Knittinginspiration

My Knitting Life

2011-05-20T10:55:00.000-04:00

It's been a fun knitting life lately-working on samples for books, playing with some new designs, meeting new shop owners, teaching at local guilds and national shows and just generally keeping super-busy. I'm still blogging regularly over at thesamestitch.com and keeping up with that along with everything else has kind of eclipsed this little blog, but the info about my classes is still accurate and if you need any help at all, feel free to drop me a line.

New Look, New Features

2010-08-15T22:22:00.000-04:00

Now that I'm in a groove over at The Same Stitch, I plan on coming back over here to post news about where I'm teaching and any designs I'm working on. I've added tabs that describe my class offerings so you can quickly access all of them and then contact me at kellienuss@gmail.com to have me come to your shop or guild or group. I'll come just about anywhere, so drop me a line!

Thrilling News Thursday!

2010-02-04T06:06:00.001-05:00

The new blog is live! Gwen Bortner and I will be writing daily about various knitting topics. Please visit and check it out! It can be found here! As we go along, I will still continue posting here about my personal knitting journey, but I hope you'll look to this new spot for some good banter between two experienced, opinionated and somewhat geeky knitting teachers, and in-depth and maybe sometimes not so-in-depth delving and thinking about the details of knitting. Scroll down a bit to Gwen's welcome post to get an idea of what we'll be writing about. My first post is up today, and we welcome your comments and questions.

Finished Object Friday on Sunday

2010-01-10T21:48:00.000-05:00

This week, I have a legitimate, from-stash, UFO rescued item to brag about, and I'm very excited. Introducing my Kimmett Croft Bohus Kit, purchased at the MD Sheep and Wool Festival many, many years ago. It might actually be 10 years ago. At the time, I was so excited to see Kimmett Croft for the first time. My fascination with Bohus knitting dated from from long before I'd ever heard of Poems of Color or Kimmett Croft. It went back to an article that I read in Threads Magazine, probably in the late eighties or early nineties, not too long after I really got serious about my knitting. Seeing the beautiful patterns and yarns in person was absolutely intoxicating. I must have really been broke, otherwise I'm sure I would have broken down and bought a whole Blue Shimmer sweater kit. Anyway, I started the hat immediately after purchase and with great excitement, loving the feel of the yarns and the intricacy of the pattern, then I just stalled-a classic case of other things getting in the way.

Since then, my love of Bohus knitting has grown to a bit of an obsession. As far as I have been able to find out, Kimmett Croft is out of business, but a real live Swedish woman named Solveig Gustafsson dyes incredible reproduction yarns and works with the Bohuslans Museum as well as the venerable teacher Susanna Hansson to make kits available worldwide. So, a couple of years ago, I bought a kit for a full sweater-the Forest Darkness, (scroll down about 3/4 of the way) and I decided I had to get the hat done before I'd let myself start on the sweater. Now of course, it is my absolute favorite hat. The yarn, a lovely combo of Ramboulliet and Angora is so perfectly soft and light. I love wearing it and often leave it on even while I'm in the house because I forget I have it on. I began winding the yarn for the sweater and it feels WONDERFUL. I can't wait to get started on the knitting. A Bohus reproduction was the winner at MD Sheep and Wool last year and it so deserved it. It was exquisite. I only hope mine can be made to the same amazing level of perfection.

A New Year, A New Post-Finally!

2010-01-01T21:45:00.002-05:00

That's what happens when you get a contract project that takes over your life. In a good way of course. Let's just say that nothing else got done since my last post, because I really was working nearly full time on project for Gwen. It got finished just before Christmas, to good effect. Plus it was fun as always due to Gwen's clever designing.

Now I'm working on things of my own choosing. A few small things were finished, but none were from stash. I made my niece a School Colors Hat for Northern Arizona University, where she now attends. It was in Encore in Navy and Gold. It turned out fine, but I think I might make the medium instead and send it along for her to try on and then give the other one to a friend. I also made a couple of Calorimetry Headbands for my running friends. I made those out of Polar Knit, a yarn made of actual strips of Polar Fleece. They worked up okay, but a bit big. It is bulky and the pattern is written for worsted, so I cast on 96 instead of 120. I think I should do 88 or 84 for future ones out of that yarn. I ended up folding down one end when I sewed on the buttons. A cute pattern it is, though and my pals liked theirs. I'm going to make one for myself, too.

Anyway, I'm back to knitting for myself and spinning up a storm. I'm even getting back to my loom, albeit in a very small way. I'm going to work on scarves on my Voyageur table loom. I do intend to keep posting here even as I embark on an exciting new project with Gwen. We'll be working on another blog that will debut as The Same Stitch. It's not live yet, but I'll let you know when it is. What we're going for is to present Two Sides of the Same Stitch, because that's what knitting is-just two sides of the same stitch. Gwen and I are so sympathetic in our views of the principles of knitting, but we have differing strengths and knowledge, so it will be really fun to look at the same projects or teaching ideas from two different perspectives.

Happy New Year to All!

FO Friday: Baby Hats A-Go-Go!

2009-11-20T16:07:00.003-05:00

So, a friend offered me a challenge-to come up with a stripey, toque-style baby hat for her to use as a photo prop when she photographs newborns. For all you non-Canadians, a toque is a triangular hat with a series of far-apart decreases that make the crown into an elongated shape. Think elf hat or Santa Claus. Fun times. Here are my experiments. These are all original designs, just for the record, and obviously one is not a toque. I did not look at any other patterns or closely examine any other hats. I got to use my mad Jogless Jog skills and make these hats quite seamless-looking. You can get some sense of the scale of each hat by its respective "model." The apple is a gigantic honey crisp that is larger than a grapefruit, so it is a little off, but you can hopefully imagine your average navel orange and acorn squash. Each of these is 12-13 inches around. The yarns I used were all from stash-some leftover Karabella Aurora 8 in a soft pinky lavendar from this project and a bit of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran from the Cream and White Yarn Cupboard. The bright pink and white is old Caron acrylic that came to me in a bag of cast-offs. Eew. But the color was right and the baby won't mind. Unless of course she also gets to try on the lovely soft wool version. Then if she had words, she would beg her mama never to let yucky acrylic touch her perfect skin again. Sorry, I'm not normally such an obnoxious yarn snob, but what a difference between the two yarns.

FEE FIE FO Friday

2009-11-07T17:30:00.005-05:00

Yes, it's time again for a report from the land of acronyms. I'm gradually turning my UFO's into FO's. I'm trying to rescue myself from the condition known as SABLE, and I'm very sanctimoniously avoiding any SEX, which we all know causes SABLE, among other things.

So, this week's first feature has been aging in its partially done state for approximately 3 years. It is all from stash, no new yarn was purchased or harmed in the completion of this project. It was from the beginning intended for A4A, and I'm happy to say that I'm going to make the deadline with two blankets-the red one from last week and this one. I like this one very much. It became a bit of a color study for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed playing with the combinations to form a random blanket that had a certain amount of cohesiveness. Hopefully I've avoided any offensive cultural or religious combinations, and hopefully, it will make some baby both happy and warm. What a great program. Thanks Ann, for creating something inspiring enough to get me to finish big things.

PS. I know there are wonderful charities that help people here in the States, but this is the one that gets all my wool, plus the Afghan people just hold a special place in my heart for various reasons. I promise that I do donate to other organizations when I have other yarns to spare.

Next, we have the Origami Bear, a superlative design by Merike Saarniit, who I've had the pleasure of meeting at Stitches. This is for a class I'm teaching in December at Cloverhill Yarn Shop. I used Encore Mega on size 13's and was done in about an hour. The sewing up took another 30 minutes or so. This was also stash yarn, and I can't wait to use other yarn to make bears in all sizes and colors. The way it comes together is ingenious on the order of EZ's Surprise Jacket. You would never imagine during the knitting of it or even once it is complete that it could ever be a cute, cuddly bear. It is formed completely from squares and rectangles, all knitted in one piece, then seamed up in a wonderful organic progression. What a satisfying little thing to create.

PS. I know he needs eyes, but I kinda like him with his face left to the imagination. I think after the class is over, he'll go to my new little nephew in Arizona.

Now, I've got to get back to knitting other people's things. I have a biggie for Gwen that's due in December and one to finish for class this Saturday. Wish me luck.

Finished Object Friday

2009-10-30T21:08:00.003-04:00

Last week I was at Stitches East, which turned out great. It was fun to meet new students and see others who have been in my classes before. I had great times with the other teachers who are my pals, and came home with some more awesomely complicated yet elegant contract knitting from Gwen.
I really appreciate everyone's support and generous congratulations about my Knitter's cover. It is one of the fun things of life that I'll always remember. Really, the real congratulations go to Alexis, Rick and Natalie and everyone at Knitter's for their great eye and the amazing visual impact of the magazine. They do such a great job. I'm well aware that this is a super-lucky break for a fairly new designer, and I have no illusions about the challenges ahead for getting published. This does give me a lot of motivation to keep on going, though.

So, this week for Finished Object Friday, I celebrate two double-whammies: Both of these are done, and they are completely from stash. No new yarn was purchased or harmed in the making of these items.

First is a blanket for Afghans for Afghans. I missed the clothing campaign, but I think I'll be able to get two blankets sent in time. This one is made of some gifted Lopi. I know it won't be the softest blanket, but it might be the warmest, and babies look so nice in red. It is a basic big block design and it went very quickly once I decided to just get it done. I would estimate that this has been sitting in my bedside knitting basket for over 2 years. Confession is good for the soul. Now I'm letting it go and I'm thrilled.

Next is a vest from Stephanie Japel's excellent book Fitted Knits. She did it in a solid color, but in the spirit of stash shopping, I used two harmonizing colorways of Berocco Keltic, a nice wool blend in tweedy, subtle gradating stripes. I changed the bottom rib to corrugated rib, sacrificing the stretch, but I'm thrilled with the two-color results and got lots of complements on this while wearing it at Stitches. It was a fun, fast knit. Next time, I would work the darts even smaller to accommodate my mostly flat chest. It is warm to wear and perfect for fall and winter when a vest can make a huge difference in feeling just right-not too warm, but not chilly. This is already a favorite, and its fitted silhouette is a very strong enticement to do that weight training to keep the tummy IN!

Finished Object Friday

2009-10-17T13:51:00.015-04:00

I know, it's Saturday, but I intended to post this yesterday and eventually I hope to make it, dare to dream with me, a regular post as I strive to shop my stash and clean out the many bags of UFO's living all around my house. In the last couple of weeks, I've finished all sorts of lingering projects due to my new-found discipline born of the excitement of contract knitting. Now the day just isn't complete without a 2-6 hour session of focused knitting, and it's amazing what you can accomplish! Of course it helps that my volunteer and teaching activity have dropped to record low levels for the last 10 years. That's the real reason I have all this time to knit. But let me blather on no longer. Here is the list!

First for this week's Stash Shopping: Angora Baby Booties

Need a quick gift for a baby? These are my favorite. I have a whole bag of gorgeous pure angora that I picked up on clearance at Cloverhill a few years back. This is now my go-to gift for premies. I've adapted the pattern from Joelle Hoverson's gorgeous Last Minute Knitted Gifts for a 4 pound baby. The sister of a dear friend recently delivered a wee set of healthy triplets, and these were my offering. Each little foot is about as long as my thumb. The whole lot took about 3 hours and came from stash.

Rescued from the UFO Zone:

The Homecoming Socks, started about 2.5 years ago on a plane ride home from Seattle. The yarn is Artyarns Merino sock yarn purchased in Port Townsend, Washington. I'm actually quite happy with how they turned out and may publish the pattern. I actually finished these a while back and even posted photos, but I count them among this group of lost projects.

Also in the sock collection (I think I have found 3 additional sock projects in process) is this pair made from Cestari Cotton Wool Blend purchased at MD Sheep & Wool Festival probably 10 years ago, seriously. I was excited about the yarn and started the socks pretty much immediately, finished the first one and then came down with a very protracted case of SecondSockSyndrome. So, here I am in a new decade and century even, finishing them up. These are time traveling socks. I kinda like that.

(BTW, I'm aware that, as I tell these stories of lost projects found, some of you are wondering what is wrong with me. I feel no shame though. I know I'm not alone in this, so even if you think I'm weird, I'm NOT! )

Happily, the Time Traveling Socks turned out to be worth the wait-really comfy socks and even though the yarn is on the thick side, a DK weight. I knitted them tightly on 3's in a mock cable rib. The cuff is a little loose, but it is short enough that they stay up and are perfect around the house or with my Birks. I don't know how common this is with this yarn, but there was a lot of lumped up purple dye that was problematic while knitting, but has gradually faded with a couple of washings.

But wait, there's MORE! Yes, this has been a productive time. Here is the little bolero I started last spring. I am going to send it to my sister for her sweet little girl. She'll have to grow into it, but this is a fun pattern: Knitting Pure and Simple #275. I will likely make it again. I like to sometimes give baby gifts that are not in baby sizes, and this goes all the way up to size 10. It is made from a great yarn that is of course discontinued: Sunsette-a synthetic blend with some rayon that made it washable yet really soft with a unique hand.

So, that is this week's report. Now I am feverishly working on 2 projects from the UFO zone for Afghans for Afghans. Stay tuned to see if I get them done and out the door!

Stitches Midwest

2009-09-14T18:50:00.003-04:00

I am also posting this to my other blog, so if by some strange cosmic mistake you read both, you can skip this.

This weekend I was in my element: Teaching. All weekend long, from Thursday till Sunday I got to teach and teach and teach. I went to a knitting convention (I am not making that up) called Stitches. It was in Chicago. I work for a company called XRX. They publish knitting books, a magazine called (appropriately) Knitter's Magazine, and they put on these shows. Four of them per year. I guess it is something like a Star Trek convention in that we are incredibly geeky, passionate and esoterically thrilled about knitting, but because it is more about learning than entertainment, I actually think it is more like a quilting convention or a scrapbook convention or an upholsterers' convention. There is a big market where you can buy anything and everything related to the subject at hand, and, when they aren't shopping, people take classes. That's where I come in. Over the course of the weekend, I get to teach about 15 hours of classes to knitters of all abilities. I teach about yarn and how to get it to behave the way you want, I teach about different styles of knitting, and I teach a bunch of one-hour classes in the market that allow students to try out a technique in a short amount of time.
It is so awesome. For me, teaching is transporting. I forget about everything outside the classroom, I'm completely in the moment, and I just feel so good. It totally does not feel like work and every time they hand me my paycheck I have to pinch myself.

So, that is where I was this weekend. It was awesome. Here I am with my friend and roommate, Debbie Radtke.
She is a talented designer and teacher herself and in the knitting world she is kinda famous because of this little guy. You may have heard of her.

My best news is that my design is officially published in the next issue of Knitter's mag, it was shown in the fashion show, and I got to get a photo with the actual model who showed it for the magazine photoshoot. That was cool. When I get that I'll show you. Here is me next to one of the publication photos that may show up in the magazine, and yes, it might be on the cover! The mittens that she's wearing, I designed and knit them, and there is a pair of socks to match. When it gets closer to publication I can link you to some better photos. They said that at some point they might give me this huge poster. What a hoot!

Ps. I am attributing my HUGE arms in this photo to some sort of distortion from the fact that this is my phone and not a real camera. Good Heavens.

August Knitting

2009-08-30T19:18:00.002-04:00

I have finished all the contract knitting for the time being. I handed over one project in person on Friday and anxiously await comments from the other designer when my package finally reaches California. Both projects were really interesting, fun and rewarding to knit. Both designers are generous, respectful of my knowledge, and a treat to work for. I hope more work like this will come my way in the future. Being the adrenaline junkie that I am, deadlines really work for me and I get a lot done. I was working on a sample for the shop, but the class didn't fill, which leaves me free now to finish my Round-yoked February Lady and perhaps even my Butterfly Ribwarmer. I love the project in my newly-received Wool Gathering and am determined to make my own version of it. I have a boat-load of Harrisville and other brands of Shetland, so I'm thinking of a more earth-toned version made in yarn I already own. What a concept. I've been working on hats from my previous Wool Gathering and am enjoying them all. I resisted the urge to buy new things when my WG came, which was hard, but it is nearly September, the true time of new beginnings, and I'm freshly resolved to living without buying anything for the next month. Yes, that includes while at Stitches. We'll see how it goes. I have so many beautiful things and I must learn to love them even though they have lost the sparkle of a newly discovered treasure. Hopefully, this will be a month of several new FO's.

A Finished Object on the Three-year Plan

2009-07-26T22:36:00.000-04:00

Here are my own Homeward Bound socks, begun about three years ago on
the way home from a trip to Seattle. They are all mine and that is a
lovely, delicious feeling.

No Other Life

2009-05-17T12:15:00.002-04:00

Since most of my focus of late has been on knitting, there is little to write about in other areas of my life, so for now, this is my primary blog. The news is that thanks to Fed-Ex's Airport office having a 9:15 drop-off, I was able to get the package out the door on Thursday and received a nice email on Friday acknowledging its arrival. What a green-horn I must sound like, making such a deal out of one magazine submission. There are folks who have 2 or 3 garments in every magazine. Although, I have heard reports of Lily Chin needing to be fed meals by her husband while she finished deadlines, so maybe I'm okay (and she doesn't have 5 kids).
Anyway, I was happy with the overall results, although there is some tweaking to be done. I actually look forward to their comments and suggestions about improving the pattern, because that is my weak spot and the thing that has prevented me from publishing more of my ideas.

I finished the repair of a baby blanket for a four-year-old friend for whom it is her most important comfort item. It was a big repair and she has been waiting a long time. Another repair is a little more poignant. A much older friend dropped off a beloved old sweater in February to be fixed for a second time and told me not to rush, that she wouldn't need it before next fall, and a few weeks ago, she passed away. It is a moving feeling to hold an object of hers after she is gone. So I need to get that done and back to her family for them to cherish.

I'm doing test knitting and another project for Gwen's book, but both of those are small and will be done in a matter of days. I think I'll have a whole sweater to do for Gwen in early June, but it sounds gorgeous and I think I may have even helped with the final color choice, so that will be fun. It will be great when all these things are published to be able to show you what they look like.

I Think I'm Going to Make it!

2009-05-13T15:33:00.003-04:00

So, I'm almost done with the knitting, the patterns are written and I have all day tomorrow to put the polish on everything before overnighting it before the post office closes. Luckily, my personality is pathologically dependable, so I actually will make the deadline, even if it does, in fact, cause my death.

Note to self: Remember NOT to agree to alter prom dresses for friends during knitting deadlines. Especially if said prom is the same day as deadline.

Busily Knitting

2009-05-11T20:21:00.002-04:00

I'm working on a submission for a national mag, doing test knitting and updating all my handouts. I suddenly feel like I'm working for a living. My friends still smirk when I tell them I'm a professional knitter, but that's okay. I'm keeping busy and that feels good. Well it will until I have to pull an all-nighter to get everything out the door.

A New Blog

2009-05-07T08:25:00.002-04:00

I have good news. I have one more thing to be irregular and "artistic" about. No, just kidding. I have a great new opportunity that I'm very excited about, I just haven't remembered to put it here for me, myself and I to have the thrill of reading about it online and clicking on a link instead of having to google for it.

Gwen Bortner, my esteemed colleague, has invited me to be one of the Knitting Professors on her excellent blog about the adventures of knitting teachers. We will have a back and forth conversation about anything that comes up in the world of knitting. I hope you'll check it out. I find that I like writing about teaching almost as much as actually teaching.

Now I just have to remember to occasionally log onto Ravelry.
Oh dear.

Knitting My Fingers to the Bone and Getting Ready for Stitches

2009-02-14T23:21:00.002-05:00

I've been a knitting fool lately getting samples done for shops, author and designer friends. I have seriously talented friends there in my sidebar. Please check out their stuff. My work will be on display, albeit anonymously, at two shops at Stitches West-Ellen's Half Pint Farm and Homestead Heirlooms.

I really like sample knitting because sometimes it is so nice to just follow someone else's directions. It is especially fun when the patterns are really well done. I have also been enjoying playing the role of an organized knitter (as in, "I'm not really an organized knitter, but I play one on TV.") by busily making notes on the patterns, keeping track of when I started and finished, and sticking with one project until it is done and done quickly. I've never listened to so many books on tape in my life. It has all come at a very good time for me, when circumstances have made knitting a true respite from the real world, a world that, at the moment, has my head so full that it has not really had room for an original thought. Thus, I am grateful for the originality of my pals and grateful for this opportunity that I've had to do this work. I'm pleased to say I have yet another job coming from my brilliant author pal.

Another job came my way this week which is even more personal. I want to take some good pictures and post separately about that one. Stay tuned.

So, today my fiber life was replete with 2 excellent private lessons at the shop, good conversation with Jolene, Kate and Lyn, lots of time spent racing to the finish of one of the for-hire projects, and the satisfaction of keeping my commitment of one hour of spinning per day. It was actually hard to stop spinning. As a foil to all the programmed knitting, I've started to play around with the famous February Lady Sweater. I don't know if I dare say it, as popular as this pattern is, but I actually prefer EZ's original round yoke, so I am going to give that a try in Classic Elite Premier in a lovely pale lavender. Maybe I'll find out that the raglan yoke really does look better, but I'm at least going to give it a go using EZ and Meg's guidelines for shaping a round yoke. I've made this for big kids with all kinds of yarn and it turns out really fun. We shall see.

I leave a week from tomorrow for California. I'm detouring to SoCal to see a dear childhood pal, then will most likely drive north with a stop in the middle to see G. I really wish I could go way north to see H. in Yreka, but not this trip. I think next year that will be the plan.

Why I'm Glad I have a Knitting Blog and that I Knit

2009-01-20T22:53:00.002-05:00

Right now I'm waiting to register my daughter for a very popular summer retreat for teens. It is sponsored by the Continuing Ed division of Brigham Young University. There are sessions all over the country, but they have so many interested in certain sessions that there is a lottery period for getting your registration in. I am currently number 1492 in line with an estimated wait time of 39 minutes. Fortunately, I have something easy and mindless to work on. Yay Knitting! Other, less fortunate friends would just be bored, or have to play Scamble on facebook all that time. Bless their hearts.

As for why I have a knitting blog, it is because sometimes my other blog is just a chore. I'm just not that interesting that I have something cool to write about every day. Interestingly enough, during times that are challenging or even a bit depressing, my knitting output goes up and I can avoid having to report yet another blah day in the real world. Here, all is color and texture and progress toward the next thing. Yay Knitting again!

Knit One Below Scarf

2009-01-17T20:59:00.002-05:00

Here is the sample of the scarf I'm teaching at the shop. This technique, newly explored in Elise Duvekot's great new book Knit One Below, is a variation of a brioche stitch that I first sampled from one of the Barbara Walker Treasuries. Elise has done a nice job fleshing out the possibilities of the stitch, and adapted it to modern yarns like this long repeat stripe called Paintbox from K1C2. It is knit so the colors start out opposite one another, converge in the middle, then shimmer back to the beginning. It was quick and fun to make.

Baby Surprise Jacket

2009-01-12T21:24:00.003-05:00

I am teaching this for the wonderful South River Knitting Guild in Annapolis, MD, and so far, everyone seems to be doing well. There is so much on the web about this design, but I thought I'd put up a few thoughts, in case anyone needs help.

Here is a recap of what we talked about and hopefully where you are at. I'll be posting photos of my knit-along sweater tomorrow. Blogger is grumpy tonight.

We discussed the structure, which is brilliant, being all in one piece. As EZ says in the pattern, it looks like nothing you've ever seen when you're done knitting it.

We cast on and discussed which side to count ridges on. If I am knitting in garter stitch and I've used long tail cast on, I don't count the cast-on in my ridges. I count after I've finished even numbered rows, which in this pattern are the wrong-side rows. I count on the right side, though, because that's where the completed garter ridges will show up. The bottom line though, is that if you are consistent, you can count the ridges on either side. Really.

We talked about decreases. Most decided to use the decrease as written, which is sl 1, k2tog, psso. It is a double decrease that has a subtle, flat appearance. The alternative we discussed is the sl 2, k1, p2sso. This one looks great-like a traveling knit stitch on top of the garter fabric, but one has to remember to purl it on the wrong side to complete that illusion.

After casting on, establishing 2 decrease points, and knitting along for a bit, we increased in the cuff sections, which is to say before and after the decrease markers. If this increase happens on a right side row, then one also completes the regular decreases at the markers.

Remember to add some fun stripes as you go! If you change yarns on the right side rows, you'll have clean color transitions. If you change on the wrong side rows, you'll have interesting color blips at the change.

From there, decreasing continues until the stitch count is at 90.
Next comes 3 knit rows, then increasing begins for the bottom half.

Increase rows are as follows: *Knit to the marked stitch, m1, k the marked st, m1, repeat from * once, then knit to end. Instructions for several different make one's (M 1) are found here. Scroll down to the M1L. If you want to be very fussy and refined, you can mirror image your M1's on each side of the marked st, but if you choose to do them all the same, it will look just great, really.

On the horizon in the increase section is:
Watch your stitch count and check the instructions for an increase in the center section only for a little back shaping.

Watch your stitch count and check the instructions for the signal to shape the neck by binding off 5 sts at the beginning of the next two rows.

More soon! Feel free to comment or email me with questions: kellienuss at gmail dot com (replace the at and dot with appropriate punctuation symbols)

Project Update and darn it, I just like yarn.

2008-11-30T17:29:00.003-05:00

The chenille scarf found a home, and the purse is on track for the next class. I started some more contract knitting. It is Jeanne Abel's Turn Again Tote that is two bags knitted in one, with the stitches of each interlaced to form pockets all the way around. Very cool. I'm finding that I like test and sample knitting. Sometimes I don't want to make it up as I go and really enjoy knitting other designs, especially if they are really good designs. So, I'm hopeful that more of that will come my way.

Class went well on Tuesday, with 8 students in attendance and everyone game for the challenge of the first bit of the pattern. It is knit in the round and is one of those shifting patterns. Those patterns are challenging the first time around because they are so counter-intuitive.

This week, with some time off school and a break in the routine, I pulled out an entire closet full of yarn and projects. Oh. My. It was tempting to just give up, acknowledge that perhaps I'm mentally ill, and box it all up for the Salvation Army. Then I started looking through it and fell in love all over again. I just really like yarn, okay? In the end, what I did was give away about two smallish boxes worth (they'll head to the prison project in SD) and got rid of a whole bunch of bags. More yarn will fit on the shelves without the bags there taking up space. I felt very clever when I figured that out. So, I fit everything back in, made it beautiful to look at, and in the end felt quite sane, and even virtuous, thank you very much. My yarn is much prettier than any old coin collection, any day of the week.

A Week of Projects

2008-11-23T09:28:00.004-05:00

The stash is mocking me, even as I get new yarn as gifts and actually buy stuff at Stitches. What is up with me??? It's time to get busy. So here we have one quick finished project and two in process, all with a story.

Circular Mistake Stitch Cowl
This is made from gorgeous mystery yarn purchased for me by Chris in Argentina a couple of years ago. It is silky and has a wonderful halo, like mohair, but has a thin binder thread that could be cotton or tightly spun wool. It feels good on the skin and was a very quick knit. I used 7 mm needles and got about 3 sts to the inch.

Mistake Stitch is one of my favorites. When knitted flat, it has the elegance of only one pattern row: Cast on a multiple of 4+1. (Knit 2, purl 2) across, end knit 1. Repeat. It morphs from plain jane 2x2 ribbing into a wonderfully squishy single rib with seed stitch panels in between. Yummy.
I read somewhere (that I can't remember) that it can't be done circularly. Well, not with one pattern round, but of course it can be done in two. The way I do it, I cast on an even multiple of 4 and work the following two rounds. First: (Knit 2, purl 2) around, then the second: Purl 1, (knit 2, purl 2) around, end purl 1. It looks and acts exactly the same unless you look very closely and notice there is a bit of confusion at the beginning and end of the round.

It ended up about 15 inches long with the one, precious skein that I had, and I've already worn it a couple of times under my winter coat. It was a wonderful foil to the highs of 30 and 40 degrees we've been having this week. If I were to do it over, I'd make it with less circumference and more length so I could also use it as a hood. It will go up onto my head, but there is not enough collar left round the neck to be warm. I can flip it up to cover my ears though and it looks quite nice. I used a long tail cast on and my unvented version of the sewn bind-off:

Kellie's Sewn Bind-off
1. Cut a tail about 3 times the length of edge to be bound off.
2. Thread tail onto tapestry needle
3. Go into second stitch on left needle knitwise, making sure to go only through one stitch and to the back, not through two.
4. Go into first stitch on left needle purlwise and take it off. (If working in the round, on this first stitch ONLY, place it on the right needle so you'll work into it again at the end, fusing your edge into an endless circle. )

Repeat steps 3 and 4, ignoring the parenthetical note from here on out.

I know, I need to put up some photos. I would have while the above was in process, but the yarn and needles did not lend themselves to clear demonstration.

Next we have...
The Double Take Sac in Williamsburg Wool

This is for class on Tuesday, so I don't have to have it all done, but I've gotten through the first two charts in good time. Actually I had started this months ago, when the class was first proposed, and now that the class actually looms, it's time to get serious. The yarn was purchased two years ago in Williamsburg and comes from those charming sheep that wander around the grounds down there. They have it commercially spun and it is quite nice. A bit hairy and hard to go next to the skin unless one is living in Revolutionary times, but I think it will make a nice purse. I'll line it to offset the stretchiness of the wool, but knitted on size 2's, it is actually quite nice and firm. The pattern is from the Spring 2001 Interweave knits and sadly, is not up as a pattern to purchase yet, because naturally that issue is sold out. It is a great study in textured stitches and bag architecture. The designer is Mary Nickol. Interweave couldn't find her when I contacted them for permission to use the pattern, so if you know her, let me know-I'd love to get in touch with her.

Lastly, we have...

Blue Heron Chunky Chenille Scarf
Not much explanation needed here-my dead simple, next to the bed project, going quite quickly in seed stitch on size 7 needles and 31 sts. I'll have plenty of length when I'm done. Several friends have exclaimed over it when they've seen me working on it in public, so I think it is destined to be gifted to one of its admirers. This is yummy yarn in yummy colors-pure knitting for its own sake for a tactile person like me. I have several other scarves in this same yarn and they are favorites.

From Gnome-Garden-Crochet Your Next President

2008-10-20T14:32:00.002-04:00

From my darling, fun friend, comes this bit of political activism I can get my hooks into. Budump bah!

Hold Your Own Debate
With Presidential Finger Puppets

These are serious times and we have a serious choice to make, but that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun! Who do yarn lovers choose for president? Tell us who your presidential pick is and we'll publish the results! Click here to vote!


Free Pattern: Crochet Barack Obama	Free Pattern: Crochet John McCain

Make one or both of the candidates and make someone smile!

The Secret of Roan Inish

2008-10-01T22:41:00.000-04:00

I have a real, important knitting deadline (test knitting for a soon-to-be-published book), so I've been queuing up movies to watch and audio books to listen to while I race to get something done quickly and in a focused manner (not my usual method). Yesterday at the library I picked up this old favorite. It combines so many things that I love: Ireland, mythology, music, magic and, of course, the sea. Ah, it's a lovely story and a lovely film. I spent a cozy afternoon knitting and watching with a cup of cocoa nearby and I'll probably watch it again tomorrow. I'm such a sap. Well, and after all, I do have that deadline.

Cross-posted to http://kellamina.blogspot.com

My Best Things About Stitches List

2008-08-27T21:12:00.003-04:00

I got back from Stitches Midwest on Sunday night, just missing a real fun time in the Chicago airport, apparently. It was a great weekend and here is what made me smile:

Rooming with Debbie Radtke. She's just awesome.
My classes all went really well, or at least I felt good about them.
Teaching my Thursday class in Nirvana and my Sunday class in Epiphany (those are the whimsical room names at the Renaissance Schaumburg. It was cool.
I got to spend time with and get to know better Sarah and Margaret. They are super-talented yet down to earth and so very nice.
I still get star-struck when I meet designers whose work I really admire (and have made their designs) like Jolene Treace.
Dinner at Sam and Harry's with a whole bunch of lovely people
Helping a table full of cute young girls from the Chicago area learn to knit. They were eager and beautiful.
Room Service breakfast on my birthday. It was actually fun to be there on my birthday. I got sung to twice. Can't beat that.
Working backstage at the fashion show. I love seeing the garments close-up.
Seeing Gwen and Beth.
Helping Gwen finish her amazing sweater. We team knitted until 15 minutes before the banquet started on Saturday night.
The market, of course. People always ask if I still knit for pleasure and if the market still dazzles me. Definitely yes to the first, and to the second, while it doesn't dazzle me like it used to, it still inspires me and I still feel the urge to possess the beautiful yarns and tools.
The fact that I'm even THERE! At at national venue! Doing what I love!

I'm so grateful for this gig and I hope it lasts a long time.

Finding My Muse

2008-08-11T21:11:00.004-04:00

I've always been a creative person. I can solve problems, come up with original ideas, make just about anything, plan stuff, and lots of other things. I've tried just about every craft out there and frankly, enjoyed them all. I often turn back to old friends like quilting and sewing as a foil to knitting and photography. So why am I a bit stuck right now?

One of my students, in describing herself, expressed an aspect of my own personality so succinctly and perfectly that it caused me to catch my breath. So here it is:

I am more curious than ambitious.

Why is that significant you ask? WHY???

Because curiosity is what gets a person to try something. Ambition is what gets them to finish it. Curiosity is the path to vision. Ambition is the path to productivity. I have vision. I love to start things. After that, there is nothing pulling me strongly to make what I like to do into a product. There is nothing urging me to get the word out to the whole world and get published and make money. I'm really happy helping one person at a time learn something that to the world seems small. I'm okay living in my small corner of the world.

But the question nags at me:

Should I desire MORE???
Should I WANT to be a businesswoman and have a real, professional website from which folks can buy my patterns? Should I WANT to work full-time at all this creative stuff and publish books? Or have 10 photo shoots a month and be a "real" photographer?
Is it OKAY to just enjoy the process?

I submit as my answer, Yes. Why in small type instead of screaming it out in big, bold letters? Because I think that is the answer but I worry that it's not. I worry that I'm somehow living below my abilities or being selfish or something. I want yes to be the answer though. I want to not feel stuck because I'm satisfied with my life. I want to free myself from comparisons to other women who have made their creative skills into businesses or parlayed it into a kind of niche-y fame.

Here is one bit of advice from someone that I admire as an artist that gives me some confidence that my path is correct. For. Me. Alone. I read this often to remind myself that art is not for the people, in the end it is for the artist. I like thinking of all this stuff I do in that way. It frees me from the perfectionism that plagues me and in the end, I think it is what will free me to learn to trust the process and let it lead me to be successful in whatever way I eventually want to be.

Back to Knitting

2008-08-06T11:19:00.003-04:00

I've been on a bit of a knitting hiatus. I have several instructional posts half-written, but I'll get to them later. As for "hiatus," that really means I have 2 projects in active rotation-an original sock and a baby sweater. My hands have started being more sensitive to my knitting and my thumbs get numb after just a few minutes, no matter what style or hand position I use. Maybe it's time to get to the doctor. Anyway, I've been quite inspired looking through my stash for bits to send to the prison project in So. Dakota, and am on my way to finishing a bright little baby sweater in just a few days. 3 since I started, to be exact. I'm gearing up to do some test knitting and I want to get my daily knitting habits back in place. I'm also gearing up for the intensity of two Stitches Expo events only about 8 weeks apart as well as the fall teaching schedule.

It has been a good thing to rediscover how soothing it all is: in, around, out and off. Lovely. Photography feeds a different part of my soul I guess.

I'm glad to discover that I still love knitting more than just about anything I do, even when I need the occasional break from it.

Why I Knit. (or one of the main reasons, anyway)

2008-05-16T19:04:00.003-04:00

I love yarn. Sometimes more than knitting. Should I have said that in a whisper?? Oh well, it's true.
Really, I don't have to say anything more than that, but I will tell you about it.

These are the three colorways of Fleece Artist's Bluefaced Leicester from Little Knits, which I, like the knitting sheep that I am, obediently ordered after clicking on the link next to the Knitty Spring Surprise. I mean really. How was I supposed to resist pressure like that? One of my favorite fibers, a new shop to try (fabulous by the way-great customer service) and a fun design to inspire me. I won't be making Tempest, lovely as it is, because the idea of horizontal stripes on my thickish torso just makes me laugh out loud, but I will be doing something with it. I've been doing a lot of fair isle with handpaints against a solid, so that's what I have these slated for. They'll go together if I don't mind a little harmonic color disappearance (they share a shade of green) or they'll go beautifully with one of the hundred hanks of Harrisville Shetland style that I have.

The Maryland Sheep and Wool festival was really fun this year. I always enjoy that. I got to do a bit of work with Leslye Solomon and found her to be a really lovely woman. I taught my usual duo of knitting and crochet for kids, which, in only an hour time with up to 10 kids, really amount to a try-it class with a plea to the parents at the end to find them another teacher with more time and less kids. But, they go on, everyone seems to enjoy them and I like doing it.

In other news, Cloverhill is officially in the hands of Jolene Mosley and I'm very excited about it. She is already bringing in some wonderful boutique yarn lines. Yummy stuff. I will be getting back to teaching there this summer and fall, albeit on a limited basis just because the family wheel continues to need at least one hub to rotate around, that hub being me. So, watch for a few classes this summer and fall, and we'll see where things go from there.

Tomorrow I teach up at Schweitzer's Countryside (her website is still pending, but it is a great little shop) in Seven Valleys, PA. Beyond that, not much till Stitches Midwest in August. In the meantime, I'm always available for the odd private lesson, so don't hesitate to drop me a line at kellienuss@gmail.com and we'll set something up.

Okay, so I suck at blogging about knitting.

2008-04-12T23:33:00.005-04:00

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee I ain't, but that's okay because I love her and wouldn't want another one like her. I just don't always know what to blog about, plus I have the added challenge of not giving away too much so I'll still have stuff to actually teach. In addition, I really don't want my designs to be influenced too much by existing knitwear patterns, so I've kind of put myself in design quarantine-thus I don't read too many other knitting blogs. I look at other things for inspiration, but I don't want to just be recycling things. Obviously, there are other designers that I like, and sometimes I just want to knit without having to work it all out first. On the other hand, I do, however, want to balance those considerations against the principles of good karma and my belief in idea of Creative Commons where information can and should be shared as freely as possible, but then what is left for folks to make a living off of, eh? So, sometimes I hesitate too much to write about this passion of mine, which is too bad, because I have a lot to say. In the interest of making yet another go, which is such a boring thing to read (yet again) here are some photographs and words about a couple of projects.

The first photos are Sam in his vest, the process of which was chronicled here. I am really happy with how it turned out, and he wears it often. I think it will get too hot for him pretty soon, so I'm already considering a version in a lighter gauge and maybe in cotton.

These two are of my wonderful collaboration with one of my students-The Patch Jacket concept. She has some hand mobility and usage issues, and one solution she has found to continue knitting is to make many small pieces, then build them into a sweater. She likes to make them one by one then sew them together creatively using blanket stitch or something else textural. On this one, she added just a hint of pink in the buttons and running stitch trim to really make it perfect. I have loved this process of working with her to make a completely unique, personal piece of art that so exactly expresses who she is and what she is about. This is why I teach. There is nothing better than helping someone create what is already inside them.

Scarves, Scarves and more Scarves

2008-03-09T22:12:00.002-04:00

I have been heading up a charity project for our women's group at church, and we are up to 25 completed scarves. I am really very happy with the results. According to my records, I've taught 4 people how to knit, 2 or 3 how to crochet, and managed to find uses for quite a lot of my yarn. Several knitters have made up to 8 scarves. The scarves are simple garter stitch in many different textured yarns and they will go into gift bags for mastectomy patients. They are bright and beautiful for certain, even if they are not everyone's cup of knitting tea. This is where I toss any yarn snobbery that I might be guilty of out the window and go with the spirit of the project. The scarves are intended to be bright and cheerful and to give a woman who has just experienced a trauma a way to express some hope. They are not intended to show off knitting skills, be advertisements for knitting yarns or anything else. The cause of comfort and rebuilding confidence far outstrips any other consideration. So, bring on the Fun Fur, the extreme textures, the glitz! God bless these brave women who are continuing on, and here's to hoping one of our scarves might give one of them something to smile about.

Stitches, etc.

2008-03-02T20:17:00.003-05:00

Last weekend was Stitches West. It was my eighth time teaching at stitches and I am starting to feel like I know what I'm doing. I still just LOVE interacting with the students. One of my favorite moments is when I go round and ask what students want to get out of a particular class and I know I can help them. I really enjoy the friends I've made and feel really fortunate to have met the people I've met.

The weekend began as it has for the last 2 years, with a stop at my brother's home near Travis AFB in Fairfield, CA. They live about 70 miles from Santa Clara, but a visit to family is always worth the trip. They are always good to ask about and be genuinely interested in and supportive of my career as a professional knitter. I still get the occasional odd look when I tell people what I am and what I do, but then the skepticism usually gives way to appreciation that such a knitting community exists.

Vickie Howell, of Knitty Gritty fame, was there and I heard her speak at the fashion show. She spoke of the strength of the knitting community, and I agree with her. I love that I've been able to meet people from literally every walk of life, every political and religious persuasion, and yet we are all able to find that common (yes, I'm going to say it) thread. I especially enjoy, with my students, the sense of healing, peace and comfort that so many of them find in knitting. In this wild world, I am truly grateful for something that builds community instead of breaking it down.

My classes went well, if one pays attention to evaluations, in-class comments and participation. I certainly enjoyed myself. I liked the intensity and variety of the 8 market sessions that I taught and instead of feeling burned out, I left each class looking forward to the next one and what I could do to tweak and improve and streamline for the one-hour format.

I am coming more and more to the conclusion that teaching is my art as much as knitting. I was once talking to another teacher who is really well-known, greatly admired and has a long and distinguished list of great designs. She has given up design almost entirely to focus on teaching. I am tending toward that end myself. I like designing to solve very specific problems, to illustrate a teaching point and to create something that can be used to build skills. Designing to sell patterns holds little appeal for me. It is a good thing to come to that point and to feel like I can continue to make a lasting place in the knitting world instead of only trying to make a name for myself. (There is a LOT LESS pressure this way!) Rather than being known for being good at something in the knitting world and having the sole end be attention on me, I'd rather be good for the knitting world and make it a better place. Perhaps that sounds corny, or perhaps naive, but I hope that people like me and some of my more passionate and talented teaching friends can make sure is a pathway lit for the knitters who will come after us, and not just a large ouvre of best-selling designs.

Too Long

2008-02-26T17:37:00.002-05:00

So, I can't believe it's been over a month since I've posted here. If you are one of my 5 readers and have been checking back, I'm sorry to leave you hanging. Life has been a little bit thick lately. Things have calmed down but I'm right in the middle of two charity projects at church: a project Linus blanket to teach the teen girls to knit and a scarf project for cancer patients with the women's group. It has been fun and satisfying, but add to the mix a disabled friend moving to a new assisted living facility after multiple hospitalizations and getting ready for then attending Stitches West, and you get the picture. I had an absolutely fabulous time in every way, but I am glad to be home. XRX puts on a good show and they are great to work with. I am really grateful for the opportunities I've had because of their confidence in me. Plus, I'm trying to learn my way around Ravelry, so that has taken some of my blogging time. Over the next couple of days, I will report on my Stitches experience. Anyhow, I'm back...

New Shop

2008-01-20T20:23:00.000-05:00

I went up to PA to teach at Heather Sweitzer's wonderful new shop, Sweitzer's Countryside Fibers and Gifts. It was great fun. I met 5 lovely knitters who did a great job in the classes. In spite of being "on leave of absence" from Cloverhill, I seem to be teaching plenty, with daytime private lessons and pro-bono opportunities at church. I'm helping with a Project Linus blanket with the teen-aged girls and scarves for cancer patients with the women. It is typical for me-if I have time I will fill it up. It has been good to be home when I need to though. That has been the big change. I can tell Eric is calmer knowing that I won't be gone on Wednesday nights and then again on Saturday. It seems like a big sacrifice, but considering he has never pressured me to bring home a real paycheck and he pretty much supports my every move on the planet-both wise and whimsical, it pretty much evens out. He works hard to support our family, and I feel like our roles are completely complementary and equal. I am just grateful that knitting fits in around it all so I can stay sane, be creative and have an ambition for the future, when I will no longer be at the center my kids' universe.

Knit on with confidence and hope...

2008-01-15T14:50:00.000-05:00

So I've recently met A. who lives in an assisted living home. She is a member of my church, and we are pretty active about taking care of each other, so I get to watch over her. I already love her to pieces. She likes visits pretty much every day. I was stressing about this, thinking that I just really didn't have the time. I love old people. I love looking in their eyes and seeing them look out at me through years of living. The other folks in the lobby of the facility are starting to know me, and it is a very good place to be. But every day??? For crying out loud. I have way too much to do, I thought. A. is anxious and worried about everything, but just having someone there brings her a little security that she hasn't had before. Her life has had a lot of pain, so I determined that I would be a safety net for her. Today it clicked. Today I grabbed my knitting to take with me (don't know why I didn't think of this a month ago) and after we did a little word searching in her Giant Puzzle book, she said, "Now I want to watch you knit." I knitted, uninterrupted, for an hour. She listened to the volunteer piano player, dozed and asked about the vest. She was calm, happy and resting. It was like magic. It reminds me of the days when, after I would sing them lullabies, my kids would ask me to get my knitting and just sit outside their door for a little while longer. In this crazy world, if someone can just sit there and knit, then things can't be too bad, right?

FO

2008-01-13T06:44:00.000-05:00

I finished a PhD. gift for a friend and it turned out really well. It is a beanie in UMD colors with a secret message of congratulations knitted into the lining. Many people are nervous about wool these days, that I've taken to lining a lot of things I give away. This was done in Knitpicks Palette, so it is a fine gauge-about 7 sts per inch. I used white and yellow from the Palette line and some red Satakielli from Schoolhouse Press. I used Rowan Cotton Glace for the lining and it came together nicely. I know a cotton lining is not ideal from a technical, wicking standpoint, but it feels pretty comfortable. I wore it around last night while it was drying, and my head was quite cozy and warm. It has the heft and feel of an expensive beanie from the sporting goods store. It is a teeny tiny big big on me, so I'm hoping that means it will fit my friend Clint really well. I'll try to talk him into a photo with it on once I give it to him.

Sam's vest is ready for the armhole steeks. I'm excited to move on and get this done. I love the cable pattern. It is a twisted stitch pattern, which means all the knit stitches in the cable panels are knitted through the back loops. That makes them stand up a bit more and look more embossed from the reverse stockinette background. It is a great design and I am knitting it pretty much per Meg Swansen's specifications, except I'm using Galway instead of the Berrocco Alpaca blend.

Hold Bag

2008-01-03T22:11:00.000-05:00

So, I looked through my hold bag at Cloverhill and it has easily 300 bucks worth of stuff in there. Holy Cow! I wasn't inclined to put much of it back though, just a few patterns. So, I will endeavor to bring a bit of it home every paycheck until it is gone. I just wish I could get tired of yarn. Hasn't happened yet.
Also, the new cycle of classes has begun and it is very strange not to be a part of it. Though I feel it is the right thing to do, and I am still doing plenty of teaching in spite of being on a "leave of absence," I feel the void of not being part of the camaraderie of the staff of the shop. I love working with those gals.

Good Feeling

2007-12-28T15:16:00.001-05:00

This is a cross-post, so if you read both my blogs, you don't even need to check the other one.
Among the several charity organizations for which I knit and donate, Afghans for Afghans is one of the ones I have very warm feelings for. They are a wonderful group of committed, caring people who have figured out a totally non-partisan, peaceful way to make a difference in the face of war. They have rallied knitters and crocheters all over the US and Canada to make wool blankets, hats, mittens, sweaters and other items for the people of Afghanistan. I know there are lots of needy people right here in the US, and I know that it might seem like a small knitted item from a stranger far away would not make much of a difference, but my heart tells me differently. I just feel good about helping the people of this particular country. They've been at war for so long, and I have been aware of their struggles in a major way ever since I was about 14. The mission of A4A goes along with my attitude toward the current political climate in the US. Frankly I'm tired of it, and my motto is "Shut up and do something." I can't stop the wars, I can't totally understand the reasons behind them, I can't always know what's really true, and I can't stop the media from making everything so scary. But I can send a pair of socks to a lady in San Francisco who will put it on a plane to Afghanistan. And some little kid might have warm feet this winter. Maybe that kid will get a good feeling and pay it forward someday. And on and on. Maybe.
Over the past couple of years, I have tried to knit something for them every year. This year it was socks and hats. Here is a slide show of the kids receiving the socks that were sent over in the spring. In the very last picture, the pair of socks 2nd from the left on the front row is a pair I sent! Now I can put that little face with my socks and think of that boy or girl wearing them. I think she's a girl, but most of them seem to have their heads covered, so I'm not sure. This just makes my day. I share this not in the spirit of self-aggrandizement, but in the spirit of the pride I feel for the good people who do this, the love I've developed for the people of this nation, and the little light of hope that it plants in me to have this tenuous but now tangible thread of connection between me and a child so far away.

Ravelry

2007-12-19T11:06:00.000-05:00

I've finally been invited to Ravelry! I had just heard about this a few weeks ago because I'm such an on-again, off-again blogger. I read few other blogs but I am aware of the power of this type of networking. Anyway, Ravelry looks really fun. I am looking forward to playing on it and using it as a another way to catalogue, record and share my knitting life.

Getting the Tree

2007-12-02T10:07:00.001-05:00

We took the family out to Triadelphia Lake View Farm for a Christmas Tree. That is Sara in her knitted Santa Hat. I've made many of those hats. Evan can't find his, so I may have to make him a new one. On the way out of the farm, without my camera handy, there was another knitting sighting. The Mrs. Claus on the farm sign was knitting. I wish I'd gotten a picture.

Ya Just Never Know

2007-11-26T22:47:00.000-05:00

I wore my Buenos Aires Jacket in Manos del Uruguay yarns in Forest and Woodland to church this past Sunday. It is a dead simple sweater made in fabulous yarn. No fancy shaping, the stitch is a variant of garter stitch, it doesn't even have buttons.

I got more complements on that sweater than I have ever gotten on any knitted item that has graced my frame. Everyone I passed, including men, for crying out loud, complemented me. Of course it was gratifying and I enjoyed it, but I kept thinking of how simple the sweater was to knit.

What this shows, of course, is the power of a great yarn and a classic design. One doesn't necessarily have to jump through hoops as a designer to come up with something really amazing. My hat goes off to Judith Shangold for her great work pairing Manos up with good architecture.

Overheard at My House:

2007-11-12T19:31:00.000-05:00

Tonight, Eric was doing the dishes, including the handwashing of the big stuff. He doesn't usually do that so he commented that maybe he was buttering me up because he dented the car. So we got into a conversation about how we are pretty low-key about stuff like that-he has never gotten upset about car things, or spending money, etc. When we got to the spending part of the conversation, he said, "I've gotten upset a few times about spending," to which I replied, "Well, at least I've never had to hide my yarn, like half the knitters I meet. " My daughter, listening from the other room said, "Um, mom, it's not like you could hide your yarn." My husband started laughing really hard at that one. I don't know what's so funny...

Cloverhill

2007-11-12T16:41:00.000-05:00

Cloverhill Yarn Shop, my beloved professional home for the past 7 1/2 years, is for sale. I am taking the news quite personally because this place means so much to me. Chris's reasons for selling are personal and important, and because she's become a friend, I totally support her in this decision. I have been associated with it since before it was Cloverhill. When I started working on Saturdays to save my sanity during Eric's law school years, it was The Weaver's Place. It was Terry Flynn who first thought I could teach and gave me that opportunity. When Chris took over, thanks to Ginger's influence, I ended up back in my old classroom with a new name. Chris took over where Terry left off and continued to build the shop (which has been around in some form for about 30 years I think) into a place customers love to be. She changed things, such as refocusing the shop from weaving to entirely knitting with spinning on the side, but the atmosphere stayed cozy, unassuming and welcoming. The amazing education program continued, with fabulous teaching and a wide array of classes. Customers and students have become friends. It is so much more than a job to me. It has been the ticket to personal growth beyond my role as a stay-at-home mom, but within the confines of that first and most important focus. Teaching there gave me the confidence to teach at Stitches, which has grown to mean just as much to me. Chris has been a generous mentor, patient employer and great example to me of what a business woman should be. The other women who work there have become important friends in my life as well. I have no idea what will happen with the eventual new owners, but for some reason it feels like an ending to me. I was going to take a leave of absence from formal teaching in the winter anyway, so the news coincides with my own realignment of my professional goals. I certainly would still teach at the new shop if I find a place there, so I am not closing the door, but it is certainly the end of an era for me.

Please contact Chris through the shop if you are interested in acquiring this little gem of a place.

On the needles

2007-11-09T23:23:00.001-05:00

Okay, okay, trying to post more often here. My knitting life is not my primary focus, as I am still very much in the middle of raising my kids. I have one out of the house, but 4 are still home and with me every day. But, here is what I'm up to.
I finished teaching my perfect sock class. It has good bones, but needs some focus and refinement. I have been reworking the handouts and class outline for that. I thank my intrepid students from the bottom of my heart for being my guinea pigs. They all did wonderfully.
I am working on Stitches West classes. I am very proud and excited to be a part of the Market Sessions there, and am beefing up my classes for that sector of the conference.
My short-row intensive class went really well. It is intense, but everyone stayed with me and did great.
Wrestling season starts next week, so I am knitting furiously on Sam's vest. (He has to wear a shirt and tie every day during the season and likes a sweater vest. He outgrew his favorite cotton one and requested one in his high school colors.) He finally decided on the cover vest of Meg Swansen's Woolgathering #77. It is coming along beautifully in Hammond Maroon Galway wool.
I am working on the appearance of this blog and getting the settings back to rights.
I am still teaching 2-4 hours of private lessons per week. I have some lovely students who have passed beyond the realm of clients to becoming friends. That is one of the most satisfying parts of this little part-time career of mine.
So, all is good in the knitting part of my world. Hope it's the same for you.

Stitches East

2007-10-14T21:17:00.000-04:00

I am just hours back from teaching about 18 hours of classes at Stitches East. It was so much fun in so many ways. I just feel all goose-bumpy when I think that I am among such a group of teachers, let alone all the amazing knitters there.
I like this show the best because of all the familiar faces I see. I saw many of my students cum friends from Cloverhill. That was just so satisfying. The absolute highlight of the entire weekend for me was watching Karen Porter of Children in Common and one of those dear friends made through my teaching, be named Knitter of the Year. She started a wonderful organization to help children in Russian and Eastern European Orphanages when she adopted her own children from Russian and saw the challenges faced by the people trying to care for the children there. Being Knitter of the Year will mean loads of good publicity for the organization as well as an award that Karen will put to good use as to help the kids. It was such a lovely moment. I was overcome. When I saw Karen in the market today, her comment was so humble and gracious. She said that for herself, she would never want this kind of recognition, but for the kids, she'll do it. Watch for the write-up in a future issue of Knitters.
Another highlight was meeting a wonderful gal from Seven Valleys, PA who is starting up a yarn shop. It will be called Sweitzer's Countryside Fibers and Gifts. I will post a link when her website is up. She is just about ready to open, and I told her I'd love to come up and teach for her. It sounds like her shop will be really nice, with a selection of yarn, felting supplies, and gifts as well as classes. I wish her much luck.
As for shopping, there were a few treasures to speak of. I found some beautiful hand-carved needles and crochet hooks at Mangham Manor from Virginia. I should show pictures of these things-absolute beauty, and carved from one piece of wood. They are formed into exquisite spirals, with rings around them or tiny cages with tiny beads inside. I found what may become my new favorite sock yarn--from Green Mountain Spinnery! It is not even up on their website yet, but it is so lovely. Yes, I know, more photos I have to take. It is not superwash wool, which I like. I have no trouble taking a bit of extra care of my socks. It is wool blended with either mohair or tencel and it is quite yummy. I can't wait to design with it. I succumbed to a few skeins of Blue Moon Fiber Arts stuff, mostly because the dyeing is so incredible. Their socks do feel great upon being placed upon grateful feet. I fell head over with this bit of genius brought to life in yarn. I was good though, and didn't buy it. Maybe when I finish the La Lana kit I bought at West. Uh Huh.
I got to spend time with my friends Gwen, Beth, Jeanne and Cindy, which is always enjoyable. It is great to continue to get to know the other teachers better as well. I discovered another blog to follow along that line, the lovely and talented Karen Alfke's. Her blog is everything mine is not: spare, elegant and brief. Check it out. My roomie, Debbie, and I are a perfect match and being with her makes the weekend even better.
My stitches experience gets to last one more day as I will be picking some friends up at the hotel tomorrow to go for lunch then giving them a ride to el Aeropuerto de BWI.
I am exhausted, but it is that good kind of tired, the tired that comes from giving your all. My mind is energized even though my body is the opposite of energized. I always know that teaching is my calling because the teaching itself never drains me, it always makes me feel happy, capable and excited. I am happy to be part of Stitches and happy I get to interact with knitters I would never have met otherwise.
To bed now.

Knitting for Others

2007-08-23T10:16:00.000-04:00

The body of Raveneli is done. I still need to join the shoulders and knit the armhole edgings. I have a lot of extra yarn, so I am contemplating sleeves. Hmmm. Anyway, I am taking a short break to comply with a request to special to ignore. My coworker, Dawn, has a sister fighting the good fight with Cancer and sis needs caps for her tender, newly bare head. So, I am working up my Sophia hat in Cream-colored Classic Elite Premiere-one of the softest yarns I've ever used-cotton/tencel worsted weight. I am making another hat for her in a soft pink, but this one will be a one-off original. There is nothing so fun as just letting a had design itself. I think I'll do some cables.

I also just got the word about Afghans for Afghans latest campaign. I'm a little behind the times on this one, so I started a hat out of some old, mystery yarn. I have a vest almost done that didn't make it into the last shipment to them. A student gave me a big bag of bright read Lopi, so I am considering making a blanket from that. The deadline is October 12 I think, so my eyes are getting quickly bigger than my knitting needles, but I'll give it a go. It is so satisfying to knit for them. As I've said before, my creativity just blossoms when I forget about designing for retail. When I ask "what is beautiful and what will I love knitting?" instead of "what will sell and what will be a simple pattern for users?" my work is much better. Hmmm, there's a lesson there. I do need to free myself from trying to please others and just find my voice. I struggle with the same process in photography. I'm a reluctant artist. I just don't think I'm good enough to call myself an artist and give my work its proper due. I must change that mindset.

Raveneli

2007-08-19T23:12:00.000-04:00

I am working on a design that I think approaches the elegant genius of the classic Baby Surprise. A bold claim, I know, but I can honestly say that nothing I've knitted of late (that was designed by someone other than me) has captured my interest like this. It is by a local designer who has become a friend named Jeanne Abel . (So yes, I am biased, but this gush is completely from my knitting teacher and designer point of view.) Many of her designs, especially the most recent ones, focus on really nifty and imaginative architecture. She has managed to put into action a lot of the things I've been swatching and experimenting with over the years. It's that old principle of parallel discoveries. More power to her for bringing it all to the light though. I will happily honor her talent by buying her patterns.

This one is called Raveneli. It is a vest or jacket that starts from the outside circumference-you cast on a ribbing and work it just like the bottom of a circular sweater. But wait, there's more! With a few strokes of genius, this circle of ribbing gets turned on its side as stitches are put on hold for the back neck, then the knitting continues down from the shoulders for the fronts, underarms and the beginning of the back. They are knitted back and forth all in one fell swoop while doing beautifully sculpted shaping under the arms. All of a sudden, you're done with that and a few more stitches are put on holders. Before you know it and can really recognize it, you're working up the back! This is where I am now. I realized that I need a photo of me wearing what I have so far so you can see how cool this is. Stay tuned...Just think, all your outside edges are done and finished! All that remains is the back, some careful joining and an armhole finish.

A vest, you say? Why yes, and quite a clever one. Here is the whole thing viewed with the full outside circumference spread out. Back Neck stitches are at the top on a spare needle and the front and bottoms of the armholes are on the holders at the sides. The bit that's left on the long needle curving round the center opening will become the back. Whew! The funnest part is that it is bulky-3 strands of dk weight yarn ( I'm using Lucy Neatby's Celestial Bluefaced Leicester in African Violet) and knits up in a flash on big fat needles. This one has already kept me up late because I can't wait to see what comes next.
Here it is folded in half so you can begin to imagine how it might fit on the body. Compare it with the pictures of the finished jacket on Jeanne's website. I will try to get someone to take a photo of it on my body tomorrow. It might be done by then though, because I'm pretty anxious to start working on it again. Do I sound just silly with excitement? For this sometimes jaded knitter who has gotten a little frustrated with the sameness of a lot of the patterns out there, this one has me psyched! It is everything I love about knitting: Organic shaping, great instructions, and a unique design based on sound knitting principles. It requires skill to execute, but mostly it requires imagination. Any knitter can muster enough of that to make something as delightful as this.

Beware!

2007-08-01T20:16:00.000-04:00

I am such a sucker for gimmicks and pretty things and fair trade and well, sheesh. I went and spent 22 bucks for size 0 Lantern Moon Sox Stix knowing that it was a mistake, but oh, they're so pretty and those folks in Viet Nam are benefiting, etc., etc.. Of course 3 out of 5 snapped like toothpicks after 10 rounds of my grandma's green socks. But, not being willing to give up and not wanting to bug Chris at the shop with a return, I thought about it for a while and decided to give them a manicure. Having a teenage daughter around, I dabble in nail stuff occasionally. So, we had a kit to do acrylic nail tips and I decided to try fixing the little suckers. I glued them together, coated them with the acrylic and am in the process of sanding them down. So far, so good. The join seems strong, and the coating of acrylic seems to be doing what the glue couldn't on its own. I'll keep you posted if this appears to be a viable fix. I always keep one of those 4-sided file blocks sold for manicures in my knitting bag because you can get a silky smooth finish on any fingernail or wooden or bamboo needle that needs a little help.

But here is my official "I made this mistake so you don't have to" injunction: Leave the tiny little wooden needles alone. The only ones I've had survive reliably under size 2 are Crystal Palace Bamboo. They bend, but they don't break. Some don't like the curving that happens, but that is what allows them to stay in one piece. Of course, your mileage may vary and needles are so personal. Take my advice with a grain of salt, but consider it before you plunk down your hard-earned cash for a novelty.

Nametags and New Friends

2007-07-11T19:23:00.000-04:00

I returned from Knitting Camp to find the house tidy, the children glad to see me and Eric in reasonably good spirits. Thanks them all for supporting my in the World of String and to Mom and Cathy for being there for Eric and the kids in my absence. Here is my very simplistic camp summary. Later on I might put up the essay I started on what it meant to me to be there, but it's pretty personal so I'll probably save it for my other journal.

Things I Really Enjoyed:
My roomie, Angela from Toronto-20 years old, incredibly bright and talented and just as excited as me to be there. She has more great photos on her blog, so check it out.
The nametags everyone made. This was an unexpected pleasure-what a master stroke of genius to break the ice and give others a snapshot of yourself. They were varied and beautiful and many had wonderful stories behind them. Here's mine.

Hearing Meg's soothing and cultured voice in person.

Sitting by Kris, Jane, Liz, Katie, Nancy and Darcy-what fun we had. Knitting should always be combined with laughter.

Seeing most of Elizabeth and Meg's sweaters from the books and newsletters-wow what a body of work. Here I am vamping with the masterpieces.

Talking with Barbara, Michael, Sam, Greg, Suzette, Willi, Lin, Alice, Gail, Frances, Lisa, Stephanie, and everyone else.

Listening to Lin play the Celtic harp in the evenings-soothing and beautiful.

Finishing my circular entrelac tam. The mysteries of circular entrelac begin to unfold to me, and even though mine is too big, it was a valuable project. You can see it in the above photo. Natty, eh?

Being the student. Most of it was review for me, so even better, having a truly re-engerizing break from everything usual about my world.

Being among my tribe. That's how I felt when I first walked into a yarn shop. I think I made some real, new friends, and I am looking forward to cultivating those friendships.

Here is Sam's amazing Pi shawl made from the most
beautiful tencel yarn. We swiped tablecloths and blocked it right on the
floor of the conference room. Is it not a thing of beauty?

Holy Cow!

2007-06-14T09:46:00.000-04:00

Oh dear, I can't believe its been so long since I've posted. I've been keeping up on my personal blog and I wonder sometimes if I should just combine them, but as a mom of 5 with a fairly packed life, there's a lot of non-knitting stuff in the other account. So, I'll post here when I can and keep trying to add more content. Teaching is great right now. I taught the moebius lace class on Saturday. As I expected, the cast-on took most of the time, but I was, as usual, impressed by the pluck and determination of the students. I taught the two principle methods for making a moebius from the inside out to the edges. This is instead of the EZ method of making a strip and grafting together with a half-twist. The demo with the strips of paper went well, and I think it helped show where the cast on would be located in the finished piece.
Inspired by a private lesson, I started and finished a lovely lace shrugg for Sara out of Sunsette-a really nice cabled rayon-synthetic blend. It turned out great. She wore it the next day. I am thinking of making one for my neice Beth while she's here. She might be able to use it out in Arizona.
I finished teaching the socks on two circs class last night. It was delightful. I came home and got my first demo sock done and started the other while watching Music and Lyrics, starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. It was cute and made good background for knitting.
I've also completed a baby blanket out of nice, unmercerized cotton from Bernat that came in giant 14 oz skeins. I used the good old Encore 8 hour checkerboard pattern that I can do from memory. I have another one on the needles in a smaller checkerboard pattern. I have also begun making booties for the many expected babies in my church community. I have been using several different patterns. My favorite so far is this one from Knitty. Pictures will be forthcoming.

Knitters and Spinners Have the Solution!

2007-05-31T12:03:00.001-04:00

I thought this was a diverting thought for those of us who love wool.

Knitting Camp!

2007-05-08T16:29:00.000-04:00

A long-time dream has come true. I made it into Meg Swansen's Knitting Camp! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I still have to make travel arrangements, but come July, I will be trekking to The Middle of Nowhere, WI (actually it's Marshfield, but it kinda is, uh, that) for 5 days of drinking at the source. At least my source. I have been so deeply influenced by the work and writing of Meg and her mother Elizabeth Zimmermann, I can hardly express it in words. I am looking forward to being the student-I have no doubt I'll learn new things. So, stay tuned as I prepare and anticipate my first ever camp experience.

Continental Knitting Photos

2007-04-27T19:33:00.000-04:00

Here are photos of some of the processes of Continental Knitting. As I have taught this class over and over, I have come to have some strong feelings about it. I believe it is a useful tool to have in one's knitting toolbox, but I do not believe it is the best way to knit. There are so many wonderful ways to knit that there simply cannot be one best way. It can be faster, but not for everyone. It is definitely useful and worthwhile, but it is no more superior to throwing-style knitting than chocolate ice cream is to vanilla. My class today was fabulous, as all classes truly are, because everyone was open and enthusiastic and worked really hard. Everyone was sucessful and I hope you will all keep at it! I am working right now to start adding video to my blog, and the Norwegian Purl is the first one I'll post. Stay tuned!

The Knit Stitch

Above: Wrapping the yarn for tension. Tension is essential to having control and building speed. For additional tension, wrap the yarn around the left pinky. Finding the right system for you starts with something like this and evolves as you practice.

Above: The position of the needles as the working yarn is picked through the stitch on the left needle. Notice how the needle bosses that stitch around so you can see the working yarn to pick it through.

Above: The working yarn comes through the existing stitch to form a new stitch on the right needle.

The Purl Stitch:

Above: Purling with the yarn in the left hand. Notice that the yarn must be completely in front of the whole set-up.

Above: The yarn must come from the front of the right needle around to the back of the right needle so that it is between the needles before being scooped out the back of the existing stitch.

The Norwegian Purl:

Above: The working yarn is behind the needles-in the same position as for the knit stitch. The right needle comes in behind the yarn and into the stitch purlwise.

Above: The right needle "scissors" around to the back of the work.

Above: The right needle picks up a stitch from over the working yarn, just as for a knit stitch.

Above: The right needle "scissors" around to the front of the work, rotates counter clockwise, dips below all strands...

And Voila! The stitch almost forms itself before you realize it. Try it!

Getting Ready to Teach!

2007-04-25T22:36:00.000-04:00

I am getting excited to teach my summer classes. I am working up the Homage design in another yarn to test and refine the directions, and its going well. The other yarn is called Bonsai from Berocco. It is a bamboo ribbon with a tiny, shiny strand of rayon wrapped around it. Luscious, with a little bit of just-right glitz. Lovely texture, but the stitches don't get totally lost. Photos to come. I have the Homeward Bound socks just about done and the pattern writing is coming along. I am still working through old projects and am just about finished with a square poncho called a pelerine and a prayer shawl. I am absolutely exhilerated by all this finishing I'm doing. Next in the queue is a Philospher's Wool kit to prepare for fall's Philosopher's Phinishing Phrolic class at Cloverhill. After that, I will get to my Magnum Opus--the Alice Starmore Rona jacket with 20 exquisite colors that make me happy just looking at the 6 inches of it I've done over the last 6 years or so. I will wear that jacket this fall and you are my witnesses!

Preview of my Summer Tee Shirt design for this summer's class at Cloverhill

2007-04-15T17:48:00.000-04:00

Here is my latest design: "Homage". It is designed around the concepts Elizabeth Zimmermann used for her designs, principally the percentage system. It is indeed an homage to Elizabeth herself, because it is from her writings that I gained the confidence to design. In that spirit, it is knit in the round all the way to the underarms, the sleeves are joined and it continues in one piece using EZ's brilliant shaping to give the look of set in sleeves, which for me is more flattering than a raglan. It continues in the round to the neck bind off, then after the neck is started it remains one piece, but is knit flat for a few inches, then a few short rows are added to the shoulders, the shoulders are bound off together, the underarms woven and voila! It is ready to wear. I chose not to steek the neck because of the cotton/acrylic yarn, and that presented some interesting engineering challenges, but I loved the process of figuring it out and can't wait to share what I learned with my students. Best of all, I genuinely like the sweater-it fits perfectly.

This is my Summer Tee Shirt design for the class I'll be teaching this summer at the shop. These pictures are me, with no special effects, so this is what it looks like on a real, 40-year-old body (size 10-12) with a real tummy and upper arms that, shall we say, reflect my age. I like the way the elbow length sleeves are cool enough for spring or summer, but are much more flattering than a short or cap sleeve that falls right in the middle of that aforementioned area that, shall we say, reflects my age.

Apple Blossom Moebius Scarf

2007-04-10T14:00:00.000-04:00

Back from Seattle with Two, count 'em, TWO finished projects!

2007-04-05T13:08:00.001-04:00

I finished the erstwhile Rainbow Jacket by Vivian Hoxbro! I think I hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing "Halleluja!"

The photos show how nicely the shadow effect shows up. I started this three(?) years ago to support a class and was in sight of finishing when I had to take out half of it and start that half from scratch. I was bogged down with other things, sick of the tiny stitches and slightly boring knitting, and so it sat. But now, it is done and well worth it. I wore it everywhere on my trip to Seattle and got many compliments on it. It's a brilliant design. It fits well, is a perfect weight, and goes with lots of things or jazzes up plain black trousers and a black top very nicely. I found a beaded necklace and earring set in a craft consignment shop in Port Townsend, WA that picks up all the colors.

I also finished the Lacy Moebius out of Mama E laceweight. It is very pretty. Here is a little taste of the lovely bit of delicacy that I ended up with.

Because I finished the two projects I had room to bring, I indulged in some Artyarns merino and started the Homeward Bound socks on the plane. I got this far already. I am totally designing on the fly, just a couple of cryptic notes and charts, and I really like them so far.

Finished Blanket

2007-03-28T10:22:00.000-04:00

Here are some shots of the blanket I made for Christa, Jeff's ex-girlfriend. She is still a friend of the family and I had started this for her high school graduation almost 2 years ago. I hang my head in shame. Anyway, I finished it, sent it off and she likes it. It is made with three strands of Wool in the Woods yarns. I love the way they shimmer. The colors remind me of Monet's garden maybe or a wisteria bush in bloom.

Summer Tee and Moebius experiments

2007-03-28T00:43:00.000-04:00

Photos to come...
but I am working hard on my two big projects for spring classes-an original summer shell based on the work of Elizabeth Zimmermann and a lace moebius made of Mama E yarn. More on that later. My blogging life has been put on hold lately, but I'm ready to get back in the habit. I have tons of photos of FO's and other things, so stay tuned.

Sweet Skills

2007-02-01T23:44:00.000-05:00

I plan on petitioning the TKGA for a special dispensation of the Master Knitter recognition after tonight's lesson. No, just kidding. I am pretty proud of myself, though. I sucessfully taught a left handed knitter who knits from left to right (the opposite direction that I knit) the Armenian/Philosopher's Wool/Extreme Trapping method of two color knitting tonight. I was able visualize the whole process in reverse, get her going and completely mirror image the usual way of doing it. It was, I just have to say, a pretty scha-weet experience for a total knitting geek like me.

Everyone else she has approached has told her she knits wrong and to change. I can understand that, and I have no criticism for her other teachers because not everyone can reverse their knitting. I can. Don't know why I can, but I can. Not bragging, just stating the facts. Anyway, she was creating a lot of twisted knitting and was very frustrated. She taught herself to knit the typical way, but it never felt comfortable. She has taken to the mirror image knitting like a duck to water. Even the motions to trap the yarn in tonight's lesson made sense to her. When the hard-wiring of the brain is respected, the student attains flow. They gain confidence and start to feel like a Knitter. I salute my student for sticking with it and not settling for less than satisfying knitting. You go, girl.

So, do you think I could convince the TKGA??

Spinning Report and FO's

2007-01-29T16:07:00.000-05:00

The Journey to Yarn:

Above is the hand-dyed top from Interlacements. Top is a very thick rope of prepared fiber. It is pretty much impossible to spin from unless you spin from the fold, but I am not experienced enough yet and have not tried that. So, I split the top into halves or even thirds or fourths and then I....

Pre-draft. Above you can see that the colors have softened a bit, and the strand of fiber is thinner. This is now spinnable. Just for comparison...

Above is a section of the top with its sister section pre-drafted. I doubled up the pre-drafted fiber to match the color changes in the original top so you can see how much longer it gets. Sort of. Next comes....

Singles. Here is the pre-drafted fiber spun into singles. I was really going for a softer, thicker yarn this time around. I got better at the softer, thicker thing as I went along, and here is what I came up with after plying:

It reminds me of Colinette Prism-a thick-thin hand-dyed confection that combines a very thin binder yarn with a softly spun core yarn. I am happy with it, even though the other yarn I've spun from this top is totally different. I'll combine it somehow and it will be great fun.

As for FO's, I finished the dead-easy Transitions jacket this past weekend at the cabin. The yarn does the talking, and I've already gotten tons of complements on it, but for the dinero that yarn set me back, I don't know if I'm happy enough with the finished item. I am actually considering ripping it out and doing it over at a smaller gauge or making a smaller size. I have finished 3 blocks for Erin and Michelle's project, and I've pulled out all my "circus colors" for Afghans for Afghans. Click on the link to see what their latest need is. I teach Big Easy on Wednesday. I decided to leave that where it is so I can show people how it will look when it is divided for the fronts and backs. I also finished the scarf I started for my stash project. I am very excited. So far the stash count for balls of yarn used in appropriate and beautiful ways: 3!

2007-01-04T13:42:00.000-05:00

Here are the completed matching hat and mittens that I sent to the mitten tree at the elementary school They were soft and really fun to do. Mittens have become like socks for me-must be from all those arm-covers I did-and I can knit them up without a pattern or anything. That is definitely the most enjoyable kind of knitting for me. Big Easy is coming along. I may actually finish it before class starts next Wednesday. I have tons of great notes, though and I am entering the 21st century by using my blog to post tidbits for my students. We'll see how it goes.

Works in Progress

2006-12-12T10:07:00.000-05:00

Here is my first ever experience knitting with unspun yarn. This is not icelandic, like the kit I have waiting for me upstairs to make Meg Swansen's superlative Icelandic coat. This is Fingerlakes Woolen Mill Unspun. Soft and yummy it is. The wool comes as a big flat "cake". For this project, which was gifted to me by a friend at church who inherited it from her Grandma's stash, 4 strands are used, so the "cake" is divided into two sections by lifting out the center few inches, then using the inner and outer strands of each remaining spiral of yarn. It is going pretty smoothly and has been a nice break from all the frenzied deadline knitting. This will be a fitted helmet-type hat called Betty's Well-Shaped Hood. It is a classic pattern from Patternworks from many years ago.

Here is the Nicky Epstein Felted Bag from the current issue of VK. Gail and I are teaching it as a class together. This is obviously not felted yet. The version in the magazine is in lovely soft berry colors. Gail is doing something like that, but we thought it would be fun to show the different effect of doing the same pattern in neutrals. I like the way it is turning out.

Below is the Big Easy by Beth Brown-Reinsel. It is an easy circular pullover that features Gansey-like elements. I am enjoying the knitting very much. The patterning keeps the rows just flying by. The yarn is Wool Pack 10 ply, and it is showing off the stitchwork nicely. I swatched with 3 other yarns. One can understand why traditional ganseys are done with a very tightly twisted yarn. Anything with texture or even a heathered color just swallowed up the subtle knit-purl patterns.

Holiday Cheer and Class Reports

2006-12-12T09:19:00.000-05:00

The holiday ornament class went really well last week. Everyone one in the class was a familiar face and I just love that. I got the Sophia Hat and wristwarmer pattern published for Chris. She just got in a bunch of that yarn and I had done the hat a few years ago. It is a luscious wool/llama blend dyed in yummy soft colors by those fabulous Wool in the Woods girls-Missy and Anita. The hat turned out well and I hope it will appeal to folks as a nice last minute gift-hat on size 9 needles-quick, quick, quick!
The last session of Chinese Lantern went well,too. It is such a thrill to see everyone have success and finish. One student made hers into a circular vest and one made the center chart into an intarsia contrast panel. One did hers in Karabella Aurora 8 and I was so enthralled with it that I've ripped mine out in the Naturespun sport and am going to redo it in the KA8. I don't know which color yet. There were a couple done in Galway which shows off the stitches beautifully-and those two were looking fantastic. All in all, it was a parade of masterpieces in the making. Go Girls!

Einstein

2006-12-03T19:03:00.000-05:00

Okay, so maybe I don't feel like a genius, like Sally Melville promises, but I am glad to have my einstein finished. It is quite unique in the touch me. Once again, blogger's issues with the Mac platform are making it hard for me to put up photos, but I'll get them up. The fabric of the washed and dried Touch Me really does beg to be fondled, as the name implies. It drapes and slinks like nothing I've ever knitted before. The downside of that is that it is already growing longer with each wearing and I have to do some research to find out if I can rewash it or block it somehow to refresh it between wearings. I found some awesome buttons, and overall, I am really happy with it. Some of the students in the class are pretty much done as well. A couple are going to add collars so they will stop by the shop and see me. I love keeping those contacts alive. Students are the best. Sometimes I like teaching better than the actual knitting!

All My Projects

2006-11-15T19:26:00.000-05:00

So, Stitches was GREAT! I took no photos, but I found out that my face is in the new flyer for Stitches West in two places. if you go here you can download a pdf of the brouchure and check me out. How funny is that? It is especially funny that it is the same photo in two places. Actually, the art director at XRX is a superb lady and she did a great job, it is just so wierd to see one's face in such a context. I am also featured in the video clips of teachers. Tee hee.

Anyway, here is a non-exhaustive list of everything in active production right now:
Einstein-chocolate Touch Me Almost DONE!
5-color challenge-hat and scarf
Landscape shawl-still perking along-am up to the reeeaaallly long rows now
Truly Tasha shawl started about 6 years ago-nothing left but about 2 feet of the edging!
Socks that Rock-done but no longer for Sara-she likes shorty socks-now I know
Chinese Lantern-sleeves and finishing are all that it lacks
3 pairs of orphaned socks in yarns I can't remember-well one is Cestari wool and cotton-the others are various hand-dyed boutique yarns
Whew. I will get all this done because I am excited to! I have been really good about not buying new stuff because I keep thinking of the embarrasment of riches I have in my own closets and under my beds and in the basement, and...well, you know...

Stitches East

2006-11-01T20:52:00.000-05:00

Stitches is coming! The big expo starts tomorrow. I am experiencing my normal butterflies but preparing has become much easier as I've standardized my handouts and samples for each class. I basically just have to print the handouts and pick up my tote for that particular class. All my classes sold out (!) which just amazes me. I look forward to meeting and interacting with the students and doing my best to field their questions. I learn so much from them and the act of helping them discover their strengths. Well, I'm off to wind yarn samples. I will take some pictures of my classes and post them on Monday. Have a great weekend everyone!

Crazy Spinning

2006-10-22T15:54:00.000-04:00

So, what do you do when you have about 4 deadlines, you've had a sucky couple of days and you're in the mood to get rid of some stress? You drop everything and spin, of course! Especially if you haven't used a spinning wheel in about 4 years (I use my handspindle all the time, but the wheel's been gathering dust). Well, it was a good spinning week. I was first inspired by meeting THE Mama-E whose fabulous yarn and fiber have become favorites at the shop. She has even created a Cloverhill Exclusive Colourway in Chris's favorites of purple and green. So, when I got home after meeting the lovely and talented Erin, I looked through my sock yarn and found to my delight a braid of her hand-dyed fiber in a beautiful color called Pink Flamingo. So, I got busy and got most of it spun Wednesday evening then finished Thursday morning. I plied it Thursday afternoon and took it in to show all my dear shop-pals. They were so sweet as I pranced around like a little kid showing off--"Lookee lookee its my first EVER handspun yarn!"
I've been playing around with spinning for years and have miles and miles of singles on bobbins and in sandwich bags and on handspindles, but this, this luscious pink stuff is my first completed yarn. I was simply inspired! I am so excited! I have rediscovered spinning to be a wonderful foil to knitting. Calming to the mind, tactile, rhythmic, colorful, etc, but in a totally different way than knitting. So, I am off on a totally new fiber adventure that so far is meshing perfectly with the knitting. I have already started spinning the Interlacements merino top I bought a while back and am about halfway done. I am trying out a lendrum wheel and so far I like it a lot. There are a few things I like better about my used Ashford Traditional, but I am actually spinning more consistently on the lendrum. I've had fewer screw-ups. Whether that's just the sudden extra practice or something about the wheel I haven't figured out. The biggest advantage of the lendrum is that it is a traveling wheel. I can pack it up easily and take it to spin-ins, classes, etc. So, we'll see. Just because I'm silly and so very proud, here's another photo of my pink-flamingo before it becomes hat for Sara:

Very Little to do with Socks

2006-10-16T08:32:00.000-04:00

It was one of those days. You know the kind I mean. Everything went wrong. No one could find socks, everyone needed something ironed at the last minute in spite of my pleading the night before to get things ready. My patience unraveled completely. I found myself locked in one of those arguments with my teenaged son. You know the kind I mean. I was actually shouting at him about controlling his temper. Yeah. The world had gone crazy. I got everyone where they needed to go and even got them home again, but I was still out of sorts. There was nothing for it. I put myself in time-out and went to my room.

The weather was beautiful-all bright blue skies with flaming foliage below, but my still-thin skin was used to the humid summer air that is as fat and plump as a down comforter. This thin, clear stuff left me chilly on days like this one. The heat was not on yet, so in addition to everything else, when I went to my room, I was cold and achy all the way to my bones.

I stood in my closet to change my clothes. I was drawn irresistibly to my knitted things. I have lots of fleecy sweatshirts and running jackets, but they were too high-tech and put-together for today. I needed something comfortingly imperfect that would accept me in my utterly unreasonable grumpy state. Something with pills and maybe a moth hole. So, I looked over my sweaters and chose the oldest and most worn. It was my first real, original design and as it slipped over my head and settled into its place on my body, I felt somehow better. LIke an old friend was embracing me, but one who didn't need to hear words to understand how I felt. My breathing eased for the first time that day. From there I went to my dresser and chose socks in the colors of the forest, so I could hide out a while. I also chose leg warmers that were unbelievably boring to knit but I couldn't resist the beautiful yarn, so I finished them. They made me feel like a survivor instead of a victim. Thus ensconced and feeling not only warmer but somehow more myself, I took refuge under my covers and had a lovely good cry and a nap.

When I woke up, the earth was quietly spinning again, whirring along on its old axis and the air felt fresh and clean, not cold and menacing. I fingered the stitches on my knitted companions, grateful for their friendly familiarity. I have always found comfort in the act of knitting, and in the act of giving my knitting to others, but today, my knitting literally comforted me. I was able to remember that with a vision, a little knowledge, and the endurance to do the same thing 50 or 60 thousand times, something beautiful and lasting can be created. The dropped stitches can be picked up, a new ball of yarn can be added, and the stitches will hold if the needle falls out.

I got out of bed, folded up my cozy treasures and went to do some knitting of another kind.

Socktoberfest

2006-10-05T11:21:00.000-04:00

Well, Soctoberfest is off to a good start for me. I joined this knitalong to finish up a bunch of unfinished socks. So far I have another pair of charity socks complete. When Afghans for Afghans needs socks, I'll be ready! I'm 3/4 of the way to finishing Sara's Socks that Rock from Blue Moon Fiber Arts.

I also have my New Valentina (Silk City's coned version of Touch Me) Einstein Jacket on the needles and am making good progress for class. The chinese lantern is nearly finished and the 5-color challenge has been a lot of fun. I have swatches for a hat and scarf. I think I know who I'll give the whole ensemble to. Knitting for someone in particular has its own kind of fun.

Oh yes, I can't forget my toe-up explorations for Stitches East. I think I finally have an introductory toe-up sock that I can teach in an hour with decent results. I am going to test it on a couple of friends who are beginning knitters. I will post a tutorial when I get it perfected. It was a good experience to try and simplify and look at the experience from the eyes of someone who was a complete beginner. I'll keep you posted on how the class goes. Stitches is month away, so my preparations are in earnest now.

I am knitting a ton right now and so far my handa are holding up all right. Shew. I am still experimenting with two-dimensional knitted birds for the ATC (artist trading card) exchange my pal Kristin is moderating. I am using a leaf design as a starting point, and it is working pretty well.

I posted a comment on the Socktoberfest site, but something I forgot to mention is that for me, socks are still a little bit magical. Every single time I finish a heel turn, I have to put it down and smooth it out and just admire my creation for a minute. It is absolutely the coolest thing ever! I would estimate I've made 50 pairs of socks and it still pleases me afresh every time.

The 5-Color Challenge

2006-09-24T21:19:00.000-04:00

In an effort to stretch myself as a designer, I looked around my house and found 5 colors of Galway that I love. My goal is to design as many items as I can with these 5 colors. This is the first successful endeavor: The "Good Day, Sunshine Slipper Socks" They were done on size 5 needles and I am so tickled with the way these colors are interacting. I think I will call the whole series Good Day, Sunshine because the colors are so happy. I am picturing a scarf, a hat and some mittens or gloves in the same stripey rib. These pics are not great because I can't get the white balance on my little camera to do much, but I will take more pictures as the project progresses.

In other knitting news, I have Randi's armwarmers almost done and the chinese lantern sweater is coming along swimmingly. I've chosen yarn for the Big Easy Gansey by Beth Brown-Reinsel. It is Plymouth's new tweedy worsted yarn. I can't remember the name at the moment. It is a beautiful leafy green, though. Gail wants my class proposals for winter classes by Friday, so I am starting on that. So far I have decided on my core classes and I think I've decided on the project classes. Stay tuned!

New York, but no yarn stores

2006-09-18T22:56:00.000-04:00

I was able this week to go to New Jersey and New York with a very special friend. It was a wonderful time. I got to meet her oldest and dearest friend from girlhood as well as get reaquainted with another of G's friends from around here. We did the two-day New York Blitz tour. We did not go to any yarn stores because I was the only knitter in the group. K was game but we had plenty of other fun stuff to do. We drove past one of the well known shops but I can't remember the name. We were in SoHo (which, I found out, means South of Houston street), so I am sure I was within spitting distance of Purl SoHo, but I was too busy having iced hotchocolate at MarieBelle. Oh Yum. I finished Randi's first armwarmer on her birthday and have the second well in hand. They are worsted weight, so they are going like lightning. Other knitting news includes the fact that I joined Soctoberfest through Missy's blog (my former secret one-skein pal). Now that the computer is fixed, I am catching up on photo organization and emails. I got a sweet email from Kristin, my other secret pal and I AM going to reply. Things are finally settling down into a routine and I have a day pretty much to myself tomorrow.

The Son Arrives Safely

2006-09-01T12:39:00.000-04:00

Here is a picture we got via email of Jeff in Panama with the Duffins, who are in charge of him while he's there. They are a combination of spiritual leaders, chaperones, and dorm parents. Jeff has been assigned a companion, but I don't know yet what city he'll be serving in. He will not be living with the Duffins but instead will be in an apartment somewhere in Panama with his companion. We will be able to get emails from him as long as he can find an internet access site like a library or a cafe.

We are going camping in PA for the long weekend-Blue Knob State Park. Fortunately there are individual family cabins and a lodge/kitchen/messhall that we share with about 20 other families. This is a long standing tradition and the other families are all dear friends, so even a weekend in the rain will be fun. I am taking a prayer shawl to finish for a friend and the Chinese Lantern for when I get too bored with the prayer shawl.

I still can't get photos off my camera, but soon I'll upload photos of the chinese lantern, my secret pal scarf, the socks I just finished and, yep, more handwarmers.

The Final Bliss

2006-08-31T09:07:00.000-04:00

Well, I hope it won't be the final bliss, because I would love to stay in touch with you, my wonderful one skein secret pal! Yesterday I got my handknitted gift! My computer is having a hard drive meltdown but I wanted to post my thank you before I send my poor mac off for a transplant. I received a beautiful scarf done in one of the recycled silk Sari yarns. It sure is beautiful and totally unique. It self stripes in a lovely way and will go with lots of outfits. It is mostly made up of red tones from brick to magenta, but there are bits of navy, gold, jade and purple as well as splashes of pumpkin, turquoise and emerald. I will post a photo as soon as I can. I wore it yesterday with a white t-shirt and jeans and got complements at the supermarket! I love the drape and feel of the fabric and will always treasure and enjoy it!

2006-08-29T07:37:00.000-04:00

Jeff leaves Utah for Panama today. He has been at the Missionary Training Center run by the LDS church in Provo Utah since June 28. He has been learning Spanish and culture and how to answer questions about what we believe. Sadly, knitting is not part of the curriculum, but I told him to keep his eyes open for knitters down there, it can be an ice breaker, especially since he himself knits! He has had a good experience on this adventure so far. His letters are full of faith, hope and a willingness to work hard. He is already excited to meet the people of Panama and has a sincere desire to serve them.

Knitting TV

2006-08-18T14:55:00.000-04:00

When we got our satellite TV a couple of years ago, it came with a DVR which is a giant hard drive that allows one to stop the program in progress and record shows. I have enjoyed it because I can record shows and then click through the commercials. I now get really frustrated when I am watching actual live television and I can't skip the ads. Another result of having the DVR is that I can get the computer inside the satellite receiver to search out and save all the episodes of a given show that I want to watch. Last year, I turned that characteristic into an art form as I began watching endless reruns of M*A*S*H while speed knitting my sample of the Oregon Sweater for Cloverhill. My whole family got into it and so I may have the only 10 year old in America who knows who David Ogden Stiers was before he played the clock in Beauty and the Beast. He chose to watch M*A*S*H instead of SpongeBob SquarePants, and that should tell you something. Well, after finally getting through all the episodes at least a couple of times, we got sick of M*A*S*H. I honestly never thought it would happen. Now we are into House. (all exept for the 10 year old-he thinks it's boring, which is good because I have to be a little more careful about censoring than I did with M*A*S*H) I love House. Actually, I think I may be becoming unhealthily obsessed with House. Just kidding. I can stop if I want to. I can. Really.

Anyway , I started watching it because I am a long-time Hugh Laurie fan, from his Jeeves and Wooster days. So funny. Plus I think he is quite easy on the eyes in an everyman sort of way. House is not a funny show, but it is emotionally honest and straightforward and human emotions just can't help but be comical if one is honest with one's self. It is also sad and cathartic and, at times, beautiful. So now, it is my knitting show. I am working on the Chinese Lantern Sweater and it is taking hours and hours, and my sister has requested arm covers (like mom's) for her to wear while cooking. This sister is confined to a wheelchair and sometimes gets burned while cooking, so these will be extra protection for her skin while reaching into the oven and reaching across the stove to the controls. Who knew elbow length fingerless gloves could be so useful to people with health issues? As I've said before, they have become some of the most emotionally satisfying knitting I've ever done. Anyway, as for the telly, watch and knit I shall. I have to finish watching season 2 before season three starts! This sounds like I am sick in the head, but it is only when I knit....really....

Stitches Midwest

2006-08-16T22:34:00.000-04:00

I am back from Stitches Midwest in Chicago, and my experience teaching there just gets better and better. The people are great, I really enjoy the students and the working environment is so much fun. I got some great comments-some with some really specific and helpful advice for improving my classes.

I loved the market and found a few delightful treasures. Starting from the top, we have an exquisite yarn from Grafton Fibers, which I have known for beautiful spinning fiber, but the yarn is a new addition. Mohair Silk-yum-look at the shine! I next indulged in a Fair Isle bag kit from Black Water Abbey Yarns. They import classic, rustic Irish wool in a really pleasing and rich array of colors. Moving down the stack though, I think my favorite find was yarn from Jojoland. This company is brand-new to me. The owner has been knitting for a year (!) and is now designing truly extraordinary yarns. She had a small, no-nonsense booth with the pictured shawl hanging front and center. I was mesmerized by it and the other samples. Her yarns have a subtle kind of self-striping that makes Noro look overbearing by comparison. I bought 7 balls of a lovely soft colorway with greens, pinks, peaches, and cream for this shawl, which is knit circularly from the middle out. I almost bought needles at the market so I could start on it, but I refrained so I could use it as a bribe for myself to get some projects out of the way.

I got to see lots of great knitted garments which is always an education. Things that don't thrill me when I see them in a magazine captivate me when I see them in person. I also loved Tilli Tomas yarns, which I was not familiar with. She has beautiful luxury fibers and bags.

So, all in all a great weekend. My 12-year old daughter flew to Chicago with me and my sister-in-law picked her up and had some excellent doting-aunty time with her while I was teaching. Sara had an awesome time. I am so looking forward to Stitches East-right here in Baltimore!

A Special Thanks and Then Absolutely No Knitting Content

2006-08-06T15:49:00.000-04:00

So, the Secret Pal exchange gets better and better. I am so excited to "meet" my pal I can hardly wait. I may have to fly to MN to give a hug in person! My gift for July was an incredible skein of Colinette Point Five-one of the most unique yarns ever. Thick and thin and in the most beautiful colors of Autumn. I'm not sure if the photo shows it , but there are purples, browns, golds and fawns and taupes and every other color of a walk in the woods on an October day. As if that weren't enough, my kindred spirit of a secret pal, who understands that yarn is art in its own right and that knitting it up is just the icing on the cake, sent along the perfect display container-a beautiful turned wood bowl. Yum. It has a proud spot in our new family room, where I can enjoy it every day. Thanks again, pal--many hugs to you.

Today is Sunday and church was lovely. We are having some folks that my husband works with at church (he is a lay minister-the Bishop of our congregation) over for dessert later on, so an early dinner is bubbling away, giving me a moment to try and write. We got home from Maine 2 weeks ago, but the memories are still so fresh in my mind that I wanted to comment a little on the meaning of the trip. It was to celebrate the 20th anniversary of my wedding. Eric and I went to Maine on a whim for our honeymoon. We drove up the east coast in 3 days and ended up in Ellsworth, near the entrance to Acadia National Park. I am not sure we even have any photos of that trip, as I am not sure we owned a camera yet. I have wanted to go back ever since because of the memories I had of Maine being a bit magical. It was so cool in July that I remember we had to buy sweatshirts and other clothes because we came from the muggy 90 degrees of late July in Maryland not expecting total refreshment in the temperatures. I remember the rugged coastling and seeing water everywhere. We saw some seals and explored many rocks and tidepools. So, I spent a lot of time looking for a place to go. I really lucked out on the house we found. It was so perfect that I would buy it in a heartbeat if it ever went up for sale. It was a shingled ginger-bread cottage come to life that looked directly out over the ocean. Here is our view at sunrise:

The kids got to see the rugged coastline and even the seals. We spent many hours together just watching the sea or watching the fire or playing our new favorite game, Gobblet, which is a combination of chess, tick tack toe and Sorry, sort of.

On our last day there, it was pouring out. We packed the car with the rain just pummeling us. As I was taking one last run through the house. I caught the fog lifting a little off of our little stretch of coastline and captured this view:

In the end, I think that everyone will have fond memories of our trip. I know I will.

Catching Up: The Second

2006-08-01T10:42:00.000-04:00

Here are pictures of the latest arm covers for mom, modeled by Sara, and the Fall Fair Isle Sweater for Cloverhill. I was in a total panic after I washed it because the Karabella 8 absorbed so much water that it stretched beyond any recognition of my original gauge. The sweater became a dress. Blocking was not a possiblity. I spun it out again, rolled it in every towel I had and still it was completely unuseable. So, in desperation, I put it in the dryer on very low heat and started drying it. I figured that it really couldn't be worse. It finally started looking more like it used to when it was almost completely dry. I stopped it before it actually started fulling, but man was I worried. So, make a big swatch with Karabella 8 and wash it and weight it to see what it will really do. Holy Cow.

Catching Up: The First

2006-08-01T10:20:00.000-04:00

In the midst of all the travel and other summer goings-on, the air conditioning finally got fixed around the last week of June and the addition is all but finished as of about a week ago. I am going to set up my spinning wheel today and hope it will find a permanent home there. I am thrilled with the way the room turned out and am happy that it has already become the favorite room in the house. I love the half-round window, especially with the addition of my lovely leaded glass medallion.

Back from Tennesee and Maine

2006-07-29T01:23:00.000-04:00

Time Flies When You're Having Fun
Okay, as methods of journaling, go, blogging has been the hardest for me to get into a groove with. I am too used to curling up with my beloved book and one of my many pens. It is a comforting ritual for me and this has not become so yet. So...July...lets see...the month started out with a bang as my two sisters were visiting. Independence Day holds some of our family's most reliable and treasured traditions and both my sisters arranged their visits just to be home. Our town has a celebration that is iconic in its small-town patriotism. All the elements are there: the parade down the main street, the barbecue parties at every house, the fireworks at the high school-its just classic.
After that, the month barreled along and included a trip to Tennesee with one sister, a couple of days at home, then a trip to Maine. In between the kids went to a total of 3 different camps/retreats, with all the attendant busyness to get them out the door. This week was spent looking at photos and doing laundry...and not packing the car.
As for knitting, well, let's see...another pair of armwarmers for mom out of Sockatta with a cute little picot bind-off, toe up socks for my Stitches class, and two sweaters in process to display for the fall newsletter. One is mostly done, the other, well, we may have to display just a front and some sleeves. A faux sweater is better than no sweater, as I always say.
I can hardly believe it is the end of the month already. But here we are. Next time-photos of Maine. Stay tuned.

To Utah and Back

2006-07-01T00:44:00.000-04:00

Well, the last weeks were spent fitting the knitting in around the major endeavor of getting son one out the door for his two years of missionary service for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. There were so many last minute details and so many things to try and savor and enjoy and not get stressed about. It was wonderful to see him rise to the occasion and be really quite poised and mature about the whole matter. He took care of all the practical aspects like visas, shots, applications, etc. He mostly just told me what he was alredy taking care of on his own. It does a mother's heart good to see a kid actually function in the real world. I always said my job was to create humans who could live without me. Some have called me callous for having that attitude, but really, what better gift can I give them? I certainly don't want them dependent and suffering without me there to make them a sandwich. So we went with him to Utah to begin his service. We won't see him at all for two years, but instead of being scary or sad or difficult, it was a good parting. He was ready to go, and the sense I had was that he is in the right place at the right time. That to me is the definition of peace, and that is what I felt. Anyway, in the midst of this busy time, what should come but an absolutely lovely gift from my secret pal. In a meticulously wrapped box with my name hand lettered in beautiful caligraphy came extraordinary yarn and one of my favorite books ever to treasure for my very own. It was a lovely moment of sweetness. That strangers with nothing in common at the outset but knitting can come together in this way and really care about each other is a very special thing. In a time of very tender emotions, the care that was taken with this simple gift moved me to tears. That someone who knows me only as words on a screen would do much for me warmed my heart.

The middle picture is me just plain showing off. My youngest sister is in town with her new baby and they are so beautiful, I just figured they needed to be published.

No AC

2006-06-19T00:03:00.000-04:00

So we are on week 6 without Air Conditioning. I am so proud of my kids, they have been such troopers. Little complaining, lots of resourcefulness in finding ways to keep cool, etc. What I have found, in the humidity, is that I can't knit with wool. So in desperation, I took a break from the landscape shawl and socks to make the Otis sweater from Knitty a couple of years ago. I have the fronts and the back done and because I knew I was short on yarn, I did the sleeves from the top down and converted the set in cap shaping to short rows. It worked really well. I will finish the knitting tomorrow and put up a photo. I was all prepared to put on a lace border to make the sleeves longer, but I am satisfied with the length and am going to leave them as is. It has been a fun, fast knit and has increased my confidence as a designer because I knew I had to make adjustments to get a whole sweater out the amount of yarn on hand, and I was fearless in my adjustments and modifications. Woohoo! Now to try and sleep. Two of my sisters are in crisis right now and knitting is much easier than sleeping. Even reading is not working in the heat. I just can't concentrate.

The saga of the Eight-Year Socks

2006-06-15T11:52:00.000-04:00

Okay, so everyone has one...the project you start but don't finish but you can't abandon it because you really do like the process but there are oh-so-many other interesting things coming at you and hey, they're just a little pair of socks, I'll be able to finish them in a couple of evenings...
Yeah, right.
So, these socks have literally been floating around my house and my subconscious for 8 years. They were designed by a wonderful woman that I used to work with at Cloverhill named Jamie Flickinger. She was the knitting teacher there until I took over. I used to pet the sample in the shop and dream of the day I would have those cozy socks on my feet. The yarn got discontinued, so I bought it and cast them on, got halfway through the first leg and then...I don't know. They sat. Over the years I have forgiven myself of many started projects and just unraveled them. It is a very freeing process, I recommend it. For some reason though, these always got put in the "To Be Resurrected at Some Unknown Future Time" pile. Since this is my year of stash shopping, I was determined to finish them. I put them in one of my "active projects" baskets back in January and they continued to sit. Last month, I was spring cleaning and I had decided I was going to donate them to Children in Common so the girls in Russia could have the fun of knitting them and they would be out of my life. I couldn't do it! Then, it became a crusade. I would finish them or die trying. So, I worked on them during the driving home from Chicago. I finished the first sock on the road and got all the way to the heel of the second one before we hit Breezewood.
Last night I got all but the kitchener stitch on the toes done. It was a small triumph, the sort that is triumphant only in the mind of the conquerer. To everyone else they are just a pair of socks. To me they are a fascinating evidence of how my mind works, how my life is organized and how I participate in the art of knitting. I am glad that I finished them. The fact is, I finish most things, I just take the scenic route. That could be on my tombstone, that I would rather take the scenic route, and so I am okay with my beautiful socks that took 8 years and 8 hours to finish.

Back from Chicago

2006-06-06T22:46:00.000-04:00

Here is the addition in its stark pre-insulation-and-drywall beauty. It is really coming together. The thought of sitting in a window seat to read and knit and daydream while the trees sigh above me just makes me so happy!
The other photo is the crew on the shores of lake Michigan with the truly beautiful Chicago skyline in the background. It was a good trip.
I am up working on my music again after a very challenging workout. The good news is that I have worked out hard for 3 days in a row now and am sore, but feeling strong. I am slow and heavy, but I somehow feel graceful and powerful when I run, so that is good. Tonight was 440 sprints. My times were laughable, but considering I haven't sprinted a 440 in twenty years, and considering all the life I've lived in that 20 years, I am happy I got around the track 4 times without throwing up. My goal is to see measureable improvement in my physical fitness by the big 40 in August. I have let my family own my body for the last 20 years, and I'm takin' it back! That sounds selfish. What I really want it to set a good example for my kids of taking care of myself and showing them that when I take that time, I am better for them. Now, at this stage of life, I feel like I can take 60-90 minutes out of my day for working out. 'Twas not always thus.
So, back to music and in a roundabout way, knitting...we did the Chicago museums while were there and museum shops always have a few worthwhile treasures. One of my favorite record labels is Putumayo. They do these totally fun compilations of world music from all over. I picked up French Cafe, Repubilica Dominica and, get this, Music from the Chocolate Lands! The last one is music from chocolate-producing countries, like Congo, India, Brazil, Switzerland ,and Peru. So, now we have music to eat chocolate by! Can life get any better?
In thinking about music to knit by, so-called "world music" is really nice because it takes up just enough mental space to keep things interesting, but I don't focus totally on the music and can concentrate on what I'm doing. Besides, I love imaginary travel, so I will enjoy "visiting" all these places this summer as I knit by the pool.

Yikes! Its been a week!

2006-05-24T09:37:00.000-04:00

But, I've been working hard. I offer as evidence the long-promised picture of the Landscape Shawl. It is about a foot in length and about 18 inches wide, unblocked. It is up to 146 stitches on size 4 needles and I am about to start the third section, which I believe is stockinette stitch. It does show off the lovely Cherry-Tree Hill hand-dyed yarn, doesn't it? Anyway, this week has seemed really busy with everyone going a million different directions at once. Thus, no blogging for me. I got a fun pattern from she to whom I am secret pal and I did cast on a string bag in the sport weight version of Sugar N Cream cotton. It is going along quickly. I am trying to decide what to take on the Memorial Day visit to the Chicago side of the family. We leave tomorrow and will have a grand total of 24 hours in the car during the weekend. If I play my cards right, with four drivers in the family, I may not have to drive at all and can get lots of good knitting done. I might as well since I can't read in the car. Sometimes I can't knit either, but I can often pull that off. The big bonus this week was a surprise visit from Sister-in-Law Amy and Nephew Owen. I'll put a photo of him up soon.

Knitting Friendships

2006-05-17T14:26:00.000-04:00

I spent a lovely afternoon with a group of women to whom my first contact was knitting. 6 of us had a wonderful afternoon tea at Tea on the Tiber in fabulous downtown Historic Ellicott City, Maryland. 3 of them were former students. They no longer need my help with their knitting, and frankly, what can be more satisfying to a teacher? Wow. They are all in the next phase of life from me, from 10-15 years older, but we get along so well. I sat there just amazed at what my knitting life has brought me and how enriched I feel every day because of my pointy sticks and my string. I made lots of progress on the Landscape shawl-photos are forthcoming-I want to see my progress. This is serious deadline knitting, and I don't want to leave it to the last minute. I will have to have it done by early August.

Mother's Day

2006-05-14T23:47:00.000-04:00

No knitting today, but another request from mom for arm covers,which are just long, fingerless gloves. I think I'll use Brown Sheep Cotton Fine because she wants them thin. I am going to swatch with the Elann Esprit though, and see what she thinks, because it has the lycra. We had 18 over for dinner which was really nice. My family came through with flying colors on the Mother's day celebrating and I scored breakfast in bed as well as a brand new copy of the Oxford Book of American Poetry. Sheesh, just reading the introduction has been a mind-expanding experience.

One Skein, etc.

2006-05-14T00:37:00.000-04:00

The One Skein Secret Pal exchange is underway, and I am very excited. I have received lovely correspondence from both my secret pal and she to whom I am secret pal. Big fun! in the process of writing out my answers to the yarn personality profile questions, I rediscovered how much my stash leans toward a particular color group, so I thought I'd try to capture it. You would think I would be tired of taking pictures as I just spent the evening as official photographer at our church spring formal, but here I am at midnight taking photos of yarn. Oh well. My two classes today went great-both groups were engaged and willing to try things. The Fixing mistakes class is one of my favorites to teach because one can almost palpably feel the confidence level increase.
So many aha moments! The hat class got off to a good start as well. I am into the second section of the Landscape and now have yarn for all my fall projects. Let the knitting begin!

Writing to write

2006-05-07T22:12:00.000-04:00

The socks below are almost done. I have started the landscape shawl for the fall newsletter. It will be a big knit, but the merino laceweight, dyed by Cherry Tree Hill, is really nice to work with. It has cast on picots at the beginning of the 3rd and 4th row of every repeat, which give a really unique edge. I like it. I am determined to spend an hour designing tomorrow-something, anything...swatching with my new Elsa Cormo yarn, sketching, dreaming. More to come.

Matching Socks???

2006-05-02T20:57:00.000-04:00

These are my current socks-in-progress. They are made from Austermann Step(the one with aloe and jojoba oil right in the yarn) in color 06. The yarn does have a soft hand, rather like Puffs with Lotion. I don't notice it as I'm knitting, so it is not overwhelming. Anyway, the reason for the photo while in-progress is that they match! I have never made a pair of matching socks with self-striping yarns. I like the fraternal twin look. Not realizing this yarn is (apparently) engineered to match as long as one is making a medium sized woman's sock, I finished the first sock, did my kitchener toe without even thinking about it and cast on for the second sock in the most care-free frame of mind. When I finished the leg and started the heel, I got out sock #1 to measure and noticed that they were matching, like, exactly...I mean to the row. So, not thaaat big a deal, but it was a nice surprise to me. BTW, I pulled the yarn from the center of the skein. I am now really curious if they would have matched had I pulled the yarn from around the outside of the ball.

The Latest for Mom

2006-05-01T15:04:00.000-04:00

Here I am with my folks and 3 of my siblings. If you look closely, you can see Mom's latest arm covers. They turned out really nicely, and it still gives me a bittersweet warm fuzzy every time I maker her a pair. This set was made with a strand of Koigu and a strand of laceweight mohair from Muench on size 3 needles. She doesn't ask for much, and in almost 30 years of fighting the Rheumatoid arthritis, she has never let it get her down. For her to ask me to knit her something was incredibly meaningful to me. It was a powerful feeling to actually be able to do something for her, instead of just admire her pluck and stubborness in the face of disease. She's embarrassed by her prednisone-y appearance, but frankly, she's never looked more beautiful to me. Disease has a way of refining-all but the essentials of a person get burned away.

Mittens

2005-12-04T21:45:00.000-05:00

I am ready to ship most of my christmas gifts except the calandar that my sister and I made. I made Jeff some pre-christmas mittens that I am sending out tomorrow. I found a great lopi pattern for quick convertible mittens. I will shorten the mitten top next time to a total of 18 rounds, not 18 above the ribbing. Either that or attach the mitten top lower. Either would work, but they turned out too long, and I got the gauges=both row and stitch. The cutest thing about them is that they have a hole in the thumb so you can wear them while using your cell phone. I think Jeff will appreciate that.
So, tomorrow is wrapping, boxing and mailing. Wahoo! Well ahead of Dec 21.

holidays

2005-11-28T10:35:00.000-05:00

I have spent the morning downloading and organizing my Christmas music. Old favorites and rediscovered treasures always make this a rewarding undertaking. The payoff is a wonderful mix of tunes to let play for hours on end. I will make mix cds for the kids as well as some personal copies of their favorites. They love Trans-Siberian Railroad-rock and roll meets the symphony. They actually have an interesting sound. I hear they put on a great live show. Maybe someday we'll go. For gifts, I am working on fingerless gloves for Jeff and David's hat. He got a ball of yarn last Christmas, so this year he actually gets the hat. Sad. But, I have no time for regrets as I am a busy woman. I start as many things as I finish, I just rotate around. My projects are uncomplaining and endlessly patient. They just don't seem to mind if I don't get to them immediately. A nice email came over the weekend from one of my students in the lace shawl class. She loved how hers turned out. I am glad because she was worried she wouldn't like it. It is glorious.

Hello

2005-10-05T00:50:00.000-04:00

Well, here I am, blogging. I'm definitely a neophyte at it. I'm a proud homemaker with 5 kids, living on the east coast. I teach knitting and design sweaters for my classes. I would like to design more and sell the patterns through the shop where I work.

The main purpose of my blog is to get myself writing again and to create some accountability for my knitting-to document my progress and thereby, perhaps, make more progress. If someone finds it helpful, all the better.

I love to knit, I used to love to write and many people told me I was good at it, so maybe along the way I will re-connect with my muse.