penguin purls

calm waters cowl errata

2010-01-15T23:11:00.000-05:00

(1/3/10) button hole section should repeat direction three times not twice as stated.

New Pattern!

2010-01-03T13:59:00.003-05:00

Hey guys! New year, time for a new pattern! The calm waters cowl is an easy knit; nothing more difficult than twisted ribbing. It uses about 100 yards of worsted weight yarn, so it's good for using up stray balls of luxury yarn. Can be closed with buttons or a short shawl pin.

free pattern: escalator socks!

2009-05-17T10:13:00.010-04:00

Man socks! These socks are large enough to fit most men, but the stretchy pattern means they comfortably fit my feet, too. To modify for smaller womens' feet, I would recommend removing one 8-stitch repeat and making the heel flap on 50% of the stitches. To make these socks with an 8-inch cuff and 10-inch foot, I used nearly all of the 400 meter skein. If you wish to make your socks larger, plan accordingly.

Materials:
1 skein Cascade Yarns Heritage Paints (400 meters per 100 g)
2.25 mm (US 1) dpns or circular(s) for preferred sock method. (I used two short circulars)
yarn needle for grafting
stitch markers

Rib and Welt Diagonals Stitch Pattern: (by Barbara Walker, adapted by Sarah Fama)
Round 1: *k1, p1, k1, p5, repeat from * to end.
Round 2 and all even-numbered rounds: repeat previous round.
Round 3: k1, p1, *k5, p1, k1, p1, repeat from *, ending k5, p1
Round 5: k1, *p5, k1, p1, k1, repeat from *, ending p5, k1, p1.
Round 7: *k5, p1, k1, p1, repeat from * to end.
Round 9: p4, *k1, p1, k1, p5, repeat from *, ending k1, p1, k1, p1.
Round 11: k3, *p1, k1, p1, k5, repeat from *, ending p1, k1, p1, k2
Round 13: p2, *k1, p1, k1, p5, repeat from *, ending k1, p1, k1, p3.
Round 15: k1, *p1, k1, p1, k5, repeat from *, ending p1, k1, p1, k4.
Round 16: repeat previous round as for round 2

Directions:

Leg:
Cast on 72 sts by the long-tailed method, join in a round and work in K1 P1 ribbing for 5 cm (2 in).
Establish Rib and Welt Diagonals pattern beginning with round 1.
Continue in pattern until work reaches approximately 20 cm (8 inches) from CO edge, ending with round 16 of pattern. This will ensure that the heel flap flows from the sitch pattern.

Heel Flap:
Arrange work so that there are 32 sts for heel flap.
Row 1: slip 1, *(p1, k1) to end, ending with p1.
Repeat this row until heel flap reaches 6 cm (2.5 inches) or desired length, ending with a WS row.

Turn heel:
Row 1: K 18, K2 tog, K 1, turn.
Row 2: Slip 1, P 5, P 2tog, p 1, turn.
Row 3: Slip 1, K to one st before gap created (by turning) on previous row, K 2 tog, K 1, turn.
Row 4: Slip 1, P to one st before gap created (by turning) on previous row, P 2 tog, P 1, turn.
Continue in this manner until all sts are consumed; if necessary, K across to left side of heel.

Gusset:
Pick up and knit one stitch for each slipped stitch along the first side of the heel flap, plus one in the gusset corner to prevent gapping. Twist this stitch to close the hole.
Knit in pattern across the instep, beginning with round 1 of Rib and Welt Diagonal pattern.
Pick up one stitch in the second gusset corner and knit twisted. Pick up and knit one stitch for each slipped stitch along the second side of the heel flap

Gusset Decreases:
Rearrange sts so that the instep (patterned section) is on one needle (or section of magic loop). Depending on your sock-making method, the remaining sts should be divided on two dpns meeting at the middle of the heel, on the other circular needle, or the other half of the magic loop. (phew!)
Knit to center of heel section. This will now be considered the beginning of the round and you may wish to use a stitch marker to indicate it.

Be careful, it's easy to start working the zigzags in the other direction. Keep the sole in st st.

Round 1: Knit to three stitches before the instep section. K 2tog, K1. Knit instep section in pattern as established. K 1, ssk. K to end of round.
Round 2: Knit all sts on the sole, work all instep sts in pattern as established.
Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until 72 sts or desired number of sts remain.

Foot:
Continue working instep in pattern as established, keeping sole in st st.
Work in this manner until foot measures 20 cm (8 inches) from back of heel or 2 inches less than desired length.

Toe:
sole: K to 3 sts before end of first needle, ssk, K1.
Instep: K 1, K2 tog, K to 3 sts before end of needle, ssk, K1.
sole: K2, K2 tog, K to end of needle/round. 4 sts decreased.
K 1 round plain.
Continue alternating decrease rounds and plain rounds until 24 sts total remain.
If using dpns, use the 3rd needle to K to end of 1st needle. All sts will be on 2 needles.
If using magic loop or two circulars, K to end of needle.
Graft toe closed.
Sew in all ends.

Give them to some man you love!

My Mom!

2008-12-27T11:26:00.001-05:00

Patty Pinter Feb 11 1949
Originally uploaded by eudyptula48

Look how cute she is!

who?

2008-12-20T11:50:00.013-05:00

It's a hat with owls! Yay!

This is for my brother, whose mangyle will never be done. Certainly not for christmas. He always sends me pictures of owls, so i figured he'd appreciate it. Anyway, just for PoorLuci, here's what I did:

Who?

Materials:
1 ball Nashua Creative Focus (I used half)
size 6 circular needle and dpns (or however you want to do it)
stitch marker
4 small buttons for eyes (optional, you can use more, less, or none at all)
sewing needle and thread

Sizes:
infant (child, adult) Note about sizing: I've only tested the adult size, please let me know about any problems with the smaller size and I'll be happy to fix them.

Abbreviations:
C4F: slip two sts onto cable needle and hold in front, k2, k2 from cable neeedle
C4B: slip two sts onto cable needle and hold in back, k2, k2 from cable needle

Owl Cable pattern:
(multiple of 11 sts)
Rounds 1-3: *p3, k8, repeat from * to end
Round 4: *p3, C4B, C4f, repeat from * to end
Rounds 5-11: same as round 1
Round 12: same as round 4
Round 13: same as round 1
Rounds 14-15: *p3, k1, p2, k2, p2, k1. repeat from * to end
Round 16-17: same as round 1
Round 18: same as round 4
Round 19: same as round 1

Directions:
Cast on 92 (100, 112) sts, join in round and work in 2x2 ribbing for 1 inch.
Switch to stockinette and work for 5 rounds, decreasing 4(1,2) sts evenly spaced in row 3. 88(99, 110) sts.

Work 19 rows of owl cable pattern over all sts.
Knit 1 or more rows and increase 0(5,2) sts. 88 (104, 112) sts.

Continue in stockinette stitch until work measures 4.5 (5, 6) inches including ribbing or to desired length.

Decrease as follows: (nothing mysterious here, just like a regular hat)
*K 9(11, 12) k2tog, repeat from * to end.
K1 round plain.
K 8(10, 11), k2tog.
K1 plain.
Continue decreasing in this manner until 40 (56, 64) sts remain.
Then decrease every round (no plain rounds) until 8 sts remain. Cut yarn and pass through remaining sts to fasten off.

Weave in all ends and block.

Sew buttons over the purl sections within the cable pattern that form the owl's eyes. I only did 2 owls, but you could do as many as you want. To be sure that the thread doesn't pull through, tie a nice big knot.

Pattern and photos © Sara Amoroso, 2008-2009. Permission is given for personal use only. This pattern or items made from it may not be sold.

Since I made the video...

2008-12-17T18:18:00.001-05:00

P1030259
Originally uploaded by eudyptula48

This is how i do a long-tail cast on. I made it to help a friend, but what she really needed was a video on continental knitting. perhaps someday.

Swampfield Cowl: free pattern!

2008-12-10T15:37:00.004-05:00

Though my mister is notoriously hard to knit for (he already has a hat, why on earth would he want another?) my Dad is fantastic and loves everything I make for him, even funny looking hats. Since he already has a few of them and a pair of fingerless gloves, I wanted to make something different this year without the stress and time investment of something like a sweater. Nor is he the kind of dude to wear a scarf. Enter the Swampfield Cowl, named after the former name of the town he lives in, and because i like to say "Swampfield." It's very fast, easy, and cheap, requiring just one ball of yarn; all ideal with the holidays coming up. And when you weave the ends in carefully, it will be fully reversible.

Swampfield Cowl
Yarn: 1 ball Cascade 109 Tweed LE
Needles: US 10.5 (6.5 mm) 16 or 20 inch circular needle
Notions: cable needle, stitch marker, yarn needle for weaving ends

Stitch Guide
C8F: Slip next 4 sts onto cable needle and hold in front. Work next 4 sts in k1p1 rib as established, then work 4 sts from cable needle, also in k1p1 rib as established.

CO 80 sts and join in round. For the love of mike make sure not to twist! Place marker to indicate beginning of round.

Rounds 1-4: *k1p1, repeat from * to end
Round 5: *C8F, (making sure to keep all sts in k1p1 rib) work 8 sts in k1p1 rib. Repeat 5 times from * to end of round.
Rounds 6-9: as for rounds 1-4
Round 10: *work 8 sts in k1p1 ribbing, C8F. Repeat 5 times from * to end of round.

Repeat rounds 1-10 once more, then repeat rounds 1-7 once more.

Bind of loosely in pattern, weave in ends, and hey presto!

Pattern and photos © Sara Amoroso, 2008-2009. Permission is given for personal use only. This pattern or items made from it may not be sold.

today was made of win

2008-12-02T21:20:00.003-05:00

Today was the big LSG meetup at WEBS; about 10 thoroughly awesome members made it out. Between the knuckle tats, groping, yarn buying, and swearing in front of old people, it was a ball. I feel very lucky to have met yberry, sarahsarah, crabbycrocheter, wickedgoodyarn, suef, aliceq, thislittlepiggy, crisscross, archiphile, and (of course) feistyjess. Cower before our fierceness!

squishy squishy squishy

2008-12-01T19:31:00.003-05:00

I just finished a cute cowl/neckwarmer/whatever for my stepdad. It's called the darkside cowl, and it is very alluring. It's so squishy and textural I just want to squeeze it!

My mods were minimal; I used the superbulky Cascade 109 tweed (on sale at WEBS) and size 10.5 needles, casting on 72 for a large man's size. For myself, I'd probably cast on 64. It was easy to finish in two evenings' knitting, so I'll probably be making some more for xmas gifts.

delicious

2008-11-30T22:47:00.002-05:00

I'm feeling all lustful over my new madelinetosh superwash merino sock yarn. It's all pink and lovely and begging to be made into toe-up bayerische socks. soon enough... soon...

Supernub!

2008-11-28T00:04:00.012-05:00

I'm still wired from thanksgiving, even though i did most of the cooking and cleaning up, so why not talk about yarn? I just used up the last of my credit for making a cool lace coat, and most of it has gone for holiday knitting.

This lovely orange skein was quickly transformed into a cute hat for my brother's girlfriend. It's blue sky alpacas bulky handpaints in an extremely safe orange, 45 yards per skein. That means size 15 needles and about 2 sts per inch. I cast on 40 sts, did about 4 rounds of 1x1 ribbing, then knitted plain to about 5 inches. Next, I decreased by K6, K2tog to end, dividing it into five sections. I then did a plain row, repeating these two rows 3 times. I began decreasing every row until i had 5 sts. Most hats end at this point, but I continued with k2tog, k1, k2tog, leaving 3 sts. I did one round of i-cord, wove the tail through the loops, then passed it through the little nub and fastened off.

I think it turned out pretty cute, but I didn't have any yarn left to speak of. I can't guarantee that you'll get a hat out of one hank, but it was fun trying, and only took a few hours.

Pattern and photos © Sara Amoroso, 2008-2009. Permission is given for personal use only.
This pattern or items made from it may not be sold.

stashy

2008-02-16T12:10:00.003-05:00

Just for the record, I haven't abandoned de-stashing. But yesterday an exuberant mood, sock inspiration, a long-lingering gift certificate, and a fair bit of luck combined to get me a great amount of yarn for very little cash.
First, I went to Northampton Wools. I had a $30 gift certificate from when I left my last job. I'd been in there before with the intent to spend it, but didn't find anything that grabbed me. However, this time I laid hands on some lovely Manos Silk Blend. The three skeins only cost me $31.20, because there's a sale going on. I paid the balance in quarters and dimes. My aunt has always loved Nothampton Wools, and it's a local legend, but I'm not as fond of it as others. I find that the people are a little chilly, and it encourages me to leave quickly when I do go in there. It's a shame, because it's a neat little place.

Still seeking sock yarn, I went down the street to WEBS , where their Valley Yarns (house brand) of Franklin sock yarn is my easy favorite. It's hand dyed by an employee, known as the "Kangaroo Dyer," and all the colorways are awesome. I thought I would get the "frog in a party dress" colorway, but ended up grabbing "miami vice" instead. It's going to become socks for a friend who, upon becoming an Army JAG, has to wear combat boots and digital desert fatigues every day. I'm hoping that a secret color riot on her feet will give her a psychological boost as she confronts what seems to be a rather difficult environment.

I also got a skein of Artyarns Ultramerino 4 in coloway 106. I'll be pairing this with some stashed purple Jawoll to make the Fred and George socks. I like the almost-the-same-but-not-quite aesthetic. The skein is mostly greens, with a little yellow, but the purple shots make me confident of a match.

But the greatest coup, by far, was courtesy of the Kangaroo Dyer, who, I will emphasize, is a lovely, generous, enthusiastic person. She spotted me snapping up the Franklin and we got into a conversation about her colors. She showed me some of her new experiments, including a really spring-timey one tentatively called "peeps." There was also a beautiful blue skein that was brighter than her other blue colors. She was showing me a new laceweight tencel, then gave me two skeins to try out! I can't believe it! I'm planning to make myself a Shetland Triangle because I was so sad to see the first one go, even to my mom. The yarn is so beautiful and soft, and it shines like silk. I'm so excited that I can hardly bear it. When I wound it this morning, it was very fine, and seemed quite strong.

On other fronts, I've finished one Rainbow sock, but will probably second-sock it for a while because I'm, once again, sick of Sockotta. The cotton content makes it a little joy-less to knit.

snowflake socks, snow-ish day

2008-02-13T12:01:00.004-05:00

My snowflake socks are finished and blocked. They were a treat to make with the new technique I've learned: double-fisted colorwork. One color is held continental style, and the other English. I usually have brain block with new techniques, and I need to think them through rather than working until I get it. As usual, something clicked on the second repeat of the pattern, and I was able to go very quickly, finishing in about a week. One thing I noticed is that previously, I never had problems with color dominance, but that my continental-held color is now going to be dominant, being looser than the English color. As long as I plan for it, that should be ok. A bonus is that the colors never get twisted or tangled, making any frogging (it was minor) very easy.

Project Details. Pattern: Snowflake Socks by Chrissy Gardinier, Interweave Knits Fall 2007. Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport, 1 skein each of Aran and Eucalyptus. Needles, size 2 dpns. I would have done them on 2 circulars, but don't own the right equipment.

Next, I'm on to the Rainbow Socks by Suzanne Kitzmann. They're going quickly, but are truly strange. If you don't like short rows, don't attempt these socks. They look a little ugly now, but I think they'll shape up with blocking. Someone on Ravelry called hers "ugly ducklings" and I think that's exactly what these will be.

on the difficulty of photographing one's own feet

2008-02-05T10:17:00.000-05:00

Argyle socks are done! And socks are always the most difficult thing to photograph. They always look best on feet, and I usually take my pictures during the day, when the muddy winter light is at least present, if not flattering. That means I'm stuck trying to take pictures of my own feet. The easiest place to do this is the stairs, because that removes some of the contortions, and there's a window right at the bend where the stairs are widest. But my stairs also have horrible brown mottled carpets that look mostly inoffensive in person, but ghastly in pictures. I suppose I could drape them in something, but today I just ended up using my favorite photo background: the goosedown. It's puffy!

So for some project details, here goes. The pattern is Argyle Sock by Edie Eckman. It's put together as a lesson with clear and complete instruction. Despite the wailing and gnashing of teeth that seems to accompany argyle, I didn't find these that difficult. Of course, I did duplicate-stitch the lines. Knitting them in seems to increase the complexity by many fold. The yarn is Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport for the MC and CC, the lines are purple Dalegarn Baby Ull and Valley Yarns Franklin in cancun. Done on size 3 dpns and a short circular for the flat parts. I would not recommend this for anyone who doesn't like sewing in ends. Also, I might use a DK weight if I were to do these again. The fabric is certainly not a sturdy as my usual socks, but I imagine they'll hold up to normal wear. If not, they were quick and fun enough to make that I wouldn't cry to do it again.

scrapghan and minimitts

2008-02-01T15:32:00.000-05:00

It seems that de-stashing is a popular goal at the beginning of the year. With minimal employment, it's also the most frugal way for me to go right now. Considering these goals, I've been working on the ubiquitous mitered-square afghan. It's working well for me, considering that I can't bear to throw out even some of the smallest yarn fragments left after a project. I like the idea of making something useful from them, even if some people find the idea tacky. I, for one, like at least paying lip service to the idea of being less wasteful. It's also fun to look at the squares and remember what you made from the originals. In fact, I can look at each square and tell you the content and original project for each yarn. I guess I'd be a little surprised if a knitter couldn't do that, though.

I have also been making some awesome mini-mittens. These, I feel, are the ultimate yarn-user-upper. Mere yards of yarn disappear into a cute little object of delight. Some people may find them fiddly and strange, but I think they will make fun christmas ornaments. With cats in the house, it's a good idea to have crash-proof decorations. It's also fun to put them on your fingers and go "eeee!" because they're cute. In my crazier moments, I plot how to knit them in the round. Maybe I'll make the thumbs out of i-cord next time, though... hmmm

a new baby

2008-01-31T11:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, my cousin Joshua's little girl Julia Grace was born! Apparently, it was a bit of a nail-biter at the end. They took her to the NICU afterward, but let her out within a few hours. Doesn't she look sweet... and tired! It's kinda funny, yesterday I was thinking "didn't they say she was due in January? It's hardly January any more..." Lo and behold, my uncle Ted called a few hours after that.

Though they didn't know it at the time, it seems that Julia is a family name. My Grandpop's parents were Hungarian immigrants living in Pennsylvania coal country. We knew that one of his younger sisters was killed at the age of four by a lightning strike. What we hadn't heard was that at some point, his mother took three or four of the children on a trip back to Hungary. They were delayed at Ellis Island on their return, and two died while they were stuck there. One of those was Julia. Another one of his brothers died during the War, when his hospital ship was torpedoed in the Pacific. Grandpop always told us a lot of stories about growing up, but we never heard about Ellis Island.

On a happier note, I have a really cute outfit to send to little Julia. It started with Elizabeth Zimmermann's February Baby Sweater. Then, I added Saartje's Bootees, which are incredibly sweet and easy to make (my mods here) To top it off, I made a little hat based on the jacket. It's almost sad to part with them, but I'm determined to send them off quickly; "little" Julia's actually 9lbs 8oz! This also means that the matching Tomten jacket will go to Duncan, another cousin's baby. I hope to make something for Mitchell this winter. He's got a cute hat, but the little guy needs a sweater, in my opinion.

Sweater details:
yarn: Araucania Nature Wool (currently on closeout at WEBS)
needles: size 6 straights and circulars
buttons: metal celtic-motif from webs. plastic for the booties.

argyle!

2008-01-28T18:46:00.000-05:00

My brother really wanted an argyle sweater for christmas. I chickened out and didn't make him one. I did, however cave to a fortuitous combination of queued pattern and stashed yarn. This argyle sock pattern is written for a sport weight yarn and I had quite a bit of it stashed from some a fair-isle folly a few years ago.

The details: the yarn is Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport for the main colors. The purple CC is Dalegarn Ull and the pink/orange CC is Valley Yarns Franklin. They're currently on size 3 dpns, but I used a short circular for the flat upper portion.

The intarsia and duplicate stitch are not the hard part of this project, but you need to be very precise in sewing the many seams with mattress stitch. That can be a little tedious. It's actually going surprisingly fast, and I'm looking forward to wearing them!

destashy!

2008-01-22T17:17:00.000-05:00

I'm quite proud of my new leftovers vest. No new yarn was purchased to make this somewhat eccentric fashion item. I set it aside for a while; as you can see, there are some (ahem) gauge discrepancies in the lower portion. However, they disappear when I'm wearing it, so I'm not one to fuss.

There is one issue, though: odor. My friend Janice, who gave me lots of yarn to use in this project, stores a lot of her things in mothballs. I let the yarn out-gas in my unheated hall closet, hoping the cold, fresh air would do it some good. (Yes, I know things evaporate better at higher temperatures, but it's winter!) It helped, but when I blocked it, the smell of mothballs wafted up from the sink, probably activated by the heat. I tried to neutralize the smell of naptha with a touch of fabric softener, but like the klutz I am, I dumped a bunch in. :( Now it smells a bit strongly of softener. I should rinse it again, but it took forever to dry, and I'm enjoying it (at short stretches) for now.

no end to ends

2008-01-18T16:19:00.000-05:00

Yarn ends. I am subsumed. Hip-deep in it. I guess that's the danger of stripes, especially since those in the Leftovers vest are of so many colors. Normally I would carry the yarn up the side, but it's just not possible. Nothing to do but get down to it.

angora, it's from bunnies!

2008-01-17T11:35:00.001-05:00

And I have no idea what to do with it. I have five lovely, plump balls of Valeria di Roma Angora, shocking pink and 100% angora. What can I say, they were on sale at WEBS a while back. Now, this only equals 275.0 yards (251.5 m); not much yarn by any measure. It's so luscious and soft that I want it around my neck, but I can't find any sort of pattern that makes me happy. Should I just ransack Barbara Walker for a stitch pattern and make something up?

wonky stripes

2008-01-15T16:13:00.000-05:00

I'm working on my leftovers vest again, partly to finish, partly to give me some time to think about my next move with the somewhat cowl. This brings up a few thoughts on stripes and joins, which I've never been fastidious about. I've thought about doing the jogless join, but keep forgetting to do it and won't bother starting now. One problem I've had is looseness in the first stitch of the new color. I've unvented a method to deal with this, and I believe that it is, in the end, consistent with the EZ spirit of no knots.

When time comes for a new color change, I drop the old color, snip the end, and start up with the new. Once I've knit one round, I tie the two ends together in a square knot. Most of these have started to come undone after I've gone a few rows beyond, and that's good, because I intend to untie the rest of them and weave in the ends when I'm done. I think this keeps the seam a little more consistent, and I hope it will be quite smooth once I sew the ends in.

no henry scarf, after all

2007-12-04T14:31:00.000-05:00

So after a quick re-evaluation, I've decided not to make the Henry scarf for my husband after all. He is forever in love with his scratchy, wool plaid dress scarf and there will be no usurping it. I bought 4 balls of Laines du Nord Baby Star in navy but returned them to WEBS in exchange for... something for me!

I already had 10 balls of Classic Elite Miracle in Geneva Blue that i got as a gift from my comrade Janice, so I picked up 3 more with the hopes of making the Somewhat Cowl sweater by Wendy Bernard. Of course, it will have to wait for the christmas knitting to finish up, but that's going well. I just need to finish my mom's socks (almost done!), whip up a hat for my stepdad, and maybe make something else for my sister. Maybe the new issue of knitty will have some inspiration when it comes out.

mmm pie

2007-11-27T13:46:00.000-05:00

I would like to posit that pie is the finest culinary creation ever known to man. Sweet pies are an American classic; apple is my favorite. But it is savory pies that have the power to make something you're thoroughly sick of into dinner delight. Pot pies are, therefore, a natural after Thanksgiving, but I've also done them with leftover beef stew to revive that last sad quart languishing at the bottom of the pot.

And homemade crust is what makes it most splendid. My usual crust recipe involves 3 cups of AP flour, 1 cup of butter (if you're brave, do like my Grandma and go half lard) and about 1/2 tsp kosher salt. I like my crust salty. For the love of mike, don't bother with shortening. It doesn't taste good, will kill you even quicker, and is harder to work with. And ooooh, nothing browns like butter. If you're cheap, just buy butter when it goes on sale and freeze it, then turn it into pies.

Also, don't kill yourself trying to make the most perfect, incredibly short (dry) crust for the most lovely flakes and crumbs. I've been experimenting with using the food processor to blend my dough, but I still add up to 1/2 cup water. Once I have it blended the way I like, i dump it into a zip bag, seal, and mangle it together to make it more consistent. Then, i press it together and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour. Roll between floured parchment paper, cut-open bread bags, or something else clever of your own devising. You'll thank me.

A final word on pies: the pecan pie beret is underway with pleasing results. I might make it a bit shallower than designed, but haven't decided yet. The pattern notes look intimidating, but brioche stitch is not very difficult at all. Don't get worked up over what looks like a very complicated way to decrease; there are only two decrease rounds, so it's over fast. I'm using Kureyon #147 and Valley Yarns Berkshire in navy on US 4 needles.

snow!

2007-11-20T09:27:00.000-05:00

Today, progress on my mom's socks continues, and nervousness about my kittens' operations and Thanksgiving guests looms, but it's snowing! Real snow, and it's almost covering the grass. I'll save the tidying for this afternoon, when it's less beautiful.

contrast in colorwork

2007-11-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

When it comes to color schemes, I have a weakness. I'm really partial to monochromatic and analogous color schemes, that is shades of one color or colors adjacent on the color wheel. This can look really great in stripes, but presents problems with smaller patterns like fair-isle motifs. I was planning to use these two yarns for my sister's Center Square hat.

However, when I started making the hat, it was almost impossible to tell the MC and CC apart. My brother's girlfriend described the look as "noise" rather than a discernible pattern. This is not really the point of colorwork, now is it?

The solution: contrast. I hit on it this summer when I paired a blue and white variegated yarn with another blue yarn for my first attempt at the Mad for Fair Isle Batik Style socks. It looked good from a viewing distance of a few centimeters, but you couldn't even see the pattern any further back. Then, I switched my main color from blue and white to a pink and orange variegated.

Ta da! The contrast makes the pattern visible. Or would, if my picture was bigger. (Trust me, they look great) A quick perusal of my Ravelry page shows me that all of my surviving color patterns (except one) have really bold internal contrast. Of course, don't follow any rule off a cliff. (It would happen that I can't find the example I was looking for. poot) Anyway, I hope that articulating this rule will help me follow it better in the future. Less frogging that way.

yarr! pirates!

2007-11-17T10:55:00.000-05:00

The pirate hat is done and I'm ready to make some progress on other holiday knitting. My mom's socks are still stagnant, and my husband's scarf has yet to begin, but I'm feeling eager to start on a hat for my sister. I'm glad to have a jump on the presents this year, but one anxiety remains: when the new Knitty comes out in December, what if I love the new patterns?! Something that seems perfect now may pale in comparison. I guess I'll probably be the only one to know, but that would do little to console me.

Pirate hat details. Pattern: We Call Them Pirates by Adrian Bizilla. Yarn: more Knit Picks' Merino Style for body, Frog Tree Alpaca Sport for lining Needles: US 3 for body, US 2 for lining. Right now it's blocking happily to a smoother finish than shown in the picture.

I really like the Frog Tree Alpaca Sport yarn. Now, I've always liked alpaca yarns, but this one has some really good qualities. It boasts a handsome, simple two-ply construction; it makes me think of spindle spinning. The yarn has a little loft, but doesn't shed too much. (I'm not finding scarlet alpaca fibers all over the house) It's silky and soft, unlike some alpaca yarns which seem soft in your hand but scratchy on your neck. Bear in mind that it has the limitations of alpaca, i.e. it is nowhere near as springy as wool, it will be very warm (mostly an advantage, in my opinion). The label was a little perplexing, though, suggesting that it be knit on US size 6 needles. This would make a very open fabric, judging from the results I got with US 2s.

Up next: my sister's hat, using this lovely Valley Yarns' hand-dyed Berkshire. I'll be using the same yarn in solid fuchsia as the main color.

jon's xmas mittens

2007-11-15T10:05:00.000-05:00

I'm pleased to be finished with my brother's christmas mittens. This picture was taken before blocking, and they expanded a little bit after the wash. Details are as follows:
pattern: Pirate Mittens by Adrian Bizilla
yarn: Knit Picks' Merino Style in coal and vanilla
needles: US 2 for cuff, US 5 for the rest
mods: larger yarn and needle size, to fit my brother's massive "crushers;" knitted his name on the right one instead of the year.

I really like this pattern! I've already started on version 2.0 of the hat, to make a matching set. I'm also still working on socks for my mom... well, not working very diligently. This is not going to be a joyful project, no matter what I do. I've also decided to make a zeebee for my stepdad much like the one for my dad, in a different stashed colorway of the same yarn. My sister will probably get a center square hat in Valley Yarns' Berkshire. I love that yarn, such a great value! I was happy to find some Laines du Nord Baby Star in a subdued navy to make a Henry scarf for my husband. This will definitely be the ambitious project of the season.

Finally, I would like to brag a little bit with a picture of my newest cousin in his BSJ. How cute!

mom's christmas socks (finally)

2007-11-10T23:14:00.000-05:00

I'm only about 6 inches into the first sock, but even that gives me a sense of relief. I spent days trying to work out which pattern to use, casting on and frogging in wretched defeat. I started with the simple yet cute Charade socks. I wasn't enjoying the twisted ribbing, which doomed the sock. Then, I began the lovely, cabled Naïve socks. These were going well until I started to bring the small cables together into the larger ones that make up most of the sock, but my yarn was not really showing off the small cables to best advantage. Onward, I thought, to the Sprung Socks. Pretty, yet restrained, I thought. I quickly got sick of working the plain foot in the toe-up construction.

Sunk deep in sock-induced ennui, a magical email arrived. My library request for Interweave Knits' Favorite Socks was unexpectedly filled, giving me a chance to try Jennifer Appleby's Uptown Boot Socks, which I first saw on Grumperina's blog. Yes, these are cabled, but it's an allover cable pattern that twists only in one direction. Very easy. Also, the classic construction won't present too much of a challenge while holiday deadlines are looming. I'm actively working on some other gift projects right now too. I'll get to those later.

pattern: rather fetching mitts

2007-11-06T19:20:00.000-05:00

So here's what I did to make my "rather fetching mitts." You should know that this is a remix of Fetching by Cheryl Niamath. I make no claims to that pattern or its ideas; I just wanted to keep my hands warm.

Modifications:
1. Instead of working 3 repeats of the cable pattern at the wrist I worked four.
2. After working the EZ "thumb trick," I continued in 4x1 rib until, when tried on, the length of the mitten just covered my little finger. (warning: my little finger is much shorter than my ring finger, you might want to adjust a bit)
3. I decreased the top as follows:
*k1, k2tog, k1, p1, k4, p1, repeat from * 3 times. k1, k2tog, k1, p1.
work one round in pattern as established.
*k3, p1, k1, k2tog, k1, p1, repeat from * 3 times. k3, p1.
work one round in pattern as established
*k1, k2tog, p1, k3, p1, repeat from * 3 times. k1, k2tog, p1.
*k2, p1, k1, k2tog, p1, repeat from * 3 times. k2, p1.
work one round in pattern as established.
*k2tog, p1, k2, p1, repeat from * 3 times. k2tog, p1.
*k1, p1, k2tog, p1, repeat from * 3 times. k1, p1.
work one round in pattern as established.
k2 tog around.
cut yarn, leaving 6 inch tail, using yarn needle, pass through all stitches, fasten off using your preferred method.
4. Thumb: unravel the scrap yarn and pick up seven stitches on the top and bottom of the resultant opening. I also picked up an extra stitch on one side to make 15 sts total, then distributed them on 3 needles and worked to about the end of my thumb. I then decreased by k2tog, k1 around, then one plain round, then k2tog around. fasten off as above.

rather fetching mitts

2007-11-04T15:18:00.001-05:00

Last year I got an awesome light-weight wool coat from overstock.com. I made a coordinating hat for it from Valley Yarns' Berkshire using the Flowers on a Grave pattern from ¡TheAnticraft! I was pretty happy until I (inevitably) lost one of my black leather gloves, but with lots of gift knitting occupying my roster, I toughed out my cold hands until spring. Yesterday, the remnants of hurricane blew through the eastern part of the state, bringing us in the west some drizzle and a surprisingly cold wind. This inspired the need for mittens! Luckily, I was able to raid my stash for some Nashua Yarns' Wooly Stripes in Fuchsia Bouquet. Inspired by StoneAmazon on Ravelry, I decided to turn Knitty's Fetching handwarmers into full mittens, though I'm not making them a flip-top.

I'm using Grumperina's brilliant method for cabling without a cable needle (click on "Cabling w/o a cable needle) It's a little scary, initially, but its a real time-saver. I've been able to use it for all kinds of cables, including purl-background cables, as long as the stitches come off the needle in the opposite order they went on. I couldn't figure out how to do the cables in Widdershins, which are a little funny, but that doesn't mean it can't be done by someone smarter than me. I'll post my mods once I finish both mittens, that way they'll be consistent.

free yarn!

2007-10-31T13:58:00.001-04:00

P1000457
Originally uploaded by eudyptula48

I'm the lucky recipient of these lovely odds and sods from my friend Janice. I had this awful "Tubey" sweater that I made from some luscious Aurora 8. It looked bad on me and the colors were almost right for an analogous color scheme, but not quite. I used black as the main color, immediately finding myself in some sort of '80s flashback horror.

Needless to say, it sat in my closet unworn for at least a year, lording it over me. Until Monday! I delightedly frogged the damn thing and decided that the short lengths still wanted to be worked in stripes. This led me to the attractive and clever "Leftovers" vest, also a Knitty pattern. Unfortunately, I wouldn't have enough Aurora to work the whole vest without reintroducing the black, and thus my unhappiness.

Janice came to my rescue with inspiration and supplies. She recently made a fair-isle vest with scrap and leftover yarns. She also has trunks, bags, and boxes of yarn leftover from a lifetime of knitting. I was generously allowed to scavenge out the pinks, and at the same time we picked out blues, creams, and grays to make a vest for her husband. This all ties in to our new philosophy, at least for knitting: "use it up"

the dalek lives!

2007-10-29T11:11:00.001-04:00

phpYBdvBXAM
Originally uploaded by eudyptula48

I'm pleased to be finished with my Dalek. I started it earlier this month and set it aside in a fit of despair over bobbles, but once I got beyond that, it was easy to finish. Details are as follows:

Main color: Lion Brand wool ease, about 50 grams in "oxford gray,"
Contrast color: a mystery yarn, about 50 grams.
Needles: size 4 circulars and dpns

I chose to do the shoulders in colorwork, as the pattern suggests. No significant mods to the pattern, though I did run across a few errors. They were easy enough to remedy that I didn't note them down.

a very paternal zeebee

2007-10-28T16:50:00.000-04:00

Since it's finally dry, I am now enthusiastically in love with my Dad's zeebee. I used exactly 1.5 balls of Nashua Wooly Stripes on size 9 needles. This made a soft, forgiving fabric with enough spring to make the hat comfortable. The color is called cognac, which is a blend of browns, silvery gray, and black. As the yarn name suggests, it is self-striping, but in a gentle way suitable for the rustic-looking single-ply yarn.

The zeebee is knit flat, sideways, with short rows shaping the crown. The two ends are grafted together to make it into a functional hat. The best part is that Schmeebot put together a pattern generator so that you can make them at any gauge and in any size you want. Brilliant! I will definitely make this hat again, it's so versatile and shows off the personality of yarn very well.

the dalek rises

2007-10-26T23:45:00.000-04:00

So I'm working on Penwiper's supercool EXTERMAKNIT dalek as a gift for a certain lucky family member. I have to admit relief at being past most of the bobbles: it took me about an hour to complete each bobble row. Toward the end I was finding it less than joyful, but the result is really awesome. It is definitely worth doing if the FO will be for a small child; no buttons or beads to swallow.

My circular knitting method for this project has become a bit eccentric: 3 dpns and a short circular. Something like Cat Bordhi-lite. I haven't lost it, I just have the other two size 4 dpns engaged in the border of a lace project.

i'm not sure i can lift my arms

2007-10-25T14:15:00.000-04:00

Funny that on my second day of knit-blogging, all I could do is bang out a few anonymous rounds on my mom's socks while subbing this morning. You see, Red Sox games are mandatory around here, and last night's shellacking dragged on past midnight. My husband quickly hassled me into bed because he took a benadryl and was about to drop. I didn't have time to wind down and thus laid there semi-conscious all night, attempting to bore myself to sleep by restricting my thoughts to "breathing in.... breathing out." Not helpful. Moreover, Charlie cat, the pushy one, has figured out how to break into our room and was walking all over us and purring at hourly intervals. (Do your cats get extremely annoying in their adoration of you? Charlie just gets lovey and can't sit still.)

I had a merciful vacation from consciousness after lunch, but all that really did was shut off the tired while my eyes were closed. That leaves me with the following goals for the afternoon:
1. Tea
2. prepping Swedish meatballs for dinner
3. vacuuming up the allergens
4. putting the laundry in the dryer before it mildews
bonus: not hitting my head on the lightbulb or the scary, asbestos-covered pipe with the distressingly large dust-forest on top while I'm at it.

<-- The culprit

I will almost certainly end up at the Y, not because I'm fit, or keen, but because of guilt, and maybe the new flat-screen tvs.

Modding Saartje's Bootees

2007-10-24T21:41:00.001-04:00

I recently made two pairs of Saartje's Bootees, the extremely quick, terribly cute garter-stitch baby shoes that are quite popular on Ravelry. Since I'm stubborn, I didn't follow the strap directions for the first pair, and was unhappy with the button closure. I ended up having to sew in a loop of yarn on the end of the strap: not visually pleasing.

On my second pair, when I got to the straps, instead of using an additional piece of yarn to make a long-tail cast on, I did the following:
CO 11 using cable cast-on
k 1 row
k 19, (YO) twice, k2tog
BO in knit, dropping first YO from needle

This created a little button hole and gave the bootees a little more balance with an end on the strap. I think these will look great with some EZ garter-stitch designs like the BSJ and the FBS, or even the Baby Bog Jacket.

out of a job, again

2007-10-24T20:06:00.000-04:00

Ok, since I'm once again not working, I'm basically knitting full-time. I've gotten some encouragement to start up blogging again. Let's see what happens!