Back from Camp

I have been a long time posting, since work has been so busy, and we were away for Spring Break. Camp Cockamamie was pretty great. I loved meeting avid knitters from all over the country, the island was beautiful, I learned some great techniques, got inspired for several projects, and came home with - what else - more yarn. Some beautiful STR colorways in the medium and lightweight yarns, plus one skein of seduction, their merino tencel yarn.

The chicken knitting contest was amazing, I was proud of my little guy until I saw what everyone else did - but at least I made one so that was fine.

Lots of funny games and contests, like knitting WHITE ribbon yarn underwater and other hijinks.

Why we knit ..

As happens so often, a post in one of my groups led to me a blog I'd never visited, and I found this wonderful post that I want to quote and share here. The Blog is Jung at Heart by Dr Cheryl Fuller. I loved this post and wanted to share it with you:

Marie Louise von Franz talks about knitting a bit in her book, The Feminine in Fairytales. I'll grant that some of what she says is quite sexist as we see things today but the heart of her comments remains valid --

Everybody who has knitted or done weaving or embroidery knows what an agreeable effect this can have, for you can be quiet and lazy and also spin your own thoughts while working. You can relax and follow your fantasy and then get up and say you have done something! Also the work exercises patience...Only those who have done such work know of all the catastrophes which can happen -- such as losing a row of stitches just when you are decreasing! It is a very self-educative activity and brings out feminine nature. It is immensely important for women to do such work and not give it up in the modern rush. (The Feminine in Fairy Tales, Spring Publications, 1972, p. 40)

I knit in meetings and while watching television. I knit at any social event where it seems acceptable. Knitting serves at times like that to focus my attention by giving my "monkey mind" something to do. And I find that as i return later to what I was knitting, I also recall what I heard or saw or thought when last I was knitting that piece.

The knitter becomes a literal part of what we knit as our hair gets knit into the objects we make. When I look at things i made 10 or 15 years ago, I know that hairs from cats and a dog now dead are part of that knitting. Each knitted object carries the history of the time in my life when it was made. When I left my first husband, I started a complicated Kaffe Fassett coat and I worked on it for 2 years. It is where I worked through my grief and anger and transformed those feelings into something new, something beautiful, something I could take into my new life. The coat is made from bits and pieces of yarns that I bought while in that marriage, leftovers from other projects. Knitting it was knitting up many of my own loose ends and when I finished it, something in me had changed.

Mad Props to French Girl's Kristeen

Just wanted to post that I got fantastic pattern support from Kristeen at French Girl Knits. I bought the Fantine pattern from Dreamweaver yarns, and (for the first time) took the time to do a gauge swatch – the pattern called for Rowan Big Wool and a size 17; I wanted to use Rowan Ribbon Twist which indicated the same gauge on the ball band. But my fabric in a 17 as well as a 15 looked too loose, and I was ahving a hard time doing the math with my stitch count (I posted about this previously) keeping in mind the 3 stitch rib pattern and where to place markers for the raglan shaping. I emailed Dreamweaver and French Girl, and Kristeen took the time to email me, and helped me come up with a great way to customize the pattern. Her email response was prompt and clear and so very helpful. I am going to get going on it later today. Yeah French Girl, I will be coming back for more patterns! And I may want to do this one again in Big Wool – that’s a pretty yarn too...

Here is her reply:
bonjour rebecca,
i have done some fiddling around to make this work and here is my take on things:
if we used the stitch gauge and your measurement (which i think might be a tad bit too high...it is difficult to get that scoop neck measure just right...plus there will be some stretching with this yarn...i know...i have used it a lot!)....soooo in light of all this if we used the two measurements we would come up with a cast on of about 77 !!! which is way too much i think...so if you don't mind experimenting a bit(it is only wool and time right?)....here is what i think might work for you...
CO 59 sts (use a size 15 needle to get it looser)...make sure to use the cable cast on method , then switch to the #13 and begin the pattern
with these changes:
Row 1: (LCS, P 1) 10 times, PM etc on center purl st. then (RCS,P 1) 9 times, RCS (that will give you a st ct of 59 for the first row)....if you use a long enough needle you can stretch it out around you and see if that is going to work for the neck area...questions to ask...does it just meet or is it overlapped(too many sts) or if it doesn't meet, how many inches do i need...again remember we can do some blocking with this and when the work is off the needles it is even stretchier...so once you get that far then if it is right just do row 2 & 3 as written(substituting our revised row 1).
Row 4: follow the directions but place the markers after 11sts, 8 sts, 21sts, and finally 8 sts, then work to the end...that will get you set up for the raglan increases that will follow....
once you get there just work merrily along in the pattern but disregard the number of repeats on the spot where it says "repeat rows 5 & 6 " "x" number of times...we will customize that for you....i would say start with 10 repeats and we will work from there....we should definitely add some short rows to the front...as i advise in the upper size ranges so you can get a good fit in the bust area...more on that later...
in essence, you will be learning to custom fit this for you so in the future you can take patterns and amend them...yippee...isn't that fun...i do it all the time...being pretty small but incredibly busty(what can i say...it's those italian ancestors!)...so i have a load of experience with this...

now...if things are too big or small after that first row then check back with me and we will adjust....bonne chance and let me know how it is going....
a bientot, kristeen & the french girls

More finished objects... sigh!

I have some FOs to report. Some items that were lingering in the bottom of my move to the very satisfying FO column.

At last, prompted by pending Patty's day merriment, I came up with a use for the Material Whirled Handspun skein Lucky Charms that I bought a year ago. It was so fun and lovely I couldn’t choose the right pattern for it, but this winter I became enamored of the Cathy Carron’s book Hip Knit Hats. So I used one of those patterns to make a fun St. Patricks Day hat — note the horseshoe and shamrock pins, cufflinks and even a pot of gold woven in!

NOT A BRUIN HAT: I had started a hat with some navy Plymouth Baby Alpaca, and was using a Hip Knit Hats pattern for striping and using some gold kettle dyed yarn from Uruguay (handpaintedyarn.com) and I stopped because, Trojan that I am, I was really bugged that I was making a hat a Bruin would love. But my husband really needed a hat during our last cold snap and said – that looks cool, finish it. Once I finished it it really does not look like UCLA as much as I thought.


I finished a pair of socks in a scalloped lace pattern with Fleece Artist sock merino, in the Ivory colorway – my best socks yet though still mistakes. With these socks I tried a couple of new techniques: eye of partridge heel and star toe.

Still to be photographed:

I finished the Celtic Vest kit from Fleece Artist – now I need to block it – I’ve never blocked before but somehow I think this will be worth it – it is silk and wool so I believe it should block fine.
My felted clogs finally felted enough and I wear them often – there are still funky spots with my sewing so I need to give it another shot to see if I can make something that looks better (see a pattern here?)
I am one small ball away from finishing the Klee scarf kit from AL Sauveterre – my first cashmere knitting experience. It became a bit tedious – size 5 needles, 30 rib stitches for countless rows – but I really wanted something to show off when I go to Camp Cockamamie – the Blue Moon Fiber Arts camp in April in Orcas Island, with camp leaders Stephanie Pearl McPhee and Cat Bordhi.

I also called on the talents of some professional knitters to help me with a kit I purchased last fall. It's the Ilga Leja lace vest made with Handmaiden Lady Godiva. Christina did a fantastic job, I am so pleased - here is my attempt at a photo.

Two knitting questions: this Klee scarf had tons of yarn changes and I have a tremendous amount of end weaving to do. I had woven in some ends already and I can feel where I did it. Any advice on more invisible end weaving?

Re my Not-a-Bruin hat: striping in a spiral was not attractive – I definitely have a rear of the hat where you can see my row changes. Any advice on making that more professional looking?

Sockapalooza!

Here are three of the four socks I had made for my husband for his birthday. He is wearing one today. I sent three skeins of Austerman Step and one of Trekking XXL to Beth at Socks That Fit in New Mexico and she knit them up on an antique sock knitting machine - I think that was great considering men don't want fancy socks anyway so I was pleased. You'll note she did a nice job of matching up the patterning too. Now I know why people are crazy about Trekking (it's the dark blue sock) the colors are great and it feels great too. We'll see how the Step wears with washing etc - it's the yarn that's supposed to get softer with wear and washing due to infusion of Aloe and Jojoba.


Also, here is the scarf I knit for him in a hand-dyed cashmere yarn that my friend Lauren gave me for Xmas - it's DH's favorite color. It's in farrow rib - my new favorite rib pattern!


Finally, here is further progress on my "prettiest sock yet" - I am trying an Eye of Partridge heel. It is challenging to recall which row is a S1 or S2, but it sure is purty. I may try a "star toe" just for the heck of it!
BTW the pattern is a modification of the scallop shell pattern from Crystal Palace - I substituted the ribbed cuff with a garter edge, the eye of partridge heel for a standard heel stitch flap, etc.

My prettiest sock yet!

Here's the cuff of the best sock I've knit yet - It's the Ivory colorway of Fleece Artist sock yarn - I love it, it is so nice to knit something that is light and shows the stitches and to use yarn that has no tendency to pool.

I have been laying off on posts for a while because I want to post about the scarf and socks I made for my husband for his brithday, and since he is my most faithful blog reader, I had to refrain.


Here is a pic of my first ever toe-up sock. Course I have to knit its partner, and I'm not as enthused about it as I am the fleece artist.

Made some purchases this last week that I will post pics of when they arrive. When I heard Sweet Georgia was taking a sabbatical I had to stock up, and that led to discoveries of other sock yarn I couldn't resist.

Now I'm a Speed Demon

And the fact that I'm producing a video about methamphetamine doesn't stop me from professing my admiration for Speed - yes it is addicting, not as expensive as cocaine -- I mean cashmere ... and like any speed junkie I need more!! I made my third pair of socks and the adage about the third time being the charm as for fit and technique is true.

I knit these with Sweet Georgia's Speed Demon yarn which is DK weight - I used a size 3 needle and the Broadripple pattern from Knitty. It took me just over a week, which is pretty good considering I am dealing with carpal tunnel syndrome. My greatest triumph was finally mastering kitchener stitch, so now I am not averse to cuff down patterns, though I do want to get the toe up thing down. I guess Yarn Harlot was waxing poetic about the charms of Canadian yarn - no wonder. I got mine through the Loopy Ewe - they only have one or two colorways on hand though - hopefully there will be more selection. There are a few colorways I've been admiring on the Sweet Georgia site but they are not to be found -- yet.

In other news, I found a site, Socks that Fit, that will knit socks on antique sock knitting machines - I figured that was perfect for some self-patterning fingering weight yarn that I had in my stash that was just not going to work for me with my current state of arm and hand pain. I sent five skeins - hope to get them back next week and will keep you posted!

Six weird things about me

I have been tagged by Tammy of Lavendar Knits to answer this meme that's going around. So here goes.

1. I am an unrepentant regifter. Tis the season.

2. I used to pretend I was John Lennon.

3. I never had a dog until I was 45 (drumroll please, enter Maya)

4. I never was on a sports team - until I was Team Mom for my son's AYSO soccer this season.

5. My favorite candy above all others - gourmet chocolate, you name it: Red Vines.

6. I used to make homemade food for my cat; now I make food for my dog. I also made baby food (but that's not weird at all)

Now to wax a little about the meaning of "weird" - what is weird? I don't know - in my book just a little unusual? I used to delight in weird behavior in high school and college - have a bit of a wacky sense of humor, Monty Python and all that. Oh well, please forgive me as I tag the requested six victims, ahem, subjects: Lynda, Mary, Kim, Melise, Breien, Tammy.