Sligo's Muse

handspun cowl

2012-01-29T16:44:00.002-05:00

I knit up that handspun as soon as it was dry. The cowl has been drying for a full day, and now it's ready to wear. So warm and cuddly around the neck. Should serve me well this winter.

so many projects, some new, some old

2012-01-27T08:52:00.000-05:00

Fintan warping the loom.

Paraphernalia in Hyena in Petticoats, Les Femmes Sock in Debbie Harry

My handspun--1st skein of nice soft yarn. Sunna top from Gaia's Colours in Morocco

Having finished the socks above I pulled out this project again after about two months, and was delighted to find I have only about 3 inches to go on the body, then on tho the sleeves.

I received some lovely lace yarn already caked, and so warped the loom with it. I doubled the yarn, used a 12-dent heddle, and it is going to be a fine and lovely fabric. I'm using another laceweight doubled for the weft. It's finer than the warp, so the beats per inch are more like 14--it's going to take some time!

This is Sophia's weaving. I gave her this Cricket loom for her birthday, and this is her second project on it. She came up with the pattern herself, which I love.

Sophia also knit this hat. She used a pattern, but inserted her own chart. Cute, eh? and it matches her jacket.

This is her first project on her new Cricket. She's so cool. She took my Weaver's idea book and chose this pattern to work through. Such a fine job. She's only just 12.

This is a sampler Sami band, which I wove using 10/2 cotton on my Cricket loom. I used a small, 8-dent heddle, with 22 ends. The pattern ends are doubled. I worked through each of the patterns for 5 pattern threads in the book Sami Band Weaving. This was pretty simple, and fast, and I intend to do some more in wool to decorate sweaters over the next year.

pretty yarns

2012-01-20T12:38:00.000-05:00

Tilly, 3 mos.

2012-01-19T09:12:00.000-05:00

Seasons of Lace prizes and works in progress

2012-01-15T13:18:00.000-05:00

My prize from Crystal Palace yarns was six skeins of Panda Silk in Pearl Blue. Just a lovely yarn, which I think wants to be a lacy cardigan.

And from Land O' Lace, a skein of Kayla, 100% silk, in this silvery Tonka Bay colorway. Just gorgeous.

this is Paraphernalia, one sock done, knit in Les Femmes Sock from Hyena in Petticoats, in Debbie Harry.

And I have a sleeve and some done on Ondule, by Anne Hanson. This is knit in Legend from Briar Rose, which is a lovely yarn. The alternating of colors does make this take a bit longer, mostly because I really can't just pick it up at any time. The pattern itself is very straightforward. I look forward to finishing the sleeves and working on the body.

2011-12-28T20:42:00.002-05:00

weavette booklet, handmade loom

2011-12-26T08:44:00.000-05:00

Harrisville designs Highland worsted, Christmas gifts.

2011-12-25T17:11:00.001-05:00

Charlie Brown and Tilly

2011-12-23T21:46:00.000-05:00

So, I was feeling a bit down earlier this week, because even though we have a lovely Christmas gift in our new puppy, we were not going to have a tree because of said puppy--just too much commotion, all things considered. Well some lovely ladies from Ravelry sent me this little Charlie Brown Christmas tree--what a wonderful surprise. top photo: action shot of Gavyn jumping up and down in excitement, while Fintan wonders how his sister is working that camera. Second photo: Dante was the most disappointed by the prospect of no tree, and you can see how he's really trying not to jump up and down like Gavyn is. Then, two attempts to show the two best things about Christmas this year.

Ondule, getting started

2011-12-22T10:10:00.000-05:00

Puppy and Rock Island

2011-12-19T11:30:00.000-05:00

Crochet hat for Christmas

2011-11-25T19:25:00.000-05:00

I made this hat for my mother in law. I made one just like it several years ago, creating the pattern based on a hat my grandmother made that is so warm and cozy I just love it. This is snug and warm and stretchy, and perfect. Brown Sheep Naturespun superwash worsted.

2011-11-10T08:17:00.000-05:00

Scarf woven with Sanguine Gryphon Bugga in Bess Beetle.

And socks and mitts for Christmas. I'm halfway done the hat for this set, then I'll have only three sets to go. These are knit with Lamb's Pride Superwash worsted, the yarn is doubled for the mitts.

In a Golden Dream Swatch

2011-11-08T19:54:00.001-05:00


Socks I knit a while back for a friend. Both pairs.		TFA Arial in frenzy

cosmic Fibers MCN in The Lounge.

loom bits

2011-11-06T20:14:00.000-05:00

One sleeved Wrap, and other things

2011-11-06T17:15:00.001-05:00

Sophia modeling the Big Knot scarf she made. Debbie Bliss pattern, Cascade yarn Covington

Sophia modeling the One Sleeved Wrap I made. Debbie Bliss pattern. Misti Alpaca Tonos chunky.

Goth Socks Oleander in Gypsy

Attempted close up of the knots. Each one involved two separate ends to weave in. A quick and fun pattern.

Halloween fun

2011-11-01T10:22:00.000-04:00

		Three prize winners: left to right: Runner up, most spooked, Gavyn; Best in show, me!; Most amazing, Fintan
Add caption

Best in show, lit up

Sophia made wizards' robes for all the kiddos. By herself entirely.

more yarns

2011-10-26T08:56:00.000-04:00

Eidos Harmonia

Eidos, The Prince

Nature Spun Fingering, Irish Shamrock

Jaggerspun Superlamb, Navy

Kauni-W-EQ

Briggs & Little, Atlantic

Cascade 220--green, black/ Cascade 220 Heathers, orange

Pretty yarns

2011-10-25T16:50:00.000-04:00

Kypria and Naiad

Squoosh Merino Silk Fingering

Sundara sock

Plucky merino singles laceweight

Tosh Vintage, Chambray

Canon Hand Dyes Jane MCN

Dyelectable yarns Sea Siren

String Theory Continuum

Evermore Studios Crazy Lady gradient self-striping

Fleece Artist Merino

Fleece Artist Sea Wool


Kauni, W-EK greens, 150/130, 120 g each

We are getting a puppy in my house! I know it's going to be quite a bit of work, and an initial investment in time and money, so I'm going to sell some of my yarns to make room in my head and purse for our new friend. The pups were born two days ago, and ours will come home just before Christmas! Link to my Rav stash page, for details on the yarns. Not on Rav? Just e-mail me, and I'll fill you in.

Free Patterns, links added to side bar.

2011-10-25T12:45:00.000-04:00


Bright Arrows Stole

Royal Crown Hat (DK)

Sophia's Crown Hat (bulky)

Wooly Crown Hat (worsted)

I have set up links in the side bar where you can download the patterns for these projects for free. Just click on the link if you're interested! The links in the captions are just to the blog pages where I introduced the patterns, in case you want (a little) more information. This is probably a clumsy way to do it, but they are free! You can also check out my "pattern store" on Ravelry for more information.

Gnarled Oakwoods and Big Knot Scarf

2011-10-12T09:23:00.000-04:00

Gnarled Oakwoods is an Anne Hanson pattern, first published in the Twist Collective. This was knit in Grinasco cashmere sportweight.Very soft, and very delicate yarn. The pattern is huge: the finished measurements are 80" by 22". With 1000 yards of sportweight that seems difficult to accomplish, actually. I used size 5 needles, and had to sort of block negatively, that is, pull the knitting in toward itself to get the correct measurements. I could have knit tighter, I suppose, but the cashmere wouldn't have liked that. And I used less yardage (only about 900 yds) than called for.

I'm thinking this design really wants to be much bigger than that. To tell the truth, even though I enjoyed the knitting, I'm really not sold on the design. I think the two motifs are interesting on their own, but I'm not liking the way they go together, for two reasons. First, there is no transition, second, the middle section wants to block out much wider than the end sections, and I think that will make it awkward to wear well. But it's not for me, so I won't ever really know about that.

My sense is that three patterns were chosen, math was done, and size was based on that. this is a great way to make a pattern, I just don't like the result all that much for this particular one. Maybe we could have omitted the leafy edging and had a nice sized shawl. That really could have resolved it. There--I figured it out. If I knit this again, no leafy edging--seed stitch would do just as well. More photos below.

This Big Knot Scarf is from the Debbie Bliss Magazine Fall/Winter 2011. I did not knit the scarf, my 11-year-old daughter did. She's joining me in knitting samples for the yarn shop. She used Cascade Yarns Covington. I wish I had a good camera sometimes. The knots are really quite impressive. Maybe if you embiggen the photos you'll have a better view.

He's ten!

2011-10-01T09:58:00.001-04:00

Madelinetosh Merino Worsted singles in Jade and Tart. Basic rolled brim hat.

this is a sweater that came to me knit, but unseamed. Sophia wove in all the ends and seamed the sides and sleeves in time for the birthday! Mattress stitch is so great, and she did a lovely job. I need to get photos of the seams for her 4-H project.

WIPS and one done

2011-09-29T13:22:00.003-04:00

The beginning of a Debbie Bliss design knit in misti Alpaca, Bulky Alpaca/merino. This is a one sleeved wrap, and I think it will be pretty cool.
Another pair of Endpaper Mitts, knit in Luxe Sock--an MCN blend. So lovely to work with.
Some progress on Dante's sweater.
And the Bryn Mawr skirt from Interweave Knits, knit in Lamb's Pride Superwash Bulky. A quick and easy knit.

2011-09-14T08:36:00.001-04:00

More to see

2011-09-12T14:19:00.002-04:00

I cast on a sweater for Dante--this one will fit! It's a Norwegian style drop-shoulder pullover in size 38." I'm using Teksrena wool in blue/black and New England Shetland from Harrisville designs, in natural. I'll just be striping all the way up, although I'm tempted to figure out a little something for the yoke. We'll see.
These socks are Clockwork Cable from Ann Budd's Getting Started Knitting Socks, with quite a few changes to accomodate the recipient and the yarn, which is Sanguine Gryphon's Skinny Bugga in Black Witch Moth. I really do love this yarn.
And here is one half of Gnarled Oakwoods in progress, in an amazing cashmere sportweight that makes me want this project to last forever. The other piece looks exactly the same. I'm a bit short on yardage, so I'll cut out the last repeat of the middle panel, and I'll block the shawl more widthwise than lengthwise. Should be perfect.

Socks and Mitts

2011-09-03T09:05:00.002-04:00

3x1 ribbed socks knit with Evermore Studios Dreamland Sock yarn in Moss green.

Endpaper Mitts knit in Wollmeise 100% merino sock yarn in a purple "We're different" skein and Natur, on size 2 needles. I'm not fond of patterns that use gauge for changing size, and think that Wollmeise in particular is unsuited for such patterns in colorwork, since it does not full. The mitts look better in a photograph than in real life, in my opinion, and I might have to knit them again--I'm afraid they might be too big.

Kids' knitting

2011-08-31T20:09:00.002-04:00

During the Hurricane on Sunday, Fintan started this hat. He actually finished it on Tuesday. The bottom section is a skein of Noro that he picked out at the yarn shop--good taste, I have to say. The top skein is some Malabrigo worsted someone sent me recently that just happens to work colorwise. He kept saying "I like knitting!" and "Look at my hat!" He started a second hat today, working with the malabrigo and another partial skein of malabrigo in a green similar to the green in this hat. Somehow he managed to knit these yarns at 4 stitches an inch on size 6 US needles. Needless to say, this hat is for Dad. We cut the stitch count by 20 for the second hat.

And today Sophia learned the bind-off I use for lace and blocked her first shawl. The pattern is Multnomah--easy enough, even though it appears to have some mathematical errors. The yarn is mini mochi--2 skeins. She did a beautiful job. She still has to work on cleaning up after herself and putting my tools away if she hopes to block another shawl in the future.

Soviet period Lithuanian raglan

2011-08-29T19:34:00.003-04:00

Sample sweater--almost there

2011-08-23T08:48:00.002-04:00

Bumblebees

2011-08-20T08:18:00.003-04:00

They're done. These are the Bumblebee Socks knit in Wollmeise 100% merino sock yarn. My first pair of toe-up socks. I had to make quite a few adjustments to help the socks fit the recipient. I should know in about a week whether it worked. I used a smaller needle for about an inch and a half at the ankles, since this person has narrow ankles, and I worked in an extra 8 stitches toward the top, because the recipient let me know that handknit socks tend to fall down around the ankles, and I think that could be because her socks aren't big enough at the top.

As I was knitting, the fabric was nice and flat, and I worked hard to keep the held yarn long enough in back, but it's clear from the sock on the left that as the work relaxed the fabric really puckered. This was new to me, and I attribute it to the yarn's being superwash--it was able to slip as it relaxed. However, when I blocked the socks they kept their shape perfectly well.

My major concern with the pattern is the colorwork around the heel, which really restricts the elasticity of the socks. They should be a perfect fit, but will require some attention getting the sock to slide over the heel. Other than that, this is a really fun pattern to work. The stripes in the bees take advantage of the variegated yarn, so that was easy to achieve.

works in progress

2011-08-15T10:10:00.000-04:00

Rock Island Cast on, and misc.

2011-08-06T17:52:00.000-04:00

one done, one in progress

2011-08-04T12:00:00.005-04:00

This is the beginning of a sample knit I'm working up. The yarn is Plymouth Galway.

And this is a hoodie I finished up last night, just in time for Fintan's birthday tomorrow. The yarn is Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky in Natural, Charcoal Heather, and my favorite, Prairie Fire.

Sockies, again

2011-08-03T12:07:00.002-04:00

Progress on the first bumblebee sock.

And these are done!

Socks in July

2011-07-28T08:35:00.003-04:00

bumblebee socks in Wollmeise twin--fun and pretty easy. These will be my first completed pair of toe-up socks.
3x1 ribbies in Evermore Studios gradient self-striping.

Paul Atwell socks in MCN from the Midnight Sheep, in A Holiday Romance. Awesome yarn, great pattern.

And a couple of older projects

2011-07-17T12:53:00.005-04:00

Some lace knitting I did earlier in the year, using Blue Heron yarn Merino Silk laceweight. Just gorgeous!

busy, busy, busy

2011-07-17T09:15:00.002-04:00

Ornette socks, by Cookie A in Wollmeise 100%, My Old Blue Jeans

Garter Stitch Jacket, from Kids: A Knitter's Dozen. Just one sleeve, the hood and the front band to go:
Bumblebee Socks, awaiting cast-on:
Gnarled Oakwoods in Grignasco Cashmere, in Dark Oatmeal:
Paul Atwell Socks, in Midnight Sheep MCN sock, in A Holiday Romance:
And Sophia's most recent cast-on: Multnomah in Mini Mochi:
Whew!

My new cardigan

2011-07-12T11:43:00.003-04:00

Gaia's Colours Mama Quilla worsted singles, 100% merino wool, in Eos.
I knit this cardigan in the round from the bottom up, steeked, and folded over the steek to make the front bands, to which I have to apply a zipper if I can find one. For now it works well as is. I used twisted ribbing for the cuffs, collar and along the sides and sleeves, as well as a few lines down the back and front. I love the way it came out.

Sophia's Sweater

2011-07-11T22:08:00.003-04:00

I designed a sweater for Sophia, and she knit it herself. She's been working on it off and on for several months, and finally steamed it and seamed it today, alone, following directions from one of her knitting books. And like a regular blogger, she took lots of pictures of the process. I share a few here, to show off her very respectable seaming, some is actually beautiful. The yarn is Alpaca Grande an incredibly soft bulky weight yarn. Funny that she finished it on one of the hottest days of the year. She is so pleased that it fits just the way she hoped it would. It's not quite finished, but it's looking pretty good!

Saroyan and Ornette

2011-07-03T11:03:00.003-04:00

Saroyan, in Iocane from Rainy Days and Wooly Dogs, in Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun. I'm not sure I like the little splotches of "gunpowder," but I love the yarn over all, and the piece is pretty cute.

This pattern is Ornette, by Cookie A. It's not too hard, but not for knitting with kids around. The yarn is Wollmeise 100% sock in "My Old Blue Jeans." It's much darker than it appears here. So dark in fact, that I can't really see the stitches as I knit them. So far that's working out okay, though. I'm working on the gusset on this first sock.
And evidence that summer does eventually come to Vermont, though it never really feels warm. Sophia has been keeping the table looking nice with flowers from the garden.

Saroyan, cast on

2011-06-27T09:33:00.002-04:00

I've cast on for Saroyan, using Rainy Days and Woolly Dogs Iocane, in Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun. So far so good: this is ten increase repeats and one center pattern repeat.

Lazy mama socks

2011-06-24T18:59:00.000-04:00

Another pair done--T-Hex

2011-06-23T08:41:00.002-04:00

Gothsocks Oleander in T-Hex--plain old socks

Twisted Goth Socks

2011-06-17T10:07:00.003-04:00

Twisted Goth sock pattern, knit in Laudanum, Dream within a Dream.

Socks, again, Bread and Puppet scenes

2011-06-07T08:33:00.004-04:00

S & F passing time at the Bread and Puppet Museum opening.
Sophia, fiddling.
Sophia used a basic pattern book to make up this hat and little mitts for a friend's mom's baby.
Rick, knit in Dragonfly fibers, Djinni in Baltimore Oriole. Love. This yarn.
Breaking Hearts, knit in Coulrophobia sock yarn, custom dyed.

Twisted Goth socks, knit in Gothsocks Laudanum, Dream within a Dream.

Fintan's socks are done

2011-06-04T10:07:00.001-04:00

2011-06-03T16:47:00.002-04:00

2011-06-03T13:31:00.001-04:00

2011-06-01T12:44:00.002-04:00

Bright Arrows Stole, available for download, free

2011-05-28T12:16:00.004-04:00

I think it's time to make one of my shawl patterns available for free. Since Gaia's Colours has closed her shop, which makes me very sad, I have chosen this shawl, Bright Arrows Stole, which I designed for her yarn, Pales lace, a beautiful 2-ply merino wool. Click on the link to download. That should work! This is a fun and straightforward knit. Enjoy!

Socks and Lyra

2011-05-28T11:22:00.004-04:00

Finally, I have pulled out Lyra again. The yarn is Silky Lace from Midnight Sheep, in a custom colorway called Verdigris. You can see the progress on the bloom. I have about 25 pattern rows to go, so I hope to be finished by the end of June. The rows are now each about 800 sts.

this is Rick by Cookie A, knit in Dragonfly Fibers Djinni sock in Baltimore Oriole. I'll be glad when the right sock is finished. The pattern is knit with ssk throughout, but the second stitch is a yo, so there's a lot of fiddling to get the stitches to line up while knitting. The pattern is super easy to remember, though and the left sock will zip along, since it will feature the k2tog.
Breaking Hearts in a custom dye from Coulrophobia. Not the best pattern/yarn match, but once I started, Sophia wouldn't let me stop and find a better fit. She wants her socks!

The replacement yarn arrived, and so the Marlene's are finished! Mail day on Monday! What a fun pattern this is.

Marlene

2011-05-17T12:11:00.002-04:00

Yup. I ran out of yarn after the last pattern row. This pattern is Marlene, by Cookie A, and it's a great pattern but has some odd discrepancies in gauge and row counts, etc. I knit the pattern as written, and the sock, knit to gauge is a bit longer than normal, and because I was knitting to a 9" length I ran out just at the end. I had a feeling that I should leave out one of the pattern repeats, but wanted to follow the pattern exactly, and here's the result. The socks are great, but it will be a bit before the replacement yarn comes and I can really finish.

Kilthose finished, Breaking hearts begun

2011-05-09T10:16:00.002-04:00

Socks

2011-05-04T11:38:00.003-04:00

Tiny socks made with Dragonfly fibers Traveller yarn in Peach Melba, Riptide, and in Naiad yarn in Jonquil.
Stripey socks using Dragonfly Fibers Traveller yarn in Peach Melba and Riptide.
I"m designing a pair of kilthose for a friend. Cables and Lace. In Sanguine Gryphon undyed Traveller yarn, a DK 100% merino.

I also knit another pair of plain old stockinette socks two weeks ago, which I have no photo of, and have cast on for a pair of Breaking Hearts socks for Sophia. I'm working on finishing a lace design, but haven't had time to work out the edging yet. When these projects are finished I am getting back to my own lace: Lyra and Tischdecke. Really!

2011-04-29T12:25:00.002-04:00

Some finished projects

2011-04-19T13:38:00.003-04:00

Plain, short socks for Pete. From Dragonfly Fibers Naiad in Jonquil.
More plains socks for Pete, in Sanguine Gryphon Skinny Bugga in Goldbug. Awesome yarn!
Bitty Bolero, knit for a Ravelry friend, from Malabrigo worsted, in Bobbie Blue or something like that.

Now on to more socks, and those three shawls that are kind of languishing.

My "Fresh Designs"

2011-04-04T15:15:00.003-04:00

Become a backer!

2011-04-03T21:07:00.004-04:00

I have two designs using Sanguine Gryphon yarns that will appear in the new Fresh Designs Series being published by Cooperative Press. They are planning to publish in time for TNNA this summer, and are trying to raise a little cash so they can enhance digital options, so they have posted this cool, short little slide show, where you can see a preview of some of the designs. I'm pretty excited, because one of mine (a sweater) made the cover (at least as it appears in the slide show). The models and photography and styling are really fresh--take a look!

As an incentive to back this project, I'll send you a free copy of my Bright Arrows Stole Pattern. Just e-mail me with proof that you have backed the project. Need my address? comment here, and I'll reply via e-mail.
And thanks!

Pete's Greens Prize sweater at the new barn--construction site.

2011-03-25T11:04:00.004-04:00

Woo Hoo! It's done, knitting, photography and everything.

First of all, I want to send a big thank you to Susan and Jenny at Juniper Moon Farm, who made this possible. The giveaway/fund-raiser they put together raised over $11,000.00 to help rebuild the barn. I am so moved when I think about it.

This seemed so far away back in January when I learned about the fire at Pete's Greens. Construction has begun on the barn, and you can read about it on the farm blog, here. It is definitely mud season. My husband, also a Pete, tried to get photos last week, when construction was really just beginning, but it was just too muddy and he and the three older kids had not brought their mudboots. Don't worry--they made sure to keep the sweater in its plastic bag until absolutely necessary!

They drive right by Pete's every week on their way to and from their violin and piano lessons, so he gave it a try again this Thursday, and they brought their boots. They had to walk a quarter mile down to the barn site, and really there's not much to see besides mud, but the kids are standing next to the walls that have already been built. In fact the wall you see is a 30" thick wall for a freezer, if I understand correctly from the blog. Fintan's mud boot got stuck in the mud, and his foot came right out, so that he fell down--he doesn't look too upset about it.

This has been such a lovely experience for me.

Gavyn's Sweater

2011-03-21T16:36:00.002-04:00

Here's the little sweater I made for Gavyn. He likes it, but doesn't really want to wear it. It was a fun quick knit, and marks the fifth of five family sweaters this year. Mine is next, and I've already started swatching.
Isn't this the cutest little piece of embroidery? Sophia did it yesterday afternoon. She amazes me. She's been doing tiny little cross-stitch pieces all week, and then just whipped this out. I love it.

Hey Teach

2011-03-20T20:19:00.002-04:00

I can't believe I waited so long to post this photo. I finished Hey Teach on March 12, and here it is. That's about all for now. I'm still working like crazy to finish my mammoth editing project and beginning three more all to be finished in the next two weeks, so I have not much time for blogging.

Another Snow Day Blog Post

2011-03-07T20:47:00.004-05:00

So what does one do on a snow day? You know, I work at home, so I don't really get snow days, but today was so very snowy, and it was our youngest's birthday--he's four! So I took the day off, and let my husband have the day off from childcare. He did some work on the third volume of the book I'm editing, and I did a lot of stuff.
1. heat up Chinese food for breakfast. That was a surprise and a hit.
2. make spicy chicken broth for myself. I am determined to beat the virus that downed my family for nearly three weeks. So far so good.
3. pin out the fronts and back of "Hey Teach." I wove in the ends last night and gave them a very long bath.
4. make tomato sauce
5. make meatballs to cook in the tomato sauce all day. Spaghetti and meatballs for the birthday dinner.
6. decide that I need to make jam for a filling for the cake my daughter is making for the birthday.
7. make said jam
8. make lunch, including warmed strawberries from the freezer. The birthday boy loves berries.
9. finish the sleeve caps on "Hey Teach." I knit the beginnings of the sleeves last night, so just had the shaping to do. Then I gave them a bath, and they are drying on the blocking mats too.
10. start Gavyn's sweater. It is his birthday after all. I made it about five inches so far. There's something so rewarding about quick easy knitting.
11. make dinner. Spaghetti and meatballs, with edamame from our garden--so delicious. and more of the strawberries. This dinner was so fun--Gavyn enjoyed every single bite, and was so unconcerned about the cake. And then while eating the cake he was so unconcerned about the presents. He just enjoyed eating.
12. eat cake. even though I don't eat wheat much anymore, this particular meal had to be an exception.
13. watch Gavyn open and share his gifts--especially the Legos. All four kids playing relatively peacefully together--Gavyn using the lego catapult Sophia built to shoot beans all over the kitchen. He was delighted.
14. wash the dishes for the sixth time today (too mundane to include elsewhere in the list)
15. stories and songs and serious talk with kids
16. decide I am not going to spoil this snow day by working tonight. And decide that I'm not up for finishing a sweater tonight. Hey Teach can wait.
17. post here.

Not too bad. Here are the photos, which should help explain why I felt entitled to such a perfectly lovely day.

Hey Teach ready for a bath.

Sleeve caps ready for a bath.

Okay, see how much snow is in our doorway? And it kept on snowing! That's about five feet of snow right there.
Gavyn told my husband that opening his mouth is smiling for the camera.

So Gavyn and Fintan are standing where Pete has been shoveling in our driveway. See the mailbox? No? It's completely buried.

Pete's planning to shovel the whole thing by hand. I don't really plan to help, to tell the truth. It's not only cold, it's windy. Hence the huge snowdrifts.
Oh, yes, I took a photo of these socks that I finished up two days ago. I started them in October or something like that, knit about three inches on the first one and then put it away. I picked them up last week after I finished Fintan's gold sweater. I always try to have mindless knitting around when I'm watching the kids. Gavyn's sweater is taking up that role now.
Hey Teach blocking.

Did I mention we had some snow here?

What looks like a horizon line is actually the top of the snow in our driveway. It's only about 18 inches right where the garage door opens, but it's about five feet where the van should be driving in and out of the driveway.

Where's the van? I'll spare you.

One done, another begun

2011-03-02T08:53:00.003-05:00

One begun: Hey Teach, cast on 24 February. I've completed the first row of the lace pattern.this is really nice yarn.

One done: Round yoke sweater. Done, and it's big, so Fintan can wear it for a while. The yarn just glows. Such a lovely color.
An editor's best friend.

I'm not sure how the knitting is getting done, but worsted weight is good for production. Fintan's sweater was knit when I drank my coffee in the morning and after dinner. Hey Teach is in progress in the very late hours after work, if I can stay up, and is accompanied by a nice peaty scotch. yum. I was hoping to get a short reprieve from kid knitting, but Gavyn asked about his sweater this morning. "You said you were going to make me one." He's even stopped saying it would be rainbow colored, I guess he knows that since blue is what I have, blue is what he'll get. He's angling for green on his next sweater.

My new computer has such a huge screen I have had to raise my seating and keyboard arrangement to save my eyes. The new arrangement is good for my flexibility, but a bit hard on the knees for now--it's basically a raised platform with pillows for added height. I can work on my posture, but it is tough both reading and trying to be conscious of one's posture for so many hours each day. My Webster's 3rd International is filling in as a keyboard holder for this project. Hopefully I won't need for its normal use in the immediate future.

Swatching and sweaters

2011-02-23T09:39:00.004-05:00

I'm knitting "Hey Teach" for the winner of the Pete's Greens giveaway/fundraiser run by Juniper Moon Farm. The yarn arrived yesterday, and I swatched last night. Unbelievably, my very first swatch matches the gauge exactly. The yarn is a surprisingly soft worsted weight wool, and lovely to knit with. I'm planning to cast on tonight.

Three cakes, one minus the swatch amount.
Two leftovers, just in case, and because I have a cool idea for them. It turns out the skeins are marked with more yardage than indicated on the web site, so three should definitely be enough for this sweater.
I also cast on a sweater for Fintan on Monday, because the yarn hadn't arrived yet, and because he needs me to be knitting for him right now. I chose the main color, he chose the pattern and contrast colors. To make time for the Hey Teach, I also hustled to finish the sweaters I've been working on for the older two. I especially love the one I finished for Sophia. This is a simple raglan, knit with sock yarn from the Midnight Sheep, beautifully hand dyed by my friend Helena. The sweater is a bit large on her, but she'll be able to wear it for a few years, and she doesn't mind baggy. She loves the colors. I started out with a textured stitch on top, and then really wanted to see the colors in stockinette, so I switched for the lower body. I love the effect. Also, on Friday I told Sophia that if she would go for short sleeves she could have the sweater within a week. She enthusiastically agreed, and I finished the sweater on Sunday. I knit six inches of the body, and did all the finish knitting on Friday and Saturday, and spent several hours Sunday weaving in those ends.

And here's Dante's sweater, which barely fits. It's exactly the right size, but it looks uncomfortably fitted on him, because he normally wears baggy clothes, and because he probably grew an inch around in the two weeks it took to knit this. Also, I like the look of the collar, but it only really looks good on Fintan. On Dante it fits so closely that the collar tends to lay too far back.Live and learn. I do a lot of guessing when I knit for the kids. Anyway, it looks like I'll be knitting another sweater for Dante before too long.

So, I committed to a pair of socks, mittens, a hat, and a sweater for each child this winter. So far I have remaining on my list: sweater for Fintan, sweater for Gavyn, hat for Dante, hat and mittens for Sophia. Not too bad. I didn't know if I could do it, but now I think I can get them all done before the snow goes away.

Cliodhna's Thistle shawlette

2011-02-15T09:30:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday I wound this yarn intending to start on a Multnomah, but only got as far as the cast-on. Then the yarn took itself in a totally different direction. You might see a resonance from one of my recent shawls. This is one of those pieces that looks better on the wearer than all stretched out. The colors are just lovely. It is Haithrun sock (MCN) from Gaia's Colours in Cliodhna's Thistle. I actually had to finish the bind-off with half a yard of her Pales sock in the same colorway. If I write up this pattern I'll be able to avoid that little problem, since there are about 5 extra rows in one of the stockinette sections.

The pattern is mostly stockinette, to show off the beautiful colorway, with a little texture in between to keep it from getting too boring. I think Sophia may have adopted it after modeling.

In other news, I get to knit Hey Teach for the winner of the Pete's Greens fund-raiser giveaway at Juniper Moon Farm.

I will be knitting with Juniper Moon Farms Worsted in Rainstorm, a nice dark grey. I was going to link a photo, but it's gone because I bought it all. I guess I'll post it when it arrives and I begin swatching. They are having a sale on their yarns right now--all skeins except for sock yarn are $10. Worth taking a look.

I'm tickled that L.D. chose this pattern, because it is the pattern that the Yarn Harlot was working on when I first started reading her blog, and I've had it sort of in my mind since then.
I'm really looking forward to the knitting.

Giveaway/fundraiser

2011-02-04T13:42:00.003-05:00

Link
Click this link to find out how you could win this cutey.

Of course she is only offered to people who are experienced and able to care for her. Please read the blog post, and if you haven't heard about it yet, read the post about the fund-raiser/giveaway being run by Juniper Moon Farm to help out a local Vermont CSA, Pete's Greens, which lost its barn in fire in early January.

There is an amazing list of prizes in this giveaway--really amazing, and long. And if you check out the links, you'll see that some are truly amazing works of art.
They keep adding prizes, as businesses and individuals keep donating them. The minidonkey pictured above is the most recent addition to the giveaway, but is being offered separately, for obvious reasons. The main giveaway ends on February 6.
Please check it out and consider donating to Pete's Greens. And also consider posting about this on your blog or Facebook, or wherever you hang out. This is a worthy cause, and Pete has promised to pay it forward. You can read his statement here. This is a remarkable organization.

Two down!

2011-02-02T18:54:00.004-05:00

First up: Emily 2 knit in 424 yards of AK47 in Tequila Sunrise from the Gossamer Web. 100% silk gorgeousness.

Brioche stitch vest, knit in superwash merino DK in Midnight Maus and trimmed with Glengariff, from the Midnight Sheep. The fabric turned out a bit too heavy for itself, so I'm afraid it will really stretch, but it does really fit, so I'm happy about that, and I loved knitting with this gorgeous yarn.

Brioche stitch vest, coming along.

2011-01-27T09:00:00.003-05:00

I finished the right front of Pete's vest last night, soaked the pieces and blocked them out to dry. This is something I designed using brioche stitch, which is a very fluffy rib-type stitch. The fabric is so interesting. Very light and fluffy, yet it uses much more yarn in the same space as regular ribbing, and it is not as firm. I have to decide on the finishing touches, still. Do I want a contrasting color for the trim? Will I knit or crochet the edging? What buttons will I use?

A sharp eye will see that I did not alternate skeins for this project. If it were for anyone outside the family I would have done so, but Pete won't see the color changes at all, so I decided not to worry about it. I was just thrilled I didn't run out of yarn. Speaking of yarn this is 100% superwash merino DK in Midnight Maus, from my friend Helena at the Midnight Sheep. This was a custom dye for which I originally had other plans, but it told me in December that it wanted to be a vest for Peter, so here it is.

I have to finish this and my Emily Shawl so I can move ahead on Sophia's sweater, to make time for the sweater I will be knitting for a winner in this giveaway fund-raiser at Juniper Moon Farm. It's time for some more FOs!

A Friend in Need... UPDATED with lots more Prizes!

2011-01-24T12:55:00.002-05:00

A Friend in Need... UPDATED with lots more Prizes!

My dear readers, please follow this link and read about the amazing fund-raiser that Juniper Moon Farm is running to help out Pete's Greens, an organic vegetable CSA from right here in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Pete's just had a barn fire, and lost nearly all their equipment, and their harvest for this year. I am speechless at Susan Gibb's generosity, and so thrilled to be part of this effort. When I thought about donating money to Pete's Greens I felt so small and unimportant. I thought I could make something to raffle and donate more, but how could I run a raffle? Then I thought of Susan, who has done some amazing things on her blog. And here we are. My donation is a handknit sweater of the winners choice, made with yarn I will purchase from the Juniper Moon shop. But the other prizes are simply amazing. Please consider donating.

Miralda is here

2011-01-24T11:29:00.001-05:00

Cast on Jan. 9, blocked Jan 22.
2 skeins Les Femmes Sock in Mae West, from Hyena in Petticoats.
Miralda by Nancy Bush, from Knitted Lace of Estonia
A gift for a friend.

Pretty little (and not so little) things

2011-01-20T08:34:00.004-05:00

A top-down raglan for Sophia in lovely colors from Midnight Sheep. Almost ready to separate for the body and sleeves.

Miralda's shawl, knit in sock yarn from HyenainPetticoats in Mae West. Loving this color!

The back of a vest knit in brioche stitch. Knit in DK superwash merino in Midnight Maus, fro m The Midnight Sheep. This one is for Pete.

The beginning of Tishdecke, knit in Ultra lace from Shelridge farms, one of my prizes from an earlier Seasons of Lace.

A crochet hook stand made by my friend Dave, who is the maker of Hitchhiker spinning wheels, from the Merlin Tree. He makes these for me using special little scraps of wood from his shop. They are odd shaped sometimes, but very practical. I love the little black "veins" in this wood.

Emily 2, the top-down version of the Emily Dickinson shawl, knit in AK47 100% silk from the Gossamer Web in tequila sunrise. This yarn is so incredibly gorgeous. I am making this one as a gift for my oldest sister, who is always keeping my daughter supplied with yarn.

been busy.

Camera's out of town, but I'm still here.

2011-01-12T20:19:00.002-05:00

Oh yes, my husband took our now eleven-year-old daughter to New York City for a birthday trip, leaving me here at home with the three boys. And so far all is going well. They've been gone since Thursday and we'll go pick them up Friday.

I'm kicking myself for accepting work for this week. I could be spending the evenings knitting and wake well rested in the mornings. Instead I'm spending the evenings and late nights editing and waking up a bit undone. I have a push for a deadline on Wednesday, so late nights it must be. The youngest are still too young to be alone.

But, I am getting a lot of knitting done during the day. I'm working on Miralda's Shawl by Nancy Bush. It's a lovely triangular shawl from her book on Estonian lace knitting. I'm knitting this in sock yarn from HyenainPetticoats, in the most beautiful red ever, and I can't seem to stop working on it.

I am also working on the top-down version of Emily Dickinson. I'm using AK47 silk laceweight from the Gossamer Web in the Tequila Sunrise colorway, and it is incredibly luscious. I have never actually knit with pure silk before, and it is such an incredible pleasure.

I have a circular shawl going, Tischdecke, using Ultra Lace from Shelridge Farms in natural. This is prize yarn from the Seasons of Lace KAL.

Also two sweaters: one vest for Peter in a DK weight from Midnight Sheep, and a raglan in sockweight, also from Midnight Sheep. I can't wait to show photos of all my fun, but alas, the camera is in New York City. We'll meet again Friday, so no photos till next week, I'm afraid. Hopefully they'll be worth it!

Taking Stock--2010

2010-12-23T10:53:00.002-05:00

What's on the needles:

one colorwork sweater for Sophia
one brioche stitch vest for Pete
one pair of mittens for Dante
one pair of socks for me, I think
one shawl for me
swatch for new design

What's on deck:
mittens for Sophia and Fintan
hats for Sophia, Dante, and Fintan
cardigan jacket for me
raglan sweaters for Dante, Fintan, and Gavyn
socks for Lucy
lots of socks
a scarf,
a stole
a circular shawl

What I have knit this year:
14 shawls/scarves
20 pairs socks
4 sweaters
8 hats (3 were crocheted, actually)
3 pair mittens
1 pair mitts

Projects I have in publication from this year
already published:

2 shawls

in press:
1 scarf
1 sweater

Design projects on deck
scarf/stole
vest
sweater--cardigan jacket
sweater--cabled pullover (Sophia is knitting the prototype)
Stole using Estonian stitches. This one is already swatched--it's awesome.

Techniques I've learned:
brioche stitch
two-color brioche stitch
blind cast on
Norwegian cast on
spinning on a spindle and on a wheel
double knitting
an awesome technique for writing up patterns in multiple sizes so that it's easy to check all the numbers.
how to knit a ruffle

What I have given up:

posting my projects on Ravelry--too much time and effort involved for every little project. I'll essentially post my big projects when they're finished and my designs (if I continue to pursue publication)

posting frequently on Seasons of Lace. This makes me sad, but I just have so little to show with so much other knitting going on. I still need to work on this one.

swapping on Ravelry--spiritually draining

Next technical challenges:

learn to design an Entrelac stole that I have pictured in my head. I've named it already, and I love it, I just have to learn how to knit it.

Design a much more intricate lace shawl/stole

Percy and kid knits

2010-11-13T12:52:00.003-05:00

Okay, I'll admit these photos are not much better than the last, but look at that blue sky--that's not something we see much of in November. And of course, if you click on the photos to see them actual--huge--size, you can see much more detail.

The shawl is growing on me, but I am still bothered by that second pattern in the middle. it seems too large for the design, and there really is no transition between the three charts, so it's a bit abrupt to me. But that's only looking at it close up. From a distance it looks pretty dramatic.
Here's the first of four sets for the kids: I did the smallest set first, for the three-year-old. I knit them actual stockings each year. We fill them on Christmas Eve and the children empty them and then wear them all winter inside their boots. I love it!
This is my first successful project made from my own handspun. My husband took our 9-year-old son to Gettysburg for a week for a birthday present. While they hiked the battlefields for four days, I spun some roving from the Yates farm in southern Vermont. I should have been working, but I had three kids to care for, so I put that off. The six-year-old wanted to learn to spin, so he played with me, and I decided to knit something up for him with the yarn. I finished the hat just after they returned, so it was a little vacation prize for the kid who stayed home. Well, one of them, anyway.

Percy preblock, blocking

2010-11-11T15:01:00.002-05:00

I cast off Percy late last night. I ran out of the sea silk, so I stopped after row 31 of the edging chart, and joined some Gaia Lace in cobblestone mazes for the purl back row and bind-off. I love the look actually.

I look forward to weaving in those ends and trying to get some nice shots. We're supposed to have sun for a day or so, so it looks like the chances are good. I think these photos give a sense of the color, but it is just so much lovelier in person.--Thalassa Sea silk in Korrigan, from Gaia's Colours. Total yardage about 750.

Aster Nyx Available now

2010-10-04T20:31:00.003-04:00

At long last, the project I started nearly two years ago is available as a pattern from the Sanguine Gryphon, one of my favorite dyers. I just love the fabulous fibers and gorgeous colors. they require me to be creative.

So, here is Aster Nyx, which was released along with the Sanguine Gryphon's Fall 2010 Steampunk line of patterns. The great black and white photos fit in with that idea very well, and they show off the details of the pattern very well.
The color photos show off the subtlety of the yarn. This large size, about 34" deep by 68 " wide, I knit in Gaia Lace, an incredibly soft and lovely cashmere silk blend. What a luxury. Two skeins is enough for the large size, and it is large. This colorway is Eye of the Devil.

NOTE: thanks to Troy, for the comment below. The little square in the chart does indeed represent a sk2p. I submitted the chart with a left leaning triangle for the symbol, and was unaware that it had been changed in the chart. The corresponding change was not made in the legend, but I have contacted Sanguine Gryphon to ask that the change be made in the pattern. I do apologise for any inconvenience.

A lovely friend on Ravelry swapped with me for the first version of this shawl, then called Starry Night. She also took photos of her knitting friends modeling it. This is the smaller size, which is about 30" deep by 60" wide, but which can really stretch widthwise when worn, which I love, because I tend to wear these things as scarves more often than not. I knit this first version in 1 skein of Sanguine Gryphon's Little Traveller, in Pantanal. this is a light fingering weight yarn, and is just lovely to work with. It's a nice size shawl for a single skein of yarn (580 yards).

Aster Nyx

2010-08-02T21:21:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I finished two huge projects--one an editing project, one a knitting project. The knitting was a surprise project I undertook a few weeks ago to be sure we had a shawl that could photograph well for the release of my pattern, Aster Nyx. Today I took it off the blocking board, and my daughter photographed it on me. I think she did pretty well. I tried to get a few "artsy" shots too. I wonder if anyone can identify the plants the shawl is hanging on.

Noe the yard stick, included to show how much the shawl grew in blocking. I blocked at a radius of 34", but you can see in the photos that when worn the width gets wider and the depth shorter. So It's 72-74" wide and 30-32 inches deep when worn. Flexible!

I love the center star shape, and someday want to knit this as a circular shawl.

Bright Arrows Stole pattern now available

2010-05-07T09:38:00.003-04:00

After a three-month exclusivity period, I'm glad to say that the pattern for the Bright Arrows Stole is now available for sale on Ravelry, and I'm going to try to set up a direct link here. The stole is a fairly easy knit, but interesting, with left twist cables running the length of the stole and lateral braids separating the body from the edging. It is worked from the center out.

The pattern requires just under 100 yards of 2-ply laceweight. It is charted, but also has written instructions. I have decided to charge $6.00, to help cover my expenses, including the tech editor.
The Ravelry page for my pattern shop is here. You'll find more information about the stole on the pattern page and on this earlier post.

Helena's sweater, Morgan's hat

2010-03-14T15:23:00.004-04:00

This is a swatch for a skirt I'm designing in Sanguine Gryphon's Skinny Bugga. The actual skirt will be a different color, yet to be determined, but I'm looking forward to finishing this pattern. It is so much fun to knit, and the yarn is just scrumptious.
Helena's sweater. My own design, knit in Malabrigo worsted in Black Forest.
A lovely yarn to work with, and I do love designing things myself. It's fun to see how they come out, if a bit nervewracking. I hope this will fit. I used several techniques that were new to me for this project: a lovely new way to work a beautiful selvedge, a sewn cast-off, and short-row set-in sleeves worked from the top down.

I crocheted a black "cloche" hat for another friend, who wanted a big bright flower for decoration. She specifically asked for purple, so there is a purple flower represented, but when I took out my Leisure Arts "Crocheted Embellishments" book, there were too many fun designs and too much lovely leftover yarn to choose just one, so here is the hat with several flowers. I actually only made two of the flowers. My daughter made the rest. She is fearless. And she loves yarn.

Bright Arrows

2010-01-24T20:59:00.001-05:00

I started swatching for this stole soon after Christmas, and began knitting on the first of the year. This is knit in 900 yards of Pales merino lace from Gaia's Colour. It's a fun and easy knit. I wrote the pattern for the Imbolc installment of the Shabbats yarn/fibre club.

If you go to the web site you can read about Brigid, the goddess whose name means Bright Arrows. I tried to incorporate some of the ideas in that description into the design. There are a couple of fun touches, including a cable that is easy to do without a needle and a set of three Vikkel Braids separating the main body from the edging. It was such a fun process. And I know I would not have come up with this design had it not been for that information. The yarn was telling me something else, but when I read about Brigid everything fell into place.

2010-01-11T16:18:00.002-05:00

Here's an Ishbel I finished recently. The photo doesn't show off the yarn at all, I'm afraid. It's Wollmeise 100% merino sock in Admiral, a nice dark dark blue that leans to black. This turned out to be a nice sized shawl. I worked the large size stockinette section, then the lace section for the small size.

Here's the hat Sophia made for me for Christmas. I gave her some graph paper and she came up with her own chart and knit from that. It's the same pattern as the Danish Earflap hat I posted about a few weeks ago. She did a great job, and the hat is so warm, I wear it all the time. More pictures below.
And here's the blanket the kids and I made for their grandma. Sophia did most of the crocheting around the edges of the diamonds and joining, and I did the edging around the outside. I wove most of the diamonds, Sophia wove a few, and the kids all needle felted designs on the diamonds. This was such a fun project!

Taking stock of projects

2009-12-31T14:58:00.003-05:00

On the needles:
a sweater for me (Hyena In Petticoats)
a sweater for Fintan (Yates Farm)
socks for a Raveler (Twisted Sister Voodoo)
a scarf for me (Mushishi)
two Jeanie's (shawls for two Ravelers--in Koigu and Little Traveller)
a lace scarf for the LYS (Jojoland Consonance? silk and cashmere)
Forgot one: a lace stole that I'm designing for Gaia's Colours
that last one is a secret, colorwise, so I can't really share it. I'll be needing a test knitter for the chart though--anyone interested? Just a swatch size will help, as it will determine if the instructions are clear and give an opportunity to check gauge in someone else's knitting.

On deck (swatching):
a sweater for me (Midnight Sheep)
Fiddlehead mittens for me (Midnight Sheep)--but I am considering using a different chart. Maybe once is enough for the fiddleheads?
a sweater for my friend Helena (Malabrigo worsted--how have I not knit with this yarn before?)

Next in line:
2 shawls for a certain Raveler--Rambling Leaves and Coin Lace stole
a hat and mitt set for a Raveler--to be determined

I've done a lot of swapping this year, and several of these projects are swap projects. I get to knit lovely things with lovely yarns and receive more lovely yarns in exchange. Some of those lovelies are already sitting on my shelf waiting for me to finish up some projects so we can have fun together. Until I'm done they're not really mine. . .

What I learned:

How to work a lateral braid

Cabling without needles

Thinking through swatching

Long-tail cast-on

Trust the feeling that there is an error. There is one. Fix it now. This really speeds up knitting.

I love working with handdyed yarns. The colors going by. . .it's a lovely thing.

I don't love Wollmeise sock yarn. Love some of the colors to be sure, but really don't enjoy knitting the yarn. Have done, and will do for others, but I'm not looking to acquire any for myself these days, and have depleted that ridiculous supply I had a couple of months back.

Knitting for others is a blast.

My kids love what I knit for them.

Single malt and knitting go very well together.

Surely there's more?

Ah yes, I learned that there are still friends for me to meet. I have been so lucky this year to meet a couple of new ones! Unexpected and lovely surprise.

No pictures today. Just wishes for a happy new year to all!

Christmas Project

2009-12-22T12:13:00.003-05:00

A year ago I bought a nifty tumbling block loom from Hazel Rose Looms (see the link over there on the sidebar? Click it. Please.). I wove several diamonds, but never really got around to doing anything with them. Well the other day I had four kids at home with me and needed a project. So I got out some fleece, a few felting needles and my diamonds, and some cookie cutters, and they went to work. Here are a few examples:

Here's the loom, which I love! (and it's sitting on the project that I used to learn to crochet 20 years ago).
My daughter (9) crocheted an edge around most of them. I think we have about four more to finish edging and decorating. She and my two older sons (8 and 5) did the felting.

We plan to sew them together, crochet an edging, and give a small lap blanket to Grandma on Christmas. What a fun project!

Danish Earflap Cap, fiddlehead mittens

2009-12-21T15:23:00.004-05:00

Sophia's fiddlehead mittens, all finished and blocked, and it turns out they may fit her for this year! She's very proud of her work! Oh, and that's Bristol from A Piece of Vermont, in September and Romantic, a lovely combination.
Here's the hat she made for Dad's birthday--Lamb's Pride bulky, to match the sweater I made for him. This was her first colorwork pattern, and she did it in about 2 days in September.
And Here's the Danish Earflap Cap from Hats On! by Charlene Schurch (I'm quite sure that's not the spelling. I used Brownsheep Naturespun superwash worsted. It was a fun knit and I especially love the top of the pattern, which it turns out, looks just like the white space in the snowflakes. So cool!
Here's the top. I learned to make a lanyard braid for this project, which was fun.

For the last day or so I've been working up charts for a lace piece that I'm designing, and I think that got Sophia going. She decided to make one of these hats, but using her own charts. I'll show you what she comes up with. she's already done the lining and earflaps and has attached the lining to the outside of the hat. She's really coming along.

Isis, again

2009-12-18T08:46:00.002-05:00

I went to knit night last night and was able to photograph Isis, pattern from BadCatDesigns, along with the lovely shawl pin I won as a prize in the Seasons Of Lace KAL. The Shawl Pin is from Kathy at the Shawl Pin Store. It is just lovely, and looks very nice with this shawl. The shawl is going to live in London, but the pin is staying with me!

Veil of Isis, blocking

2009-12-17T15:46:00.002-05:00

Here she is, all 1675 yards of her, in Lisa Souza, fingering wool, in Mother of Pearl. If you click on the images to enlarge them, you might be able to see the incredibly subtle colors in this yarn. When you look at it, it's almost as though you are seeing after images. This lady measures 56" straight across, and 70" diagonally. the most important skill needed for knitting this is sticktoitiveness.

And the second sock is finished!

2009-11-24T19:17:00.002-05:00

Here's my sweater, all finished. I took a cable pattern from a sock I knit recently, changed it a bit, and worked it up in a raglan with a 3/1 rib. I love the color, I loved knitting every stitch. I messed around with the upper body quite a bit as I worked, so it has its flaws, but that's okay with me. I'm going to knit another, hopefully soon, in yarn from the Midnight Sheep. And I'll fix all the flaws in that version. You can click on the images to see more detail. I am very happy with this one. The yarn is Traveller in Abu Dhabi, from the Sanguine Gryphon.

Fiddleheads and other things

2009-11-16T14:21:00.003-05:00

Sophia's unblocked first mitten ever.
A scarf, on and off the loom yesterday, in CTH Alpine Lace, 13x72"

Our fiddleheads. You can see the difference gauge makes. My mitts are right on for the large size in the pattern, hers are much smaller than the smallest size. Too small to bother with a lining, thank goodness, since I had agreed to knit those..
Nice puffy blocked mitts with liners inside.
Clearly, I fiddled around with the lining, too.
Prelining.
I love the wrong side of stranded knitting.

Queen Silvia Shawl, finished.

2009-10-09T11:38:00.004-04:00

Before blocking:

Blocking:

After blocking:

Another project finished. The cute one is still in the works, but coming along nicely, thank you. He's the divine comedian, if you happen to know my boys' names.

Since finishing this project I have cast on for another version of The Clovers, and a pair of socks in Eidos--Paraphernalia again. A really fun pattern. I'm hoping to get through these projects quickly and get on to my own newer designs again. I also really need to be knitting sweaters for the kids and myself. I have to stop getting into these swaps, fun and motivating as they are. . .

Lilac Leaf Shawl

2009-09-10T15:11:00.003-04:00

This is the Lilac Leaf Stole pattern from Knitted Lace of Estonia. I have worked it as a scarf. Not too bad. The yarn is Fino from Alpaca with a twist. Alpaca silk blend. I am relieved with how it turned out, even though I know that to my eyes alpaca always looks yucky when you're knitting it!

Photos at last; some lovely yarns

2009-08-05T20:35:00.003-04:00

Crochet hook beading stands, made by Dave Paul at the Merlin Tree.
Cashmere silk laceweight from the Midnight Sheep, in Verdigris (custom dyed).
Alpaca, silk, cashmere laceweight from The Yarn Side, in Sligo. (custom dyed)
Merino Laceweight from The Midnight Sheep, in Sligo's Dream (custom dyed)
Cherry Tree Hill Orenburg lace mill ends, one in a ball, the other stretched out to its full unswiftable length.
Pomatomus socks in Sheepaints silkbamboo , in Weizen
Pomatomus socks in Sanguine Gryphon Kypria, A Fateful Plan
The Norwegian Boatneck sweater, a test knit for Donna Druchanas's Ethnic Knitting Discovery.

I love how the inside mirrors the outside, and I love how the facings hide the steeks. this is going to be one super warm sweater!And the Lamb's Pride Bulky, while really too heavy for me to work with now, is just so soft. My hands are not happy with me for all the bulky weight knitting. Now I am full time on my friend Helena's Queen Silvia Shawl, a pattern from Knitted Lace of Estonia, which I am knitting in that Orenburg Lace shown above. I've completed the first pattern repeat. Only 20 more. Helena is the dyer behind the Midnight Sheep yarns pictured above. Aren't they gorgeous?

Sorry for the lack of links, I'll get there, but I have just accepted another huge work project for this month, so I'm back up to three at a time. I'll try to add them later. In the meantime, look up the Midnight Sheep at etsy.com. You'll see some lovely things there!

A thinking knitting blog

2009-07-14T21:52:00.002-04:00

So, I have not been blogging here much for months. Just using the blog as a place to deposit the too many errata in The Clovers pattern (sorry all), and sometimes list knitting projects. Okay. Well I have problems with photos. We do have a digital camera, and sometimes the batteries are not dead, so I take photos. Then they sit in the camera until I remember to ask my husband to uplad them, which sometimes takes days. Eventually I can post photos. And people seem to want photos.

But I'm not going to work to provide them anymore, because it just isn't going to happen. Reality is what it is. I've never been attached to photos in the first place, after all. I'll just get to it when I get to it.

In the meantime, I'll try not to be boring, but I'm going to use this blog as a place to think a bit. Maybe about knitting, maybe about what I'm reading, maybe about the family. I'm just putting this out there to allow myself to come back to the blog. It's been kind of lurking in the back of my mind as something I have to deal with. Either that or delete the thing.

I have worked countless hours over the last several months, and that doesn't look like it's going to change, so I have to do some serious ordering in my family and knitting life.

Okay, recently a terrific thing happened as a result of this blog, which is why I can't just give it up. Someone read my list of Literary Muses over there on the side and had read some of the same authors! I can't say how long I've waited to meet someone besides my brother who had read Eco. I'm just delighted because I can be pretty cynical about the whole "community" metaphor for the Internet, which is after all a network. But it is possible to make human connections via that network. Rare, but possible.

More Photos

2009-06-16T12:34:00.002-04:00

Close up of the Laminaria.

Anniversary socks, in Sanguine Gryphon Eidos, Justice.

Fintan, reading his letter from Spiderman.

And wearing the hat that Aunt May (aka Queenmamajen) made for him because he is such a good boy.The Woodsmoke sock, Anne Hanson's pattern, a sample knit for Gwen at The Craft's Meow, to be shown at her booth at the sock summit. So I will be there in spirit at least.
This is her Ice Cream Sundae yarn, in Butterscotch. Yummy!
And the finished Laminaria:

The Clovers--errata--help

2009-05-03T14:19:00.016-04:00

A note on The Clovers, including errata and some explanation on the Clover stitch:

1. rows on charts 1--4 should all be even numbered, beginning with 2
chart 1: rows 2-80
chart 2: rows 82-98
chart 3: rows 100-122
chart 4: rows: 124-152

Until you reach the edging chart, all pattern rows should be even numbered, all odd rows are uncharted. ETA: You should end with a WS row before beginning the edging chart. Thus the Small size ends with row 123 and the large size with row 153 before proceeding to the edging.

2. In rows 106 and 124, the last stitch in the repeat section should be highlighted. The highlighted stitch should be knit in every repeat but the last, when it should be a ssk. In other words, work the ssk in the last repeat only.

3. In chart 4, the last row, stitch box 2 should be knit 2 tog. Stitch box 38 should be ssk. Box 1 and box 39 should be gray squares: no stitch. The total stitch count at the end of this row should be 303, not 311.

4. Edging chart: row 11, stitch boxes 18 and 19 are incorrect. 18 should be a yarnover, and 19 should be a knit stitch.

Sorry about the errors and I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Sylvia

Notes /clarifications:

Notes on the edging: Please note that the edging chart shows the edging as it appears from the right side.
That is, the blank squares are knit on the right side, and purled on the wrong side.
The squares with dots are purled on the right side and knit on the wrong side.

Also, when you work the edging, you will no longer be dividing the shawl into four sections. Just work the chart repeat across all the stitches.

ETA: It is easiest to work the edging pattern if you place your stitch markers at the purl column, and not at the beginning of the chart repeat. It's just easier to keep track that way.

Finally, the chart is an attempt to represent the knitting as it will appear in the work. In row 7 there are two yarnovers side by side. In row eight there are five stitches positioned above the two yarnovers. This means that those five stitches are to be worked into the two yarn overs. That is, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1 into the loop made by the 2 yarnovers, and continue across the row.

the stitch count changes in each repeat from row to row. Here is a list of the stitch counts: row number on the left, stitch number on the right:

20 15
19 15
18 17
17 17
16 19
15 19
14 21
13 21
12 23
11 23
10 19
9 19
8 21
7 18
6 16
5 16
4 16
3 16
2 16
1 16

[In each pattern repeat, you increase 2 in row 7, inc. 3 in row 8; dec 2 in row 9, inc 4 in row 11, and then dec. 2 in row 13, 15, 17, and 19.]

Also, here are some notes on the Clover Stitch:

The best way I can describe the first motion of the stitch is that it is exactly like casting on a stitch using the cable cast-on:

instead of putting the right needle between the first and second stitches on the left needle, you put the right needle between the 7th and 8th stitches on the left needle.

You wrap the yarn around the right needle as if to knit, and pull through that "loop" or "stitch," which you then place on the end of the left needle.

Now you knit 2 together in the normal way.

There should be six stitches on the needle that have been "wrapped" by that loop you pulled through and knit together with the first stitch.

Work them as follows: K1, sl1, k2tog, psso, k2.

This results in a 2-stitch decrease, from the 7 original stitches to 5, which is why the "bar" in the chart covers only 5.

The 2-stitch decrease is balanced by the yarn overs on either side of the bar (Don't forget to work a yarnover before doing the "bar" ). So in effect you start with 7 and you end with 7.

I do hope that helps!

Seasons of Lace Prizeand small knit items

2009-04-25T19:49:00.006-04:00

The beautiful blue--it really does seem to flow like a river--the colorway is River Run, also the name of the lovely pattern. The yarn is Almaza, tencel, which I've been interested in trying. The beads are a deep purply blue irridescent and this looks like one fun project. The kit is from Just Our Yarns. Thanks so much to Just Our Yarns, and to the prize maven at the Seasons of Lace. I feel so lucky!

Other things I've been working on: My merino silk cardigan is only one sleeve cap away from done--as far as the knitting goes. Then blocking, seaming, and figuring out exactly how to finish it.

Smaller projects I've made up over the last two weeks include:
toddler socks knit in Jojoland Rhythm/
Entrelac scarf in Jojoland Rhythm.
Crochet cap in Misti Alpaca Handpaint Bulky. Gorgeous yarn, gorgeous cap, but it doesn't look right on me, so I also made:
Lamb's Pride Bulky crochet cap. This one suits me very well. I love the shape and the color is flattering.
I also started a pair of cute pink socks for Sophia, which made Dante wonder when I was finally going to make this. The wooly crown cap, in the adult small size. I don't think I have ever knit a pattern as written twice, not even my own pattern. I left out the bobbles on this one because I'm going to let Dante have fun decorating it. More on that later. I also was too lazy to go upstairs and get some yarn and a crochet hook for a provisional cast on, so there is an unsightly line between the brim and the points. Well it may be unsightly now, but I realized that would happen, and that's what made me think of my decorating idea. So it was my laziness that inspired what is going to be a really cool crown. When he gets to it. Seven-year-olds are busy!

Purpleheart Vermont

2009-04-13T19:57:00.003-04:00

Yes, those are crochet hooks,the smallest ones all loaded with five or six beads ready to go. My friend Dave Paul, from the Merlin Tree made this for me. I love it! The hooks are far enough apart so you can easily grasp an individual hook. The holes are big enough for all of the crochet hooks I would use for beading. And there are eleven of them. That's up to 66 beads loaded and ready to go at one time. Fun! Dave will be at Maryland Sheep and Wool and at Rhinebeck. He makes and sells the Hitchhiker spinning wheel, and he also made me a lovely hand spindle.

I finished a pair of socks this week. Make that two pairs of socks. And last week I finished Miriam's skirt, and it is gorgeous. But can I show it to you? No. I was unable to do photos or to wash and dry it properly (don't have a washer or dryer). So I'll get photos from Miriam one of these days. I've finished a sleeve on my cardigan, and am working on an entrelac scarf for Miriam, out of Jojoland Rhythm. It's my first try at entrelac, and it's going just fine.

So that's the knitting news. Designs are in the works, but I have to finish a couple of projects before I'll allow myself to cast on for a more complicated project.

I have found, though, that simple projects go a long way toward maintaining sanity. Thus, I was able to knit a pair of toddler socks Sunday, while I was watching the toddler. That works for me.

The Clovers Pattern available at Sanguine Gryphon Fiber Arts

2009-03-16T21:15:00.006-04:00

Isn't this a lovely photo? This is the sample of The Clovers that I knit for publication--it is slightly different from the first version. It is available for sale at the Sanguine Gryphon:

The yarn is for sale at her yarn/fiber shop, where everything green is on sale this week. The pattern takes one skein of Little Traveller for the small size, and two for the large. If you have not checked out her site, check it out this week. SanguineGryphon.com

Musings

2009-03-09T23:32:00.003-04:00

On Patterns:
Today I posted a new pattern, the Royal Crown Hat, on Ravelry, and sold one within the first five minutes. I had someone test the pattern, and she was so kind:

"In reference to the pattern, anyone should be able to do this pattern. It's well written and if you follow the directions as written, it will be no problem at all. Flawless. Just read it.
This was a fun knit and I am sure will be a huge hit with little kids or even bigger kids too.

Thanks for letting me test it. I wish all patterns were this clear and easy to follow."

Here's her hat:

As you can tell, I'm feeling pretty good about that right now.

So I decided after not working very much tonight to try and link the pattern to my blog with a Paypal button hosted through Ravelry. And it worked. And then I decided to create a list of my patterns in the sidebar, with links to those entries that have the "buy now" button in them, and that worked too (see the new gadget over in the sidebar?). It remains to be seen whether actually purchasing a pattern from here works.

On Books:
I'm reading a wonderful book, Magnus, by Sylvie Germain. It is in French, and I don't know if it's available in English, but if it is I would really really recommend it to anyone who recognizes the author over there in my list of Literary Muses, and especially Umberto Eco. I just realized that I need to add W.G. Sebald to that list. And anyone who has read Sebald should read this novel, even if they have to learn French to do it.

Why those authors? Because this is a novel that explores memory, and the construction of memories, both individual and cultural. And the horrors of World War II in Europe play a big part of that. I am just starting on this one, but Germain had me within five pages. Magnus is the name of a teddy bear that belongs to a five-year-old boy who lost his memory to a terrible fever and whose mother builds his memory again by telling him stories. There is an incredible moment early in this novel when the boy's father's occupation is revealed in a subtle and devastating way.

On baby and knitting:
Last musing. . .for tonight. I've been doing a lot of knitting lately, and a lot of it is happening as I drink coffee after breakfast or dinner, with my youngest next to me at the table doing his puzzles or coloring. It's been quite pleasant actually, he's developed his own words for my knitting. "Orie" is for "orange," the color of the socks I knit for my mother-in-law, but it also appears to mean "socks that mama is knitting," even if they're green (like the socks I'm knitting for dada). "Row" is what mama has to finish before she'll do what Gavyn wants. But this is the part I love: The other day he was in my lap as I quickly checked a few blog updates (not my choice, but his father came in and dumped him on my lap). Every time he saw a piece of knitting he said, "Row," with a big smile. And he said it again, and again, and again. Well he's two now, you know how that goes.

Wooly Crown Hat, pattern available

2009-03-09T23:00:00.002-04:00

Wooly Crown Hat pattern, $4.00 US
materials: Lamb's Pride worsted from Brown Sheep.
sizes: baby, toddler, child, adult small, adult large

Here's another "buy now" button. Hey I feel like a kid with a new toy. How does this work? It's a paypal button that links you to paypal and Ravelry, so that you can download the pattern after you pay. You can also go to Ravelry to buy this pattern, and the one in my last post, and there you can get yourself a cart!

I've written the Crown hat pattern for worsted weight wool, in five sizes, knit in the round with bobbles. This pattern is a bit more refined than Sophia's Crown hat, and I love it. Here the child size is shown on a toddler and on a four-year-old. It also worked on a seven-year-old, but only for dress-up or a spring hat, not for a warm winter hat. But the larger sizes will obviously take care of that!

Royal Crown Hat, DK, pattern available

2009-03-09T20:02:00.005-04:00

Royal Crown Hat pattern, free! link in the sidebar!
materials: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Select DK weight, 1 skein, 360 yds
sizes: preemie, baby, toddler, child, adult small, adult large

Remember this? My Royal Crown Hat, knit in the round in DK weight yarn, and written for six sizes.That makes three. And see that little "Buy now" button?

Now I'll have to start collecting my patterns over in the sidebar. Isn't life grand?

I'm still waiting for photos to post the other patterns that I hope will become available elsewhere soon.
Crown cap, DK
Originally uploaded by 2Sligo