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May 29, 2007
Fruit compote
Although the Sockapalooza 4 socks aren't due until the beginning of August, I decided to get an early start.
Well, I didn't have much of a choice. With the moratorium on sock knitting for grandma and my deep-seated need to constantly have a sock on the needles, I'm really grasping at straws here. I'm this close to stopping random strangers on the street - do you need a handknit sock? How about you? Anyone???
By the way, come September my grandma won't know what hit her. I've been buying some really fabulous yarns (Crown Mountain Farms Sock Hop yarn and Fleece Artist Sea Wool, just to name two) and earmarking gorgeous patterns (most from Favorite Socks
After contemplating for a bit, I decided my Sockapalooza pal would like the Scala Socks, designed by Stephanie van der Linden. Scala Socks were the November 2006 knitalong selection of the German Yahoo group Socken-Kreativ-Liste. I've had this pattern on my mind ever since I saw this post by a knitter from Oregon. Good thing I can now unload it on my sock pal...whew!
The yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, naturally, in cranberry (45ns) and peach (10ns). Hey, it's a fruit compote!
So far I've had to do a bit of fudging with the numbers. One look at the pattern, and I knew it wouldn't be very elastic: we start with a "twined herringbone" (Charlene Schurch source #1
As written, the pattern would fit my foot perfectly: 77 stitches in the fancy-pants leg portion, and 63 stitches in the plain foot portion. But my pal's foot is a bit wider, so I've been adding stitches here and there. Don't get me wrong - I have plenty of practice knitting for people with bigger-than-average feet (cough-grandma-cough). But one must be very careful with an inelastic pattern, aiming for maybe 1" of negative ease compared to the circumference of the foot at its widest point. Stretchier sock patterns are more forgiving - 1", 2", 3" less than the circumference - it's all good.
So, the motto for this project - measure, then measure again, then ask someone with bigger feet to try it on, then some more measuring, and perhaps another try-on. When you want it done right, you have to do it the right way ;).
Posted by Kathy at 11:07 PM | Comments (54)May 28, 2007
Tweedy navy
Having worked with almost every Lorna's Laces color under the rainbow, I could tell that something was different about the navy. For me, typically, the nylon fraction of a strand of Shepherd Sock does not embody a presence. It's there, but it blends into the superwash wool completely. Caught off guard I might even say LL Shepherd Sock is 100% wool!
The way the yarn took up the navy dye, in contrast, is new to me. The nylon glistened differently and appeared to be a slightly different shade than the surrounding wool. Now I watched the subtle variegations and what amounted to a subtle tweediness. Variegation + tweediness + attentive eyes = speedy knitting!
Pattern: Based on the Stansfield #10 motif from Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in navy, 2 skeins (from this store).
Needles: Susan Bates US 0 dpns, set of 5.
I swiped the overall dimensions and features of these socks from the Railway Stitch socks I knit earlier this year: stitch counts, calf shaping, height of heel flap, etc. As before, I worked the foot over more stitches and knit a more blunt toe. The only difference is the garter-edged heel flap, which fit effortlessly into the overall pattern flow.
Posted by Kathy at 05:13 PM | Comments (21)May 24, 2007
Flow
The pattern flows out of the ribbing.
The shaping flows out of the pattern, then narrows to become the pattern once again.
The garter-edged heel flap flows out of the leg. A few moments of planning, and they line up so nicely.
Is there a reason Nancy Bush never uses a garter edge on her heel flaps? I can think of only one exception - Yarrow Ribbed Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks
The sole flows out of the heel. I love when there's a visual separation of sole and instep; in this case, a column of purl stitches which are part of the pattern.
Why, yes, I do stuff my socks with other socks: it boosts their self esteem :).
Posted by Kathy at 02:07 PM | Comments (33)May 22, 2007
True Jeans follow-up
Is there such a thing as hijacking one's own blog? Well, I'm about to do just that. Indulge me for a second time as I fill in the missing details of the True Jeans story. While I typically eschew topics not related to knitting on this blog, your response to my first True Jeans encounter suggests that you, like me, are denim lovers, passionate about finding that perfect pair, and would be interested in knowing what happened next.
Well, the folks at True Jeans are as passionate about jeans which fit perfectly as you are. I say this with utmost assurance because I went, I chatted, and I saw it for myself.
From left to right: Jessica Arredondo, Co-founder; me, jeans guinea pig; Romney Evans, Co-founder; Julie Reppucci, Fit Specialist.
I signed up to be a Fit Tester after my fabulous in silico experience, and visited the company on Monday. Jessica and Romney's enthusiasm, vision, and intent to nourish the company in the direction of customer demand is refreshing! Trying on different jeans with Julie's guidance was akin to having a personal shopper... and let me tell you, it's exponentially better than going at it alone in a department store.
Where else will you be able to find the perfect pair of jeans, all while providing valuable stats for women across the country? At a True Jeans test fitting, that's where. If you're in the Boston area, consider signing up to be a Fit Tester - you won't regret it.
I walked away having found two great pairs of jeans:
Pine IV Jeans Kyoto: all the special visual and textural details that distinguish designer denim. Kasil Jeans Tribeca: clean lines of a trouser combined with a comfortable denim fit. Check out the cool surprise hiding on the inside!
And guess what?!? Even though both pairs are too long for me, I don't have to worry about hemming them! As recently mentioned on the True Jeans blog, they now offer a hemming service for $15 per pair. I'll still probably hem them myself, but if my schedule is hectic, I have an excellent alternative.
Anyway, let me pause for a second and stop blabbing about myself. Why should you care about my True Jeans adventures?
Well, as a new company, True Jeans is eager to receive customer input - contact them, and they'll listen! Case in point: many of you lamented the lack of plus-size designer jeans on the website. Did you see the response Romney left in the comments?
We hear you loud and clear. Hang on just a little bit longer. It is extremely important to us to provide great brands to plus size customers. ...We are currently doing a lot of research into plus sizes. We will be introducing two great new jeans brands for plus size women.
Not just talk, my friends. I actually saw the (fabulous! quality!) designer plus size jeans when I went for my test fitting! Once they're available for purchase on the website, I'll let you know. Exciting, isn't it?!? What's more, True Jeans will give my readers a special discount code for those styles once it's all set up, for being so passionate and patient. Yay!!!
In the meantime, for those of you who've already found great styles but need a little extra incentive to make a purchase, True Jeans is kindly sharing my fit tester discount with all of you! Through the end of this month, you'll receive a 15% discount by entering discount code grumperina during checkout.
Now go! Go sign up to be a Fit Tester! Go get yourself some trouser style jeans! (they're the new "it thing," I'm told) Go shop at True Jeans!
Posted by Kathy at 07:55 PM | Comments (59)May 21, 2007
Simpler stitches
The unlucky nature of the number 'four' in several Asian cultures has nothing to do with my particular brand of aversion. I think it's more about vision and perception, as many of you remarked.
To my eye, the perceived middle of an object should be something rather than the absence of something... in other words, a hill instead of a valley. With larger even numbers - 6, 8, 10, and so on - it's easier to overlook the emptiness of the center. But with 4, it's impossible to miss. There it is! The center! And it's a big fat zero, the empty space between two fir cone repeats.
Five it is.
One end of the scarf is complete, and it will be a long while before the second round of acrobatics. That's because the two intricate borders are connected by a virtual no man's land - mindless garter stitch lace.
I'd be lying if I told you I hadn't been looking forward to this part. With many good reasons!
- Mindless knitting immediately propels this project to 'commuter-friendly' status, greatly increasing the rate of production.
- A simpler pattern will better show off the subtle variegations of the Clara Barton colorway.
- I can fully enjoy the yarn's texture as it glides through my fingers - it's not like I'm preoccupied by an intense pattern!
- Varying complicated bits of a pattern with easy ones is good break for the body: the googly mooglies will be back soon enough... for now I'll enjoy simpler stitches.
Posted by Kathy at 01:28 PM | Comments (35)
May 18, 2007
Meme catalog
There seems to be another wave of memes going around. This one asks participants to list seven (or eight, depending on the source) weird things about themselves.
I've been "tagged" by several friends, but intend to duck out of this one. Why? Because I've answered it before!
While surfing my archives I thought it might be useful to catalog all the memes I've answered in one place. Combined, I bet they reveal a lot about me! And if some aspect of my knitting life still remains a mystery after reading the links below, ask! Go ahead, ask in the comments! Maybe I'll pick a few questions to answer à la Wendy ;).
- Carolyn's meme, knitting related (Oct. 26, 2005)
- My knitting spot (Dec. 7, 2005)
- Blog: public or private? (Dec. 20, 2005)
- JenLa's knitting blog meme (Mar. 24, 2006)
- 10 Knitterly Things you didn't know about me (Sept. 23, 2006)
- 48 Things (only #16 answered, hehe, Nov. 13, 2006)
- Six weird things about me (Feb. 2, 2007)
- Let's not forget my 100 Things About Me (updated today!)
May 17, 2007
Numbers
I've finished the requisite four repeats of the Fir Cone border:
Four repeats.
Four repeats.
Four.
Four.
Why do I have such a mental block when it comes to that number? I truly, honestly, viscerally do not like four. It should be three, or five, or seven... even six isn't as bad as four. It sounds like phlegm, or maybe one of Dante's Circles of Hell. Maybe I'm exaggerating a bit :).
I certainly have enough yarn to knit another repeat: Schaefer Yarn's Andrea is not HandMaiden's Sea Silk. I've used approximately 90 yards so far, and have another 1000 to go!
Plus, I don't think knitting five border repeats would greatly affect my scarf down the road. Between having more yarn than suggested and not needing an 80" long scarf, I'm having a hard time coming up with a single reason against five...
Five repeats.
Five.
Five.
Sounds so much better than four.
Posted by Kathy at 10:33 AM | Comments (50)
May 15, 2007
Working my way around "the ban"
What's the hallmark of a really good trip? One during which knitting hardly crosses your mind, and you return with miniscule progress to show (if any at all).
Because my Fir Cone scarf requires a lot of concentration, and my Alpaca Twill sweater stayed home, I started a new pair of socks. I'm only human!
The pattern is Stansfield #10 from Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks
I'm adding generous calf shaping just as I did for the Railway Stitch socks. I hope you can see it developing in the picture below.
I've also started to seriously think about my Sockapalooza 4 pal - he/she will need socks, too! Very timely considering my grandma's ban. I've found a suitable pattern, I think, and now I'm mulling over the colorway of the yarn. I just need a few days to get my brain back in order...
Posted by Kathy at 10:29 AM | Comments (13)May 11, 2007
Eye Candy Friday: Yarn
It looks like it's falling off of him. I'm sure he won't mind sharing :).
P.S. RE TrueJeans: make sure to read through the comments to see what the owners of the company have to say! I'll follow up in more detail after my Test Fitting! (yay!)
Posted by Kathy at 04:46 PM | Comments (24)May 09, 2007
True Jeans
As you know, it's very rare for me to blog about something non-knitting related. However, recently I had such an overwhelmingly positive experience buying jeans (buying jeans, of all things!) that I simply had to share. I know my readers are hip guys and gals and will appreciate this story.
It started innocently enough. Tuesday morning I was reading everyone's favorite shoe blogger, the Manolo, when he mentioned a new website called True Jeans. I clicked the link and started surfing around.
I really liked the website layout and ease of navigation, and was instantly intrigued by True Jeans' claim that they could find the perfect jeans for me based on my measurements, body build, and preferences.
In my head I thought, "Try me! I am the denim queen!"
I go through jeans the way people go through socks. I wear them every day until they wear thin and get holes. As a result, I probably go through at least ten pairs of jeans per year! I like designer denim and typically get it at Anthropologie (we all have choices when it comes to dispensable income; I buy $100 jeans and take sewing lessons :)). In the past few months I've also bought several pairs of Lucky jeans.
With all this jean-buying experience I had a healthy dose of skepticism for these True Jeans folk. I played along, relishing the thought of crashing their computational system when faced with my hip circumference (ha!). I entered my measurements and preferences, waited for a few minutes... and pretty much choked on my breakfast when I saw the results!
- Half of the recommended jeans were brands I wear (or have worn in the past) in the sizes that I typically buy!
- The #1 recommendation (Lucky's Sweet-n-Low) was the exact pair of jeans I was wearing at that moment! In the exact size recommended by True Jeans!
Well, alright. They might be on to something here, I thought. I looked at the rest of the recommendations, focusing on brands and styles that I hadn't encountered. After checking out all the options and descriptions, I decided I would actually purchase a few pairs. First, I wanted to try some new-to-me brands/styles. Second, I happened to be running low on denim (I speak of denim like milk or orange juice, I know). Third, had True Jeans accomplished the impossible - fitting jeans... over the internet?!?
Around 10 a.m. I placed my order: Little in the Middle Basic, !iT Jeans Hottie Eclipse, and Lucky Brand Easy Rider (a favorite of Ms. Bestitched, I happen to know).
True Jeans is in Woburn, MA, just a few miles away from me, and my jeans were delivered today, 12:30 p.m. About 24 hour turnaround! Much less painful than going to a department store!
I wouldn't be writing this post if the end result was disappointing. All the jeans fit fantastically! I'm ecstatic! I'll be returning the !iT Jeans Hottie Eclipse because the inseam is a bit low for me, but I'm absolutely keeping the other two! Little in the Middle Basic are fabulous, and I've never even heard of them!
As soon as I'm done posting, I'll be dropping True Jeans a note expressing my delight with the whole experience! I signed up to be a Fit Tester, too - I hope they pick me!!!
Now I just have to put the jeans through the wash and hem them before my trip. Yep, I'll be away for a few days. I hope you, too, will be styling in new True Jeans denim by the time I get back ;).
Posted by Kathy at 07:17 PM | Comments (103)May 08, 2007
The right tool
My friends, do me a favor - open your VLTs
Are you seeing the acrobatics involved in making the Scarf with fir cone lace border?!? Are you seeing this?
Also, would it be so difficult to give these scarves more creative names? Would it?!?
Anyway, faced with googly mooglies of the highest caliber, I armed myself with the best tools available - the new Addi Lace circular needles! Yes, I had to stalk online vendors and wait for my own pair just like everyone else, arriving unfashionably late to the party. So late, in fact, that all the guests have already gone home :).
All I'll say is that, from my experience, the Addi Lace needles are most similar to INOX Express circs, except with better cords and joins. Which can really make or break a project, don't you think?
Oh, googly mooglies, how I love thee. My heart says, "yes," even if my left shoulder objects to making six googlies in the same row.
This scarf, by the way, will be mine, all mine! The color (Clara Barton from Schaefer Yarns) is much more "me" than HandMaiden's Straw Sea Silk: the Dolphin Scarf had been intended for the yarn's rightful owner all along :).
Posted by Kathy at 05:24 PM | Comments (38)
May 06, 2007
Fifty-six dolphins
You know, the Moss Seasilk might have been a faulty skein after all! Remember how it didn't have any discernable scent?
Well, in contrast, every time I handled the Straw skein, I got an unmistakable 'green tea ice cream' aroma, reminiscent of the Tilli Tomas Pure and Simple silk I've used in the past. Mmm, mmm, delicious!
Pattern: Dolphin lace scarf from Victorian Lace Today
Needles: Blunti Stumpos, US 4 (3.50 mm), F (3.75 mm) crochet hook.
Yarn: HandMaiden Sea Silk in Straw, 1 skein (438 yards), used up almost in its entirety.
Finished dimensions: approximately 13" wide and 58" long (28 repeats plus crocheted edging).
One skein of Seasilk does it again! A totally wearable scarf which doesn't offend the budget? Check!
What I love most about this pattern is that it really allowed me to squeeze every last stitch out of a limited amount of yarn. The lace is quite open, and knitting the scarf in one piece left the algebra 'out of the equation' :). As a result, the Dolphin scarf is even bigger than the Melon scarf!
The pattern was easy enough to follow once the hiccups were chased away. And the splashing, dancing dolphins inspire even land bound animals to take flight.
Posted by Kathy at 12:31 PM | Comments (66)
May 04, 2007
Current titleholder
There's only one right way to block a Dolphin scarf:
On a beach towel, of course! Maybe not as cool as June's foam mats (and definitely not as cool as June's shawl itself), but it's colorful and it works!
Although I wasn't able to find more matching Seasilk, the scarf is currently a healthy 58" long. That's something I can live with.
After blocking I'm instructed to add a simple crocheted edging along the narrow sides of the scarf. Now, you know I'm the current titleholder of World's #1 Crochet Dufus. I can make sense of knitting and sewing instructions, cooking recipes, wirework tutorials, (most) camera manuals, even plumbing! But give me a few 'dc' on top of some 'sc', and my eyes go blurry.
Damn it! I wand my dolphins to be perfect! I stared at the edging directions, consulted the tutorial in the back of VLT
Can't wait to prettify the dolphins :).
Posted by Kathy at 04:30 PM | Comments (32)May 02, 2007
Mysterious Ene
Do you think it's about time I told you about my mysterious Ene project?
(Do I think doing so will make Sundara kill me? Probably. Good thing she's on the other coast.)
Remember the five-month Mountainash hiatus? All during that time I'd get little notes from my observant friends inquiring about Mountainash's whereabouts. While sometimes they elicited a groan and a roll of the eyes, their intent was ultimately effective: the project did not evaporate into oblivion, and eventually I finished.
So then I was thinking, I should at least tell my friends about Ene. It's been "in the works" for far too long, and if its existence is public, it, too, will eventually reach completion.
Many moons ago, Sundara and I fell madly in love with Ene from Scarf Style
An idea for a little exchange formed - I'll knit one for her, and she'll knit one for me. This was August 2005, I kid you not. We discussed possible yarns, and then Sundara opened her business, and all the choices were quickly narrowed to one: hand-dyed Silk Lace from the master herself. We agreed to use US 0 needles because the yarn is delicate, and because we didn't want huge shawls.
I settled on a color similar to orchid. Since Sundara was encouraged to deviate from the solid in whichever way she saw fit, I don't know exactly how similar it is. I've seen little hints here and there. For her Ene, Sundara went with the Somewhat Solid in Wine with Violet, which reached my mailbox about a year ago.
The busy girls that we are, a year later we are working on... wait for it ... the second repeat of the main chart (chart 3, I think). On the one hand, the word 'pathetic' comes to mind. On the other, we have always agreed to make this a stress-free exchange - no deadlines, allowing ourselves to pause and catch up with each other as our schedules permit.
So here's where you come in: I don't think I'll be blogging much about Ene progress. The main part is pretty repetitive, plus our laissez-faire attitude guarantees, at best, intermittent spurts of productivity. All I need you to do is to remind me of Ene's existence once in a while, just like Mountainash. "Hey, how's that Ene coming along?" (Sundara is going to kill me. I didn't even tell her I'm going to post about this today!) Nudge Sundara, too - "Hey, how's Grumperina's Ene doing?" Maybe then we'll finish one day. Maybe.
Posted by Kathy at 11:17 AM | Comments (48)
