see what he's willing to put up with.

I am not as good with worsted and heavier yarns.  I have chronic arthritis in my wrists and recurrant tendonitis from my teenage years, so when my knits get to be more than about a pound the knitting is actually painful.  It may be part of why I enjoy lace knitting so well.  I get a lot of mileage out of very little weight.

If you're looking for a fun read, check out this comment!  I giggle and nod every time I read it, and I suspect every knitter goes through something similar while designing. 

This weekend, I'll only be able to post on Sunday.  Saturday, I have a standing engagement (which is surprisingly not knit related).  So I'll catch everyone Sunday afternoon!  Speaking of Sunday, you have until Sunday night at midnight to comment on this post and be entered in the giveaway.  Winners will be announced Monday sometime after 7AM Eastern.

Have fun and knit on!

a good beginning

This shawl is a pattern I cobbled together using the free shawl pattern as it's base.  I just love that stitch pattern, and use it as often as I think I can get away with it.  I put this together about a year ago, combining a stitch pattern from Nancy Bush's Knitted Lace of Estonia with my favorite stitch.  I snatched one of the edgings from KLOE as well, and the finished project was born.  Since then, I have knit 5-6 of these in different weights.  I give them to people I care for.  My husband gives them to people without asking me.  They just seem to go poof, so I figured it'd be a good next shawl for the project while I'm working out patterns for test knitters and preparing to knit the next 5 designs. 

Unfortunately, I am only in the beginning stages of this shawl... so it looks exactly like the free shawl pattern.  For now!  In a few short repeats that will change dramatically, so I'll be chronicalling this one more closely. 

The yarn I am using is Quince & Co's Tern in driftwood.

This is what they look like in a pile sans flash

a little dark, but not far off

Here's what the started project looks like with flash

a little bright, but look at that stitch definition.  trust me it's there.

The manufacturer suggests size 1-3 needles for this, so I chose 3.  I'm something of a loose knitter, which is good for lace.  I think if I were to work with Tern again, I'd use a size 4 or 5 needle.  I like the drape of this yarn so far, and look forward to seeing how it blocks out.

In the meantime, I'm also trying a variation using Misti Alpaca baby alpaca lace, so as soon as I get a little progress on that I will take pictures of it as well.

I hope to do a giveaway in the next week, so keep your eyes peeled around Friday for photos and info about that.  I gathered the materials today, so I should be able to put them together properly, photograph them, and write it up.  I figure to be good to go no later than the 29th.

always document your infidelity well

I did get a little knitting done yesterday.  But I have to admit that it was mostly non-blog knitting.  If I put it up on the blog, does that make it blog knitting?  This is my theory and I'm sticking to it.

For starters, I fnished my birches shawl.  Here it is in it's pre-blocked glory

soft, wooly, and pretty

It's hard to get a sense of scale, but with 3 skeins, or 327 yards, I have a nice thick item that is slightly larger than the measurements set out as the shawl minimums.  It will block out nicely, and with this recent cold weather I am very much looking forward to having it for real.  There are unverified reports that I may already be wearing it off and on despite its unblocked state.

Speaking of knitting infidelity, I finished this for my  mother

she looks awesome in blue, this should be great on her

Yep, another great unblocked wonder.  This one is a Haruni (ravelry link) also available from knitpicks.  This is a free pattern by Emily Ross which uses my favorite public knitting pattern as it's main part.  She did wonderful things with it, and my mother likes lacey edges with fairly solid bodies in her shawls.

I will be blocking this one today, so she can have it on Friday.

And finally, some non-infidelity.  I know!  I'm as shocked as you are!

off the needles, the leaves stole.  next step, block!

And not off the needles, I finished the 5th repeat on this:

starting to take shape!

Now it's time to work out the transition to the edge.  Then I get to do it all over again for the other side!  FUN.

Anyway, have a great day.  I hope your knitting infidelity brings you joy too!

Still Alive

I should apologize for such a long lag between posts.  This weekend would have been wonderful for taking pictures, but instead I spent it doing things with my boys.

On Saturday, I went to the Woolery with my mother and one of her co-workers to help pick out yarn for a stole.  Deb was back, and I finally got to catch up a little.  Unfortunately, I didn't bring any of the finished shawls because my brain wasn't on straight (and I didn't know whether she'd be working or not) but I did get a couple of fun things.  For instance, I picked up this:

Silk/Alpaca/Merino/Donegal Bulky

I wanted a thick hug-like shawl for myself, and this particular yarn reminds me of birch trees.  To belabor the point that lace can be knit in anything, I'm knitting the free shawl pattern with it.  This is what one skein of 109 yards of bulky looks like when knit up

one skein knit up (plus stitch dictionaries)

This is what 2 skeins look like knit up

it did get bigger, but it's hard to take an accurate picture

And shortly I'll be able to show you what it looks like with a third, and final skein knit up on it.

This is not delicate, light, fluffy lace.  This is the kind of thing you throw on in the dead of winter, snuggling in and blessing the great Alpaca.  I will be using it until snow flies as an alternative to a coat.

Saturday I also took my boys out apple picking.  I suppose I could try to make myself sound smarter, but the long and short of it is I walked into a tree.  There were mitigating circumstances, but seriously?  I walked... into... a tree.  Yep, I'm a certified member of the brain trust.  So no knitting was done Saturday due to severe headache.  Go figure.

In the meantime, say, Friday and Sunday, I also knit on the leaves stole:

finishing the final edging, will be done shortly

And I put 3 more inches on the vines stole:

yeah, doesn't look that much different to me either...

I also worked on my prototype for the shawl commemorating my grandmother.  I'm using a "worsted" weight silk single from a cone.  I found that this yarn is more like a heavy fingering than worsted in my "test swatch" (erm, might have beeen a shawlette that I used to "swatch" since it's hard to tell how yarn will behave in a larger item using a 4x4 patch), so I'm knitting it up on size 3 needles.

So soft, so silky, plus shiny!

In the meantime, I'm auditioning yarns for the next time I have free needles.

There's these from Tanis Fibre Arts

blue label yarn in sand

blue label yarn in moss

This Grace Handdyed in peaches

pretty, plus silk!

Another Woolery find in Autumn colors:

autumn reds

A Malabrigo sock weight in November browns

squooshy plus tonal browns

And finally from Great Northern Yarns

navy blue cashmere and mink!

All of them yummy.  All of them beautiful.  How ever is a girl to choose?
Thank you to everyone who managed to read to the bottom of this book.  If you had a choice, which colors would you choose?