another knitting blog

Into the Lion's Den

Back when I was a graduate student living in Texas just returning to knitting again, back before I discovered yarn on the Internet, back before there was much yarn to be found on the Internet, back before there was even much of an Internet, I bought a lot of Lion Brand yarn.

Most of my yarn purchases came from places like Michaels and Hobby Lobby. They sold Lion Brand, Red Heart, and Caron. Which would you have chosen?

Lion Brand served me well in this phase of my knitting life, but some of the most ancient ghosts haunting me from the stash are knit in Lion Brand yarns.

Exhibit A: In some ways, early on I had more confidence in my knitting than I do now. After following one or two patterns, I started to make up my own. [Patterns? I don't need no stinkin' patterns]. Unfortunately, they were ill-conceived, poorly documented, and often down-right ugly.

Take a look at the sad ghoul on the right. This is the back of a sweater I started in knit in two coordinating colors of Lion Brand Imagine. The color combination is hideous and it's biasing for some reason. Why have I kept it all these years? Who knows? Answer that one and you've solved the riddle of my life. Regardless, I think the new future of this piece of knitting is as a cat bed liner. Better than it deserves.

I still have skeins of Imagine left. The solid blue is actually quite nice and may become a reversible cable scarf for someone. The variegated yarn will probably be donated.

Exhibit B: I also was quite fearless early on about the patterns I would try to follow. Some risks, like the Mosaic vest, turned out well; but not all did.

At some point, I was possessed to attempt Alice Starmore's Fulmar in Lion Brand Wool-Ease. [Now, this just seems wacky].

I'm not entirely ashamed of this one. True, it's in a marginally crappy yarn in a blah color; but it's a complicated pattern and I was pushing the envelope of my knitting ability at the time.

I have enough yarn to finish this sweater. I was going to donate it, but some of my knitting friends who have seen this scrap in person have almost convinced me to go ahead and finish it. It would make a good knock-around sweater. We'll see.

Well, we are coming to the end of the month and the end of my spooky stories. [This last story wasn't even very spooky. Sorry]. I've faced most of my major stash demons; there are only a couple of imps hanging around now.

I hope you've been amused or inspired to confront your own stash demons. Just remember, it's only yarn, it can't hurt you...it's the needles you have to look out for.

Sisters, Sisters

I brought my sister back to the airport tonight after a wonderful weekend visit.

Friday was our day downtown. We rode the Metro down for a day of museum hopping. We started out at the Smithsonian's Freer and Sackler Galleries which together form the US national museum of Asian art. There is so much to see there—both art and artifacts. I hadn't been yet, but I will be going back and bringing my sketchbook.

Charles Lang Freer also collected the work of expatriate American artist James McNeill Whistler, so the gallery also has more than 1300 of his works available for display. In addition to Whistler's paintings and drawings, there is the Peacock Dining Room, originally designed for a wealthy English shipowner and transformed by Whistler into a teal and gold fantasy. Take a look at the online exhibition about the room on the right to see pictures and read the story.

We had lunch at the Cascade Café in the National Gallery of Art and then went wandering through the galleries. Always enjoyable.

After, we had coffee and shared a brownie at the Pavilion Café in the National Gallery Sculpture Garden. It looks like they are already getting the fountain there ready for this winter's ice skating.

We walked through the sculpture garden and I showed her a couple of my favorites, like the continuously shifting perspective of Roy Lichtenstein's House I [although it appears flat in the photo, it's actually 3-dimensional] and the huge typewriter eraser by Oldenburg and van Bruggen aptly named Typewriter Eraser, Scale X. [Would kids today even know what a typewriter eraser is?]

Finally, we spent some time in the National Museum of Natural History before heading off to an early dinner.

At my boss's recommendation, we had dinner at Zaytinya. Similar to a tapas bar, you can order lots of interesting little dishes that let you try many different flavors. In this case, the delicious flavors come from Turkey, Greece, and Lebanon.

We were lucky we got there early because we didn't have reservations. Luckily, there were still tables available in the bar. That was fine with us; we had a great vantage point for people watching, and it was quite a group to watch. We also had a reasonably attentive waiter who insisted his name was Antonio Bandaras. He served us Black Sea martinis made with "Absolut, Ouzo, and Kahlua, served in a Turkish coffee rimmed martini glass." Yum.

Saturday was the day for touring the outer reaches. We drove past where she used to live [almost 30 years ago] and where I used to live. We hit IKEA and had various other retail experiences along the way. My sister bought nothing but was having fun encouraging me to spend a bit. We finished with dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. That was a pretty good day too.

We haven't always gotten along this well. I'm glad we are finally able to appreciate each other.

Later 'Tater

My sister will be visiting this weekend, so I'll be pretty scarce around here until Sunday night.

Thanks for all the kind words about Maidenhair. I'll go buy a new box of bandaids.

The Tale of the Scottish Maiden

"And they say that on foggy evenings, you can still see the forlorn maiden walking along the cliffs, her long hair billowing behind her. As she walks, she gazes out across the green sea, waiting for the Scottish fleet to return and bring her lover back to her".

Ah, the ending to a sad and tender ghost story about a faithful apparition who waits and waits for her love to return. Not scary, just a little spooky.

Similarly, tonight's tale isn't of a horrific sweater gone bad, just something that's taking entirely too long to complete. The sweater in question is Alice Starmore's Maidenhair cardigan from Aran Knitting, knit in Sea Green Scottish Fleet.

I started this sweater many years ago—long enough ago that I was still using straight needles. [I remember finding Wendy's pictures of her completed Maidenhair online (preblog) and writing to ask her about it]. I seem to take it out once a year, knit an inch or two, and put it away again. I like the design, I believe I will like the sweater, the problem is with the yarn: it is unforgivingly rough. I have to tape up my fingers every time I knit with it or I get blisters. Now, mind you, it's not so bad that I'm thinking of giving it up altogether. I think that what I should do is make a commitment to finish it, and then put in rotation with projects that are soft and easy on the hands.

For anyone who knows this design and is interested, you may have noticed that I've changed the cables a tiny bit [Sacrilege!]. I didn't care for cable A in the original, so I searched for another with the same stitch count and row repeat that had a similar feel. This is what I came up with. I dunno, works for me. So, sue me. [On second thought, I take that back].

I had some knitting friends over tonight and showed them all the horrors in person. Their opinions were: old Old Tile is ugly as sin and I should knit new Old Tile; the blood red Tiur sweater was beautiful and I was nuts to rip it out; and Maidenhair is definitely worth finishing. [They also had an unexpected opinion about one of the subjects of my next tale].

Design Class

I spent part of Friday confronting, organizing, and cataloging the stash. I'm almost down to the bottom of the pile. I've uncovered a few more horrors, but I'm going to take a break from the terror tales for some other knitting talk.

On Saturday, I took a class at Yarns International taught by Ron Schweitzer called 'Designing for Fair Isle Knitting'. I was one of only five students in the class, which allowed every one to show their homework and ask lots of questions. Ron is a wonderful and generous teacher. It was a great class and I'm very glad that I had the opportunity to attend.

Although this was billed as a class on Fair Isle design, it was really more of a class on the kind of stranded knitting designs that Ron does so well. Many of his designs, like those specifically for Shetland 2000 yarn, have allover tessellated patterns rather than the more traditional arrangement of pattern elements into horizontal bands.

Part of the homework for the class was to take small, basic units and build them into tessellated patterns on our own through gliding, mirroring, and rotation. We were to consider straight lines, curved lines, and patterns from nature, drawing on our surroundings for inspiration. In class, we discussed everyone's homework designs and how they illustrated the principles discussed in the class packet.

I brought in a few designs that I thought were OK; however, Ron had suggestions of how to expand and improve them. It's amazing what someone with creativity and a practiced eye can do.

The second half of the class dealt with design placement and centering, overall sizing, neck shaping, arm decreases, and cardigan modifications. He walked us through the whole sweater design process and made it seem so possible.

He really ignited a creative spark in me. Let's see if I can keep it going. Ron gave me particular encouragement to continue to develop one of my patterns. What I would need to do to next is pick out some yarn for swatching colors combinations. Although he covered some of that in the class too, I'm still a little intimidated by color.

I didn't buy any yarn for swatching, but I didn't come away empty handed. I bought Rowan #34 to help me further contemplate my future with the new Old Tile and I also bought enough Manos to start a new afghan for myself.

[The next Spooky Stash Tale: 'Lost at Sea']

More Spooky Stash Tales

The Blood Red Sweater

In my September 3rd entry, I cataloged my fascination with blood-red shades of yarn. This obsession probably began with a failed attempt to complete this sweater from the Fall '98 issue of Vogue Knitting magazine.

Five years ago, this sweater was knit and blocked and only needed buttons to be complete. I panicked and decided that it was a bit too snug and that no amount of additional blocking was going to make it a comfortable fit. The lie I told myself at the time was that blocking would fix everything. Obviously, there are limits. [I could never fit into this sweater now].

I began to rip it out, panicked again, and [you guessed it] stuffed it into a box. Over the years, I've confronted it on several occasions; even going so far as to unkink some of the yarn.

Looking back at the magazine, I still really like the pattern. I have some extra skeins of this yarn, Dale Tiur, and I'd try to knit this design again in a bigger size, but I'm not sure that the dye lots match and I'm afraid it will be noticeable. In the mean time, I've got blood on my hands.

[You'll notice that this is a cable and lace pattern, similar to the one I'm knitting in a pure, cream-colored yarn. Coincidence? You be the judge...]

Spooky Stash Tales

Ah, yes children, it is that spookiest month of the year when weird and terrible things are among us.

Look out! Over there, a mass rises and takes form. It grows and grows. It threatens to engulf everything in it's path it is...

THE STASH!!

Within this heap rest the ghosts of knitting projects long-abandoned. [woooooooo]. My blood runs cold when I think of the dismembered sweater pieces that can be found in it's depths waiting...waiting...waiting for a resolution to their endless torment. [tick...tick...tick...] Oh, how they long for the agony to end; either to become whole and be delivered from this wasteland, or to be unraveled into oblivion to gain a chance at redemption. [aaaaaaaaaaaaaah].

For the rest of this month, I will attempt to bring you some of the more harrowing tales of horror from the stash. [iiiieeeeeee]. A few of these stories may be too graphic, too frightening. [boo]. However, I'll try to share as much with you as I can so that you may learn from my hubris and folly. [alas, woe is me].

Tonight's Spooky Stash Tale:

The Ghost of Old Tile

Old Tile was I pattern I fell for from the first time I saw it in Rowan #21. I fell hard. Unfortunately, by that time many of the yarns were discontinued and difficult to find. I did manage to find a seller who recommended some substitutions I felt OK with, even if they were a bit pastelly. [This should have been my first warning, but I plunged in, credit card in hand].

When the yarn arrived, I began to knit immediately. Gauge be damned! We were young and in love. [At this point, you may want to make sure that the lights are on and that you aren't alone]. I forged ahead, also ignoring that the pattern was only written in one size, a size that on a good day would be smallish on me. [I was mad with desire, that's the only excuse].

The full horror was not revealed to me until I had finished the first sleeve.

The scales fell from my eyes. Although technically adequate, it was shrunken [i.e., too small] and hideously ugly.

What had I wrought? What had become of my love? The horror, people, the HORROR!!

This is perhaps the most shameful episode of my knitting career. I pushed it deep, deep into memory. I tried to leave it behind and moved on to happier things. I left Old Tile in the past.

Then, the other day, it bubbled back to the surface with a foul and sickening stench when I unearthed the box in which this monstrosity had been entombed. There it was, mocking me cruelly, although not undeservedly. [How fast can I stuff it back in the box?]

And as if my rediscovered shame were not enough, Old Tile has risen again to tempt me in Rowan #34, this time in Felted Tweed and Kidsilk Haze and in a range of sizes. [A dagger in my heart I tell you].

I will finish this story, however, with a ray of hope for the future. Today, Emma, showed pictures of this most recent incarnation in progress in the very capable hands of Sissel. Perhaps Old Tile will finally receive the love it deserves. [Alas, after seeing this I am so tempted to wade into this pool again. Will I never learn?]

Here ends the first tale of horror from the stash. Heed my warning, children, and beware. [Bwah-ha-ha].

Mmmmm...Like Yoda, I am.

[Too bad I look like him as well].

Knitting Library

This is my entire knitting library: every book, magazine, pamphlet, and catalog. This weekend's task was to organize all of it. Now, in theory, I should be able to find whatever I'm looking for.

Maybe this looks like a lot to you, maybe not. Actually, this is less than I thought there'd be, considering that this is everything. Of course, this isn't everything I wish there was. Recently, I've been showing uncharacteristic restraint when it comes to opportunities to acquire new knitting books.

A few of the books I am resisting at the moment:

The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques,

Kaffe Fassett's Pattern Library: Over 190 Creative Knitwear Designs,

Unexpected Knitting

CPS Progresses

I'm finally back to working on CPS. One reason I decided to organize all the knitting literature was that after five months I couldn't find the pattern. Pattern found, knitting recommenced.

05:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

October 09, 2003

Need a change of pace?

Why not try some lace?

I know I said I'd get back to CPS as soon as the afghan was finished, but I'm still working up my nerve. Instead, I thought I'd play around with some Zephyr Wool-Silk that I picked up from the Mannings in August at the Great East Coast Knit-In. The color is Mahogany, which is a bit deeper than it appears in the picture. The pattern is just a simple herringbone lace.

I managed three inches last night and I've doubled that tonight. If I can keep it going for about another 52 inches, someone may be getting a lace scarf for Christmas.

Thanks for all the nice comments on the tumbling block afghan.

The details again: I originally got the pattern from Plymouth Yarn booklet #663, Designs for the Home. It's knit on US8 needles using eight skeins of Plymouth Encore. The tumbling block stitch pattern can also be found in the book Vogue Knitting where it is called the 'diamond and lozenge pattern'.

This is the third time I've made this afghan—all have been gifts. I probably won't be making this pattern again any time soon though. Three times is probably enough.

I like the pattern because there is no sewing and the pattern repeat is easy to memorize. The Encore can be machine washed and dried, so it's good for gifts because you don't have to give any special care instructions.

Rachael wondered how I could give it away. Well, because I'm planning to make another afghan for myself. It's going to be very nice and definitely not to be put in the dryer. I'm hoping to buy at least some of the yarn for it next weekend so I had better get finished up with CPS soon.

Finally [I probably should have been mentioning this more often], I still have fifteen 20% lifetime discount codes on new TypePad accounts to give away. They've officially launched and are offering a 10% lifetime discount; but, until the end of November, I can offer you another 10% off. [BTW, I don't benefit from this in anyway. They gave these codes to the beta testers as a thank you, that's all]. If you've considered starting a blog or switching to TypePad, now would be a good time.

08:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

October 07, 2003

Ready for Delivery

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October 05, 2003

By request

My friend Christy has been asking for pictures of the apartment, so today I have this to share with you.

Click to see the full view.

There's some clutter by the desk, some pieces missing, and no pictures on the walls, but this is more or less the way it will be.

This is the bookcase on the opposite wall with a peek into the kitchen.

And just for Kerstin, who laments that there won't be 'another organizational blog', a peek into my junk drawer.

The Takoma Park Street Festival was taking place right out my front door today. I was going to take some pictures, but then I saw the pictures of last year's festival on the website. The scenes today looked pretty similar, just change all the shorts and tanktops to jeans and sweaters and you've got the idea.

04:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

October 04, 2003

TGIF

I recently changed my work schedule so that I get every other Friday off. Yesterday was the first free Friday I really got to enjoy. My last scheduled Friday off was the day after Isabel came through, so that was a bit anticlimactic. Everyone else got the day off too and I was stuck home without electricity.

Yesterday, I finally had time to bring the car in to have the radio fixed. I've been driving around without a working radio since the battery died last month. Apparently, I have a theft-lock system on my radio that got confused when all power was lost. Long story short: I had to take the car to the dealer and pay a ridiculous amount so that they could unlock it.

When I first got to the dealer, I got the world's worst service rep who seemed imply that the problem with the radio was due to some personal shortcoming of mine. I let myself be cowed and slunk off to the waiting area where I knit on a sock quite contentedly until he came and told me that there was a problem. I guess I've been a very bad girl because the fix was going to take several hours longer and involve calling the manufacturer to get the super double-secret code to unlock the radio.

After waiting and knitting some more, not quite so contentedly this time, I went and moped around the service desk. My service rep was nowhere to be found, but another one saw my sad state and offered me the free use of a rental car so I could get my errands done. Unbelievable! Real service.

When I got back after my errands, my original rep was being chewed out by another set of customers and the other reps weren't coming to his aid. Karma, ain't it a bitch.

Cables & Lace

Sharon asked about Cables & Lace: the pattern and the yarn come from Harrisville Designs.

Afghan Done

I've finished knitting the afghan. Now, I can weave in the ends and wash it before giving it to my former neighbor.

Back to CPS.

06:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

October 01, 2003

No mo' mojo

I suspect that I have lost [or at least, misplaced] my knitting mojo. I haven't worked on a 'real' sweater in a long time. Instead, I've been occupied with the afghan, mice, and socks. Now that there is that definite chill in the air [yay!], I'm getting the itch to get back to knitting sweaters.

The problem is, I'm sort of afraid to go back to sweaters now. My garment knitting has foundered since the beginning of the summer. Every summer-type sweater I started ran into difficulty. While everyone else seemed to be cranking out tanks and Smooches and Ribbies, I stalled and sputtered. Hmm...I haven't said anything about Mandalay for awhile, and I never did mention the Shapely Tee that's been in the progress bars.

I realize that I've had a lot going on with the move and the hurricane and all, but those kinds of hurdles don't seem to have stopped others. I'm all talk and no action. I need to ditch the excuses and get back to the knitting. Despite the good-natured ding by Kerstin, this is not 'another organizational blog'.

[BTW, Sarah, don't feel bad about alphabetizing your spices, I organize mine thematically. Talk about needing to get out more...]

Here's a blast from the past.

Remember Country Plaid Shirt (CPS)? It's been stuck at 60% done since May. I dug it out last night to assess the situation. OK, maybe it's actually been closer to 70% done all this time, but it's still been stuck. As soon as the afghan is done, this gets my full attention again.

And then there's Cables & Lace. [Can anyone remember back that far? That's going way back].

I bought the yarn for it at last year's Stitches and started it at Christmas. Let's see if I can get it done by Christmas this year.

There will be no Stitches for me this year, even though I have Friday off. No Fall Fiber Festival of Virginia either. [First, I passed on the Knit-out and now this. Lame!]

That doesn't mean that I don't have any knitting related field trips planned. On the 18th of this month, I'm going to be taking a Fair Isle design class at Yarns International from master FI designer Ron Schweitzer. The printed materials for the class arrived today. Now, I have a number of design homework projects to complete before the class.

I'm not looking to become a designer, but I want to take this opportunity to get some live instruction about combining patterns and colors. Even if I never knit my own design, I think I'll really enjoy exploring this topic.

08:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)