Ten years ago today I got off the plane with my toddling daughter and a couple of suitcases to begin a new life in a new place. Who knew that after all the ups and downs of my previous life, I would find my way (back) to this man, so that we could build a complicated, challenging, wonderful life together. Grateful to be #tenyearsanewyorker . . .

Ten years ago today I got off the plane with my toddling daughter and a couple of suitcases to begin a new life in a new place. Who knew that after all the ups and downs of my previous life, I would find my way (back) to this man, so that we could build a complicated, challenging, wonderful life together. Grateful to be #tenyearsanewyorker . . . #iftttkd via Instagram http://bit.ly/2A8iJ3y

Pattern: Urchin Plumes

Urchin Plumes 

by Kathleen Dames

US$6 on Ravelry (no account necessary)


What to do with six gorgeous tidbits of color in Backyard Fiberworks kits? Use them ALL, of course! By bringing together Garter Stitch sections of one-ridge stripes with thick stripes of Urchin Plumes lace, you get the best of both worlds in a cozy cowl in two sizes, depending upon just how cozy you want to be.

Urchin Plumes lace is provided in both charted and written form. If you are new to lace, it's a great start because you only work the pattern every fourth row. If you are experienced with lace, did you notice that this is really Ostrich Plumes? I couldn't resist changing the name to align with my favorite shade in the Dove in a Plum Tree kit from Backyard Fiberworks. Which of the six delicious shades is your favorite?

What you'll love about knitting Urchin Plumes

• A chance to put one of those gorgeous kits to good use (or 400/800yds of your favorite sock yarn - this is a great pattern for stash diving and using up your favorite leftovers)
• Satisfy your lace knitting urge, then balance it out with a bunch of garter stitch
• Finishing is quick with just two short seams (and a bunch of ends to weave in - I tried to come up with a clever solution for this, but there's just no good way around it)

What you'll love about wearing Urchin Plumes

• Wear your cowl long for drama or short for warmth
• Show off two delightfully different textures in one piece
• Large cowl can be worn as a shoulder wrap, too

Sizes

42-inch circumference, 7 (14)-inch depth. Shown in smaller size.

Materials

Backyard Fiberworks Dove in a Plum Tree kit: 400 (800) yds/100 (200) g total of fingering weight 100% Merino wool

• A: Urchin 66 (133) yds 
• B: Hosta 66 (133) yds 
• C: Plume 66 (133) yds 
• D: Dove 66 (133) yds 
• E: Ume 66 (133) yds 
• F: Walnut 66 (133) yds 

US3 29-inch circular needle (or longer to accommodate a large number of stitches) or size needed to obtain gauge
Stitch markers
Tapestry needle

Gauge

24 sts x 48 rows = 4 inches in Garter Stitch
16 sts x 32 rows = 2 1/4 x 3 3/4 inches in Urchin Plumes after blocking

Thanks!

Photography: Nick Dames

Technical editing: Corrina Ferguson/Picnic Knits

Everything you need to create your own beautiful Urchin Plumes is provided in the professionally designed (by me!) pattern. Instructions to create small and larger versions of the cowl plus charted and written versions of Urchin Plumes lace are included.

The Sweater Collection

The Sweater Collection: Year One is now available on Ravelry as an instant download ebook for $20. Use the button below to purchase your copy today. The collection includes:

• The Sweater with Kathleen Dames podcast episode guide
• Solstice Cardi - the Season One pattern
• Purly Pullover - the Season Two pattern
• Basic Cable - the Season Three pattern
• Premium Cable - BONUS Season Three pattern*
• Advice on customizing your sweaters
• Tipe & tricks
• My favorite techniques

All this is packed in a 24-page, 8x8-inch (20cm square), full-color book that will easily slip into your knitting bag. Of course, that's the print copy I'm referring to. Want to get a copy?

Print copy + shipping

US customers $24.00 USD  Canadian customers $26.00 USD  International customers $30.00 USD

 

If you previously purchased any of The Sweater patterns, you will be credited that amount when you purchase the ebook on Ravelry (their system is clever like that).

The Sweater Collection: Year One 

ebook $20 on Ravelry (no account necessary)

Thanks so much for being part of this sweater knitting adventure!
xoxo, Kathleen

*While podcast followers were knitting along on their Basic Cable sweaters during Season Three, I knit up Premium Cable to show & tell all the techniques we discussed. This pattern has not been available until now.
**Print copies will ship out as soon as I have them in hand (est. late June 2017).

Pre-order The Sweater Collection: Year One

The Sweater Collection: Year One

The Sweater Collection: Year One contains:

• Episode guide to the first three seasons of The Sweater with Kathleen Dames
• Solstice Cardi pattern
• Purly Pullover pattern
• Basic Cable pattern
• Premium Cable pattern
• Advice on customizing any sweater
• Tips & Tricks to improve all your knitting

The print version is full-color, 8 x 8 inches, 24 pages, printed on an HP Indigo commercial printing press. There is a lot of good stuff packed into this little $20 book.

ETA Click here to order your print copy.

After you purchase your copy using the button below (choose your location from the dropdown menu), I will gift you the ebook version on Ravelry on June 15th and ship your print copy as soon as it is in my hands.

Not into paper? I understand. The e-book version will go live 15 June 2017. Subscribe to The Sweater newsletter to be notified.

Thank you so much for being part of The Sweater with Kathleen Dames!
xoxo,

Solstice Cardi

Purly Pullover

Basic Cable

Premium Cable

Moths: a 15-step plan (ugh, why so many?!)

Wednesday on YouTube, I chatted with you about my moth infestation and shared all the bits I gleaned while fighting the good fight in Fall 2016 when I discovered clothes moths in my wool zone (now the studio space). Today I present you with a plan. Fifteen steps sound like a lot (and they are), but this is what it takes. Remember: there's no time like the present.

Do you have moths?

I hope you live a moth-free existence, but having suffered through an infestation in 2016, I'd like to share my 15-step plan for getting rid of them with you. I wish there weren't so many steps, but what can you do?

How to cope with clothes moths

1. Identify the little jerks. If you see little flying, dun-colored creatures with raggedy wings, I'm afraid you've got 'em. Since they look similar to pantry moths, though, see if you can narrow down your "hot zone". Kitchen/pantry? Most likely you've got the food-oriented variety, and I'm not going to be able to help you much. Near your stash/closet/dresser? Let's go!
2. Contain everything ASAP. While this may seem like a good time to start culling your herd, I actually recommend sealing up everything, then dealing with your precious woolies methodically. If you start sorting and pondering what to keep and give away now, you're giving those little jerks more time to spread out. Time is of the essence!
3. Put out some moth traps to get a clearer picture of where exactly your hot zone is located.
4. Extreme temperatures are your friend. Does it drop below freezing where you are? Put your containers where the cold can permeate for a few days (at least). Also, cycling through freezing and thawing a few times can help - the little buggers get tricked into coming out of dormancy, then you kill 'em. Alternatively, heat will kill a bug dead. Pack your containers in your car and park it in a sunny spot on a hot day. If your climate isn't cooperating, consider the mini-versions: your freezer or oven. (Caveats: man-made fibers should NOT go in the oven, though I did not have a problem with wool-nylon blend sock yarns; do your research on safe low-oven temperatures for your non-animal-fiber yarns - I don't have many in my stash, so those are still just in a container; if you have a frost-free freezer, it may not get cold enough - I don't have experience on the cold side since we live in an NYC apartment and are lucky to have enough freezer space for ice.)
5. Thoroughly inspect your darlings after treatment. I rewound ALL of my yarn. This served two purposes: checking the yarn for damage (I only found a few skeins that had been eaten, and the breaks were very obvious) and shaking out any dead bug detritus.
6. Now you can get rid of stuff! Toss anything that's been eaten. Toss the stuff that you didn't remember you had. Toss the ugly and the scratchy. Toss the stuff you always intend to knit up for charity - if you haven't done it, you're not going to do it. Acknowledge the fact that almost all of us have more yarn than we need. If you have inspected yarn, found it clean, and don't want it, do consider donating it to a worthy cause. Anything that you toss needs to leave your home immediately. Bag it up and get it out. Same goes for all your cleaning materials at the end of every session.
7. Clean the container and put your inspected yarn back in it. All of my stash yarn now lives in individual zipper-lock bags - I don't love the plastic, but I adore the peace of mind. You can't put it away yet because you have to clean the place where the potentially infected yarn lived.
8. Vacuum every inch of the yarn home, especially underneath and behind. And by "yarn home" I mean containers, furniture, and room(s) where you store your yarn and woolies. Moths love pet hair and feathers (down pillows and vintage hats, I'm looking at you), and they are happy to live in tiny crevices under your furniture or between the floor and the baseboard. Gah! After vacuuming, wipe everything down with white vinegar, since the eggs are susceptible to an acidic environment. Even (especially) wipe down the vacuum after emptying it at the end of each cleaning session.
9. Be methodical, meticulous, and thorough. I know, it sucks, but peace of mind is like gold.
10. Remember that clothes moths love dark, quiet places to lay their eggs, which then hatch into fiber-eating larval monsters. If you can, store things behind glass or open doors and drawers regularly to let light and air in (and to see if any of the little buggers fly out).
11. Consider deterrents like cedar, lavender, etc. as just that: deterrents. They work by confusing the moths' "noses", which are always on the hunt for lady moths (the dudes) or deliciously smelly places to lay eggs (said ladies). "Smelly" as in containing body oils or just being composed of delectable animal fibers. None of those lovely herbs and spices will kill moths or place an impenetrable force field around your stuff, but they will confuse 'em, which helps.
12. Do not use moth balls. They are toxic to pets and children. They smell gross. They are no better than the aforementioned herbs and spices.
13. Wash all of your beloved woolies or send them to the dry cleaners if that's how you roll. You should always do so before storing them away for the season anyway. Rinse with a 50/50 water/vinegar mix to destroy any eggs that may be tucked away. Dry thoroughly. Good old-fashioned sunlight is your friend. This is especially important if you plan to store woolies in air-tight containers. You don't want to deal with mold or mildew on top of moths. I can't even.
14. Store your lovelies carefully. Cedar chests are fine (see #11) as long as you maintain them with semi-annual sandings to release the oil. If the container is not fragrant, it's not any better than a plastic bin and may be worse if it is not tightly-joined. My out-of-season sweaters and such will be stored in Sterilite plastic bins until I need them again in the Fall.
15. Check on everything regularly. Store things (yarn, sweaters, whatever) in small containers to mitigate any future infestations. Quarantine any new thing that is lucky enough to be stash-worthy. Consider shifting from a SABLE (Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy) mindset to an "acquire yarn for a particular project and knit said project right away" method of working. Constant vigilance!

Links

I'm sure there are more good resources out there, but these are the posts and products that helped me. (There are no affiliate links here because I'd rather share the info here with you and get back to the business of knitting and designing than fiddle around searching for links that probably wouldn't amount to much.)

• Julia wrote an informative post on her blog Moth Heaven
• Simpler Thyme's shop on Etsy - where to buy Moth Beware and refresher oil, handmade soaps, and muslin bags (for containing MB while allowing the aroma to permeate your woolies)
• Side note: On Simpler Thyme's own website, they also sell George's favorite catnip - I always stock up for him at NYS&W.
• Red Handled Scissors had one of the most informative posts about actually dealing with an infestation.
• These are the pheromone traps I bought.
  Remember: traps are only a warning system to let you know that you HAVE moths. They will help a little in abatement insofar as the males fly to the traps, get stuck, and die, rather than finding the female moths and mating with them. But they will not eradicate your problem.
• And I'm about to order some replacement strips to put in the trap boxes. Some customers on Amazon haven't bothered with the trap boxes and just put the strips out. YMMV.
• Tasha's post is informative and has cute (well, as cute as can be when we are talking about moths) illustrations.
• I used these Sterilite bins for initial containment and, after a thorough pickling with white vinegar, as storage in my studio.
• Get your white vinegar anywhere, but get the cheap jug from the bottom shelf. Then you won't feel badly about spraying liberally and everywhere. The pickle smell dissipates very quickly. Don't forget paper towels, big trash bags, and a bottle for spraying that vinegar.
• There will be a second post about my IKEA supplies soon.

I hope this information is helpful, though I hope you never need it.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and happy knitting!

xoxo, Kathleen

YouTube: Prepare your knits for storage and protect against MOTHS

MOTHS: Protect your knits -- LIVE podcast

Audio from the YouTube Live podcast 5/25/17...

Join me LIVE to discuss preparing your woolies for their summer's nap. I'll share my moth-fighting story from the end of last summer (now that the trauma is ten months behind me), plus lots of painful lessons learned.

 

Apologies for the naughty word late in the podcast, but moths are the worst!

Check out this episode!