A Few Days in Denver

I went to visit my daughter in Denver this week for some much needed mother-daughter time.  The whole month of January was lost to my gallbladder ‘event’ and, although I was enjoying the restful time of recuperation at home, I was more than ready to get out and have a bit of girl fun.  We packed our three days together with great food, hair cuts, pedicures, shopping and seeing Dirty Dancing at the Buell Theatre.

My visits to Denver are never complete unless I get to spend some time in a fantastic store called Fancy Tiger Crafts.  I seriously love this store!

First off, it is a quilting nirvana for modern quilters…Amy Butler…Liberty of London, etc.  It is a revolutionary shop with a modern twist on many different clothing and accessories.  The women in the shop are young and eager to help you, the clientele is young, too.  It does my heart good to see young women knitting and sewing because I feel these arts need to be kept alive. Each generation needs to add its own ‘brand’ to a fluent art.

For the knitter, it has all the latest and greatest yarns.  The first time I visited the shop I kept holding my breath in astonishment to see many of the yarns I had only read about in magazines hanging from hooks in the store.

And for the geek in me, the shop abounds in  fun knitting and sewing gadgets.  I bought the sharpest and strongest quilting needles I’ve ever used, a Japanese brand, on one visit.  On another visit I bought an antler button that I use for a spinning ditz.  This time I bought these fun alpaca stitch markers.

The shop calendar is full of famous designers visiting throughout the year to teach. I just missed by three days three of my favorite designers -Romi Hill, Laura Nelkin and Miriam Felton.  Pooh!  I wish I lived close enough to attend each and every event.  I guess I can plan a few ‘sleepovers’ at my daughter’s house and make some of the events/classes. Daughter eyed a couple cute items and I took ‘tag’ pictures to remember them.  

When we saw that the Clementine Cowl (below) was made with some handspun yarn I told her to pick out a complement to the yarn I just finished spinning and I would make it for her.     

I showed Allison some yarn in shades similar to what I spun and she picked Malabrigo Finito in ‘Bronce’.  Here it is pictured with my handspun on the bottom.  I can’t wait to see how the cowl turns out.

Off to buy the pattern on Ravelry and to start playing with colors!  Happy knitting!

Ambiguous Cowl – Clue 2

Ambiguous Cowl is measuring 11″ across for a 22″ circumference so I believe my gauge is spot on despite all my worries in the Clue 1 post.

The pattern is reminiscent of traditional Scandinavian designs and put my chart reading and stranding skills to work.  I don’t shy away from charts, I guess because of my many decades of counted cross stitch but I can respect the fact that some knitters steer clear of them.

Each repeat in this pattern is made of 16 stitches and 16 rows.  The designer gave us a couple tips that I also have found helpful through the years.  She recommend placing a marker every 16 sts to help you stay on track with the chart.  She also recommended using a sticky note (I use the extra sticky ones) on the chart to keep your eyes from wandering to the wrong row.  It is best to put the note above the row you are working and have it covering the rows not yet worked thus allowing you to see the charted design as it appears on your needles.

There were some special considerations that were addressed in the stranded design and this was where I learned I needed to have a ‘teachable’ spirit.  There were some long stretches between color changes in a few places and that can make the strand (or float) on the back long and untidy.  The floats can snag easily and pucker the fabric. Do you remember as I do, ever putting on a sweater in your childhood and your finger getting caught in a float?  As you knit the design there is a way to ‘catch’ the floats in those long stretches and trap them.  The designer said the general rule was to catch the float if the yarn is unused for more than 5 stitches or one inch.  Well….I like things ‘tidy’ on the backside of my stranded knitting so for years I have caught the floats on every fourth stitch, regardless.

Halfway through the cowl I realized I was gobbling up yardage, far more than what the designer had used, and I had to take a deep breath and let go of my ‘regardless rule’.  When I did I discovered that the pattern lay flatter and actually looked nicer.  Never, before this project, did I consider that my method for catching floats used more yarn than necessary but with us watching yardage in this project as we were doing…… I learned something new, YAY!

 

Yarn Along as I Heal From Surgery

Joining Ginny this morning on a YARN ALONG to talk about a book I read over Christmas ….

The Lake House
A Novel
By Kate Morton

From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Secret Keeper and The Distant Hours, (both I have not read yet) an intricately plotted, THE LAKE HOUSE was a spellbinding new novel of heartstopping suspense and uncovered secrets and was the perfect page-turner for me in chilly December whilst knitting Christmas presents.

I initially was drawn to this book simply because of its setting.  Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure… Did I mention how much I love Cornwall?

One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined.  I usually do not like novels that involve the tragedies of children but this one kept sucking me in.

Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as a mystery author. Her little borther’s case has never been solved, although Alice still has a suspect. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall haunted by her own nemesis. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate—now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her together with Alice and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone…yet more present than ever.

This is a lush, atmospheric tale of intertwined destinies and Kate Morton is a master weaving lives together. This novel from is an enthralling, thoroughly satisfying read and now I must read The Secret Keeper and The Distant Hours!

One week ago I was on day 15 of excruciating pain waiting to see a surgeon the next day.  A day later my gallbladder was removed and I am, relatively speaking, much better.  I will take respite to allow for recovery and both books and fiber will be my constant companion. Now I’m off to check out other books I can add to my ever growing list from participating in Ginny’s Yarn Along.

Wandering Moon – Part 1

I’ve been working on the border for Wandering Moon for the last couple weeks.  This crescent-shaped shawl is a design by Michelle Hunter and was a featured knit along last October.  When I saw this one I thought it would work nicely with some of my oldest stash yarn, Elsebeth Lavold’s Silky Wool.  I bought three skeins of this 45% wool/ 35% silk/ 20% nylon yarn many years ago when it was deeply discounted at a yarn store in Texas.  I believe this particular yarn will enhance the beautiful stitches and techniques in this shawl.

This shawl incorporates interesting techniques and stitches so I hope to increase my skills while creating a wearable work of art in the lovely shade of ‘medium’ blue.

Wandering Moon is knit from the bottom up beginning with a unique cabled border.  The border is knit as one long strip.  The next step for me will be to pick up stitches along the edge for the body of the shawl.   I cast on using the Cable Cast On method which produces a nice edge with the right side facing all ready to knit the first row.  Since the border was worked over a small number of stitches I used my beautiful shorter length Signature Needles with the stiletto tips – the perfect length needle for this strip of cables.

According to the designer, the MOST IMPORTANT task in this border was to to hang a marker from the last stitch of every 20 row repeat.  I worked the cabled border pattern 26 times.  Apparently, the markers will help me correctly pick up stitches in the next step and also help me incorporate a new stitch into the pattern.  It was kind of nice to do round up all my markers!

 

Ambiguous Cowl – Clue 1

Clue One has been finished for  KnitPurlHunter’s Ambiguous Cowl Knitalong and the second clue will be up sometime this morning.

One of the goals Michelle has had for this clue is yardage management so gauge is super important. In fact, if my gauge  is not spot on with the pattern’s gauge I will run out of yarn and not be able to finish the cowl. The participants knitting the large cowl with four skeins of yarn will not be sweating as much as those of us knitting the small size with only two skeins of yarn.  Our yardage is pretty tight.

I’m usually the ‘gauge’ police with my friends so I was not the least bit daunted when there was lots of chatter about the importance of gauge swatches, weighing yarn and comparing it to how much Michelle used when she knit the first clue, etc.

BUT THEN … I knit my gauge swatch using the designated size 5 needle, and then size 4 and then size 3 and I could not get gauge on any of the needles and there was not a noticeable discrepancy between the changes in needle sizes. I’m a fan of great BIG gauge swatches, not teeny TINY ones. The bigger the swatch, the more accurate it becomes when you measure it.  I surmise that my tiny swatch is telling big fat white lies to me right now.

So what did I do?  I blindly plunged forward anyway knowing my tension is usually quite loose and knit with the pattern’s designated size 5 needle and hoped for the best.  But, of course, my gauge was way off when I pinned it out for its first photo shoot. Lesson learned…… why did I do that?

I ripped back and knit the clue all over again dropping down a needle size knowing that I should have gone with my gut instead of that teeny tiny gauge swatch. Those little swatches seem to always be wrong. Being a loose knitter and typically have to go down a needle size or two from what the pattern says.

This completed clue, take two,  still does not meet gauge but it slightly better than the first attempt. I think I probably should go down to another needle size but since I didn’t use as much yarn as the designer used  I don’t think that is necessary.  At least, I hope not.

Can’t wait to move on to the next clue – I hear it a 14 stitch repeat!

Yarn Along as I Do Some Warping

I’m looking forward to reading some great books this year and finding out what others are reading as I participate in  Ginny’s YARN ALONG.

This afternoon I am listening to Inside the O’Briens by Lisa Genova.  I’m a big fan of Ms. Genova’s books because they have educated me on neurological diseases and disorders.   She is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels Still Alice (Alzheimer’s Disease), Left Neglected (traumatic brain injury) , and Love Anthony (autism)and now Inside the O’Briens.

The main character is Joe O’Brien, a 44 year old Boston police office who begins to experience bouts of disorganized thinking, uncharacteristic temper outbursts, and strange involuntary movements.  He finds out he has Huntington’s Disease, a disease that will change his and his family’s lives forever.  I’m certain the story will be heart wrenching.

So far I’ve learned that Huntington’s Disease is a lethal neurodegenerative disease with no treatment and no cure.  And it is genetic.

In other news, I am enjoying my new Harp Forte Rigid Heddle Loom.  The tea towels I made last week have washed up nice and fluffy.

New Year Knitalongs

The first Progressive Needles Knit Along of 2016 started today over on KnitPurl Hunter’s website.   Ambiguous, a cowl, promises to sharpen my stranded knitting technique.   It will be a double-sided cowl featuring HiKoo’s Sueno – my colors are charcoal and silver sage and will hopefully showcase whatever design Michelle has in store for us.

My first task today was to determine which color to use for the background and which will be used for the pattern’s design or main color.  I’ve  chosen two highly contrasting colors and each color must be given its assignment.  My gut reaction is to have the lighter design work on top of a dark background but that is what I always do so I think I’m going to go against convention and do it the other way around.  I think it will look better with the coat I plan to wear the cowl with.  I wasn’t quite ready to cast on today so when my head hits the pillow tonight will think on it a little longer.  Tomorrow morning I will review the video on provisional cast ons, wind my skeins into center-pull balls and start the cowl.

I am also knitting a pair of stranded socks with a group on Ravelry working their way through the Nancy Bush sock books.  She has long been a favorite designer of mine so it has been pleasant to see a sock pattern pop up in the group that I have not yet knit.

 

It will be a month filled with stranded color work!

Weekend Weaving ~ Tea Towels

Last weekend I was busy putting together the Harp Forte Rigid Heddle Loom that I got for Christmas from Mr. Claus and Elf Daughter #2.

It took longer than I thought it was going to take, several hours in fact, and I was slightly overwhelmed by the process but in the end I was proud of myself for successfully using an electric screwdriver. (I do hope this loom doesn’t fall apart on me at some point.)

Sunday afternoon was spent putting on a warp using the warping board on the back of the Harp, a special feature that sold me on this particular loom. The warp are the strings that run up and down the project.

I had to figure out the best route to use between pegs that would give me a 2.5 foot warp which would be enough to make two tea towels.

There will be green vertical and horizontal stripes on a white cotton background. The greatest care was taken removing the warp from the warping board and little bows were tied here and there in case a catastrophe happened. The warp was then chain crocheted to keep it tidy for threading through the heddle.

I didn’t take any pictures dressing the loom which took another hour or two but all was ready to weave Monday morning.

One tea towel has been completed. The weaving looks a little loose to me but I believe the fibers will fluff out after its first washing. I finished it off with a tidy hemstitch and now I’m ready to move on to the second tea towel.

That Longaberger Umbrella basket in the background is perfect container for all my new weaving accessories!

Sometimes All it Takes

Sometimes all it takes is the transition of one year into another to get  enough gumption to tackle all the little procrastinations that have piled up in the fiber bins.  The gruesome task of rummaging through those bins and rounding up unfinished projects is over and I have contemplated the eminent future of each one.    Away go the Christmas decorations of 2015 and out comes the list of all unfinished projects from the past.  This list will dictate what I will be tackling this month as the new year begins.

I have a friend who dresses like she stepped out of a time machine stuck in the sixties.  We fondly refer to her as ‘Hippie Shari’ and she wears the craziest things.  Back in October she was at my house working on her third Ojo de Dios Shawl and she left the pattern at my house.  Out of curiosity I pulled out some Noro yarn to knit one of these triangles on the border.  One triangle led to another triangle and before I knew it I had a ‘Shari Made Me Do It’ shawl.  You know where curiosity leads!

So I have a ‘hippie’ shawl and I guess I’m at a certain age where I’m brave enough to wear whatever I want, after all I grew up in the sixties and came of age in the seventies so I qualify to return to my youth.  Right?

This unique, and possibly absurd, hippie shawl will wrap securely around a denim shirt and I will remember how, once upon a time in the mid-seventies, I embroidered a denim shirt.

The New Year was ushered in without a hullabaloo.  I was quite sleepy and didn’t even stay up to watch the fireworks launched by the Add-A-Man Club on top of Pikes Peak.  I woke up feeling the enormity of my UFO List and tackled it straightaway…… the scissors were pulled out ….. and ……

snip…snip…snip… I trimmed my very first fair isle project, a sweater converted to a vest endeavor that never quite made it to completion, to an 18 x 18 square.  This took a lot of courage because I have been cleaving to the idea of finishing it for several years.  I thought long and hard about cutting into this fair isle and finally concluded I would enjoy it more as a pillow.

I’ve ordered a down pillow form and crossed of another item on my list as I think how handsome my hubby would be if I knit this pattern again, only this time as a sweater for him.