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May 31, 2006
Peeks of progress
Whether it's apparent from my blog or not, I've been knitting quite a bit over the last few days! The sweater for LL is almost done! I can't finish completely until I visit Windsor Button to get some (you guessed it!) buttons. Otherwise, all done.
Although I've knit several baby sweaters before, they were all a long time ago, the last one being completed in December of 2004. Now that I'm a bit more experienced, I approached knitting this project the same way I approach knitting adult sweaters. First, I leafed through a gazillion patterns only to discover that the discrepancy in sizing for baby garments is freaking unbelievable. Even more variable than for women's clothing! What some patterns suggest for a 6-months old baby others claim will fit a 3-year old. Having no baby on hand to measure, I did the only reasonable thing: got myself to a Baby Gap, selected a machine-knit sweater of what I think is the appropriate size, and knit LL's sweater to exactly the same dimensions, from the neckhole opening, to the depth of the armhole, to the length between armhole and hem (the style is different, though, just the sizing is the same).
The Baby Gap sweater is on top, the one I knit is hidden below. Just so we're perfectly clear ;).
I can't guarantee that the Baby Gap sweater is a well-fitting sweater, but I think it's a reasonable assumption. Considering that this is how I make sure my own sweaters fit, I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best!
Posted by Kathy at 01:28 AM | Comments (35)May 26, 2006
New (partially revealed)
Where has the Grumperina gone?
Simply, this knitting thing... all of a sudden I feel like I have two left needles, just like Monica. Lots of frogging doesn't make good blogging :).
I'll reveal the Big Project in a second (the one for which I got all that Tilli Tomas silk), but first allow me to publicly congratulate Ms. Bestitched on the arrival of her daughter, LL. My needles are clicking very quickly to outfit the little angel, and although I won't show you all the details until the "thing" is done, it's the project for which I've selected the Classic Silk.
I'm still loving this yarn. It knits up so easily, and produces such a lovely fabric. Curious about the 20% nylon content, I was playing with the yarn the other day, untwisting the plies. It ends up that this yarn has some elastic in it! Very thin white elastic, plied together with the cotton and silk. No wonder it's so wonderfully stretchy! And I still can't stop petting the washed swatch, all fluffed up and filled out. Here's a photo of the density of fabric before and after washing:
The tweedy goodness is almost too much to handle!
Now, the Big Tilli Tomas project. I loved (loved!) reading your guesses, but, alas, they were all wrong (save for Lauren, who I think had insider info). You all should have immediately known that the project isn't for me, of course. For starters, I don't wear brown. I dislike brown so much, that with the exception of a pair of hiking boots, I don't think I own one article of brown... anything. Second, since when would I be able to afford 9 skeins of luscious silk, $28 each? Uhm, not on a graduate student stipend!
So. I'm knitting a sample for Annie Modesitt's new book Romantic Hand Knits
I'm making a full-length (to the ankles), Egyptian style, silk dress in a gorgeous eyelet/chevron pattern, with a slit. Annie showed me the inspiration in one of her numerous "attire throughout history" books when I visited her house in January, and I think my drooling back then combined with her knack for spoiling me rotten assured that this project would be assigned to me.
Now, to be perfectly clear, I don't think I would ever wear a garment like this myself. The "no knitted fabric over my butt" rule simply won't be broken, not even by Annie :). And as I mentioned, I would have never chosen this autumnal palette, nor this expensive silk. This makes the Egyptian dress project that much more exciting for me! I'm the ultimate process knitter (remember the one and only Meg Swansen sock?), and it's simply unbelievable that I'm getting paid to work with this incredible yarn, and to knit this gorgeous dress. Whether I'll get to wear the thing after all is said and done is irrelevant, as it has always been.
About the Tilli Tomas Pure and Simple yarn. In one sentence, it is everything you imagine 100% silk to be. But on top of that, it smells like green tea. Well, it actually smells like green tea ice cream from Ginza in Chinatown, but now we're getting a bit specific. For a yarn sniffer like me, this is a heavenly bonus ;).
Posted by Kathy at 10:00 AM | Comments (36)
May 24, 2006
Winners and losers
Have you been following Carolyn's tragedy with the Basalt Tank from Knitting Nature
But you know what, the Swirled Pentagon Pullover wasn't perfect either.
I know I've raved about this sweater and about its sizing, and I stand by my word - the proportions are so correct, it's mind-boggling. My mouth is still wide open, and Ivete shares my amazement. I've already noted that another sweater from this book that I'm considering has proper measurements, too (yay!).
However, don't mistake "good proportions" for "well-written pattern" ;). Do you know what I mean, the difference between the two? While the Pentagon pattern was written correctly for the most part (I found two small typos), I still don't know what went wrong with the pentagons, why they came out so funny looking, and why I had to change how they were knitted so drastically.
Nonetheless, I'm shocked that the Basalt Tank is so poorly written, and I'm glad Carolyn is reporting her experience - makes me more cautious. What's the verdict - is Knitting Nature a winner or a loser?
One thing for sure: this is a loser. Looooooser. Say it with me, loooooooooooooser.
This is Debbie Bliss Cotton Silk Aran, and it knits up as stiff as a bathroom rug. As it ends up, I'm not attempting to make a bathroom rug, nor, say, a bulletproof vest, so wild frogging ensued.
But this... this is a winner ;).
A new yarn from Classic Elite called Classic Silk. It is 50% cotton, 30% silk, 20% nylon. It has a slight sheen in sunlight (no sunlight at 1 a.m., unfortunately, so I can't show you), and a tweedy non-wooly goodness rivaled only by Tatamy Tweed from Kraemer Yarns. It knits up soft, sure, but then... woohoohoo... then I disregarded the care instructions and stuck that swatch in the washer and dryer. It came out terry cloth soft. And drapey. And perfectly stretchy. Everything Cotton Silk wished it could be.
I just want to take that swatch and put it under my shirt and enjoy the softness. Is that so wrong? ;)
Posted by Kathy at 12:49 AM | Comments (35)May 21, 2006
Sore subject:
Sewing. As sore as my bum after accidentally plopping myself on a pin (ouch!).
I really do want to know how to sew. I notice the utility of it almost every day. I think, oh, if only I could take in this shirt a little bit, I'd wear it more often. Or, hmm, if only I could lower the waistband of these pants an inch or two, I could wear them with more tops from my wardrobe.
Alas, it hasn't happened. Remember my pathetic effort to follow Sew? I knit!? I got the pattern, more or less figured out what I had to do (with your generous help), then got the fabric, zipper, interfacing, etc., washed the fabric to pre-shrink it... and? That was more than 2 months ago. The girls at the sew-along have finished their skirts, and then their bags, and are about to embark on the third project, and I'm still standing here in the corner, mumbling to myself about notches, popping anti-anxiety meds, and applying a second layer of anti-perspirant.
I have serious sewing anxiety. I know what I have to do, but at the same time, I don't. Everything remains very abstract - I read about various ways to transfer the pattern, and then I look at the pictures, and sometimes I even watch the ladies who sell the sewing machines on QVC do it, and it's still a mystery. By the way, there's no better way to increase sewing anxiety than to watch professionals on QVC whip up a pillowcase in 14.6 seconds.
I think I need to see sewing in real life, and to be able to ask lots and lots of questions, with immediate answers and demonstrations. Also I need a more narrow stream of information - giving me 10 different ways to do some simple sewing maneuver is more harmful than helpful, I think. Because then I get fixated on which is the better way, and having zero sewing experience, I obviously can never come to an answer on my own.
So, I've taken action. I've signed up for a sewing class!
This class is for those who haven't sewn and for those who want to begin again. Instruction will include the basics of sewing machines, patterns, fabric, cutting and assembling while making a simple garment. Access to a sewing machine is necessary. Bring a notebook to the first class. Purchase pattern and fabric after the first meeting. Limited to 10. 7 Tuesdays, 8:00-10:00 pm. Begins Jun. 13.
Holy Mother of the Jesus, help me. Amen.
In the meantime, I have not neglected my sewing machine. A little at a time, I continue to make simple things. I've hemmed a few pairs of jeans (including the ones in the I believe I can fly photo from the last entry), and I made another needle case!
If you remember, I started my sewing career by making two needle cases from a table runner and some dinner napkins. That was about a year ago, and so far I have been very pleased with the functionality and durability of my creations. However, my needle collection has grown, and I started to feel that I really wanted/needed another small case to hold some of my dpns. So, I made one! Took only an hour or two ;). Follow along:
(1) Obtain a placemat. The placemat should be sturdy, and roll up smoothly. If you're like me, you'll choose a placemat that conceals sewing imperfections ;). (2) Obtain 1" wide braided elastic. Snap elastic menacingly at SO, kids and/or pets. Just kidding! Sew length of elastic in the middle of the placemat, running a line of stitches every 0.5-1.5 inches, depending on how you plan to store your needles.
(3) Fold extra fabric towards the center of the placemat, and simply stitch a straight line (hahaha! hahahaha!) a few millimeters from the fold to make flaps. You may need to adjust the thread tension. (4) Attach elastic loops at the side of the needle case.
(5) Fill with needles. (6) Admire the compactness, portability, and practicality of the whole thing.
(7) Laugh wildly at the pile of needle wrappers you can now throw out - bwahahahaha!
Baby steps, right? Baby steps...
Posted by Kathy at 11:31 PM | Comments (56)May 18, 2006
Pentagonilicious
The season of favorites continues.
I'm freakin' squealing with joy, my friends, this top is a Winner!
Pattern: Swirled Pentagon Pullover from Norah Gaughan's Knitting Nature
Yarn: Gedifra Korfu, 50% cotton, 50% polyacryl. Color #2022 ripe tomato, 11 skeins. I loved working with this yarn - beautiful stitches, easy on the hands, flies on the needles, blocks like a champ, and doesn't have a schizophrenic personality when it comes to maintaining gauge. I'm stalking elann in case they get more.
Needles and gauge: Blunti Stumpos (because I'm clearly a glutton for punishment), US 6, for everything except the ribbing, which was worked on a US 5. Stockinette gauge for this project (after blocking and ironing): 19 sts and 26 rows per 4" square.
Finished dimensions: bust 36", waist 31.5", length to shoulder 22.75", armhole depth 7.5", sleeve length to sweater body 19" (for reference, my bust is 39").
Modifications: compared to other projects, I hardly changed anything! I basically knit the smallest size, and adjusted for my different gauge along the way.
- Little changes: used 2x2 ribbing, lengthened the body by 1.5", and lengthened the sleeves by 1".
- Medium changes: added some waist shaping, but because this is a more sporty, straight sweater, the hips and waist do not differ significantly. I also omitted the turtleneck collar, and even the originally-planned simple crewneck collar: because of the way the pentagons are cast on, the collar had a very nice finished edge without any tinkering.
- Big changes: knit the pentagons in stockinette so that the yoke came out the right size (reasoning and results detailed here and here).
Thoughts: I've been telling you all along - I love the clever construction of this sweater. The way the pentagons come together to form the yoke - genius! The way the back is raised with another half of a pentagon - genius!
I feel compelled to reiterate that the finished dimensions in the pattern are, for once, correct (at least for my body). Batwings? Not a chance! Shoulder seams which land at mid-bicep? Sleeve caps which make absolutely no geometric sense and require nothing short of a miracle to actually fit into the armhole? A neckline that leaves little to the imagination? Not here! I didn't have to use graph paper, and for that, Norah, I want to give you a big smooch! Yay for writing a well-fitting sweater pattern!
Will there be more Knitting Nature projects for me in the future? Uhm... a firm "yes" ;).
Posted by Kathy at 10:32 AM | Comments (155)May 17, 2006
New
Both Pentagon Sweater sleeves are knit and blocking - more ironing, seaming, finishing, photographing, and wearing will all happen shortly. It's almost time to say goodbye, sniff, sniff, but not before saying hello to some new stuff!
Wild speculation encouraged ;)
Posted by Kathy at 10:32 AM | Comments (44)May 15, 2006
Clever
I'm such a sucker when it comes to clever things - clever experiments (if you only knew how giddy I get about a cleverly-designed experiment), clever jokes, clever men, clever travel routes (the kind that are equally speedy, but somehow manage to be more scenic)... Not surprisingly, clever garment construction makes me weak in the knees, and Ms. Norah of the Knitting Nature
After completing the six pentagons that make up the yoke, look how another half of a pentagon raises the back of the sweater:
And the best part? The whole yoke, front and raised back, are identical in size to my template sweater. Identical! I did nothing special, mind you: I'm knitting the smallest pattern size, simply adjusting for my different gauge. UNbelievable.
You know what I did next? That's right! I was so confident that this yoke was the final iteration, that I wove in any ends which can't be used in seaming (there were so many!), snipped the hanging yarns, and blocked (along with washing the remainder of my anti-dry cleaning menagerie). This is final, you know what I mean? Only a few things in knitting are final - cutting cotton yarn is one of them (felting is another).
And now? Now the fun part! I have to knit the second sleeve, block both of them, seam, blah, blah, blah... that's not the fun part ;). The fun part is going nutty with the iron! If you've been reading long enough, you know I iron all my handknits. Ironing makes the fabric and seams flat and streamlined, and instantly takes off 10 pounds, I'm serious! These pentagons definitely needed some pressing, since blocking didn't get them as flat as I would have liked.
In no way, shape or form do I recommend that you do what I do... but what I do is set the iron to med/high setting, steam on highest, and then use all of my 100+ pounds to press. that. sucker. flat, on the right side. (for wool, I'd put a thin pillowcase between handknit and iron)
Oh yes. One of these days I'll ruin something, and cry, cry, cry... but until then, bwahahaha!!!
Does that look freaking fabulous, or what?!?
P.S. Look who got another small package today. Bitch!
Posted by Kathy at 09:25 PM | Comments (74)May 13, 2006
Why I hate my neighbor
Behold! The lobby of my building.
Outside you can see the fabulous weather we're having today (which is giving me one of those headaches where I also feel nauseous), but I'd like to draw your attention to the mailboxes, and explain to you why I hate my neighbor.
On the left you see the gold mailboxes, which are blindingly shiny because the maintenance staff polishes them with something outrageously vile at least once a week. These are reserved for first-class letters, thin magazines, etc. On the right are wooden bins, which are for small packages, thick magazines, third-class mail, etc. Unlike the gold mailboxes, the wooden bins are shared: one for each floor. I go through the wooden bin assigned to my floor on an almost daily basis, especially if I'm expecting a package or magazine, and this is the reason I hate my neighbor.
You see, she's a nice girl and all, but she keeps getting these small packages that are the perfect shape, size, and consistency to contain a pair of handknit socks. Every day I approach the bin, excited by a new Tyvek or bubble envelope sitting there, only to look at the address and realize that it's not my Sockapaloooza socks, it's another small something or other for Ms. J. Argghh! Such a downer :(.
It's only May 13th, so I'm not worried yet that my Sockapaloooza socks aren't here. Or maybe I am... I don't know, you guys, what's the etiquette? When do I get worried? Should I be concerned that my pal has never contacted me from an anonymous e-mail address?
Last time my wonderful sock pal Kim contacted me (anonymously) throughout Sockapalooza, and it felt so good. I didn't know who she was, what she was knitting for me, but I knew that she was out there, thinking about me, knitting for me, and I didn't worry even for a second. Similarly, I've made it a point to contact my sock recipients for both SockPal2 (hi, Yasmin, the one and only person who has Jaywalker originals!) and SockPal3 (more about her below) from an anonymous e-mail address just to let them know - I'm knitting for you, don't you worry!
Sock Pal, are you reading this? Can you drop me a line to let me know you're out there? The details aren't important to me - on time or late, short socks or long, blue, pink or purple - I just want a little reassurance that you're out there, so that I stop stalking my neighbor's packages ;).
Edited to add: I just got an anonymous e-mail from my pal! Who got an e-mail? ;) I got an e-mail, hehe! My pal writes that she's working on my socks, and that I'll be receiving them shortly, possibly in a week or so. Wheeww! I'm sure my neighbor will be thrilled that I won't be stalking her packages for a few days ;).
As for my own pal, for whom, if you remember, I knit those berry Lorna's Laces socks, she is Ashley of dogged knits! Hi, Ashley! Knitting for Ashley was very special because she is one of Alison's sock sisters. In other words, the girl deserved a very special pair of socks for all that hard work, mmm hmm. I was super paranoid during entire SockPal3 about accidentally outing myself to Ashley, because she's a sock sister, and she reads my blog, and I can be a little absentminded when it comes to using my "anonymous" e-mail address (in other words, too many of you already know it; I'm making up a whole new address next time). I'm pleased to say that I didn't prematurely out myself, and that Ashley loved her socks. What a relief! The sizing seems to have worked out, and I have grandma to thank for that - she and Ashley have nearly identically-sized feet.
Last, I would like to share with you the notecard that I mailed to Ashley. I hope she doesn't mind (I don't think she will). The postcards around here have a major cheese factor, so I was thrilled when I found this notecard by a local artist: (I figured local artist, local postcard... good enough)
The caption on the back says, "Two jobs at the same time! Huancavelica, 1995, Peru". The credit goes to Illari Productions, photo/design by Behrooz Ghassemi. He (she? they?) are located in Newton, MA.
Posted by Kathy at 04:56 PM | Comments (21)May 12, 2006
Just maybe...
No one ever said I play by the rules. Bwahahaha!
Okay, my friends, I think it's time for an explanation, especially considering some of your responses to my last post.
- I'm not sure it's useful to look at the finished sweater as worn by the model. I certainly don't want mine to be as baggy as the one on her - that's not my style at all. So, let's stop looking at the way her sweater fits, and where the pentagons end up, okay? I guarantee mine will fit differently because otherwise I wouldn't wear it.
- I know that according to the sweater schematic, the measurements of the smallest size match the dimensions of all my favorite sweaters exactly. This is incredibly serendipitous, and highly unusual - it's wonderful!
- Therefore, it is my goal to knit a sweater the dimensions of which are identical to the pattern's smallest size. Very simple.
- From this it follows that the pentagons have to be 5.25" high, since that's what the schematic specifies. The ones I had before, 6.5" in height, are simply too big.
- While moving the entire yoke lower on the body might seem like an obvious answer, we must remember that doing so doesn't change the size of the pentagons.
- Pentagons which are too high are also too wide. Therefore, leaving them the same size as before, even while moving them lower, would result in too much fabric around the shoulders. Case in point - look how much extra fabric ends up overlapping the sleeve.
Reduced to this simple line of logic, my goals became crystal clear: do whatever is necessary to get 5.25" pentagons. Follow the pattern even if it means deviating from the directions! Hehe - doesn't that seem completely oxymoronic?!?
And follow (or is it deviate?) I did!
I ended up using US 6 needles, the same as the body of the sweater, and casting on 15 sts for each side of the pentagon. In contrast, the pattern calls for a US 9 and 20 sts (no wonder they were coming out so big!).
The switch from 1x1 ribbing to stockinette comes down to personal preference - I like it better, and I'm the one who'll be wearing the sweater, right?
Notice how perfectly the pentagons match my existing sweater.
So... either I need an anti-crazy pill, or this might actually work out!
Posted by Kathy at 02:44 AM | Comments (63)May 11, 2006
Pentagons
After I finished the first sleeve of the Pentagon Pullover, I decided that I would knit the yoke next. Considering that the yoke only needs the front and the back to be attached, I figured it would be a good idea to at least start it, and then come back and knit the second sleeve, in case working on the yoke would obviate any sleeve cap changes. Here's a reminder of how the pentagons cleverly form the yoke, and the order of their assembly. And here's what it looks like in real life:
From left to right: One side of the pentagon is attached to the body of the sweater, while the rest of the stitches are held on free dpns. Decreasing towards the center results in a pentagon that ends up resting on the left shoulder. The second pentagon has three sides attached to existing fabric, and two free. Decreasing towards the center results in this:
Good? Oy, not good at all.
No knitting project is perfect, and I was getting mighty suspicious of this one, working out so perfectly 'till now ;).
There are two issues, a big one and a small one. The small issue is this cone-like puckering in the center of the pentagons. The original sweater is knit from an angora/wool/nylon blend, which is quite drapey, and quite amendable to blocking: great choice of yarn to conceal even the tiniest puckering tendencies. My sweater is knit from a wonderful cotton/acrylic blend which holds texture very crisply, and won't block in the same way. Not to worry! I've deal with issues like this before! Quick, someone hand me my Montse
The big issue (literally) is that the pentagons are too big. You can see in the photo above the pentagons creeping up way beyond my collarbone. Below, I place my hand-knit sweater on top of a store-bought one that fits me well. Remember, there is still a small crewneck collar to be added, but the pentagons are already covering the modest neckhole of the white sweater.
Why this is happening is more of a puzzle. I want the pentagons to be exactly the size specified in the pattern, 5.25" high, but mine are significantly bigger (about 6.5" high). Compared to the pattern, my needles are two sizes smaller, my yarn is thinner, my gauge is tighter, yet my pentagons are coming out... bigger. I wonder if there's a typo in the recommended needle size? Whether they meant US 6 instead of US 9? In my mind, this is a distinct possibility.
Well, I have to frog and figure this out, my friends. Stay tuned for the results!
Posted by Kathy at 11:34 AM | Comments (41)May 09, 2006
Catching up
Ever feel like you go away for a few days, but your regular life mysteriously (ha!) doesn't stand still? You come back only to realize that now there are four days' worth of stuff waiting to be done. And all of it must be done immediately, before you even unpack. Yeah. I'm glad I was able to knit so much on the train, because the rest of the week looks... hectic. Why must my knitting be interrupted by life and work?!? Hehehe ;)
Okay, ladies and gentlemen, before I get locked away in the microscope room, here's what I've got for ya:
That would be a back, a front, and a partial sleeve of the pentagon sweater. For reals. I want to be the first kid on the block wearing this sweater!
I'm having an absolutely splendid time with this project. I love everything about it so far. The yarn, Gedifra Korfu*, is knitting up fantastically. It doesn't hurt my hands, it knits up incredibly evenly, it's softer than other cottons or cotton blends I've tried, and at a gauge of 4.75 spi, I'm flying through those rows! If elann ever gets it in stock again, I won't hesitate to buy another sweater's worth.
Although I'm modifying the pattern for my gauge, which is slightly different than the one called for in the pattern, other changes I'm making are really minor. As most of you noticed, I'm using 2x2 ribbing instead of 1x1. I also added just the tiniest bit of waist shaping, but not nearly as noticeable as the ultra-curvy indentations I put on the Filati tunic, for example. I made the torso a little longer... hmm, I think that's it for now.
The thing is that with this pattern, for (I think) the first time ever, I haven't had to rewrite the sleeve-cap and armhole shaping. I typically assume I have to do this for every sweater pattern, as they always seem to be too big for the fit I desire. But Norah appears to understand my hatred of batwings - she wrote the Pentagon Sweater pattern to have a (gasp!) 7 1/2" long armhole! And for the sleeves to be (gasp!) 12" wide before the sleeve cap! I can't say this is true for all the patterns in the book, but for this one... my God, woman, you and I are smoking the same bunny crack!
This revelation has, of course, saved me a bunch of time and energy. I am simply knitting the smallest size, adjusting for my different gauge, but not going insane with changing the complicated bits. Woo!
Are you sick and tired of my cheeriness yet? If so, I'll be happy to refer you to some gloomier posts to remind you of the typical MO around here, just let me know.
*While Googling "Gedifra Korfu", I came across a thread on a Russian knitting forum. Author "RedStitch" writes, "I decided to knit something for my 13-year-old niece for the summer. But everything looks grownup. I want something modern, not very "showy", so that overall it corresponds to her age. Ladies, what are you knitting your daughters for the summer? Please share your thoughts... I bought yarn, Gedifra Korfu - 50% cotton, 50% polyacryl..."
The responses are "interesting." You don't need to know a word of Russian, as the responders just pasted pictures of the suggested patterns, or links to pictures. Go look, and make sure to click to see pages 2-5 (you'll figure out how to do that, I trust... 'cause you have to see the one where the photo shoot takes place in the, uhm, bathroom).
Posted by Kathy at 10:28 PM | Comments (54)May 08, 2006
Anatomy of a Russian dinner (alternatively, absence explained)
I bet you're sick of the Sheep & Wool reports by now. Or if you aren't yet, you might be soon. Tell you what - this post promises to be entirely sheep- and wool- and knitting-free! Okay, I manage to squeeze in the teensiest amount of knitting in there, but you'll see, it's not much.
The post also explains my blog absense. Not that I've been gone that long, but... you know, clearly something was up. I spent the weekend at my parents', celebrating my mom's birthday. She invited some family and friends, and cooked an all-out Russian dinner. Knowing this, it wasn't very difficult to convince me to come down for a few days ;). I snapped just a few photos while the food was being prepped, but they capture some interesting moments. I put them in the extended entry for the curious among you ;). The rest - I'll update the knitting progress soon. After all, visiting my parents does mean 10 hours on the train ;).
(left) Bouquets of flowers lined up on the mantle (if you squint and look carefully at the card on the mantle closest to you, you'll see it was a momentous occasion). (right) The carnations I gave to my mom - I'm pleased, especially considering I ordered the bouquet from a local (to mom) florist, hundreds of miles away from me, without really knowing what they'd look like at all.
(left) Me, ironing the tablecloth. (right) Fresh lilac from "the field" (my parents call their backyard "the field" due to its, uhm, extreme undisturbed nature-like state).
(left) Beet and vegetable salad. I don't touch that stuff with a six-foot pole. (right) A Russian classic - "herring in a fur coat" - this is a cold dish where filleted herring is covered with carrots, onions, beets, and finally, a generous layer of mayonnaise (which my mom is spreading in that photo). I don't touch this one either.
(left) My Godmother is chopping a bologna-like cold cut that's used in another salad. (right) The veal cutlet assembly line.
(left) My grandma wears handknit socks while she cooks; my hot feets prefer to stay barefoot ;). (right) I'm peeling a squash kind of vegetable. I'm not sure what it's called in English, but my mom asks one of her coworkers to get it for her from the Indian-food specialty store, since it's not sold at the regular supermarket. It's quite slimy like zucchini.
(left) My Godmother is arranging smoked fish of three varieties on some dishes. Yum! (right) Another fish dish - fish filets with carrots in tomato sauce on top, served cold. While I don't eat this dish, let us admire beautiful platter ;). I gave a set of these to my parents for their 25th wedding anniversary - they are from Simon Pearce.
May 04, 2006
Raving, continued
Here it is, the culprit. It is a brand spanking new book by Norah Gaughan called Knitting Nature
Ever since I knit my first sweater, the Vintage Pink Cardigan, I have kept my eye on Norah Gaughan designs, and I have come to regard her as a very creative and prolific knitwear designer. I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but I put Norah in the same category as Annie Modesitt and Teva Durham – even if I cannot imagine myself knitting and wearing some of the designs, they encapsulate a completely different perspective, thought-provoking and inspiring. For this reason, I did not hesitate to purchase the book without even leafing through it at the bookstore.
Now, a quick review. The patterns in Knitting Nature combine knitwear design and Norah’s background in biology. Yes, Norah is a biologist by training, with a degree from Brown! Each of the six chapters, hexagons, pentagons, spirals, phyllotaxis, fractals, and waves, contains patterns which feature one of these naturally-occurring motifs. Norah explains the background of each design (women’s tops, mainly), how it incorporates the elements of nature, how it functions, how it’s supposed to fit – good stuff! The patterns are thorough – schematics, finished measurements, charts… everything your knittery heart desires. The photos are large and clear.
The designs are exactly what I expected – intriguing! Different! Fascinating! Some I’d wear, some I wouldn’t. Some I wish I could, but I need to grow at least 5” ;). It is the shapes and the silhouettes that are the unusual element (meaning, the colors and yarns and other aspects are entirely palatable and non-objectionable). This is a book that I don’t recommend you “buy right away,” but if you can borrow it from the library, or leaf through it at the bookstore, do it. NOW. And take off the dust jacket – it looks different under there ;). To whet your appetite a bit, I snapped photos of some of my favorite designs from this book, and put them in the extended entry.
So, which design caught my eye? Swirled Pentagon Pullover from the pentagons chapter (click here for another view). You’ve got the basic stockinette at the bottom, but just look at how cleverly the yoke pentagons are attached! How some pentagon sides form the armhole, and others are seamed together to make a smooth neckline – brilliant!
I have some stash yarn I can use for this project – Gedifra Korfu cotton/acrylic blend in a nice tomato red that I got at elann (unfortunately, I see that they no longer carry it). I already have a full list of modifications planned, although I don’t intend to mess with the pentagons at the shoulders at all. That’s definitely one of those elements that are best left to the designer :). Of course I’ll tell you the mods as I get to them (can you already spot the first one?), but one thing for sure – there’s no way I’m keeping this a turtleneck. Turtlenecks, generally, make me feel like there’s pantyhose wrapped around my neck and someone is pulling at each end really hard. Some kind of simple crewneck works better for me.
Did I mention that my stitch gauge is off, and my row gauge is way off? And I know from experience (ahem) how important row gauge is in this type of construction. Hehehe! Let the fun begin ;).
May 03, 2006
New favorite
This is the new Grumperina favorite - no question about it!
Pattern: Mata Hari socks by Craftoholic Steph. Other than knitting these from toe up, and substituting short-row heels and toes (I use Wendy's method), I didn't modify the pattern.
Yarn: Greenwood Fiberworks cotton/lycra, in the Penelope colorway. The socks you see were knitted from one skein, with a decent amount of yarn remaining (I'm guessing enough for another 1.5-2" for each sock).
Needles: Susan Bates dpns, set of 5 in US 0.
Finished size: about 6.5" in circumference, unstretched, making my gauge 9 spi.
I know I've raved about Greenwood Fiberworks and Carolyn Greenwood, the artist behind the whole operation, before, and I cannot stop! Carolyn is simply a gem - kind, generous, receptive, professional, and speedy. In this day and age of online purchasing, it's so easy for our transactions to feel empty, impersonal: punch in a credit card number, receive an auto-generated confirmation, followed by a package "carefully inspected by #17", end of story. But with Carolyn, I feel like I'm dealing with a real person. In her hand-written notes, and in her yarn descriptions, she writes about her colorways and her family alike, and it just puts a smile on my face each and every time.
Enough mushiness, let's get down to business. I know many of you are waiting for just the right information before making your Greenwood purchase, and because I love this yarn so much, I want to tell you more.
Bottom line - my feet are singing the highest praises about this sock yarn! This yarn is so soft and snugly, knitting with it is joyous, and it machine-washes like a champ! It is very stretchy, and a true fingering weight, so it's simply perfect for a well-fitting, thin pair of socks. Penelope, the colorway I used here, as well as Greenwood's self-striping colorways, are probably showcased best in a stockinette-based pattern.
I think the eyelets of the Mata Hari pattern are noticeable, but they'd be even more pronounced in one of the solid colorways, which have become available since this early purchase (Pssst! Have you subscribed to Greenwood's RSS feed, so you can be instantly updated on newly listed striping, variegated, and solid colorways? Follow the RSS this shop button on the storefront's sidebar!).
As for more complex patterns, lace and cables and such, a little trial-and-error is in order. The yarn is textured and pebbly when it knits up, and it's a bit difficult to predict what will show up and what will be engulfed by the squishiness without actually casting on.
Several people have asked me about knitting with a yarn that stores so much elasticity. Simply, you have to grab a pair of needles and give it a try. We all knit differently, and what one knitter will accomplish by stretching the yarn a bit while knitting, another will recreate by using smaller needles, but leaving the fiber completely lax. A real life example: Ms. Bestitched and I produced Greenwood socks which are identical in size - I held them up against each other the other day. She cast on 68 sts and knit using a US 1.5 needle, while I cast on 60 sts and used a US 0. Perhaps I knit a bit looser, or don't stretch the yarn as much - I don't know, and it doesn't matter, since each pair of socks fits (beautifully!). Both of us came up with our magic stitch number and needle size by trial-and-error, so, go for it! The yarn holds up to frogging just fine ;).
I would like to emphasize that both Diana and I came up with stitch numbers in the 60s. Interestingly, most sock patterns are written for 60-70 sts, so it leads me to believe that you can try many published sock patterns with this yarn without alterations - the socks will fit, it's just a question of how visible the pattern will be.
And that brings me to another question I've received on several occasions - what about Greenwood Jaywalkers? The answer - while the stitch count similarly makes me think that you do not need to adjust the Jaywalker pattern, I have no idea how Greenwood yarn will behave with stitches placed and stretched on a bias. Again, a case of trial-and-error, except I won't be the one doing the trials ;).
And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to enjoy my new handknitted socks ;).
Posted by Kathy at 05:25 PM | Comments (40)May 02, 2006
Dimply, part 2
Not only is the shrinking ball of yarn puny, dimply, and unbearably cute, it also has two faces! Look carefully... Maryse suggests you tilt your head to the right to see one yarn face, and then to the left to see the other.
Do you see them? Answer in the extended entry.
Cute little yarn faces!
Posted by Kathy at 04:45 PM | Comments (33)May 01, 2006
Dimply
My friends, I'm in a great mood :). I send you all a big air-smooch - mwah!
First, finally (finally!) after literally months of searching, I have found a noteworthy sweater to knit. The unique construction, the interesting silhouette, the cleverness of it all could not be ignored. I saw it, and I wanted it immediately. I even have a yarn in the stash that I'm hoping will work (and, no, it's not the Louet). The whole thing deserves its own blog post, I think, so once my swatch is dry, and once I fire up the scanner for some pics, it will all be revealed. In the meantime, yay!
Second, I've made a great amount of progress on the Mountainash Shawl.
- In photographic format:
- In schematic format:
- But the photo below may be the most telling:
As you can see, the shawl is composed of several lace motifs. I'm now done with the widest, most complicated, googliest, moogliest one, highlighted in green. I've moved onto the second lace motif, highlighted in pink, which is magnitudes easier. Like, I can almost do it without looking at my work even once! It's just freakin' eyelets! I'm flying through it with incredible speed, and it definitely helps that each right-side row decreases by four stitches. Yay!
Last, I'm SO amused by the shrinking ball of yarn. It's getting so puny now, that it has dimples:
Hehehehe! Is it just me, or is this thing incredibly cute and dimply and puny? Hehe ;). Yay!
Posted by Kathy at 11:48 PM | Comments (29)
