tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271294732024-03-07T03:08:17.794-05:00The Reluctant PenguinWelcome to Joyce's Knitting and Travel Blog - mostly about knitting with occasional excursions to interesting placesReluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-31874335491391213332010-03-19T13:45:00.001-04:002010-03-19T13:48:20.547-04:00A Week of KnittingMy friends thought I was crazy when they heard I was going on a “knitting cruise.” In truth, there were moments when I thought I might be nuts. For one thing, the ship that was far larger than the other ships I had been on, and the thought of being onboard a floating city had always been horrifying to someone with a dislike of crowds and a terrible sense of direction. But when my friend Debby heard about Debbie Stoller’s Stitch ‘N Beach cruise a few months ago, we decided to sign up – even before we knew about the horrific February we were going to have to endure in New Jersey before the much-needed escape.<br /><br />We had doubts about whether we would make it to the ship, whose main virtue in my view was that it left from Bayonne, NJ, so we didn’t have to fly (unlike many of the participants, some of whom had real horror stories to tell), but departure day was the third day of a snowstorm that paralyzed the entire Northeast. Amazingly, there was absolutely no traffic on the turnpike (for the first time in recorded history) so we made it to the entrance to the port in about 45 minutes, but then it took another hour to crawl to the less-than-2-miles to the terminal. Once on board, we were able to delete those images of snowdrifts, badly shoveled sidewalks, and dangling icicles from our minds and imagine sunshine and balmy Caribbean breezes.<br /><br />Or not. The first two days were pretty rough. The second night was interesting. I happened to be awake before 4 AM and decided against getting out of bed because it seemed especially rocky. Suddenly I realized that the ship felt like it was listing to one side and not moving. After what seemed like an eternity (but in fact was only a couple of minutes) it righted itself and started moving again. At one point there was a crash as a toiletries case flew off the shelf in the bathroom – no big deal, though we heard later that there was a lot of breakage in the dining room as china set for breakfast flew off the tables. Twenty minutes later the captain got on the PA system and announced that everything was now fine, but that we had been experiencing 40 MPH winds, and then suddenly a 100 MPH wind had blown up from another direction, forced the ship off course and put out the autopilot, and that they had “temporarily lost control of the ship.” (NOT words anyone ever wants to hear.) The autopilot was back on, we were again on course, and all was well. We should all go back to sleep. Yeah. Amazingly, Debby and I didn’t panic, though we spent the next half hour or so giggling about a variety of apocalyptic scenarios. We heard the next day that some people had panicked, donned their lifejackets, and headed for the muster stations before the captain made the announcement. We also heard that a few morons had gone out to the deck to investigate, one telling us that he was glad he was able to light a cigarette in all that wind! (If this had been an IQ test, he would certainly have flunked.)<br /><br />While that was the most exciting few minutes of the cruise, the rest was fabulous. We spent 8-10 hours knitting each day. On sea days we had morning and afternoon classes, and every night we had dinner together and then adjourned to one of the lounges for a Stitch ‘n Bitch at Sea, bringing either our own knitting projects or something from one of the classes to knit while we chatted and drank mudslides or mojitos. Most nights we went off to bed to knit “just a few more rows” before turning off the lights. Who would think someone could knit that many hours a day without suffering from achy hands and wrists?<br /><br />Debbie Stoller is wonderful teacher. While the participants had a wide range of knitting skills, everyone left every class having learned something new. We had sessions on such topics as double knitting, slip-stitch designs, alternative cast-ons, crocheting for knitters, designing your own sweater, and how to fix knitting mistakes. Some of us learned that we had been purling wrong all our lives, holding the yarn wrong for a long-tail cast-on, or twisting stitches inadvertently. Others learned how to crochet for the first time or how to hold the hook in a more efficient manner. Even the accomplished lace knitters learned something about the structure of lace stitches and improved our ability to “read our knitting.”<br /><br />One of the highlights of the cruise was the “Yarn Tasting” event. Debbie had gotten yarn samples from a wide range of companies, from the big companies to very small producers. We were given lengths of yarn to knit into a sampler, so that we were able not only to look and touch but actually to knit. Not only were there wool and silk, but exotic fibers like bison and yak, wonderful blends of these fibers with merino and cashmere, and some lovely hand-dyed yarns. Many of the companies had also sent her full skeins, which she distributed in such a way that we all came away with several skeins of something we loved. We all expanded our yarn horizons and will unfortunately have to expand our yarn budgets as a result!<br /><br />We did get a few days of the sunshine and the warmth we were craving, but that was the least of it. We had a nine-day “high” with a wonderful group of knitters from a variety of places and backgrounds, learned a lot about knitting, and discovered what nice, friendly, generous people knitters tend to be.Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-81580545934945752712009-12-27T10:29:00.019-05:002009-12-27T11:59:42.572-05:00Finishing the year with Finished ObjectsIt has been a long time since I have posted a blog entry. Is there material for a New Year's Resolution here?<br /><br />The last month has been very productive, knitting-wise. I have completed quite a few projects, and while I have entered all the details on my Ravelry site, they didn't quite make it to the blog.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYkpsI9qakcRzxINf_QV8U7cFa3A-IFd7z43l468M85EkBC1gojQvO2v_9ylHyBnDGSChwwHuUehMVDMDg8zs64MnR2zg7Hx5LuGYfIgrDWc0YWBZ9wZnp4-Kif4YHF_1TWBy3/s1600-h/Venice+2s.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419960743354554706" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 215px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYkpsI9qakcRzxINf_QV8U7cFa3A-IFd7z43l468M85EkBC1gojQvO2v_9ylHyBnDGSChwwHuUehMVDMDg8zs64MnR2zg7Hx5LuGYfIgrDWc0YWBZ9wZnp4-Kif4YHF_1TWBy3/s320/Venice+2s.JPG" border="0" /></a>The most ambitious was the Masked Ball in Venice shawl, which I had hoped to finish in time for the High Holidays in the fall, but because I ran out of yarn (twice), that didn't happen. I used yarn that was a slightly heavier gage (really just a tiny bit heavier) than the pattern called for, thinking that it was just a shawl so gauge didn't matter. With all those stitches (about 1200 per row by the end) scrunched up on the needles it was impossible to tell how big it was. Then I bound off and washed it and set it out to block. Oh my goodness -- it was enormous! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhe8xAhs2KNGRZfsNYLMmds5U09CKSJNCHt2B40EtyFaEp_HpL424jt8r-ENqeZDtD_IK2zRKrAY0a0Huu11aJZbavUS1XTmsqSaeBoJcs4I6fkgZbDQSvAhGWFYN0VsEBSgA/s1600-h/Venice+5s.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419960975088217154" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhe8xAhs2KNGRZfsNYLMmds5U09CKSJNCHt2B40EtyFaEp_HpL424jt8r-ENqeZDtD_IK2zRKrAY0a0Huu11aJZbavUS1XTmsqSaeBoJcs4I6fkgZbDQSvAhGWFYN0VsEBSgA/s200/Venice+5s.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><em>Pattern:</em> Masked Ball in Venice by Monika Eckert<br /><em>Yarn:</em> Jaggerspun Zephyr<br /><br />This was done as part of a KAL, but I fell far behind. The pattern is gorgeous, and the KAL was fun because in addition to the pattern, sections of the story that inspired it were released from time to time. I really needed a black shawl and had a substantial part of a cone of Zephyr left from another project, thinking it would be enough. Wrong! Unfortunately, the beautiful detail of the pattern will probably not ever be seen, since I will be generally be wearing the black shawl over a black dress. Lesson learned from this project: Gauge <em>does</em> matter, even with shawls. And "a little bit off" can add up to a lot when there are hundreds of stitches to a row.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2vQV2Vkp4FydWXYMhTtTSiMJ41-o9gnowh_Emyy0kQkIKuMDWX6xY2t9Wf7LZHKcNn_vhql_ad_8go985Fh3HaH3-09ogXeKxGWsXfSl5kTY5vJjEY4ueW3EefHQIUqM-JDk/s1600-h/Green+Pullover+1s.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419946473338193282" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 158px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2vQV2Vkp4FydWXYMhTtTSiMJ41-o9gnowh_Emyy0kQkIKuMDWX6xY2t9Wf7LZHKcNn_vhql_ad_8go985Fh3HaH3-09ogXeKxGWsXfSl5kTY5vJjEY4ueW3EefHQIUqM-JDk/s200/Green+Pullover+1s.jpg" border="0" /></a>The two sweaters that were finished this month were both done with Colourmart yarn. The first, a pullover, with cabled neckline and sleeve detail, was done in Extra Fine Merino, which is soft and luscious.<br /><br /><em>Pattern:</em> <a href="http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=114&d_id=8&lang=us">114-8 Jumper with cables</a> by DROPS design<br /><em>Yarn:</em> Colourmart 100% Extra Fine Merino 12/30NM Super DK Weight<br /><em>Needles:</em> KnitPicks Harmony US #7<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8uRpxhugv4rZ2nrCz_-ZrE7219izeNOXw3Ek6iRg3RoIC9bLTptM9XBqxxFLoHEjQVaruMgtnNUJJVQjgpjUsEuzleaIkNeRdHI6fDoKEwwTb9-Q3EaOzXLFFvTbNhYFD57Nw/s1600-h/Yak+Cardigan+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419948210733959826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 153px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8uRpxhugv4rZ2nrCz_-ZrE7219izeNOXw3Ek6iRg3RoIC9bLTptM9XBqxxFLoHEjQVaruMgtnNUJJVQjgpjUsEuzleaIkNeRdHI6fDoKEwwTb9-Q3EaOzXLFFvTbNhYFD57Nw/s200/Yak+Cardigan+2.jpg" border="0" /></a>The yak cardigan was a real labor of love. The designer had offered to customize the pattern for members of the Colourmart group and I jumped at the opportunity, fortunately before she realized that her generous offer would be far too much work if more than a few people responded!<br /><br /><em>Pattern:</em> Classic A-line Yak Cardigan by Margarete Dolff<br /><em>Yarn:</em> ColourMart Superyak/Extrafine Merino (50/50) 3/14NM Fingering Weight<br /><em>Needles:</em> KnitPicks Harmony US #3<br /><br />The yak/merino yarn is very soft, very light, and very warm. Despite the miles of potentially boring stockinette (on very small needles), it was so delightful to knit that it wasn't a problem. It was perfect for knitting during movies, lectures, and conversations with friends. The ribbed band is knit separately and sewn on because it is a different gauge from the stockinette, and that turned out to be the perfect project for one of my flights down to Florida to visit my mother, even when the return flight had a 4-hour delay.<br /><br />And speaking of labors of love, I made backpacks for my grandsons for Chanukah, but only after asking them if they thought they would like them and asking them to select which of the adorable patterns from Morehouse Farms they would like. One chose the Owl, and the other the Snake.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419955213400776994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 192px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RovY_9sNdRhsDgBhB-U_lq0inI4aBGumOU8FxKnOWZ3ANSOPX1_elO4pwvy5GyiEEdP3a2pFdXDE_gEtTEhMFuR6rVZ8ZvkoDW6EONqdjpUIvmk6nLwwYoK-t6hSIOJXKvyu/s400/Backpacks.jpg" border="0" /><br />They are knit with the yarn doubled for the bottom and top band, and a slip-stitch pattern for the body, so they are quite substantial – especially because they are knit on size US #5 needles, quite a bit smaller than what one would normally use with this yarn. My friend Debby, who had made the Hippo backpack for her granddaughter, realized that nylon straps with buckles instead of knitted straps would be much more practical, and she offered to do the same for mine. The kids seemed to like them, so the project was a success. Now on the needles... two more for the other grandchildren.<br /><br />A New Year's wish for all you knitters... May all your projects knit to gauge, and may all your UFO's be finished by the end of the coming year!Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-62146744159064233552009-05-30T10:59:00.006-04:002009-05-30T11:56:51.297-04:00Can you have too many shawls?One of my New Year's resolutions this year was not to knit more shawls. I love knitting lace. I love knitting shawls. I love wearing shawls. But how many does one person need? I have a whole shelf of them in one closet. The more delicate and complicated the lace, the more I love it and the less I wear it. Since I live in the northeast, where it is cold most of the year (even in summer, where there is a tendency to over-air-condition public places), I almost always have a shawl with me to throw over the other layers. But I rarely get "dressed up" and the lacier, dressier shawls seem to languish in the closet. But I can't resist the urge to knit more of them!<br /><br />I also have a hard time resisting a puzzle. So when Kalinumba announced the <a href="http://www.belle-online.de/Horus-kal.html">Wings of Horus KAL</a>, it seemed like a natural. There was even a cone of light blue Zephyr sitting calmly in the stash, perfect for this project. So I succumbed.<br /><br />But then something terrible happened. Renee of Goddess Knits announced the <a href="http://www.bopeepswoolshop.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=52">Anniversary Mystery Shawl 09</a>. Since my previous attempt at one of Renee's shawls ended in a trip to the Frog Pond, this was an opportunity to redeem myself. And... there happened to be some cream-colored Colourmart cashmere available in exactly the right weight. How could I NOT?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSsp0oyQzqlD-Cc-66Uj4eP_0-PnZQc-uDDdUMwii38JuCSmycaUKiNvth02dxYVZlkyk_GFCkwYiOjp9_OvQLPNH2EhTFJa3wp-3KLlEy9Ck5XoUI3om6j62MlZaNFCqLVXf/s1600-h/Horus1s.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSsp0oyQzqlD-Cc-66Uj4eP_0-PnZQc-uDDdUMwii38JuCSmycaUKiNvth02dxYVZlkyk_GFCkwYiOjp9_OvQLPNH2EhTFJa3wp-3KLlEy9Ck5XoUI3om6j62MlZaNFCqLVXf/s320/Horus1s.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341639118563277986" border="0" /></a>Both projects are proceeding nicely. There were some scary moments with Wings of Horus. In order to download each of the weekly clues, we had to solve a riddle involving ancient Egyptian mythology. I solved the first one quickly, but the subsequent riddles were more difficult. Thank goodness for the KAL group on Ravelry! Thanks to Google and some hints provided by more clever and knowledgeable group members, disaster was averted. In fact, there were a few awful hours when I thought that after knitting the first five clues, I wouldn't be able to get the final one! As much fun as it was, I may have to remember those feelings of dread the next time I consider doing something like that. There are just about 20 more rows to finish, but by now there are over 500 stitches in each row, so it may take a while.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE84I-yazFppuruZgmrVjeIltQ2PzDcb0WilUswh2fYgCNb7aXuXCZfwTfaJNEkITSDl0Fa8eB6MfSOXMpDevSn4QbCQDjI7T__uSU6xzTH02gEdrqdlt4IaL9z6fx8RJDRfCh/s1600-h/Klabauter5s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE84I-yazFppuruZgmrVjeIltQ2PzDcb0WilUswh2fYgCNb7aXuXCZfwTfaJNEkITSDl0Fa8eB6MfSOXMpDevSn4QbCQDjI7T__uSU6xzTH02gEdrqdlt4IaL9z6fx8RJDRfCh/s320/Klabauter5s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341643471311655490" border="0" /></a>And speaking of shawls, I never blogged about the large, lovely, soft alpaca <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/klabauter---christmas-special">Klabauter</a> shawl from this past winter. That was another KAL by Monika Eckert. (I was seduced into making that one after my experience with Moni's Slow Bee Mystery Shawl, now available as the <a href="http://www.klabauterwolle.de/shop/product_info.php?cPath=24_29&products_id=40">Icicle Lace Shawl</a>.) It was a fast knit, done in Lavish Superfine Alpaca in a mint green. The yarn is a little heavier weight than most of my lace shawls, but Moni was very clever with the design – she offered edging options at several different points along the way, so there was a lot of flexibility in the size of the finished shawl. It is large enough to snuggle up into, and I expect it to become a staple of my wardrobe in the future.<br /><br />Unfortunately, it has one problem. The alpaca sheds. I wore it out last night over a black knit top, and by the end of the evening not only did I have little wisps of greenish-white fluff all over my formerly black top, but even the sleeve of my husband's sport jacket was covered. (He had the misfortune of sitting next to me.) I am a little afraid to machine-wash the shawl, but hand-washing didn't remove the loose fibers when I originally blocked it, so I'm not sure where to go from here. Suggestions welcome!Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-82221044730144599632009-03-28T16:47:00.006-04:002009-03-28T17:04:04.458-04:00It IS a jacket after all!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjsMWams5caGGYV9bKw-JHTt-Fd-Kdjp8tCGmranTQZSCtxMZT7jVsXdpfBvld-0l7pQQ8YjaSzo1BHJWkuXNKROo0xgm8DCtHc_cqf4RUXzbhysVDnl8JaZOng5YiUagjLOrm/s1600-h/Mitered+Jacket+2s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 219px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjsMWams5caGGYV9bKw-JHTt-Fd-Kdjp8tCGmranTQZSCtxMZT7jVsXdpfBvld-0l7pQQ8YjaSzo1BHJWkuXNKROo0xgm8DCtHc_cqf4RUXzbhysVDnl8JaZOng5YiUagjLOrm/s320/Mitered+Jacket+2s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318346403235721058" border="0" /></a>I had my doubts, many times in the course of this project, that this oddly shaped piece of knitting would ever metamorphose into a wearable garment. While I was always an A math student, plane geometry was a challenge, and involved brute memorization of formulas and proofs rather than any intuitive understanding. (Does anyone do proofs any more? My mathematician friends complain that even college math courses are light on proofs until the upper levels.) Visualization of three dimensional objects was totally beyond me, and even two dimensional objects could be problematic.<br /><br />To backtrack a bit… In Italy in October 2007 I bought 12 skeins of Filatura di Crosa 127 Print. (Probably not enough, but all they had in the little shop in Tuscany where we stopped on our way back to Florence.) I searched for months for a pattern that would not result in horizontal stripes and eventually came across the Boku Mitered Jacket. After purchasing the pattern, I had my first doubts even before casting on. There was no schematic, and I wasn’t sure about whether I could fudge the size, length, or anything else to accommodate the amount of yarn I had. Eventually I ordered a few more balls of yarn from Webs, and while it wasn’t the same dye lot, it was close enough.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8peDume85EKlBRcwgLpuitkNRHtggCVKmSKiJO16GX7q-Igq2a4ZT2OXYOPtomue8IRJBvIZCO4XpDAsXwJDGGni3cjgMFQYTpowhhcXU8B_Tg86r4MtdHGzZaaTY6bg6vLN5/s1600-h/Mitered+Jacket+3s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8peDume85EKlBRcwgLpuitkNRHtggCVKmSKiJO16GX7q-Igq2a4ZT2OXYOPtomue8IRJBvIZCO4XpDAsXwJDGGni3cjgMFQYTpowhhcXU8B_Tg86r4MtdHGzZaaTY6bg6vLN5/s320/Mitered+Jacket+3s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318346593027025986" border="0" /></a>At various points I set it aside to work on other things, partly because I was so uncertain of where this was going. With most patterns, you start with the back, then the front(s), then the sleeves, and it is clear where you are at any time. This pattern, though, begins with the center back and works at an angle… okay while you are still on the back, but then it wanders over to the sides and the front, and you pick up stitches at various points along the way. (With any luck, you will pick up the CORRECT stitches, but it is hard to know for sure.)<br /><br />Eventually it started coming into place, but I was almost ready to give up when nearing the end, since it didn’t seem to fit properly, but adding additional rows to the edging around the collar made a big difference. I had added some solid Elann Peruvian Highland Wool for the cuffs and the band around the bottom and collar, and I think that finished it off nicely. (In truth, I used the solid black because I was still afraid of running short of the 127 Print, but I might have done that anyway.) In the end I was happy, but it was probably the most stressful knit I have ever had… partly because I wasn’t sure all the effort was going to result an a wearable jacket, and partly because the yarn had such wonderful associations with the trip to Tuscany that I didn’t want it to go to waste.Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-84222441445741757532009-02-25T15:30:00.014-05:002009-02-25T17:10:36.021-05:00Hats, Hats, HatsEarlier this week I looked at my blog and discovered that I hadn't posted since the end of October. I guess it's time for a New Year's (slightly <span style="font-style: italic;">used</span> New Year) resolution to blog more regularly.<br /><br />It's all <a href="http://ravelry.com/">Ravelry</a>'s fault. In the past several months, the time I would have spent blogging seems to have been gobbled up by Ravelry. Between updating my own projects and looking at other people's projects, it has become a real time sink. But what an amazing one!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZ0FoXua8G-gRCUuPZyKZyJkwvKw_V7w3me7kUoEcsQH6l9DiyO-0DxQfNK-dHsw8chDu2-NGL8sO66ITmEhRfiH__ZEZEWsnY-korFJdob5IxiYH1OaECjIC8Eaayh7UlffE/s1600-h/Meret+Beret+3s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZ0FoXua8G-gRCUuPZyKZyJkwvKw_V7w3me7kUoEcsQH6l9DiyO-0DxQfNK-dHsw8chDu2-NGL8sO66ITmEhRfiH__ZEZEWsnY-korFJdob5IxiYH1OaECjIC8Eaayh7UlffE/s320/Meret+Beret+3s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306838779962007458" border="0" /></a>This has been a dreadful winter in the Northeast, and as a result I have been on a hat knitting kick. It started with the Meret beret, which was a free pattern offered by Wooly Wormhead as part of a Ravelry KAL. I had just finished it when I suddenly <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-agZcWxAwR1C5s-mCul3mpqceAtdUYoXrzQge0m69KEYbEo_VNPF0K9TTn-raWqkKK2rm_XOsWBsq_B7CTcb35rRfS73r3oQOtuxfbInTPNYYL8eVVR85jRkzdIo6D_2M9aN/s1600-h/Meret-green3s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-agZcWxAwR1C5s-mCul3mpqceAtdUYoXrzQge0m69KEYbEo_VNPF0K9TTn-raWqkKK2rm_XOsWBsq_B7CTcb35rRfS73r3oQOtuxfbInTPNYYL8eVVR85jRkzdIo6D_2M9aN/s200/Meret-green3s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306839853495224722" border="0" /></a>needed a birthday gift for my sister-in-law, so I decided to give it to her and make another one for myself. Only this one I decided to give to a friend as a Chanukah present.<br /><br />Meret was a well written pattern, and I enjoyed it so much that I bought Wooly Wormhead's book (despite her unfortunate name) <a href="http://www.woollywormhead.com/going-straight/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Going Straight</span></a>, a collection of 24 designs using a sideways construction method. The biggest problem was deciding which hat to make first!<br /><br />The winner was <a href="http://woollywormhead.squarespace.com/storage/GGuimauve.jpg">Guimauve</a>, a slouchy beret with an unusual, slightly-pointy shape, though the point is much less pronounced when worn than it is just sitting for a photograph.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtE0Q3CDfDVaSxAa62A5Od1Lv_SbaeX3fPllVd7doqeN2oS33UpGqw9-7CsSreYUyLFOP7gM1bIAhx1UaEFpfMN5CGv3zv60rExWYxaIuxaFsmCpvwuQOYUwwg85DqNTbdMYsl/s1600-h/Guimauve+2s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 244px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtE0Q3CDfDVaSxAa62A5Od1Lv_SbaeX3fPllVd7doqeN2oS33UpGqw9-7CsSreYUyLFOP7gM1bIAhx1UaEFpfMN5CGv3zv60rExWYxaIuxaFsmCpvwuQOYUwwg85DqNTbdMYsl/s200/Guimauve+2s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306843580593611938" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQBwS1-FpZ74Dd5lwuobo1aalGas2RVzWD_WM_ddodY3r_ktDgn_MftlVmuGK4yPcAuNiuh7X1lr6_pCQ53ikI8aJ8ORwhB4dPC3duv8JeSAfeFoX4G-eowSelvuK59Ftq0VxM/s1600-h/Guimauve1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQBwS1-FpZ74Dd5lwuobo1aalGas2RVzWD_WM_ddodY3r_ktDgn_MftlVmuGK4yPcAuNiuh7X1lr6_pCQ53ikI8aJ8ORwhB4dPC3duv8JeSAfeFoX4G-eowSelvuK59Ftq0VxM/s200/Guimauve1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306843808196722146" border="0" /></a>Like the other two hats, I made this one from stash yarn – in this case Park Avenue, a now discontinued alpaca-merino blend by Lily Chin. Because the yarn is a heavier gauge than the pattern calls for, I needed only 8 repeats instead of 10. The fit is perfect.I may try the same hat again some time with a variegated yarn as it is shown in WW's pattern photo.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG4Ho2_Ep2Gzd9YgWJo_pmg1-vrh4maXnEf4Eh67UbQbELwbM1Mu4A9pyNGa_nUxnx-UmPTcZcPIRDj6lC9KkJviH-h_JJuAOsiniC47vBEDFo6kYFbY7bc90ab5yr9EKcwKlr/s1600-h/TrinityHat1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG4Ho2_Ep2Gzd9YgWJo_pmg1-vrh4maXnEf4Eh67UbQbELwbM1Mu4A9pyNGa_nUxnx-UmPTcZcPIRDj6lC9KkJviH-h_JJuAOsiniC47vBEDFo6kYFbY7bc90ab5yr9EKcwKlr/s200/TrinityHat1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306848206052208274" border="0" /></a>Another ball of Park Avenue was leftover from a sweater and too pretty to abandon, with just enough for a not-too-big h<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HxCM8VMXIQkHDNMdL15aZQ-WbqeORzuWkbX-EdapaP6SuKuCLI0RZSb1LYQcdiPyDHAiU9WWfghyphenhyphenKvCdK2spTeGlbIHSCrXg7rjHBB-FqpbOMckL8d94ilQ4H37OrXEmVtUT/s1600-h/Trinity+Hat+Revisited+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HxCM8VMXIQkHDNMdL15aZQ-WbqeORzuWkbX-EdapaP6SuKuCLI0RZSb1LYQcdiPyDHAiU9WWfghyphenhyphenKvCdK2spTeGlbIHSCrXg7rjHBB-FqpbOMckL8d94ilQ4H37OrXEmVtUT/s200/Trinity+Hat+Revisited+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306848903927414866" border="0" /></a>at, so I next tried Trinity. It was a good travel project – extremely portable and not too difficult. It was a little too small – wearable, but too small to be pulled down over both ears. After deciding not to wear it day after day, I decided to extend it by picking up stitches along the bottom and adding a brim. There wasn't quite enough Park Avenue left, so I added some green KnitPicks Wool of the Andes, which blended in perfectly. It is now my favorite hat.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pLelHbkVBM9DO3dAAatb99eIvew6D-bdcTNEfBc6ZgGtiTcsgER3DJ_CVF1IN_FEZ1G2O7lngfNomyoB_STZSROgWWgISGj14ceJJBjKqdTCpx-_0WUMgq4e8Wx9IqapJJG4/s1600-h/Strudel+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 195px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pLelHbkVBM9DO3dAAatb99eIvew6D-bdcTNEfBc6ZgGtiTcsgER3DJ_CVF1IN_FEZ1G2O7lngfNomyoB_STZSROgWWgISGj14ceJJBjKqdTCpx-_0WUMgq4e8Wx9IqapJJG4/s200/Strudel+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306854068770526802" border="0" /></a><br />On<span style="font-style: italic;"> really</span> cold days, my favorite is Strudel, for which I used Lavish Superfine Alpaca that was leftover from a shawl (a subject for another post). It is another nice warm hat, that fits well and covers the ears. The horizontal cables give it an interesting look, and it stays put even on windy days.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqblLUDl3or6_Ic9ouZtTC4T3zwhv_qSqT9wtwPrYX-P-HdyNDrr-vnCXB2hB0ijFxDrGeCjrloYFOxjQ2hBoH2rwVNqXd4IJ25jtLBL0171I8OEN5Pg0at1B9DLpDTqHwHxl/s1600-h/Strudel+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqblLUDl3or6_Ic9ouZtTC4T3zwhv_qSqT9wtwPrYX-P-HdyNDrr-vnCXB2hB0ijFxDrGeCjrloYFOxjQ2hBoH2rwVNqXd4IJ25jtLBL0171I8OEN5Pg0at1B9DLpDTqHwHxl/s200/Strudel+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306854071211244626" border="0" /></a>There are still several hat patterns in the WW book that are on my To Do list. Maybe next winter. (If this one ever ends.)Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-81897332409185125172008-10-30T13:10:00.015-04:002008-10-30T14:34:56.486-04:00Second ChancesThis was a week for second chances – at least knitting-wise.<br /><br /><a href="http://reluctantpenguin.blogspot.com/2008/04/when-gauge-swatch-isnt-enough.html">Last winter</a> I made the wonderful <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall07/PATToblique.html">Oblique</a> sweater by Veronique Avery. It me took about 5 months to knit it, and in the end it was too big. When a member of one of the on-line knitting groups offered to buy it from me, I decided to sell it to her, and immediately bought yarn for another one. It was the same yarn – even the same color, though the dye lot for the second one was a little grayer. I was surprised at how much faster it was to knit the second time! The lace patterns were far less intimidating, and after the first few rows I barely had to look at the instructions for each section. Here is the finished product:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHt52t1TfMARQReq-4qebV8WSu4U-MqFH58qHpaE9RvNGJz9BJH0xUBZt3qNH6Ik4nPUsmu5YU2IIJY1uKQoLIrWqc9rxzG5gycoigSJK-9ew0L86Y4_6cmWR9Z6DY1ZcobzFF/s1600-h/Second+Oblique-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 153px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHt52t1TfMARQReq-4qebV8WSu4U-MqFH58qHpaE9RvNGJz9BJH0xUBZt3qNH6Ik4nPUsmu5YU2IIJY1uKQoLIrWqc9rxzG5gycoigSJK-9ew0L86Y4_6cmWR9Z6DY1ZcobzFF/s320/Second+Oblique-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262998817671683746" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJ0-Vc79pwF3XiXo4_N7ld0z1-H4JVn83nS8mFVpf4hHyclS4YhhOjiJbUGXh9mrskH4Q-ChTXkELAbGcnCzPq8y1K1hZktf_e7uPQC9yjPuPY9fbFt6uHri5AyDQSzsnYYDk/s1600-h/Second+Oblique+2-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 311px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJ0-Vc79pwF3XiXo4_N7ld0z1-H4JVn83nS8mFVpf4hHyclS4YhhOjiJbUGXh9mrskH4Q-ChTXkELAbGcnCzPq8y1K1hZktf_e7uPQC9yjPuPY9fbFt6uHri5AyDQSzsnYYDk/s320/Second+Oblique+2-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262998382033812642" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pattern:</span> <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall07/PATToblique.html">Oblique</a>, by <span class="byline">Véronik Avery</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Knitty</span>, Fall 2007<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yarn:</span> Ella Rae Classic Wool, approx. 9 skeins (1900 yds)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Needles:</span> KnitPicks Options US #8<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Modifications</span>: Omitted waist shaping; shortened cuffs<br /><br />I have already worn it twice and expect it to be my standard grab-it-whenever-cold sweater for this winter.<br /><br />My other Second Chance was the <a href="http://www.debbiemacomber.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=nnp&pageID=195">Alix Shawl</a>. I had made one for my mother over a year ago, using some colorful sock yarn that seemed a little too colorful for socks. She seemed to like the shawl, but it mysteriously disappeared shortly after I gave it to her. I decided to make her another one, since she is always cold, even in Florida, and wanted to use either sock yarn or a washable wool, and found a nice superwash merino in variegated blues. It was good that it was a totally different colorway from the first shawl, since as I was about to finish it, the original one turned up in one of her dresser drawers!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVN1bST4uqUCnJyhuExwMzOzVf2B5ty8C-Ms9Ogl5cuF_Nm3Ydez0L4ReZKRL0TdjE3Q9IwVdfAmlnbalmeutZEYMTQ_Xj8fvbQrvohU5LmDL-xbZnEyGCXtriTc4lR3hTfCN/s1600-h/Alix1-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVN1bST4uqUCnJyhuExwMzOzVf2B5ty8C-Ms9Ogl5cuF_Nm3Ydez0L4ReZKRL0TdjE3Q9IwVdfAmlnbalmeutZEYMTQ_Xj8fvbQrvohU5LmDL-xbZnEyGCXtriTc4lR3hTfCN/s320/Alix1-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263008650724644162" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtW86AS01xt1Vy7ZcFdXBHJPyGCSKZPCdm_Vxi0IdaFUZLw1m0o4sGNRPFnLbK3yRmQuqbMI3wSrBdRaPDoCMZcz8CidDuhs3F0Dkc452E5ngNi2nrDCk4DizCgjlg61VciR9E/s1600-h/Alix1+Detail-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtW86AS01xt1Vy7ZcFdXBHJPyGCSKZPCdm_Vxi0IdaFUZLw1m0o4sGNRPFnLbK3yRmQuqbMI3wSrBdRaPDoCMZcz8CidDuhs3F0Dkc452E5ngNi2nrDCk4DizCgjlg61VciR9E/s320/Alix1+Detail-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263009036096377426" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Pattern:<a href="http://www.debbiemacomber.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=nnp&pageID=195"> Alix's Prayer Shawl</a><br />Size: 64" x 30"<br />Yarn: Fibranatura Baby Merino (superwash), 4 skeins<br />Modifications: Crocheted bind-off<br /><br />As with the Oblique sweater, the shawl was much easier the second time. The pattern for each row seemed very easy to memorize. I'm not sure whether it was easier because I had done the same pattern before, or because of all the more complicated lace knitting I have done in the interim. Either way, it certainly shows that experience pays off.<br /><br />One more object (though this was <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> a re-do) finished recently is the Syncopation Mitered Bag:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCai5iM3Se6N2GN66Xc0iwRyeD3Dj85xfKUhRYYD7zcn2PgTmnDORj8Gwk6epbfh09T8WA4kqOWV0F7j_PHVRPSOU8oi2qG_kLLzycwZpq_mw0jLzGpHj8N1Xr5lFhIHOdhXU/s1600-h/Mitred+Bag-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCai5iM3Se6N2GN66Xc0iwRyeD3Dj85xfKUhRYYD7zcn2PgTmnDORj8Gwk6epbfh09T8WA4kqOWV0F7j_PHVRPSOU8oi2qG_kLLzycwZpq_mw0jLzGpHj8N1Xr5lFhIHOdhXU/s320/Mitred+Bag-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263014346689008994" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Pattern:</span> <a href="http://www.onefineyarn.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=OFY&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=PSHR56">Syncopation Miterd Bag</a> by Sheera Designs<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yarn:</span> Cascade 220 (a little more than one skein) andMadil Yarns Rebus (1.5 skeins)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Needles:</span> US #6<br />Modifications: None<br />New skill learned: I-cord<br /><br />This pattern had the potential to be a nightmare, but it has such clear diagrams that even somebody "geometrically challenged" was able to do it. Once I started to pin labels on each completed section to identify the number of the section, it became much easier.<br /><br />This pattern may have a Second Chance in its future.Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-86637378093720979892008-09-01T10:55:00.005-04:002008-09-01T12:17:32.284-04:00I can't believe it's overThe end of summer always comes as a surprise and a disappointment. Since I love the two months of summer and hate the six months of winter so much, the end of August is always a depressing time. We still operate on an academic year calendar, and while the start of the new school term always brought with it the promise of a fresh start, for a retiree it just means the onset of cold, gray misery.<br /><br />But enough whining (or whinging, as the Aussies would say).<br /><br />August was wonderful. We had a delightful vacation cruising in the British Isles (where in fact it was cold, gray, and rainy everywhere we went). And I got an amazing number of UFO's finished.<br /><br />My "cousin" Michael's wife had twin daughters in July. (The relationship is more complicated than that, but the details are irrelevant and boring.) My major objective for the cruise was to finish these for my visit shortly after our return:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KUSzqmm4ylc9Tp1t3kChyHOwvWpU6s5TMCIEUffiBYQznFdIKTwEyBcBlwInMvFmgRH0-4aZMPxd5pTWtW7VaHEG4drIl-vPZTveQgE-CiH2vz06ULlt-wizO_snpC4RQCjk/s1600-h/Toddler+Dresses-m.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4KUSzqmm4ylc9Tp1t3kChyHOwvWpU6s5TMCIEUffiBYQznFdIKTwEyBcBlwInMvFmgRH0-4aZMPxd5pTWtW7VaHEG4drIl-vPZTveQgE-CiH2vz06ULlt-wizO_snpC4RQCjk/s320/Toddler+Dresses-m.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241069445511752514" border="0" /></a>The variegated yarn is Bella Colour, a cotton and acrylic blend from Plymouth Yarn. The pattern is the Toddler Jumper that I got from <a href="http://www.discontinuedbrandnameyarn.com/">Discontinued</a><a href="http://www.discontinuedbrandnameyarn.com/"> Brand Name Yarn</a> when I bought the yarn in the pink and gray the first time to make a dress for my granddaughter. I bought the blue for the second dress (before I knew the baby would be twins) and had almost enough of the pink left over for another one, but not quite. Fortunately I found the solid gray (Caron Country, a washable wool/acrylic blend) which coordinated color and texture-wise at the local A.C. Moore just before we left. They came out quite nice, don't you think? The babies' mother was delighted with them, which is always nice when you give a hand-knitted gift (and happens far too infrequently).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3246/2818158882_a3d3dacae3_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3246/2818158882_a3d3dacae3_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I couldn't go to visit without a gift for the twins' two-year-old brother, so the few days between our return home and the trip to Miami I went on a knitting blitz and finished the <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer03/PATTchildHood.html">Childhood</a> cardigan just in the nick of time. The yarn was Mission Falls 1824 cotton, which has a very nice feel to it and is supposedly washable (though I would always recommend handwashing for hand knits). The mom was equally delighted with this! One interesting thing about this pattern is that it calls for snaps instead of buttons (though it is shown with fake buttons sown on). I didn't have time to buy buttons, and my wonderful friend Clare had the perfect snaps. I think I like it just as much without buttons, unless you happened to have particularly interesting ones. And it was nice not having to bother with buttonholes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UkWuiv8PJ4uG2leJay2p2ihsKloQuwpSmKCStEeuD_rU2scE1uThrHMSOdY-qLssFL-XuiQR5bxpLbxGRBVyzzgQTgBWjNX4BkvT7JuoW0mepWN2LgKRt4L909iWcCSrOH6X/s1600-h/Revontuli-m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UkWuiv8PJ4uG2leJay2p2ihsKloQuwpSmKCStEeuD_rU2scE1uThrHMSOdY-qLssFL-XuiQR5bxpLbxGRBVyzzgQTgBWjNX4BkvT7JuoW0mepWN2LgKRt4L909iWcCSrOH6X/s320/Revontuli-m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241086541452618674" border="0" /></a>My other major project for the trip was the <a href="http://www.ullaneule.net/0307/ohjeet_revontuli.html">Revontuli</a> (Northern Lights) shawl. (Yes, I know the pattern is in Finnish, but the designer fortunately translated it into English.) My mother lives in Florida but is always cold, so I wanted to make her something both colorful and warm. When I saw this pattern on Ravelry I knew it would be perfect in Kauni wool yarn, which comes in a rainbow colorway with very long repeats. It was, unfortunately, less soft than I would have liked, but once knit and washed, it was acceptable. I wasn't sure if my mother would like the colors, but she seemed to be very happy with it. (And she doesn't fake happiness very well.) I had two skeins of yarn and still have about 1/3 of the total left. Until it got really big, it was a good travel project, because the pattern was very easy to keep in mind with only an occasional glimpse at the pattern at the beginning of each row.<br /><br />I actually did some more knitting in August, but that's enough for one post. More coming... along with some photos from the trip.Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-48644343004944107592008-07-27T12:25:00.004-04:002008-07-27T12:51:07.156-04:00Slow Bee finished on time (more or less)I love this shawl!!! It is a beautiful design, large enough to wrap up in (even for zaftig person), in a wonderful color, shimmering with little silver beads.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEC8SnoM5gr1WGtE6bTG_abgC852m3wWEcDAK3ahrYqQ1CsY6FI2rZKLYvQdGYZal9KRP6rE8E9inbfJa6uHsUzHe_w9ojro95PHdhL3sBWqChQh3tfpS3gP0HDPCorhBkOLxe/s1600-h/Slow+Bee-m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEC8SnoM5gr1WGtE6bTG_abgC852m3wWEcDAK3ahrYqQ1CsY6FI2rZKLYvQdGYZal9KRP6rE8E9inbfJa6uHsUzHe_w9ojro95PHdhL3sBWqChQh3tfpS3gP0HDPCorhBkOLxe/s400/Slow+Bee-m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227731794777869266" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pattern:</span> Slow-Bee Mystery Shawl by <a href="http://www.klabauterwolle.de/zen">Monika Eckert</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yarn:</span> JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk 2/18, teal<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Needles:</span> KnitPicks Harmony #US3<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Beads:</span> Silver-lined crystal beads (8/0) - approx. 75 gm from <a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Emilia-Beadelias-Bead-Shop">Emelia Beadelia</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Modifications:</span> Used Version 2; omitted beads in last two rows before the end<br /><br />The shawl was a delight to knit. I blew up the charts a bit to make them easier to see, but they were well done. I used an itty bitty crochet hook to add the beads, and it wasn't difficult but it really slowed things down on rows that had a lot of beads. By the end of the shawl, there were over 800 stitches per row, so even the simplest rows took a lot of time. No matter, though – it was fun watching the pattern evolve, and the icy-greenish-blue color along with the shimmery silver beads were perfect for summer knitting.<br /><br />Mystery KAL organizers always emphasize that it isn't important to keep up with the schedule of clue releases, but it does impose a kind of internal deadline. There were a couple of weeks that I didn't quite make it for one reason or another, but did manage to catch up during the next week. I really wanted to finish it in time to take it on our summer vacation, and just managed to do it with a day or two to spare.<br /><br />Blocking a shawl this large was something of a challenge. Thank goodness for interlocking foam pads! I didn't much like having to get down on my hands and knees to lay it out, and probably didn't do an optimum job as a result, but the shawl is lovely in spite of a mediocre blocking job. At one point I accidentally stepped on an edge of the shawl, complete with little glass beads... I won't be doing that again any time soon!Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-84677845548800878522008-07-06T14:20:00.006-04:002008-07-06T14:55:38.998-04:00Welcome, Mother EarthToday I am happy to introduce Mother Earth, a.k.a. Spring Shawl Surprise:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWmXjVh8bdO3bXlJcgIYAG7aHF-csotJCpL-HEnYgN52ha1Jb_jMT5LKs4vl4kEXqV3eWgQKlf0MGuOZq6yEhIOiMdQPfUT3Lvh-CG9Iqqhr1eEckWMW02NPwIUwlMCvvwvt4/s1600-h/Mother+Earth-m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWmXjVh8bdO3bXlJcgIYAG7aHF-csotJCpL-HEnYgN52ha1Jb_jMT5LKs4vl4kEXqV3eWgQKlf0MGuOZq6yEhIOiMdQPfUT3Lvh-CG9Iqqhr1eEckWMW02NPwIUwlMCvvwvt4/s400/Mother+Earth-m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219968211364865618" border="0" /></a>Pattern: <a href="http://www.luldesign.blogspot.com/">Mother Earth</a> by Lul (Lene Unmack Larson)<br />Yarn: <a href="http://colourmart.com/">ColourMart</a> Cashmere 3/28NM Heavy Lace Weight, approx. 300 gm<br />Needles: KnitPicks Harmony US#5<br />Size: 24" x 96" blocked<br /><br />The yarn is heavier than recommended, so I was concerned that it would be too large, but it is absolutely perfect. Like other Colourmart cashmere, it metamorphosed into something soft and warm and scrumptious after the Tough Love treatment (wash in very hot water with Dawn, subject to the dryer on low for about 15 minutes before blocking). One of the true pleasures of knitting lace is the very last step... seeing it change from an amorphous blob to a beautiful objet d'art. That effect is magnified when the yarn is Colourmart cashmere, which doesn't look or feel like anything special on the cone, but becomes transformed once the spinning oil is washed out and it is fluffed up in the dryer.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhCwhJzO7u86_hHzZODVm7wnb-oaBVNBonpXmawpCRhxhmztGuUJ_SNMgcXCRgUjYIZXo8xN5RbxoEKs6CEpLYgaq0QeFx7bgB-qTZnlyiy1kePrlVhAEg9JcYjC77rmWKN1_/s1600-h/Mother+Earth+Detail-m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhCwhJzO7u86_hHzZODVm7wnb-oaBVNBonpXmawpCRhxhmztGuUJ_SNMgcXCRgUjYIZXo8xN5RbxoEKs6CEpLYgaq0QeFx7bgB-qTZnlyiy1kePrlVhAEg9JcYjC77rmWKN1_/s320/Mother+Earth+Detail-m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219974417942773522" border="0" /></a>According to Lul, her main thought about the design was "to bring out circles and curves (which I pretty soon realized isn’t easy in lace knitting). Circles to represent how almost everything in life is repeating itself again and again, the changing of the seasons, being born –growing up-getting old-dying and a new human born again, sunrise-daytime-sun set and night. It all moves in circles and we are all just part of a bigger event 'Life' , let it be human or nature. Curves to represent the curves of a woman –the main image of the stole being a rather modernistic shape of a pregnant woman. She is standing on the bigger circle that represents the Earth, with the tree of life in the center to remind us that we are all part of the world and we all live important lifes. We may look differently, but we are all the same –man or woman."<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Note on photo: Because of the length of the shawl, it was difficult to get a good photo of the whole thing. I finally took a series of shots and let Photoshop do its magic with photomerge. Despite the odd perspective and lighting effects, the shawl really is rectangular and a uniform color.</span>Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-27648004209322248332008-07-01T19:08:00.004-04:002008-07-01T19:33:12.636-04:00Trouble is waiting...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxKpVSZ9sQXtsapt5oLmcQzGihrlHV2gHziC2TDQ3C7oV__-SbIWjSun2UMQBPpS0uCYdF-1zZK1rpQHtSCA1vCTE6FPrZiknNKYU5jSJNb3VxlHoJBagQMTbl_VXJwlR13hL/s1600-h/KnittingHagGnome.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxKpVSZ9sQXtsapt5oLmcQzGihrlHV2gHziC2TDQ3C7oV__-SbIWjSun2UMQBPpS0uCYdF-1zZK1rpQHtSCA1vCTE6FPrZiknNKYU5jSJNb3VxlHoJBagQMTbl_VXJwlR13hL/s320/KnittingHagGnome.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218190934586752498" border="0" /></a>Where, o where, is Ma Bell? We have been without phone service for two days, and the Verizon Trouble Report Status page says only that "Trouble is waiting to be dispatched to a technician." Waiting, and waiting, and waiting. I can only imagine a knitter, impatiently tapping her foot as she knits, waiting to be dispatched. This cartoon from <a href="http://www.agoodyarn.net/KnitImages.htm">A Good Yarn</a> portrays it pretty well.<br /><br />In the "olden days," the phone line almost never went dead. One the rare occasions that it did, the phone company repaired it the same day. Yet this is the third time in the last three or four months we have lost our phone service, and each time it took two days before it was repaired. (Once we were away, and it was out for over two weeks.) At least this time they didn't insist that we wait at home for their repairman to show up.Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-30757381651125620452008-06-22T14:27:00.008-04:002008-06-22T15:23:53.787-04:00Knitting in lieu of tranquilizersThe more we travel, the more stressful it seems to be. I used to get nervous a day or two before a trip. Now it is more like three or four days, and the anxiety is even more intense. When the actual day arrives, it reaches a peak as we wait for the ride to the airport, then sit and wait the obligatory two or three hours for the flight. I have found recently that a combination of knitting and listening to music can help pass the time and is sufficiently distracting to lower the stress level. The same is true during the 3 or 5 or 12 hours of flight time.<br /><br />This time we had a 12 hour flight to visit our son and grandchildren. I was only gone for 5 days but planned my knitting very carefully. I managed to finish the various pieces of the Scallop Edge Pullover from a recent issue of <span style="font-style: italic;">Knit Simple</span>, worked on the <a href="http://pixiesparaphernalia.net/pixie-patterns/">Luscious Lace Scarf</a> from <a href="http://pixiesparaphernalia.net/">Pixie's Paraphernalia</a>, and fiddled with a ball of Louisa Harding's Kimono Angora until it found a pattern it liked.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijI56hnJV_An1Ize69IlsACg_8FTvTdQ9vTOq1Ob7iye-mXomE6S-I4l0kiutbHUCkmCMVqWe9f4dkuODPd7fjJi63h7fEhNlxdJQh3mVV0TfI3ToDCPErN0PdxzjxGLzCLNGY/s1600-h/Scallop+Edge+Detail.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijI56hnJV_An1Ize69IlsACg_8FTvTdQ9vTOq1Ob7iye-mXomE6S-I4l0kiutbHUCkmCMVqWe9f4dkuODPd7fjJi63h7fEhNlxdJQh3mVV0TfI3ToDCPErN0PdxzjxGLzCLNGY/s200/Scallop+Edge+Detail.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214779688492136354" border="0" /></a><br />The Scallop Edge Pullover is an easy knit, though I made a few changes to the pattern. The back was excruciatingly boring (plain stockinette), but the detail in the front made it much more interesting.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pattern:</span> Scallop Edge Pullover by Lauren L., <span style="font-style: italic;">Knit Simple</span> (Spr.-Sum. 2008)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yarn:</span> Lily Chin Chelsea (cotton, merino, acrylic blend) - 8 balls<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Needles: </span>Knit Picks Harmony US #4<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Modifications:</span><br />GAUGE – larger gauge than pattern calls for. I miscalculated the number <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82viR8kx7SfPheGJJy0xWfsFrf5ehdGORAgp8vfo6MPiN1GkhGAWAyjP8niZA0rdFs61np9ugGjVpqM22QyxLi0gTDpw0iX-GCd2ZdB72UtQHT17aRiTeSlT-Bq5-vGOixGnu/s1600-h/Scallop+Edge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82viR8kx7SfPheGJJy0xWfsFrf5ehdGORAgp8vfo6MPiN1GkhGAWAyjP8niZA0rdFs61np9ugGjVpqM22QyxLi0gTDpw0iX-GCd2ZdB72UtQHT17aRiTeSlT-Bq5-vGOixGnu/s200/Scallop+Edge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214781320805750018" border="0" /></a>of stitches to cast on, and then decided to make it an “A” shape, wider at the hips, partly out of laziness (since I didn’t want to frog) and partly because that style is usually flattering. I probably should have ripped it out and started again.<br />HEM – Simple crocheted edging, because I was afraid the picot hem would be too bulky. That was a mistake. After I did the picot edging around the neck I realized that it would have been fine. Sleeve hem – ditto, but used garter edge.<br />LENGTH – added several inches. The pattern was <em>much</em> too short.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSWT-nRalHQKAYIBZqudu5NkDC8KJhd9WaUrV7iBETRICGuqqyJzRnFEvEu69T8Sy0tiUq801q0xUk080SuHvLYmGS8d4v7fUBX2Npvi1DsjgK3mhXj3FCRl2I5ZpbyrXfwJ1/s1600-h/Luscious+Lace+Scarf.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSWT-nRalHQKAYIBZqudu5NkDC8KJhd9WaUrV7iBETRICGuqqyJzRnFEvEu69T8Sy0tiUq801q0xUk080SuHvLYmGS8d4v7fUBX2Npvi1DsjgK3mhXj3FCRl2I5ZpbyrXfwJ1/s200/Luscious+Lace+Scarf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214782560313161922" border="0" /></a>When all that stockinette got to be too much, I switched to lace. The Luscious Lace Scarf was easy enough to knit with only an occasional glance at the pattern at the beginning of every few rows. The fine cashmere yarn was soft and stretchy and felt lovely in the hand. I am still debating how many more pattern repeats to do. Maybe I will just keep it as an UFO for our summer vacation.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0Pv8OuDvjJeTcjBht50Y7I4bFRuuB435BozvUDPUWWmGyc1-0iLzfPp-os72s_Myres87L1cgep0sw8O-SG1HPz6zDh5udrpX46A2Yd6YWgxqS1xP6WYK3h-GFdcUcqV3MOj/s1600-h/Drop+Stitch+Scarf.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0Pv8OuDvjJeTcjBht50Y7I4bFRuuB435BozvUDPUWWmGyc1-0iLzfPp-os72s_Myres87L1cgep0sw8O-SG1HPz6zDh5udrpX46A2Yd6YWgxqS1xP6WYK3h-GFdcUcqV3MOj/s200/Drop+Stitch+Scarf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214785006502234898" border="0" /></a>The other project for this trip was to find a satisfactory scarf pattern for the Kimono Angora. It is nice and soft but the colors are <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> strange. I bought it on sale and thought I liked the colors, then vacillated between love and hate. After trying several different patterns I gave up and just did a simple stockinette rectangle, adding a drop stitch across the row at random intervals, sometimes using single yarnovers and sometimes doubles. This was also good airplane knitting, because there was no pattern to juggle, but the occasional drop stitch rows kept it interesting, along with watching the effect of the color changes.<br /><br />A lot of knitting was done in those five days. Because of the impossibility of sleeping in the tortured position those airline seats force you into, I alternated knitting (while watching movies or listening to music) with reading. And thanks to jet lag, there was also a lot of knitting time at night once we were there. And thanks to all that knitting, I was much calmer during all that time, and I have a completed sweater and two 75%-finished scarves to show for it – instead of just high blood pressure and palpitations.Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-59233996635025545692008-05-26T11:47:00.004-04:002008-05-26T12:21:48.412-04:00Finally, a Cabled TeeOne of the first patterns that caught my eye when I started knitting sweaters again (after a 20+ year hiatus) was the <a href="http://www.ample-knitters.com/cabletee.html">Cabled Tee</a>. Many members of the Ample Knitters group had made this sweater, and the pattern was even written for larger sizes without having to do advanced mathematics to adapt it, but I hadn't done cables for a long time and was a bit intimidated. Plus, I was having so much luxuriating with wool, alpaca, and cashmere, that cotton seemed a little boring. This yarn was a closeout at <a href="http://yarn.com/">Web's</a>, and it seemed like a good compromise.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQcZh_tdwp9cqVYghw-bUr3kiwPXfu4M_hM7WU1n18M0HleKwHhyVyS8EzLsqzGdJVX7f1g0e3dCqOqgc3TRTtm4Sf7Gz9ZIa2_qvSlj_Kd7YCYXEJv72_cXcv4wg1HnOO_hO/s1600-h/CabledTee2-m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuQcZh_tdwp9cqVYghw-bUr3kiwPXfu4M_hM7WU1n18M0HleKwHhyVyS8EzLsqzGdJVX7f1g0e3dCqOqgc3TRTtm4Sf7Gz9ZIa2_qvSlj_Kd7YCYXEJv72_cXcv4wg1HnOO_hO/s400/CabledTee2-m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204715501324398962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Pattern:</span> <a href="http://www.ample-knitters.com/cabletee.html">Cabled Tee</a> by Maureen Taylor & Patricia Brunner<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yarn: </span>Lily Chin Chelsea (30% merino wool, 35% cotton, 35% acrylic) – 8 skeins<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Size:</span> 1X<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Needles: </span>Knitpicks Harmony US #5<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Modifications:</span> Ribbing in the Twisted Rib pattern used in the <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall07/PATToblique.html">Oblique</a> cardigan<br /><br />I love the way this pattern was written. Directions were given for a variety of sizes at three different gauges, so it wasn't necessary to recalculate anything. O that there were more patterns like this one!<br /><br />This week I met a friend for a shopping expedition. She wanted to go to the anniversary sale at the Wooly Lamb, a lovely yarn shop in Pennington – not so far for her, but too much of a trip for me under normal circumstances. The staff was very friendly and they had by far the best selection of gorgeous yarns I have ever seen in a real live LYS. The only reason I managed to walk out empty-handed was their sale discount policy: On entering the store, everyone was asked to pick a little slip of paper out of a basket and would get the discount written on the slip. Mine was a 15% discount, and my friend's was a 25% discount. Another friend, who met us there, got a 35% discount! I simply couldn't bring myself to buy anything with my measly 15% off when other people could buy the same items for a lot less. A gorgeous alpaca-silk yarn for a sweater for me would have been over $200 at list price but with S's discount, I might have splurged... after all, my birthday is coming in another 5 months! The truth is that I didn't need it anyway, given the size of my stash, so maybe they were doing me a favor.Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-56241001934292624172008-05-12T11:34:00.011-04:002008-05-13T09:20:19.588-04:00Cabling on the EdgeIn the many years I have knit sweaters with cables, I never knit (or even thought of knitting) a cable right at the edge. But the beautiful and original pattern by Anna Dalvi for the <a href="http://knitandknag.blogspot.com/2008/04/mystic-light-lace-shawl.html">Mystic Light Shawl</a> KAL includes a cable along the short edges of the triangular shawl. The cable provides for nice firm edges, as well as complementing the design, which also includes a cable down the center.<br /><br />It was quite daunting to do a cable right at the edge at the beginning of the Knit-Along. Upon the advice of my sister, who managed to start this shawl before I did, I learned how to do the cables without a needle using <a href="http://wendyjohnson.net/knit/cabling.htm">this tutorial</a> by Wendy Johnson. What a revelation that was! Once you get the hang of it, it is far easier than looking for the cable needle, juggling it around, knitting the cable, and putting it down again (hopefully in a place where it won't get lost before the next cable). It felt awkward at the beginning or the end of a row, but after a few tries it seemed perfectly natural.<br /><br />Here is the finished shawl and a detailed view of the cables:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYG71FbS803hdBCsaEKg3NdQZfTyemN6GCteiHPIECwoaYaqUkh9usyjZFZpn6RQZd0dETdhf8ENVm0NnVQ29yB3Fq422ReH9PsEqAUnSN1GjR6jiuRVC0Wuo6WZ7JODCysyjg/s1600-h/MysticLights2-m.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYG71FbS803hdBCsaEKg3NdQZfTyemN6GCteiHPIECwoaYaqUkh9usyjZFZpn6RQZd0dETdhf8ENVm0NnVQ29yB3Fq422ReH9PsEqAUnSN1GjR6jiuRVC0Wuo6WZ7JODCysyjg/s320/MysticLights2-m.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199518893322967954" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdGiaimPu9EdtvorGVFJ5rH-yW5inSygexp42RfLAvs0A4Aw6eGiDDdyxIhQqyPEkD1LQbXxqSBiG4DSGXb6mztdIZeQQZrC7kLrRcdgPoWU6VE_WLmTd4jjTcWsZQThDwQdy/s1600-h/MysticLights+Cable+Detail-m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 188px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdGiaimPu9EdtvorGVFJ5rH-yW5inSygexp42RfLAvs0A4Aw6eGiDDdyxIhQqyPEkD1LQbXxqSBiG4DSGXb6mztdIZeQQZrC7kLrRcdgPoWU6VE_WLmTd4jjTcWsZQThDwQdy/s320/MysticLights+Cable+Detail-m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199519425898912674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pattern: </span><a href="http://knitandknag.blogspot.com/2008/04/mystic-light-lace-shawl.html">Mystic Light</a> by Anna Dalvi<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yarn:</span> 2 skeins Fleece Artist Merino Sock 2/6 (764 yards)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Needles:</span> US #7<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Size: </span>34" x 68"<br /><br />Another interesting aspect of this pattern is that it calls for fingering weight yarn, so it went much faster than most lace. The yarn (amazingly enough, I used the yarn suggested by the designer) is nice and soft, with good drape, and it should offer a little more warmth than lace-weight fabrics.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZSju_YHj_Krk92YpLh4oXWiS6vjSE-P6jN7xFawJyw1RyRSs8-vY6C6-c5VVOzI39f9EbjBjpd6FGKLNERX5SR44Gm9VvmPINT9XYpnj44P1LHMPLs3pfvlkTkjTtIw38-It/s1600-h/CabledTee-1s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 236px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZSju_YHj_Krk92YpLh4oXWiS6vjSE-P6jN7xFawJyw1RyRSs8-vY6C6-c5VVOzI39f9EbjBjpd6FGKLNERX5SR44Gm9VvmPINT9XYpnj44P1LHMPLs3pfvlkTkjTtIw38-It/s320/CabledTee-1s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199523136750656434" border="0" /></a>My very next project after completing this shawl is the <a href="http://www.ample-knitters.com/cableteepattern.htm">Cabled Tee</a>, a short-sleeve sweater with a cable down the front that branches up along the neck. Even after looking at the picture, it didn't occur to me that the cable along the v-neck was right at the edge. (Surely there was a stitch or two border beyond the cable???) In fact, the cable is right at the edge, just like the shawl. It really isn't any harder than a standard cable, though it can be tricky to move those stitches around without dropping the end stitch in the process.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGmHz4G9oyfIPIfI3-q5BEsVhxEWoOfYpgADBC63nVFY40iVWx4wKLwi869ni1CjU64T4-PXN2kmjGRCv3ExXmlUet42wzs0GY0tVgAGwS-KE6CZN94V41niFARjKm22MgSUV/s1600-h/SlowBeeStart-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGmHz4G9oyfIPIfI3-q5BEsVhxEWoOfYpgADBC63nVFY40iVWx4wKLwi869ni1CjU64T4-PXN2kmjGRCv3ExXmlUet42wzs0GY0tVgAGwS-KE6CZN94V41niFARjKm22MgSUV/s200/SlowBeeStart-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199526035853581266" border="0" /></a>What's next? A break from cables, though I'm sure there will be more in the not-too-distant future. Yesterday was the Cast-on for the Slow Bee Mystery Shawl, and here is the first half of the first clue. The recommended color is "something really cold, like white or natural yarn, icy blue or very dark violet or dark blue" with seed beads. After considering both Teal and Ice Blue Zephyr, both with silver-lined crystal beads, I finally decided on the teal, though both remind me of this photo that I took in Antarctica:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZO8FqrHtixY_g6tL1qdDUc6qtttNcaxlKton72mOwBMW_70LVSDLzcaWdhdeCa6thQ_I0WFK-70kKBTkJc6plocpXuWjXWnL3E_FywWZBLm_K0bYMx1fyg9TigbC1OyU-gfl/s1600-h/Antarctica4+032m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ZO8FqrHtixY_g6tL1qdDUc6qtttNcaxlKton72mOwBMW_70LVSDLzcaWdhdeCa6thQ_I0WFK-70kKBTkJc6plocpXuWjXWnL3E_FywWZBLm_K0bYMx1fyg9TigbC1OyU-gfl/s400/Antarctica4+032m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199527663646186466" border="0" /></a>Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-12929599401087391352008-04-28T17:17:00.007-04:002008-04-28T17:46:00.118-04:00When a Gauge Swatch Isn't EnoughI swatched. I washed the swatch. I measured. I knit – to gauge, I thought. In the 5 months it took to finish this sweater I never thought to try it on, and the dimensions of the pieces seemed to match the schematic. Over the weekend I finished the collar and button band, sewed the pieces together with only two crises (putting the button band on the wrong side of one the fronts, and then sewing the sleeve to the wrong side). This morning I tried it on. Yikes! It could be a tent!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYaLWDla0t3dGP6_GJNRn-zxeTS6WwglkLsqGAmQvCYwWu93P6meS4ufGcQqbXXOjOpYOuNO6O43J-Wi8q6Sm5D3kzbdHmy2WDrqGVzMo2gQKm1mAnKh0khjWobJOsuqc-NA6/s1600-h/Oblique3-m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 217px; height: 163px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYaLWDla0t3dGP6_GJNRn-zxeTS6WwglkLsqGAmQvCYwWu93P6meS4ufGcQqbXXOjOpYOuNO6O43J-Wi8q6Sm5D3kzbdHmy2WDrqGVzMo2gQKm1mAnKh0khjWobJOsuqc-NA6/s320/Oblique3-m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194409855077739458" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcBWhklAPH-trpaK1pmYszdfKddflc7zw2LkECfPrTDLfI3Xav3ZBhZUca4MypzqdGqongIjkDz5noJgyWbKE5XoSYM9Sjhp2v7aHQgdz3Xe7OPMwYxUKl4GxueAQ0KPnkdx_/s1600-h/ObliqueX1-m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 158px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcBWhklAPH-trpaK1pmYszdfKddflc7zw2LkECfPrTDLfI3Xav3ZBhZUca4MypzqdGqongIjkDz5noJgyWbKE5XoSYM9Sjhp2v7aHQgdz3Xe7OPMwYxUKl4GxueAQ0KPnkdx_/s320/ObliqueX1-m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194410396243618770" border="0" /></a><br /><img src="file:///P:/My%20Pictures/JMN%20Knitting/Finished%202008/ObliqueX1-m.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Pattern:</span> <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall07/PATToblique.html">Oblique</a>, by <span class="byline">Véronik Avery</span>, Knitty, Fall 2007<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yarn:</span> Ella Rae Classic Wool, approx. 9 skeins (1900 yds)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Needles:</span> Denise US #8<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Modifications</span>: Omitted waist shaping; shortened cuffs<br /><br />Things I like about this pattern:<br /><ul><li>The design, with its diagonal focus</li><li>The combination of lace patterns, including the twisted rib<br /></li><li>The use of lace patterns with worsted weight yarn</li><li>Well-written pattern which was easy to follow, even after putting it down for weeks at a time</li></ul>The only problem is that it is way too big. I should probably have made a size smaller, but past experience had led me to believe that sweaters can't be too big. I am looking for a solution that does not involve frogging the whole sweater and starting from scratch... as much as I enjoyed knitting it, once was enough. Controlled shrinking???Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-16419331253343427162008-04-27T12:27:00.006-04:002008-04-27T13:19:06.318-04:00Drops Jacket Drops off the NeedlesSometimes the yarn is absolutely right for a project, even if it isn't the yarn recommended by the pattern. That was the case with the Kathmandu Aran Tweed I bought for myself after using it for the <a href="http://reluctantpenguin.blogspot.com/2008/01/ending-year-with-finished-object.html">Cobblestone</a> sweater for R. I had thought about making another Cobblestone sweater for myself and then came upon the <a href="http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=103&d_id=1">Drops Jacket</a>. Here it is:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByZVqiZKaOYEaJA1WrLL9aGA7T5MYnkCNd2wacyUfEgRjOIDl8BGZG5yAqo5vn5NI6DS9dO3Bggw1Xx-o89dmq7IOrVY8ITgxakhaqC95Bt2nS9w9iPuEec5qj02TwExMXxfn/s1600-h/Drops+103-1-m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByZVqiZKaOYEaJA1WrLL9aGA7T5MYnkCNd2wacyUfEgRjOIDl8BGZG5yAqo5vn5NI6DS9dO3Bggw1Xx-o89dmq7IOrVY8ITgxakhaqC95Bt2nS9w9iPuEec5qj02TwExMXxfn/s320/Drops+103-1-m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193964355299994514" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kM9sCF_8QaRPfQgVqdWnNkcfYT4AgFyw3_yC3uBmw67a7ExbmWhFlzNB6aiYLTuqwbJXqRCinhjhDzIlRoryHZZ8hV1DdhMUt8642k_NzyMEUqVkV_M-LPFXT1F5tLGCXSL6/s1600-h/DropsJacket+blur-m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kM9sCF_8QaRPfQgVqdWnNkcfYT4AgFyw3_yC3uBmw67a7ExbmWhFlzNB6aiYLTuqwbJXqRCinhjhDzIlRoryHZZ8hV1DdhMUt8642k_NzyMEUqVkV_M-LPFXT1F5tLGCXSL6/s320/DropsJacket+blur-m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5193971197182897074" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pattern: </span>Drops Jacket from Garnstudio.com<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yarn:</span> Queensland Kathmandu Aran Tweed (Sea Green) – approx. 1400 yds<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Size:</span> XXXL<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Modifications:</span> Buttons omitted (forgot to put in buttonholes); Collar simplified<br /><br />It was quite distressing to realize that I zipped through the second front without putting in the buttonholes. (The instructions said to do it the same way as the other front, but in reverse, and with buttonholes.) But then a quick look through the Drops Jackets on Ravelry showed that I wasn't the only one, and it looked fine with a shawl pin as a closure, or even with nothing at all. The collar modification was more intentional: The collar as shown with the original pattern seemed bulky, especially given the heavy yarn, so I made it smaller and simpler. I wasn't sure how it was going to come out, but in the end it was perfect.<br /><br />With the arrival of spring, this sweater (jacket?) is perfect for those days when it is colder outside than it looks. We've had lots of those lately.Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-19326061683417443732008-04-12T10:38:00.008-04:002008-04-12T11:04:10.880-04:00A Close CallSpring has finally come! Here is the ornamental plum tree in our front yard. It always blooms at the beginning of April and was a little late this year, when we were about to despair that winter was going to hang on forever.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHLKdOKQwhGHLQoAwKc4FmtWCDhlKcKiU-s-arYi9lJwWtPtVs-Q0DKnQviJxweFJgTSgpUuX1-kucx8C8_jDVIEeFlxlSlA2GAE_p2lnsweLERammVgYlELZ5VrEAG1EqAze/s1600-h/PlumTree+04-08m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 149px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHLKdOKQwhGHLQoAwKc4FmtWCDhlKcKiU-s-arYi9lJwWtPtVs-Q0DKnQviJxweFJgTSgpUuX1-kucx8C8_jDVIEeFlxlSlA2GAE_p2lnsweLERammVgYlELZ5VrEAG1EqAze/s200/PlumTree+04-08m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188368631842548866" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSt7Cacw7a9P2f2JP_xKndshvzGAsXerwI_UxjhiKAparZ-owZx7Ir5-fez3i6nzn8pVnn9XtcuolxRuTmkpfD_65Oy3R0gXT7qAwGtpq40RLoQX8I49ScrNFc_tdF24dDnp3/s1600-h/Plum+blossoms+04-08.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSt7Cacw7a9P2f2JP_xKndshvzGAsXerwI_UxjhiKAparZ-owZx7Ir5-fez3i6nzn8pVnn9XtcuolxRuTmkpfD_65Oy3R0gXT7qAwGtpq40RLoQX8I49ScrNFc_tdF24dDnp3/s320/Plum+blossoms+04-08.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188368795051306130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />One of the ironies of the arrival of spring after a too-long winter is that I am finishing up several items that we won't use until the weather turns cold again.<br /><br />There is nothing like knitting to get your heartrate up, when it looks like you might not make a deadline or, even worse, you might run out of yarn. Yesterday I was about to start the edging of the Hemlock Ring Throw and realized that there wouldn't be enough yarn to complete the edging, so the last repeat of the Feather and Fan section was frogged before starting the edging. Half-way around, the remaining ball of yarn started looking very small. Too small. Miniscule. The remaining circumference was looking very, very large. What to do??? Knit faster! It was hard to take the suspense, and I could feel myself breathing harder, my pulse rate up, and the tension was still mounting as I started the last of the eight sections. What would happen if I missed by a yard? A foot? Would I ever find another skein of yarn in the same dye lot? Finally it was over...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_xaeyej2UPxDiQAu7sG9KpNG0ECQGHsKXDjt3SWWb4w3640kFt2LXElPqvqgHQWpxESMC_rxNu1B19V5AqPi-ottTaqPeHwp6-ga4Pz0lH1HJRLW52MclPF-zELd7T7ALBc7/s1600-h/Hemlock+Ring-before.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_xaeyej2UPxDiQAu7sG9KpNG0ECQGHsKXDjt3SWWb4w3640kFt2LXElPqvqgHQWpxESMC_rxNu1B19V5AqPi-ottTaqPeHwp6-ga4Pz0lH1HJRLW52MclPF-zELd7T7ALBc7/s320/Hemlock+Ring-before.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188371054204103842" border="0" /></a>The photo shows how much yarn was left at the end, barely enough to thread through a tapestry needle to weave in, maybe 2 inches. And that was after cheating a bit on a few of the loops in the last section. Whew! The edging takes a lot more yarn than one would think! It is now blocking and I think we will get a lot of use out of it next winter. I may even consider making another one as a gift.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5qZya9uQ4QAYu511UFOY__d4NeXP-aWMZNekvl9IIA7JHaYOScGYuoMEfyHDj6g10rFWbhkKXynlx_2ISMqoOYT_5IyzRL5Maeox5-SeqlgB1wiZqAp_xlt0_eHPpkKzgfCv/s1600-h/Hemlock+Ring+Blocking-m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5qZya9uQ4QAYu511UFOY__d4NeXP-aWMZNekvl9IIA7JHaYOScGYuoMEfyHDj6g10rFWbhkKXynlx_2ISMqoOYT_5IyzRL5Maeox5-SeqlgB1wiZqAp_xlt0_eHPpkKzgfCv/s320/Hemlock+Ring+Blocking-m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188371913197563058" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pattern: </span><a href="http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2007/08/hemlock-ring-blanket.html">Hemlock Ring Blanket</a> by Jared Flood, a.k.a. Brooklyntweed<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yarn:</span> Cascade Ecological Wool, 2 skeins (956 yards less 2 inches) Color #8063<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Needles:</span> Denise #10<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Size:</span> approx. 48" diameter (blocked)Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-32160597244154202522008-04-01T09:31:00.011-04:002008-04-01T15:27:46.534-04:00Travel knitting: a scarf, a shawl, and a hat (or 3)Planning knitting for a trip can be a challenge. It can't be big and bulky (like an afghan or most sweaters); it has to be interesting enough to keep you from getting bored, and it can't be so complicated that it is hard to concentrate in adverse conditions like airplanes and noisy airports.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACGPjhSApxoED_g7CQzVMx-9SCDipSMGsVq53x6mX0G0Ba2KwUjxwzpjQVi6bNai2uKWT8FfE2iQ_Uj_-6taW9_PUDGCfJNL_bLmBHlLUCdgZWkuqAHrdYWiF8wRNiaPe3qFW/s1600-h/Kiri-m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACGPjhSApxoED_g7CQzVMx-9SCDipSMGsVq53x6mX0G0Ba2KwUjxwzpjQVi6bNai2uKWT8FfE2iQ_Uj_-6taW9_PUDGCfJNL_bLmBHlLUCdgZWkuqAHrdYWiF8wRNiaPe3qFW/s200/Kiri-m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184335699623757810" border="0" /></a>For our recent trip to South America I settled on the <a href="http://www.alltangledup.com/movabletype/my_images/my_patterns/kiri.pdf">Kiri Shawl</a> plus a scarf and a hat. The Kiri was a good choice pattern-wise, though my color choice – black – was probably not the wisest choice for the dim lighting of airplanes and hotel rooms. I really need a black shawl, which is why I decided on this yarn for this pattern, and the Kiri seemed like a good straight-forward design for something in a dark color, where a lot of detail would be lost. The yarn was lace-weight <a href="http://www.jaggeryarn.com/stock_sales/stock_sales_zypher.asp">Zephyr</a>, doubled. (I wound a ball off the cone, then wound yarn from the ball together with yarn from the cone. At home, I probably would have just knit with the ball and the cone without bothering to wind them together.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj043z6niZGu_MNlkkPGHOKvhMpEoNwqgnUWy53awOsWs3gd4FFFsWy1NCDdclWyYCAA8xe8Lwqbx_Nw5Dy2liudY2Y3hSvPgde_sF1ms9fegMmnRKF0ZWOpKVtjnydad_lf1pd/s1600-h/Hat&scarf-m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 169px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj043z6niZGu_MNlkkPGHOKvhMpEoNwqgnUWy53awOsWs3gd4FFFsWy1NCDdclWyYCAA8xe8Lwqbx_Nw5Dy2liudY2Y3hSvPgde_sF1ms9fegMmnRKF0ZWOpKVtjnydad_lf1pd/s200/Hat&scarf-m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184343301715871746" border="0" /></a>Sometimes the yarn just doesn't want to be knitted into a particular pattern. I had a few balls of <a href="http://www.tahkistacycharles.com/dyn_prod.php?p=127P&k=74035">Filatura di Crosa 127 Print </a>that I thought of using for a scarf in a feather-and-fan pattern, but it just wasn't working. There was lots of time on a 12-hour flight to experiment, sleep not being an option, so there was much frogging and re-knitting before I settled on a simple rectangle with yarnovers every eight rows.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5QH7jwA3XPdIRXGFjoPRgjCwexhIUVjoL37ztdvscTPeij3MXDhb1RCRYJa0O_WBmk77BAdsxnMmzi9fRIOXmSEn20iGu3CueGWXj3q0NbS82VoG_nFyLTDUV7n2c9XrYi0Gx/s1600-h/30884220.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5QH7jwA3XPdIRXGFjoPRgjCwexhIUVjoL37ztdvscTPeij3MXDhb1RCRYJa0O_WBmk77BAdsxnMmzi9fRIOXmSEn20iGu3CueGWXj3q0NbS82VoG_nFyLTDUV7n2c9XrYi0Gx/s200/30884220.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184348850813618194" border="0" /></a> With the yarn that was left I was able to make two hats, the <a href="http://www.headhuggers.org/patterns/kpatt12.htm">Floppy Brim Hat</a> me and a simple ribbed cap for R. (His hat is photo-less since it is temporarily MIA.)<br /><br />The other project for this trip was the North Star Tam from <a href="http://www.sheeptoshawl.com/arcticlace.html">Arctic Lace</a>. In the absence of quiviut yarn, I used some Yubina Laceweight Cashmere, doubled. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpU8R-VpuQ3qkiKClb_IsbSl4r-BHl4AC9LVYYrz_SldgQi_emG1BydyMbZMMThm4w_uIo9GJ3FgdB8PLn6SU8vD9OXlVkHLeWr2bOvnMRYlBH5dtv5LDK9Rvjh-Rp8neixoW/s1600-h/NorthStarTam.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 136px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpU8R-VpuQ3qkiKClb_IsbSl4r-BHl4AC9LVYYrz_SldgQi_emG1BydyMbZMMThm4w_uIo9GJ3FgdB8PLn6SU8vD9OXlVkHLeWr2bOvnMRYlBH5dtv5LDK9Rvjh-Rp8neixoW/s200/NorthStarTam.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184349684037273634" border="0" /></a>There was a little problem with gauge, and being away from home I didn't have a wide variety of needles or other resources, so I just plugged away and then made some modifications at the end. The shape of the resulting hat isn't really a tam, but it is soft and warm and covers the ears. There was still time (and yarn) to do the scarf, but I got through two pattern repeats before deciding that I didn't love it enough to knit all those stitches in such fine yarn, so the scarf is now a permanent UFO and will eventually be frogged.<br /><br />Other knitters like to work on socks while travelling, but I always seem to be at the complicated part (the heel), where I have to pay close attention to the instructions. Somehow it take more effort planning the knitting for a trip than the wardrobe. What I learned this time is that one project isn't enough... If it doesn't work out, it would be terrible to be stranded on an airplane/ship/tour with nothing to knit!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnlkeeLvIyQBpo0XiTHG1wnaU5xuDJsg60ELCJADoCv8UkS9qdHuyB1VOYLWaaWVp5q6FQAPHzGyCBXrbw3sagOO_w4p0n1p203AKV-usku8DOfdOR-biR8KQIJ2sYc0ulSbR/s1600-h/FallingWater2-m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnlkeeLvIyQBpo0XiTHG1wnaU5xuDJsg60ELCJADoCv8UkS9qdHuyB1VOYLWaaWVp5q6FQAPHzGyCBXrbw3sagOO_w4p0n1p203AKV-usku8DOfdOR-biR8KQIJ2sYc0ulSbR/s200/FallingWater2-m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184359785800353874" border="0" /></a>Last week I had to make an emergency trip to Florida. The flight was 3 hours each way, plus the requisite 2 hours in the airport for the departing and returning flights, so even if I had no other time to knit, there would be a solid 10 hours of knitting. There was some Colourmart cashmere in my stash left over from the oh-so-aggravating <a href="http://reluctantpenguin.blogspot.com/2007/03/reluctant-sweater-set.html">Sprinkle Lace Cardigan</a>, and I chose the <a href="http://www.mtholyoke.edu/%7Ebsennott/Falling%20Water%20Pattern.pdf">Falling Water Scarf</a> as a gift for a friend. It is a beautiful but simple lace pattern, and it worked well in the cashmere. It was almost finished by the time I got home. This pattern is definitely a keeper... in the right yarn it would work for either a woman or a man.Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-56882527915595060602008-03-17T11:44:00.006-04:002008-03-17T12:34:38.924-04:00South America – Many Sheep, Not Much YarnWe spent two weeks recently on a wonderful cruise in South America. We started in Valparaiso, Chile, sailed along the coast of Chile through the starkly beautiful fjords, continued down to Tierra del Fuego and throught the Straits of Magellan, and up the east coast of Argentina to Buenos Aires with additional visits to the Falkland Islands and Montevideo, Uruguay). All of these areas are major sheep-grazing regions, with mile after mile of Patagonia devoted to grazing sheep and, in some areas, the occasional herd of alpacas. And yet... NOWHERE* was I able to find a place to buy yarn! Since much of the commercially available yarn in the U.S. comes from South America, this was a real surprise.<br /><br />The only yarn that came home with me were two hanks of roughly processed undyed wool that I bought in <a href="http://www.chile-travel.com/coyhaiqe.htm">Coyhaique</a>, Chile, a town that seems pretty far from anywhere else. When I asked our charming young guide if there was a place in town to buy yarn, she told me that her Grandma might have some in the market. Indeed, as we walked through the plaza to the market I spotted two women winding yarn, and the woman on the right was Grandma. She knits sweaters, hats, and ponchos and sells them in her small shop. I bought two hanks of yarn from her<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy8H1JqCz5YU08cRMRoBY2eFNOVGYJ4wJ1KbCHH3dEijrrT6y5xvleyKgDDDj8YSSdQBgrj824kmaPwiNiRPnWpaD39L8IBptQFWrGdYCBEBfQmxx9BYyWMMQZqwHARV0YXI-V/s1600-h/Winding+yarn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy8H1JqCz5YU08cRMRoBY2eFNOVGYJ4wJ1KbCHH3dEijrrT6y5xvleyKgDDDj8YSSdQBgrj824kmaPwiNiRPnWpaD39L8IBptQFWrGdYCBEBfQmxx9BYyWMMQZqwHARV0YXI-V/s200/Winding+yarn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178743909172095106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhmPooJ413ZvklqA6A4RBDVUm-ZWa7k2ZSwW-xNlwe8Xem7pmSSDSjyrcfES17tVznf8kIk_qv6iwUSld754c06pYl5hZpzpOGvU-VmJIY_whXpVidnZZD1rsFfmHzsvrbL-A/s1600-h/yarn+hanks.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhmPooJ413ZvklqA6A4RBDVUm-ZWa7k2ZSwW-xNlwe8Xem7pmSSDSjyrcfES17tVznf8kIk_qv6iwUSld754c06pYl5hZpzpOGvU-VmJIY_whXpVidnZZD1rsFfmHzsvrbL-A/s200/yarn+hanks.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178744909899475090" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />though I am not sure what to do with it. It is too rough to wear close to the skin, but might work for a poncho if there is enough yarn. Our guide was so bright and enthusiastic, and I was feeling so yarn-deprived, that I just wanted to buy something there.<br /><br />The other irony of this situation was that Michelle, the aforementioned guide, told us that the main industry of this region (near Puerto Chacabuco and Puerto Aisen) is salmon fisheries. The salmon is raised on farms and shipped directly to Japan. None of the fish is available to residents of the area, unless it comes back from Japan in a can. (An interesting discussion of the ecological problem with these fisheries can be found <a href="http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/FISH/InNews/salmonfortunes2003.html">here</a>.)<br /><br />Perhaps the yarn produced in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru (where I failed to find yarn last year) has the same problem... It originates here in large quantities but is produced only for export. So back to buying high-quality wool and Alpaca on line!<br />_____<br />*There are several yarn shops in Buenos Aires, but our "tour" between the ship and the airport didn't take us to that area.Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-70120734949277158532008-01-21T08:00:00.000-05:002008-01-21T08:56:50.979-05:00My New Favorite Sweater<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoAx520CrVZTqCBXzTS2OncOOWOqiDPqeFGZSHy-tqpU0Hs_w2TgdBYYIfSJfPeLZp2Jatl1D_rrCqQRLl-7q3Sn-4zVelHkM9wn8awWB1KOakqs4bvW7L2_HtK_zz6FfPF6o/s1600-h/CPH3a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoAx520CrVZTqCBXzTS2OncOOWOqiDPqeFGZSHy-tqpU0Hs_w2TgdBYYIfSJfPeLZp2Jatl1D_rrCqQRLl-7q3Sn-4zVelHkM9wn8awWB1KOakqs4bvW7L2_HtK_zz6FfPF6o/s200/CPH3a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157914654660132370" border="0" /></a>This is my new favorite sweater. I finished weaving in the ends over the weekend and tried it on for size. And then I didn't want to take it off!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pattern</span>: <a href="http://shop.interweave.com/store/Central-Park-Hoodie-P204C27.aspx">Central Park Hoodie</a> by Heather Lodinsky<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Size</span>: 52<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yarn</span>: Queensland Kathmandu DK, 12 balls (approx. 1750 yd.)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Needles</span>: Knitpicks Options US #6<br /><br />The yarn is a beautiful tweed, 85% wool, 10% silk, and 5% cashmere. I originally bought it because I really wanted the Aran tweed, but it was out of stock at <a href="http://yarn.com/">Webs</a> (where it was a closeout). Of course, after I bought the DK version, Webs got in a new shipment of the Aran, so I had to buy that too! As it turns out, though, the DK was a better choice for this sweater. It has just the right weight, drape, and warmth for a sweater to wear all winter in my too-cold house. I still need buttons for it, but it is fine even without them.<br /><br />The pattern was originally published in <span style="font-style: italic;">Knitscene</span> (Fall, 2006) and was so popular that Interweave Press offered it for sale as a separate pattern, with additional sizes (up to 60"). Way to go, Interweave!!! The best part is that the plus sizes were actually worked up separately by Lisa Shroyer, and not simply resized proportionately. (You can see it modelled on a Gallery at <a href="http://www.knittingdaily.com/knittinghelp/cphplus.html">Knitting Daily</a>.) Lisa also provided an alternative button band, with crocheted loops instead of buttonholes.<br /><br />I fought the urge to wear the CPH today for the third day in a row, but my efforts were useless. I only hope that I don't wear it out before I can make another cardigan from that Kathmandu Aran Tweed sitting in my stash.<br /><br />And now for something completely different...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIgRPyQqiL9lW7CWsHW71azM7xACZ7wDd0omCmJjSMxR3B9ERtNJAweYAibrP8wFHNxXHfN2zDnjeswtoghuHMhzT4iQO8tBiEw1MJpQg4Q1vMRIIPsmkOmthOURPj61i4C93H/s1600-h/SSS2-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIgRPyQqiL9lW7CWsHW71azM7xACZ7wDd0omCmJjSMxR3B9ERtNJAweYAibrP8wFHNxXHfN2zDnjeswtoghuHMhzT4iQO8tBiEw1MJpQg4Q1vMRIIPsmkOmthOURPj61i4C93H/s200/SSS2-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157922793623158306" border="0" /></a>The <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/springshawlsurprice/">Spring Shawl Surprise</a> mystery KAL proceeds and now awaits the fourth clue. There are a few little errors that I hope nobody else will notice. Unfortunately I didn't notice them myself until I pinned it out to take the photo, and they were too far back to frog. Now I am worried about the yarn – luscious as Colourmart cashmere is, I am having doubts about whether it was right for this project. On the other hand, if the yarn is gorgeous enough, maybe it will compensate for knitting errors...Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-21525672673761906512008-01-07T09:47:00.000-05:002008-01-07T15:46:16.840-05:00Ending the year with a Finished ObjectThe knitting year ended with completion of the Cobblestone Sweater. It was received so enthusiastically by its recipient that I am even contemplating knitting him another sweater!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9mk0CnfBlPI0m-zjBBGQ0wh3kXdAgMdPpFPyVO7PQ4PLPChxT8GerRVbATGMqITqucuoGWkJiJDz0-HczDD6gAsA84_Kx0taphRNH8b4lkJ67SR5-mIA_0YIa-kkJBfy2zdD/s1600-h/Cobblestone-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9mk0CnfBlPI0m-zjBBGQ0wh3kXdAgMdPpFPyVO7PQ4PLPChxT8GerRVbATGMqITqucuoGWkJiJDz0-HczDD6gAsA84_Kx0taphRNH8b4lkJ67SR5-mIA_0YIa-kkJBfy2zdD/s200/Cobblestone-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152747607139581378" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Pattern:</span> Cobblestone by <a href="http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/">Jared Flood</a>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Interweave Knits</span>, Fall 2007<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yarn:</span> Queensland Kathmandu Aran Tweed, 12 skeins (approx. 1200 yds)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Needles:</span> Knitpicks Harmony US #7<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Size:</span> 48"<br /><br />Despite the fact that I swatched and seemed to be knitting to gauge, the sweater is a little too big, though he seems to like it that way. I am tempted to try to shrink it a bit, but am nervous about overdoing it. But more about shrinkage later...<br /><br />The yarn is very soft, with an interesting texture. I bought the same yarn in green for a sweater for myself, and I may even do the same pattern, though maybe at a slightly tighter gauge.<br /><br />Another year-end project was totally inadvertent... I washed my beautiful <a href="http://reluctantpenguin.blogspot.com/2006/12/alberta-finished.html">Alberta shawl</a>, which has been dragged around mercilessly over the past year, and which was looking decidedly dingy. I put it in the washing machine on the <span style="font-style: italic;">extra gentle</span> cycle, and out came my first felted object!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6d_yUEWeMUG0tfrqnAlrKMlQR-FSJEbdTb0RDLN8lKRPRfv_I5ce3Ywjux2vulTgxiGNtKuj93EmXdt8WDya6ZfCl1A-WmmsWgxyTzsSiAQ3NHhUFGkbE6zT8l8MKDrbxTBqD/s1600-h/AlbertaFelted+Detail+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6d_yUEWeMUG0tfrqnAlrKMlQR-FSJEbdTb0RDLN8lKRPRfv_I5ce3Ywjux2vulTgxiGNtKuj93EmXdt8WDya6ZfCl1A-WmmsWgxyTzsSiAQ3NHhUFGkbE6zT8l8MKDrbxTBqD/s200/AlbertaFelted+Detail+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152769288134491618" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDtjx9XzYJwHLC0WXhhi72AZhyphenhyphenRM3OPmZvP7Dx8_IcrT-fX2Jpo0gNVbE7ozGH49Xl4UTCubdkEv_hZQfuwPJcrqrrva3eqzDLRBqw4zG8HwQxe7efkPK3gyt6UKKd8YDTT1B/s1600-h/AlbertaFelted+%28Small%29.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 203px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDtjx9XzYJwHLC0WXhhi72AZhyphenhyphenRM3OPmZvP7Dx8_IcrT-fX2Jpo0gNVbE7ozGH49Xl4UTCubdkEv_hZQfuwPJcrqrrva3eqzDLRBqw4zG8HwQxe7efkPK3gyt6UKKd8YDTT1B/s200/AlbertaFelted+%28Small%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152765027526933970" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The "new" shawl is still wearable, but it is smaller both in width and in length. The plus side is that it is probably warmer than the original.<br /><br />The new year has brought with it the usual array of resolutions, including completing the backlog of UFO's, going on a yarn diet (not to mention the <span style="font-style: italic;">other</span> kind), and refraining from casting on new projects until the old ones are finished. It is now one week into 2008 and I have already violated all of them.<br /><br />Late last week I read comments on several blogs about the <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/springshawlsurprice/">Spring Shawl Surprice</a> (yes, spelled that way!) KAL. After <a href="http://reluctantpenguin.blogspot.com/2007/08/swan-lake-update.html">Swan Lake</a>, aka Mystery Stole 3, I decided to forego mystery shawls for a<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLYmSfvPcqCigSfvkVAzjgT3d9VTJAShd15icoMjyHjoyMZ7RPRQv8-tOMptfI5-ALUSXYn1uZy6qJufUVFpCvKqMLhvSJMgiN7sXvOqTgcDLjqZ3So5Qjqb5DUhZbJc8je6b/s1600-h/SSS1-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLYmSfvPcqCigSfvkVAzjgT3d9VTJAShd15icoMjyHjoyMZ7RPRQv8-tOMptfI5-ALUSXYn1uZy6qJufUVFpCvKqMLhvSJMgiN7sXvOqTgcDLjqZ3So5Qjqb5DUhZbJc8je6b/s200/SSS1-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5152780961855602178" border="0" /></a> while, since I have a long To Do list of patterns that I have actually seen. But then I was drawn in by photos of the first clue of Spring Shawl, and discussions of the spelling (just a typo by someone who is not a native English speaker) and couldn't resist. Some green Colourmart cashmere was calling out from my stash and seemed like the perfect choice for this project.<br /><br />Because 2007 ended with the demise of my computer and the sudden purchase of a new one, the last few weeks have been consumed with setting up the new computer, installing software, recovering data from backups, and dealing with assorted driver and software conflicts. This all put a huge crimp in my knitting time. I am hoping to spend more time knitting and less time in front of the computer in 2008.Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-82911000512278905972007-11-28T11:20:00.000-05:002007-11-28T12:05:10.833-05:00Cables and CashmereAbout three years ago I bought the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Knitters-Stash-Favorite-Patterns-Americas/dp/1931499667/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196266908&sr=8-1">Knitter's Stash</a> and immediately put a bookmark in the page for the Cable-Wise Cashmere Pullover. I hadn't yet discovered <a href="http://www.colourmart.com/">Colourmart</a> yarn, so cashmere seemed far too extravagant, but I envisioned the sweater in a merino or alpaca. Then other sweaters came along, plus a long spate of lace knitting, and I forgot about it. In the meantime I had succumbed to "a few" cones of Colourmart cashmere, and made the <a href="http://reluctantpenguin.blogspot.com/2007/03/reluctant-sweater-set.html">Sprinkle Lace Cardigan</a> (plus its accompanying shell) from 100% cashmere DK, which didn't break the bank. A recent reorganization of my stash revealed 4 cones of a Colourmart cashmere-merino blend, and this sweater leaped to mind and was swatched and cast on practically before I could catch my breath.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwSw1F2Dx9s6Mu1Apr5HMOMP5HXrjhCu9yONE83MBr8TxYC1QKPVne3mz35ciYiAe-aOUi0Rdjl4FT7p3WSsx6SvNLwommTLHTgbIswOHLmNAOLSOdjYbPFmiv-PAeTVG0LYc/s1600-h/Cablewise-m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwSw1F2Dx9s6Mu1Apr5HMOMP5HXrjhCu9yONE83MBr8TxYC1QKPVne3mz35ciYiAe-aOUi0Rdjl4FT7p3WSsx6SvNLwommTLHTgbIswOHLmNAOLSOdjYbPFmiv-PAeTVG0LYc/s200/Cablewise-m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137931990365218498" border="0" /></a>Pattern: Cable-Wise Cashmere by Karen Damskey and Leslie Storman in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Knitters-Stash-Favorite-Patterns-Americas/dp/1931499667/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196266908&sr=8-1">Knitter's Stash</a><br />Yarn: <a href="http://www.colourmart.com/">Colourmart</a> Cashmere/Merino 8/28NM DK Weight - color Air Force - approx. 400 gm<br />Size: XL<br />Needles: Denise US #7 and #6<br /><br />The pattern required a little tinkering because the maximum size was too small, and because the initial swatch indicated that there would be some shrinkage after washing and blocking. (Like the Colourmart 100% cashmere, the cashmere/merino requires washing in hot water to remove the spinning oil and fluffing briefly in the dryer.)<br /><br />The sweater as blocked and worn looks a little different from the one in the photo in the book. The reverse stockinette bands surrounding the cables are much more evident, both on the body and on the sleeves, but I don't think that detracts from the sweater at all, even if it isn't exactly what the designers had in mind.<br /><br />Lesson Learned from this project: Weave in the ends, but don't snip them off before blocking. I keep finding little endlets peeking out on the right side.Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-27490722568101165132007-11-18T12:13:00.000-05:002007-11-18T12:58:41.141-05:00A running start on Cobblestones<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRbfArydSc_Qc58S5dXY-A8IOtkIAq18gBumRcUwQdCg9uCkQF1ccSTUDeaW6oKtut_sml1-EpfG1_gPdqRQ0-M4iNJG0ZwVazm-z_7NA3Z0gB8qr7IQDbGy4dbpfMZXv2uy7/s1600-h/Cobblestone2-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRbfArydSc_Qc58S5dXY-A8IOtkIAq18gBumRcUwQdCg9uCkQF1ccSTUDeaW6oKtut_sml1-EpfG1_gPdqRQ0-M4iNJG0ZwVazm-z_7NA3Z0gB8qr7IQDbGy4dbpfMZXv2uy7/s200/Cobblestone2-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134234633408718466" border="0" /></a>Much to my surprise, my husband recently hinted that he would like a new sweater. It was only a surprise because he has a lot of sweaters, including several well-worn ones that I made for him in my previous incarnation as a knitter too many decades ago to count. Most of them are "bought" sweaters, though, and he is beginning to appreciate the difference between handmade and commercial knitwear. Oddly enough, the fall issue of <a href="http://www.interweaveknits.com/preview/2007_fall.asp">Interweave Knits</a> had a beautiful men's sweater and I had turned down the page "just in case." It is the <a href="http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/search?q=cobblestone">Cobblestone Pullover</a> by Jared Flood (a.k.a. Brooklyn Tweed). Not only is it a gorgeous sweater, but it is done in the round with no seams. And Webs had a closeout on Queensland Aran Tweed in a scrumptious brown that reminds me of chocolate tossed with flecks of chopped pecans and almonds.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWUH0akxIFJNaR2Fpuc3RCigptHCX6_3yPG8b2RGJqRn6l9mIEn1tOwsL8YLoc_yNp5q8N2wKBCN6VA0E0Q8NyRy6-t7rim7SkQ9ieuoGJMrrU4P0v15rau_a6vLs9yZ8NJxHp/s1600-h/Cablewise1-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWUH0akxIFJNaR2Fpuc3RCigptHCX6_3yPG8b2RGJqRn6l9mIEn1tOwsL8YLoc_yNp5q8N2wKBCN6VA0E0Q8NyRy6-t7rim7SkQ9ieuoGJMrrU4P0v15rau_a6vLs9yZ8NJxHp/s200/Cablewise1-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134235509582046866" border="0" /></a>This sweater had to wait a few days after the yarn arrived because my Denise needles were occupied by the Cablewise Cashmere sweater from <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Knitters-Stash-Favorite-Patterns-Americas/dp/1931499667/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195407249&sr=8-1">Knitter's Stash</a>. Unfortunately, this sweater does NOT have a seamless construction, so it may be a while before it gets pieced together. The only thing that may encourage me to do the dreaded seaming is that the yarn is a soft and luscious 50/50 cashmere-merino blend, and I am anxious to wear it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJibNwnDsxNOLF7d8vG4WbxS28DA6TswABq3HH87CCMchZ3FPmfwG-spVa5B9XKlJXLC_ANL8lxojQR3cIQLyb0waVFBzAknlSgyXbmxdkoRPTLBHgPJr3KU6XHTGDbQSaoYl/s1600-h/Oblique1-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJibNwnDsxNOLF7d8vG4WbxS28DA6TswABq3HH87CCMchZ3FPmfwG-spVa5B9XKlJXLC_ANL8lxojQR3cIQLyb0waVFBzAknlSgyXbmxdkoRPTLBHgPJr3KU6XHTGDbQSaoYl/s200/Oblique1-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5134239160304248482" border="0" /></a>The one drawback to seamless sweaters is that they become a bit cumbersome to carry around. I was afraid the Cobblestone sweater-in-progress wouldn't fit in my pocketbook for the trek into New York yesterday to see <span style="font-style: italic;">The Marriage of Figaro</span> at the Metropolitan Opera with Bryn Terfel. (It was fabulous, in case you're interested.) An hour on the train each way plus intermission time provided a good opportunity for knitting, but even my quite commodious pocketbook has its limits. So a day or two earlier I started another sweater, <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall07/PATToblique.html">Oblique</a> from this month's Knitty. This seemed like a good choice, because I have taken a brief respite from lace knitting, and this cardigan is constructed from several lace patterns, though it is done in worsted-weight yarn. I had bought some EllaRae Classic Wool from Webs (who can resist a sale???) when I ordered the yarn for R's Cobblestone, and it was the perfect gauge for this sweater.<br /><br />And then I remembered... Lace, even in a heavy gauge, is too hard (at least for me) to knit in public, certainly on a moving train. So the Cobblestone gained a few more inches after all – and it did manage to squish into my <a href="http://www.normthompson.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=7116">Save Your Back bag</a> after all.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-53807506776828615302007-10-25T14:54:00.000-04:002007-10-25T16:44:52.812-04:00Knitaly '07<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGIVjZjOf7QIpncGpQEKPUsropQ8IvJkAePDbvzaUbyyQSjozqRZhkr4_KGYhO5utANKnUVrIUZznWwuytwjtBS1utp30F7_e3aBJfWMSTJsZYNlGfVZM2LVtyUSSsEvYwyO6s/s1600-h/Gargonza1-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 107px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGIVjZjOf7QIpncGpQEKPUsropQ8IvJkAePDbvzaUbyyQSjozqRZhkr4_KGYhO5utANKnUVrIUZznWwuytwjtBS1utp30F7_e3aBJfWMSTJsZYNlGfVZM2LVtyUSSsEvYwyO6s/s200/Gargonza1-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125353544129465282" border="0" /></a>It has taken me a week at home to write about <a href="http://knitaly.com/index.html">Knitaly '07</a>, Jane Thornley's knitting adventure in Tuscany. How to describe perfection? Spending 10 days with a congenial group of woman (plus one lone husband), staying in a castle on a Tuscan hilltop, eating fabulous food, and learning new ways of thinking about knitting... Even the weather cooperated, with unseasonable warmth and sunshine every day and not a single drop of rain.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKF_RI7ZfxHnXZeqTGNVcWVBEyYmzd002v2kLFoEayD4x43p254g2LJ1LZXEs4fdowri8KOdCGicM81XVcqCXvwysR0PEi4koYM4EJ3ot4muuijBvDXU1Fn8kWlNljrvTuviqm/s1600-h/Gargonza2-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 140px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKF_RI7ZfxHnXZeqTGNVcWVBEyYmzd002v2kLFoEayD4x43p254g2LJ1LZXEs4fdowri8KOdCGicM81XVcqCXvwysR0PEi4koYM4EJ3ot4muuijBvDXU1Fn8kWlNljrvTuviqm/s200/Gargonza2-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125353754582862802" border="0" /></a>After a few days in Florence (which I won't describe since I have written about it <a href="http://reluctantpenguin.blogspot.com/2007/06/week-almost-in-florence.html">before</a>) we stayed at the <a href="http://www.gargonza.it/">Castello di Gargonza</a>, a 14th century castle between Siena and Arezzo. The castle and much of the village have been renovated with modern plumbing and heating. The accommodations are simple but comfortable, with fireplaces and even kitchens. My cousin Barbara and I stayed in the guard house just outside the castle walls, a short (uphill) walk to the main building.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU640YqXVPSDqpOWia6Gkwj4rQLw4Pu_x2Q-wjWC6YJz65I6yuDL3UqmpCTxgI03bHDAS6iX23wZUDFJ3aPSIj2aW6GxczmTKoz6Runpf5erGEv1DOJEA9S7oJIknzK1_PS_ys/s1600-h/Gargonza+View-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 127px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU640YqXVPSDqpOWia6Gkwj4rQLw4Pu_x2Q-wjWC6YJz65I6yuDL3UqmpCTxgI03bHDAS6iX23wZUDFJ3aPSIj2aW6GxczmTKoz6Runpf5erGEv1DOJEA9S7oJIknzK1_PS_ys/s200/Gargonza+View-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125357740312513506" border="0" /></a>Everywhere we looked the scenery was like a picture postcard. This is the view from the garden, but <span style="font-style: italic;">everywhere</span> the views were like picture postcards. One hardly knew where to look first! What was particularly striking was the colors... the palette of Tuscany was uniform, no matter where we went, with its greens, browns, and terracotta. This time of year the colors are a bit more subdued than in the summer, when the landscape is ablaze with right yellow fields of sunflowers. But the more subtle October palette was beautiful in its own way and provided an inspiration for our knitting projects.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_pbn53HYCU-u-YlSD88RZgGXBSYXF8tc7HNqvKdf1JbpuDQfDUrI0Rm6Z4Vohqg22Az2RdGhyh2tJZG5syIpPDWkOe6OOj_803iM5J57UfjGQREt3GNIlpnbZ34rElpyx3XQ/s1600-h/Tuscan+Palette-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_pbn53HYCU-u-YlSD88RZgGXBSYXF8tc7HNqvKdf1JbpuDQfDUrI0Rm6Z4Vohqg22Az2RdGhyh2tJZG5syIpPDWkOe6OOj_803iM5J57UfjGQREt3GNIlpnbZ34rElpyx3XQ/s200/Tuscan+Palette-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125366583650175986" border="0" /></a>Jane's knitting workshops involved "free range knitting," wherein one ignores almost all rules, and combines different fibers, colors, and textures in an imaginative way. As Jane says, "Remember that knitting free-range style requires a different approach than regular, pattern-driven knitting... Free range knitting is about following your own knitting spirit and letting go." For somebody as left-brained as I am, that is a tall order!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQuW-sOh-7ZQ2lDk-x3MCZQJ2o-sUya4Ecb7WdIj3VJDRtNoLLYn0Pv2R-QFiXP-yPtss0p4wOzyw2MHOyOb2iJZXBOV0ieyyhb9IYJ7Es4Cthyutr57WvUVcBlJuna3wBrMH/s1600-h/Workshop-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQuW-sOh-7ZQ2lDk-x3MCZQJ2o-sUya4Ecb7WdIj3VJDRtNoLLYn0Pv2R-QFiXP-yPtss0p4wOzyw2MHOyOb2iJZXBOV0ieyyhb9IYJ7Es4Cthyutr57WvUVcBlJuna3wBrMH/s200/Workshop-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125370711113747458" border="0" /></a>Our projects consisted of a scarf/shawl inspired by the colors of Tuscany. Jane provided us each with a pack of gorgeous yarn before the trip, and each one was a little different. The basic yarns were assorted colors of La Lana Bombyx Silk, with a variety of ribbon and novelty yarns thrown in. We were encouraged to supplement the yarn with bits and pieces from our own stash, but several of us had nothing that was suitable and stuck to the yarns in the pack. We were told to cast on 30 stitches, increase for a while and then<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKcm8lEK5Zx3zy5De2gpM1Ud1KZvYfxFf5PFfhy6sf9GGcezF5EmeKzU_HW6PnyqWhUpkR3ZlNGj-VSdlVlWaXoG0iiNMhXvYtvv3ziRUxBtvZzIj9kgxZqFRwuGtGbXbfZrN/s1600-h/Project-J-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 120px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKcm8lEK5Zx3zy5De2gpM1Ud1KZvYfxFf5PFfhy6sf9GGcezF5EmeKzU_HW6PnyqWhUpkR3ZlNGj-VSdlVlWaXoG0iiNMhXvYtvv3ziRUxBtvZzIj9kgxZqFRwuGtGbXbfZrN/s200/Project-J-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125371677481389074" border="0" /></a> decrease for a while to make the center section, and then to knit straight on one end, then pick up stitches and knit straight on the other end. Of course, since Jane doesn't believe in rules, she fully expected (and probably hoped) that some of us would totally ignore even those simple guidelines.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhndZ7IKeBL_z34ZgPGdUxzQCr1PwSOx18kvDn3YwBSTWtt1fzntcwZe_QqLIe5AgF72sd2sG1zfOgYmSccHOzeyEqtESoc5e_xeqWJE3wEo_GAdkjBjK8EBH4J38wIhLFOAlcW/s1600-h/Projects+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhndZ7IKeBL_z34ZgPGdUxzQCr1PwSOx18kvDn3YwBSTWtt1fzntcwZe_QqLIe5AgF72sd2sG1zfOgYmSccHOzeyEqtESoc5e_xeqWJE3wEo_GAdkjBjK8EBH4J38wIhLFOAlcW/s200/Projects+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125373279504190498" border="0" /></a>The results definitely provide an interesting fabric, though I'm not entirely convinced that I would wear something with that much color. I still have about 1,000 ends to weave in – a definite drawback to the multi-yarn approach – and some embellishing to do with beads, so it is still very much a work-in-progress. Isn't it amazing how we all started with similar yarn and came up with such different results?<br /><br />Of course we spent a lot of time sight-seeing, visiting San Gimignano, Siena, Volterra, Chianti, Cortona... There was a twist, though – on the bus there was always a lot of knitting going on, either on our Knitaly project or other projects we brought from home, and our shopping expeditions included yarn and bead shops whenever possible. And nobody said "Are you knitting <span style="font-style: italic;">again</span>???" There is a lot to be said for travelling with other knitters!Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-84313368201321709542007-10-04T14:57:00.000-04:002007-10-04T15:53:28.644-04:00Finished Green Objects<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KhS6nBwdwP69M5jicDw5FkC0mh4sWAb_D6UebAnC1Fi2h4UvjOqXNWlYMvoO5EcSfVU387zkziKnqeXJzmaN4hVEnnHr0lP8uzrkX6AXb6gkdX3K3_vWHvF57AGjYQ_FV62U/s1600-h/Bee+Fields-m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KhS6nBwdwP69M5jicDw5FkC0mh4sWAb_D6UebAnC1Fi2h4UvjOqXNWlYMvoO5EcSfVU387zkziKnqeXJzmaN4hVEnnHr0lP8uzrkX6AXb6gkdX3K3_vWHvF57AGjYQ_FV62U/s320/Bee+Fields-m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117559308676845586" border="0" /></a>September was a month for finishing green objects.<br /><br />The lovely Bee Fields Shawl is actually a springlike green-and-yellow mix that makes me smile whenever I look at it. The hand-dyed laceweight merino from Wooly Wonka Fibers is a perfect fiber for this stole. It has a beautiful drape and the subtle color changes do not at all detract from the complex lace pattern.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pattern:</span> <a href="http://knitspot.com/?p=428">Bee Fields Shawl</a> by Anne Hanson<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yarn:</span> Hand-dyed merino laceweight by <a href="http://www.woolywonkafibers.com/">Wooly Wonka Fibers</a>, approx. 1200 yds.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Colorway:</span> Tupelo Gold (actually greener than gold, but lighter than it looks in the photo)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Size:</span> 74" x 36"<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Needles:</span> Addi Lace Needles #US 5<br /><br />This may have been the most difficult lace project I have ever knit. The instructions were comprehensive and detailed, even when they seemed to make no sense at all, they were right. I enjoyed it immensely and look forward to doing more of Anne's patterns in the future.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnXmk2B0Cr9cN6b5E_WIEKTm9P5mI1VvGxfMdNQhR_23LlTgdR56zysfyIWct0LlwPnDcKXm2a47Cefh6zkvtagy3rtovkwZLfg7WmHy90EWb6w4rbWAIzFRqdQH6eakjyq9Q/s1600-h/Filey-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnXmk2B0Cr9cN6b5E_WIEKTm9P5mI1VvGxfMdNQhR_23LlTgdR56zysfyIWct0LlwPnDcKXm2a47Cefh6zkvtagy3rtovkwZLfg7WmHy90EWb6w4rbWAIzFRqdQH6eakjyq9Q/s200/Filey-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117563388895776818" border="0" /></a>Another green project completed in September was the Filey Sweater by Alice Starmore. I was inspired to knit a Gansey by Liz Lovick's Gansey workshop in the EZasPi group. After poring over patterns and books my eye always came back to the Filey style. I found this pattern in Alice Starmore's <span style="font-style: italic;">Fishermens' Sweaters,</span> which had been on my bookshelf for quite some time. The only problem was that the pattern was written for a Rowan yarn that has 20% shrinkage in length, and the yarn I had chosen for it had very little shrinkage. (Even less, it turned out, than the swatch, which I must have washed more aggressively than the finished sweater.)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pattern:</span> Filey by Alice Starmore in <span style="font-style: italic;">Fishermen's Sweaters</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yarn:</span> Frangipani Guernsey 5 Ply Wool from <a href="http://www.guernseywool.co.uk/">Frangipani </a> approx. 1.5 cones for XL size<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Needles:</span> Denise US #5<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Modifications:</span> Much recalculation was necessary because of the difference in gauge and shrinkage rate of the substitute fiber. Additional seed stitch panel added on sides after I initially failed to take into account the effect of gauge of cables.<br /><br />My calculations weren't quite right so the sweater is a little bigger than it should have been, but it's hard for sweaters to be TOO big... I imagine wearing it with two layers underneath once the weather turns cold.<br /><br />As if that weren't enough green, I decided to use some of the leftover yarn to make this hat:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7D3riLfaPYxagZZcmVwToW45UB2nX_SlO_Ze4SSFyPvZhFnWbzEUhKg36RV3EwkHvi6wVbSk-3fLQP2Kr0LYpf1AsCG8z_T6LiJVw8Jaj3tZuE3XUwXacv_6f78C1Zrl3QmPg/s1600-h/Gretel-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7D3riLfaPYxagZZcmVwToW45UB2nX_SlO_Ze4SSFyPvZhFnWbzEUhKg36RV3EwkHvi6wVbSk-3fLQP2Kr0LYpf1AsCG8z_T6LiJVw8Jaj3tZuE3XUwXacv_6f78C1Zrl3QmPg/s200/Gretel-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117568985238163522" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pattern:</span> <a href="http://ysolda.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3">Gretel</a> Beret by Ysolda S. Teague<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yarn:</span> Frangipani Guernsey 5 Ply Wool from <a href="http://www.guernseywool.co.uk/">Frangipani</a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Needles:</span> Denise #5 & 7<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Size: </span>Slouch (largest of three sizes in pattern)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Modifications:</span> Because of an error and various efforts to compensate, the top of the hat isn't quite right, but I still like the way it looks.<br /><br />There is still one green UFO awaiting completion, the Fiddlesticks Garden Shawl, whose edging goes on and on and on... Maybe October will be the month to finish that one.Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27129473.post-25288306530402400452007-09-16T09:51:00.000-04:002007-09-16T09:58:27.380-04:00Icelandic Lace Shawl photosIt never ceases to amaze me how much magic is involved in the blocking process. Here are some photos of the completed shawl.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKG50-NLYEjPJiCrIrOp___g5ZOf6g96K6TsKn4yBNZvkF5BLa6nDH2P2pvNLXNGq5FK3XTVHy9RR00bPoP3rWLSvW141B5ondICD4UN4u-uL9tK8r0gBVWmTgPcQEaPVGrBVK/s1600-h/Icelandic-Shawl-blocked.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKG50-NLYEjPJiCrIrOp___g5ZOf6g96K6TsKn4yBNZvkF5BLa6nDH2P2pvNLXNGq5FK3XTVHy9RR00bPoP3rWLSvW141B5ondICD4UN4u-uL9tK8r0gBVWmTgPcQEaPVGrBVK/s320/Icelandic-Shawl-blocked.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110799936016155138" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdn9PJemIGU2b_dsmEN_E2jH704hyphenhyphenWPDH4z_1DMle4SxlHgJExFzqA-lKNZAnWptDwSuiryb246qv-RprmKYXxXk5DPo4gAvYVzRKa3NmSiOkK3R42pFdewGJHxQaP5GzDrtFS/s1600-h/Icelandic-edge-s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdn9PJemIGU2b_dsmEN_E2jH704hyphenhyphenWPDH4z_1DMle4SxlHgJExFzqA-lKNZAnWptDwSuiryb246qv-RprmKYXxXk5DPo4gAvYVzRKa3NmSiOkK3R42pFdewGJHxQaP5GzDrtFS/s320/Icelandic-edge-s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110800279613538850" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGoY7mGmpQY58s4mH8ERVDlpa63R_h6odZWiMFB5Yg5JNGU7wk2KzSPGJOcBy__yh7UgzyHFm4EIfbWU4SslUVy_pukrlVgd7g1cfT-8cd5logjVFEnFHsKgrZvJBP2temJLxb/s1600-h/Icelandic-folded-s.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGoY7mGmpQY58s4mH8ERVDlpa63R_h6odZWiMFB5Yg5JNGU7wk2KzSPGJOcBy__yh7UgzyHFm4EIfbWU4SslUVy_pukrlVgd7g1cfT-8cd5logjVFEnFHsKgrZvJBP2temJLxb/s320/Icelandic-folded-s.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110800086340010514" border="0" /></a>It is soft and light and beautiful and should be a pleasure to wear. Or maybe I should just leave it folded over the sofa as an <span style="font-style: italic;">objet d'art</span>.Reluctant Penguinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777897440805636319noreply@blogger.com5