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January 29, 2008
Honeymoon blanket
I left it up to chance. I knit the mitered squares continuously, and let Katia Jamaica control the flow of the colors. And I think it turned out okay! Plus, I wasn't entirely sure how I would like this arrangement of miters - a center square with "petals" radiating out, but I think I like it! Yes? No? Acceptable baby gift?
Pattern: I listed the full pedigree and evolution of this project in this post. It's basically a combination of the pattern in Mason-Dixon Knitting
Needles: US 5 circs; 24" INOX Express for the main portion, and a longer Susan Bates Silvalume for the border.
Yarn: Katia Jamaica, color 4000, 4 skeins. The yardage of this yarn is perfect: one skein is enough for exactly 9 of those little miters. I didn't run out of yarn and I had maybe 5 yards left over. The edging is GGH Sprint(discontinued), color 32, about a skein and a half, used while holding two strands together. Both yarns are machine-washable: a must-have for a baby blanket!
Finished dimensions: about 31.5" square.
I was able to get nice, rounded corners by knitting what amounts to a wedge where two sides of the border meet. The actual increases are closed yarn-overs, which I always find stretchy and accommodating when it comes to maneuvering in tight quarters.
As I mentioned, I have no aversion to seaming or weaving in ends. But when it comes to a double-sided project like a blanket, I like both sides to look as neat and tidy as possible. I think I was able to make the wrong side pretty by weaving in ends as I went along.
Even though this blanket is destined to be a gift, I'll always remember it as "my honeymoon blanket". I hope the pleasant, sunny vibes travel along with it :).
Posted by Kathy at 05:06 PM | Comments (77)
January 27, 2008
So wooly!
Nadia and I have something in common - we've both got some blue bamboo roving and orange cotton yarn to pet. Well, Nadia will have hers in a few days, but you know what I mean. Congratulations, Nadia!!! The random number generator picked you, and I hope you enjoy your vegan thrummed mitten kit!
And in a complete turnaround, my next project uses the wooliest, stickiest, sheepiest yarn I've ever touched!
This is Norwegian 3-tråds strikkegarn av ren ny ull (3-ply knitting yarn, pure new wool?) produced by Raumagarn. It is the stuff included in Judy's Colors Red Velvet Christmas stocking kit, and it's even woolier than the Dale of Norway Heilo I used for my Kristen hat. The yarn strands stick to each other without any prompting, and frogging is like separating Siamese twins!
Not that I've had to do much frogging. The pattern is very clearly written, and I'm enjoying the simple colorwork on a single circular needle (Boye US 4, 16"). I'm keeping the coral color dominant throughout (don't pull a Claudia - know your yarn dominance!).
I know - it's seriously ridiculunk. Such woolines, a month after Christmas, a holiday which I don't even celebrate. But ever since I saw these stockings... you know how it is.
A few darling friends recently told me that I make their day. Awww, thanks, guys! And although I'm not much of a meme-er, I'm always game for one which is specific to knitting.
Plus, I really want to return the sentiment. Remember when everyone was a Rockin' Girl Blogger? Well... I missed being tagged (pout), so now I'm making sure to tag a few of my bloggy loves. I've seen a few different variations of the rules, but I'll stick to this one: "Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on."
(in alphabetical order)
100% Pura Lana My #1 favorite Finnish knitting blog. Love the colors of all the projects!
Domesticat Jealousy of the view from the rooftop deck + colorful knitting projects = bloggy love.
Karma Kitties I can't get enough of little June, especially when she's wearing handknits. Is it just me, or is that kid always ridiculously happy?!?
Knitting Daily Sandi Wiseheart handles reader questions with utmost grace - total respect. Plus the galleries of gals wearing real handknits are totally kick-ass.
Mari I've loved Mari's blog forever, and her recent hook-up with the the purl bee has only enhanced the diverse scope of projects featured on her blog.
Mustaa Villaa My #1 favorite Finnish knitting blog. Love the colors of all the projects! What?!? I can't have two #1 favorite Finnish blogs? Also, I like trying to pronounce mustaa villaa.... must-aaaaaaaaaaa, vill-aaaaaaaaaa.
nikki nimble needles Nikki doesn't have a blog (as far as I know), so I subscribe to her Flickr feed and enjoy her gorgeous yarns and projects that way.
Now Norma Knits When I came back from my holiday, I had 17 posts to read from Norma alone. Will Norma ever shut up? No. And that is why I love her. Also, Norma doesn't do memes. Ever! Unless she wants to. Just like me :).
Stash, knit, repeat Everything Amy knits is a winner! Her blog is gorgeous all over, as is her little redhead Jacob.
Tiennie knits Who doesn't love matching socks, hats, headbands, and fingerless gloves for the whole family?!? One day Tiennie's entire family will be all dressed alike in her handknits. It will be awesome!
Ladies, thank you for making my day! I read your posts with much pleasure :).
Posted by Kathy at 01:49 PM | Comments (23)January 22, 2008
Starting the year off right!
These mittens make me happy on so many levels - they are a vibrant antidote to winter, they were a textural sensation to knit, I worked with fiber (!) for the first time, and I learned a new technique in the process. But what makes them extremely special is that I get to be just like one of the girls! I, too, can wear thrummed mittens! Because mine are completely un-wooly!
(You can have un-wooly thrummed mittens, too - keep reading!)
Pattern: Midwest-Style Thrummed Mitts by Amy Swenson in No Sheep for You
Yarn: Berroco Touché in Persimmon, 2 skeins.
Needles: Bryspun dpns, US 3. Knitting the worsted weight yarn on small needles not only got me the required gauge, but also created a dense, wind-proof fabric.
Extras: about 40 grams of 100% bamboo roving from Mind's Eye Yarns. I made each thrum a bit thinner and smaller than instructed in the book. Otherwise the knitting was rather cumbersome!
Bamboo fiber is soft, silky and smooth, but amazingly bamboo thrums have absolutely no intention of slipping out of their spots! Maybe it's the way the thrums are "woven in" in this pattern, maybe it's the matting and the mushing that happens every time I slip my hand in and out of the mitt, maybe the steam blocking had something to do with it... whatever it is, the thrums (all 320 of 'em!) are here to stay! And because I twisted each length of fiber before folding it into a thrum, there aren't loose floaters stuck to my hands when I take the mittens off.
And now, the good stuff.
After all was said and done, I had about 70 grams of bamboo fiber left over and no plans for it whatsoever. But... it's more than enough for another pair of thrummed mittens! And I have plenty of Berroco Touché (thanks, elann!), in two colors complementary to the blue fiber - Persimmon for a bolder statement, and Shiraz for something more subdued.
Want it? Leave me a comment for your own wool-free thrummed mitten kit! (you're on your own for the needles and the pattern). The winner will be picked at random, and will receive the blue bamboo fiber and 2 skeins of Berroco Touché in his/her choice of color. Comments will be closed on Thursday, January 24, at noon EST.
Update: comments have been closed, and this drawing is now over.
How's that for the first FO of the year?!?
Posted by Kathy at 10:40 PM | Comments (640)January 21, 2008
Hammock knitting
Swinging in the hammock, knitting something mindless, savoring every minute of my honeymoon...
... before you know it, there's a pile of cotton fabric all knit up!
I've seen so many of you put together small, innocent mitered squares into gorgeous blankets and bedspreads. I admired you, but didn't take any further action - pretty, but not for me. That is until I saw Mari's gorgeous Jamaica Baby Blanket. The smaller size and random bursts of color spoke to me, and the contrast edging sealed the deal.
I bought four skeins of Katia Jamaica (color 4000), carefully read Mari's notes and modifications, consulted the actual pattern in Mason-Dixon Knitting
I wish I had some concrete reasons for my modifications, but it came down to: casting on on the Mass Pike, trying to sort through the decreases the night before the wedding, figuring out a way to reduce the number of ends and seams on a (very) early morning flight... you get the idea.
Like Mari, my miters are smaller (worked over 55 sts) and I attached them together as I knit them. But I have a centered double-decrease running diagonally across, and the order in which I attached one square to the previous one is different. I knit four squares like the one above using one skein of yarn for each. So, at the end, I will have only one "enclosed square", dead center in the middle of the blanket.
For the most part, Katia Jamaica behaved beautifully: I had to intervene in the natural sequence of colors only once. I did find a single knot in every skein of yarn, however. Since I was already weaving in all ends as I went along, I didn't let the knots get me down.
With blankets and throws, I like to make the back side look as attractive as possible, and I think weaving ends as I knit along made everything neat and tidy.
Seaming and attaching the border would have been (mentally) impossible on my holiday, even if I had finished all the squares (I hadn't). Those tedious tasks will have to be completed right here at home, and without a hammock to boot!
Posted by Kathy at 09:00 PM | Comments (37)January 16, 2008
Re-entry
Mr. Sweetness and I read all your comments and congratulations, and from the bottom of our hearts we would like to say thank you!!! With so many people supporting us, we feel we're off to a very auspicious start!
Re-entry into the real world has been unexpectedly difficult. The wedding was so much fun, and the honeymoon was beyond amazing. I asked another newlywed (a coworker) today, "So, how long will this glee last?" He answered, "Supposedly your entire life. Hold on to it!" Words to live by.
My camera is still packed away, so it will be a few days before I can share my honeymoon knitting with you. Oh yes, there was plenty! In the meantime, I'll rely on some previously-taken photos and the questions you posed in the comments to bring you up to date :).
I didn't knit a thing for my wedding, but I did sew my own garters and ring-bearer pillow!
I will gladly knit a sweater for my husband if he asks for one (he hasn't yet). I'll knit him anything he wants, in fact. But for now, he's clothed in plenty of my handknit goodies ;).
Last, I'd like to share a few wedding photos with you, all ©2008 by our fabulous photographer Gulnara Samoilova.
There were happy smiles...
...and tears of joy (I cried at every possible opportunity).
Many hugs (I call this one, "phagocytosis attempt"),
and a dessert table complete with pyrotechnics.
It was wonderful.
Posted by Kathy at 06:25 PM | Comments (162)January 06, 2008
Hitched!
It was... kick-ass! My husband (!!!) and I are off on our honeymoon. We'll catch up in a few weeks :).
Photo: ©2007 Gulnara Samoilova
January 02, 2008
Handspun (not by me)
Between the bamboo thrums and the gorgeous handspun I'm about to show you, you'd think I was about to cross over into the spinning world (I'm not, though I'm assured by many friends that it won't hurt a bit).
Sock Hop Yarn, 100% superwash merino, handspun and hand dyed by the talented artists at Crown Mountain Farms. I've had these two skeins of Ain't No Mountain High Enough for a long while, and finally the perfect moment has arrived to knit them into some socks.
Yes, once again I'm going on a trip and need a truly mindless knitting project in my carry-on. This will be simply scrumptious! A real treat! What do we think - about 64 stitches on US 1 needles for grandma-sized feet? Plain stockinette stitch with a picot edge? And let me tell you - I cannot wait to knit some short-row heels à la Cat Bordhi! (in the new book
Sidenote: when originally planning a project for my trip, I considered plain stockinette socks out of Noro's new Kureyon Sock yarn. Finally - a Noro yarn with the cool color transitions AND without any mohair or angora! So I got a skein, and the fiber seems really rough to me. Any experience? Will it soften up with washing and wear? Or is it meant for very durable socks worn over a soft underlayer?
Posted by Kathy at 06:56 PM | Comments (46)
