How to do it better-

This is the "knitting that must not be named" that I worked so hard on before Christmas. I used Elann's Highland Bulky and size 10 needles.

I thought really hard about the things that need to happen to make this pattern more knittable. You can find the pattern in VK Winter 2003/2004. I thought the point of being a pattern designer was actually having people make and enjoy your designs. No one ever intended a soul to knit that top up the way it's written.

1) Chart the patterns. There are only a few that you actually need to do. This is a sanity saver. I was struggling on the collar, and pissed off about frogging it for the 3rd time....I went back and counted, and the pattern covered 49 different stitches without taking a breath. No wonder I was struggling.

2) Knit it in the round. The pattern is intuitive when you are on the right side, but the P2W and PTBL locations aren't clear when you are working on the back side. Having a right and wrong side made it unnecessarily difficult. I knit the neck in the round. There comes a time where you have to just knit reasonably. Maybe make it 2" longer, too.

3) Every other row is wrong on the point slope. If you are working in the round, you can see the error, but it's not easy to catch when you are working front and backs. I wrote VK but they did not respond. If you work in the round, just compare the instructions to what's actually happening.

I don't think I am an expert knitter, but I am a competent knitter. I can't believe that after all that, the designer wrote a chart out to Swiss darn!! Can we take it any farther over the top?? Crazy talk!

Oh, and sharp needle points are NOT this yarn's best friend....too snaggy. My life got better when I switched from Balenes to bamboo.

PS-if you want the real deal, search my blog for "knitting that must not be named"

Tamnalysis

The LAST project of 2007. I finished it in time, I just have to take a photo of it ON someone. It's still a little wet, and a little large....and it figures that buffalo doesn't felt, so no fulling the fibers to take up the slack.

Ah, what the hell, this is what I made out of one ball of expensive buffalo laceweight, dyed with KoolAid and knit double. I was hoping I could knit one double stranded and one single stranded out of that yarn, but I am not so sure that can happen. BUT I am sure I can't get hat two done before the deadline, and both hats need to be 100% buffalo for the competition. So the pressure is OFF for hat two. It can be what I want!

I had an AHA moment with this project...one of the normal methods of reducing the crown is reducing once on each point (6 stitches decreased) every row. OR, you could do 12 decreased every OTHER row (one decrease on each side of a fixed point every other row). I had a big deal moment where I decided (remember, I have fine yarn and a 14 stitch repeat to deal with, so I have a ton of stitches to decrease down) to do twelve stitches EVERY OTHER ROW...and the trick part was that I decided to alternate my decrease points from decrease row to decrease row. It sounds insane, but what I GOT was a diamond star on the back of my hat.

I'll post another photo later in the day. It will show better if it's not on the scanner! Two more photos, and I send in my submission.

Texas Two-step

A one:

and two:

Elann Highland Wool (4 balls) and Lion Brand Fun Fur (1 ball). Began 25 Dec, finished today! Fiber Trends Alpine Boot pattern. This project was "good stuff"! They are drying NOW!

These aren't for me....there's a January birthday in Colorado. Judging from the weather, I'll bet she wishes she had them now.

Just under the wire-

You might remember the Wren-Along from May.  I whined.  I complained.  But I knit the whole thing up like a good girl.  

Suddenly, here I am, days away from Christmas.  And I need to finish it up so I can gift it to MIL.  I had the Pfaff hour at my house, a little Euclann bath, and a little tumbling into the dryer (I wanted a denser fabric.) 

Here she is, done up in the Elann Highland Silk that DH bought me for Christmas last year.  Eight or nine balls, if memory serves me right.  Brooch from Burlingtons, about 5.00.  I am going for MIL points this year!

Fairy Sprite

Oh, looky! Pretty, isn't it? My summer secret knitting project is revealed! You can see it on Elann.com.

I had a few specific pattern tips--and Blogger is not letting me cut and paste. Dang it.

This can be a simpler to knit top-it's rated as expert, but really shouldn't be-it's knitted as a lace sampler, and everything is knitted in bands separated by stockinette.

1-On the sleeves, the pattern calls for 4 bands of stockinette, then starts a lace pattern AND the underarm decreases on the same row. Bad planning. It would be simplet to just do an additional 4 rows of stockinette and do the major decreases there.

2-Knit it double stranded. Judging from the yardage required for size M, I think they left that out of the instructions. I knit this in two balls of Elann Super Kydd on US 2s.

3-Knit the front and back concurrently, and work the sleeves concurrently.

4-The pattern tells you to cast off with an oversized needle. The knitter should cast ON with the same oversized needle.

5-The stitch counts worked on the bodice, but didn't mean a thing when you are working the main lace pattern in the sleeve.

6-Add a selvedge stitch to the sides.

Where we play with tams, lace and swirling Autumn leaves

I had to break out of Entrelac Jail this weekend. IWK has a great lace tam in the Christmas knitting issue. I cast on for it, looked at the chart and said "Shit, that's boring." I think part of the reason I love tams so much is the impromptu design opportunity, so I rummaged thru my Barbara Walkers instead.

In book two, there is a lace leaf border. I used it as a central motif for my hat. I dug out the tam formulas from an old IWK, and decided on a swirl top. I dorked it slightly, but managed to pull it out successfully. I was supposed to K2tog every row, right before each marker. Unthinking, I worked it like a wheel (every OTHER row) for about 10 rows, then had my DUH! moment. Oooops. It inadvertently added more depth. My hat is REALLY big. 'S ok, my DD has a big ol' head, it will be perfect for her.

I also paired eyelets with the decreases. Every fourth row, I worked a YO K2tog right after the marker, so it added a little laciness to the top.

Knit in Elann SuperKydd, double stranded, carried with a strand of CTH Suri Alpaca laceweight. I think I have enough to make a second hat.

Swatch-hitter

Here's a swatch of Van Dyke Leaf Lace from BW #2. I am convinced there is an error in row 24, because I had to fudge an extra stitch out of thin air three times in a row. This is easily solved by working SL1, K1, PSSO, instead of SL2, K1, P2SSO in that row. You will notice that early in the square, the leaf veins look different. I liked the look of slipping both stitches together at once, as if to knit. I think it looks very clean. Took me a while to figure it out.

And there's my boo-boo. And the fact that trying to knit anything of a particular size has me nudging in, not easing out.

Sigh. I like the stitch pattern. I think it would be BEAUTIFUL worked on sleeves.

A Tam 4 Afghans

I don't know why I love to knit tams. I just do. I don't even like to WEAR hats. I think I love them like other people like socks. Once you know how to do them, you can go on auto-knit.

Here's one for A4A. Nothing special, but I can see it on a little boy or girl with dark hair and flashing eyes. Of course, if it goes to a little boy it should just be pulled around his ears, or snatched off by an older brother. Hopefully, someone will be a little warmer this winter. The simple fact that this hat could go to a child of either gender made me pull back on design whimsy. I've read The Kite Runner. No one needs to get beat up. I avoided anything that smacked of florals! I wish I had jimmied the numbers a little to get an odd number of segments. I like those better.

It's been stressful around here lately. We've had espresso machine troubles for two days running, the car repairs are on my last nerve, and I had to call the credit union and complain today. I must be middle aged.

Sunday, I pulled up to the ATM and double checked my balance before heading out to Shopaholic Land (aka the outlet mall.) My savings account was low. Several thousand dollars low. Talk about killing my shopping buzz! I racked my brain-ID theft? Did I SPEND it? I was SCARED. As it turns out, I deposited a large check a few weeks ago. As customary, they held 2/3rds of it until it cleared. As it turns out, they were still holding it, but for no particular reason, other than the automatic clearing date did not trigger the transfer. Whew.

Bucking the trend~

Shhh. Don't tell the knitting world. I, a perfectly competent knitter, just made a hat in a NOVELTY yarn. And it was fun.

Yesterday, I got in two balls of Elann's Marrakesh. I ordered them kind of for the hell of it. I finished up my DenMknit 'spearmint, and it's waiting a spin in the washer. So I cast on for a hat.

Novelty yarns were the knitting industry's one-night stand 24 months ago. Since then, they've done the walk of shame straight into the bargain bin. And I don't know why. Sure, you only need so many GS scarves, but let's face it, it's fun to race thru a hat every so often. I don't want to knit 1300 yards of cables or lace for EVERY project. This is strictly playing!

I used a US size 5 circ (yeah, I know the ball band says 6mm, but I was trying to calm the yarn's long lashes) and one ball of yarn. There's a row of dropped stitch in there somewhere, but the fabric is so dense, it's tough to see. I have one more ball, and I will probably throw more dropped stitch rows in there.

I am thinking about crocheting up some kitty ears and sending it off to DGD as a fun fall hat!

Done that!

I thought I was making this in a much smaller size. What the hell, I never keep anything for myself anyhow, I'll keep this.

Here's the fabu Gwen top (notice the little end creeping into my jeans pocket?) seven colors/eight balls Tahki cotton classic, and a couple of skeins of embroidery floss. Knitted top down, in one piece. Hollaback!

Books....

Interweave Knits had their hurt book sale last month. I picked up a few books. Knitting books are really limited at my library. There's one 'learn to knit' compendium, 'A Knitter's Stash', and a cable book by Alice mumble-more that I could probably 'lose', pay 25.00 for, and sell on ebay for a lot of yarn money. Except that I've looked at it, and just don't lust after it. Usually, I have to order knitting books on inter-library loan, wait two weeks, and keep it for three. And it's a buck a day if it's late.

So I shopped the books at IWK with that in mind. In my first shipment, I got a copy of "Men in Knits: Sweaters He Will Wear." Ehhh. So I donated it to my local library.

Sometimes my library sells old treasures and donations for 1.00 if it's a duplicate, out of date, or whatever, so I was a little worried that this new book would end up in the for sale bin. Which would suck, because I paid more than that to ship it.

Another shipment of books came in. "Hip to Knit" or some such came as part of a set. That's a good beginner book. I won't use it. I took it over to the library, ready to donate it. But first, I cruised the needlework section. "Men in Knits" was neatly labeled and perched on a shelf. I beamed.

My library used to have three knitting books. Now they have FIVE! I feel very civic-minded today.

I also finished and sent off an unending project today. I am taking the 600 yards mileage credit, photos will show up later.

Baby Sir Prize!

I finished Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise for Enid's small guy several months ago. Well, almost finished, I had ends to tuck in, and edges to crochet. This past Sunday, the San Antonio SnBers came by to meet and greet the young lad.

We had a great time.

Unfortunately, the Baby Surprise fit His Royal Cuteness like a bathrobe. I think there are too many rows in the center segment, because the extra length gave the jacket a "PimpDeLuxe" air.

Let me call you

Sweetheart! This is a just a news photo, but I was captivated by this little guy's big heart!

In other news, I finished the Solista top from Schachenmayr 68. I am a bit 'ehhh' about it-somehow, the armholes aren't even, so I have a wee amount of stitching up to do, which is much better than unstitching, I suppose. I was put off by its boxy, matronly appearance, and went to try it on. I told DH it would look a lot better if I weighed 30 lbs less. He just laughed. I was generally satisfied with this top, and like the things this yarn can do. It patterns so regularly, it's easy to come up with imaginative uses for it. I used a smidge over 7 balls.

Lunchtime addition: Look at the HEART on the puppy's fur! I know you are so captivated by his cuteness, you are blowing right past it!

How I got my groove back-

It's been an entire MONTH since I finished anything. Dang. Last Sunday, I dragged my Berroco Air from the yarn vault, and sat down with the latest Cast On to make a vest. I HATED the stitch pattern...I thought it was entirely too much work for the product result. I tweaked it, and VOILA! My first F/O in a month. 'Bout damned time. I used four balls of Air, and it's for DMIL. I was going to carry Crest of the Wave lace all the way up, but with the arm and neckline decreases, I got my butt kicked. It was the first time I used an edging cast-off. I did a three needle bind off at the shoulders, but extended the garter edging around the back neck. It was pretty easy, and beats the heck out of casting on, picking up, standing on my head, or complicated finishing. I would do that again.

The good thing about a F/O is that it gets me revved up to make something else. Guess I should go do four rows of Wren, huh? That would surely dampen my enthusiasm.

Methodology:

4 balls Berroco Air, color Karma (brown/orange/green). Sized for a 12-14 P. Work it straight on a long circ, I used a 10, which is a 10.5 or 11 for the rest of the world. Gauge of stockinette-about 13 st per 4".

Cast on 127 stitches. DO not join, this is worked edge to edge. Slip the first stitch of every row.

Work the first 3 and last 3 stitches in G/S, and the middle in Crest of the Wave (BW 1). (I varied the garter ridge. ) When you have 4 (5 if you are not knitting for a petite) repeats done, start setting up for underarm cast off by putting in garter stitch at the underarm point..about 11 stitches. At the same time, start decreasing for a front V neck 1 stitch every other row (SSK and K2tog, as appropriate).

After you have 3 garter ridges at the underarm, and on a RS, work across, and cast off 5 at the underarm. Leave 3 stitches on either side of the cast off to work in GS as a border. Slow down the rate of neck decrease and begin decreases at both sides of the underarm cast off. I worked in this manner til I had about 15 stitches on each front, and about 45-ish on the back. When the underarm was deep enough (about 9" for a petite, more for avg or tall), I did a three needle bind off from the outside to the inside shoulder, LEAVING the 3 stitch front borders open. I worked a garter stitch (perpendicular?) border around the back neck, and ended when I came to the other three open border stitches.

So here you go....

Still getting an F in math...

Oh bother. I was merrily knitting away on a stitch swatch / washrag, and goofed it up. Dang it. I had it in my head that my pattern was 43 rows INCLUDING the 5 row borders. I was wrong. It was 43 row MINUS the border, so I have the pineapple motif jammed down on one edge, instead of anywhere remotely centered. But it's bound off, and I am not ripping it out. It has a fraternal twin that worked out a little better.

If you turn it sideways, it's a fish longing to get out of the tank.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled Wren-

I finished Kiri Beaded from Hell last night. I was praying for some blocking magic, because it didn't look like much. I dampened it, and laid it back out for the second scan, but I see a hard, pinned blocking in her future. In the present state, she's about 19" deep, and about 40" wide, so I would like to open her up just a bit more.

On beading....I was a beading virgin. Let's just say I shoulda stayed that way. In the amount of time I spent adding beads, I could have knit an entire extra ball of Pharao in the scarf/shawl. My take on the whole thing?

1) I shoulda used brighter beads. Pearl white, assorted pale pinks, and a few metallics didn't give me enough ooomph for my efforts. Subtley is wasted on dolts like me.

2) Adding beads by the stitch (vs. stringing the whole mess) is time consuming, but either you string en masse, or you string by the stitch. For precise color placement, "by the stitch" can't be beat. And you don't need to fiddle with "I need 15 blues, followed by 17 pinks" and that kind of stuff, which would make me crazier than I am.

Having said all that, I have a like amount of Kelly Green Pharao that is waiting for white fiberoptic beads. The freaking Swallowtail WILL happen. I am obsessed with that idea.

Weekly Wren updates-

Grace is chugging right along. She's got a back and both sleeves done.

Benne is to the underarm decreases.

I can start ball of yarn #2. Whew!

Project critique

This is what I was going for, and this is what I got. Not great, but not bad, either. I think office clamps might be in order.

LADY & EVE...the Wrap-up

Here she is, Lady Eleanor. Gosh, what a beautiful and brainless woman. (Talk about sapping my will to knit!) Nine balls (900 yards) Mr. Joe Sangria (two colors, seven of color A, two of B, mohair with rayon wrap, chunky weight) knit on 10s. Approximate finished size is 24" x 72". I dampened her down and put it on my sweater rack on the back porch, and just let it dry.

At least one person wanted to know what she looked like on the reverse side, so here's my obligatory shot. Nothing to wow you, but nothing to make you retch, either. The colors are truer in this scan than the outdoor shot.

I will undoubtably make another E, but I think I will go for wilder contrasting yarns. I also may knit this end-to-end, instead of crosswise. I think that side to side configuration actually makes her a duller knit! I did not fringe her. The fringe shown on the photo LOOKS cool, but I can picture it as something that will be a pain to maintain six months from now.

I know I said I planned to keep her, but stuff happens. My neighbor came in just as I was starting the top end triangles, and as it turns out, I think Lady Eleanor's name will change to Lady Eve, after her beloved mastiff, and my wrap will move a few doors down my street. I think it's the right place for her.

Enid came in to see me on Friday, and she brought her mom and the new fresh SMALLBOY! Oh MY! He is a little guy because he was a bit early (I just looked on her blog, her maternity ticker is still up, saying she has almost three weeks left!) with really long fingers-will he play piano or be a surgeon? He's so funny, because he looks VERY much like his older brother, and I can see BigGuy in Smallboy's week-old face.

Tamnesty International

Gosh, am I done with the tam-puns yet? No way! Gotta keep Joan and Marie amused!

Here's the rest of my Woolbearer's Ringspun and Elann Pamir. I worked to integrate BOTH colors on the side of the tam. I've found that in off-the-cuff two color work, I am pretty darned speedy when all I have to do is alternate two colors, which accounts for the stripe patterns on the sides. I was getting a little worried that I would run out of my main color, and wanted to spread it out a little. Good thing, because my ball of leftovers was the size of a hackysack.

I found that it was a little harder to make an interesting, pointy design when each segment contains an even number of stitches; an even number of stitches makes rounded designs imperative. It's still attractive, and I am happier with the overall integration of the two colors, BUT I think I'm keeping the first one. This one's off to Colorful Colorado.