Rainy Day Knits

Studio, Finished

2011-12-10T14:13:00.000-08:00

This was a long-term project. The rows and rows of garter stitch are perfect for long car rides and movie watching. I love Hanne Falkenberg's designs--her play with lines and construction is amazing, and fun to knit. Unfortunately, even though my Dacapo came out perfectly sized, for some reason I had a hard time getting the proper row gauge on this one. This sweater is knit in two halves. I knit the first half and found it would be too small, so I went up a needle size and knit the second half, thinking I'd then decide which half was the best one to keep, and I'd reknit a third, matching half accordingly. Interestingly, both first halves, while on different needle sizes, were nearly identical, so I finished the sweater using both and gave it to a petite friend. The coloring is perfect on her--I think it was meant to be hers from the start. Someday I’d like to reknit this in another colorway for myself (in a larger size!).

Drying

2011-07-18T18:08:00.001-07:00

Arch-Shaped Socks

2011-07-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

EZ's & Meg Swansen's pattern (Schoolhouse Press Pattern #2), 1.5 skeins of Wendy Guernsey 5ply, size 3.0mm metal dpns over 64 sts. The shaping of these is really wonderful--fun to knit and they hug the contours of the foot so well.

Drying

2011-06-20T19:27:00.001-07:00

Two-Color, Reversible Baby Brioche

2011-06-09T05:52:00.000-07:00

My friend Sarah has posted her notes for a two-color version of Baby Brioche. Go look, if only to see how adorable her Ada is. Sarah's variation is ingenious as it allows one to knit a garment for either gender (if you care about such things) and/or allows for quick costume changes. Thanks for sharing your notes, Sarah!

Stained Glass Bubble Mittens

2011-03-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

Meet the latest member of the Stained Glass Bubble family:

These colorful mittens, each wearable on either hand, are knit in the round cuff-to-tip and feature a doubled cuff for extra warmth and stretch. Like the other SGB patterns, the easy bubble stitch combines the look of two-color knitting with the ease and speed of only knitting one color per round.

The pattern is written for a range of sizes from child to adult.

Notes for knitting a fingerless version are included.

This pattern is best suited for intermediate or ambitious advanced beginner knitters.

The pattern is seven pages. The stitch pattern is written out (there are no charts) and the pattern includes links to on-line video and photo tutorials for certain techniques.

Yarns pictured are Noro Kureyon Sock and Louet Gems Super Fine fingering weight, 1 skein of each, both 14 wpi. Another variegated yarn could be used in place of the Kureyon, although it may not give the same finished look. Or pick your two favorite colors and go solid!

Gauge: 30 stitches and 52 rows = 4 inches in bubble stitch

Suggested needles: US 1/1.5 (2.5mm)

Sizes: Child S[Child M, Child L/Adult S, Adult M, Adult L]

At the above gauge,
~Length: 5.5 [6, 7, 7.5, 8] inches excluding cuff (or to desired length).
~Width: 3 [3.25, 3.5, 3.75, 4] inches (unstretched; measured above thumb & below fingers; multiplyby two for circumference).
~Cuff & hand length are adjustable.

The pattern sells for $6 US. If you are in Portland, Oregon you can pick up a paper version at Twisted on NE Broadway. Or, from the comfort of your own home, you can purchase the PDF either through Ravelry (search for "Stained Glass Bubble" or see my profile under sunnydayknitter) or here:

(Note: clicking the button above will take you to Ravelry's Paypal site. Ravelry will delivery the PDF to your email address. If you have any problems, please let me know! And I'd love to see photos of any Stained Glass Bubble Mittens, in progress or finished--please share!)

Huge thanks to my test knitters from the Free Pattern Testers group on Ravelry and to Stephannie Tallent (StephCat on RavelryTM) for tech editing the pattern. Many thanks to Vivian Aubrey for her gorgeous photographs, all pictured here.

Finishing a Doubled Cuff

2011-03-13T13:12:00.001-07:00

These instructions are to supplement the Stained Glass Bubble Mitten pattern, although the method can be used in any case where you are finishing a doubled cuff (whether for a mitten, sock, sleeve, etc.).

Begin with cuff worked to twice final length, with provisional CO sts at the bottom (in these photos, the waste yarn is dark brown and the provisional CO sts are light brown).

Fold cuff CO edge up into inside of the cuff and align the CO sts with those on the working ndl such that the ribbing is straight, not skewed. (Because you are looking at both ends of one ribbing, the CO edge as well as the sts currently on the working ndl, as well as both sides of one ribbing because it is folded in half, remember that a knit st at one end will have a corresponding purl st at the other end.)

Place a small number (10-25%) of CO sts (light brown) onto a provisional ndl and hold the provisional ndl behind and parallel to the working ndl, with both ndl tips pointing in the same direction.

You are now going to do what is akin to a three-needle bind-off, without binding off any sts: Working together one st from the front working ndl with its corresponding CO st on the back provisional ndl, *k2tog, k2tog, p2tog, p2tog* to the end of the round.

k2tog:

p2tog:

I prefer to leave the waste yarn in until I have finished joining the cuff edges. Removing it after the process is complete allows for the provisional CO sts to remain hooked to something; should something go awry in joining the two edges, the join can be easily undone with the provisional CO sts remaining safely on the waste yarn.

Here is a photo of the back side of the join, with joined sts on the left and sts to be worked on the right:

Cool Press

2011-01-13T20:43:00.000-08:00

After a rather too-busy week (and it's only Thursday), I was perked up this morning by an email from Sharon Watterson, who writes on all things knitting for the Providence, RI examiner.com. Here's her article on my Baby Brioche pattern. Cool beans--thanks, Sharon! Hope you are staying warm and snug in the midst of all that snow (send some back this way!).

Another Woolly Christmas

2010-12-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

My sister needed a new stocking for Christmas so I whipped up on large needles a long-favorited pattern of mine, the old Heart Crook which can be found in Anna Zilboorg's books Fancy Feet & Simply Socks: 45 Traditional Turkish Patterns to Knit. Given my sis's love of the Spanish language and Latin & South America, I tried to use bright colors although I kept to red & green for the braided cast-on and toe. The heel came out a bit big, but I figure all the better for holding extra loot!

I received several woolly gifts, two being a coin bank which is a hoot:

and a sticker for my laptop cover:

which can be found here. There are some really cool stickers out there, my favorites including the ones that incorporate the Apple logo such as this one.

And just for fun: hedgehog mittens (check out the sushi scarf while there), reflective woolen garments, and my favorite biscotti recipe.

Swedish Dubbelmossa

2010-12-28T11:02:00.000-08:00

For a long while I've wanted to knit one of Meg Swansen's Swedish Dubbelmossas (which can be found in her book Handknitting with Meg Swansen; her DVD on the pattern is also worth watching and knitting along to), so I made one for a Christmas gift this year. I used two total skeins of Icelandic Unpsun in the colors sumac and silver. I love working with unpsun--it is incredibly soft and I had it tear on me only twice throughout the entire project, both times because I wasn't paying attention and had the skein in a spot where it couldn't move (and with spit splicing, tears are easily fixed!).

Here is the hat at its full length:

And then with the bottom "toe" pushed in to the top:

The hat can be worn like that, doubled, or with a quadrupled-brim:

I used different motifs, mostly taken from Sheila McGregor's Traditional Scandinavian Knitting: anchors, waves, trees, and snowflakes, as the recipient is a sailor and skier. The hat is super warm, and I definitely foresee making more in the future (hopefully one for me, too!).

Holiday Sale

2010-11-26T11:51:00.000-08:00

For the holidays, today through December 26, I am offering 10% off all new pattern sales through Ravelry. No coupon needed; the discount will apply when you check out through Rav.

Knitting time, more info.

Snowy Walk

2010-11-25T06:44:00.001-08:00

Some snowy photos from a walk in the woods with friends yesterday.

Mt. Adams

Overlooking the river valley

A break on the long walk back

Happy Thanksgiving!

And the holidays begin

2010-11-21T11:21:00.000-08:00

Now that I have the SG Bubble Mitten pattern out to testers (still looking for a few more folk, particularly for the child sizes, if anyone is interested), it's time to work on holiday knitting. My super-secret-project-to-be-done-by-Xmas is needing to be started over, so I'm going to put that on hold and work on Meg Swansen's Swedish Dubbelmossa, with a few motif alterations. That, and SG Bubble Mitts for me (I plan to tack on notes for mitts to the mitten pattern, as well as a thumbless baby version, Sarah's idea) should keep me busy this week. Temperatures are due to drop below freezing the next few nights so we're hoping for some snow here. Snow, snow, snow!

Knitting pics later this week, so here's Jackson, looking stately in his hunting (aka I-look-like-a-deer-so-please-don't-shoot-me) vest:

2010-10-03T19:31:00.000-07:00

My good friend Betsy married her sweetheart last weekend in Maine. Both love to be outdoors and are animal lovers so when Sarah and I were figuring out what to make them for their wedding, it was decided that mittens would be good presents.

We settled on the aptly named "Wedding Mittens" pattern in Jorid's Pattern Shop and tweaked the motifs according to the future wearers. We also deviated from the pattern by including thumb gussets ala Beth Brown Reinsel.

Sarah knit Betsy's mittens and I knit Jonathan's. Since he is a boat builder I settled on waves and anchors for his cuffs. I used charts in Sheila McGregor’s Traditional Fair Isle Knitting.

Betsy has a dog and Jonathan cats, so a little cat is facing the groom and a little dog the bride. The cat and dog charts are slight modifications of ones in McGregor’s Traditional Scandinavian Knitting.

Their initials happened to line up (both have last names that begin with “M,” even if she keeps her last name) and it’s hard to tell in the photo but there is another anchor topstitched in blue under “2010.”

Baby Brioche to be taught by Amy Detjen

2010-09-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

I am so very excited that Amy Detjen, Meg Swansen's right-hand teaching partner, is going to teach my Baby Brioche pattern at the Sow's Ear in December! Amy is one of my favorite teachers: not only an incredibly smart knitter, she is intelligent, kind, and one of the funniest people I know. And she's offering to teach my pattern! Go forth and sign up, people!

Many thanks to Heather, co-owner of the Sow's Ear, for asking about offering the class. Here's their class schedule. Wish I was in Wisconsin!

If you are a knitting store owner or teacher and would like to teach this pattern, please contact me at jen at rainydayknits dot com and let's talk!

Stained Glass Bubble Mittens

2010-07-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

I've had a couple of requests for a bubble mitten, so here's the prototype:

I'm using Noro Kureyon Sock this time round and am really loving its long color changes. Such vivid colors!

Hope to have this written up and out to test knitters by the end of next week. The pattern will include sizes baby (sans thumb) through adult and features a turned ribbed cuff, making it doubly warm and extra stretchy.

How to "make bar" in the Stained Glass Bubble patterns

2010-07-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a tutorial on how to execute the "make bar" step used in the Stained Glass Bubble Mitten, Sock, and Hat/Scarf patterns.

The bars are made on the first round of CC after having knit four rounds of MC. As mentioned in the pattern, they occur at the point of the middle of the bubble below (think brickwork).

The description of “make bar” in the pattern is:
make bar: drop all 4 MC sts down to the top CC st, place the top CC st on the left ndl tip, dip the right ndl tip down under the 4 dropped sts (between the fabric and the dropped sts), pull the CC working yarn through and up onto the left ndl tip, with the right ndl tip lift the leftmost CC st on the left ndl tip over the rightmost CC st on the left ndl tip, move the resulting st to the right ndl tip and tug on the working yarn before working the next st

Broken down step-by-step with photos:
1. “drop all 4 MC sts down to the top CC st”: at the stitch where the make bar is to be made, drop the MC stitch off the needle and unravel the three other MC sts below it down to the topmost CC stitch. (You are dropping one stitch down vertically four rows.) That will leave four strands of MC yarn floating between the sts on either side.

2. “place the top CC st on the left ndl tip”: slide purlwise the top CC st picked up on the right ndl tip to the left ndl tip

3. “dip the right ndl tip down under the 4 dropped sts (between the fabric and the dropped sts)”: dip the right ndl tip down in front of the 4 dropped MC sts = between the fabric and the dropped sts = between you and the dropped sts

4. “pull the CC working yarn through and up onto the left ndl tip”: think of this as a yarn over of the CC yarn onto the right ndl tip, then lift the right ndl tip back up from between the fabric and the dropped sts

You now have on the left needle tip, from left to right, the old CC st and the new CC st.

5. “with the right ndl tip lift the leftmost CC st on the left ndl tip over the rightmost CC st on the left ndl tip”: with the right ndl tip lift the leftmost (old) CC st on the left ndl tip over the rightmost (new) CC st on the left ndl tip and drop the old CC st off the left ndl, essentially knitting the new CC st

6. “move the resulting st to the right ndl tip and tug on the working yarn before knitting the next st”: Since the new CC st is already knit, move the new CC st over to the right needle. The make bar is complete.

7. Tug on the CC yarn a bit to tighten the bar, then knit 3 sts with CC and repeat #1-7. Ready to make bar at the next st:

The resulting inside fabric, with no floats to catch upon:

Camp Loot

2010-07-20T14:03:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking to add to my library of knitting books. Here's what came home this trip:

From which I hope to make this:

Future Christmas present:

My friend Caitlin Hyde does amazing glasswork and as usual brought beads to share. This guy came home with me. His face, inspired by Buddhas, has a perfect look of contentment:

Buttons for another Baby Brioche and a dear little bowl from the talented Jennie the Potter:

Side-loot:

purchased at:

When I realized I'd have a couple of hours in St. Paul before needing to fly home, I asked Joyce where to go and she recommended The Yarnery. Amy seconded that and knows the store well, having worked there for five years.

So glad I stopped. What a charming yarn store! I've always felt the best location for a yarn store is within an old house. The staff were warm and welcoming. There were lovely displays and oodles of skeins in all nooks and crannies, including this Pediboo which I haven't yet tried and decided needed to come home, too:

Amy also recommended the egg salad sandwich at Cafe Latte:

You're right, Amy--it was delish!

What I Love about Knitting Camp

2010-07-20T12:16:00.001-07:00

I was fortunate to attend another session of Schoolhouse Press's Knitting Camp this past weekend. This was my fifth camp in seven or eight years and may have been my most favorite one thus far.

Here are a few of the reasons why I love Camp:

~Seeing old friends and making new ones

~Seeing the breadth of amazing work people are doing humbly and simply at home, publicly acknowledged and celebrated

~Meg's amazing warmth and ability to inspire confidence in all

~Amy Detjen's amazing technical skills and unfailing humor (here, acting as Joyce's twin)

~the incomparable and beautiful Joyce Williams

~The easy (yet deadly) access to yarn:

~Hands-on access to garments knit by EZ and Meg:

Thanks, all, for a wonderful weekend. Tomorrow, camp loot.

Baby Brioche

2010-07-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

Friends are having babies this year! That fact in combination with a skein of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock heavyweight has led to this:

Baby Brioche is a seamless baby cardigan knit in brioche stitch. The brioche stitch creates a lofty fabric that is squeezably soft and incredibly stretchy, good qualities for a garment made for a growing babe. The body is worked top-down and flat while the sleeves are worked circularly.

Pattern features include a Channel Island cast on which rolls over into the brioche stitch ribs beautifully; a front opening with finished edges worked along with the body; and a combination of crocheted and I-cord button loops worked after the garment is finished, allowing button placement where wanted. Body increases are strategically placed and mirror-imaged, giving a sense of balance to the whole.

This is a one-skein project with Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock heavyweight.

You'll see it in the credits, but it can't be said enough: huge thanks to my testers from the Free Pattern Testers group on RavelryTM. You gals rock!

I'm really excited about this one and hope you like it, too. I'd like to see this knit so much that I am offering the pattern for free. That being said, this pattern is for private use only. The pattern, images or products made from the pattern may not be sold without the express written consent of the designer (me). Thank you!

Congrats and good luck to all my friends having babies this year—this pattern evolved because of you!

download now

ETA: Sarah's two-color version of Baby Brioche, an ingenious variation as it allows one to knit a garment for either gender (if you care about such things) and/or allows for quick costume changes.

2010-07-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

Knitters will appreciate this cool video. The singer is Sam Amidon, son of friends of a friend.

Ladybug Bike Helmet Cover

2010-05-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

I started working on this pattern last summer, and am excited to finally have it out in the world to share with you!

Looking for a little fun in the sun, or need to brighten
a cloudy day? This bike helmet cover will do the trick.

While biking one of Portland’s many group bike rides
last summer I wondered:

What if there were a flock of ladybugs whizzing
down the road – would drivers be warmed by
the sight and be more apt to share the road?

Might a child reluctant to wear his or her
helmet think differently with a spiffy cover?

Would a cold-weather bike ride be more
comfortable (and cheerier) with a dressed-up
helmet?

Definitely!

The ladybug head, body, and tail are worked flat, with two widths given to fit helmets sized kid and adult. Work the body length to fit your specific helmet. The tail is worked the same for both sizes, and fits most helmets whether they have a rounded or pointed back.

Once the ladybug body is complete, stitches are picked up circularly to work the ribbed hem which hugs the helmet opening.

The black stripe is worked in intarsia; the spots can be, too, or duplicate stitch them on afterward in order to place them where you want them. Instructions are written as well as charted.

For young ones and the young at heart!

Many thanks to Stephannie (aka StephCat on Ravelry) for excellent tech editing and to friends Melissa & Dan for modeling!

YARN: The pattern is written for Knit Picks' Swish Worsted and requires two 50g skeins of black and one 50g skein of red (or any color of your choosing--I'd personally love to see some purple or yellow ladybugs!). Cascade 220 is another possible yarn for this pattern and would require one 100g skein of red and one 100g skein of black.

NEEDLES:
one 24" circular US 7/4.5mm
one 24" circular US 6/4.0mm
one 24" circular US 5/3.75mm

GAUGE: 20 sts and 28 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

COST: $1.99

Note: clicking the button above will take you to Ravelry's Paypal site. Ravelry will delivery the pdf to your email address.

This pattern is also available through Knit Pick's Independent Designer Program site here, where you can also purchase a kit (pattern + yarn).

One-yarn Bubbles

2010-04-04T17:34:00.001-07:00

I've been wanting to knit some one-color bubble socks and found this skein of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock 100% Superwash Merino Lightweight (in color Saffron Jungle), picked up at their booth at Madrona, to fit the bill. The bubbles in a semi-solid coloring are muted but still interesting.

Hamefarin

2010-03-22T21:08:00.001-07:00

Christmas 2009, complete.

Pattern: Hamefarin by JoLene M. Treace, Jamieson's Shetland Knitting Book 2
Wool: Jamieson's Soft Shetland in color Nighthawk

Hamming it up.

Flying dog, Columbia River Gorge, Hood River, Oregon.

Knitfinder

2010-01-31T11:56:00.000-08:00

My friend Thérèse from Knitting Camp has created a wonderful resource for knitters and crocheters. Her website Knitfinder is a compendium of pattern indexes and support sources on how-tos and technique. Thérèse has done a fantastic job organizing a massive amount of information. Need to learn a new skill or forgot how to do something? See the general how-to page listing reference links alphabetically by topic, from "abbreviations" to "zippers." Each section lists sources on the web, from tutorials on blog posts to videos to how-to pdf files to on-line articles: Thérèse has done the web searching for you and she continuously updates this resource page.

There are sortable and searchable indexes according to designer, style, yarn, gauge, and location (plus others) for Elizabeth Zimmermann & Meg Swansen, Alice & Jade Starmore, and patterns published by Interweave Press & Knitty. Thérèse has done her homework: there are patterns by EZ I haven't heard of before, and might not have found otherwise without this comprehensive list. The location information is particulary helpful in the instance of EZ and Meg, who have some patterns of various iterations in a variety of places (books, Wool Gatherings, Spun-outs, VHS and DVDs, etc.): Knitfinder lists them all. Only on Knitfinder can you see a list of patterns by designer that includes the gauge, recommended yarn, and source information for each pattern.

And, this is all free! For a small subscriber fee you gain the added benefits of seeing designer notes per pattern which include a description of the garment (e.g. v-neck, kimono, crewneck), construction method (e.g. flat, circluar), sizes offered, gauge, and a link to Ravelry projects. These are searchable, too--so if you, say, prefer a raglan construction, you could call up all raglan patterns that have been indexed so far and compare them for gauge, size, recommended yarn, etc. There is a free demo to try out the full subscriber benefits.

This site is a great resource. Go check it out! Whether you are searching for particular help or just browsing, I'm willing to bet you'll find a resource new to you.

And while you're at it, take a peek at Knitfinder's blog, on which you'll have a glimpse of Thérèse's fabulous shawls. I kid you not--at Camp she wore a different shawl each day (sometimes two on one day)--and I know that was a drop in the bucket of the number she has knit.

Beautiful work all around, Thérèse. Thank you so for providing such a fabulous resource for us knitting folk.

Pattern Support

2010-01-31T11:49:00.000-08:00

Jen (another Jen) and Linda L, hoping this post will reach you as I know you have tried to reach me for pattern support. As your Blogger profiles are not shared I am unable to respond to you directly (your emails came through as noreply). Please please please email me at jenATrainydayknitsDOTcom as I would very much like to answer your questions and provide assistance with the pattern you are working on. Cheers! j

The Provisional Crochet Cast On

2010-01-27T20:29:00.000-08:00

I often use a provisional cast on in my knitting. Two of my patterns, the Stained Glass Bubble Hat & Scarf and the SGB Socks begin with provisional cast ons.

By provisional I mean a cast on that is not permanent--it can be pulled out leaving live stitches which can be worked in the other direction. This comes in handy in all sorts of situations:

Not sure what sort of hem or edge you want to do? Ribbing? Corrugated ribbing? Garter stitch hem? Provisionally cast on (PCO) and start knitting. When you're ready, go back and finish off the hem.
For a lace scarf or table runner, PCO at the middle and knit each side out so both ends match.
For a sock knit top down, skip the ribbing; PCO for the leg, knit down, then go back and knit the hem bottom up and finish with a tubular CO or Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off.
For a sweater knit bottom up, PCO in the middle of the body (or sleeve). Later, go back and knit down to wanted length. No more too-short sweater bodies or sleeves! (Credit for this gem of information goes to master knitter Amy Detjen. I still remember the day she mentioned it: a light bulb went off for me.)

There are multiple ways of creating a provisional cast on.** I find that the easiest to pull out later is the provisional crochet cast on (PCCO). The PCCO is essentially a series of crochet chains executed with a needle in the way. With a needle in the way, each chain leaves a loop on the needle. By casting on by PCCO the number of stitches desired, you are left with stitches on the needle which can be knitted into as usual. And, as a crocheted chain will unravel freely, the crocheted chain will unravel freely from the stitches created, leaving complimentary stitches (the bottom of the first row/round of stitches) that can be worked in the other direction.

Here's how I learned to do a PCCO:
1. Use a waste yarn of similar weight but contrasting in color to the yarn you will be knitting.

2. Leaving a short tail, with the waste yarn create a slip knot and slide the knot onto a crochet hook.

3. Hold the crochet hook in your right hand with hook pointing away from you. Hold the waste yarn in your left hand. (Reverse positions if left-handed.)

4. Place a needle on top of the waste yarn, parallel to and left of the crochet hook; this is the starting position:

5. *Reach the crochet hook over on top of the dpn, grab the waste yarn (swiping down/toward you), and pull it through the loop on the hook:

6. Return the needle and crochet hook to their starting positions*:

7. Repeat steps 5 & 6 until you have created the number of stitches you need on the needle.

8. Note the open stitches created along the bottom of the needle:

Aside: These open stiches are created when swiping down/toward you for each chain. In every book or place I've seen how to do a PCCO, it's always stressed to make sure these stitches along the bottom of the needle are open. In one of my classes recently a student naturally swiped up/away from her for each chain, which left twisted stitches along the bottom of the needle. We experimented and found that chains/stitches created that way still pulled apart freely from the knitting, although when undoing the CO, it was noticeable that each PCCO stitch was twisted. Whichever way you swing, I'd just recommend being consistent.

9. To end, chain several loops off the dpn and then pull the waste yarn tail through the final chain. These loops serve an important purpose: they will help you remember which end to pull on when you go to pull out the waste yarn.

When you are ready to remove the PCCO, starting at the end with extra loops, slowly and carefully remove the PCCO, placing the live stitches onto a needle as you go. I like to go stitch by stitch.

A few tips when using the PCCO:

use a waste yarn of a color in stark contrast to your main yarn (and of similar weight)
cast on extra stitches and then, upon counting, drop off what isn't needed
always knit the first row or round in plain knitting (no fancy colorwork yet)
when removing a PCCO, remove it stitch by stitch, placing each live stitch onto a needle as you go (as opposed to going WHEE! and ripping it out willy-nilly)
if you find the stitches tight when removing the waste yarn, PCCO onto a needle size or two larger than that with which you will be knitting (or, if you've already begun knitting, place the live stitches onto a temporary needle of smaller size until you are ready to work the stitches)
if knitting flat, there will be one less provisional stitch than main stitches; if knitting in the round, this is not an issue: there will be one provisional stitch per main stitch. If you are a stitch short, just M1.

And, here's a bonus: a PCCO need not be removed: if it is worked in the main color, it can be kept as a permanent edge as it mirrors nicely a conventional cast off (k1, *k1, pass the rightmost stitch over the leftmost and off the needle*, pull yarn through last stitch to secure it). This would work great for a scarf or table runner knit the long way (not from the middle), as both edges will match.

For more information, Lucy Neatby has a good description of the PCCO in her wonderfully technical book Cool Socks, Warm Feet (2003), Tradewind Knitwear Designs, Inc. She also has a good video demo on YouTube.

**Another provisional cast on is the invisible cast on, which I like to call twisty-wrap. It is set up as a long-tail cast on with the waste yarn held in front and the working yarn held in back. There are good descriptions & diagrams of it in Meg Swansen's & Elizabeth Zimmermann's books, including Meg Swansen's Knitting (1999), Interweave Press. This book of Meg's has a wonderful technique section. This method is also commonly printed in the glossary of "Interweave Knits."

Edited 1.29.10.

2010-01-12T22:16:00.000-08:00

I give you, Boober Fraggle:

Actually, I gave him to my sister for her birthday. She was two when Jim Henson's much-loved 80's show debuted on her birthday.

He was fun to make. Wembley's my favorite, so he may be making a showing later this year.

As Boober likes to do laundry, I thought it fitting to stuff him with (clean) old socks.

Lyrics to the Doozer knitting song.

2010-01-03T13:59:00.000-08:00

Finished over winter break:
This is my vest version of Amber Allison's Fireside Sweater. I love how the center cable comes together at the back:

The only mods I can remember at the moment were to carry the cables up the armholes. I also left the ends of the center/neck cable live and grafted them together following Lucy Neatby's method for grafting after knitting on a waste piece. While extra work, the method was flawless and made for easy grafting by being able to see exactly where the grafting yarn should flow. Oh--and I did a four-stitch applied i-cord around the armhole and center openings. Oh--and instead of buttonholes (only because I forgot to do them) I crocheted on four loops to attach to the buttons. I guess those are more than a few mods! But overall the pattern was great--the cables were easy to fall into a rhythm with, and the pattern was clearly written. The only thing I would change would be to do something more interesting within the wide swatches of garter stitch on the larger sizes--maybe another cable that weaves its way in and out. And if knit again, I'd add 1-2” in length.

The yarn is Plymouth Yarn Homestead in a color I'd call mushroom (#102). Knit on 10's, this went super-fast. The yarn seems to be holding up well after a few wearings. It’s soft but a little scratchy at the same time–if that’s possible. Worn with a scarf or turtleneck underneath, it's fine.

Just saw that Pigeonroof Studios is offering free shipping for the month of January. I couldn't resist picking up a skein of the superwash merino original sock in the colorway "green ocean" at Sock Summit--the colors are luscious and well-varied. It's now becoming a pair of gloves.

Happy new year!

Friends New & Old

2009-12-06T10:19:00.000-08:00

Fran at Clover Needlecraft emailed me recently regarding my Stained Glass Bubble Scarf pattern. She generously mentions the scarf on Clover's Blog, here. Thanks, Fran! She also says that Clover's 9" circular works well for the scarf. I haven't worked with 9" circs before, but am excited to give that size a try.

Winter has arrived in the Pacific NW. A cold wind is whipping around the house, finding a few ways in. But I prefer the recent cold and dry to mild and wet, particularly when it comes to dog walks.

Currently my knitting time is focused on a pattern submission for Knitty's Spring+Summer issue. If I can get the chart & written section nearly finished today, that leaves odds & ends & photos through next Sunday. Then holiday shopping. Hmmm... back to work.

For now I leave you with another reason why I love Portland: SoupCycle. And a photo taken by my friend Betsy on her recent cross-country drive from Oregon to New England. Sarah and I gave Betsy the little ram (found at OFFF) and for fun Betsy took pictures of Ramsey B. Woolley pondering the scenery along the journey. Here he is in Montana taking in the Bighorn Mountains (and, in Betsy's words, feeling slightly inadequate):

Stained Glass Bubble Socks

2009-10-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

It's finally official. Meet the cousin of the Stained Glass Bubble Hat & Scarf:

These colorful socks are worked toe up with short-row garter-stitch heels and toes. Bubbles ripple across the top of the foot and encircle the leg; the foot sole is a comfortable stockinette fabric. An example of dropped-stitch mosaic knitting, this pattern combines the look of two-color knitting with the ease and speed of only ever knitting one color per round. And, of the six rounds of pattern for one row of bubbles, five rounds are plain knitting. You’ll have a pair of bubble socks in no time!

The pattern is eight pages and includes instructions for sizes child through adult. The stitch patterns for the foot and leg are written out (there are no charts; the bubble pattern, once learned, is quite simple; charts really aren't necessary).

Yarns used are Zitron Trekking XXL and Louet Gems Super Fine fingering weight, 1 skein of each, both 14 wpi. Another variegated yarn could be used in place of the Trekking, although it may not give the same finished look. Or pick your two favorite colors and go solid!

Gauge: 36 stitches and 52 rows = 4 inches in st st & bubble stitch

Suggested needles: US 1.5 (2.5mm) & US 0 (2.0mm)

Sizes: Child S[Child M, Child L/Adult S, Adult M, Adult L]

At the above gauge,
~ Foot width: 2.75[3, 3.25, 3.5, 3.75]
~ Corresponds to U.S. shoe sizes Child 4-8[Child 7-11, Child 10-2, Child 2-6/Woman’s 2-6/Man’s 6-8, Woman’s 7-9/Man’s 8.5-10] according to www.yarnstandards.com
~ Foot length & leg height are easily adjustable.

The pattern sells for $6 US. If you are in Portland, Oregon you can pick up a paper version at either Close Knit on NE Alberta or at Twisted on NE Broadway. Or, from the comfort of your own home, you can purchase the pdf either through Ravelry (search for "Stained Glass Bubble" or see my profile under sunnydayknitter) or here:

(Note: clicking the button above will take you to Ravelry's Paypal site. Ravelry will delivery the pdf to your email address. If you have any problems, please let me know! And I'd love to see photos of any Stained Glass Bubble socks, in progress or finished--please share!)

Webs

2009-10-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

Spotted while walking to the dog park this morning.

This is an amazing article about a tapestry made completely out of spider silk. Beautiful.

2009-10-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

Happy owl day to me. Recent knitting-related birthday gifts (how do they all know I like knitting?):
This ceramic owl is from Oaxaca, Mexico. He is currently guarding my stash.

A beautiful slate-blue skein (richly variegated from being dyed over natural grey) from Sarah, acquired in person near her home in the San Juans. I met the lovely women who run Island Fibers at Madrona last winter. They have wonderful colors.

In August my friend Laurie went on a knitting cruise to the Baltic Sea. She gifted me this wonderful knitting bag from Estonia. (Front and back, above. Detail, below.) It is made with wool although woven, not knit. I am not sure if some of the stitching was done during the weaving process, or if it was applied upon the woven fabric. Either way, I love it. The bag is lined with a cotton fabric and is the perfect size for holding a pair of socks or mittens in progress.

Laurie also gifted me these booklets of Aino Praakli's:

I have two of her books, purchased through Wooly West. Some of these booklets contain the same mitten patterns as the books, but most include patterns new-to-me:

From Leigh, a sweet children's book with humorous illustrations:

I also received a gift certificate to Beaverslide Dry Goods, which I think I will save until I finish some current projects. It's always nice to think about what one might get--the gift lasts longer that way.

Laurie also brought back some knitting books which I promptly added to my collection:

A Russian book, published in 1957. It contains a variety of stitch patterns, some of which I've never seen, including this chrysanthemum-looking one which would make a wonderful summer shell or cardigan:

And this Estonian mitten book:

which is chock full of beautifully charted patterns, including some interesting cuff designs and some unusual (to me) color work. My favorite pair right now is cream and dark brown with a small blue motif at the top of the cuff.

And to help close my schizophrenic web identity, my sweetie gifted me this: go to either sunnydayknitter.com or sunnydayknits.com and you'll be redirected to rainydayknits.com. Thanks, sweetie!

Turkish Ocean Revisited

2009-09-12T20:18:00.000-07:00

Not meant to be an ad for Apple, this is Meg Swansen's Turkish Ocean pattern, which I started at Camp 2 last summer (2008), put aside for awhile, and now have happily back in progress. I'm really loving the pattern; I didn't get far enough before to see what a lovely rhythm there is in it. I hope to be wearing this this winter.

Given my gauge last summer, I was worried about the sweater coming out too wide. Thanks to smart advice from Joyce Williams (does she give out any other kind? I don't think so), I took out one of the smaller panels on the side. Now, I'm thinking I could have left it in, but in the interest of finishing before spring, I'm forging ahead. If it's too too slim, I may experiment with steeking and adding the panel pattern back in, although that would involve four inserted panels. Nah, not worth it. It will fit, come h#ll or high water! (This is interesting; who knew "ambassador of Morocco" was a vulgar term for a shoemaker? There must be a story in that.)

On a completely different note, this afternoon I taught a class at Twisted on the techniques employed in my Stained Glass Bubble Hat & Scarf pattern. What a wonderful group of students they were: already smart knitters, they were individually and collectively kind, interesting, talented, and engaged in what they were doing. Thank you, class!

Sock Summit, Thursday morning

2009-08-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

Most times I travel by car or plane to attend a knitting conference or retreat. This time, my mode of transportation was my trusty steed:

(Note primary fuel source.)

My Thursday morning began with a one-hour wonder course on Judy's Magic Cast-on by the Judy Becker herself. Judy is a fabulous teacher--someone who can stay cool, calm and collected in the face of a horde of disciples. While I'd learned her clever cast-on online from Cat Bordhi's fabulous YouTube video (worth watching just for the animal sounds alone), having the person who invented the method demonstrate it and mention additional applications was worth every minute. And, as in every lecture & class I've attended this weekend, I had the joy of sitting next to very smart & interesting knitters from near and far.

Next was an hour lecture on Turkish Stitches with the lovely Anna Zilboorg. A few of my favorite socks from her collection:

AZ's first exposure to Turkish knitted work was through this book, one I am glad I ordered a summer or two ago from Schoolhouse Press as it is now difficult (and expensive) to get ahold of. For carpool knitting this coming school year I'd like to work up some pillow covers using these simple yet beautiful designs. AZ spoke to the difficult life Turkish people live and how the foot coverings, typically worn inside the home, were made to help make life beautiful. When discussing the rhythmical & mathematical repetitions inherent in the designs, AZ described the patterns as singing when worked. Can't wait to hear their songs.

One interesting fact I learned is that Turkish knitters traditionally knit tensioning the yarn around their necks, knitting with their thumbs while facing the purl side. I had first heard of this tensioning & knitting method from Brazilian knitter Andrea Wong. Now I see from Andrea's website that her mother was taught by a Portuguese knitter, and that the method is indeed practiced in Turkey, Egypt, Greece, and Peru.

Being an attentive knitting student all morning called for a luxurious lunch hour at the local J&M Cafe. Ah, how I love me a breakfast burrito any time of day.

Bubble Sock Debut

2009-08-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

OK, I'd normally wait to post this once the pattern is ready for sale, but in celebration of Sock Summit 2009 (SS09), I would like to share with you my newest project. Meet the Stained Glass Bubble Sock:

If you are in Portland this weekend (August 6--9) come to SS09 at the Oregon Convention Center to peruse and help support the many, many vendors from near and far who will be offering their fabulous wares at the biggest sock event of the year (nay, decade). Many thanks to Sally of Close Knit who will have the sock pictured above displayed at her SS09 booth, #214 (thanks, Sally!). Local stores Twisted, Knit Purl, Yarn Garden, Dublin Bay Knitting Co., The Knitting Bee, Woodland Woolworks, and Abundant Yarn will also be present, as will local businesses Lantern Moon, Queen Bee Creations, Travel Knitty, Gardiner Yarn Works, and Clogs-n-More, among others. Books and patterns, buttons, and more fiber than you can shake a stick at will be available in the SS09 Marketplace Friday, Saturday and Sunday, details here. Just based on their names alone, I am particularly looking forward to visiting the booths for Rainy Days & Wooly Dogs (#922) and Sweet Grass Wool (#322).

OK--back to the sock. Once the pattern is ready for sale I'll post more details, but for now, here's the intro to the pattern as it stands:

"These fun socks are worked toe up with short-row garter-stitch heels and toes. With the help of wrapped stitches, bubbles ripple across the top of the foot and encircle the leg. An example of slipped-stitch, or mosaic, knitting, this pattern combines the look of two-color knitting with the ease and speed of only ever knitting one color per round. And, of the six rounds of pattern for one row of bubbles, five rounds are plain knitting. You’ll have a pair of bubble socks in no time!"

Yarns used are Zitron Trekking XXL and Louet Gems Fingering wt., 1 skein of each. I'll post more details with the final pattern information. For now, many thanks to my good friend Leigh who is currently helping to test the pattern (her first bubble sock was knit while on trip to Ireland--lucky sock!). As soon as I have the pattern ready to go, I will let you know. For now, I have the sock logged in Ravelry on my projects page so people can favorite it if they like.

Cheers!
jen

P.S. For those of you knitting the sock pattern, you might want to check out my post tutorial on the provisional crochet cast on here. 1.27.10

Stained Glass Bubble Class & SS09

2009-08-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

Twisted's fall class schedule is up and my Stained Glass Bubble Hat & Scarf class is on the list! I'm terribly excited; I only hope I will have some students. Now, to finish the handout!

The other exciting news is, of course, Sock Summit 2009 which will be taking place THIS WEEK in my VERY OWN HOMETOWN--yippee! I am so thrilled about all of the people coming to PDX for this singular event. I was somehow lucky enough to make it in to several classes and lectures, and I am going to eat up every minute of the experience. Here's what I have to look forward to:

Thursday
morning: Judy's Magic Cast-on hour
& Anna Zilboorg's Turkish Stitches lecture
afternoon: Priscilla Gibson-Robert's Ethnic Socks & Stockings lecture

Friday
morning: in line for a ticket to be part of the world's knitting record at noon
& Meg Swansen's & Amy Detjen's Arch Shaped Stockings class
(homework:)
afternoon: volunteering at the doors of the marketplace

Saturday
morning: Barbara Walker's How I Became a Knitter lecture (thanks to the last-minute lottery!)
afternoon: Meg Swansen's & Amy Detjen's EZ's Wearable Art Stockings class
(homework:)
evening: Ravelry meetup, World Forestry Center

Sunday
morning: Deb Robson's Cross your Cables and Dot your Purls
afternoon: Luminary panel

I am so looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones. This coming week will help to make up for what was a bit of a let-down for our summer vacation. Technically, C and I (& Jackson the dog) weren't expected to return to PDX until next Monday. A week ago Friday, while on the island in Maine, we received a phone call from a neighbor that someone had broken a window. Well, it turned out that that someone had broken in to the house and busted out five windows from the inside out, shattered the glass in our old front door, and busted the two back doors. Thanks to the quick calling of said neighbor, the police were able to catch the guy a few blocks away. He had other peoples' ID on him but none of his own, as well as some of my jewelry.

Ultimately this isn't a huge deal--no one was hurt, thankfully, and most can be repaired. But, it was hard to leave our time in Maine early, to miss seeing more of C's family who were coming up to visit the last week, to miss our niece's performance in her theater camp's production of "Music Man," and to come home to a wrecked house. Thanks to my sister who did yeoman's duty cleaning up the worst before we came home, the cleaning company who picked up most of the glass, and a very good neighbor/contractor/restorer of old houses, we should be put back together soon. For now, the building excitement of SS09 is a welcome reprieve.

Stained Glass Bubble Hat & Scarf Errata

2009-07-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

I've caught an error in the Stained Glass Bubble Hat & Scarf pattern for the size M/L hat. I've posted the errata on the pattern's blog post here and uploaded a revised version on Ravelry. Anyone who has purchased the pattern through Ravelry should receive a link to an updated copy. If you purchased a paper copy through either Close Knit or Twisted in Portland and would like a pdf of the revised version, leave a message here and I will gladly email it to you.

Errata, added 7.30.09:

p.5, for hat size M/L, fourth row of 1-st bubbles: Revised round 5 or 11: *make bar, k1*, k1

Apologies for the trouble; please let me know if you have any questions.

Also, added 1.27.10:
I have posted a tutorial on the provisional crochet cast on here.

Cheers,
jen

It's a Dog's Life

2009-07-15T13:44:00.000-07:00

Day sail. Hard life, indeed. I was able to knit most of the leg of my
first Coriolis sock. Love the pattern--simple enough to be meditative
but with enough interest to keep me going. This will be the first of
many, I think.

Maine morning

2009-07-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

View from kitchen, pre-pancakes with local blueberries once the wood
stove gets going.

Leftovers

2009-06-25T18:37:00.001-07:00

Fun ankle socks knit from the scraps of previously knit socks. A mix of Regia, Trekking, and Opal, at least. I ran out of grey for the heels and like the splash of rainbow added in. While I intentionally tried to put colors next to one another that I wouldn't normally pair up, I did keep the same striping pattern on both socks. Oh well--a little organization within the chaos can't hurt.

The Great Imposters

2009-06-21T17:27:00.001-07:00

My friend Laurie made these socks on one of her antique sock knitting machines (this particular machine is circa WWI). While she's been making beautiful socks for the past year, she learned a way to make cables while attending a sock machine convention out here in the PNW a few weeks ago. In order to make the cable, as I understand it, certain stitches for the future cable are marked and treated differently as the sock is knit, and once the sock is complete, very clever hand sewing creates the look of the cable. Here's a close-up:

Clever, indeed! I love them--thanks, Laurie!

Another imposter has invaded the house. This is my dog, Jackon, in full fuzziness:

And this is Jackson after yesterday's trip to the groomer :

Yep, that's what a golden retriever looks like with a buzz cut. In just a couple of weeks we'll be headed to Maine with him, and we're hoping this short haircut will help with preventing hotspots and detecting ticks faster. He seems happy, and should be cooler, but I'm still getting used to seeing him without his long tresses. He's ready to go undercover!

Stained Glass Bubble Hat & Scarf

2009-06-10T22:12:00.000-07:00

(bubble hat)

Meet the Stained Glass Bubble Hat & Scarf, my second pattern for sale. An example of slipped-stitch or mosaic knitting, this pattern combines the look of two-color knitting with the ease and speed of only ever knitting one color per round. And, of the six rounds of pattern for one row of bubbles, five rounds are plain knitting.

(bubble scarf)

The stitch pattern for this hat and scarf is the “Blister Check, or Coin Stitch” pattern in Barbara G. Walker’s A Treasury of Knitting Patterns. While Walker’s pattern is written for flat work, my pattern has been rewritten for work in the round.

(detail: top, outside fabric; bottom, inside fabric--look Ma,

no loose threads!)

The hat is worked from hem to crown but begins with a provisional cast on in order to finish the hat with a garter-stitch edge knit in the round and Elizabeth Zimmermann’s super-stretchy sewn cast off. The hat pattern is written for two sizes, S/M and M/L.

The scarf is also worked in the round, creating a tube which hides the inside fabric, and is finished at both ends with a closed hem of garter stitch:

Suggested yarns are Zitron Trekking (XXL) for the variegated color and Vuorelma Satakieli for the solid color, although any fingering-weight (14 wpi) yarn such as Brown Sheep’s Nature Spun Fingering or Louet’s Gems Fingering Wt. could substitute for the Satakieli and another variegated yarn of similar weight could be used in place of the Trekking XXL. Or, pick your two favorite colors and go solid!

For only a hat or only a scarf, one skein of each yarn listed above should be plenty. For a small hat and a short scarf, one skein of each yarn should suffice. For a larger hat and/or a longer scarf, partial second skeins of each yarn may be required.

Suggested needle sizes are US 1/2.5mm and US 0/2.0mm.

Suggested gauge is 28 stitches and 70 rows = 4 inches in Bubble Pattern.

The pattern sells for $6 US. If you are in Portland, Oregon you can pick up a paper version at either Close Knit on NE Alberta or at Twisted on NE Broadway. Or, from the comfort of your own home, you can purchase the pdf either through Ravelry (search for "Stained Glass Bubble" or see my profile under sunnydayknitter) or here:

(Note: clicking the button above will take you to Ravelry's Paypal site. Ravelry will delivery the pdf to your email address. If you have any problems, please let me know! And I'd love to see photos of any finished Stained Glass Bubble hats or scarves--please share!)

If you like the bubble pattern but would prefer knitting it as a pair of socks, I hope to have a Stained Glass Bubble Sock pattern ready later this summer.

Errata, added 7.30.09:

p.5, for hat size M/L, fourth row of 1-st bubbles: Revised round 5 or 11: *make bar, k1*, k1

Also, added 1.27.10:
I have posted a tutorial on the provisional crochet cast here.

Zigzag Mitts Errata

2009-05-31T14:31:00.000-07:00

I've caught one error in the Zigzag Mitts pattern, where the hand pattern merges into the cuff pattern for size M/L (the cuff pattern for size S/M is fine). I've posted the errata on the pattern's blog post here and will upload a revised version on Ravelry today. (Anyone who has purchased the pattern through Ravelry should receive an updated copy, an incredibly awesome feature of Ravelry!) If you purchased a paper copy through either Close Knit or Twisted in Portland and would like a pdf of the revised version, leave a message here and I will email it to you.

Basically, for the Cuff Pattern, size M/L, Round 2, the pattern should read:
[*kfb, k2, dd, k2, kfb, kfb, k2, dd, k3, kfb*]

If you're at all interested, here's why I made the change:

In the old version for size M/L, the double kfbs in the middle of each needle of the cuff pattern weren't lining up above the dd line of sts of the hand pattern. The revised version lines them up properly so that the k st from the dd line of the hand pattern flows right into one of the k sts of the double kfbs in the cuff pattern. You can see the difference in the photo below: the green and orange bands show the old version while the yellow and tan bands show the new.

Apologies for the trouble, and let me know if you have any questions! Cheers. j

Orange Mouse

2009-05-31T14:26:00.001-07:00

My friend's son Abe turned 5 awhile back. I thought he needed a pocket mouse to take on his camping trips. Turns out, he loves orange! Happy Birthday, Abe! Pattern by Lucinda Guy in this book.

Chloe's Quilt

2009-03-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

Baby Chloe arrived earlier this year, the second daughter of a coworker. At the school where I work there are many knitters and a few crocheters so we joined together to create a quilt to welcome this little one into the world.

I'm thoroughly pleased with how the project turned out. I'm even more proud of the fact that, of the 20 squares, there were 17 individuals who contributed. Some are experienced knitters or crocheters, some are beginning knitters, and a few are occasional knitters or crocheters whose fingers remember what to do (and whose gauge is incredibly, remarkably, enviably even).

A few close-ups:

I love the top-stitched acorn as well as the pink stripe running down the sage green square ("It just needed a little something," said M.).

The varied colors and plethora of textures should delight the eyes and fingers of any babe placed on top.

I had managed a group knitted baby blanket once before and, having learned a few things from the first, more closely managed this one more than the last. For issues including color, yarn type/washability, and gauge, I preselected the wool and colors. We used Mission Falls 1824 Wool, which I like for baby and child pieces because it is washable and comes in many vibrant colors. Those making squares were able to choose their favorite colors from the pot and were allowed to do any stitch pattern of their liking, with the sole request to leave selvedges around the sides to aid postproduction work. I did suggest the squares be 8" square, but that was a rough guide for some. In the end, having shapes of different sizes made for a more interesting quilt, as I crocheted filler rows in the interstices to add even more color to the overall effect.

I love the lime green square in the top row, above. It looks and feels like a knitted bobble stitch but it is crochet and is more solidly made than a comparable knitted stitch; T. will have to show me how it's done someday.

For additional color, and to aid sewing the squares together, I crocheted two rounds of single crochet in a contrast color around every square.

L. knitted in our school's logo in the bottom right-hand corner of the middle square above. The square to its left was crocheted by A. who has master knitter blood coursing through her veins. I am proud that we have two male knitters on our staff: L. knitted the orange square to the right of the acorn square and B. knit the green square on the bottom right. He knocked that one out in a couple of hours; he learned to knit last October. We're proud of B.

After sewing all of the squares together by the backs of their crocheted edges (and wet blocking it all) I crocheted two more rounds of single crochet around the entire shebang (which came out to approximately 4 feet x 3 feet), wet-blocked it all again, hand stitched a piece of incredibly soft brown corduroy with lime green polka dots to the back, and securely sewed a mismash of green buttons to the square intersections.

I'm really proud of how it turned out, that so many people had a part in it, and that it delighted the mother and father of the little one for whom it was created.

With Spring Come Babes

2009-03-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

Baby socks for a spring baby. Congratulations to Shannon and family!

These were fun to make. They follow Cat Bordhi's Upstream arch expansion with yos for the increases. The wool is Artful Yarn's Jazz, which I am sad to see is discontinued. I have a Knitting Pure and Simple top-down raglan sweater in the green and brown that I love--I think that one was called Miles (or Charlie?). The pink is Ella--my mom has a similar raglan in that colorway. Great colorway names!

2009-03-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

These Zigzags are headed to a school auction. Finally, I am doing the auction thing correctly: it's my own pattern, so no copyright/permission issues.

For this pair I used Claudia Hand Painted Yarn, fingering weight, color Pistachio. The green is more visible in person. This is lovely yarn, handpainted on a Louet base. This color had shorter color changes than a previous color I had used, and I like the look of this pair better.

If you look closely, you'll see a little green frog hiding behind the fern. He's plastic. Whether he was intentionally placed by someone or accidentally left behind by a child, it was a fun surprise to find him hiding there.

Zigzag Mitts

2009-02-27T17:15:00.000-08:00

I am excited to share with you here my first self-published pattern. These fingerless mitts were inspired by the popular Jaywalker sock pattern by Grumperina. They are worked finger-to-cuff and feature a thumb gusset placed on the side (making them wearable on either hand), zigzags on a smaller scale for a snugger cuff, and a garter-stitch edge knit in the round which leaves a solid, unrolling structure at both ends. The zigzag pattern creates a snug fit for a mitt that is comfortable to wear outdoors or in. I wear mine while walking the dog, driving to work, and typing in my office!

The pattern is written for two sizes (S/M & M/L) and is written for dpns but could be converted to work with circulars or magic loop. [Edited to add: needle sizes US #1 and US #0.] The thumb, hand and cuff patterns are written out and directions are written per row with periodic stitch counts noted to help keep you on the right track.

I wrote the pattern to be used with Koigu KPPPM just because I love the color selection and short color repeats of that yarn, but any 14wpi sock-weight yarn would work. (Although, may I say that the Koigu wears like iron? It's great stuff.) I've made a couple of pairs with Claudia's Hand Painted Yarns fingering weight wool and was really pleased with the results, too.

The pattern sells for $6 US. If you are in Portland, Oregon you can pick up a paper version at either Close Knit on NE Alberta or at Twisted on NE Broadway. Or, from the comfort of your own home, you can purchase the pdf either through Ravelry (search for "Zigzag Mitts" or see my profile under sunnydayknitter) or here:

(Note: clicking the button above will take you to Ravelry's Paypal site. Ravelry will delivery the pdf to your email address. If you have any problems, please let me know!)

Errata:
For size M/L, Cuff Pattern, Round 2, please use:
[*kfb, k2, dd, k2, kfb, kfb, k2, dd, k3, kfb*] added 5.30.09

Come on, August

2009-02-21T10:59:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this? I have no problem traipsing across the country to take classes with my favorite knitting teachers, but to know that they are all coming here, to my hometown? And I can ride my bike to the event? Wow.

Gratuitous golden blond action shot:

Sarchitecture

2009-02-15T11:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the good fortune to travel up to Tacoma for a class at the Madrona Fiber Arts winter retreat. Other years I've gone up for a night or two but this year Sarah and I decided to make it a day trip. Leaving at 6am made for an easy drive north and got us there in time for a quick stop for coffee, scoping out parking, and super-easy and super-fast registration (upon which time Sarah learned she'd won a door prize, hurrah!). I had signed up for Cat Bordhi's class on hybrid sock architecture and was pleased to find a free seat up front surrounded by friendly and fun knitters (are there any other kind of knitters? I think not). And for a bonus, Sivia Harding, designer of loveliness, was there to assist and add general charm to our class.

In preparation for the class I had knit the first two learning socks and begun Bartholomew's Tantalizing Socks, pictured above. I love the use of linen stitch in the pattern and how it flows into the arch expansion across the top of the foot:
Unfortunately I knitted the short-row heel on autopilot and missed Cat's particular way of concealing the wraps, which became perfectly clear after watching her youtube video on the subject. So, I will be restarting these, but without regret as both the pattern and the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock, medium-weight ("Downpour") is enjoyable to knit.

Before yesterday's class I was feeling a bit constrained by the patterns in the book. Needing to read a pattern carefully line-by-line is not how I usually knit my socks, but hearing Cat speak about the basic recipe of her method and how to use it to your own devices was quite freeing (and in line with what I knew to be true, that she really wants knitters to be able to take her arch expansion methods every possible, individual, original way).

Here's my sample baby sock from the class, employing Upstream arch expansion with yo's:
And with the lightweight STR in "Mustang Sally" I found at BMFA's booth in the marketplace, I'm ready to cast on for Cat's "Veil of Leaves" with Cedar architecture.

Oregon Morning Mitts

2008-12-22T10:27:00.000-08:00

These are the Maine Morning Mitts by Clara Parkes. I've made about six or seven pairs of these so far and each recipient has been pleased with them. Thanks to Felicity for being a hand model!

The pattern is available free on Ravelry.

Any fairly bulky one-ply seems to be working well. Mods: knit the cuff for five inches before beginning the thumb gusset; pick up six sts around the top of the thumb hole; knit the thumb a little longer than suggested; [added: EZ Sewn Casting-off].

Blue Hornet

2008-12-07T10:35:00.000-08:00

For my birthday a year ago (October 2007) I asked my sweetie for wool for a sweater I really wanted to make, Janet Szabo's Green Hornet. The wool was eight skeins of turquoise Canadian Regal, a wool I've really come to like. It's warm, hard-wearing, affordable, and rarely pills. I had used it for my circular Aran, and wanted a similarly sturdy, warm winter sweater. A year later, I sewed in the zipper (thanks to Sarah for the suggestion of making it into a cardigan) and have been happily wearing it since. (One goof: Undecided about what color of zipper to do, I bought several in a hurry one night right before the fabric store closed. It was only after sewing it in that I realized I had not purchased a separating zipper! Oof! Oh well. Will fix someday.)

Here's the back:

These photos were taken last Sunday on our annual Thanksgiving pilgrimage to the Oregon wine country. I have a fondness for rabbits, and found delight in this sign:

Hoot

2008-11-28T16:27:00.000-08:00

For my birthday in October my friend Sarah gave me a sweet little owl, to add cheer (and hopefully bring wisdom) to my desk at work.

Imagine my surprise when a few weeks later I found
this lovely bag draped across my desk:

Not only a smart knitter, Sarah is a clever sewer.
Complete with gussets in a beautiful, vintage
pattern and a hand-sewn bunny with fuzzy tail,
it is a fabulous knitting bag.

There's even a large pocket inside for holding notions or
patterns (or chocolate), cleverly divided by a button.

Thank you, Sarah! I love it!

My grandmother collected owls, and I've been partial to them
ever since. Here's another, given to me by my sister, made by
one of the school parents and her daughter:

Here's the desk owl, in its native habitat:

Hoot!

Everyone Needs a Donkey

2008-10-05T19:09:00.001-07:00

donkey 2
Originally uploaded by Sunny Day Knitter

This guy was made from a pattern in the wonderful book "The Knitted Farmyard" by Hannelore Wernhard.

2008-07-16T11:43:00.001-07:00

IMG_0534
Originally uploaded by Sunny Day Knitter

Off to knitting camp tomorrow... can't wait. In celebration of EZ & 50 years of Schoolhouse Press, I felt it only right to knit up a couple of BSJs; here's the first.

2008-06-22T18:06:00.001-07:00

IMG_0527.JPG
Originally uploaded by Sunny Day Knitter

Books have been procured for summer reading (after the dentist, a free hour at the Hawthorne Powell's)...

6.18.08

2008-06-18T16:55:00.001-07:00

IMG_0528.JPG
Originally uploaded by Sunny Day Knitter

Sleeves are attached on my (blue) Green Hornet...

In need of a thumb...

2008-06-02T10:40:00.001-07:00

Latvian KAL.JPG
Originally uploaded by Sunny Day Knitter

I've been a bit distracted with several big projects at home, but have managed to work partway up my first Latvian KAL mitten. I chose colors from my stash of Satakeili; the background is a teal blue, with grey and white suns and peach and lime green detailing around the cuff.

Waiting

2008-04-30T22:59:00.000-07:00

Ready and waiting.

Salt and Pepper Mittens

2007-12-22T10:03:00.000-08:00

These mittens are from Robin Hansen's wonderful book, Favorite Mittens. They are meant to be warm and sturdy for when C's Uncle Jim works outside. To add warmth (beyond the 1x1 check pattern, which makes for an incredibly dense cloth) and to keep out drafts I went back and knitted an inner ribbed cuff of soft Cascade 220 (the gold),

and finally added outer pouches for reusable hand warmers:

The pattern is a traditional one from the Maritime Provinces (and I am sure from other parts of the knitting world, with its simple 1x1 check). Called Salt and Pepper in Nova Scotia, in Maine it is called Snowflake. Given that the recipient is a sailor who summers in Maine, I thought this was the perfect pattern for him in blue and cream.

(Before I knew I'd be adding the outer pouches, which clearly shows left from right, I intentionally made one mitten slightly larger than the other, hence the white stripe (cast-on edge) on one mitten.)

The denim and cream wool is from Yates Farm Yarn, 2-ply worsted, from Brownsville, VT, dyed and spun by Bartlett Yarns. I used size 4 dpns on the cuffs (inner and outer) and size 5 dpns on the mitten body.

Lobodka Mittens

2007-11-21T11:53:00.001-08:00

I made these mittens for a friend who shares a love of animals, books, and art. They should serve her well on her dog walks.

The pattern is from Kirikindad I by Aino Praakli; copy obtained from Nancy Bush's company Wooly West. I left out the green stripes on the cuff, as pictured in the book. The green for the flowers was leftover from my Poetry in Stitches cardigan; it's a bit thicker than the red & black Satakieli but it worked well enough.

Here's a peak behind the thumbs...

While the thumb placement is traditional, I still don't find them terribly comfortable to wear. Next time I might experiment with placing them closer to the side, with a gusset.

Charity Mittens

2007-10-01T15:43:00.001-07:00

These are Kristi's Mittens from Nancy Bush's Folk Knitting in Estonia. The wool is Satakieli; the colors are much deeper than these photos convey. I loved knitting these! The rhythm of knitting the wheels was soothing and speedy. While the fishtail cuff looks like entrelac, they are super easy to knit, and I love the harlequin-like result. Size 0s, metal dpns.

While I'd originally planned these as a Christmas present, I instead donated them to our school's silent auction, and they brought in $50. Woohoo! Someday, a pair for myself in turquoise and green.

Tomorrow, an early birthday present to myself: a class with Beth Brown-Reinsel on Swedish Knitting Techniques and Twined Knitting. Can't wait!

September

2007-09-18T18:00:00.001-07:00

A few FOs:

every house needs a mouse... a gift for a new-homeowner friend

Brioche stitch (EZ calls it Prime Rib) hat using up some unspun Icelandic

a taste of mittens, currently blocking... full photos to come

Summer of Socks

2007-07-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

We've just returned from over three luxurious weeks on the Maine coast. Given that while I try to pack light, I still took three pairs of shoes, I decided to take only small projects this year--almost all socks. (One was my first crochet project--don't tell anyone! Pictures later.)

Here is the culmination of my summer of socks:

[Whoops--not Trekking XXL color 76 but Supersocke 100 "sierra color"] mistake-stitch ribbing, 72 sts, toe-up on two circs, see details below about top ribbing & cast-off. The first photo is the truest in color.

Trekking XXL color 66, 1x1 rib, 72 sts, top-down on two circs, tubular cast-on. The actual color is a deeper, darker blue, with the highlighted colors peeking through.

Can you tell I love Trekking? The two pairs above are for C. I'm trying to boost his supply of wooly socks before winter comes (his toes are perpetually freezing). I used a different method for each pair to avoid the dreaded tight-sock-top (you know, when you've knit a beautiful pair of socks and go to put them on and find that no matter how loosely you cast on, they're incredibly painful to put on).

For the blue pair, knit top down, I did a provisional crochet cast-on in preparation for a tubular 1x1 rib that I continued down to the heel. Incredibly stretchy. Lucy Neatby gives a good description of the tubular cast-on in Cool Socks, Warm Feet.

For the rust-colored pair I tried something I made up; surely someone else has already tried this? These were toe-up socks, and when I was at the top of the leg, ready for some top ribbing, I basically created a double-knit layer and then bound off the two layers with a tubular cast-off.

Here's what I did: when I was ready for the final top ribbing, I knit into the front and back of every stitch. (For a 72 st sock, this resulted in a lot of stitches!) Then I double-knit for five or six rows: working one round on the knit sts (knit the knits, slip the purls) and the next round on the purl sts (slip the knits, purl the purls). So, two rounds of knitting equals one round of regular knitting. When I was ready to bind off, I followed a regular tubular method of casting off: working with 1/4 of the sock top at a time, I put all the knit sts on one needle held to the front, all the purl sts on another needle held to the back, and cast-off with kitchener st.

Dealing with so many stitches, and having to knit 10 rows to get five, was a bit slow-going, but in the end this method left a stretchy top with a nice thick feel.

A pair for me:

The lace pattern is taken from Evelyn Clark's "Waving Lace Socks" from Interweave Knits Spring 2004. I did my usual garter-stitch toes and heels, toe-up, on two circs. For the cast-off I knit a 1x1 rib for about six rows, did a picot row (*k2tog, yo*) for a fold line, 1x1 rib for another six rows, then loosely sewed the live sts to the inside of the sock. Hmmm... where's the ball-band for this? It was lovely stuff--very soft--will have to search.

Another lovely pattern by Evelyn Clark, "Go with the Flow Socks," Interweave Knits Summer 2005. This time I actually did follow the pattern (heel flap and all), but since I was using a thicker yarn, Louet Gems, I knit on 54 sts on size 1 dpns. One skein. They came out a bit snug, so next time I'd do these on size 2's or go to the 60 sts the pattern calls for.

DaCapo

2007-06-09T15:07:00.000-07:00

A long car trip south over spring break into northern California with C's parents to see C's great-uncle provided the opportunity to finish this:
I've been hoping to take a more flattering front shot, but here goes:
To get a better idea of how the flaps fold, look here. The shaping of this sweater is just brilliant. The only seams to sew up were the underarm seams. The wool was wonderful to work with, and the colors are more vivid than these washed-out photos reveal. Plus, I have enough wool leftover for a hat, or maybe mittens. And while we've had warmer than usual weather lately, I was able to wear it a few times before having to fold it aside, ready for next fall. I will definitely knit another Falkenberg kit; maybe this one? Or this? Too many choices.

Although, after seeing the Yarn Harlot's upcoming project, I'm drooling over this.

Mum's Day Socks

2007-05-20T18:43:00.001-07:00

My mother seems to like my handknit socks (would she tell me otherwise?), so this is her second year to receive socks for Mother's Day (pair #1). I love how these socks came out. They fit well, the coral color is beautiful, and the lace pattern is airy enough for spring-into-summer weather.

For these socks I loosely followed Charlene Schurch's pattern for ribbed lace in her book, Sensational Knitted Socks. To dress up the k1pi rib at the top of the leg, I used a Channel Island cast-on. (I think Beth Brown-Reinsel gives the best description of this cast-on in her classic book, Knitting Ganseys.) The heel is Eye of Partridge, which has an interesting look to it and should wear well.

This was my first time using Louet's Gems. I love it! It is incredibly soft and has a good stretch. And the best part is, I bought two skeins thinking I'd need both, but used only one (with less than a foot to spare!), which means I can make myself a pair, too!

Stats:
Ribbed Lace socks (an 8-stitch repeat) in Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks
Louet Gems fine/sport weight (100% Merino wool), machine washable & dryable (although I always air dry flat)
2 circs, size 2, 48 sts
Next time: make the plain stockinette-stitch toe area a little longer

Spring Green

2007-03-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

This Dale baby sweater, given recently to a coworker who is due in April, is from this book (just now seeing that it is no longer in print; try your local library? It's a good one). The Baby Ull colors are more yellow-green with a grass-green border. I wish I'd had more time to take photos more representative of the colors (and while I played with color enhancing in iPhoto, my changes didn't stick... ah well) but I finished this baby just in time--literally seaming it in the car on the way to the baby shower (from the passenger seat, at least!).

The daisy buttons were a good find. This was a fairly quick knit, as most baby items are; the stitch pattern kept my mind engaged; and the mother-to-be says she loves it. I'd like to knit the matching garments for this pattern someday.

Heart Sachet

2007-02-14T15:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.

Leftover Koigu from these; pattern found here.

Snow Day

2007-01-17T10:51:00.000-08:00

Praise be the gods... not only did we have Monday off for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday (for which as a second-grader I won 3rd place in a city-wide essay contest, huzzah!) but we had yesterday off as well as snow arrived overnight Monday. While the hills of Portland can see snow, it's pretty rare downtown and eastside where we live (at around 300'), so 3-4" of the powdery stuff pretty much shuts the city down.

We're not sure if Jackson here has seen snow before; he certainly enjoyed playing in it. Cold temperatures are keeping the roads snowy and slick, so today is another snow day. Most years we go without any snow days, so three snow days in the past two weeks is pretty exciting. I'll certainly be going in to work this weekend to catch up, but it's been so nice to stay home and enjoy the beauty outside, I won't mind.

Plus, look what came today:

A last holiday present from C (I gave him a big hint, in the form of a link to the website here. Unfortunately, I sent him to their Danish site, without clue to the English side. Ah well, he's a smart guy, thankfully he persevered and figured it out). I've long admired Hanne's designs. I'm excited to begin, although I'm committing to first finishing at least one project already on the needles. For now, I will have to suffice with drooling over the colors as the kit sits on my desk.

And while the photo doesn't do justice to the beautiful colorway, look at the lovely skein in front from Sarah. Such perfect colors! I'm having fun looking in my old Interweaves for a little lace project for this lovely skein. Thank you, Sarah!

Christmas Mittens

2006-12-26T18:09:00.000-08:00

Mittens for C's mother. These are taken from Nancy Bush's pattern "Liidia's Gloves" in Folk Knitting in Estonia. I thought mittens were more appropriate for the giftee, plus it's easier to assume mittens will fit someone far away than gloves might, without proper measurements. I'd hoped to knit pairs for everyone on my list, but these are the first off the needles! Maybe next year.

Satakieli, size 0 dpns

Cuff detail:
These employ a two-color braided cast-on (black & white) and feature two Kihnu Vits braids, in black & red.

I love this pattern--clean and classic. I was worried they might be too small, but as I was finishing knitting and imagining creating mitten blockers out of wire clothes hangers (I know it can be done, but didn't want to try) I remembered the pointy ends of my sock blockers and they worked perfectly!

Circular Aran

2006-12-09T18:35:00.000-08:00

Finally, some photos of my circular Aran. I love this sweater. This is from EZ's leaflet #6, spring 1961, republished in The Opinionated Knitter. What a fun pattern to knit--as EZ wrote, "Things Happen every sixth round," otherwise, it is smooth sailing.

Having knit the various cables and blackberries on a swatchcap really helped me get the right fit. Instead of a crewneck I knit a slight cowl neck, carrying some of the cables on the back up the back of the neck. Meg Swansen's "Cardigan Details" video provided great tips on the neck opening.

I couldn't be happier!

Details: wool, Cottage Craft on wooden size 5's

Now for a Bog Jacket like Jessica's (after I finish some holiday knitting--photo tomorrow).

Schmittens Redux

2006-11-26T14:46:00.000-08:00

Here are lego guy mittens, for our nephew. Hopefully he'll think they are cool enough to wear. Off soon to the fabric store to find fleece to line them with.

New mittens while I await the arrival of more Satakieli from Schoolhouse Press. This pattern is #58 from Lizbeth Upitis's beautiful book, "Latvian Mittens." Satakieli again (good thing I bought six skeins at Camp last summer), brown with pale green (the original calls for brown and grey).

When working stranded colorwork like this I like to work the piece inside out, like so (Jackson had to have a look, too):

You knit normally, but the working section is at the back of the work instead of at the front. This forces the strands to follow along the outside of the circular piece, a greater travel of circumference than if the piece was worked right-side out, which helps prevent puckering. Working inside-out also helps at the corners, where I can stretch the stitches out with my thumb to prevent that dreaded corner puckering that can be so hard to avoid:

Another FO, drying:

Mittens schmittens

2006-11-22T16:39:00.000-08:00

These heart mittens are meant for our niece, who will be visiting Maine for Christmas. She lives with her family in a warm place, so I figure she and her brother could each use a pair. I plan to line them with fleece for softness and extra warmth, although this wool (Yates Farm Yarn, Brownsville, VT, dyed and spun by Bartlett) is incredibly soft. I used Marcia Lewandowski's basic mitten pattern in Folk Mittens. Next up, a pair for her brother, and then a few holiday presents need to be worked. Photos soon of my EZ circular Aran--it's finished and just needs to be blocked! Yippey!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ganomy Girls

2006-10-31T18:46:00.000-08:00

One ganomy hat, two girls... I'm told they love the hat so much, they kindly share it, even taking turns to wear it to the local grocery store (one head per way). After seeing other ganomies on Zimmermania, I couldn't resist any longer and used up some Mission Falls 1824 wool I had bought back when it sounded like it was about to become extinct (so glad it's being made again). I'd originally and selfishly started the hat thinking it would be for me, but when it came out a bit too small (and I have a tiny head!), it was fun to think of who might enjoy wearing it. I think I made the right choice!

Zimmermania

2006-09-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

My friend Sarah has just begun, with her friend Jessica, Zimmermania, a KAL devoted to knitting EZ's designs. How wonderful that many knitters are being introduced (or reintroduced) to EZ's genius. And it's nice to see Meg's designs being honored there, too, as I believe she inherited all of EZ's wit and wisdom.

While the KAL officially began yesterday, I am holding off on beginning a new EZ project (which will most likely be Meg's Arch-shaped Stockings) until I finish my EZ circular Aran sweater from The Opinionated Knitter/Leaflet #6, Spring 1961.

Here's my swatchcap, top:

and side:

Love that Sheepfold design of EZ's. Here's the body so far:

The row of blackberries will run up the center front and back. Since the sleeves will be steeked, I may use this piece as a demonstration sample for some knitter friends who have expressed dismay at the thought of steeking. I'm also thinking of doing a cowl neck, to make this a super-warm, dog-walking-through-the-park sort of sweater. Now I just need to finish it, and find a dog!

Mouse

2006-08-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

Home Again

2006-08-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

Oh, how quickly life resumes to normal. On my way home from Maine I stopped off in Wisconsin for four fabulous days of knitting camp. My third summer in a row, it was wonderful to spend time with friends old and new. What more could a girl want than to be able to knit all day (and all night) long, all the while sitting in a veritable knitting shop, surrounded by intelligent and creative knitters?

While out of town a good friend had her second child, a baby girl, so for a weekend project I knit EZ's gull stitch baby sweater from Knitter's Almanac (a charming read--I love her descriptions of camping and fishing with The Old Man). While her original (which I was able to have right in front of me!) was made of Shetland, I couldn't wait until Saturday morning for the first order delivery of the weekend and instead picked from the table some Berroco Ultra Alpaca. While it knit up at a larger gauge, the fuzzy softness appealed to me and I think it will make a nice little first sweater.

One morning in Maine

2006-07-21T04:42:00.000-07:00

We waited for the first hottest day of summer (101F!) to do it, but with the fabulous help of friends we moved completely into our new home. We were there for a week before leaving for vacation, managing to unpack quite a few boxes, although there is a mound in the basement still to deal with. Fortunately the weather cooled off enough to enjoy a few dinners on the back porch, and I have found that on warm afternoons the place to be is on the shaded, breezy front porch, where I can read or knit and watch the colorful characters parading up and down the street. Quite literally--one night there was a person wearing feather boas roller skating around and around the block. We think she might be part of the Portland Roller Derby group, which is definitely on our list to check out.

Maine was wonderful, as always. Although we had a rocky start (including C being stung by a hornet and reacting horribly (he now has an epi-pen) and a boat motor that conked out seemingly at whim, requiring one tow in to the marina), everything worked out toward the end. We were able to spend a long, last weekend on the Island, situated in Casco Bay just outside of the town of Brunswick (home of Bowdoin College). Here's the view last Saturday morning. Can't beat that. And, C even agreed to go with me to Bath, home of Halcyon, where I picked up a couple of books and drooled over the cones of Harrisville shetland. I'm now eager to knit up some throw pillow covers to dress up our new living room.

While in Maine I finished another pair of Trekking socks, similar in method to my Mother's Day socks although using a different rib & cable. This time I finished the cuff with a few rows of alternating garter and stocking stitch, resulting in a hem that has enough give without flaring out too much. Fun socks for cool summer mornings and nights.

Oh--one more photo. I found this great mitten pattern on this site and couldn't resist the squirrels. I did make two modifications to the pattern. I found the thumb line on the chart too low for my longish hands so I moved it up about an inch. Also, instead of sewing down the cuff facing afterwards, I picked up the cast on edge and did a three-needle bindoff at the first solid contrast color row about the tall pines. Still have to knit the thumb, and then make another; I am looking forward to wearing them this winter. Thanks, Elli!

A Fuzzy, Flowered Hat

2006-06-17T22:29:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, a young friend was recently diagnosed with leukemia. A beautiful girl who loves flowers, I wanted to make a soft hat for her so I picked two pinks of Chinchilla and got to work. I'm pleased with the result, and the child's mother sent me the kindest of thank-yous, informing me that the girl's middle name is Rose. A lucky coincidence in an unfortunate event.

Thanks to Sue for the flower pattern; the hat I made up as I went.

Circles

2006-05-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks like we've sold our house! The home inspection will be next Friday. If all goes well, we'll sign papers for this house and our new one at the end of June. We're buying the home of a good friend, who lives just a few miles away in another equally great, walkable neighborhood. The new house has a big backyard, a driveway, a double garage, and a big front porch, all things our current house lacks. Inside, the woodwork is all original, unpainted, with the original light fixtures and lots of character. And our friend will be relocating to another spot not far away, which means we'll still get to see her and be able to sit on her beautiful back deck and knit.

That's my big news. On lesser fronts, it sounds like my sock pal received her socks. I also finished my mom's Mother's Day socks.
I used Trekking XXL (and loved it) with a simple cable rib pattern from Charlene Schurch's "Sensational Knitted Socks". They were made toe-up with garter stitch short-row toes and heels. I ran into some trouble with the bind-off edge. I wanted to finish them with a few rows of stockinette and then fold over on a *k2tog, yo* row, stitching down a final few rows of stockinette to the inside edge. On my first try I did a three-needle bind-off, which, while it looked beautifully clean and neat, was way too tight. Then I tried weaving the top row with an inside row, but still couldn't get enough stretch. While I might try that again sometime with elastic thread, I ended up pulling it out and finishing off the top with a picot bind-off. Not the finished look I wanted, but it's stretchy and gives a hint of whimsy.

I've started the second circle for my "Sunburst Pullover" (Norah Gaughan, Interweave Knits, an old issue--maybe 1999? Mine are already packed away and the copy I made doesn't list the year). I am using some finer wool, Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool, which has a wonderfully cool, crisp, yet soft, feel. Given the weight change (of the wool! Hopefully not of me) I'm needing to follow the gist of the pattern but make up most of the numbers. I'm really liking the orangish color, something I normally wouldn't have reached for. I can't wait to have this sweater finished, as I think it will make a great summer sweater for cool mornings and evenings. Happy knitting!

Happy Feet

2006-05-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

[Oof--I started this post over a week ago, and ended up having trouble with Blogger. Huge apologies to my sock pal for taking so long to show off her beautiful socks!] My Sockapaloooza socks arrived from my pal, gleek. I absolutely, unconditionally love them! I have them on today--a lazy Sunday, slightly drizzly and cloudy, perfect sock weather. Here they are in all their splendidness:

She used Nancy Bush's Rib & Cable pattern from the Fall 2005 Interweave Knits with Brooklyn Handspun. I really love the colors--the greens, blues, and yellowish-gold look great together; there's even my favorite lime green in there.

The fit is perfect--couldn't have been better. I really like the toe, too; I haven't made a toe yet this way and want to try it out on my next pair, as the fit is really good. These are well-crafted socks. Thanks so much, gleek! I couldn't be happier with my socks.

And to top it off, she included yummy chocolate (now devoured), a cool sockapaloooza label, and a postcard of NYC taxis. She has a very interesting site, too. Be sure to read about the iguana at the top of the page. I wish I had something similar for Scooter. He'd probably be asleep most of the time, too!

How fun to make new friends from across the country. I'm embarrassed to say that it will be tomorrow that I mail out my socks for my pal, overseas, but, I think I finally have all the pieces to my carepackage for her. Hopefully they'll swing their way over to her quickly. [OK, they went out a week ago now. Hoping to hear from her soon! I hope she likes them.]

Yesterday I hiked in the Columbia River Gorge with some people from my tai chi class. It was an overcast day, and a bit cool, perfect for hiking. Here's the view from the top of Hamilton Mountain, looking northeast toward Table Mountain:

It was a good hike--long but not too strenuous, with a good view from the top and lots of wildflowers making their debut along the way.

And this is Pool of the Winds, where Rodney Falls cascades into a rock-walled bowl: Quite impressive in person, but hopefully this gives you an idea. Beautiful!

Finished Sockapaloooza Socks!

2006-05-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

My socks are finished--I actually finished knitting a week or so ago and blocked them last week. Here they are!

I had fun knitting them. They are Amelia Raitte's "Elfine" pattern. The wool is from RainShadow Farm in Kingston, WA, 97% Coopworth sheep wool and 3% cashgora and angora. It's a sturdy yarn, and while the pattern is delicate, these socks will be good boot or clog socks, or socks to wear while by the fire on a cold, rainy day. I hope my pal likes them! I want to pick up a few additions for the package before sending them off overseas (hint, hint).

Mystery Pattern

2006-03-30T13:29:00.000-08:00

Here's a photo of my Sockapaloooza sock progress. I'm doing both at once on 2 circs, although I'm finding that I like to do the toes and heels one at a time on dpns. I'm doing them toe-up and am halfway through the heel of the second sock (a short-row, stockinette heel). On the off-chance that my pal will read this, I'm afraid if I name the pattern I'll give it away, so you'll just have to wait! I hope these will fit my sock pal--the wool is a bit heavier than I usually use but I think I'm getting the right measurements. These will make very warm winter socks!

My poor sister, her sweater is on hiatus again. I'm stating here and now that I promise to have it finished by the end of April. There--now hold me to it!

Then... next in line...

Yarn Aplenty

2006-03-11T15:23:00.000-08:00

Here's a catch-up post. The big news is that C got a new laptop, which means I now have his old one (which is really still a very new, very nice PowerBook), which means I may actually post more, now that I'm portable! (I suppose I've always been portable... but you know what I mean.)

First up, the wool I plan to use for my Sockapaloooza socks: It's 97% Coopworth Wool, 3% Cashgora/Angora from RainShadow Farm in Kingston, WA. My pal mentioned pink, and I just couldn't pass up the shading of the rose color in this wool. Pattern TBD. I found it at one of the booths at the market of the Madrona Fiber Arts retreat I went to last month with my good friend L. More on the retreat later (lots to tell--we heard the Yarn Harlot speak AND took a class with Nancy Bush. Couldn't have been better).

Second, as a result of our class with Nancy Bush, I ordered all of this from her company The Wooly West: Namely, two Sanquhar-style patterns, sample cards of sock wool used in her Vintage Socks book, and three books on Estonian mittens. I originally heard of these books on Saartje's site (she knits beautifully, check out her site) and became excited to learn, when Nancy pulled them out to show the class, that they are available here in the U.S. These books are amazing, and leave me itching to knit many of the patterns. Every night since they arrived I've been looking at them before going to sleep. I think people may be getting mittens next Christmas.

Third, I'm working around the chest on my sister's cardigan, trying EZ's circular raglan decrease but working back and forth. Since this is the second time I'm knitting this sweater, and because I wanted to compare for size the first pieces with my second effort, I pulled apart the old pieces gradually as I needed wool. Long story short, I recently ran out of wool and needed to pull out more of the old, wash it, and let it dry, so here's what I went and started: These are for C, as his feet have been cold all winter and I think I'm finally convincing him that he should be wearing wool socks instead of cotton. It's Opal, and I think I might even have enough left over for a pair of ankle socks for me. We'll see. I'm doing a garter stitch, short row toe and heel but I'm using a simple Garter Rib pattern from Charlene Schurch's book for the top of the foot and the leg. Toe up so I can get the sizing right for him, and both at once because I just love being done when I'm done!

Well, enough for today. More soon!

Stash-busting Scarf

2006-02-26T23:01:00.000-08:00

I wanted to play with some slip-stitch patterns so I pulled from my stash a wide range of colors and settled in for figuring out a scarf striped the long way. Here's what I started with:
And here's my practice swatch: I played with when to change colors, when to slip, and when to knit. Once I was satisfied with a given look I cast on 300 stitches and got to work.
I'm really happy with the outcome. Wool got used up and I love how the colors came together. The slip stitch pattern gives the scarf a woven look, with both sides looking good (and, the weave allows the scarf to lay flat).
Here's a close-up:

And here's how to make your own Stash-busting Scarf:
CO an even number of stitches for the length of your scarf. (Swatch first and measure your gauge in pattern, as a slip-stitch pattern tends to be narrower than plain stockinette.)

Beginning with color #1,
(RS) K across
(WS) K across

then begin the slip-stich pattern:
(RS) K, *sl1 with yarn in front, K*, K
(WS) K, *sl1 with yarn in front, K*, K

Thereafter, on RS rows you knit the purls and slip the slips from the previous row
& on WS rows you knit the slips and slip the purls from the previous row,
always knitting the first and last stitches of every row and always slipping with the yarn in front.

Change colors at the beginning of a RS row, knitting the first stitch with both colors. Just remember to treat that stitch as one stitch on the return row. I changed colors every four rows; you could change colors less often but I found the weave looks best with at least four rows per color.

My Peaceful Palms

2006-01-28T18:46:00.000-08:00

When I signed up for Nona's Peaceful Palms knitalong, I knew I wanted to finish C's gansey first and, given our trip, that it wouldn't be until January that I'd probably start. But I didn't mean to be one of the last to post! I actually finished a couple of weeks ago, but haven't gotten a good photo taken until tonight. So, here they are...

This photo shows the color of the Koigu pretty well. It was great stuff to knit with; I'd made a scarf with Koigu before and its springy nature lends itself well to gloves. My first pair of gloves were made fingertips down but using double knitting; this time I tried the i-cord method following Nona's clear descriptions. What a clever idea! No doubt that Meg Swansen would have thought of it, or at least unvented it. My only deviation from Nona's instructions involved, for the fingers other than the pinkies, picking up two stitches within the float instead of one. I tried picking up one stitch down the float first but was unhappy with how loose that one stitch looked compared to the others. Picking up two worked fine, although I didn't think about the consequences until I got to putting them together, that by adding stitches my total stitch count was now higher than that for which the pattern was written (duh). Ultimately the added stitches weren't too many, as the gloves fit my hands well (and match my coat!). I used size 2's; once I got the fingers all made, I used two circular needles for the rest of the way.

I love my new gloves and I've enjoyed seeing everyone's Peaceful Palms. Thanks to Nona for hosting this knitalong!

New Beginnings

2006-01-16T20:48:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone. It's been good to catch up and see what everyone's been up to over the holidays, as well as people's new year resolutions, particularly knitting-related. I'll have to think on that some more. Although it is good to be home, it's not been an easy return. It took me a full 10 days or so to recover from jetlag; none was felt going over, but the 15-hour difference hit me hard coming back. Several nights involved knitting from 4am on until it was time to get ready for work. Those nights gave me more time, though, with Scooter, who had been living with cancer for the past several months. We weren't even sure if he'd be here when we returned, but he was, thanks to my sister who stayed with him and to our wonderful vet tech who makes home visits. Whether he was waiting for us to return or not, he made it another five days until the cancer got the better of him. It was a sad day, but we knew it was time and chose to put him to sleep. I think he knew, too. Here's to Scooter, the bravest, sweetest cat around. We love you, Scooby. Thank you for being our friend.

Merry Christmas

2005-12-25T19:57:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Thailand! We arrived a week ago and are having a wonderful trip. This photo was taken at one of the hundreds of Wats that are in the area of Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand. We've seen the palace in Bangkok, ridden an elephant, and eaten wonderful Thai food. The people are warm and friendly. We have another week to spend here, which will allow us to see more of Chiang Mai, as well as a side trip to the Mekong and Laos. There are wonderful handicrafts by the hill tribes people, and I am hoping to go to many more markets before we return home. One Christmas present I received from our family here was a knitting bag, complete with a needle case, pincushion, and case for scissors, all made by women of a local hilltribe. I've seen wool mittens and socks in the markets, although I'm not sure if they were knit here in Thailand or are from a neighboring country. I did see at least two local women crocheting while working in the Night Bazaar, a sprawling night market with just about anything you could imagine. There is so much to see!

Wishing you happy holidays!

One Finished Gansey

2005-11-26T12:01:00.000-08:00

I sewed the zipper in last night (by hand--I've tried machine-sewing zippers in but they never come out well enough) so C's hiking gansey is officially complete. It's still pending the Great Try-On, but I am crossing my fingers that it will fit. The Satakieli did well in blocking (I wet-blocked it) and the top portion that was originally pulling in stretched out well.

Final details: pattern, my own, using EPS & the "Swedish Block Pattern" from Barbara Walker; 5 skeins Satakieli from Schoolhouse Press on size 2 (stockinette portions) and 1 (pattern areas)

For some mindless knitting I've started some socks using Knitpicks "Dancing" and trying Lucy Neatby's Bosnian square toe, which was a fun way to begin a sock. Pereline pictures to come. In the interim, here's Scooter wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving weekend.

Hot Knitting

2005-11-20T14:23:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to figure out what knitting I can take on our trip to Thailand. I'm thinking a shawl, since it would be small and light. This is amazing and I have the perfect person in mind for it, although the cream would be better suited for her and I'm not sure how clean I can keep the cream while travelling and knitting with sweaty fingers. Although the silk/wool blend seems like it would work well there. So, maybe another of Blackberry Ridge's shawls, in a mixed colorway?

Two down, one to go...

2005-11-19T12:48:00.000-08:00

C's hiking gansey is finished! For kicks, here's how much wool I had left over... I'll post a full photo after it's blocked.

The pereline is also complete. It's a beautiful fall day today, so the plan is to get a photo of it against the fall leaves. The plan also involves rebuilding the front porch steps this weekend. And read Harry Potter #6.

So what's next? To finish my sister's Christmas sweater from last year. At least she's forgiving! As she said, it's like the quilt she made for C and I, which was delivered two years after the gifting. Better late than never!

We're Halfway There

2005-10-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

Both of my current projects are over halfway complete. Using the unspun Icelandic, here's the progress on the pereline:
It's true nature will be revealed off the needles. The unspun has been fine to work with; I think I've only had to spit splice it together once so far. After the brown showing will be a darker, richer brown to finish off the bottom.

And then there's C's hiking gansey:
The zipper is just basted in for now, but I think it will work! I went down to a size 1 on the upper body to keep the garter stitch ridges from puckering out too much; I'm awfully glad to be back to a size 2 on the sleeves. Onward!

And I had such fun with Alison's Socka-pal-2-za-along, I've joined Nona's Peaceful Palms gloves knit-along. With the finished-by date of January 31, I'm sure I'll make it; although I'm itching to start now, I'm resolved to finish my WIPs first (we'll see how long that lasts). Now to figure out how to put Nona's button on my blog...

My Sockapal2za Socks Arrived!

2005-09-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

My socks arrived today from my sock pal. They are beautiful! Wonderful autumn colors with cables gracefully winding their way up the sides. The fit is perfect. Don't you just love that new-sock feel? These will be a definite favorite this fall and winter. I can't wait to show them off! Thank you, Suzanne! You did fabulously! I love the handdyed wool, by Kathy Oliver at Holly Spring Homespun. I may have to make a sweater with this stuff, what with the colors so gorgeous and the feel so soft. Plus, Suzanne made the cutest card and included cool stitch markers with my socks. Thank you so! I had fun with this endeavor. Thanks to Alison for organizing us all, too!

C'est Fini!

2005-09-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Socka-pal-2-za Pal,

Here are your finished socks. I do hope you like them and that they fit you well. Because I ended up knitting the heels and feet twice (on my first attempt I knitted a reinforced heel, and upon finishing both socks (yes, I finished both before trying them on. Doh!) I realized the heel really wasn't going to fit. Anyone.), these socks have been many places. They were begun at Meg Swansen's knitting camp in Wisconsin, they survivied a 27-mile backpacking loop through the beautiful Wallowa Mountains in eastern Oregon, they saw the Mariners play baseball in Seattle, and they were finished in gorgeous Vancouver, BC after a bike ride around Stanley Park. These are well-travelled socks. May they serve you well as you show them your part of the world.

Details: I used the pattern "Ellen's Stockings" in Nancy Bush's Folk Knitting in Estonia, with one skein of Satakieli wool on size 0's. The heels were worked with slip-stitchs to provide cushion; I also diverted from the pattern's round toe to do a traditional "flat" toe. The true color is really more of a buttery-yellow but this photo shows off the stitches better.

This project was great fun! I hope they arrive at their destination soon. And many thanks to Alison for hosting us all.

Cheers,
Jen

Sockapal-2-za Update

2005-09-06T22:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I was afraid of this. I've gone back to work and haven't posted since returning. I will do better! No photo today (next time, of finished Socka-pal-2-za socks! They are drying as I write) but I wanted to post to respond to my own secret sock pal, who wrote last evening. Whoever you are, I can't wait to see my socks (and I can't wait to find out who you are!). They sound beautiful! Thank you!

Unspun Icelandic

2005-08-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

Unspun Icelandic wool, waiting to be knit up into one of EZ's perelines. The bottom wheel is a rich chocolate brown. A fourth color, a darker grey, should be arriving soon from Schoolhouse Press.

Beautiful Oregon

2005-08-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

Here's where I've been the last five days--backpacking in the beautiful Wallowa Mountains of northeastern Oregon. Despite my unhappy feet, for scenic value, this was by far the best hiking I've done in Oregon. Our 30-mile loop took us through varied terrain, from woodland forest to alpine cliffs. With a myriad of streams and small lakes along the trail, water was aplenty. No bears were observed, but we did see deer, grouse and other birds, several snakes, trout, and a million insects. Colin's hiking sweater (now complete up to the middle of the armhole gussets, ready for backing-and-forthing) stayed in the car, but the first of the socka-pal-2-za sock came along and is nearly finished. Hopefully I'll finish Colin's sweater soon so he can test it out on another trail before the end of the season!

Return from Knitting Camp

2005-07-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

Bavarian Twisted Cap
Originally uploaded by Crazy Knitter.

I returned Monday night from Meg Swansen's Knitting Camp. What fun was had! Old friends met last year were there (including Sallie, proud new owner of Knitters Mercantile, and glass artist Caitlin), and new friends were made. I had a fabulous roommate who had on the exact same pair of green shoes I brought. Of course we were to hit it off! She and her friend drove down from Montana and I had the best time with them. Hopefully we'll return to do it all over again next summer.

Camp began Thursday night with a supper buffet and then, after each camper had a chance to write down a question regarding knitting for Meg to cover during class, the classroom was opened up for us to ooh and ahh over the sweaters laid in abundance on tables, to select wool, to choose books, to peruse Meg's personal knitting book collection. Friday morning began with Meg addressing campers' questions which ranged from how to compute even increases across a row to mirror-image increases (three different sorts) to that elusive weave for some knitters, the kitchener stitch. Friday also included an introduction to Bavarian Twisted Stitch (this red cap was knitted up last winter after learning the method at last summer's camp), Two-End knitting, multiple methods of casting on, and short rows. All the while Meg's support teachers Amy Detjen (technique guru and an absolutely hilarious woman) and Joyce Williams (a fabulous designer, she has a wonderful sense of humor and always smiles with a twinkle in her eye) were present to add to the instruction and discussion. Each day after lunch we reconvened for show-and-tell, a time for every camper to show off accomplishments or present problem pieces to the group for advice. After afternoon time to relax and dinner out, the classroom filled up again as campers spared no time to do that which we all crave time for, time to sit and knit.

Other topics covered over the course of the weekend included proper trapping when knitting in two colors, shadow knitting (both demonstrated by Amy), and Armenian knitting (shown by Joyce). Both Meg and Joyce had original pieces worked in the Armenian way and I am inspired to try my own hand at this interesting method.

Meg's overwhelming support and gracious manner, Amy's quick wit and practical solutions to problems, and Joyce's quiet brilliance all made for the most wonderful of weekends. I feel lucky to have attended and can't wait to return.

Bavarian Twisted Cap, detail

2005-07-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

Bavarian Twisted Cap, detail
Originally uploaded by Crazy Knitter.

Tulip detail.