October - 2006

October 31, 2006

Boo! It's Halloween and I'm scared, but not of little kids begging for candy.  I'm in the process of buying a new (smaller) house and that's a truly scary thing.  I thought it would take months to find what I wanted and it took exactly 2 hours.  So I'm soon going to be moving in the middle of knitting season and probably right at the holidays.  I love those "Life comes at you fast" commercials but not in real life!

What am I knitting?  Oh, I'm making a black skirt - I wanted a very comfortable, washable, and cozy skirt to wear with all the sweaters I have access to, so I decided to make one out of Berroco's Smart Mohair, which is supposed to have good memory and washability.  I'll let you know.  I'm using the pattern from Sally Melville's "Color" book, but modifying the stitch pattern to eliminate the lace (no thanks to holes in my skirt).  It starts at the bottom, so I'm knitting around and around and around and around on 216 stitches.  Just can hardly wait for that first decrease round.

The zippered cardy is done, pretty successfully.  Boy, it took forever to sew in that zipper.  Baste it, sew it, then sew down the edges, all by hand.  Okay, I'm done whining.  For now.

So I'm knitting black now, just finished a gray and black striped cardigan - I needed a shot of color.  I caught sight of Noro's "Lotus" which has been packed away since last winter, and with four skeins and two evenings made a cute LITTLE shrug that would be so cute over a longsleeved tee.  It could be dressy too - as usual I left off any closure, so it could be closed with a fancy pin or a casual shawl pick.  The project just zooms along (neck down, all one piece) and I think this one is cuter than the photo on the Fiber Trends pattern.

Suzy Crump came in with her finished ruana from Sally Melville's "Knit Stitch"  (it's Sally's week at the shop, isn't it?).  It's beautifully knit in Jo Sharp's Silkroad Aran Tweed  and does not look anything like a beginner project, which it is, although Suzy is far from a beginning knitter. Gosh, Miss Black (my 8th-grade English teacher) would have a fit at that last sentence.  I can see her now: tall, skinny, thick glasses, steel-gray hair and a jaw that could shell walnuts.  She would not be putting up with any run-on sentences, I can promise you that. Anyway, I think Suzy looks sophisticated in her ruana!

I'm really wanting to start 2 new things (but will wait till I plod along a little farther with the skirt.)   One is a stocking for my great-niece Samantha.  I'm doing it from the "Christmas Stockings" book, but I'm going to knit it in pinks, peaches, and white.  I love those girly colors.  I don't know what the next one will be, but I know it will be in The Fibre Company's "Road to China," a yarn that blends alpaca, camel, yak, silk, and soy fibers.  It's so pretty, soft, with a lovely soft sheen and a curious little haze. I have to find just the right thing.  Yes, it's expensive but sometimes you just have to have something fabulous to work with.  I'm trying for a good one-skein project - I'll let you know how it works out.  Meanwhile, these are the beautiful little skeins:

It practically glows!

Happy Halloween - see you at the shop!

Trish

October 24, 2006

Okay, look at the date above.  Does it give you the shivers to think we're 2 months away from you-know-what?  Yikes!  Time to get cracking on those scarves, hats, fingerless mitts and other gift-y things.   You still have time for a vest and there are some great ones out there right now, but a gift sweater?  Better make it in a chunky yarn if you don't have lots of time to knit.  Have you read Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's books?  (She's the Yarn Harlot.)  Her descriptions of last-minute Christmas knitting are just so funny - I love her writing and her blog.  If you need gift ideas, Interweave Knits came out with a holiday issue that has lots of small projects and Tahki/Stacy Charles has a collection of accessories that is very good (for the most part) and very bad (a few things).  I'm doing a great scarf right now (if I do say so myself, right?) in "Keja" which is Jade Sapphire's DK-weight cashmere.  One 200-yd. skein is going to make a good-sized scarf in a stitch called Feather Faggot - no juvenile snickering! - that is fun to do.  I'm currently in love with this stitch - just one row to remember, pretty openwork, nice and drapey, yarn goes a long way.  I'm going to try it with Touch Me, Muench's incredibly expensive and exquisite rayon chenille, to see how it works up, I'm hoping for a reasonably-priced scarf. Anyway, the pattern will be available with purchase at the store as soon as I write it up; give me a few days.

Janet Kakareka is leading tonight's Whatever Wednesday, which is  a session on measuring ourselves, figuring out what size to knit and how to read a pattern schematic to see how a sweater will really look (as opposed to looking at something on a model in magazine - who knows where the pins are or whether she's 6' 2" or 4' 11"?)  I'm looking forward to it.  Last week, Karen Wenrich gave us a fun and useful lesson on exercises and self-massage for sore hands, wrists, and shoulders - we all went home feeling relaxed and limber and woke up without those stiff hands! 

Update on zipper for Transitions cardigan:  I bought it.

                                      See?

At least I finished the mitered vest (which really has no miters in it by the way) and I think it's cute.  I'll try to find someone to model it and have a picture soon, but like many things done in multicolored yarns, it looks best in person and feels soft and yummy.

We received our Mountain Colors shipment this week and now have a great stock of Moguls and Mohair. Two skeins of Mohair makes the English Garden Shawl - a quick and easy-to-knit shawl that makes a luxurious gift.  We also have new colors in "Bearfoot" to make cozy socks, lightweight shawls, and cute (& machine washable) baby things.

What else?  Deb Hawk came in this week, as usual looking adorable in something she knit - this time it was the bolero jacket in Premiere - very pretty in a light teal, and she brought an OLD project that just resurrected the whole 80's knitting thing.  Do you remember the big "picture" sweaters that were all the rage in the 80's?  Big blousy body with shoulder pads, big, big, big sleeves that draped into all your food and knocked everything off your desk every time you reached for the phone, lots of colors and bobbins and anything else you could do to a sweater?  Isn't that when we all gave up knitting for a while because it was so intense??  Anyway, Deb pulled this out of her archive - who knows, this look may be on its way back! (Sorry for the blurry picture.)

Bev Bortner brought in her almost-finished Fair Isle sweater that she'll be teaching next session.  It's absolutely gorgeous and I wish I had taken a  picture (again!) because Bev is having surgery this week and I won't see her for several weeks.  But she'll be in my thoughts a lot as she recuperates.

Must go and open up the store!  See you soon...

Trish

October 17, 2006

Wow, we had such a busy week at the shop that I had to look at packing lists to remember what has come in lately. I didn't even take any pictures, although people brought some beautiful projects to show us.  Ginny Stufflet did that cable and lace cardigan from Classic Elite's "Winter" booklet in blue La Gran and it's just yummy. She did a beautiful job, and I want to make one now. I did a lightweight version in Rowan's "Summer Tweed", but La Gran mohair is so nice and we just got a bunch in including a dark, dark, dark purple.  I feel about dark purple the same way I feel about dark chocolate - my resistance is very low.

Yarn - well!  The bulk of our Noro shipment has come in, with 2 new colors of "Transitions" and so far 4 new colors of "Kochoran."

I'm in the process of making a top-down jacket in one of last year's Transitions colorways - very muted - and am going to try putting in a zipper.  Yes, I said "try" - everyone has some thing (or several things) they are afraid to try or have been unsuccessful with in the past.  Zippers in hand knits are one of mine.  Years and years ago, before I got a handle on the importance of gauge and therefore while the fate of my knitting was totally in the hands of the gods, with odds of success similar to playing the lottery, I made a cute fuzzy jacket for my sister.  Despite the fact that we substituted yarns with the not-very-expert help of the yarn shop lady and that I had never knit with a synthetic fur before and that I did not know about gauge swatches in those wild and crazy, let-the-chips-fall-where-they-may days, the jacket turned out pretty well.  However, it required a zipper.  Hmmm, I took sewing in junior high home-ec, I should be able to put in a zipper, right?  I can't remember if I tried to use my sewing machine or if I did it by hand, but after many tears, my best effort still was wobbly, bulged in the middle, and scratched your neck terribly.  It was bad and even though my sweet sister said she liked it, I would bet she put it away somewhere until she was sure I'd never ask about it and then sent it to Goodwill.  As I've often said, many of my former knitting experiments have graced the homeless of several states. So it's time I conquered my fear of the zipper. I'm going to try it with my rather expensive Transitions jacket, so doggone it, I will get it right.

Now, what was I talking about before I went off on that little tangent?  Oh, of course, yarn!  You will just love the colors of Kochoran, Noro's angora blend, this year.  They are so soft and pretty and romantic.  Jane Ellison's new collection "Noro Unlimited" has a nice jacket - soft and casual with unfinished edges - very unconstructed - that is written for a smaller gauge, but I think it would be yummy in Kochoran, so I may see if the jacket will size up in gauge.  But not yet!  I still have knitting to do on the mitered vest (it's definitely a pay-attention project) and I'm really wanting to see that finished.

Also in is a great supply of Classic Elite's "Montera," my absolutely favorite yarn of all time.  I can hear Sandy Albert snorting right now - she says every yarn is my favorite, and it's true that I'm fickle - just ask my exes - but sometimes love endures and a yarn that is always soft, smooth, like butter to work with, with excellent stitch definition and memory, fabulous colors, and consistently makes the most beautiful sweaters you've ever put on your body - well, if it fuzzes a little under the arms (easily brushed away) and is kind of warm to wear during that special hot-flashy time of life, you forgive it, stick with it, because a good sweater is for life.  Someday they'll have the heat in the nursing home turned down too low for your old bones and that Montera sweater is just what you'll long for.

Oh good heavens - well there's a lot more coming in all the time but I can't seem to quit rambling enough to tell you what it is so you'll just have to visit and roam around in the shop a little, touch and feel, ooh and aah.

Have a great week...

Trish

October 10, 2006

Another beautiful fall day!  There are drawbacks to having Monday & Tuesday off (it puts a crimp in your social life, for sure) but I have to say I've been lucky weatherwise.  This is good because I tend to do yardwork in little bits, and usually cold weather comes before I'm done.  This year, I'm a little ahead.

Of course, my main fall occupation is knitting.  Lots of people get the urge to pick up needles this time of year - and I get that feeling in spades!  Surrounded by gorgeous yarn all day long, and new temptations arriving daily - well, let's face it, I have very little willpower when it comes to yarn, which is apparent the minute you walk in the shop.   It takes a lot of discipline not to have about a dozen projects going at once, but of course, I'd never get anything completed, and I'd have nothing to show you when you come to find something to knit. 

One thing that is completed is this nice cabled vest in O-Wool (below left), an organic merino wool from Vermont Organic Fiber.  It's in a pretty blue, but I bought every color they made this year, so there's a whole array to tempt you.  The yarn knits up beautifully at 4 or 4.5 stitches to the inch, with a smooth but substantial and wholesome feel to it.  You can tell the garment will be comfortable, will hold its shape, and will keep you warm - everything a traditional wool should do, while at the same time being good for the environment and for the sheep!

Mary Ann Posey just finished this adorable hooded sweater (above right) for her granddaughter. What a great job she did!  The sweater is in a stretchy cotton bouclé called Star from Classic Elite, and it's not the easiest yarn to work with in the first place.  Then she had all the intarsia to do - the sweater features fish, waves and sailboats on the body, and the hood is bordered with the wave pattern.  It's as cute as can be and I know her granddaughter will love it!

We finally got our supply of Knitters magazine.  It was late this season, as all you subscribers will have noticed.  There are some nice sweaters in it, but the only design that really intrigued me was the mitered vest by Ginger Luters.  Once I got past the truly horrible colors they chose (what can possibly be wrong with these people - did they run out of pretty yarn?), I thought the vest would be fun to knit.  I had some Dancing Fibers yarn from 2 years ago (yes, I bought, I loved it, I hoarded it for awhile - so sue me) called Diarufuran - hey, I don't name them - and it's turning out pretty well.  The back is finished and I'm wondering if this would make a fun knit-along for our next time.  Take a look at the design  in the magazine and see if it's something you'd like to try.   You can e-mail me or tell me at the shop whether you think it would be fun. (No worries, there's no commitment on your part) You can also tell me if you think it's the stupidest looking thing you've ever seen and you wouldn't wear it to a dogfight. Sometimes when something looks like it would be fun to knit, my taste flies out the window.

Okay, I've got to get things ready for tomorrow's Whatever Wednesday.  I must say, last week's

X-treme Knitting was kind of silly, especially when everyone had to knit behind her back. We're doing a Mystery Knit tomorrow.  I hope that nobody will figure out what we're making until we're done! 

See you soon...

Trish

October 3, 2006

I can't believe it's October already - and it's going to be 80 degrees today.  It's weird weather, but I won't complain - too much - because I know sometime in February, I'll be whining about how cold it is and wondering when spring is coming.

At the shop, it's starting to look like fall, with autumn colors and woolly yarns, classes going on, and lots of folks in for projects and help.  I just finished planning tomorrow night's session of "Whatever Wednesdays" - we're doing X-treme knitting for our first session - I think it will be fun, and a real ice-breaker.  I can't say any more about it, except that the knitting is crazy and chocolate is involved!

Another Sunrise-Circle jacket is done.  Here is Judy Alderman in her jacket.  It fits perfectly and the color, which was a change for her, is wonderfully flattering.  Seeing hers inspired me - I'm taking mine home from the shop, giving it a nice wash and block, and wearing it this fall!  Doesn't she look great?

I just up-loaded a new free pattern for a quick super-bulky hat.  It's really cute, can be worn with the ribbing turned up or down, and, as Karen pointed out, it can be worn inside or out if you weave in ends carefully. Go to pattern page  Weaving in ends well is a skill that everyone should know.  Then you won't try to knit through that knot in your yarn that you don't notice until you're halfway across the row.  (Yes, it's irritating but inevitable.)  And you won't always have to join yarn at a seam (what about things that are knit in the round, or something that has no seam, like a scarf or shawl?)

Here are some rules for weaving in ends that I try to follow:

1) Never knit a knot into your work - it will surely always pop out on the right side of your garment.  Cut the yarn and start again, leaving 4" tails for each piece so that you can weave them in later.  Exception: if you're using a crazy-texture yarn that already looks like it's got knots and strings all through it.

2) Don't knot the ends - if they drive you crazy, tie a bow.  That way, you know you've left enough yarn to weave in and you can undo it at the end.

3) Even though all those things dangling drive me crazy, I try to remember that ripping things out once the ends are woven in just adds insult to injury.  Wait till you know everything is right to weave in your ends.

4) When you're done knitting, take out the bow, leaving a half-knot, and weave the ends in opposite directions using duplicate stitch.

5) Always stretch the fabric in all directions and check the appearance on the right side before you cut the ends off.

6) Weave in ends before you block.  This will help them stay in place.   The exception to this is any lace which will be stretched to kingdom-come:  Leave nice long ends loosely tied so that they can stretch along with everything else.

All right, enough of this idle chit-chat. Paperwork is done, the errands are done, the housework - well, not so much done as still avoidable - I think it's time to knit!

Have a great week -

Trish