Just a few more rows for Grandma's shawl, and then I'll have to send it out to Illinois. Three skeins of Kidsilk Haze on your lap is so amazing. And I have another three in a taupey colorway that are waiting for the right pattern, perhaps Wing o' the Moth.
Confession: I ordered some yarn in my first group buy from 100purewool. Very exciting! I chose some bulky Corriedale for a hat project (Undyed, Springtime, Ocean, Rosado, and mmmmmmm Celeste - that last one might be for me), a skein of the merino laceweight in blue knots (now that Handpaintedyarn no longer seems to offer their laceweight merino) for some sort of shawl, some of the worsted merino in Sky for a sweater for me (top-down raglan, I think, with ribs, perhaps), and a couple of skeins of the worsted in Pasionaria for a Minisweater.
Luckily, all that will take a while to get here so I can work on some stash busting: Fetchings for me, a ribbed hat for Peter, and a sweater for Isobel, I think. Then there is that Hourglass Sweater in Schaeffer yarn to think about. And the Slouchy Cardigan from Greetings from Knit Cafe in ??? What yarn? They used Twisted Sisters Alpaca, I think. Maybe Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca & Silk? I heart that yarn.
Oy, I still have all that boucle calling out to be a sweater, but I'm going to have to write up a pattern and do schematics and measure for that one. I should figure it out though and get started.
Did you catch that? My knitting book diet was blown. I bought Greetings from Knit Cafe after talking about the Slouchy Cardi with a friend. And there are a couple of other things in there worth making: the Alpaca & Silk Beret, that lacy mohair shawl, and a few others I'm spacing on. It's a nice book
26 January 2007
25 January 2007
Fin
The sweater was dry enough to wear yesterday, so I closed it up with a vintage sparkler from my great aunt and went to work and Knit Night in my creation. I'm very pleased with how the sweater turned out, though I still need to figure out a permanent closure solution, as the pin had pulled on the points of the sweater by the end of the day.
Knit Night was fun, and I finished my second square for the blankie - as mentioned earlier it was a Van Dyke lace pattern that looked like little hearts. Just a little twinge after knitting with the cotton again. I think it might be a summertime fiber for me. Man, I'm getting old.
Have you seen the preview for the new Interweave Knits? I think I'll buy this issue! Socks from Eunny and Grumperina, some great-looking sweaters from Stephanie Japel (Glampyre), Kate Gilbert, and a beautiful shrug from Pam Allen. Where to start?!?
I'm wearing a long-sleeved shrug I knit up over the holiday break today, but I think it needs alteration. It's basically two rectangles (well, I did increases every so often). Each is one skein (165 yds) of Handpaintedyarn's Merino Bulky (six-ply). I kept the stitches live at the end of the first one and then Kitchener Stitched it to the second (good practice). Some ribbing at the cuffs, and I seamed up from each end about 15". Easy, peasy. But it does this bulgy thing around my shoulder blades. I'm thinking of picking up and knitting a ribbed collar/hem around the opening, since I have another skein of yarn. Oh, I really like the colorway (Paris Rose), though they don't seem to have it in stock any more.
I'll write up a shrug recipe when I figure out what more needs to be done on this one. They're dead easy and can be done a few different ways (knit a big rectangle and sew up from either end to make sleeves, knit in the round and then flat and then in the round again, Kitchener two rectangles together or do a three-needle bindoff).
P.S. Jill (and anyone else looking for help on installing a sweater in your cardi), check out Bonne Marie's zipper tutorial!
Knit Night was fun, and I finished my second square for the blankie - as mentioned earlier it was a Van Dyke lace pattern that looked like little hearts. Just a little twinge after knitting with the cotton again. I think it might be a summertime fiber for me. Man, I'm getting old.
Have you seen the preview for the new Interweave Knits? I think I'll buy this issue! Socks from Eunny and Grumperina, some great-looking sweaters from Stephanie Japel (Glampyre), Kate Gilbert, and a beautiful shrug from Pam Allen. Where to start?!?
I'm wearing a long-sleeved shrug I knit up over the holiday break today, but I think it needs alteration. It's basically two rectangles (well, I did increases every so often). Each is one skein (165 yds) of Handpaintedyarn's Merino Bulky (six-ply). I kept the stitches live at the end of the first one and then Kitchener Stitched it to the second (good practice). Some ribbing at the cuffs, and I seamed up from each end about 15". Easy, peasy. But it does this bulgy thing around my shoulder blades. I'm thinking of picking up and knitting a ribbed collar/hem around the opening, since I have another skein of yarn. Oh, I really like the colorway (Paris Rose), though they don't seem to have it in stock any more.
I'll write up a shrug recipe when I figure out what more needs to be done on this one. They're dead easy and can be done a few different ways (knit a big rectangle and sew up from either end to make sleeves, knit in the round and then flat and then in the round again, Kitchener two rectangles together or do a three-needle bindoff).
P.S. Jill (and anyone else looking for help on installing a sweater in your cardi), check out Bonne Marie's zipper tutorial!
23 January 2007
IMOndays
Coming up in the next few weeks: Yarns in the Farms, Windsor Button, and Arbella Yarns.
Check in with Purly in Gloucester for all your Greater Boston area yarn shop review needs!
Check in with Purly in Gloucester for all your Greater Boston area yarn shop review needs!
Dry, already!
Still not dry.
Still. Not. Dry.
Well, as of dinnertime last night, anyway. I couldn't bring myself to check it this morning. It had better be dry tomorrow or ... I'll just ... have to wait. I want to wear the sweater tomorrow to Knit Night at Yarns in the Farms, even though I haven't figured out how I'm going to close up the cardigan.
I'm totally obsessed with ribbon ties on sweaters at the moment!
Jenna Adorno's Tempting - cute and easy
Rowena from Knit 2 Together
Oh mah gawd! How adorable are tenlittlefingers's coats?!? Wow. Be sure to check out the white jacket in the sold items. Adorable! And she's in Paris, no less. Le sigh
So, how could I do ribbon closures on this cardigan? I think I'd probably have to add a buttonhole band or crochet on some loops (now that I'm so proficient at the crochet edge) for attaching the ribbon.
I'm also obsessed with Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk. Lustre! Color! Silk! Alpaca! Oh, my pocketbook.
Still. Not. Dry.
Well, as of dinnertime last night, anyway. I couldn't bring myself to check it this morning. It had better be dry tomorrow or ... I'll just ... have to wait. I want to wear the sweater tomorrow to Knit Night at Yarns in the Farms, even though I haven't figured out how I'm going to close up the cardigan.
I'm totally obsessed with ribbon ties on sweaters at the moment!
So, how could I do ribbon closures on this cardigan? I think I'd probably have to add a buttonhole band or crochet on some loops (now that I'm so proficient at the crochet edge) for attaching the ribbon.
I'm also obsessed with Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk. Lustre! Color! Silk! Alpaca! Oh, my pocketbook.
22 January 2007
IMOnday: Seed Stitch, Salem, Massachusetts
Shop: Seed Stitch
Location: 10 Front Street, Salem, MA 01970
Telephone: 978.744.5557
Website: seedstitchfineyarn.com
Hours: OPEN: Tues-Sat: 11-5PM, Thursdays: 6-8PM (Community Knitting)
Payment: Credit Cards Accepted
I visited Seed Stitch for the third time on Sunday during their big sale. Apparently, they're moving a few doors away some time soon. Their current space is sort of long and narrow but full of light, which is good for the shop but not for items displayed (very attractively) in the windows. They have a long project table down the middle with chairs all around, sort of refectory style, as well as a couple of comfy chairs up front by the windows.
Most of the yarn is on shelves on either side. Some skeins of sock yarn are displayed on dowels, and a pile of Mmmalabrigo is in a cool cart thing on the ground. They stock Cascade, Rowan, Jo Sharp, J Knits, Malabrigo, Debbie Bliss, and a few others I'm blanking on right now. They also have little bags of colored roving, a decent needle selection (Addis and Brittanys for the most part). Victoria, the owner, is very friendly and personable, and she has a handful of employees.
While it's not the sort of place you're going to settle in to for the day, it is inviting and airy. The project table gives you space to figure things out, and I imagine it's a good set-up for a class. Be sure to check out the website for the class schedule. The book selection is pretty good, though most of them are spine-out on shelves, so you sort of have to know what you're looking for. Perhaps some are out on the project table when it isn't laden with sale yarn.
The first time I went there, I had Isobel in tow, and the space proved to be quite child-friendly. The open space would even accommodate a stroller, though you'd have to get it up one (two?) step(s) to get in the door - the charm of old Salem, dontchaknow.
The Art Director says, the logo for the store is colorful (chartreuse green and purple) and eye-catching. I like the font choice, having used it for our wedding paper trousseau back in the day. My only concern is that it's not the easiest thing to read, though it's not very difficult. It's elegant and a little different, which is good.
Overall, Seed Stitch is a new-style yarn shop that should satisfy most knitters (no fun fur, folks).
P.S. Can you believe I didn't buy anything at the sale? I walked around with some DB Astrakhan in my hands for a while but couldn't figure out what to do with it, since it's similar to the HPY Boucle sitting at home. I think I was still in Alpaca Sweater shock and not really ready to find the next big thing.
P.P.S. I'll let you know Seed Stitch's new address as soon as I know it.
Location: 10 Front Street, Salem, MA 01970
Telephone: 978.744.5557
Website: seedstitchfineyarn.com
Hours: OPEN: Tues-Sat: 11-5PM, Thursdays: 6-8PM (Community Knitting)
Payment: Credit Cards Accepted
I visited Seed Stitch for the third time on Sunday during their big sale. Apparently, they're moving a few doors away some time soon. Their current space is sort of long and narrow but full of light, which is good for the shop but not for items displayed (very attractively) in the windows. They have a long project table down the middle with chairs all around, sort of refectory style, as well as a couple of comfy chairs up front by the windows.
Most of the yarn is on shelves on either side. Some skeins of sock yarn are displayed on dowels, and a pile of Mmmalabrigo is in a cool cart thing on the ground. They stock Cascade, Rowan, Jo Sharp, J Knits, Malabrigo, Debbie Bliss, and a few others I'm blanking on right now. They also have little bags of colored roving, a decent needle selection (Addis and Brittanys for the most part). Victoria, the owner, is very friendly and personable, and she has a handful of employees.
While it's not the sort of place you're going to settle in to for the day, it is inviting and airy. The project table gives you space to figure things out, and I imagine it's a good set-up for a class. Be sure to check out the website for the class schedule. The book selection is pretty good, though most of them are spine-out on shelves, so you sort of have to know what you're looking for. Perhaps some are out on the project table when it isn't laden with sale yarn.
The first time I went there, I had Isobel in tow, and the space proved to be quite child-friendly. The open space would even accommodate a stroller, though you'd have to get it up one (two?) step(s) to get in the door - the charm of old Salem, dontchaknow.
The Art Director says, the logo for the store is colorful (chartreuse green and purple) and eye-catching. I like the font choice, having used it for our wedding paper trousseau back in the day. My only concern is that it's not the easiest thing to read, though it's not very difficult. It's elegant and a little different, which is good.
Overall, Seed Stitch is a new-style yarn shop that should satisfy most knitters (no fun fur, folks).
P.S. Can you believe I didn't buy anything at the sale? I walked around with some DB Astrakhan in my hands for a while but couldn't figure out what to do with it, since it's similar to the HPY Boucle sitting at home. I think I was still in Alpaca Sweater shock and not really ready to find the next big thing.
P.P.S. I'll let you know Seed Stitch's new address as soon as I know it.
Block Around the Clock
Finito! I did a single crochet around the hem, neck, and edges on Saturday. I tried doing the crab stitch (backwards single crochet - thank you so much, Carolyn, for helping me figure it out!), but it was such a pain and didn't seem to add anything to the finished product. I crocheted around one sleeve and am, apparently, a tight crocheter, so I pulled that out and am leaving the sleeve edges alone for now. I also tried crocheting a little scalloped edge, doing a crochet one, chain three, then crocheting the second stitch (skipping one stitch), which I think I picked up from Annie Modesitt on Knitty Gritty Episode 408, though looking at the page on DIY, I don't think I did it right. Oh, well. It was sort of cute but fussy and kind of a pain. The single crochet firms up the edge, and I think that's enough.
Blocking is like boiling water: a blocked sweater never dries.
I washed it Saturday night after doing that crochet edge and am still waiting for it to dry - hopefully by tonight.
While washing the cardigan, the yarn gave off a little bit of dye and looked more lavender than I had thought while working with the yarn. Maybe it's the bare bulb in the bathroom (267-year-old houses are the ultimate WIPs) or knitting in the dimly-lit Keeping Room. I should compare the yarn to my Pantone books. Hold on... I'm going to go with PMS 214-7 (25% Cyan, 10% Magenta, 0% Yellow, 0% Black). But the lighting here in the office is a little whacked.
So, I'm back to working on Grandma's Shawl (and should join the KSH KAL, no?) and may have exacerbated my carpal-tunnel syndrome doing a couple of squares for a baby blanket in Blue Sky Alpacas Cotton that a bunch of us at Yarns In the Farms are doing together. I'll be fine. But my first square is too small, and I charted and reverse stockinette-stitched a letter on it. My second one seems to be the correct width, and I'm doing a Vandyke stitch from a Mon Tricot stitch dictionary that looks like lacy hearts. But it's on stockinette, so I'm not so sure it's a good idea. Guess I have to check with the gang to see if the blanket should be reversible or if we're not going to line the back or what.
Speaking of KALs, there's a handy list here, and I'm tempted by the year of sweaters but don't know if I'm enough of a joiner.
OK, back to my real job. Watch this space for yarn shop reviews! IMOndays coming your way...
Blocking is like boiling water: a blocked sweater never dries.
I washed it Saturday night after doing that crochet edge and am still waiting for it to dry - hopefully by tonight.
While washing the cardigan, the yarn gave off a little bit of dye and looked more lavender than I had thought while working with the yarn. Maybe it's the bare bulb in the bathroom (267-year-old houses are the ultimate WIPs) or knitting in the dimly-lit Keeping Room. I should compare the yarn to my Pantone books. Hold on... I'm going to go with PMS 214-7 (25% Cyan, 10% Magenta, 0% Yellow, 0% Black). But the lighting here in the office is a little whacked.
So, I'm back to working on Grandma's Shawl (and should join the KSH KAL, no?) and may have exacerbated my carpal-tunnel syndrome doing a couple of squares for a baby blanket in Blue Sky Alpacas Cotton that a bunch of us at Yarns In the Farms are doing together. I'll be fine. But my first square is too small, and I charted and reverse stockinette-stitched a letter on it. My second one seems to be the correct width, and I'm doing a Vandyke stitch from a Mon Tricot stitch dictionary that looks like lacy hearts. But it's on stockinette, so I'm not so sure it's a good idea. Guess I have to check with the gang to see if the blanket should be reversible or if we're not going to line the back or what.
Speaking of KALs, there's a handy list here, and I'm tempted by the year of sweaters but don't know if I'm enough of a joiner.
OK, back to my real job. Watch this space for yarn shop reviews! IMOndays coming your way...
19 January 2007
Convergence
When three people from different parts of your life mention something within 24 hours, it can feel kind of spooky. Have you seen the Subway Knitter's CharlieCard Mittens? My colleague mentioned them yesterday (hi, Marissa!). My dollface, ex-pat, London-living girlfriend sent me this link this morning (hi, Suz!). And my dear LYS co-owner sent me the link to Colleen's blog just now (hi, Jill, and Carolyn, who sent it to Jill!). Whew! If only I took public transport to work. But I'm an evil driver these days, since it would take twice as long to commute if I rode the T (and be more expensive due to the recent fare hikes).
Anyway, I'd checked out Colleen's blog some time back, as she's a New England Knits gal, and I'd thought about joining that ring (I may yet do it).
Anyway, I'd checked out Colleen's blog some time back, as she's a New England Knits gal, and I'd thought about joining that ring (I may yet do it).
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