recipe for a quick gift

I love to knit for friends.  I also love to knit gifts and my notion of  'knitworthy' is far more flexible than many (see Franklin Habit's succinct and noteworthy flow-chart here).  I love to knit items that don't need to fit - cowls, scarves, shawls, the occasional pair of mitts.  Hats are tricky - my gauge can be loose and head size becomes a factor.

With these things in mind, I gathered leftover fingering weight yarns using a gradient/fade idea to knit a cowl as a goodbye gift for a colleague and friend at work.  I had already knit two others and don't like to knit the same pattern twice.  Inspired by the mini-skein sets like SweetGeorgia's Party of Five I made my own mini-skein set of five and cast on.  The finished product combines 5 yarns and 6 different stitch patterns to make a single-loop cowl:

Improvised recipe:
Started with Manos del Uruguay Alegria (gray): 
cast on 144 stitches, knit 1x1 rib for 10 rows 
- broken seed stitch for 12 rows, then 4 rows of st. St. To stripe in new colour 
Switch to Noro Sock (green/gray/blue) 
- 10 rows of lace mesh, then 4 rows of garter plus 2 rows to stripe in new colour 
Switch to Bulletproof Sock (SweetGeorgia Yarns) (blue) 
- 3x1 rib for 2 rows, st st. for 4 rows 
Change to Koigu KPPPM (Variegated) 
- 4 rows garter, 2 rows eyelet pattern, repeat x3
Switch to Viola sock (brown) 
- 8 rows 1x1 ribbing, cast off

Stitch patterns can be found in any stitch dictionary - I looked them up online on various websites, or used ones I had recently used for other projects.  

I have no desire to design things, just wanted to use up some stash for a quick gift.  I like following a pattern, and find improvising my own a little stressful, so I am back to a pattern for my next project!

twins and a party

Two new spring FOs to share, as I try to finish up some WIPs.  My entry into this year's Soper Creek Yarn challenge was Shindig, a shawl from PomPom Quarterly's 5th anniversary issue.

I recently finished the tank that is meant to be a complementary garment.  Each are designed by a twin sister, Sachiko and Kiyomi Burgin and are designed to be a modern take on a "twin set".  The tank Boum is done in two colours:

I used the same yarn, and the only modification was to lengthen the body.  The yarn is wool, so I'm hoping it will still be cool enough to wear for a bit longer.  Hoping for warm spring weather, but not too hot just yet!

I've also jumped on the 'mini-skein' wagon and finished Talinum, a long cowl with a set of Party of Five Toughlove Sock mini-skeins from Sweet Georgia Yarn.  This will be a gift for a colleague at the end of June.  Mini-skeins were also a theme in the MDK March Madness Knitting bracket, so I'm glad I was able to finish a project connected to that.

I have a second Party of Five set in a gradient purple set that I will knit into a second gift for the end of the year.  Just need to choose a pattern!

post-Mayhem Plans

This spring, I'm renewing my commitment to knitting from stash, and knitting patterns I already own. I strayed from this plan in late fall... and it became a slippery slope of purchasing, planning, but not necessarily knitting.  To get back on track, I'm revisiting my queue with this renewed goal in mind.

For inspiration, I'm turning to the MDK March Mayhem bracket.  The final winner is a yoke sweater by Isabell Kramer, Humulus.  Turns out 3 of the 4 'finalists' were patterns I voted for.  Only the mini-skein pattern was different (I chose Luminosity hat by Tanis of Tanis Fibre Arts).  Many of the patterns, however, are not in my library.  While I'd love to purchase many of them, I instead looked for patterns I own that fit these categories AND the yarn is already in stash.  I'm considering:


YOKES:
Indigo Frost by Isabell Kramer - same designer as the Mayhem winner, I own the pattern and have the yarn in stash , with gray as the main colour:

SWEATERS:
I have the yarn and pattern for Winterly  by Suvi Simola in the first issue of Laine Magazine.  My yarn is Classic Elite Alpaca Sox, and will be a bit more colourful than the original:

OR

I have the yarn to knit Wolf River by Melissa Schaschwary that I purchased quite a while ago.  It's bulky yarn with a lace pattern and should knit up quickly (or more quickly than a fingering weight sweater!)

MINI-SKEINS:
I bought a Sweet Georgia Party of Five Mini-Skein set to use for a gift project for a colleague.  I'm leaning toward Talinum by Tabitha Hedrick, a cowl designed for Sweet Georgia Yarn.

This one needs to be done by end of June (end of school year) so it'll be cast on as soon as I'm done my current cowl project. 

SHOULDERS:
I have lots of shawls and big cowls in my queue.  Most will mean a yarn purchase - while I own the patterns or book that they're in, I don't have the yarn ready to go for most.  I do have yarn for Sharman,  which is a shawl/shrug garment.  I own Bristol Ivy's book, and Harjo was included in the MDK Bracket this year.  This category is the one I will likely leave til later... I like to knit shawls but don't really want to cast another one on at this moment.  Maybe in the summer. 

These four categories are organized in my queue on Ravelry, so I'm hoping to knit one from each in the next few months to play along (sort of) with the MDK KAL while also using things I already own.  Lofty goals, perhaps?! 

Home repairs and the Stash-wagon

I lost focus in the fall/winter and purchased quite a bit of yarn (at least, for me it was more than usual).  Some I’ve already knit but other skeins still wait.... so I’m back on the ‘stashwagon’ and plan to knit from stash and finish WIPs this spring.

The motivating factor for this renewed commitment came on the weekend when a wind storm sent a tree branch smashing into a large picture window in my living room.  Fortunately the window is double-glazed so the inner pane is still intact.  Unfortunately it’s a huge window, with another identical one beside it.  So we either have mismatched windows or replace them both.

Alongside the window comes a strange gurgling noise from the powder room toilet.  The friendly internet tells me we have a clog in the vent pipe or a clog in the drain pipe to the septic field.  I live with two teen boys who likely need a refresher on toilet paper use and septic systems.  Long story short, this will be an expensive fix as we are not plumbers.  Or septic specialists. Nor have we won the lottery.

So back to the stash.  I have plans to knit a lot this spring and summer.  I want more sweaters in my wardrobe for layering - cardigans and vests, with a pullover or two as well.  I have a weakness for pattern books and magazines (hello, Pompom Quarterly and Laine!) so there is no shortage of inspiration.  Just need to plan and cast on.... and avoid purchasing for a little while!

Image:  Wikipedia (via Creative Commons)

first impressions

I'm putting some WIPs aside to start a Mystery KAL with Helen Stewart of "Curious Handmade"  The theme or inspiration for the project is Impressionist Paintings:  blurred lines, muted edges, vibrant or light colours, and everyday objects or scenes.  Think gardens, vases of flowers, ponds, fields.  People in the paintings are often women: dancers, mothers, children.

I have some yarn in stash that is bright and spring-like.  I decided to join in to give myself a spring project and to try a design by Helen.  She asked us to post pictures for inspiration, so I found the artwork one on Creative Commons (copyright-friendly photos) that goes with my yarn.

The speckled yarn has yellow, orange, and raspberry, but no pink.  I'm hoping the pink will work once the three are knitted together.

The first clue came out this morning, written in a charted- percentage style.  This is new to me... but shawl knitting is not, so I'm hopeful I'll be able to put it all together.

Nuuk- start to finish

I chose this sweater because it's simple, easy to layer, and looks so wearable on the cover of Laine Magazine.

Yarn is Cascade 220, a workhorse yarn that is always predictable for me.  Gauge is always 18 stitches, 24 rows with 4mm needles.  I get a sturdy fabric with a bit of drape, and have used it for other projects (like my Amanda cardigan). 

I love the finished product with the twisted ribbing at the edges - just enough definition to be interesting but still keep the simple style of the garment.  I like the ease (about 3 inches upper bust, 1 inch full bust) and added about 3 inches to the length of the body.   I also added an inch to the sleeves before knitting the ribbing.

It fits exactly as I planned, and was well written.  Already looking ahead to what I'll knit next from Laine.

Start to Finish: Mailou

Pattern:  Mailou by Bristol Ivy
Yarn:  Mineville Wool Project purchased at Soper Creek Yarn

I purchased Knitting Outside the Box in the fall and finished my first project from this gorgeous book.  First, the book itself is beautiful.  It's bound, with a textured cover that feels lovely to hold.  The design is like a coffee-table book - meant to be leafed through, picked up and reread from any given point.  The essays are interesting and provoke creative thinking, with stunning photographs to accompany all elements of the book.

I chose to knit the Mailou Mitts first.  They are fingerless mitts with a cable that twists around the hand and down the side of the mitten.  This is achieved through short-row construction and picking up stitches from a provisional cast on.

First, the mitten is knit side to side with a cable at each end:

Then short rows are used to build out a thumb at one end:

Then, the provisional cast-on stitches go on a needle to be picked up as a series of short-rows and decreases are knit to turn the cable down toward the wrist (almost a 90 degree turn):

All of these seems complex, but if you trust Bristol Ivy (and you should!) to simply follow her instructions, you end up with these:

I love the construction, love the finished product.  They are stylish and practical, a simple accessory with enough complexity to make it interesting. 

Next up from this book: Sharman, a cocoon-style shawl/shrug

start with the end in mind - goals for 2018

I've started 2018 with projects that fit my goals for 2018.  I love setting goals, making plans, determining what I want to do over a longer period of time.   Some goals are quantifiable, others involve learning new skills and others connect to the quality of a handmade wardrobe:

1.  Improve colourwork skills (speed, quality of work) - I'm going to knit stranded mittens over the year as part of the Skeindeer Knits 2018 KAL.  My first pair are done, just need to be blocked a bit, Herati from Pompom Quarterly:

2.  Focus on using more colours in my garments and accessories - I'm knitting a Bindrune Cardigan from Pompom Quarterly using 3 colours of Lopi, to add more colour to my garments.   I'm also almost done Nuuk from Laine Volume 1 in an autumnal orange colour.  Up next will be #18 Broken Rib Pullover from Vogue Knitting in a dark mauve colour:

3.  Knit shawls and hats all year for gifts, to reduce the need to knit for others in November and December (ongoing goal).  I've started with Jodi Shawl and hope to knit the Tread Hat by Shannon Cook before I start my next pair of mittens.

None have firm deadlines except the holiday gift stash and my goal to knit a pair of mittens or a hat each month.  As usual, I hope to use the stash I already have for lots of things, and the patterns from books I've purchased.  Lofty goals perhaps, but I'm starting projects with these goals in mind.

FO: 2017

I did a lot of knitting in 2017.  According to my projects on Ravelry I finished:

4 pairs of mitts, including Fireside

7 cowls, including my own improvised pattern, Loretta:

2 headbands, 2 baby knits, and my first pair of socks:

2 ponchos/capes, 1 pullover, 1 vest, and 6 shawls including Starting Point:

and 3 hats, including 2 PussyHats about a year ago:

I did a lot of knitting-related thinking, purchasing, and doing as well - dipped my toe into Craftivism and plan to continue that into 2018.   More on that in another post (perhaps) but for now, these photos sum up the knitting for 2017!

VK35

I enjoy knitting because I like to make my own clothes.  I like to knit garments and accessories.  I don't like to knit baby items, household items, or toys.  I've tried, but none bring me a sense of satisfaction in the way knitting my own clothes does.  I grew up in a household where clothes were made (mostly sewn), and I've inherited that interest in sewing.

More importantly, I've inherited an interest in fashion from my mother who studied textiles and design at university.  She taught Family Studies (Home Economics, then) at secondary school with a focus on sewing and even taught courses on fashion design.  She made fine tailored clothing out of fabric that was purchased on 'road trips' to nearby cities with textile mills, or in large stores in Toronto.  My interest in clothing is not just about frugality or slow fashion; it's from the idea that I can quite literally create my own sense of style.

Vogue Knitting magazine serves as an inspiration point.  Many items, as knitted or styled, wouldn't fit in to my wardrobe at first glance.  But the trends, colours, styles and ideas from the runway serve as inspiration for me.  In 2017 the magazine celebrated 35 years.  As a Knit-Along, a Ravelry group hosted a VK35kal.  The challenge:  knit an item from at 2017 issue AND at least one item from an issue ending in '7' (e.g., 1997, 2007).  I don't have a large back catalogue, so choosing patterns to knit was a bit difficult.  I joined in quite late with two projects:

From 2017:  #1 Sleeveless Turtleneck  knit in Berroco Vintage Chunky

From 2007:  a free pattern, Charming! Cape by Vladimir Teriohken

I'm not sure... I love the turtleneck, it's my style, my fit.  The cape is a stretch outside my comfort zone.  It's knit in super-bulky (and super economical) Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick, which is what the pattern calls for.  I'm leaving it for a bit to see if I'll wear it... if not, it will be frogged and re-knit into something else.

The challenge motivated me to rethink my wardrobe from a fashion viewpoint.  I don't want to "Knit All the Trends" (no thanks, neon from the '80's - did that first time around!), but I do want to be current and to push myself to wear things that are not just a remake of a previous thing.

So off to plan 2018... and to peruse the VK magazines I do have to see what might come next!  More on that to come!

cold and bright

The lovely people at Berroco Yarns have send me a package:

This prize includes enough yarn to knit Amy Christoffer's Bindrune from PomPom Quarterly Winter 2017 issue.  I selected a light gray for the body, a camel colour for the background colourwork, and the garnet red for the contrast colour.  I love the cozy look of the sweater, and think I can dress it up or down.  This will be one of my Christmas holiday projects - hope to finish it by January 8th (first day back to school)

The package includes the PomPom Quarterly issue, so I now have other brightly coloured projects in mind for the short and cold winter days:

Dipyramid, a two-colour stranded hat in DK weight yarn by Emily Green (above), and Orianna (below), a pullover that combines cables and colourwork.

All of the patterns are knit in soft, yet bright, colour combinations.  I hope to finish the cardigan and hat over the 2-week holiday break.  The pullover may have to wait... as I dream of spring!

in between

Feels like the fall rush of starting cozy things has passed, but the rush to finish by Christmas isn't quite here yet.  In between means settling in to finish things I've started and plan for what comes next.  Some things are done, like my Jaded Sleeveless Turtleneck from Vogue Knitting Fall 2017.  It's modeled with bare arms - lovely but highly unlikely to be worn that way by me here in Canada!  I love the finished product, and it's my kind of garment.  Layers, cozy neck, bulky knit, texture...

I've also finished my Girl From the Grocery Store shawl by Joji Locatelli.  Ends are woven in (although not in this picture!).  The yarn is Canadian, Merino Slim by FleeceArtist.

Rye Cardigan by Thea Coleman has buttons and is blocked.  The neckline is a bit wide for me, and it slips slightly to the right, making the front look assymetrical by an inch or so.  I am not off-kilter, so it must be my blocking or finishing.  It's not seamed.  I think I'm better with pieces that I can seam when it comes to fit and finish.  Still like it though!

In progress are a poncho from Knitscene Winter - Hvil.  It's a gift for a friend for her birthday.

The other is a very colourful shawl by Andrea Mowry - Goldfinch.  I'm knitting it for a KAL with my LYS in SweetGeorgia Superwash Sport (green), Cascade 220 sport (pink) and Mineville Project yarn (speckles). The pink is a bit brighter than I usually choose but the pattern is fun to knit with lace, short rows, and stripes (oh my!).

slow down, you think too fast

I'm constantly attempting to balance my need to "keep on schedule" and "get things done" with the very real anxiety that comes with that kind of drive.  These are self-imposed deadlines, most of the time.  Even when I knit a gift, I am aware that I have the means (time, money) to purchase an equally appropriate gift for the recipient.  These deadlines loom, on top of the very real deadlines at work and the equally demanding time limits imposed on my life as I get my children to school, sports, activities, and social opportunities.

I picked up a copy of Slow Knitting at Indigo Books last week.  I almost put it back as it was close to $40 with taxes.  But then I thought - I want to change my perspective and focus on enjoying what I make instead of starting things that become deadline-driven.

The book focuses on knowing where your wool comes from, how your materials turn into finished objects, and the connection between paying attention to these farm-to-sweater details helps you enjoy the process as much as the product.  The designs also focus on texture, stitch details, and shape - things that slow down the knitting.  Moves you away from choosing projects that will finish quickly and toward projects that give the knitter a sense of connection to the product.  By having to count rows, stitches, charts, patterns, the knitter becomes more aware of the process of making.

This makes sense.... but also means I may finish fewer things.  I don't knit just to have things, but I do like to plan, browse through patterns and books, shop for yarn, and cast on.  This part leaves me with many items in the queue that I want to knit but don't have time for.  This feeling of wanting to make more will be hard to let go.

With that in mind, I'm finishing some shawls:
Girl from the Grocery Store (just needs ends woven in):

Goldfinch:  about a third of the way done (more than in the photo):

When these are done, I hope to cast on a project from the book.  Not sure which one yet, but I'm leaning toward the cabled pullover by Norah Gaughan.  It's an unusual construction, of course, but in a worsted weight yarn that will give me a break from finer gauge shawls that seem to have taken over my knitting plans.

All of this will, I hope, lead to more joy in the process.  I do love to knit, to see the fabric grow beneath the stitches on the needle.  Fall and Winter seem perfect seasons for slowing down as the demands of life continue to pick up.