Reading & Knitting

This blog is for a Yarn Along started by another really cute blog called Small Things. Every Wednesday we are to post/blog/Instagram our knitting project du jour and what we are reading! Sounds so fun.  

My two favorite pastimes- reading and knitting. Put it together with a cup of tea and that's my definition of Nirvana! I used to just read a book. Then I started years ago crocheting those huge round afghans with Lion's Homespun yarn- not the bulky one. Lionbrand- Patterns-Kew Gardens Afghan It would take me months; but by the time I finished they were 6' round. I made about 6 of them- purple & blue, fall browns & oranges, blues and teal.

  Then a couple of years ago I visit a good friend back East who is an expert at knitting and I watched her do The Lucy Hat in a day. Ravelry-Lucy Hat.

 And I remember how much I loved knitting in college, so I started again, and I took off. This was it! I just found I loved the rhythm of creating something by knitting and then reading. My books lasted longer too- which was kind of nice. I didn't rush through books I loved and I got something accomplished in the meantime. I have found the more I love the item I'm knitting- the less I get reading done. At the end of the day I'd stare down and realized I had read maybe a handful of pages,

My current knitting project is Wool & The Gang's Fearless Cardigan Ravelry-Fearless Cardigan. Check out my previous blog- Lovelyyarnescapes- The Sumptuous Sexy Fearless Cardigan.

I'm also working on a prayer shawl for myself out of Lion's Homespun. Ravelry- The Original Prayer Shawl. I hope to get some Lion's Homespun in Blue Chunky this weekend to start a prayer shawl for my Mom- she's in a home for Alzheimer's and turning 80 this month. She loves the color blue and it should be comforting.

The Sumptuous Sexy Fearless Cardigan

I just got my beautiful Crazy Sexy Wool from Wool and the Gang in London, England. Oh it's so lovely! A beautiful blue called Sherpa Blue.

 

So I'm off knitting again something new. Last night I finished my REALLY long scarf- sans a fringe, I like it as it is- LONG! And I'm tucking in stray loose yarns as I read, plot my knitting course on my new project and get settled to start. (With the occasional foray into my book of the moment and sips of tea). 

I ordered the kit for The Fearless Cardigan few weeks ago after drooling and sighing over the pattern and pictures of the Crazy Sexy Wool for over a month. The wool is pricey, but after looking at the package deal with a pattern that included 4 skeins of wool (I got 5 skeins- an extra skein because I want to make my cardigan larger), really nice Maple #50 Wooden Needles, a sewing needle, and it comes all prettily boxed up for me- I realized it was less expensive as a packaged deal. I'm also aware that real %100 wool will last decades as opposed to the cheap soft acrylic, or acrylic blends. Which while I find fun to use- they won't last the way %100 natural fibers do. So after a winter of soft but only partial wool yarn I wanted to treat myself to REALLY good yarn and this pattern with it's unique knit from the side I just couldn't resist. Another factor in it's favor is Spring is around the corner and I didn't want a project that would not see my shoulders for a long time, this is meant to be fast! Everyone says it'll take a day. Now that I have everything I'm trying to stretch out the experience so to enjoy it. Blog it. Get it on Ravelry. Ravelry-Crazy Sexy Wool Fearless Cardigan Cuddle the stuff a bit (OK- I REALLY appreciate getting something SO fine- it's really a treat for me.)

So here's The Fearless Cardigan-

I had originally found this pattern on Pinterest through another Blogger. Pinterest is such a blessing with all the ideas and patterns that are there for the picking. And being able to read about the knitting experience from another blogger- priceless. My older generation never had anything like that! And now there are tutorials to help someone to knit. We just plodded along decades ago. I taught myself in college in the early 80's with the help of one very lovely craft book from McCalls. It's since been lost- but what a treasure trove I would of had if I had the internet! So this is the original picture that caught my eye from GGMadeIt-

I love her post- GGMadeIt-Blog-the Fearless Cardigan

I'm consulting her suggestions and a few more on the Ravelry site as to how to make this garment bigger. The original must of been on a very slim women and they don't quite close in front. I want mine long and able to wrap around me! So I got the measurements from the company by e-mail (the customer service is great at Wool & The Gang- quick response.) So they said "“The measurements for the fearless cardigan are as follows: 48cm/19” width across body, 70cm/27.5” body length, 38cm/15” sleeve length." 

So the sleeves can be made longer by adding rows (according to GGMadeIt). To add length to the garment I'm going to add about 2 additional stitches (about 2 inches). Also (blogged by GGMadeIt) I'm going to add more rows to the body so it fits a wider body. Starting with GG's suggestions: " I knit 23 rows on each sleeve and on the body section because I am wide I did 13 rows." But getting the gauge right is really important. One Ravelry member mentions the real importance of the gauge in this project. She had to knit loose. So doing my gauge is the next and really first step today and just getting my hands on this gorgeous soft stuff!

 Friday- Just started working on the gauge with the #50 needles, which I've used before, but I'm finding it hard to get a loose enough gauge for this sweater. So I'm ripping out the gauge swatch and I'm going to try and get a real relaxed open style. Lately I've been reading about the meditative qualities of knitting and maybe I need to just loosen up and drift off into the peace of my stitches. So I'll update my adventures with this wonderful wool as my project grows. Today, hopefully, I'll get the proper gauge down and start.

 I also tried to hunt up #5o circular needles locally (because they are suggested by other knitters on Ravelry who worked on the sweater for when the wide part of the body is on) but I can only find them online. Etsy has a lovely pair (and I like to support cottage industries) I might order- even though it'll probably arrive too late. Unless it's too frustrating because I'm increasing the stitches- so I might have to pause and wait. We'll see. I'll use them at some point anyways.

Etsy-US size 50 wood jumbo knitting circular needles

My husband David & I spent a Saturday hunting up material and tools to make our own wooden circular needles. Not exactly the most cheap route. By the time we finished my husband had some lovely new toys to work with wood and I kept on thinking- Oh no- maybe I should've just ordered the needles online! But he will love his woodworking toys and I'm sure they will be special needles! So I was kind of dragging my feet starting my Fearless Cardigan so he could get those needles done, but his work kinda gets in the way. So I better forge ahead and make do and just scrunch those stitches onto the needle! I figure if we can get enough photos of the project I'll blog a DIY on how to make the Wooden Circular needles. I'm hoping we can make 3 different pairs of #50 at 3 different lengths for large yarn projects: cowls, sweaters, and hats.

Ok- It's the next Saturday (March has arrived!) and David got going early making my first pair of circular knitting needles #50 29" length. I'll blog another post on detail & pictures later. I'm waiting on the glue to dry and hopefully within a few hours I can use them. I'm going with au natural for the moment to see if they patina with use and the natural oil in wool.

So I got one sleeve done. I seemed to keep getting sidetracked adding advertising this week and doing a Pizza Night Blog! Savory & Sumptuous Blog- Friday Pizza Night!.  My sleeve is done and I did 25 stitches to bring it down to the very edge of my hand and a tiny bit over. I like being warm. Come to Colorado in winter- you'll understand! But of course we have very unpredictable weather and today it is warm as toast making one think of spring. But I hear it's supposed to snow on Monday. It can snow here till April. So back to that sleeve- I think it's going onto some yarn as a holder and I'll start the other sleeve. I love doing things in tandem- that way I'm more likely to make them alike. Then I will have my super lovely new circular needles to use! I did beg and ask how long I have to wait but my husband just mumbled something about it being cold out side and needing to bring it into dry. And I'm thinking- can I make them dry faster by staring?

So technical difficulties- the cat started eating the glue and licking my needles held in a vice! Then he pulled the string out! Grrrrr I guess my needles aren't vegetarian- the glue is from cow hide. So my husbands going to guard it while it dries.

My new circular needles-

March 12th- after Midnight and I have been happily knitting away with my new circular needles. Adding rows here and there figuring the cardigan is tight or too short on others. Now that I have half of the cardigan done and bound off I am reminded of two important facts- one I am only 5' 1" and the other is gravity has a way of pulling on heavy stitches! Ok- I haven't had a lot of experience on sweaters. I did a few before the kids (the ones that are 20 now). So I'm ripping out back to the end of the arm. I obviously didn't need to add those 2 rows on. I'm borderline petite and feeling it right now. So kinda back to the drawing board. The 2 added rows in the back do work out nicely and tomorrow I'll take a good look at the front panel because I added 2 rows to that so it come closed in the front. I'm kinda relieved- I had been stuck with a yarn change right at the end of the front edge, right before bind-off. I backed up to hide it in the body some, but it was a little bulgy there and I didn't like it. It's alright to have a re-do and get it right. I've finally got the hang of my homemade needles and I don't mind starting the body over- sigh.

My yarn is %100 wool, but Wool & The Gang offer Alpaca yarn and Alpaca mixes with wool and I just couldn't resist the Alpaca picture from their site:

Alpaca Attack!

January Grey's- Making a Scarf & Hat to Reflect My Mood

     Every month & season to me has a pallette of colors to represent itself. I change my dressing habits to reflect this and re-arrange stuff in my house also. To me January is a month of serenity & clean, quiet beginnings, where you re-think your life, your priorities. It's a re-start button for me- so white is my first choice of "color" (or the absence of- perhaps almost like a blank canvas to re-start on). Greys are the next stroke of color- a wide range of differing hues. And this reflects the mood outside- grey skies when it snows and the bare trunks of trees against a blue Colorado sky. To me not a depressing array of greys, not even somber- perhaps serious & restful.  To me grey skies are a day to rest and reflect internally- to pause. An interesting fact about grey is it is often used on museum walls because it shows off the colors in paintings the most. Perhaps I am comfortable with grey because I grew up in New Jersey where grey skies are so pervasive. Now that I live in Colorado a state of perpetual blue skies (not that I'm complaining) I at times can really appreciate that grey  & wooly looking sky when it does come.

                                                                       

     So my expression of this month's pallette in my clothes are beautiful black drapey tunics I found at a second hand shop (my favorite place to find recycled clothes). Layered with grey or off white or cream drapey light sweaters over black or grey stretch pants (I need to make these lovely black slippers I knitted once- next on my to do list, maybe). I do wonder if anyone gets bored with my sameness of color choice, and yet it reflects me- and my mood.
                                                                       

And in keeping with this theme I am knitting a lovely scarf in a Mistake Stitch- Easy Mistake Stitch Scarf. A very easy and lovely stitch that involves making a rib 2 x 2 and then because it is in pattern of an odd number of stitches the "mistake" is made when you knit and purl back on the  other side- knitting one stitch off from the perfect rib. It's lovely, semi-quick- lots of back and forth between knit and purl, but relaxing in the rhythmic sort of way of knitting. No looking at the pattern after awhile because of it's simplicity. 

I love this Grey variegated "Scarfie" wool by Lion Brand Scarfie Yarn in Cream/Black and it shows off the contours of this lovely stitch.

I intentionally bought 2 of these skeins (carefully matching lot numbers for color with my husband David's help- he found the exact match and it really makes THE difference in this yarn). So each skein should make a whole scarf- but I know 1) I like my scarves really long and drapey and 2) I knew I might be doing a rib of some sort where a good bulk of the yarn is "eaten" up by the pattern itself. It uses more yarn to achieve the stitch, but it also gives more loft and depth and therefore more of a snuggly feeling and warmth. This is going to be one warm and soft scarf. So while I have plenty to finish a long scarf I began to realize (and dream & conceptualize) that I would have a lot of leftover yarn to make.....hum...got me thinking. 

I think I have found a lovely hat to knit. I wanted one I could use a circular needle  and this is knit flat, but I like the design and I'm thinking I might be able to start on straight needles to make the brim and then switch to circular needles to do the rest of the hat and later sew up the brim side left open. I'll have to try it- the stitch is a repeat of a lace design of  "* P 2 tog, 1 YO *", so I'm thinking that on the every other row I must "* K 2 tog, 1 YO *" and I'd be all good. I've knitting almost 35 years on straight needles, but I will confess I am still somewhat a newbie to circular needles. I envied my daughter's ability to whip up things on circular needles and have been trying to forge ahead in that area, only to discover I much prefer the rhythm and ease of knitting that way. But I'm still working out the basic how to's of the process and if the pattern isn't written out for circular needles, I'm going to have to learn how to convert it- probably easier once done.

Here's the hat pattern and I'm REALLY tempted to get my hands into before I finish the scarf (I've been pushing all week to finish). So I'm about to start the new skein and if I want to I can continue to knit from the center core of the skein on my scarf and start the hat from the outside of the skein. Literally- tackling a project from both ends. Bohemian Rhapsody Hat

I'll blog on my progress & some update pictures later!

Of course it's a little late at night to start a pattern- but I can't resist! So I just found a size 10 circular needle  and I'm excited to start! It's meant to be knit flat on straight needles, but I'm going to plow ahead and see how I do! It's a 2 x 2 rib to start (and yes I know I'm suppose to do a swatch but I'm skipping and going ahead.) If I don't get a decent result I'll frog it! (Knit speak for rip it out!).

OK- so I did frog it! But for very good reasons- after two attempt I realized I just didn't like the flimsy feel of the knit or the lacey pattern (perhaps better done in a true wool) but it wasn't working for me.  So I actually started another pattern for a hat and the cat frogged it for me while I took a walk. I came back and my husband told me the cat had taken the ball of yarn and whatever I was working on for a spin!  I should've taken the hint from the cat. After another go- I REALLY looked at it and realized I didn't even like the yarn done in tiny little seed pearls for a large brimmed hat. Great design, wasn't working. So onto my third pattern and we will see!

Ravelry Patterns-simple hat

Lionbrand-Simple Hat

And I'm about to take my daily walk and I've hidden my knitting- my scarf is looking gorgeous! Pictures when it's all done.

I'm very pleased with my results. I added 1 more inch to the first part of knitting the hat base (before decreases), so it was 10'' long when I started decreasing (instead of 9'').

2/21/2016- My hat is finished and I'm still working on the loooong scarf.

2/25/16- Finally Finished!

Elizabeth Zimmerman's "Nether Garments"

                                                                     

     Looking through Elizabeth Zimmerman's patterns yesterday on Ravelry I was really taken with her pattern for tights (footless or not) named Nether Garments. Worth a look at all the different variations posted on the project site connected to- http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nether-garments---adult-september.
                                                                       




                                                                         

     I'd love to make a pair and learn how to create patterns like this, Fair Isle Knitting (something I haven't learned). Perhaps I'll make it a birthday present to myself in July, that might give me enough time to finish them before cold Fall and wintery days. Fun to try! Here's a few how to sites on knitting with color-How to Knit in The Round With Color, Vogue Knitting- Fair Isle Knitting, and Fair Isle or Stranded Knitting.
           
                                                                       

                                                                         

I'd need a soft wool and this looks fun, affordable and has many lovely colors- a Peruvian Wool- Wool of The Andes. Which is supposed to be soft and durable- made of a Peruvian wool that is " A sturdy yet soft yarn with excellent stitch definition and heirloom durability. Peruvian sheep are a cross between Corriedale (for the sturdiness) and Merino (for the softness), producing a strong fiber with an excellent softness quotient for a wide variety of uses. " Knit Picks                                                                                                                                   

Wool of The Andes (Knit Picks)

                             
     Sometimes I just like to dream in color of all the possible knitting patterns I could do. It lifts my heart. Possibilities & Dreams are wonderfully beautiful, giving hope. Dreams worked out- even better.

                                                                                                 


                                                                     

A Seed Stitch Cowl

I'm playing around with different cowl patterns in Seed Stitch and Moss Stitch to determine what pattern to create. I know I want to use Lion's Wool-Ease- Thick & Quick Yarn Wool-Ease Thick & Quick. It's easy to use, has a lovely selection of color, user friendly (you can wash it easily) and it's affordable. It also works up well with large needles- with lots of texture. The "Quick" part also is a boon- making it possible to make a garment within a day or two.
                                                                         
                                                                           

I already had Barley Wool-Ease and I'm quickly whipping up this cowl on the left- 2 Simple Snoods Pattern in the Seed Stitch pattern. So far it's lovely and going up fast, but I don't know if it's fast enough for a repeatable knittable to sell. I love the texture of the seed stitch, but I'm thinking I'd like a larger more defined stitch with #17 or #19 size needles (I'm using a #15 circular needle now). But this is still lovely in itself and I'm finishing it!


Pictures & Comments to follow.

Detangling Seed Stitch vs. Moss Stitch- Exploring Different Knitting Patterns

                                                               Seed Stitch- December Seed Stitch Infinity Circle Scarf

      I find myself de-tangling the different knitting patterns for what I had thought was called the Seed Stitch.  Now with further research I find there are several differing patterns from Seed Stitch to Moss Stitch and then to complicate things there is an American Moss Stitch, a British (which seems to me to be our Seed Stitch) and an Irish.  So as I'm trying to decide on my cowl-to-be's stitch, I find I'm getting a headache trying to get the names straight!  But I will plod on.......

                    The difference between British Moss Stitch and American Moss Stitch Moss Stitch    


     So basically the top one is what we know as a Seed Stitch in America- K1, P1 first row and then the reverse the second row creating lots of bumps or seeds.  It is also referred to as British Moss Stitch.
     The second picture is the Moss stitch- American Moss, Irish Moss or Double Row Seed.

                      

Seed Stitch

                                                                             Here's the Seed Stitch done in a 2 + 1 pattern on a flat knit so when it's knit on the second row you knit the same pattern- Seed Stitch.

To knit the Seed Stitch on circular needles you have to change it a bit, here's instructions: Seed Stitch on circular needles 

Moss Stitch

Here's another explanation of the Moss stitch or as they call it a Double Row Seed Stitch or Double Moss Stitch  or American Moss Stitch, or Irish Moss Stitch:

Moss Stitch

I like this setup for American Moss stitch better:

American Moss Stitch

(Over an uneven number of stitches)
• Rows 1 and 4: K1, *p1, k1; rep from * across.
• Rows 2 and 3: P1, *k1, p1; rep from * across.
• Repeat Rows 1–4 for pattern.

Different Seed Stitches (this is a Moss Stitch)

And the Irish Moss Stitch I am still trying to figure how it's different from the American.  I suspect that from a European point of view there is the English Moss Stitch which is a single row of "bumps" vs. the Irish Moss Stitch which is the double row.  So essentially the Irish Moss Stitch is no different than the American Moss Stitch.

Irish Moss Stitch- St. Patrick's Day Knitting

To confuse the issue many patterns online refer to their pattern as being done in the "Seed" Stitch or "Moss" stitch interchangeably- not referring to any nationality and making the issue murky.  Of course who is to say what is the official name for which stitch?  For instance this lovely cowl is described as a "Cosy Moss Stitch Cowl", but technically it is seed stitch in a super bulky yarn.  Even if the definitions & technique is searched out on google the result will be an identical definition for both types of stitches.  For clarity sake I like to know the differences, especially when reading patterns.  Regardless of the term used in a pattern look closely at the picture to visually detect if there are 1 row of stitches, repeated; or two.  Then do that!

Cosy Moss Stitch Cowl CMS Cowl Pattern (really done in seed stitch)

A Knitting Epiphany

You know I was looking at my mitt/gloves I knit for my son Jonathan and I realized no one sees the strings that used to pop out everywhere that I so carefully and meticulously weaved back in (making sure they didn't create a bump or show). Hours of weaving in. Or the times the fingers were too short so I tore them out part way to re-knit the perfect length. Or the countless times I made a mistake and had to "frog" part of it and start again. And it dawned on me- a mini-revelation or epiphany - we see & know all the problems, the traumas, our mistakes, our weaknesses; but when it's all over God will hide them all away and we will look and be perfect! Isn't that a wonderful thought! I need a lot of tucking!