Archive for October, 2006

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No, really – Zimmermania, here I come!

October 8, 2006

So I finished the gloves. Well, sort of. They’re done, and yet, somehow, I twisted the second one horribly, so that it can only be worn inside out. I wept when I finished it, I was so ashamed. It didn’t help that I was hating knitting it – I had no desire to frog and correct it. So it remains hideous, and that is how it shall be. Mr. Kninja is kind and says that he does not mind, because they will keep his hands warm and he will know I made them, but honestly, they’re shameful. If the camera hadn’t broken again, I would show you, because it would make people feel good about themselves and their abilities. There’s one perfectly respectable orange glove with a robot on the back and one hideous glove like thing with no robot. It’s all very sad.

But that means that I am done with that project and never, ever have to knit gloves with gussets again unless I want to. (And, as Lori sent me a link to a how-to video on Magic Loop, there may come a time when this is something I want to do. In the meantime, I would sooner plunge naked into the street yelling, “Goats! Goats!” Now try to get that visual out of your head.)

And that also means that I am free to start on The Sweater. Yes, the Seamless Hybrid will soon be on the needles! (I bought needles today, some size fours in 16 and 29 inches, respectively.) I’m stupid excited about this, even knowing that most of it will be mindless, mind-numbing stockinette. Having the exciting yoke to look forward to, as well as the pretty color to look at, will keep me plummeting ahead. Besides, it is possible to knit stockinette without actually looking at it, which will make it the perfect movie companion. I’ve rented a few movies from the library, so I think I’m good to go.

In other news, the mystery illness lingers. And lingers. I’m not so bad as to be totally out of commission, but I’m not so good as to be totally in commission, either. Ugh. Irritation reigns. I did not do much cleaning today, despite the fact that the apartment is practically crying out for it. I did, however, knit a few more inches on the front of Eleanor’s sweater. I am in love with that Rowan Yorkshire Tweed, although the 4 ply is very small, so it goes pretty slowly. Mr. Kninja occasionally walks by and looks at the Yorkshire Tweed and sighs longingly. It’s just that gorgeous. The sweater in question is fairly mindless, in that it’s largely stockinette with a set in sleeve (from Erika Knight’s Simple Knits for Little Cherubs), but it’s pretty. I’m going to embroider some flowers in the left front corner when it’s done.

My Rowanspun 4 ply arrived today! It’s drop dead gorgeous – all the online photographs do not come near to showing what the Turkish actually looks like. It remains a hideous color for me to wear, but that’s OK. It’s the exact color of my favorite purple crayon when I was a little girl: a light, intense, very girly purple. Only it’s tweed, so there are magenta and aqua flecks. I wasn’t a particularly girly child, but there was a soft spot in my heart for that purple crayon. (Not unlike some other youngsters.) I looked at that awesome purple, and it was clear that I had ordered it for Eleanor. Mr. Kninja said that he thinks a jacket with a hood would be nice. She’s still very small, so it’s possible that I have enough yarn for that. The yarn is very, very similar to the Yorkshire Tweed. And here’s where I brag in a most classless and gauche way: I paid a grand total of sixteen dollars and 55 cents for the lot, including shipping. See why my hand was forced? I mean, really, $1.65 a skein for a lovely pure Rowan wool tweed. There wasn’t a choice to make.

Take care, all. Hopefully we’ll all be clear of dysentery soon and I can give you updates on my actual progress in Zimmermania. And hopefully the tempermental camera will allow me to include visual updates as well. She is a fickle beast, that camera. Alas.

Posted in Future Projects, Knitalongs, Knitting, Miscellany | 1 Comment »

Textured Toddler Tank

October 8, 2006

I never figured out the whole PDF thing, so for now, here’s the pattern for the Textured Toddler Tank, which I showed in a prior post.

Textured Toddler Tank

This is more tutorial than pattern, as I knit the tank freestyle. I’m going to break this into chunks, and hopefully it will all fit together.

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease, in Dark Rose Heather – I was stashbusting, but in retrospect, a cotton blend would be better
Yardage: I used less than half an 85 gram skein, so I’m going to estimate about 70 yards.
Needles: U.S. size 6 (4.25 mm), U.S. size 2 (2.75 mm)
Gauge: around 20 st./4 in.

Texture pattern (Diamond and Lozenge):

Multiple of 12 stitches (I used 36)

Rows 1 and 2: *K6, p6; rep from * to end.
Rows 3 and 4: *P1, k5, p5, k1; rep from * to end.
Rows 5 and 6: *K1, p1, k4, p4, k1, p1; rep from * to end.
Rows 7 and 8: *P1, k1, p1, k3, p3, k1, p1, k1; rep from * to end.
Rows 9 and 10: *[K1, p1] twice, k2, p2, [k1, p1] twice; rep from * to end.
Rows 11 and 12: *P1, k1; rep from * to end.
Rows 13 and 14: *K1, p1; rep from * to end.
Rows 15 and 16: *[P1, k1] twice, p2, k2, [p1, k1] twice; rep from * to end.
Rows 17 and 18: *K1, p1, k1, p3, k3, p1, k1, p1; rep from * to end.
Rows 19 and 20: *P1, k1, p4, k4, p1, k1; rep from * to end.
Rows 21 and 22: *K1, p5, k5, p1; rep from * to end.
Rows 23 and 24: *P6, k6; rep from * to end.
Rows 25 and 26: *P5, k1, p1, k5; rep from * to end.
Rows 27 and 28: *P4, [k1, p1] twice, k4; rep from * to end.
Rows 29 and 30: *P3, [k1, p1] 3 times, k3; rep from * to end.
Rows 31 and 32: *P2, [k1, p1] 4 times, k2; rep from * to end.
Rows 33 and 34: *P1, k1; rep from * to end.
Rows 35 and 36: *K1, p1; rep from * to end.
Rows 37 and 38: *K2, [p1, k1] 4 times, p2; rep from * to end.
Rows 39 and 40: *K3, [p1, k1] 3 times, p3; rep from * to end.
Rows 41 and 42: *K4, [p1, k1] twice, p4; rep from * to end.
Rows 43 and 44: *K5, p1, k1, p5; rep from * to end.

OK, so that looks daunting, but it’s all knitting and purling, and let me assure you that as the pattern emerges, it quickly becomes second nature. I was not looking at the pattern at all once I had gotten just an inch or so in. The shape you’re making is remarkably easy, just two rectangles of the same size, so you can afford to play with the texture a little. This is a good pattern for anyone who is just getting used to knitting and wanting a little challenge – but not too much of one.

Cast on 36 stitches and knit in pattern. This should be about 6 inches across, but it doesn’t have to be exact. That is the beauty of knitting for young children – if you make it larger than they are now, chances are it will fit at some point. Knit until you have about 10 and a half inches. Ideally, the pattern will repeat itself so that the diamonds line up in the middle, and you have half a textured diamond on each end. Then you’re going to make another rectangle that looks exactly the same. They’ll look about like this.

On the needles

Now, turn the two rectangles sideways, and seam them together up the sides. Your new object looks approximately like this:

Seamed

Pick up five stitches 2 and a half inches from the outside edge. Knitting in garter stitch, knit for 7 inches. Then you’ll make a buttonhole. Knit two stitches, knit two together, and then knit one. One the next row, knit one stitch, then knit the front and back of the next stitch, then knit the remaining two stitches as you normally would. If you want to make the straps adjustable, knit another three quarters of an inch, and then add another buttonhole. Knit for 1 inch after the last buttonhole. The second strap is made the same way. Your garment now looks like this:

With straps

Finally, to make the lace, pick up the stitches along the inside edge of the left strap, all the stitches along the middle of the rectangle between the two straps, and all the stitches on the inside edge of the right strap.

Pick up stitches

Knit one row, then purl the next. On the third row, k3, *slip stitch on right needle back onto left needle, cast on 2 stitches, bind off 5 stitches, repeat from * to end. Fasten off. You then pick up all the outside stitches and do the exact same thing. You’ve got lace now that looks approximately like this:

Lace

Now all you need to do is sew your two small buttons on the inside of the back, attach your straps, and you’re good to go. You could add a rectangle of fabric for a skirt, or just leave it as a tank. If you wish to make the tank in a smaller or larger size, using different needle sizes would work, as would changing yarns. I hope this is useful to someone. If you notice any errata in the pattern, please let me know. Enjoy!

Posted in Free Patterns, Knitting, Self Designed | 2 Comments »

Yarn, glorious yarn!

October 4, 2006

My yarn just arrived, and the color is more glorious than Knitpicks led me to believe! I was a little worried about making a nice sweater in a plain wool, but I’m frugal (read: cheap), and I simply couldn’t bring myself to spend the money on a fancy Scottish tweed or something. Even if I decide not to strand in some brown or blue tweed, I think this is going to be a really lovely sweater. Now I really do have to finish those hated gloves today, because I am eager to cast on for the Seamless Hybrid. I need to get some new needles, but I can pick those up at Beverley’s Fabrics in (heh heh) Dick’s Center.

In other yarn related news, I, um, have a confession. I had an opportunity to buy a tenpack of Rowanspun 4 ply, and the price, she was unbelievable. So I bought it. Now I am racked with guilt and glee. I mean, it’s a gorgeous wool tweed, and the price was amazing! But it’s also a large pack of yarn that I have no clue what to do with. I got it in the color Turkish, which is a lovely blue violet. All very well and good, but I look terrible in that shade of purple. I can’t use it for me. Perhaps the girlchild could have a dress in it or something. It’s just an awful lot of yarn in a color that, while lovely, isn’t one I am sure I’ll need. I don’t feel guilty about the money, as it wasn’t much at all, but I do feel guilty about taking up room and adding to my stash when there are projects I actually have planned. I may make a gift sweater out of it.

That’s it for now – I just wanted to boast about the yarn arriving.

Posted in Knitting, Miscellany | Leave a Comment »

Peevish

October 3, 2006

I tire of illness. Yes, I know most people are fans, but frankly, I’ve had enough. I’m about a week out of finishing my antibiotics for the bronchitis I just got over, and I feel I should get some slack.

Maude Louise is really zipping along. I’ve all but finished the second front panel, but I’m not rushing, because I currently have no blocking pins, and this is one project that clearly needs a lot of blocking. I was pleased to read on Craftster that Andean Silk spreads a bit when it’s blocked. Since I’ve been stressing about the possibility that this jacket will be too tight, I am so happy to know that making it a little small was probably the way to go. My blocking pins will be arriving in the box with the wool for Mr. Kninja’s new sweater, and one extra ball of wool for a cloche I plan on treating myself to. Mr. Kninja washed and shrank my favorite hat. I had waited ages for that thing to go on sale and now it is felted. However, now I am capable of making a similar hat, but better, because the new one will be brown with light blue and brown streaks in it. Ha! I suppose I can use the felted hat for some sort of embellishment on a sweater.

When I haven’t any new knitting pictures to show you, I’m going to take to showing you old pictures. I haven’t had this blog for very long, so there are plenty of things I’ve knit in the past that can be shown off.


This is a textured baby tank that I made for my daughter, my first design knit totally freestyle. I have a tutorial to post for this one, but I need to figure out how to make it into a PDF for download. I had originally planned on sewing a fabric skirt onto this, but I liked it as it was. Sadly, she now hates this thing, and cries when she sees it. I’m not sure what to do with it, but I think it’s cute. I’ll work on that PDF thing.

Sorry this is so disorganized today. I’m all tired and crabby from being ill, but I like writing in this here blog. I hope you’re over that bout of dysentery. Take care!

Posted in Knitting, Miscellany | 1 Comment »

You have died of dysentery

October 2, 2006

Actually, I’m just sick. I know that people love to hear ailments described in great detail, so I’ll just cut to the chase and say that a combination of faulty immune system and weak lungs have combined to form Mecha Illness. The breathing, it is imperfect.

However, sick is a good time to work on knitting. Joy! Maude Louise is keeping me company in bed, except that I felt like writing, so I crawled down here to do so.

I have some good news that is pertinent to no one but myself, but since I mentioned it here, I’ll mention it again. Remember my three balls of Linen Drape? I found a use for them, and I don’t need to buy more. I’m going to adapt a corset pattern from Interweave Knits and use the Linen Drape for that. I think I’ll do the edging and straps in a deep orangey red cotton. Then I will have used up the Linen Drape and I’ll have a nice new top. It’s a win win situation.

Lying in bed makes my brain do weird things. I’ve now got an idea for an essay I want to work on about children and violence. I’ve long felt frustrated by the attitude prevalent in each new adult generation that the world is getting so much worse (eleventy one!) than it was in the days of that adult’s youth. Now, the idea is never going to change, and I know this. We experience childhood as children, and adulthood as adults, and never the twain shall meet, so it makes sense that in losing our own sense of security and having a broader view of the world, we come to the inevitable emotional conclusion that the world we used to live in has changed for the worse. That this isn’t true will never be a popular idea. However, I got to thinking about children’s literature from a bygone age, and how that literature reflects the idea that violence used to be viewed very differently than it is now. I’ve got a few ideas of examples in mind, but I won’t go into too much detail here since this ostensibly a knitting blog.

Eleanor is tugging at my pant leg, so I must go, but I hope that you haven’t really died of dysentery. Take care!

Posted in Knitting, Miscellany | Leave a Comment »

The library has yielded up a treasure

October 1, 2006

I swear to you that when I searched my library’s computerized catalog in order to find books by Elizabeth Zimmerman, that foolish machine insisted that there was no such person. This is why trips on foot are necessary. Today, Nora and I stopped by the library to pick up a book I’d put on hold. (The Battle for Christmas by Stephen Nissenbaum.) I trudged on down to the nonfiction section, which they keep in the nether regions of the library. Upstairs, it is a sunny, cheerful, even slightly noisy place. The children’s section, the hold section, the fiction section, and the video and DVD section all reside upstairs. Downstairs, however, is the quiet, serious section, so you can see why it might be a risk for any person possessing three small and unpredictable children to enter. Since I only had one child with me, though, I figured it was worth the risk.

So down the stairs, into the hush of the computer room, the documentary movie section, the rows upon rows of delicious and mysterious books on every subject one can imagine. I much prefer nonfiction these days. Adult fiction is unpredictable in quality, even when one reads book reviews, but even bad nonfiction can usually offer a starting place to find out something wonderful. I know where the knitting section is by heart now, so I snuck over to the aisle, just to the right of all the new aquisitions. All the knitting books are placed low to the ground, I assume so that those of us with bad backs will be deterred from sampling their wares, and instead grab at the Tintin books just at easy height on the left of the aisle. No matter. I was undeterred, although I did grab a copy of Tintin Among the Soviets. Just for research purposes, you understand.

But, yes, the knitting books. I set Eleanor on the ground, where she promptly settled, and began removing knitting books to look at herself, sensible girl. I scanned the shelf for something interesting. A lot of books must recently have been returned. On my last trip, the shelf was nearly bare, but this trip, it was bursting to excess. Most of the books are old, and contain the sort of patterns that lead many people to believe that knitting is only for the aged and the fashion impaired. There are only so many jaunty sailor sweaters and log cabin quilted jackets that this world requires, and the quota was filled long ago. But there, sandwiched between an ancient Vogue Knitting handbook on scarves and a stitch dictionary, I saw a familiar phrase. The Opinionated Knitter. Could it be? Elizabeth Zimmerman didn’t even exist in their database, and yet there she was, peering out at me from the stacks. I lifted the book down. My goodness! It’s a copy of all her newsletters from the sixties and seventies, including the Baby Surprise Sweater, including the adult version, including Meg Swansen’s memories of her mother…it has everything!

Needless to say, I grabbed it up. Nora, however, was much trickier. Having tasted freedom among the quiet stacks, she seized her opportunity and ran for it. I had a few large and heavy books and a desire to keep her quiet, so I played a back and forth game with her for a while, trying to lure her close. She squealed with delight every time she spied me, and then she would zoom away as fast as her short little legs can carry her. Finally, for reasons known only to her, she lay down on her belly and wiggled slowly down an aisle, which made her much easier to catch, and all without disturbing anyone. We checked out our books and wended our way home, where I sat down to pour over the marvelous collection. It’s such a rich trove, I don’t know if the three weeks I have it for will be enough.

On a completely and utterly different note, I have a dilemma. In my stash there are three balls of the discontinued Rowan linen drape in the salsa shade. I love that color, and I bought them up when I heard Rowan had discontinued the line, because I’ve heard that linen drape, well, drapes beautifully. One of my books, Sarah Dallas’ Vintage Knits, calls for linen drape for a number of patterns. Only, the thing is, it’s discontinued. And I only have the three skeins. I was directed to a place that still has some skeins left in salsa, and despite problems with matching dye lots, I may buy some, but I’m torn. The question is, is there anything one can do with three skeins of linen drape? I want to show off the drape, and all I can think of is a shrug of some kind. Any ideas will be much appreciated.

Since blog entries look naked without pictures, here is one. It’s a little peek at Alexandra’s Armor. I’ll be posting the pattern as soon as I take the time to write it up.

Posted in Future Projects, Knitalongs, Knitting, Miscellany, Self Designed | 3 Comments »

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