Cobweb knitting

I bought a skein of the Malabrigo Laceweight on a whim at the Yarn Garden because of the swatch hanging by it - absolutely gorgeous. It's merino singles, hand-dyed in Pearl the palest pinks and greys.


This yarn is exactly what I would imagine knitting with cobwebs would be like. Not cobweb weight yarn, actual cobwebs. That may not sound great, and it's certainly a little nerve-wracking, but it's sort of cool. I thought very carefully about what I wanted to make with this yarn before I started, because there is no going back. No frogging this stuff because the fibers stick to each other and it would be very easy to break the strand. I'm lucky if I can tink it. But there is no going back now.


I chose the Trellis scarf by Evelyn Clark from Interweave. It only calls for 440 yards of laceweight and it's fairly simple, except for the whole 7-into-5-cluster thing. Knit 7 together, leave them on the needle, yo, knit the same seven together again, leave them on the needle, yo, knit the same seven together AGAIN and slip them off the needle. Oy. I had to switch from the bamboo to metal needles because the bamboo tips weren't pointy enought, but the metal ones aren't much better. I dread every first and ninth row of the lace pattern. But it makes the most be-yoooo-tiful stitch.

I killed the Print o' the Waves stole

In keeping with the "new year, new start" theme (I killed a houseplant too), I took it apart and rewound the yarn. I look forward to making something else with it.

The end of another knitting year

A couple of year ago, I made some knitting resolutions for New Years, most of which I've broken since (most notably the washable yarn one). There are really no resolutions for this year, other than to make sure that the things I'm making are things I love. That means 1) no knitting obligatory Christmas gifts (they haven't been obligatory in the past, but I have been a little unrealistic about time investment) and 2) if I don't love what I'm knitting (for whatever reason), I rip it back and start over. Most of the stuff that sits unfinished for a long time is stuff I just don't like. (That includes you, Print o' the Waves Stole.)

In seasonal knitting news, I received Knitting Rules! by the Yarn Harlot for Christmas. This book solves a huge conundrum for me - people sometimes ask what books I've read lately and then look at me funny when I say I don't read anymore, I knit. Sorry, but it's the truth. It's not that I don't love reading - I really do, and I used to do a lot of it - but I'd just rather knit, so much so that I've given up one hobby entirely in favor of the other. But this past week, I read Knitting Rules! from cover to cover in a couple of days. How great is this - a book about knitting! And, like, not a pattern book. The Yarn Harlot is entertaining as always, and it's nice to hear someone else's thoughts on all things knitting. Considering I don't belong to any knitting circles, blog rings, or have many (currently) knitting friends, I don't get that very often.

I also stopped by the Yarn Garden when we were in Portland and got some new yarn with my Christmas money. A ball of socks yarn that is half way to being a pair of Monkeys, 3 balls of Classic Elite Classic Silk for the Coquette Lace Tube Top, a ball of Berroco Comfort for a Koolhaus Hat, and a skein of Malabrigo Laceweight for a scarf of some kind.

Happy New (Knitting) Year!

Trudie

I'm not sure what inspired Trudie, the turtle, other than an episode of Wild America I watched one Sunday back at the beginning of the summer. I liked the pattern on the bottom of the turtle shell and it occurred to me that it could be replicated in knitting by knitting into the front and back of a stitch. I just started knitting and stopped when she was done.




I actually started to make up a pattern for Trudie, with the intention of submitting it to Knitty for the winter issue. (I even took these pretty pictures - I'm sure the other people in the park thought I was nuts for taking pictures of a toy.) After I went to the trouble, I found they'd published a pattern for a knitted turtle last year. Damn. Mine is different, but I'm sure they don't need two turtles. Want the pattern? ETA: See below!

Pattern: Mine.
Yarn: about 2/3 of a ball of Dale Svale
Needles: US size 5 dpns
Comments: :-)

Trudie
by Sarah Castor

Difficulty: Intermediate

Trudie’s body is knit in one piece in the round, leaving an opening for her head to be knit on later by picking up stitches. Increases make the sunburst pattern in her plastron (undershell), while a simple knit and purl pattern forms the carapace (topshell).

SIZE

One size

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Length: 6.5 inches from head to tail
Height: 3 inches

MATERIALS

Dale of Norway Svale [50% cotton/40% viscose/10% silk; 114yds per 50g skein]; color: 7432 light green; 1 skein (about 80 yds used)

1 set US #5/3.75mm double-point needles

Polyester fiberfill for stuffing

Two small white 4-hole buttons

black sewing thread and sewing needle

tapestry needle

stitch marker

US size E-4 (3.5 mm) crochet hook for picking up stitches (optional)

GAUGE

24 sts/32 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch

Gauge is not important for this project; just make sure the fabric is firm enough that the stuffing does not show through.

PATTERN NOTES

Eyes:

If you are making Trudie for a small child or baby, forgo the buttons and use the black thread to embroider the eyes onto the head. Button eyes can be popped off and swallowed by young children.

Needles:

Since the pattern is worked in multiples of 8, a set of 5 dpns is recommended, although not necessary.

sk2p:

Slip the next stitch knitwise, knit the next two stitches together, pass the slipped stitch over the stitches knitted together and off the needle.

PATTERN

Body

Cast on 8 sts, leaving 6 inch tail of yarn. Distribute sts evenly on dpns and join for working in the round, placing a marker at the beginning.

Round 1: K to end.
Round 2: Kfb to end. (16 sts)
Round 3: [K1, kfb] to end. (24sts)
Round 4: K to end.
Round 5: [K2, kfb] to end. (32 sts)
Repeat the last 2 rows, adding one knit stitch before each kfb until there are 80 sts.
Round 18: [K9, P1] to end.

Make opening for head:

Round 19: K2, bind off 6 sts, K1, P1, [K9, P1] to end.
Round 20: K2, cast on 6 sts, K1, P1, [K9, P1] to end.
Round 21: As round 18.

Begin topshell:

Round 22: P to end.
Round 23: P2, [K5, P5] to last 8 sts, K5, P3.
Round 24: P1, [K3, ssk, K2, P3] to last 9 sts, K3, ssk, K2, P2. (72 sts)
Round 25: P1, [K6, P3] 8 sts, K6, P2.
Round 26 and 27: [K8, P1] to end.
Round 28: [K3, ssk, K3, P1] to end. (64 sts)
Round 29: P1, [K5, P3] to last 7 sts, K5, P2.
Round 30: P1, [K5, P1, K1, P1] to last 7 sts, K5, P1, K1.

Start stuffing the body and add stuffing as you go.

Round 31: K1, [P1, K3] to last 3 sts, P1, K2.
Round 32: K1, [P2, p2tog, P1, K3] to last 7 sts, P2, p2tog, P1, K2. (56 sts)
Round 33: K2, [P2, K5], to last 5 sts, P2, K3.
Round 34: K2, [p2tog, K5] to last 5 sts, p2tog, K3. (48 sts)
Round 35: K2, [P1, K5] to last 4 sts, P1, K3.
Round 36: K1, [P3, ssk, K1] to last 5 sts, P3, ssk. (40 sts)
Round 37: K1, [P1, K1, P1, K2] to last 4 sts, [P1, K1] twice, rm, purl the first stitch of the next round to make it the last stitch of the current round, pm.
Round 38: [K3, p2tog] to end. (32 sts)
Round 39: [K3, P1] to end.
Round 40: [Ssk, K1, P1] to end. (24 sts)
Round 41: P to end.
Round 42: [Ssk, K1] to end. (16 sts)
Round 43: K to end.
Round 44: Ssk to end. (8 sts)

Add the last stuffing. Cut yarn and thread through the remaining 8 sts to close.

Head

Note: Stuff the head as you knit it.

Using three needles and starting at the right edge, pick up 18 sts around the head opening.

K one round.

Next round: [K2, M1] 3 times, K5, [M1, K2] 3 times, K1. (24 sts)

K 3 rounds.

Next round: [Ssk, K7, k2tog, K1] to end. (20 sts)

K one round.

Next round: [Ssk, K5, k2tog, K1] to end. (16 sts)

Next round: [Ssk, K3, k2tog, K1] to end. (12 sts)

Next round: [Ssk, K1, k2tog, K1] to end. (8 sts)

Last round: [Sk2p, K1] to end. (4 sts)

Add the last stuffing. Cut yarn and thread it through the remaining sts to close.

Legs (make 4)

Cast on 18 sts, distribute evenly on three needles and join for working in the round.

K 4 rounds.

Next round: [Ssk, K1] 6 times. (12 sts)

K one round.

Next round: Ssk to end. (6 sts)

Cut yarn and thread through the remaining sts to close.

Tail

Cast on 10 sts, distribute on three needles and join for working in the round.

K one round.

Next round: [Ssk, K1, k2tog] twice. (6 sts)

K one more round. Cut yarn and thread it through the remaining sts to close.

FINISHING

Use cast-on tail to close the hole in the belly. Stuff the feet and sew onto the body. Press the tail flat and sew onto the body (the tail is not stuffed). Weave in ends. With a sewing needle threaded with black thread, sew button eyes onto head.

© 2007 Sarah L. Castor

Please use this pattern responsibly - that means, print a copy for yourself, but do not print copies for distribution or sale or use the pattern to make little Trudies for sale. Thanks.

Quarterly update

It seems that's about how often I get around to this. Wish List, In Progress, and Finished! have been updated, but I don't have pictures. Sorry, sorry, sorry. I suck at pictures, Matthew has been really busy, and frankly, life has kinda sucked lately.

And I've been working on a secret project. It's secret because I'm going to submit it for publication and it can't appear anywhere before that.

I really will try to get it together soon and make a post of substance.

Is that good or bad?

Uh oh. I checked out the preview of the Winter Interweave Knits and unless the small pictures deceive me, there is only one sweater I would consider knitting (Henley Perfected). But perhaps that's a good thing. I'm currently without yarn (and may be for quite some time), I did make 4 things out of the Fall IK, and there are even a couple more out of that issue that I would like to make in the future. So I guess I'm set for a while anyway.

Yes, this means I've finished 4 projects since I last blogged. I will try to catch up soon, but that means getting my better half to help me take pictures.

Grey Squirrellies and Knits

Oh boy, first post from Bend! We've been here about a month and there has been plenty of knitting, but we're not really feeling settled yet, so I haven't blogged about it. But I suppose now is as good as any time, so here's an update. To start, our mascot, helping himself to sunflower seeds out of the bird feeder:



Okay, knitting...

I have three new sweaters in progress, all from the latest Interweave Knits, none previously on the Wish List. Number 1 is the Tangled Yoke Cardigan, and I took the cabled jacket apart to use the Jo Sharp Silkroad Tweed. I really like the cabled jacket pattern, but to be honest, there wasn't quite enough yarn for it and it wasn't knitting up at the right gauge. I'll try it another time.

It's a good thing that I didn't write that post about how I have finally learned my lesson about making gauge swatches, because I violated the first rule of knitting with this sweater: I cast on 202 stitches without making a gauge swatch. I then proceeded to violate the second rule of knitting by not being honest with myself about the fact that it was turning out too big. I knit the whole sweater. Whole thing. See, here's proof:


I even tried to then convince myself that it might block out smaller. (I was in serious denial.) Fortunately, I came to my senses before I weaved in the ends and tried to block it. I did a blog search for it, to see what other people's finished sweaters looked like, and they looked really good in the proper size. So I acknowledged that it was too big, and then I took it apart. Whole thing. And I started over on size 4 needles (rather than size 5).

I now have the body up to the arms and one sleeve completed and it's looking much better this time; the fabric is firmer and more even, even though I didn't wash the yarn to remove the kinks.


Sweaters 2 and 3 are the Minimalist Cardigan and the Cobblestone Pullover (for Matthew!). I bought the yarn with the gift certificate Gail sent me for my birthday - hooray for free yarn!

The Minimalist Cardigan is made out of Baby Alpaca Brush (drool) and although the band calls for bigger needles, it knitted up just right on size 7's. It all finished, but my drying racks for blocking are in storage, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to assemble it. And then there's the question of what to seam it with - the Baby Alpaca Brush is to fuzzy, I think I'll need a smoother yarn in a similar color. (The following picture does a really awful job of representing the true color, but I was just to lazy to photoshop. It's really much darker and bolder.)


The Cobblestone Pullover is Matthew's first sweater (knit by me) ever! We are married now, after all. I was originally going to design something to his specifications and he wanted it to look like one of his Banana Republic 1/4-zip fleeces, but I'm glad we found a published patter he liked. I was worried that he would be disappointed about the sweater version of a fleece.

He chose Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted in charcoal. I'm getting gauge in stitches, but not rows - about 6 rows per inch instead of 7.25 in stockinette is a big difference. I'm hoping the row gauge is really for the garter stitch yoke, garter stitch sucks the rows together to about the right gauge. I did have to change the sleeve increases to every seven rounds instead of every eight. I have the body, almost up to the arms and 1.5 sleeves so far. The body was a killer with all the boring stockinette, so I haven't finished it yet. I was hoping that completing the arms would be good motivation to finish the body.


And I suppose that brings us up to date. I'd really love to have a smaller project to work on, like socks, so maybe when I return the extra Baby Alpaca Brush, I'll get some sock yarn. I forgot what it's like to live in a climate where socks are comfortable - it's awesome! But what sock pattern to choose?

I kid you not

I think the photo speaks for itself, but to summarize: after three attempts to complete the shawl using the 800 yards called for (*ehem*), I'm still about 4 repeats of the border short. The border that I already reduced to try to finish it.



I'm left with, I think, three real possibilities for what to do next:
1) Cut it to shreads.
2) Take the border off and try to crochet something on.
3) Use a different yarn to close the gap. I might be able to find the same yarn in another color.

Any votes?

Since virtually all the knitting has been packed, I have picked up a needlepoint project I started about 3.5 years ago. Our mascot:


I dropped this project after completing 0.5% of it, right before I picked up knitting again at the beginning of 2004. It's been a really enjoyable project for the last week or so. It was always at the back of my mind (and my desk), but completing it seemed daunting until now. Just the background to go.

I'm sure we'll return to regularly scheduled knitting after the move. Until then, ciao!

Wish List

Since Shannon commented about the wish list, I should tell you what it's all about. This list is composed of items I would love to knit if only I had the (yarn/money, time, motivation, skills, guts, lack of practicality.)

For instance, Mon Petit Chou has not been made because, although it would be a cheap and fun project, would it ever get used? I love the idea of knitted undergarments, but I'm skeptical about the reality.

Clessidra is a victim of the fact that I hate wearing socks. Love knitting them, hate wearing them. But I really desperately want to make these. I even know the yarn: Knit Picks Gloss in Serengeti.

Mirepoix Bodice intimidates me already and I haven't even seen the pattern. I have a little bit of practice with fair isle in the round, but I tried it back and forth (i.e. purling with multiple colors) and it sucks. It just sucks. Based on the design, I'm guessing it's knit back and forth at least for a portion. The alternative would be that it's knit in the round and that presents its own problem because I have never done steeks, but they don't look fun.

The Debbie Bliss coat is the most likely candidate for next project. I think it's something I would wear a lot and I have a $100 gift certificate to the yarn shop in Bend, which would buy me enough for a slightly shorter version (shorter is good).

So some items on the Wish List may move onto the In Progress list and others may not.

For now, all the knitting is packed away except for the cable coat and the print shawl (more on that is the next post). I've actually been doing some needlepoint I started a long time ago. Also got the coolest book for when I start felting: Fleece Dog.

Uh oh

I rounded the third corner (completing the second short side of the shawl) and now I'm worried about the amount of yarn I have left. Not looking so good anymore. So I'm avoiding it.

I've been working on some more small projects to use up some leftover yarn. So far I have a baby bolero and two petal bibs from One Skein (awesome book, I have made a lot of the projects in there already). I started a one-cable scarf as well.



(The other bib is blue with a green tie. And the ends have now been woven in.)

By the way: Friends, start having kids, will you? I have way too much baby stuff and no babies.

My mother-in-law, Gail, sent me a box of goodies for needle felting - all the implements needed, a book on the subject and a bunch of roving (wool, angora, and baby alpaca)! But I have no idea what to do with it or what sort of project I'd like to make. I'll have to play around with the technique and some designs, but for right now, I'm just petting the roving.

Since we are moving to Bend, OR soon, I'm researching good crafty places. Juniper Fiberworks is awesome (already a big fan), and the Stitchin' Post in Sisters looks like it carries a lot of great fabric. There are several other quilting supply places. Still looking for places to get fabric for clothing (besides Joann and Hancock Fabrics).