New Pattern: Lavienne Scarf

I am happy to announce that my newest pattern, Lavienne Scarf, is now up for sale.  Lavienne Scarf is a versatile scarf with curved ends worked in a striped entrelac pattern. It is begun by working the wider edge. The tiers are worked in alternating solid and striped diamonds. By omitting the side triangles a trapezoid shape is created. The final triangles are worked in short rows. Stitches are picked up along the curved edges then worked into a contrast ruffle. Lavienne can be worn as a scarf either wrapped or draped around the neck or worn as a mini shawl.

Skills needed: 
picking up sts 
k2tog 
ssk 
kfb 
previous experience with entrelac. If you have never tried entrelac, please take a look at my basic entrelac tutorial for further explanation.

Designer note: I am a loose knitter, so please check your gauge before beginning this project. It may be necessary to go up 1 or 2 needle sizes.

Yarn: About 250 yards required for main color and 200 yards for contrast color.

 $4

New Pattern: Etoile Hat

I'm on a roll this month, I have published another hat pattern.  This one is Etoile Hat, a slouchy beanie worked in eyelet concentric stars.  I really like the yarn, Andean Treasure, it is a warm and fuzzy sport weight alpaca yarn in a very intense shade of blue.  I wanted to stray from my usual rib band and instead tried out a ridged eyelet stripe.  This pattern was definitely not smooth sailing.  I started out with a completely different yarn and different chart.  The star pattern just wasn't working, and three charts and two froggings later (with a change of yarn in between) I ended up with this lovely finished product.  



FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Circumference: 22”
Length: 8”


SKILLS NEEDED
ability to read a chart 
working in the round 
yo 
ssk 
k2tog 
sl 1, k2tog, psso

Upcoming Design: Etoile Hat

Today is a gloomy and rainy February day.  It is hard to think that Spring will soon be here.  As a designer I have to start thinking about warm weather designs despite the chill outside.  I have one wintery design left, which I am currently in the process of typing up and will hopefully soon have ready for publishing.  It is Etoile Hat, worked in concentric eyelet stars with an eyelet striped brim.  These are just preliminary photos to make sure the hat would photograph well.  If weather permits, I will hopefully be able to take photos in a pretty setting with a nicely styled outfit and a face full of makeup.

 

New Pattern: Kilbourne Hat

Kilbourne Hat is a unisex close fitting beanie that utilizes twisted stitches to create a zig zag pattern. Beginning with a twisted rib, it is worked in the round from the bottom up with a crown that is worked in progressively smaller zig zags. Kilbourne Hat is very stretchy, so should be worn with 1-2” negative ease.  This unisex design is a very quick knit, so if you need a last minute Valentine's Day gift this could be it!


I went through several versions of this design.  The original crown shaping was overly complicated on paper and looked like a bit of a mess when knitted up.  After lots of erasing and redrawing on the chart, I ended up with a simpler version that I think is very pleasing.  


$4  


Skills needed: 
ability to read a chart 
working in the round 
k2tog 
ssk 
knowledge of twisted stitches is helpful but not necessary


Materials:
150-200 yards worsted weight wool or wool blend yarn
US #5/3.75 mm 16" circular needle
US #6/4 mm set of dpn and 16" circular needle

Finishing School: A Master Class For Knitters by Deborah Newton

If you hate finishing your sweaters, raise your hand.  Me!  Me! Me!  Why?  Well, it is similar to washing dishes: tedious, time consuming and somewhat boring.  After reading Deborah Newton's new book, Finishing School: A Master Class for Knitters I think I might actually start to enjoy seaming, picking up stitches, etc.  I suppose I never liked doing those things because I only had a vague idea how to do them so I would end up rushing through just to get it done.  This book answers a lot of questions I spent doing some late night Googling and feeling a bit embarassed to ask other knitters.  For a few examples: why are there HOLES along the neckline when I pick up stitches?  How exactly do I sew a smooth shoulder seam?  Why is it so difficult to seam a nice seam worked in a textured pattern?  Should I pick up collar stitches on the right side or wrong side?  Well fear no more, knitters, Ms. Newton seems to magically know all our questions and has answered them all plainly in this book.

Chapter 1, Finishing 101 is a basic overview of  finishing and what sort of tools you need to get the job done.  Choosing a pattern that is right for you and using schematics is also discussed.

Chapter 2 is Blocking Basics.  For a long time I thought the only way to block something was to dunk it into a bucket of warm water mixed with a bit of Woolite (yikes! what was I thinking???) and pinned down onto a dry towel.  I blocked the heck out of a lot of projects before I realized that some fibers need to be treated a bit more gently.  I was so happy to read that Ms. Newton doesn't even particularly like wet blocking and finds it to be unnecessary for most projects.

Chapter 3 is Seaming Seminar.  Yes, if you knit a sweater in flat pieces you have to seam them eventually.  No, they won't seam themselves.  But after reading this chapter it might be a little less painful.  The most important thing I learned from this chapter was the use of seam stitches.  I had never heard of them before, but after reading I thought the idea was so simple why didn't I think of it?  Seaming together two pieces in a complicated stitch pattern would be very difficult so why not make the job easier and add in a couple seam stitches worked in plain old Stockinette stitch.  This chapter also covers seaming the dreaded sleeve cap seam.  Stitches meet rows, ahhhh!!! run for cover.

Chapter 4 is Edgings Intensive.  And you thought that all edgings had to be either Garter stitch or rib.  Well maybe not you, but at least that is what I thought.  Learn the right way to pick up stitches, and how many stitches to pick up and let your imagination go wild with creative edgings.

Chapter 5 is Extra Credit: Buttons, Zippers, Pockets and More.  Buttons just need to be sewn on right?  With a needle and a bit of thread?  Erm, no.  If you have ever made a beautiful sweater only to have it ruined with saggy buttons you know it is not that easy.  And don't even get me started on zippers.  I made one cardigan with a zipper and was a bit less than pleased with my sewing job.  Now that I know the correct way to sew it in (which is not the close-your-eyes-and-hope-for-the-best method) I might actually try it again.

Chapter 6 Continuing Education: Special Finishing.  Covers a few miscellaneous topics like alterations, linings, felting, and (gasp) steeks.

Scattered throughout the book are projects associated with the various techniques explained.  I might not rush out to knit any of them (beautiful as they are) but it really helps to read the why and how and then see the ideas implemented into a pattern.  This book was a bit difficult to get a hold of.  In early December I ordered it from Amazon and got a notice that it was on back order.  A month went by with no update until I got an email from Amazon that my order was being cancelled because the book was still on back order.  Luckily I checked Knit Picks and found that not only did they have it on their website but it was on sale.  It appears to still be on sale, you can find it on the Knit Picks website here.

Busy New Year

The end of 2011 and beginning of 2012 have kept me busy with lots of projects.  Most of them I can't really share yet, but a few non-knitting related ones I can write about.  A few days after Christmas my husband and I took a two day trip to Savannah.  On our way there some sort of projectile hit the sunroof on our car and completely shattered it.  Luckily no one was hurt and after a very creative tape job with some plastic sheeting and contact paper we were able to continue on with our little vacation.  We brought along our dog, so the activities we could do were rather limited.  But we were able to enjoy some good food and visited Old Fort Jackson.  Being in the military, my husband was really excited to visit a civil war fort and he happily explained to me how the cannons worked.  I brought along a new hat I had made for him and found the perfect place to photograph it while we were exploring Fort Jackson.  I hope I can find some time soon to write up the pattern.  This one uses twisted stitches (one of my favorite things to knit!) and is worked up in a lovely mustardy yellow worsted weight wool.  Hubby might not look like he's having a good time, but he really was happy to have a hat to keep out the cold wind.

When we got home from Savannah, I found an Amazon box waiting on my doorstep.  It was a late Christmas present to myself.  I had received a canning set for my birthday and wanted the Ball Book of Home Preserving.  I successfully canned some spicy applesauce that turned out fantastic!  Next up are some pickled vegetables.  Along with the canning book I purchased Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills.  I'm a big fan of the Little House on the Prairie books and always wonder exactly *how* they processed the wheat, smoked meat, milked the cow, etc.  My inquiring mind just had to know, so I got this book.  It explains the basics of how to do so many homesteading skills, I can't even begin to list them all.  For example: how to build a log cabin, how to dig a well, how to build a smokehouse, etc.  There is a whole section on handcrafts that include how to made natural dyes, and how to spin and weave.  While reading the chapter on how to grown your own vegetables I was inspired.  My New Year's resolution for 2012 is to get rid of my completely black thumb.  Thus far I have managed to kill every plant I have tried to grow either from over- or under-watering.  This year will be different!  I hopped on over to Home Depot and got an array of seeds and some little peat pellets that came in their own plastic greenhouse.  It is far too cold to grow these outside, so I tried to pick vegetables that will work in pots indoors.  I am happy to say that as of this morning I have some radish and lettuce sprouts!

On New Year's Eve my poor little doggie was sick.  He was acting funny all morning; several times he wanted to go outside but he wouldn't do anything then he would run back inside.  He hopped up on my lap and then I saw what the problem was.  A brown thing, about the size of a sunflower seed, was sticking out of his side.  This was my first experience with a tick.  Hubby wanted to pull it out himself, but poor little Che was sick to his stomach a few times so we ended up going to an animal hospital.  The vet there was very nice and pulled out the tick and gave us a few medicines to keep him from vomiting more and prevent any tick related diseases.  Che did not have a good time though, he jumped up against me in his "Mommy, save me!" stance.  He is ok now, and is very happy to take his medicine in lumps of cream cheese.

As far as knitting goes, the secret projects continue on and the calls for submissions keep coming in.  Better publish this post and get back to knitting!

Interview and Where Have I Been????

Let me start off by writing that I have had the honor of being interviewed by Lumia of Worsted Knitt.  I had a lot of fun answering her questions.  You can read the interview here. 

Now, where have I been you say?  Well.... I have been moving from California to an army base in Georgia.  It has been a swirl of madness since the end of October and I thought it would never end!  Luckily I didn't have to pack anything (thank you US Government) but I did have to drive my personal vehicles across the United States.  My parents were very helpful and drove with me, along with my knitting assistant, Che.  Poor little Che didn't seem to like the long drive, every time we got in the car he'd cry a bit because he wanted to be sitting on someone's lap and not his dog seat.

On the drive I saw lots of open country and it sure was pretty.  I have never really gotten to see the leaves changing colors in fall so it was amazing to see all the reds, oranges and yellows of the trees along the highway.  Lots of farms too, especially cotton fields.  In Mississippi we found a lone Huddle House out in the middle of nowhere around lunchtime and stopped there to eat.  Next to it was this picked over cotton field.  I sat out on the grass, with Che, and ate my lunch while looking out at the cotton.

It is really amazing how blue the sky is when there is no smog!  Just one of the things that surprised me on the trip.  I was also noticed that most of the states I drove through are MUCH cleaner than California!!

Anyway, I spent a week driving through, I think, 8 states and woefully accomplished no knitting.  My arms were just too tired at night.  But I finally reached my destination and was happily reunited with my husband.  So proud to see him in uniform every day!  And yes, Che is wearing a handknit dog sweater.  I realized 2 days before I left that I had packed up all his sweaters and knew it would be cold on our trip.  So I hopped over to the nearest Joanns and bought some (cringe) acrylic yarn and hurriedly knitted a sweater for him. 

Now I  really feel like an Army spouse.  So far I like living on post, I can find pretty much everything I need here so I don't have to leave the gates too often.  Although we did do some exploring my second weekend here.  First we went to the local museum where I saw this exhibit:

Well if there is a spinning wheel and a loom then this place is ok with me!  We also found the canal, which was beautiful.  I love all the old Victorian style houses on the opposite bank.

After unpacking all my household items I suddenly found myself preparing for Thanksgiving.  Some of my husband's friends didn't get to go home, so they came over here and we had a nice dinner.  They were all so happy to be eating a homecooked meal and being able to sit on a sofa to watch tv.  You don't realize what you'd miss until you don't have it anymore!  It really made me feel good to be able to make them feel like they were home. 

And now I find myself here at my computer, finally able to start thinking about knitting and designing again!  I have had a bit of knitting time in the last couple of weeks and am in the middle of a new sweater design.  It is coming along well so far, and I hope to have the pattern ready by the end of December.

Happy Holidays and Happy Knitting!