Not Quite Right

There is something not quite right about me...

That may well come as no surprise to some, but it is true.

Part of what I enjoy about knitting is the challenge, the challenge to learn knew stitches and techniques and the challenge to conquer by doing something well.

One of my obsessions of late has been acquiring stitch dictionaries. I love to leaf through them because the possibilities are endless and I am enchanted with intricacy of some of the patterns.

A gift card from Amazon for my birthday was a delightful surprise and I picked up several titles, including Barbara Walker's A Treasury of Knitting Patterns.

I do not know if it is my Asian background or just an appreciation for things done extremely well, but I have long been attracted Japanese pattern and stitch books. So much so, when I came across a sale today, I could not resist and ordered three titles:

No, I do not happen to read or speak Japanese, why do you ask?

At most, I can count to ten in Vietnamese, Korean, and Chinese.  Japanese did not make the cut.

What the heck am I going to do with stitch dictionaries written entirely in Japanese?

I am not quite sure; however, I understand they do have remarkable charts from which one can "read."

The 300 lace book has some sample pages here.  The 300 stitches book does, too.

I fear it is far too much to hope the Japanese use the same chart symbols as we do; however, a bit of research indicates there may be some help available.

There is a bit of a trump card, though.  There is a colleague at the office who spent 14 years in Japan.  Not only is she an attorney, but she has worked as a legal translator and also knows how to knit!

Turning a new page

Well, here we go!
At the right a new feature appears: Patterns.
First up are the Feisty Socks.

These socks are knit from the toe up and feature short-row heels and picot cuffs, as well as an addictive lacy mock-cable stitch design. It is a quick and fun knit. The pattern is written for both fingering and sport weight yarns in three sizes each: small, medium, and large.

Gauge: 

• For fingering weight yarn: 32 sts = 4 inches in stockinette (knit flat) on US size 1.5 (2.5 mm) needles 
• For sport weight yarn: 28 sts in stockinette (knit flat) on US size 2.5 (3.0 mm) needles

Finished sizes: 

• Fingering weight: Ladies’ small (medium and large) or 6 ½ -7 (7 ½ - 8 and 9 – 9 ½) inches in circumference (not shoe size) around the instep 
• Sport Weight: Ladies’ small (medium and large) or 7 (8 and 9) inches in circumference (not shoe size) around the instep.

The pattern is written for an adventurous beginner with experience knitting in-the-round.


Ravelry link here!

Pi, anyone?

At least, an odd slice o' pi!

The prototype of the design is moving right along, it seem it is the execution which is holding things up a bit.  However, I am delighted with it overall, although there are a number of things which will be refined before the final pattern is released.

More later...

Am I in the right place?

Long-lost Lolly here! [hehe]

Evidently, I'm knitting faster than I can post because I have knitted lots of things I haven't posted about. I guess I'd rather knit than post. But...hey, here's something that is pretty amazing, and if I don't post it quick, it won't be true or newsworthy anymore.

I am the first! And as of this morning, the one and only!

"The one and only what?" you ask.

The one and only person on Ravelry to start knitting the #03 Short Sleeve Cardigan, which is featured in the Vogue Knitting, Early Fall 2010 magazine. I'm noticing now that in the magazine Vogue calls it "Mid-Length Cardigan," but it is the #3 pattern.

I like this pattern! Am I the only one? It's a loose sweater. Surely, I'm not the only knitter who wants a loose-fitting sweater. It must the name. The #03 Short Sleeve Cardigan. Sounds boring, right? I guess Vogue just isn't into fancy names. Looking through the Early Fall magazine, all the patterns have plain names. The most exciting I can find is "Parachute Top." Now we're talking! That one has 4 people knitting it!

But I like the #03 Short Sleeve Cardigan and I've started it! See?

That's the left front, and even though I'll probably have to rip back...no, I'll probably frog the whole thing.... because it's too wide. The yarn I'm using, Sirdar Click Chunky With Wool is a little bit larger than what the pattern calls for. I did a gauge swatch, knitting only the 3-st repeat, as the pattern suggests, that makes the cabled ribs on the right side of the above swatch. Instead of getting 20 sts per 4 inches, I got 19. So, I thought if I knitted the Large size specs, I'd be okay (you know, since I like LOOSE sweaters.) But, while I had a size 9 needle for the 1x1 bottom edge ribbing, I didn't have a 10 circular for the body, so I used a 10.5. That made it too big.

For awhile I was thinking that since my yarn was a little heavier, I should use the larger needles so the knitted fabric would not be too dense. But in order to continue with the 10.5 needle, even knitting the Small size would be too large. I would have to cut back on all the stitch counts and since I'm already doing that on another sweater that I started a month or so ago, I just wasn't ready to give myself that much extra work! This chunky yarn works up fast, and this could be a quick knit, if I don't have to do a total stitch-count and row-count revision.

As of this morning, I now have a #10 circular and have knitted about 1 and 1/2 inches on the beginnings of one sleeve. The resulting fabric seems fine. My major concern now is that the sweater will not have any drape. That's why I decided to knit one of the sleeves, asap. Being a short sleeve, I can knit it, wash it and block it, and see if it's going to lay okay, or if it's going to stick straight out like cardboard! I hope it will be okay. I bought this yarn over a year ago, on sale, and I bought a lot of it.

This past January I finished a little Owlet sweater for my granddaughter, for which it did fine!

But this sweater, the #03 Short Sleeve Cardigan (in case you had already forgotten) is different. It needs to hang. Actually, since I don't like hugging sweaters, I think this yarn will be just about right for this loose "swingy" jacket. The magazine doesn't even show a back view, but Ravelry has one.

There's a non-traditional construction feature, where the fronts extend over the shoulders and are sewn together at the center back. Could that be why people aren't jumping on it? I think that's pretty cool! As soon as I knit this sleeve, I should know for sure whether to continue or not.

I do so hope it works out!

One More Time!

Spying a skein of Cascade in a purple heather while visiting The Knitting Nest the other day, I knew the Stacy Shawl required a take two.

Oh, yeah!

Ravely details here.

Feisty Socks!

Another new design:

Yarn:  Yarn Daze Water Colours in Fountain

Yarn:  Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport Solid in Ysolda

Design:  Feisty Socks by me!

I will be teaching a class at The Knitting Nest on Sunday, August 22, 2010 on this sock pattern.  It is knit from the toe up and features a short-row heel and picot cuff, as well as an addictive lacy mock-cable stitch design.  It is a quick and fun knit.  The pattern will debut at the class and be offered for both fingering and sport weight yarn in three sizes each:  small, medium, and large.

For more class information, please contact Stacy at The Knitting Nest (512-291-8866).

The Stacy Shawl

How about a shawl made from two strands of lace weight yarn (100% alpaca, no less) and knitted from one end to the other?

The lace edging and a turned cable border along the neck are knit at the same time as the body with no finishing required, other than weaving in the ends.

This is an original design created for Stacy of The Knitting Nest in Austin, Texas.

On Sunday, August 8th, I will be teaching a class on the Stacy Shawl from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.  If you are interested, please give Stacy a call (512-291-8866) to sign up!

After August 8, 2010, the Stacy Shawl pattern will be available in .pdf form. More details to come!

A Finished Object!

I finally completed something I can share!!

 Including a shawl pin from my lovely Sweet model/daughter for my birthday!

Yarn:  Little Lola in "Pumpkin Cheesecake" by Schaefer Yarn
Pattern:  Butternut Scarf by Anne Hanson

The finished dimensions were 20.5" x 80".

I absolutely LOVE it!

I used every bit of the three skeins I had for a total of 840 yards of worsted weight.