Pretty Vest

Aleita Shell, designed by Bonne Marie Burns, Interweave Knits Spring 2008

Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport, Serano

I love this pattern! The body is knitted in the round and the shoulders are the only seams. So easy and quick to make.

There aren’t many changes I would make.

1) I would take out the waist shaping. The shell looks alright on, but at my age I just don’t have a waist to shape a sweater to.

2) I would make it longer. My belly, which has been pregnant a few times, has a tendency to hang out with these short sweaters. Wearing something underneath helps, but I feel sloppy having my shirt tail out. That feeling I am sure is a result of upbringing.

3) I would use a different yarn. Knit Picks has always been my yarn of choice, but this time I was a little disappointed. They yarn had knots and splices all through it – all six skeins. I do love the color and I’m not giving up on Knit Picks; I will probably just not use Shine for a sweater.

My next project is a pair of socks. I tried an intricate lace and cable toe-up sock pattern that just didn’t work for me. The foot fit wonderfully so I went ahead and knit the heel and halfway up the leg. When I tried the sock on again, I couldn’t get it over my ankle. I’m sure I did something wrong as this is my second attempt at the toe-up socks. My first pair was also tight but wearable. Last night was spent frogging then casting on for traditional cuff-down socks. I’ll try toe-up again when I can find a class.

Go Colts!

It's Cold Outside!

Lacy Hooded Scarf, designed by Jodi Snyder, Cast On August – October 2009.

Warm Stripings Glove-Mittens, designed by Christine L. Walter, Creative Knitting January 2008.

I finished this project just in time. The weather widget on my computer says it is a whole 9 degrees outside!

These patterns were very easy and made from KnitPicks Andean Silk in Hyacinth. I absolutely love this yarn! It is a blend of superfine alpaca, silk, and merino wool. So soft and warm. One thing to keep in mind with this yarn is that my stitch gauge was a bit loser than normal. That's alright; I can fold back the border on the hood and have even more warmth. Hmmm… I foresee presents of Christmas future.

For 2010 I decided to purge some of my patterns. It was a week long project full of, “Do I really need this?” It was tough, and I had to be brutally honest with myself. My workroom was overflowing with pattern books and magazines that I looked through maybe once. Never fear. I still have plenty of patterns left and now room for more.

In the works are a vest and socks. Stay tuned…

A Better Year

Shortly after my last blog, my mother passed away. A few months later, my great nephew also passed. Add to that the passing of my aunt and uncle earlier in the year, the holidays have not been a good time for us. I knit and crocheted my way through my grief and hopefully with the start of the new year, my family and I can find hapiness again.

In honor of my mother and mother's everywhere, I am re-posting an earlier blog. Have a safe a joyous 2010 and remember to tell your loved ones as often as possible, that you love them .

My Mother's Hands

I remember as a child watching my mother crochet. The slim silver hook darted in and out of the thread stitches, like a humming bird retrieving the nectar from a flower. I could watch her for hours creating beautiful doilies, afghans, and clothes for my dolls. Just like a bedtime story, I would lean on her left shoulder and eventually fall asleep.

When Mother felt I was ready, I was ten years old, she put a hook and yarn in my hands. There was no stopping me. I made my own doll clothes, scarves, and ponchos. I branched out to knitting, embroidery, macramé, and various types of lace making. Everyone I knew – family and friends – all had something I made just for them.

I grew up and made baby sweaters and blankets for my own babies. Mother beamed and bragged with each one of my creations. That was when I noticed she had stopped crocheting, but with two children of my own and a full time job, I never questioned why she had stopped.

One day, Mother said she wanted to crochet. We went to the store, bought plenty of yarn in her favorite color of purple, found an easy afghan pattern, and dug out a hook from my stash.

My heart broke when she held the hook in one hand, the yarn in the other, and gave me a helpless look. She could not remember what to do! She could not make sense of the pattern. We spent an afternoon learning how to crochet. The next day she once again forgot what to do. We decided that her arthritic hands could not hold a hook anymore. I took everything home with me, ripped out all she had done, and made the afghan for her.

Mother still has that afghan. It rests at the end of her bed at the nursing home. Mother would look at it and admire the handiwork of the person who made it.

Now, Mother does not notice much of anything. You see, she has Alzheimer’s disease. She spends her days and nights sleeping or staring at nothing in particular. Her hands set on her lap, occasionally moving. I like to think she is crocheting.

During my last visit with her, I looked at her gnarled and arthritic hands, remembering those days of watching her crochet. Then I looked at my hands and at my daughters’ hands. Three sets of hands that continue the legacy of my mother’s hands.

Poop Bag Dispenser

We have two dogs with questionable lineage. Amos and Sadie are our constant source of entertainment and, sometimes, frustration. One day last week, I had a sweater on the blocking board safely (I thought) placed on the dining room table. My husband and I went to a baseball game. When we arrived home after the game and walked throught the back door into the dining room, the blocking board and towels were still there, but no sweater. We found my sweater balled up on the floor covered with dog hair. I know it is circumstantial evidence, but I figure Amos jumped up on the table and got the sweater down, then Sadie rolled in it. They both like wet towels and I guess they couldn't resist the dampness and the slight wet wool smell of the sweater. Lucky for Amos and Sadie, I was able to salvage the sweater.

Amos and Sadie also like to take walks. All we have to do is jangle the leashes and they start prancing and barking at the back door. We are responsible dog owners and always take a bag with us to pick up the messes they leave around the town.

One day my husband asked me if I could come up with something to store the plastic bags we collect from various stores. At that point, the bags were stuffed into another bag and hanging from a hook.

Voila! Poop Bag Dispenser! And a way to use up worsted weight yarn.

These are very easy to make. First work a round of single crochet around a pony tail holder, then continue around in your chosen pattern. End with a round of single crochet around another pony tail holder, adding a chain loop to the round. Finish as desired. Easy Peasy!

The Economy and Yarn

It's happening. Funds for yarn are becoming scarce. Last weekend I went to the Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival and could not get nearly as much as I wanted. What to do to keep the hands busy?

In my workroom are drawers, cabinets, and baskets full of leftover yarn from other projects. There isn't enough of one color to make anything substantial, but too much (or too expensive) to throw awway. So I put on my creative-thinking knit hat and came up with some ideas. The picture is of CD/DVD coasters. This project used up all my size 10 crochet thread.

First, glue felt to the printed side of the old CD. The next step is to crochet two small doilies. Finally, crochet the doiles together, slipping in the CD before closing. Easy Peasy!

Now I have fifty coasters to use around the house and give as gifts.

My next project is with the yarn I purchased at the fiberarts festival. This will give me time to think of something to do with the drawer full of partial balls of worsted weight yarn.

What I am reading:

The Scarlett Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, from the podcast, CraftLit.

Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, from the podcast, Forgotten Classics

David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens, from Librivox

The Little House Books, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I have joined a group on Ravelry that is reading these books while doing related projects. There hasn't been time to do the projects, but reading these books are like visiting an old friend.

The Red Knitted Coat

Here is the story of the red knitted coat. The picture is not posted because I do not want to get in trouble with anyone. Instead, pictured is a pair of basic socks, wth 1x1 twisted rib, made with Plymouth's Happy Feet yarn.

All the pieces of the coat were knitted. The fronts seemed a little narrow, but I thought that could be taken care of with blocking. Nope...too narrow. What happened? The stitch guage is fine, the back and sleeves are the correct size. Did I cast on the correct number of stitches? Yep. What did I do?

I fretted over this for more than a week. The coat was beautiful, except for the narrow fronts. Too much work had been done to just put it away and forget about it. Then, late one night while in bed still wondering what happened, it hit me.

About a year ago, it came to my attention that a certain publisher does not use pattern testers. Instead, they use math to check things like shaping and number of stitches. In the case of the red knitted coat, the mathematicians failed to allow for the ribbing and cable patterns on the fronts. The number of stitches to cast on would have given the correct width, but ribbing and cables tend to shrink the width. Allowances must be made in order to get the required width.

Once the fronts were frogged (rrrrrripit!), I added 1-1/2 inches worth of stitches to the sides. Some adjustments were needed in the shaping so the shoulders would match for seaming. I now have my beautiful red knitted coat, folded and put away for next fall.

The moral of this story? Publishers are human and do make mistakes. If a pattern is not working, chances are the problem is in the directions. Many caft publications have websites where corrections can be found. Unfortunately, the red knitted coat was not listed for corrections.

There are no changes in what I am reading. I've been too busy with the red knitted coat.

I'ts So Pretty!

Classic Lines Cardigan

designed by Alison Bockus exclusively for Knit Picks

Knit Picks Shadow Papaya for the main color and Shimmer Sherry for the contrast color.

This cardigan is the the result of the knit along I did with Knit Picks. I learned so much! The sweater started with a provisional cast on so that the hem could be knitted in. There's two new things. I've knitted in the round before - socks with double pointed needles - with this I learned how to use the magic loop method for the sleeves. That was so much easier than double pointed needels. I learned wrap and turn for the short rows at the neckline. The last thing I learned was steeking. Now that was scary! After knitting my beautiful sweater, I sewed two lines up the front, then cut (yes, with sharp scissors) between the lines. The sweater came out perfect and I can wear it now as it was knitted with two strands of lace weight yarn. I will defnitely make at least one, two, three...ten more! It was so easy and quick to make. However, the next time I will not add the stripes and perhaps make the neckband a little narrower.

The red knitted coat has been frogged and the fronts are re-knitted. My corrections seem to be working. I'll let you know if the corrections work when the coat is finished and wearable.

Still reading:

The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, from the podcast CraftLit.

Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, from the podcast Forgotten Classics.

Roots, by Alex Haley, from Audible.com.

David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens, from Librivox.

Plus:

A Deadly Yarn (A Knitting Mystery), by Maggie Sefton.