Pondering Fair Isle

- I think I like looking at fair isle stitches rather than knitting them.

- I realize why most fair isle sweaters are knit in the round and steeked. Purling + Fair Isle = No fun!

- EZ recommends in Knitting Without Tears to put a couple of short rows in the back neck so the collar will sit better. I felt really smart for doing the calcs and executing the short rows all by myself. Then I thought after I knit them, does a baby really need the sweater neck to lay properly? All they do is lay down and sit up anyway right? oh well.


- One must have options when executing a make one to get the effect you want. I tried 3 different ones before I found the one that worked properly.

- Buttonholes? I can barely pay attention to what row I'm on, then to throw a [K2tog, YO] into the mix. Thank goodness for plan B, sew on snaps!

- I found another reason why fair isle is knit in the round. Three words: Weaving. In. Ends.


- I should have done a gauge swatch, but I like living on the edge :-) I still hold the option to eat those words later.

- This is the first time I'm actually looking forward to knitting many rows in stockinette.

Try'in Design'in

I'm not ready to give up on this blog. Even though I neglect the poor thing, I still like to express myself this way every once in a while. I've been up to a lot but I'd rather not be guilty of information overload so I'll just talk about what I'm working on right now.

I have a baby shower to attend pretty soon so I had to think of what I would make for this event. My buddy Maribel from my Barnes & Nobles knitting group has been working on this baby set for her cousin who's due. The set consists of a log cabin baby blanket and the five hour baby sweater all done in shades of purples. I fell in love with her sweater because the increases didn't look like the ones done in the original 5 hour baby sweater. Of course when I looked on Ravelry there were about 80 different versions of this sweater but I narrowed it down to the one Maribel used which is this one (rav link).

I thought this sweater would look great with a fair isle yoke so I decided to try and design one. I'm using all the stitch and row counts from the original pattern but I'm only doing 3 increase rows based on the Elizabeth Zimmerman Percentage System (EPS, they have a group on Rav, go check it out) I'm using 5, 11 and 4 row patterns from Sheila McGregors book Traditional Fair Isle Knitting and Alice Starmore's Fair Isle Knitting book. I have every thing mapped out so all that's left to do is cast on. Hopefully, I'll be able to document the whole process or at least show pics of the FO. Until next time.

Where's the handbook when you need it?

Am I a bad mom because I'm contemplating buying my eight year old a winter hat and scarf set instead of making one? I feel so guilty because it would take me no time at all to whip him up a simple hat from my stash yarn......but I don't know if I want to.

Are moms even allowed to be selfish?

I wish there was a Knitting Moms Handbook I could reference for situations like these.

I guess I could buy him a cheap hat for now to tide him over until I can make him something. Then I can take my time to make him something fit for a knitters kid, yeah that sounds about right.

What the heck happened to the hat I made him last year? I think knitting goblins took it.

He wants an Amtrak hat. When I asked him what that is he drew me a picture. Its a red hat with the Amtrak logo in blue & green. I'm really not feeling it because the design is too simple for my taste but I can't deny my child. I'll probably duplicate stitch the logo since I have yet to try that technique, yeah that sounds about right.

Being the selfish knitter that I am I worked on a swatch today during my commute which is for a vest I'm designing. I love the simplicity of a simple vest over a crisp collard shirt. The yarn I'm using is super elastic so the vest will be pretty fitted. I'll keep you posted.

Wow, three days in a row. I think that's a new record.

Outta My System

Now I can finally stop obsessing over this thing. I swatched on Wednesday during Lost and casted on yesterday. I felt compelled to finish or else this thing haunt me forever. You wanna know something? After everything was said and done, I thought to myself ...."Meh".

It was a very anticlimactic moment. It didn't turn out exactly how I remembered the orginal holy grail of a hat as being but its close enough. I'm not bummed out about it though. I know that my indifference stems from my yarn choice. The original hat was done in an aran tweed and here I used lustrous Vanna's choice acrylic. By the way, Vanna's choice is my favorite acrylic yarn to use. They come in some really nice colors. Except for the baby colors, they're not my cup of tea.

All in all, my obsession has been quenched and I'm glad that I can get back to knitting my socks. I took some notes so I'll definitely be on the lookout for some tweed yarn...or maybe just try to spin some up. Did somebody say Webs anniversary sale? Who said that? Bad enablers, no cookies for you!

Trainspotting & Copycating

Thanks guys for all your comments on my last post. I really appreciate your feedback and its also nice to know that I'm not in this boat alone, knowhatimsayin?

Anyway, I sat next to this guy on the 6 train during my ride home and I couldn't help but stare at his hat. We played that little game where whenever he turned his head I would examine the stitches in his hat, then he would feel my eyes on him so he'd turn back around and I'd divert my attention really quick so he wouldn't think I was a weirdo. I'm not a shy person so I finally just blurted out " I luv your hat" with a dumb look on my face. Then Kim said (did I mention that I ride home with my co-worker & knitting confidant Kim?) "We're knitters and we were just admiring your hat". He blushed a little and said thanks and that everyone seems to comment on his hat. He picked it up at an American Eagle Urban Outfitters (something like that) store 6 years ago. We continued to oogle over his hat the rest of the ride until he got off at 103rd. Thats when the wheels started turning in my mind.

I haven't been able to keep that hat off my mind, I think I'm obsessed! The hat was a pale green with specks of other colors in it, read: tweed. It must've been wool because he tugged on it and it was pretty givey. I wanted to ask him if I could turn it inside out so I could examine theI thought was very nice of him. I know I keep beating around the bush when it comes to the details of the pattern but hey, I'm trying to create some drama here. The pattern wasn't anything complicated but it was just how everything married together so perfectly, the tweedy yarn, the close fit but not too tight, the sparse single slipped stitches on a reverse stockinette background and the icing on the cake....(wait for it).... the sideways brim knit in reverse stockinette! Simple right? But believe you me, it was fly. 

Hopefully I'll get to bed at a decent hour because I know this hat is going to keep me up for a while. Maybe I'll be able to get it out of my system by the time Lost is over.

TCB

This post will be very short because I don't have any project updates or pictures for you guys. Just like the title says, just trying to take care of some business.

First order of business, I held a little blogiversary contest in my last post so its time to pick a winner. Actually I'm going to do that as we speak (er........or as I type). I just asked my Sweetie for any number between 1 & 15 because I currently have 15 comments on the last post. He can't see the screen right now cause he's at his DJ setup messing around with some music......Now I'm yelling at him because the music is so loud.......OK he picked one and the winner is........Number 15 YAY.....wait,let me go check to make sure she used the letter Q........yup she did, Congratulations Stickyfingers! Write me an email (my addy's in the sidebar) with your 2 favorite colors and your address. I'll let you know once I've sewn the bag and its on the way to you.

Because I'm a big softee at heart and I wish everyone was a winner, I'm going to pick a second place winner from a random number generator and this person will receive a set of 6 stitch markers hand made by me in their favorite color. So the winner for that is .........number 10, Hopie Knits! So Hope, send me an email with your address and favorite color when you get a chance. Thanks everybody for playing.

Second and last order of business concerns a pattern. A while ago I crocheted a little hat for my Sweetie seen here. A couple of people asked for the pattern and here it is. If anyone tries it, please let me know how it went, I would love to see pictures.

OK, that it for now, I'll have an update across all craft fronts next time. See ya.

R&B INSPIRED KUFI by Harlem Purls

This hat was inspired by the one Eddie Murphy wore in the movie Dreamgirls. This hat is also similar to the crocheted hats Marvin Gaye wore during his career. Here’s my interpretation of the pattern. For this pattern you will need 4 different colors of heavy worsted weight yarn. I used acrylic scraps that I had in my stash. For this pattern I have labeled the different colors 1 thru 4. Here’s an example of how I identified my colors but you can use whatever order suits you:

Color 1 – Light Color

Color 2 – Medium Light Color

Color 3 – Medium Dark Color

Color 4 – Dark Color

Please also note that the beginning chains of a row do not count as a stitch. This pattern has not been tested so please let me know if you have any questions or find anything wonky. Enjoy.

Abbreviations:

Beg beginning

Ch chain

Dc double crochet

Rep Repeat

Rnd Round

Sl st slip stitch

St(s) stitch(es)

Trc triple crochet

Gauge:

12 dc = 4 inches

Hook – Size I – 5.5mm

Pattern:

Starting with Color 3, form a ring , chain (ch) 3 and make 12 triple crochet (trc) into ring. Slip stitch (sl st) to top of beginning (beg) ch to join.

Row 1: Ch 3. 2 trc in each st across, sl st in beg ch to join – (24 sts)

Row 2: Ch 3. *Skip 2 sts, 5 trc in next st, ch 1, rep from * 7 more times omitting the ch 1 on last cluster, change to Color 1, sl st in beg ch to join.

Row 3: Ch 3. Skip 2 sts, *4 trc in 3^rd trc of cluster below, ch 3, rep from * 7 more times omitting last 2 chains, sl st in beg ch to join.

Row 4: Ch 2. Dc in each st and ch across, change to Color 4, sl st in beg ch to join – (54 sts)

Row 5: Ch 3. *Skip 2 sts, 3 trc in next st, ch 1, rep from * across 17 more times, sl st in beg ch to join.

Row 6: Ch 2. Dc in each st and ch across. Change to Color 2, sl st in beg ch to join – (55 sts)

Row 7: Ch 3. Trc in each st across, sl st in beg ch to join.

Row 8: Ch 2. Dc in each st across. Change to Color 4, sl st in beg ch to join.

Row 9: Ch 1. Sc in each st across, sl st in beg ch to join.

Row 10: Ch 1. Sc in each st across. Change to Color 3, sl st in beg ch to join.

Row 11: Ch 1. Sc in each st across, sl st in beg ch to join.

Row 12: Ch 1. Sc in each st across, sl st in beg ch to join.

Row 13: Ch 1. Sc in each st across, sl st in beg ch to join.

Row 14: Ch 1. Sc in each st across. Change to Color 2, sl st in beg ch to join.

Row 15: Ch 1. Sc in each st across. Fasten off.

In Progress

I had a couple of minutes to myself so I figured I'd put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard depending on how you look at it ) and write a little sumthin sumthin.

Well I've been suffering hard from Knitters ADD. I've been having serious gauge issues lately which seems to fuel my project polygamy. I think its true when they say that your knitting is directly related to your mood. I've been wanting to blog for the longest just to get some thought out of my head but my mind feels like its being pulled off in fifty million directions. I just don't feel centered on one thing and I'm thinking its the holidays that have me feeling like an erratic mad woman. So I apologize if this post seems like I'm off somewhere else (because I am). Anyway, on with the show.

UGhhhh

Here are the mishaps that have had my knickers in a bunch (dontcha just love that expression).

First off is the bog jacket I planned for Little Boy Blue. I love Elizabeth Zimmermans patterns but being the impatient person that I am I didn't read the whole unpattern through properly before writing up my notes. I was OK with the sweater until I got the shoulders. I had planned to put all the bells and whistles on this jacket including the longer sleeves, shoulder shaping and back neck shaping. My downfall came from placing the shoulder shaping in the wrong spot. You can clearly see in this photo that there is no way to correct this without ripping out the whole top of the sweater and frankly thats not going to happen (please pay no attention to my mess in the background) I'm not a big fan of garter stitch so I can't see myself starting this pattern all over right now. I just have to take an L on this one and wash my hands of it.

Next up in the Ugh category is a project that was more than a year in the making. In August of 2006 I made a feeble attempt to make a fair isle mitten. All I managed to knit since then was about an inch of ribbing. Fair isle still seems to intrigue me but I have yet to finish one project that I've started using stranded knitting (case in point). So I decided to suck it up and try and bring this thing back into my knitting rotation. I already had about an inch of ribbing done on size 000 dpns so it took me about an hour to finish up the rest of the ribbing for the cuff. After that I got into the fair isle pattern and I was a giddy little knitter watching the pattern form. Then something told me that this looked kind of small. SO I tried it on and lo & behold, it was too small. Again, I do not wish to start ALL over again so this will sit in the corner until I know what the heck I want to do with it.

Instant Gratification Knitting

In between those mishaps, I've done a little knitting to get my mind off of the failures. The first one was out of necessity. Little boy blue needed some mittens so of course his mama had to make some for him.
These are the Target Mittens from the Knitting Nature book but I used the pattern in last years winter interweave knits. I used Plymouth Encour DK and you can find all the stats here on Ravelry.

DJ (my significant other) has been bugging me for a while now to make him a hat like the Marvin Gaye reminiscent one Eddie Murphy wore in Dreamgirls. I practically sat with picture in my lap while I crocheted the hat using odd balls of acrylic yarn. He loved it even though I took so long to make it. I even made him another one the very next day. I think they go great with his locs.

In Progress

Right now I'm working on some socks as travel knitting. I'm using the sock hop blogged about here on size 1's. I'm not really happy with this project but it gets me through the commute. The pattern is one of the rib ones from the More Sensational Knitted Socks book.

Next up is a vest that I started while at Rosi's post Thanksgiving get together. I scored this chunky yarn at Rhinebeck this year and I knew I wanted to make a nice V neck vest to go over a button down shirt. My inspiration is from my Traditional Fair Isle Knitting book and I'm using my Handy Dandy Notebook for the vest part. I'm using 2 three row patterns alternating with a 9 row and 13 row pattern in between. I may be about half way done and I'm hoping that the wonkiness will subside with some aggressive blocking.

Lastly I just started a new winter set starting with a hat. Right now I'm using my hat, scarf and mittens from last year and it just won't due. What kind of knitter would I be if I can't supply myself with a coordinating hat and scarf. Come on. Anyway, the yarn is some Caron brushed acrylic that I scored at Smileys a while ago. Of course I'm using my Handy Dandy Notebook for the pattern. I'm planning on alternating rows of stockinette, reverse stockinette and seed stitch for this hat. Once the hat is done I'm planning on knitting a Bainbridge scarf to match.

Thats about it. I am working on a detailed sheep to shawl project right now but I'll save that for another post. I also joined the WOW sock club. I'm using that in conjunction with Margene's earlier idea of wrapping them up to make it more of a surprise. Well until next time and if I don't have the chance to tell you hope you all have a wonderful Holiday.

All Socks, All The Time

Can you tell that I have a tiny obsession with knitting socks? Maybe more like an addiction. So you see why I had no other choice but to join the Summer of Socks knit along. It starts tomorrow and I am so amped. Well, I’m really not officially starting my summer of socks until this weekend due to another unfulfilled self imposed deadline. I wanted to finish my other Jaywalker by the time the knit along started but a little thing called “housework” got in the way. Here’s where I am and it looks like I won’t finish until this weekend. I’m not too torn up about it though.

Speaking of summer of socks, here’s what I’m planning:

- I’m most definitely gonna knit me a pair o’ dem there sidewinders. Those fillies is looking mighty fine and I can’t wait to give ‘em a go. I gots me here a skein o' Tofutsies that will fit in just right.

- I want to knit at least one pair top down. I seem to be a little set in my ways when it comes to toe up socks so I just wanna try to shake things up a bit.

- I want to knit a pair using my Socks that Rock in the Lucy colorway. I’ve been coveting this skein since Rhinebeck last year and I think it’s time to stop pussyfooting around and just knit it up.

- I want to knit a Cookie pattern and I think it’s gonna be Pomatomus. I’m still taking other suggestions though.

- My number one goal is to design a pair of socks.

I’ve been knitting socks long enough that I want to try my hand at designing some exactly the way I want it. It all started with this. I made that sock when I saw a post on Craftster asking if someone could make a pattern similar to a pictured sock that was in a gallery. So I figured I’d try it out and that was my interpretation. There were still some things to be reworked but I figured I’d get to it when I knit the second one. Well along came this pattern from Knitty and it dashed all my hopes. I thought that it was too similar to the one so I ended up thoroughly discouraged. I didn’t want to seem like I was biting off of anyone else’s pattern. So that lone sock still sits in a bag way down deep in my closet with all the other renegade projects (tiger striped scarf, blue fair isle snowflake hat, etc…).

So when thinking of designing a pattern for the SOS, I figured that maybe I can use the same pattern but put my usual remix on it. What if the open part on the top of the feet was done in lace to give it an open feel? And what if the laces were actually cables instead so everything could be knit in one piece like a regular sock? Here’s my brainstorming and the pattern I finally came up with. I haven’t swatched or anything, I’m waiting for this weekend but I did base it on my socks usually take 64 stitches on a size 1 needle. So far the pattern seems very fiddly and I’m not sure anyone else would want to go through all that just for a pair of socks but I can only imagine the level of accomplishment I’ll feel once they’re done.

Speaking of designing, I’m also trying to design a shrug. I just want something to cover my shoulders and that I can wear to work to try and dress up my tank tops. I’m using my Barbara Walker Book, Knitting From the Top as a reference. I figured it’s about time I worked on something that wasn’t socks, you know, just trying to shake things up a bit (again).

That’s cotton tape yarn that I scored form the Joan Vass sale last year (btw, all you New Yorkers, I called them and they are not having a sale this year but they said they would contact me and let me know when they do). I’m planning on plain stockinette on the back and fronts and a mock cable pattern on the short sleeves that’ll like flare out a little. I know what I’m picturing in my head but it’s hard to put it on paper.

I’ve been lacking in the spinning department. I’ve barely done any spinning. I’m still working on the second bobbin of the yarn pictured in my last post for a three ply yarn. The new Spin Off has a great article on spinning for a striped effect and I wish I would’ve had it before I started spinning this. All is not lost though because I can still use some of the techniques on the last bobbin that I spin.

Well that’s all folks. I should have more stuff stocked in the store by this weekend but we’ll see how the rest of this week goes. Sock On (I stole that outro from the SOS blog, just sayin)

I couldn't just leave you guys with just one sock picture. What kind of blogger would I be if I didn't leave you guys with some more gratuitous sock pics. This is my lone Lisa Souza Crosshatch Lace sock that will have to wait for the end of Summer of Socks for it's mate. Poor sockie.