Just in the nick of time too! I finished this on Monday, I think? Can't remember, don't want to check.
At any rate, I finished it in time for the arctic cold snap that dumped mega sub-zero temps and windchills on our lovely Minnesota landscape.
I used all stash yarn (yay for stash yarn!) - Patons Classic in Taupe and Forest, and Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted in Red Fox. The inside is taupe with red "flames" and the outside is red with camo (Forest) "flames". Buddy loves the red/camo side and I must agree. It's adorable!
And warm, which is the important thing when one has to catch the bus in -40 windchills. I made myself one too. It's the best!
Stay warm, people!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Monday, December 15, 2008
Brr
That's about all there is to say today. Right now, at 9:13 a.m. CST, it's -8 with a -28 windchill. That's up from a -35 windchill when the kids left for the bus. Eek.
So yesterday I made Thorpe, thinking that a Fair Isle 100% bulky wool earflap hat would be just the thing to keep me warm.
Dummy.
I'm still a rookie at stranded knitting so apparently I must not knit as tightly when doing color work as I do when knitting plain stuff. If I'd known that, I would not have gone up a needle size.
Everything went along very nicely and the hat looks great, but it's a bit too big. Which is weird since I measured gauge and was afraid it wouldn't be big enough.
The patterned section is a big too long and loose and the garter stitch is waaaay too loose. The cold air is flying right through those bad boys.
It is so cute though and I'm not willing to give up on it just yet.
Those mittens, on the other hand, were a huge success! They are the Super Mittens from Weekend Knitting - my first and possibly forever favorite knitting book. I had bits of 3 colors of Lamb's Pride Bulky leftover from my kids' felted clogs. When I knew the deep freeze was coming, I decided to cast on and see how far I got. Lo and behold, I was able to get two pairs out of the leftovers - one for me and one for a boy, any boy.
The mittens are fantastic. So fast, so cute, and so warm. They are, indeed, super!
So yesterday I made Thorpe, thinking that a Fair Isle 100% bulky wool earflap hat would be just the thing to keep me warm.
Dummy.
I'm still a rookie at stranded knitting so apparently I must not knit as tightly when doing color work as I do when knitting plain stuff. If I'd known that, I would not have gone up a needle size.
Everything went along very nicely and the hat looks great, but it's a bit too big. Which is weird since I measured gauge and was afraid it wouldn't be big enough.
The patterned section is a big too long and loose and the garter stitch is waaaay too loose. The cold air is flying right through those bad boys.
It is so cute though and I'm not willing to give up on it just yet.
Those mittens, on the other hand, were a huge success! They are the Super Mittens from Weekend Knitting - my first and possibly forever favorite knitting book. I had bits of 3 colors of Lamb's Pride Bulky leftover from my kids' felted clogs. When I knew the deep freeze was coming, I decided to cast on and see how far I got. Lo and behold, I was able to get two pairs out of the leftovers - one for me and one for a boy, any boy.
The mittens are fantastic. So fast, so cute, and so warm. They are, indeed, super!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Clogs Abound!
My twin brother showed up this past weekend for a visit. Yay! Even though he often is an arrogant jerk, it was nice to see him and the kids adore him. Want an example of arrogant jerk-i-ness?
Me: Would you like me to make some coffee now?
Him: Yes, please.
Me: Do you want regular, French vanilla, or cinnamon spice?
Him: Regular. (then after seeing that it was Folger's) Uh, wait, maybe this stuff will be ok (the cinnamon spice).
No, Jamie, I am not a coffee snob. I do not have the luxury of being single. Here's another example...I made an apple pie and he did not want any when the rest of us had some. A short time later...
Him: Hey, can I have some apple pie now?
Me: Sure.
Him: [blank stare and awkward moment] Umm, ok, I guess I'll get it myself.
Mom: Your arms aren't broken! Get up and get it yourself!
Now for a normal person, I would probably be the good hostess and serve the pie myself. But my brother is a jerk who thinks everyone needs to wait on him. He's 35 years old. Nope, not me. He can get his own darn pie!
Now the story of the clogs. I heard about Bro's visit a couple weeks before the fact. I thought a pair of clogs might be a nice gift for the kids to give him. I asked him if he'd want some, what colors would he like and what is his shoe size. Sure, he'd like some and how about MN Wild colors? That's our hockey team...red, green, gold.
Wait, what the heck is his shoe size? Darn brother! I sent another message (because forget trying to reach him by phone) but I had a good idea of his size so I went ahead and bought the yarn. I got Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted in Red Fox and Elf Green. 2 skeins each. I already had a nice gold at home that I'd dyed myself.
I bought the yarn on Wednesday. Got a text that night that Bro is a US size 9.5. Ok, good. Thursday got another text saying that he actually is more like a US size 9. Oye. I decided to go with the mens size medium and figured if I could get these suckers knit on Friday, I'd felt them early Saturday and pray the dryer would get them dry enough to give to him Saturday afternoon.
I knit like a madwoman on Friday, working just enough to satisfy my company that I wasn't slacking off. Soles and cuffs were done in green, two rounds of gold before the short rows of the foot, then red for the main part of the foot. I wove in the last end just before bedtime on Friday night. Whew!
At 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, I consulted a few sock books and the tables with shoe sizes and foot lengths. I found the right length and got to felting. These felted up so nicely and got to the right size at the same time. I put them on the dryer rack and set it to medium heat. Got it all done in time to go watch my daughter's basketball games.
I kept the clogs in the dryer all afternoon. It was still running when my mom and brother arrived around 4:45 p.m. After saying hello and all that, the first thing he said was "so where are my MN Wild slippers? Huh? are they done?"
I walked silently into the laundry room, emerging with the perfectly dry and wonderful MN Wild Felted Clogs. They fit perfectly and he loved them. It also felt good that I didn't give him any ammunition to pick on me because I didn't finish something.
Not that it's ever happened before...
Me: Would you like me to make some coffee now?
Him: Yes, please.
Me: Do you want regular, French vanilla, or cinnamon spice?
Him: Regular. (then after seeing that it was Folger's) Uh, wait, maybe this stuff will be ok (the cinnamon spice).
No, Jamie, I am not a coffee snob. I do not have the luxury of being single. Here's another example...I made an apple pie and he did not want any when the rest of us had some. A short time later...
Him: Hey, can I have some apple pie now?
Me: Sure.
Him: [blank stare and awkward moment] Umm, ok, I guess I'll get it myself.
Mom: Your arms aren't broken! Get up and get it yourself!
Now for a normal person, I would probably be the good hostess and serve the pie myself. But my brother is a jerk who thinks everyone needs to wait on him. He's 35 years old. Nope, not me. He can get his own darn pie!
Now the story of the clogs. I heard about Bro's visit a couple weeks before the fact. I thought a pair of clogs might be a nice gift for the kids to give him. I asked him if he'd want some, what colors would he like and what is his shoe size. Sure, he'd like some and how about MN Wild colors? That's our hockey team...red, green, gold.
Wait, what the heck is his shoe size? Darn brother! I sent another message (because forget trying to reach him by phone) but I had a good idea of his size so I went ahead and bought the yarn. I got Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted in Red Fox and Elf Green. 2 skeins each. I already had a nice gold at home that I'd dyed myself.
I bought the yarn on Wednesday. Got a text that night that Bro is a US size 9.5. Ok, good. Thursday got another text saying that he actually is more like a US size 9. Oye. I decided to go with the mens size medium and figured if I could get these suckers knit on Friday, I'd felt them early Saturday and pray the dryer would get them dry enough to give to him Saturday afternoon.
I knit like a madwoman on Friday, working just enough to satisfy my company that I wasn't slacking off. Soles and cuffs were done in green, two rounds of gold before the short rows of the foot, then red for the main part of the foot. I wove in the last end just before bedtime on Friday night. Whew!
At 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, I consulted a few sock books and the tables with shoe sizes and foot lengths. I found the right length and got to felting. These felted up so nicely and got to the right size at the same time. I put them on the dryer rack and set it to medium heat. Got it all done in time to go watch my daughter's basketball games.
I kept the clogs in the dryer all afternoon. It was still running when my mom and brother arrived around 4:45 p.m. After saying hello and all that, the first thing he said was "so where are my MN Wild slippers? Huh? are they done?"
I walked silently into the laundry room, emerging with the perfectly dry and wonderful MN Wild Felted Clogs. They fit perfectly and he loved them. It also felt good that I didn't give him any ammunition to pick on me because I didn't finish something.
Not that it's ever happened before...
Monday, December 8, 2008
Hourglass turned Equinox
Yay for me! Rah rah rah rah! Wheee!
Finally something I can wear and be happy with!
As you may remember, I knit the Hourglass Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts last November-December. It went smooth as silk, looked fantastic, fit perfectly - except for one problem. The hemmed neckline was touching my neck and I hate that. HATE.
I have not worn it and did not want to wear it so I set out to figure out how to make it into something I could love again. My yearning to do fair isle led me to the decision to rip out the yoke and do some kind of circular pattern using the EPS.
I was nervous about ripping the neck hem but last Wednesday I needed something to do while on a conference call for work (shhh, don't tell) so I grabbed the sweater and a scissors and started to rip. I took out the entire raglan yoke back to a round above the sleeve join.
After an exhaustive search through my patterns, I decided that the Equinox Yoke Pullover by Michele Rose Orne from the Fall '06 Interweave Knits was the best fit, needing a decrease of only 2 stitches to make it work.
Recently I discovered where Walmart hid the Lion Wool - in the clearance aisle for $2.50 a ball! I bought the remaining 8 skeins of Winter White and went to town with the Kool-Aid and Wilton Icing Dyes. That little dyeing spree, plus another a couple months prior gave me plenty of colors to choose from. I grabbed a few that I knew would look nice with the Sapphire Heather main color and dove in.
The colorwork went surprisingly smoothly. This was my first attempt at fair isle in a garment and only the second time ever. I find it funny that I can't knit Continental, yet I can do fair isle with two hands no problem.
Another thing I liked about this yoke pattern was that it incorporated the main color and had perfectly spaced areas of straight knitting with the main color. The EPS worked supremely well with this design. I did a 25% decrease for the 1st decrease round, 33% for the second, then instead of another 33% for the 3rd decrease, I did 25% to leave a slightly wider neckline. After the last decrease, I did 2 rounds of 2x2 rib, then bound off in rib.
I love the result! I have the great fitting sweater body from the Hourglass Sweater, and the great fitting yoke using the EPS - and it looks gorgeous because of the lovely Equinox pattern.
The one thing that I'm not sure about is the neckline and the only thing there is that it's the same on the front and back. I would rather prefer it to be higher in the back. Wish I'd thought of that before doing the yoke, but live and learn. I may take out the bind off and try to add some short rows, but we'll see.
In the meantime, I'm quite proud of how my first fair isle project turned out!
Finally something I can wear and be happy with!
As you may remember, I knit the Hourglass Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts last November-December. It went smooth as silk, looked fantastic, fit perfectly - except for one problem. The hemmed neckline was touching my neck and I hate that. HATE.
I have not worn it and did not want to wear it so I set out to figure out how to make it into something I could love again. My yearning to do fair isle led me to the decision to rip out the yoke and do some kind of circular pattern using the EPS.
I was nervous about ripping the neck hem but last Wednesday I needed something to do while on a conference call for work (shhh, don't tell) so I grabbed the sweater and a scissors and started to rip. I took out the entire raglan yoke back to a round above the sleeve join.
After an exhaustive search through my patterns, I decided that the Equinox Yoke Pullover by Michele Rose Orne from the Fall '06 Interweave Knits was the best fit, needing a decrease of only 2 stitches to make it work.
Recently I discovered where Walmart hid the Lion Wool - in the clearance aisle for $2.50 a ball! I bought the remaining 8 skeins of Winter White and went to town with the Kool-Aid and Wilton Icing Dyes. That little dyeing spree, plus another a couple months prior gave me plenty of colors to choose from. I grabbed a few that I knew would look nice with the Sapphire Heather main color and dove in.
The colorwork went surprisingly smoothly. This was my first attempt at fair isle in a garment and only the second time ever. I find it funny that I can't knit Continental, yet I can do fair isle with two hands no problem.
Another thing I liked about this yoke pattern was that it incorporated the main color and had perfectly spaced areas of straight knitting with the main color. The EPS worked supremely well with this design. I did a 25% decrease for the 1st decrease round, 33% for the second, then instead of another 33% for the 3rd decrease, I did 25% to leave a slightly wider neckline. After the last decrease, I did 2 rounds of 2x2 rib, then bound off in rib.
I love the result! I have the great fitting sweater body from the Hourglass Sweater, and the great fitting yoke using the EPS - and it looks gorgeous because of the lovely Equinox pattern.
The one thing that I'm not sure about is the neckline and the only thing there is that it's the same on the front and back. I would rather prefer it to be higher in the back. Wish I'd thought of that before doing the yoke, but live and learn. I may take out the bind off and try to add some short rows, but we'll see.
In the meantime, I'm quite proud of how my first fair isle project turned out!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Yay for me!
Yay for my feet, really. My 4th pair of Fiber Trends felted clogs are finally for me and me alone!
I love them. LOVE them. They are like a hug for my feet.
As far as the knitting goes, these things are about as close to instant gratification as you can get. Sure you have to keep an eye on the pattern and can't knitting willy nilly off into the sunset, but they move along really fast. Plus, what is more cool than a gigantic slipper the size of your arm becoming something form fitted to your foot?
It's awesome! I nearly forgot about them in the washer but made it just in time. When I made the first two pair for my boys, I didn't put anything else in the washer with them - no towels, old jeans, nothing. Just the clogs.
Hmmm, why did it take so much longer to felt them than it should have???
Then, when I knit my first She-knits bag, her instructions said she likes to add rubber flip flops to the mix to help everything felt better. DUH!!!! What a difference a little bit of additional friction makes. Highly recommend the flip flops with the felting.
I knit these on US size 13 circular needles. When time came to pick up stitches and knit them together with the main needle, I just grabbed a smaller dpn (once it was an 8, another time it was a 10) and did about 10 stitches at a time. MUCH more manageable that way, especially in the larger sizes when you're trying to fit more around that 16" circ.
I also knit the bumper. I thought it was cute and another way to tie in the cuff colors. And since I already made this from the stash with zero new yarn aquisition, I knew I wasn't going to spend $15 on soles. The bumper is cute!
Ok the yarn. It was all from the stash. A lot of it was used in the Marly Bag and I liked those combos so much, I did it here. I used Patons Royal Purple and Lion Brand Cadet Blue together for the main part of the clog. The sole was Patons Dark Gray Mix and New Denim leftover from Luke's Very Warm Hat. Cuff and bumper were Leaf Green and Gray Mix held together. The colors all felted nicely together.
Even though this was the 4th time I've knit the Fiber Trends Felted Clogs, it was the first time I've made them for myself and had a chance to feel how they fit through regular wearing. I've hardly been able to take them off since they finished drying. They are like a hug for my feet and I'm so happy to have them.
But.
Now I think I know why there were additional instructions for a woman's wide foot. Now, I don't consider my foot to be wide. It's your basic 8 1/2, perhaps slightly wider since I had kids, but I don't buy wide width shoes so I didn't feel a need to make those modifications.
After wearing them a few days though, I do notice that the sole does not seem wide enough. My feet seem like they are rolling to the outside and I often adjust them so that the sole feels more centered under my feet. Perhaps this is why that modification was introduced.
I'll have to try these again and see if that helps. Goodness knows I have plenty of stash yarn!
My youngest can't find one of his and has asked for another pair. This time he wants "lots and lots of colors". This should be good!
I love them. LOVE them. They are like a hug for my feet.
As far as the knitting goes, these things are about as close to instant gratification as you can get. Sure you have to keep an eye on the pattern and can't knitting willy nilly off into the sunset, but they move along really fast. Plus, what is more cool than a gigantic slipper the size of your arm becoming something form fitted to your foot?
It's awesome! I nearly forgot about them in the washer but made it just in time. When I made the first two pair for my boys, I didn't put anything else in the washer with them - no towels, old jeans, nothing. Just the clogs.
Hmmm, why did it take so much longer to felt them than it should have???
Then, when I knit my first She-knits bag, her instructions said she likes to add rubber flip flops to the mix to help everything felt better. DUH!!!! What a difference a little bit of additional friction makes. Highly recommend the flip flops with the felting.
I knit these on US size 13 circular needles. When time came to pick up stitches and knit them together with the main needle, I just grabbed a smaller dpn (once it was an 8, another time it was a 10) and did about 10 stitches at a time. MUCH more manageable that way, especially in the larger sizes when you're trying to fit more around that 16" circ.
I also knit the bumper. I thought it was cute and another way to tie in the cuff colors. And since I already made this from the stash with zero new yarn aquisition, I knew I wasn't going to spend $15 on soles. The bumper is cute!
Ok the yarn. It was all from the stash. A lot of it was used in the Marly Bag and I liked those combos so much, I did it here. I used Patons Royal Purple and Lion Brand Cadet Blue together for the main part of the clog. The sole was Patons Dark Gray Mix and New Denim leftover from Luke's Very Warm Hat. Cuff and bumper were Leaf Green and Gray Mix held together. The colors all felted nicely together.
Even though this was the 4th time I've knit the Fiber Trends Felted Clogs, it was the first time I've made them for myself and had a chance to feel how they fit through regular wearing. I've hardly been able to take them off since they finished drying. They are like a hug for my feet and I'm so happy to have them.
But.
Now I think I know why there were additional instructions for a woman's wide foot. Now, I don't consider my foot to be wide. It's your basic 8 1/2, perhaps slightly wider since I had kids, but I don't buy wide width shoes so I didn't feel a need to make those modifications.
After wearing them a few days though, I do notice that the sole does not seem wide enough. My feet seem like they are rolling to the outside and I often adjust them so that the sole feels more centered under my feet. Perhaps this is why that modification was introduced.
I'll have to try these again and see if that helps. Goodness knows I have plenty of stash yarn!
My youngest can't find one of his and has asked for another pair. This time he wants "lots and lots of colors". This should be good!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Mom's Ruffled Scarf
Two posts in one day! Wow! It's either the impending apocalypse or I have loads of work and in desperate need of a reason to procrastinate.
Come on, we all do it sometime.
I just couldn't believe I hadn't shared this one yet. Maybe I did and don't remember it, but oh well. It's my blog and I can do what I want!
This is the Ruffled Cashmere Scarf from Closely Knit, by Hannah Fettig. I like this book a lot. The projects are sorted into chapters based on the intended recipient. This scarf was in the "Mothers" chapter and I knew I had to make it for my mom.
When I asked her what color she wanted for a scarf, she said "sage green". Easy enough, right? I was not prepared for how blasted hard it was to find sage green yarn suitable for this project!
I first bought Dream in Color Classy in Good Luck Jade. That was the best I could do at my LYS. It's a great color and a great yarn, but too heavy for this pattern and really not even close to sage green. My mom's reaction when I showed it too her was not very enthusiastic either.
So I continued to search. I investigated several yarns and finally settled on Malabrigo Silky Merino. It's DK weight - exactly what I need for this pattern - and the Green/Gray colorway was as close to sage as anything else I was seeing. I ordered it, started it, and loved it.
And it matches Mom's eyes. I think it will look great on her.
The yarn is gorgeous. Single ply 50/50 merino silk blend. Absolutely beautiful! It looks great in this pattern too. There is enough stockinette to let the slight variations in color intensity shine through. The pattern itself is great also. I hate scarves that are the same thing over and over for a gagillion inches. I like that this pattern is broken down into a repeat that actually has something going on to keep my interest. I love how the short rows create the ruffled effect. In my opinion, it worked up quickly. For a scarf.
The fabric lost a little body during blocking, but it still has the same flow and movement to it (the photo is post blocking). I folded it, wrapped it in tissue, and included 3 packets of Soak in the bag. Now if only the stars would align and I could actually give it to her.
Maybe this weekend. Cross your fingers that she loves it! Cross your toes that she actually wears it!
Come on, we all do it sometime.
I just couldn't believe I hadn't shared this one yet. Maybe I did and don't remember it, but oh well. It's my blog and I can do what I want!
This is the Ruffled Cashmere Scarf from Closely Knit, by Hannah Fettig. I like this book a lot. The projects are sorted into chapters based on the intended recipient. This scarf was in the "Mothers" chapter and I knew I had to make it for my mom.
When I asked her what color she wanted for a scarf, she said "sage green". Easy enough, right? I was not prepared for how blasted hard it was to find sage green yarn suitable for this project!
I first bought Dream in Color Classy in Good Luck Jade. That was the best I could do at my LYS. It's a great color and a great yarn, but too heavy for this pattern and really not even close to sage green. My mom's reaction when I showed it too her was not very enthusiastic either.
So I continued to search. I investigated several yarns and finally settled on Malabrigo Silky Merino. It's DK weight - exactly what I need for this pattern - and the Green/Gray colorway was as close to sage as anything else I was seeing. I ordered it, started it, and loved it.
And it matches Mom's eyes. I think it will look great on her.
The yarn is gorgeous. Single ply 50/50 merino silk blend. Absolutely beautiful! It looks great in this pattern too. There is enough stockinette to let the slight variations in color intensity shine through. The pattern itself is great also. I hate scarves that are the same thing over and over for a gagillion inches. I like that this pattern is broken down into a repeat that actually has something going on to keep my interest. I love how the short rows create the ruffled effect. In my opinion, it worked up quickly. For a scarf.
The fabric lost a little body during blocking, but it still has the same flow and movement to it (the photo is post blocking). I folded it, wrapped it in tissue, and included 3 packets of Soak in the bag. Now if only the stars would align and I could actually give it to her.
Maybe this weekend. Cross your fingers that she loves it! Cross your toes that she actually wears it!
A word about socks...
Yes, I finally got bit by the sock bug. It took Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters, Book One, but it did take.
This is my favorite master pattern from the book: Upstream. I love the way the arch increases surround the instep. I'd like to try to incorporate a pattern.
If only I could get the sizing right.
I measure my own foot and I get one set of numbers. I compare my shoe size to the chart in the book and I get another set of numbers. Ever still different numbers if I look at other charts in other books. All of the charts give numbers larger than what I got on my own. I remember Ann Budd saying that she knits her socks a little smaller than her actual measurements because she likes them snug.
So I thought I was doing exactly this when I decided to knit my socks for an 8.5" foot circumference and 9.75" foot length.
Apparently, I was wrong.
Though all the socks from my recent sock explosion are great and don't fall down or bunch up around my instep like all my storebought socks, they stil are too big. Too big around the foot and too long.
What gives?
I convinced my daughter to try on a pair of my handknit socks. When she actually said "these aren't that bad", I took that as license to knit her a pair. Since our feet are the same size, I decided to get crazy and knit the socks for an 8" foot circumference and 9.5" foot length.
Hold me down, people!
'Lo and behold, they are perfect. They fit like a hug. I'm kicking myself that I made them for her, but happy that I now know what works and can make them for myself.
It's a beautiful thing once you figure out exactly how you like something, whether it be the fit of a sock or a method of cooking pork chops to perfection.
I feel empowered. And ready to make more socks.
This is my favorite master pattern from the book: Upstream. I love the way the arch increases surround the instep. I'd like to try to incorporate a pattern.
If only I could get the sizing right.
I measure my own foot and I get one set of numbers. I compare my shoe size to the chart in the book and I get another set of numbers. Ever still different numbers if I look at other charts in other books. All of the charts give numbers larger than what I got on my own. I remember Ann Budd saying that she knits her socks a little smaller than her actual measurements because she likes them snug.
So I thought I was doing exactly this when I decided to knit my socks for an 8.5" foot circumference and 9.75" foot length.
Apparently, I was wrong.
Though all the socks from my recent sock explosion are great and don't fall down or bunch up around my instep like all my storebought socks, they stil are too big. Too big around the foot and too long.
What gives?
I convinced my daughter to try on a pair of my handknit socks. When she actually said "these aren't that bad", I took that as license to knit her a pair. Since our feet are the same size, I decided to get crazy and knit the socks for an 8" foot circumference and 9.5" foot length.
Hold me down, people!
'Lo and behold, they are perfect. They fit like a hug. I'm kicking myself that I made them for her, but happy that I now know what works and can make them for myself.
It's a beautiful thing once you figure out exactly how you like something, whether it be the fit of a sock or a method of cooking pork chops to perfection.
I feel empowered. And ready to make more socks.
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