UFOs Run Amok!!

I am drowning in UFOs – “unfinished objects”!! I’ve been trying to simplify my life, limit choices, etc., etc., but can’t seem to apply that philosophy to my knitting! It looks like I need an intervention. NOW!

Here’s just about everything out on the table. (The closed The Knitting Nest bag represents gifts I’m making that I’m not going to show on the blog because my kids are going to catch on to what I do on the computer one of these days!)

Yeah. I know. The first step is to admit you have a problem. And I do – I knit for myself and for the shop. And I have knitting ADD. And I like pretty yarn and patterns. That’s three problems. Well, let’s go through these one by one and figure out what I need to do.

Fair Isle sweater from Knit Picks kit. I actually made one of these and accidentally felted it. I still have enough yarn that I’m doing another one. Right now it’s in a box with cedar balls because I have other projects that keep taking up my time. But, this project is teaching me lots about doing Fair Isle work, so it’s definitely something I want to finish. Hmmmm. Keep in box for now. Work on after Christmas.

Hidden Treasure Pocket Sock in Kollage Luscious yarn. I made the model for our sock class out of some Universal yarn, but I hadn’t used any of the Luscious, which is a cotton/elastic blend, so I figured I’d just throw together a pair of these socks. Well, they do go quickly, but I’ve been interrupted a zillion times. I’m up to the pocket which will take very little time and then I can do the second sock. Definitely keep in the rotation.

Drummossie entrelac sock in Cascade Heritage yarn. I love this sock. This is the second of the pair and I’m making it using backward knitting instead of turning to do the purl sides. I’m motivated to finish it to see how the gauge works out. I’ll definitely get this one done soon.

Green lace socks for my daughter. She chose a pair of socks a year or more ago for me to make for her that have 5 (yes, 5) different charts! I finally finished the first sock last spring. I still haven’t cast on the second. It needs  to be done by this spring, though. Stays in the rotation. This . . . this . . . is why I need to knit socks two at the same time!!

Another reason for me to do socks two at a time – this sock from the Knitty website. It’s knit from side to side using Judy’s Magic Cast-On to start and kitchener stitch to end. Totally cool. And I used some of my favorite Regia Yarn. But now I need to make the second sock. Unfortunately, since it’s not remotely shop model-ish, it’s a low priority right now.

Ah, silk! My mom wants the silk model up in the shop, so instead of making another, I decided to make Wingspan in silk. I love it and I’m almost finished. This is one of the few projects that is only unfinished because of space/time constraints.

This little puff of wool is supposed to be a change purse one day. I pull it out and work a few rows every few months. I’m not sure it’s ever quite going to grow out of being a bit of fluff, but I’ll try.

Bamboo sock yarn sock. This is a new sock yarn that we’re carrying in the shop, so I need to whip up a sock and block it to see what I think of the stuff. As you can see, it doesn’t really even qualify as “unfinished” – it’s “unstarted”. But it’s a moderately high priority.

I love Cascade’s Baby Alpaca Lace yarn, so I’m making a shawl from it. But, it’s clearly in the UFO category right now. It’s not remotely “mindless knitting”. I have used my lifelines more than I care to admit. Definitely a piece to keep in the rotation, but only when I’m feeling up to putting some brain power behind the needles.

My “Live, love, knit” sweater. It doesn’t look much like a sweater right now, does it? I’ve only been working on it for six months. Why did I think I should make a sweater out of Ultra Pima Fine? Perhaps because I’m crazy? Perhaps because I love the yarn. Either way, I’m about halfway up the back. It’s more of a spring sweater, so I may not worry too much about it for a few months and spend more energy on something like the Fair Isle – which is much more of a winter item.

Spiraling Organza Scarf. My daughter came up with an idea to use some of the novelty yarns with traditional yarns, so I’m in the process of making a tube scarf with Organza winding up around it. So far, I’m loving the effect. This is a great project for me to work on when my hands are tired of the small needles, and I anticipate I’ll finish it in the next week or so.

I think I have these a little better prioritized in my head. And I won’t be starting anything new (except a Christmas gift or two). I’ll post my progress and see if I can’t get down to something more manageable in a few weeks.

How are you doing with UFOs? Maybe we can encourage each other and have fun at the same time!!

In Which I Admit That I Might Not Always Be 100% Completely Correct About Everything Knitting–or Pattern Writers Know Their Stuff

 

Yes, I might be a somewhat “adventurous” knitter and I have been known to call patterns “suggestions”. Well, that last one might be evidence of severe hubris or psychosis, but you get the idea. I generally do what the pattern calls for the first time and then make changes after that. Generally.

For our Keeping Kids Warm charity knitting program this fall, I chose this free pattern. On the first mitten (the pink one), when I got to the section where it divides the stitches for the thumb, the pattern calls for the knitter to cast on five stitches using the backward loop method. I’m not fond of the backward loop method because it can leave some extra yarn at the end of the cast-on that has to be dealt with on the next row. And I think the knitted cast-on is stronger when you go back to pick up stitches. Besides, I’m used to using the knitted cast-on and I wanted to do that one. Yes, I’m a touch hard-headed.

When I made the second mitten (with larger yarn (and green) and needles, so it wasn’t a mate to the first one), I decided to use the cast-on recommended in the pattern. And, guess what? The mitten where I used the cast-on called for by the original pattern looked much better. Sigh.

What were the differences?

1. The mitten knit using the original pattern (backward loop cast-on) (green mitten) has a nice, graceful join between the thumb and the palm. The other mitten (pink mitten) has an obvious ridge.

2. Since there were only five stitches to cast on, there wasn’t really an issue of extra yarn to sort out. The backward loop cast-on issues are problems only when there are long sections to cast on. If I had thought through this issue for more than five seconds, I might have realized it and gone with the pattern writer’s recommendation. Or not. Sometimes I can be really stubborn.

The moral of the story: Trust the pattern writers. It’s OK to be adventurous, but sometimes it’s best to follow the pattern the first time and then go back and decide where it’s worth veering off the beaten track.

Patterns from books or that are purchased are usually quite trustworthy. Not only has the pattern been written by someone that probably knows knitting patterns, but they’ve been test knitted and tech edited. I’ve written only a couple of patterns, but they have given me great respect for those who do this for a living.

So, it might possibly be the case that I am not always completely correct in my adventurous knitting and that pattern writers know what they’re doing. I could take you around the shop and show you lots more examples on the shop models I’ve made, but, really, who has that kind of time?

Happy knitting and be nice to any pattern writers you meet!! They deserve it!

A Few Of My Favorite Things–Lotus Yarn and Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonders

I might have mentioned that I love silk. I mean, really LOVE silk! I love how it feels and how it looks. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when we were able to start carrying Interlacement Yarns Lotus 100% silk. It’s shimmery and shiny and oh, so smooth!

And, of course, I just HAD to knit with it. All for you, my dear customers. All for you. The sacrifices I make for this business. But, someone must do it . . .

What pattern, though? I found the perfect one in Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonders: Blossom Silk SeaCell Shawl. Of course, I used Lotus instead of the SeaSilk, but it was a perfect substitution. Lotus is a super-fine weight yarn with over 450 yards per 100 grams. The pattern is easy to follow and is written in both words and a chart. It is a rather simple pattern with only one chart to follow and no special stitches.

I highly recommend the Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonder book. It has many projects that are quick to work up and that only take one skein or even part of a skein. They’re perfect for that leftover yarn that’s in your stash or when you need a quick knit when you’re on a trip. While they’re written for luxury yarns, you can almost always find another yarn to substitute that will also give very nice results. But, hey, there’s always silk . . .

Oh, you want to know how the Blossom Shawl turned out? Well, beautifully! Of course, when it was finished, it looked like a big mess of knotted silk. I used lace wires while blocking which helped ensure that the edges that were supposed to be straight actually turned out straight. And the final product is gorgeous!!

 

So, get thee to The Knitting Nest to buy some of this gorgeous Lotus yarn! And we’ll help you find the perfect pattern for your needs – maybe even from Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonders!

 

Knittin’ Large!!

What’s the largest size set of knitting needles you’ve used? I’ve been rather adventurous and used some size 21s to knit strips of blue jeans into an area rug and some 19s to knit T-shirt strips into another area rug.

That is nothing compared to what Patrick has been knitting recently, though! He has been making a “flag” using PVC pipe and strips of felt.

Here’s how it happened:

We bought bolts of red, white, and blue felt, and Patrick cut it into strips and then rolled the strips into balls.

Patrick made a gauge swatch (of course)

He then knit the flag from the bottom to the top in garter stitch.

 

The phrase “turn your work” took on new significance when the work became 20+ pounds of felt!

When he reached the section where the blue started, he used intarsia technique.

When he needed to join more “yarn”, he used a high tech knitting device – aka, a stapler!

Each night, he would hang the “flag” in the window so people could see how much progress he had made.

 

Finally, it was finished and he could bind off!

And this is the final appearance of the display window!!

What is the biggest size needle or most unusual fiber with which you’ve knit? How did your project turn out?

Why We Knit

I’ve written before about how knitting and other needlearts are about so much more than the crafts themselves. Let me tell you another story today.

One of our customers came in a few weeks ago looking for yarn and a pattern to make a hat for a dear friend who was about to undergo chemotherapy and likely to lose her hair. She loved the Delilah hat and wanted to make it for her friend, but she wanted to make it more appropriate for wearing indoors and to personalize it.

This customer made the hat using the Delilah pattern using Luscious yarn, just like our shop model. However, she chose to make the brim much smaller, making it a hat that’s easier to wear indoors.

What I really love about this hat, though, is the buttons. They are white heart-shaped buttons on which our customer wrote the names of people praying for her friend. In fact, she had to write on the backs of some of the buttons because there are more people praying than she had room for buttons! The buttons were then sewn on the base of the brim of the hat.

Knitting and crochet are fun crafts, but they can be so much more. When we put them in service of love and friendship, they are powerful tools for human connection.

 

A Few of My Favorite Things–Now That’s a Market Bag

When summer comes, knitters sometimes put away the needles until fall, thinking that there’s not much fun to knit when it’s too hot for wool. Perish the thought! Summer is a great time to knit with cotton and it’s a great time for knitting accessories, particularly things like bags that can be used to tote things to and from the lake, cabin, or your favorite getaway.

This summer, I tried my hand at “Now That’s a Market Bag” from Knot Your Mama’s Knitting Patterns in Universal’s Cotton Supreme (100% cotton) Brown. The pattern is well-written and easy to follow. The most difficult thing to handle is the provisional cast-on at the beginning, but the explanation given in the pattern is very clear.

This was my first time using Universal’s Cotton Supreme and I was pleasantly surprised by how soft a hand it has. In fact, I think this yarn is probably better suited to garments than I had expected. Nonetheless, it made a lovely market bag.

 

A Few of My Favorite Things–c2knits

Despite the recent temperature drop and threat of snow for us here in and around the Northwoods, spring really IS on it’s way.  And that means knitting short-sleeved sweaters, bags, hats, and other spring and summer items.  I’m especially excited about this because I really have very few spring and summer knitted items in my wardrobe.  How has that happened if I’m such a dedicated knitter?  Simple.  I give away much of what I knit.  This year, though, I decided that I wanted to make some sweaters to put in my own wardrobe.

My first sweater is a top-down short-sleeved raglan T-shirt made with Cascade Ultra Pima Cotton yarn using c2knits pattern Zoe.

I love the sweater and the pattern!  The pattern is easy to read.  It tells the knitter exactly where to put the stitch markers and how and why to use two different colors of stitch markers.  There is some flexibility in making the sweater a bit more fitted by casting on fewer stitches under the arms (which I’ll probably do next time), but that really doesn’t add complexity if you just want to work the pattern as written.

One issue I had was that the sweater turned out longer than I’d like, but that is because I was lazy and did the measurement while holding the sweater in my lap.  Next time, I will get up and measure the sweater while laying it out on the table.

The other issue I had is that the pattern called for the edging on the bottom to be done in reverse stockinette.  I have never had success with this kind of cuff on the bottom of a sweater – it always flips up unless you steam iron it every time you wear it.  I was very loathe to try it again, so I tried doing a hem, but that was flipping up as well.  I ended up switching to smaller needles and just finishing it in stockinette which made a nice rolled edge, which I also like.

Since I loved this pattern so much, we’re carrying several of the c2knits patterns in the shop.  I’ve got another sweater on the needles using Sierra (a cotton/wool blend) that I think is going to be lovely as well.

Stop by the shop and check out our new patterns and we’ll help you find a wonderful yarn to complement the pattern and give you a great new summer sweater!!

A Few of My Favorite Things–Knit, Swirl

Have you heard of Knit, Swirl yet?  No?  Well, be prepared to be amazed!

Knit, Swirl by Sandra McIver is a book about knitting “swirl jackets”.  Sandra has developed a wonderful technique of knitting these jackets in a large circle and then making sequential decreases.  In the center, half the stitches are bound off and the bodice and sleeves are worked back and forth.  After the garment is blocked, only one seam is needed to complete the swirl!  When you are done, the large circle drapes around the collar as well as forming the lapels and bottom of the swirl.

Confused?  That’s OK!  It sounds complicated, but the techniques that are used to make the swirl are well within the reach of anyone who can knit a sweater.  Sandra includes helpful charts and diagrams with stitch counts to keep you from getting lost.

You might wonder why she has a whole book of patterns based on just one technique.  The reason is that she has created some cool variations.  I made the very first swirl which has a circular shape with a circular opening set in the center.  The variations in the book include circular or oval shape, circular or oval opening, and center or off-center opening.

I loved making my swirl.  I followed directions carefully and was a little concerned because it looked like I was using more yarn than I was supposed to.  It did block a little larger than it should have, but ended up turning out well.  (Definitely block your swatch!!  That’s a step you really do NOT want to skip!)  My swirl is made from Cascade 220, so it’s plenty warm.

This is a great book for some new and innovative project ideas, if not for you, then for another knitter in your life!

Works In Progress–November 7, 2011

Having a yarn shop means that I get to knit lots of really interesting things since we need shop models.  The downside to this is that I can’t put the items directly in my closet!  Nonetheless, I’m having a great time with my current projects.

1. Swirl coat.  I love the new book, Knit, Swirl.  There are some just amazing designs in this book!  I finished knitting my swirl (the first one in the book) a few weeks ago, but finally got to block it on Friday.  I’ll start sewing tonight or tomorrow.  The yarn is Cascade 220.

2. Cardigan sweater.  This is the first item I’ve made from a Cottage Creations pattern.  There is almost no sewing in this sweater, although I did have to graft together 80+ stitches down the center back.  I’m doing this cardigan out of our “Sheep to Shop” yarn, the yarn that we bought locally as raw wool and took to be spun.  I’m really enjoying working with this yarn.

3. Christmas decorations.  I’ve been knitting lots of stars out of blue cotton Ultra Pima for our window display.  But that’s all I’m going to say about that – you’ll have to stop by the shop after Thanksgiving to see the final display.

What are you working on?  How are your Christmas projects coming along?

Works In Progress–September 2, 2011

At the moment, I’m working on two knitting projects as well as sorting out class information.

This is a baby blanket made from Cascade Cherub Aran weight yarn with a pattern from 60 Quick Baby Knits.  The original pattern calls for Cascade 220 Superwash, but we don’t have the Superwash right now.  It is working up beautifully in the Cherub, which is a very soft acrylic/nylon blend that is machine washable – perfect for babies!

Knit, Swirl was apparently the hottest new thing at TNNA this year.  We got a copy of the book for the shop, but couldn’t order any more because they’re out of stock due to a second printing.  The “swirls” featured in this book are coats that are knitted in a very large circle starting at the outer edge.  In the center, about half the stitches are bound off and the bodice is knitted flat.  When the knitting and blocking are done, only one seam has to be sewn.

I made the swatch for my swirl last week and started knitting a few days ago in Cascade 220.  The outer rows of the swirl have more than 500 stitches each, so progress looks a bit slow at the moment.  The swirl is so popular that there is a Ravelry group devoted to it!  I’ll definitely post more pictures as I go!

 

What is your current project?  Anything exciting?!