Moonsib Knits & Muses

Cosmo's Costume

2007-10-31T14:12:00.002-07:00

Cosmo the black cat loves to help. Everything and anything he encounters is His Toy, and he is quite fond of helping me knit. He thinks the Jackyll & hide balaclava hat from Knitty is also an excellent place for a quick nap, but not as exciting as a crinkly paper bag.
It also makes a lovely kitty blanket.
He didn't think it was much fun folded up as a hat, but he stayed nearby to make sure it was still His Toy.

Ready to Spin

2007-10-18T01:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm ready to learn this spinning business. One of the SIFAC members makes spindles, so I had to buy one. Another SIFAC member brought in a huge bag of merino roving from a festival in Michigan, and let us each pick some colors - of course, I was immediately drawn to the blue/green/purple colors. Before I start spinning those little lovelies, I have to get the basic spinning down - I found a bag of merino roving to practice with at The Yarn Shoppe in Herrin.

Sunset View

2007-10-18T00:58:00.001-07:00

Here is a view of a gorgeous sunset from our dock.

Another Multidirectional Triangle Scarf

2007-10-18T00:40:00.000-07:00

I am completely addicted to Iris Schreier's Multidirectional knitting! Here is another Multidirectional Triangle Scarf, this time for stepdaughter Kelly's birthday. She likes burgundy, forest green, and navy so I scoured the internet for handpainted yarn in those colors. I found it at Mystical Creations Yarn on eBay, and it is a heavy worsted weight thick-and-thin silk/wool. The colors really popped when I took the scarf outside to photograph it - the burgundy looks almost fuchsia in this picture, but it really is a dark red. Check out the MCY eBay store, they have branched out into many kinds of yarn, all gorgeous!

Halloween Swap for Illusion Knitting And More

2007-10-18T00:11:00.000-07:00

Above are the lovely items I recieved from Kim, my swap partner in the Illusion Knitting and More Yahoo group's Halloween swap. In addition to the cleverly decorated Boo cloth, Kim sent me a tin of yummy caramel cocoa, a wonderful pumpkin soap that is too cute to use yet, a Pumpkin Pie Yankee Candle Tart, Vanilla Sugar lotion and spray, a packet of Burt's Bees honey lip balm with a sleeve to attach the balm to my keychain, a big cappucino chocolate bar, and some absolutely delicious toffees! Cosmo the evil black cat got into the picture as he was trying to steal the Boo cloth - he has a 'thing' for dishcloths and towels. I have a dish towel hanging on the oven handle, and Cosmo routinely snags it with his claws, then sinks his teeth into it, and drags it away to cover up the kibble in his dish. Sometimes he puts one of his toys in his dish, then covers it with the dish towel. Clearly he does not like to share food or toys!
Here is Kim's picture of the Halloween goodies I sent to her. I had such fun shopping for things she would like, and only stopped adding items when I doubted that I could get the box taped shut. While I was googling for pictures of angels and nutcrackers, I came across Marilyn Scott-Walters' whimsical website, The Toymaker, where I found the Halloween gift bags and black cat greeting card. It's a wonderful place to explore, even if you don't have kids!

Fun with Meez

2007-09-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

Here's my new Meez for autumn, I've been trying to upload the animated version, but no luck - I should've paid more attention in the HTML class. NO, my hair isn't that long yet....but it's getting there! I am well on my way to becoming a full-fledged crone. I'd rather buy yarn than pay for a haircut!

Southern Illinois Fiber Arts Collective

2007-09-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

I have finally found a local group to join, the Southern Illinois Fiber Arts Collective. I made this soap sack from Lily Sugar 'n Cream Twist during my first meeting. Many of the members were spinning, and one was knitting with the new square needles. I am going to learn to spin with a drop spindle! Once a month they meet at The Yarn Shoppe in Herrin, which is both good and bad for me. Usually I can restrain myself from going there several times a week, but one visit is all it takes - I won't tell you how much $$ I spent there at the last meeting.

Illusion Knitting and Washcloths

2007-09-09T14:56:00.001-07:00

I wanted to learn Illusion or Shadow knitting, so I signed up for 2 Yahoo groups to learn how to do this, Illusion Knitting and More, and Illusion Knitting. This is the Pumpkin Illusion Cloth I made as my first attempt. When you look at it directly (below), it just looks like stripes - but if you view it at an angle (above), you can see the pattern.
I used acrylic worsteds from my stash of vintage yarns. The pattern is from the Illusion Knitting and More group, if you want this pattern you should sign up for the group. They require participation in 2 swaps a year, and also require that you have a 'Life Happens' cloth in place with the moderator so that if you cannot finish a swap, there will be a cloth to send your swap partner. Below is my 'Life Happens' cloth, the Flying Geese design by Vaunda Rae Giberson. It is worked in the Reynolds Saucy mercerized cotton left over from Bri's Mushroom Cap, and it is much nicer to work with than the other cotton yarns that are readily available.
Below is my first attempt at making a dishcloth, this is the Embossed Turtle cloth from Smariek Knits. I went stash-diving for an appropriate cotton yarn, and found a bag of Jack Frost Comfort 12 that I bought in the 70s. I googled Jack Frost yarn, and only found a few items on eBay, so I doubt it's being made anymore. After I made up the cloth, I atually read the label - nope, it's not cotton, it's acrylic! I don't think acrylic would make a very good washcloth, but I love this design.

Mushroom Cap

2007-09-09T14:39:00.000-07:00

I'd rather knit than crochet, but this is another pattern I had to make for my granddaughter Bri. Her school has a crazy hat day, and she liked this hat for it. The pattern is Lion Brand's Mushroom Cap, and it is worked in Reynold's Saucy mercerized cotton - I couldn't find Lion Cotton in red, which is what Bri wanted. It is goofy enough to qualify as a crazy hat.

A Pattern That Misbehaved

2007-09-09T14:18:00.000-07:00

Once in awhile I can't get a pattern out of my head, and the only solution is to put aside all the other UFOs and make it. That was the case with this shawl pattern - I couldn't stop thinking about it, and I couldn't find the thread it called for. I went stash-diving and found 2 colors of cotton thread, earmarked for some crocheted bags, and worked up this Country Cotton Shawl from Lion Brand Yarn.
I used 2 different colors held together: 1 strand of Caron Grandma's Best Crochet Thread in Pale Teal and 1 strand of Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet Thread in Delft. I tried other, thicker cottons, but they didn't produce the lightweight drape I wanted. This shawl could be used as a pareo or sarong over a swimsuit, which is what I had in mind for it.

2007-09-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

Here's Adam Baldwin as Jayne Cobb, wearing the cunning hat his Ma made for him. I couldn't find a picture of him wearing the hat and hefting a large weapon - a sure way to stop anyone taunting him about his hat.

2007-09-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

This Jayne hat is the closest I could get to the original. It's being modeled by Bri's BFF. The yarns are all from my acrylic worsted stash.

Flaming Wristies and Jayne Hats

2007-09-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

My Sk8ter grandson Tyler requested these Sparky Flaming Hot Wristies, a design by Britta Stolfus Rueschoff. Britta has some lovely patterns on Knitty, but when I tried to locate the Sparky pattern, it had disappeared! I had to learn how to knit Fair Isle style, and I think I did pretty well for a first attempt at multi-stranded knitting. The link above is to a website that has lots of great knitting patterns. I'll be looking for more of Britta's great designs.Here is a view of the thumb holes, where I knitted a few more rows than the pattern called for. Tyler didn't care for the checkerboard design at the base of the flames, so I substituted rows of yellow, orange, and red. The yarn is Hauk from Dale of Norway, which is treated with Teflon so it will stand up to hard wear.
Jayne Hats! I found several free knitting patterns on the web for Jayne Hats.
Jayne Cobb Hat, My Jayne Hat Pattern, Bootstrap Productions, Jayne Cobb's Cunning Hat, Jayne Cobb Hat for Mugua, This Land, Yarn Demon, Cider Moon's version, and one from katydidknits. I got the basic idea, and went to town with the most outlandish color combinations I could make from my stash of acrylic worsted. Here is granddaughter Bri in her favorite red and black version.

Tabitha wanted to get in on the photo shoot, she picked this stripey Jayne hat. Cassie Ru liked the purple version. You have to see the Firefly series to grasp the significance of the Jayne hat. Sadly, the series was cancelled, but the outcry from the fans was so great that creator Joss Whedon made the film Serenity to tie up all the loose ends from the series. My daughter Arlyn and her family gave me the series and movie on DVD for my birthday - wooohooo!

2007-08-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

Here are a pair of Multidirectional Baby Blankets for the twins, this one is made up in Caron Simply Soft colorway Baby Brights Ombre, with a single-crochet border of Caron Simply Soft colorway Off White - it actually matches the pale yellow of the Ombre yarn.
This Multidirectional Baby Blanket is worked with 1 strand of TLC Essentials colorway Powder Pink and 1 strand of Baby Bee Peach Fuzz Ombre colorway Sweet Cheeks. To find out more about Iris Schreier's Multidirectional Knitting, click on the link at the top right of the page.
This is the Ribbed Eyelet Hat, another Patti Pierce Stone pattern, worked in a vintage generic acrylic baby yarn from my stash.
This is my crowning achievement in baby garments - a sweater that looks like it might actually fit a real baby. The pattern is from the Premature Baby Set designed by Denny Kelly from Australia. It is worked in TLC Baby colorway Powder Pink.

2007-08-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

Here is the famous One Skein Hooded Baby Sweater - aka the 5-hour baby sweater. This is a great pattern, works up quickly, and is easy to do. I used some generic worsted acrylic from my stash.
Bev's Baby Seed Cap, worked in Caron Simply Soft, colorway Baby Brights Ombre. I left the tassel off the top, it seemed to overwhelm this little hat. Check out Bev's Country Cottage for lots of nice baby things to knit for charity.
Here is the green set, the Newborn Vest is Pat Z's design, also found on Bev's Country Cottage. It has snap closures at the shoulders and front, for easy access to babies in isolettes or warming tables.
To go with the vest, the Honeycomb Preemie Hat and Booties are really tiny! I like this heathery yarn, Red Heart Soft Baby colorway New Mint Twinkle. It would be nice for either a boy or a girl. All the Soft Baby colors are really pretty, with some bright colors that are a nice change from the traditional baby pastels.
This is the Lots of Eyelets Preemie Hat, another design by Patti Pierce Stone. The eyelets aren't visible until it is stretched out a bit. It's worked in Red Heart Soft Baby colorway Rocking Horse.

Preemie Baby Knits

2007-08-26T15:13:00.001-07:00

Here's the first batch of many photos. This is a preemie cap from Lion Brand Yarn, knit in Red Heart Soft Baby, colorway Rocking Horse. You may have to create an account to get to the free pattern on Lion's website.
Twin Santa caps, knit in Lion Microspun, with the rolled brim worked in 1 strand of white Microspun and 1 strand of Baby Bee Peach Fuzz in the Angel colorway. I found the pattern on Spinning Sandy's Ditsy Drivel blog. Just a note on the Peach Fuzz yarn - I found this at Hobby Lobby, and it is also available online. Ordinarily I would not buy Hobby Lobby's Bee brand of yarn, it is overpriced (IMHO) and most of the Bee yarns do not feel like anything I would want next to my skin. However,this Peach Fuzz yarn works great as a carry-along, it is a very short eyelash yarn and makes the project nicely fuzzy and soft, without those super-long eyelashes all over the place - and the yardage is great - 600 yds per ball.
Here is the "Down by the Seashore" Preemie Hat, designed by Patti Pierce Stone. (To get to this pattern, scroll down and click on the link in purple - it's a PDF.) The design mimics the waves on the Jersey Shore - a location very close to my heart! It was a bit troublesome to knit, struggling with Boye Balene II dpns - they are so 'sticky' I never had to worry about the needles sliding out of the stiches, but they got too sticky at times, and would not allow the yarn to move very freely along the needles. The yarns are various fingering weight acrylics from my stash of vintage, if not truly antique, yarns.
The stretchy Preemie Hat - it really does stretch quite a lot, and I love this Fizzy Print colorway of Red Heart TLC Baby yarn.
Twin bears for Caroline and Harlow - the pattern is Berroco's Harry Bear, worked in 1 strand of Red Heart Plush colorway Cream, and 1 strand of Baby Bee Peach Fuzz colorway Sweet Cheeks. The sweaters are knit in Red Heart Soft Baby colorway New Mint Twinkle, and I would like to credit the designer of this sweater pattern, but I can't find it online again. It's titled "A Beanie Baby Sweater" and calls for 1 skein of Cleckheaton and size 9 dpns. If you recognize this pattern, please let me know where I can find it so I can give credit where it is due. I did make some changes in the pattern so the sweaters would fit these bears, which are a bit larger than the standard Beanie Baby.

This sweater pattern from the UK is the Premature/Low Birth Weight Baby Body Warmer from Doris Lord. The booties are on the same website. The hat is Deanna Pate's design, and has a pretty pink organdy ribbon laced through the brim. Although I had plenty of baby yarn in my stash, I went looking for yarn to match the pink and green decor of Caroline and Harlow's nursery, this is (again) Red Heart TLC Baby yarn in the Fizzy Print colorway.

Long Time No Posts

2007-08-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just get so caught up in knitting, I forget to update this blog - silly, because right now this is the only record I have of what I have made and what I have given away. So here goes, starting with all the baby knits - the big blue hat in the back is from Knit Naked, Munchkin Topper number 2, made up in some anonymous blue acrylic worsted, probably from Lee Wards.

Little Pink Glad Rags

2006-12-23T11:45:00.000-08:00

I'm almost finished the preemie sweaters - as soon as I finish one, I find another I want to try - and since these little projects go so quickly, it's becoming addictive!

Mastering Knitting In The Round

2006-11-20T07:59:00.000-08:00

Up until now, I have avoided knitting in the round, because to me, using dpns is comparable to wrestling with a porcupine. One solution is to learn how to knit in the round with 2 circulars, so I experimented with this technique to make myself a pair of fingerless gloves. I used Kim's Fingerless Glove Pattern and Bernat Sox yarn in the colorway Jazz Hot, and size 2 circular dpns. I'll be using these gloves often throughout the cold weather, especially if it is warm enough to sit outside in the sun to knit.
Most of my knitting has been completely given over to making preemie garments for my husband's twin granddaughters. This is Pat Z's Newborn Vest for Infants With Tubes
worked in Red Heart Soft Baby in the colorway Mint Twinkle, on size US 3 needles. I like the heathery look of this yarn, it's a nice departure from the typical pastel baby yarns available. This vest will be finished with plastic snaps at the shoulders and front opening.

Oops, a few details I forgot.....

2006-10-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

I forgot to add a few details to the pattern in my last post.
I used size US 6 bamboo needles and Southwest Trading Company's Bamboo, colorway Bougainvilla, for both the skirt and the wrap. I have no idea of the yardage used in the skirt, but I started out with 5 skeins for both skirt and wrap, and I have about half a skein left. If you try making this skirt, I'd love to see a picture!

Multidirectional Swirl Skirt Pattern

2006-10-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

Iris has graciously permitted me to post directions for my Multidirectional Swirl Skirt pattern entered in Contest 2. You will need her book, Modular Knits, to make this. My skirt is roughly a child's size 10 - adjust for your desired waistband measurement by adding or decreasing the number of squares in the first step.

Waistband:
Modular Knits, pg 76-77-78 Square Holes Sweater
Work 1 row Square Holes Sweater design - make as many squares as you need for your waistband measurement:
Work steps 1 through 4. Stitch count must be a multiple of 8 for the next step.

Skirt Yoke:
Modular Knits pg 40, Felted Geometric Tote:
Work Step 1, Base Triangles, for 12 triangles (or as many triangles as you have, based on the multiple of 8 stitches).
Join and work Step 1 of Bag Body for 12 diamonds (or as many diamonds as you have, based on the multiple of 8 stitches), placing a marker at the beginning of the round.
Repeat Step 1 of Bag Body until desired length is reached.
Note: 1st diamond of each round will have 8 ridges, all others will have 7 ridges.

Skirt Ruffle:
Modular Knits, pg 107 Sheer One-Piece Shawl
Elongated diamonds: Knitting around, work 2 increases using k1inc1 at top of each diamond, and work 1 decrease using skp at sides of each diamond, and knitting 6 sts between increases and decreases (the number of stitches between increases and decreases will increase as you work). Use wrap & turn to continue working in garter stitch while turning to begin each new round. Every 3 rows, add elongated stitches using double wrap method. DO NOT use double wrap on increases and decreases.
Continue until desired length is reached. Hem edge will be points of diamonds.

Finishing:
Sew ends of waistband together, turning under edges and leaving side edge open for drawstring (or finish as desired, I had trouble with this part).
Make a 4-stitch I-cord for drawstring. Thread through holes in waistband.

Clear as mud, huh? Feel free to email me with any problems. This was very labor-intensive for me, and I want to try making an adult-size skirt, but that is on the back burner for now. I'm up to my ears in preemie hats and booties, and a passel o' Jayne hats for the avid Firefly fans in my family.

My Model Granddaughter

2006-09-27T23:58:00.000-07:00

Here is my contest entry on a live model, my granddaughter Arlyn Danielle. She really put her heart into modelling it for me!
I'm really happy that I was able to estimate the right length for her - and I sincerely hope this fulfills her wishes for clothes in her favorite Barbie-pink-and-purple colors.
Here's a closeup of the skirt where I joined the geometric tote technique with the Sheer One-Piece Shawl technique. All my grandkids are just growing up way too fast since I moved away from them. I miss them all very, very much.

Back to Knitting

2006-09-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

While I'm recovering from my unfortunate accident, I've been digging through my pile of projects in progress, trying to finish the smaller ones that don't require too much of my attention. I have started numerous ZigZag scarves (from Iris Schreier's book Modular Knits) and ripped them out because I didn't like the way the colors worked. So here's the first one I have actually finished, worked in RedHeart Multicolor "Farmland" on size US 8 needles. This took up the whole skein, with about a yard left over, and is almost the required 60 inches long.

On another topic, my husband just became a granddaddy for the first time. His daughter Chanda and her husband Will presented him with twins yesterday evening. Caroline Soleil and Harlow (sp?) Emily arrived at barely 26 weeks' gestation and are in the NICU, but neither required intubation or mechanical ventilation. They are both just under 2 pounds, so we are worrying and praying that they will be strong and do well. Having worked in a NICU for many years, I know way too much, so I have to remind myself that almost all of the babies I cared for did well and eventually went home. Now that the twins are here, I am ripping out all the newborn-size garments I have been working on, and searching for free preemie patterns on the Internet. I've found some really pretty things, so the needles will soon be flying, making up little pink glad rags.

Off Topic: Hit & Run

2006-09-17T02:09:00.000-07:00

There won't be much knitting in this post.
You never know what life is going to fling at you next. Last Friday evening I took my Beagle, Levi, for his customary postprandial constitutional. We follow a regular route so he can reinforce the boundaries of his territory with little pee markers. On the downhill leg of our tour, I heard a vehicle revving up down the road behind us, so I stepped off the shoulder onto the grass and put myself between Levi and the road. Before I could turn around to look, the vehicle sped toward us, slamming into my left side and knocking me to the ground. For a minute I couldn't move, but I got my head up and saw a light gray or silver vehicle, either an SUV or pickup truck with a cap, stopped at the stop sign ahead. It just sat there, so I thought perhaps the driver might get out to see if I was hurt. As I got to my hands and knees, the vehicle turned the corner and sped off. I was too shaken to think to try to read the license plate, but I had kept a death grip on Levi's leash. I got to my feet and limped home with Levi, meeting my husband at the door. I said, "I just got hit by a truck." Once he realized I meant that literally, he called 911 to report the accident. The ambulance arrived, and I declined transport to the hospital, because I thought I was all right, just bruised and shaken. My husband and the paramedics advised me that I should go get checked out, so I was strapped to a backboard and driven to Heartland Regional. I got x-rayed 50 ways from Tuesday, and was feeling more pain every minute, and getting short of breath. The nurse was asking me if I could donate a urine sample when I passed out and peed my pants. Off I went for a CT scan with contrast. Next thing I know, the ER doc is back and saying there may be a bleeding problem, damage to my spleen, but not to worry - the surgeon on-call was being paged to come in. With the surgeon's arrival everything went into fast-forward - apparently the damage was serious and internal bleeding extensive. I was whisked away to the OR, and later woke up in ICU, status post exploratory laparotomy and splenectomy. After 5 days I was released, and my head is still spinning. Sure wish I could track down the bastard who hit me, but there is not enough evidence to mount an investigation. Several of my family flew/drove in as soon as they heard about my accident - this is a hell of an excuse for a family reunion! But I am very touched and grateful for their support and loving care while I was in the hospital, and when I got home. I said goodbye to my older daughter Rachael and my Dad and stepmother yesterday, but my big sister Arlyn is still here, chivvying and plumping pillows for a few more days. I am also very grateful for all our neighbors and friends who supported Doug and me, it makes me feel much more at home and part of the community here. My sister has been working with Doug on the pontoon boat renovation, and they put it back in the water this afternoon. Maybe tomorrow we can take a test-drive.

On the knitting front, I have received requests for Jayne hats from my daughter Arlyn Elise and her family, all of them avid Firefly fans. I am almost finished the first one, and I'm digging out all the acrylic worsted in my stash to make the most outlandish color combinations I can think of. All my other works-in-progress have been put aside for baby items - Doug's younger daughter and her husband are expecting twins. My stash may noticeably decrease once I sort out all the baby yarn.

Contest Design

2006-08-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

This has been a real challenge - a contest to design a project using at least 2 techniques in Iris Schreier's book Modular Knits. I used 3 techniques in this skirt, which is roughly - I hope - a child's size 10. I am working on an I-cord drawstring and a few finishing details, then I will mail it off to my granddaughter Arlyn Danielle. I hope she won't mind modeling it for me so I can enter a picture of her wearing it.

Silky Tie Wrap in Bamboo

2006-07-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

Here is the Silky Tie Wrap worked in Southwest Trading Company's Bamboo, colorway Bougainville. This is a birthday present for 9-year-old granddaughter Arlyn Danielle.
I knitted this with size US 6 bamboo needles, and the gauge is 5 stitches per inch. It took two 250-yard skeins plus a few yards more.
Now I have almost 3 additional skeins left over, and I'm trying to work out a design for a tank top and/or a skirt, using Iris Schreier's multidirectional techniques. The bamboo yarn gets softer as it is worked, so I think washing it would make it even softer. I'm hunting for a bargain on more STWC bamboo, to make the tank top on the cover of the summer issue of Interweave Knits.

Grandma's gotta brag!

2006-07-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

As promised awhile back, here are pictures of my granddaughter Sarah ready for her first Prom. Yes, that is a Zoot Suit Dave is wearing, and he even got a haircut to go with.
Sarah is tall and gorgeous, unlike her height-challenged female ancestors.
What a beautiful smile! And very smart...she graduates next year, takes advanced studies including college chemistry, and is being sought by Princeton and Penn State, among others.
Pictured below is the silky tie wrap, photographed outside so it is true-to-color. It was mailed off to DD Rachael and DGD Sarah, who did some swanning about in it. Now another DGD wants one in her favorite pink-and-purple Barbie colors.

F.O. Flurry

2006-06-13T15:37:00.000-07:00

Eyeglasses case, pattern from Iris Schreier's book Modular Knits. Worked in Caron Rainbow Dreams worsted wt acrylic, colorway Jetstream, on size US 5 needles; trimmed with Bernat Boa in black. Pewter Mermaid button from Green Girl Studios.

Geometric Tote from Iris Schreier's book Modular Knits, before felting.

Geometric Tote after felting.

Geometric Tote finished - I left off the fastening loop entirely because it was too wide. I added a snap fastener to the inside top of the bag. Knitted in Cherry Tree Hill Potlock worsted, colorway Bronze, on size US 8 needles. Like the last Geometric Tote I made, this also turned out smaller than I wanted - so back to the wool and needles, to make one with more repeats and rounds.

A small, round felted purse, free pattern found on Noriko's blog; worked in Lion Brand worsted weight wool on size US 10 needles. I added a snap fastener to the inside top edge, and I may add some bead embroidery embellishment.

Overcoming Finishing Fear

2006-06-11T22:31:00.000-07:00

This represents a major milestone in my knitting journey - a sweater that is actually finished. I haven't finished a knitted sweater since the mid 1980s, and that one didn't really count as it was knitted in one piece.
I recently acquired an invaluable resource, The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques by Nancie M. Wiseman, which explains just about everything about knitting and how to make your knitting look handmade rather than homemade. The pictures are great for someone like me who has to see how a thing works rather than read about it. The pattern for this shrug is free from the Ornaghi Filati website, and the directions are European and only for a size Small. I wanted to make a Medium size so I increased the number of cast-on stitches for all the pieces. It was a challenge deciphering the European abbreviations and measurements, but the pattern is fairly simple. I used some sparkly acrylic Turkish Orma Crystal sport yarn that has been languishing in my stash for many years, I have a huge box of it in 4 coordinating colors that I ordered from Smiley's about 15 years ago. I doubled the yarn and used US size 10 needles to get the correct gauge. This shrug is for Sarah, and if I didn't get the size right it may get passed to other granddaughters until it fits someone. More about Sarah in my next post....

Silky Tie Wrap

2006-06-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

Finally finished: The Silky Tie Wrap designed by Iris Schreier, from the January issue of Creative Knitting. The yarn is a handpainted rayon RikRak in the colorway CedarMoss, from eBay seller lotusblossom. I used roughly 450 of the 600 yd skein and US size 6 flexible bamboo needles. This was a Knit-Along with the Yahoo Multidirectional group, and I am pretty sure I am among the very last to finish; so many other projects were calling me to work on them.
I liked the yarn colors better in the skein than when knitted up - the color repeats are short and might look better in something like a scarf.

Sheer One-Piece Shawl

2006-04-13T04:02:00.000-07:00

It's finally finished - the Sheer One-Piece Shawl from Iris Schreier's book Modular Knits. If I keep on in this fashion, I will end up making every one of Iris' designs in the book. Then I'll get started on her designs in Exquisite Little Knits. This shawl ended up larger than I expected, allowing me to really wrap up in it. I can picture myself here on the deck on cool evenings, snuggled into this pretty shawl.

Felted Geometric Tote

2006-04-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

Felting this tote was a lesson in over-confidence. This is the Felted Geometric Tote from Iris Schreier's book Modular Knits, and for this first attempt I used 1-1/2 skeins of Lion Wool Prints, colorway Majestic Mountain, on US size 8 24-inch circulars. I have renamed it the Tiny Tote, because after putting it through 3 powerwash cycles in my front loader without checking it between cycles, I added insult to injury by leaving it overnight. It had shrunk from tote-size to a tiny 5 inches by 6 inches, and the front and back had partially felted together and had to be physically ripped apart. The lovely multidirectional diamond pattern is barely visible. The strap did not shrink proportionally, and the piece I cut off to make the loop fastener dwarfed the whole bag. I made a short length of I-cord and sewed the ends into spirals on the back of the bag, added a snap to the inside of the bag, and used a Peruvian clay peacock bead for the fastener.

This cute little bag will be sent off to Sarah, whose favorite color is amethyst, and who played a peacock in the Summer Stage production of "Honk!" at Camden County College 2 years ago.

Fear of Finishing

2006-04-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

I unearthed several pieces of foam core board from my as yet still-packed-up stash of 'Other Projects.' They were going to be transformed into a wardrobe for Sarah's American Girl doll Samantha, but I never found the right size miniature hardware. They will have a new life as a custom-made fold-up blocking board, just as soon as I figure out how to hinge them together AND put a grid on them. That last part really has me stumped. I love my ironing board cover with the printed grid on it, and I'm so spoiled by not having to measure while I pin and block.
I have diagnosed myself as suffering from finishaphobia, or fear of finishing knitting projects. I bought a copy of Wiseman's Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques, now I just have to steel myself, calm my nerves, and get down to work. Seaming knits is a huge bugaboo of mine, and I just procrastinate about other things, like lining the pinwheel purse with fabric-covered stiffening and threading elastic through the loop fastener. That's boring - almost as boring as sewing the straps onto the felted bags. I figure if I just keep piling my UFOs in plain sight on the ironing board, sooner or later I will feel so ashamed of my finishaphobia that I will launch an all-day (or all-night) attack on this mounting pile of UFOs.

Another Diamond Blossom Scarf

2006-03-31T01:49:00.000-08:00

My second Diamond Blossom Scarf, from Iris Schreier's book Modular Knits, is now blocking. Worked in ArtYarns Silk Ribbon, colorway 123 on US 7 rosewood needles, I pinned it out to 43 inches by 6 inches. Steaming it loosened it up so much that I may re-block it to add more length. I used 2 skeins of the Silk Ribbon and had enough left for fringe - which I will experiment with, by adding beads...Swarovski, or perhaps Magatmas, Tohos, 11/0 Delicas....Charlottes maybe? Now I have some incentive to unpack and sort through my bead stash. That could be dangerous.

Starburst Shawl

2006-03-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

Here's the Starburst Shawl, blocked and ready for anything! Spring is here at last - how nice to wake up to sunshine and blue skies, especially after yesterday's snow.

One Soggy, Messy Knitter

2006-03-13T13:14:00.000-08:00

It has been one soggy muddy stretch of days, and I haven't gotten much sleep the past two nights. I've been sitting up watching the emergency broadcasts for tornado warnings and severe thunderstorms. My dear husband keeps saying, "This isn't normal for this area," but I'm beginning to doubt him. The drainage creek on the side of our property has gone from a calm trickle to a rushing torrent, complete with waterfall sound effects. The first 5 inches of rain on Thursday night swamped the end of our dock and started swallowing up one of the raised beds. Our neighbor's dock has a bench on the far end, which now appears to be perched insubstantially on the water's surface.
My knitting-needle-eating cats are demonstrating beaming approval of my new knitting needle case. They obviously think I have spread a veritable feast before them. Since I filled up this case, I have discovered Murphy's Knitting Law: No matter how many knitting needles one has, one never has the right size to begin the next project.
And on to more mess: This is the shameful state of my yarn stash, after ransacking it to find an elusive skein of yarn that was apparently eaten by the moving truck. One of these days I will have to get organized....either that, or start knitting my way from front to back of this embarrassingly large stash. I counted 10 plus containers of yarn. I think I need a Knitter's 12-step program.

Silk Ribbon Diamond Blossom Scarf, The Beginning

2006-03-13T12:56:00.000-08:00

I didn't give the needles a chance to cool down once I cast off the Starburst Shawl. I have a March 31 deadline to meet so I can qualify for more free Iris patterns!

This is the beginnings of another Diamond Blossom scarf, worked in ArtYarns Silk Ribbon colorway 123. When knitted up, it has a "boingy" texture. I'm using US size 7 Colonial Rosewood dp needles - and one great thing about using dpns is that I can store my markers on the spare needle. This silk ribbon is very delicate and tends to catch on the slightest thing, so I have to slather on skin-softening products before working with it. I'm hoping it will stretch out quite a bit with blocking, otherwise the 2 skeins of silk ribbon may equal a neckwarmer.

Starburst off the needles!

2006-03-13T12:48:00.000-08:00

The Starburst Shawl is off the needles and blocking on the ironing board. Since I can't afford a steamer I am using my Rowenta iron, which dripped some water on the shawl, aarrgh! That's what those dark spots are.

I used 4 skeins of Regal Silk colorway 114 and used all but a few yards. I added two additional pattern repeats to make the shawl wider. I used size US 4 bamboo needles, the flexible kind. The finished stitch gauge worked out to 5-1/2 stitches per inch.

I took a picture of the shawl on a hanger before blocking so you can get some idea of the dimensions.

Also a closeup picture of the pattern, again with dark water spots. Aarrgh.

Knitting Olympics Last Leg

2006-03-13T00:53:00.000-08:00

The Olympics have been over for awhile, but I am still slaving away over my entry, the Starburst Shawl from Iris Schreier's book Modular Knits, worked in Regal Silk 114. Even though I may be the last competitor to finish, this has been an educational project. I have successfully learned how to knit backwards - if I hadn't I don't think I'd finish this before the next Olympics! Knitting backwards makes working each enclosed diamond go much faster. The yarn colors are sumptuous, and the pattern is very easy to learn. I'll be back in a few days with the finished, blocked shawl. Levi and Coco are obviously more impressed with backyard wildlife than my knitting.

Sarah's Birthday Gift

2006-02-17T12:33:00.001-08:00

Here is Sarah's finished birthday set, a spiral scarf, wristlets, and earwarmers/neck scarf/headband. It is worked in Caron Cozi in Evening Jewels and Moda Dea Dream in black. The wristlets are so soft and warm, I think I will make some for myself, to wear for wintertime knitting. The photo doesn't show the purple mixed in with the blue in the Cozi yarn - but it is very pretty. Now I must wrap this up and get it in the mail so Sarah will have it to wear in the 2 feet of snow the latest storm dumped on the East Coast.

I'm No Athlete

2006-02-17T12:15:00.000-08:00

I signed up to compete in the Knitting Olympics on Yarn Harlots blog, and my entry is Iris Schreier's Starburst Shawl from her book Modular Knits. I'm ashamed to say I didn't train or prepare in any way, and hadn't even started winding my 4 skeins of Regal Silk 114 into balls until the opening ceremonies. I started on size 8 bamboo needles and frogged it to start over on size 4 bamboos. I put it aside to finish a birthday gift, and finally got down to some serious knitting last night during the men's figure skating. I missed one pattern correction and tried to figure it out on my own - which I did - and was vindicated when I looked up the errata and found I did it right! Thanks, Iris, for teaching me how to 'read' my knitting! I have doubts that I will finish before the closing ceremonies, but I'm on my way to the next free pattern if I finish it by the end of March. So much for this Armchair Athlete.

Silky Tie Wrap WIP

2006-02-11T03:37:00.001-08:00

I'm not getting very far very fast on this Silky Tie Wrap, a knit-along with the Multidirectional Yahoo Group. I've finished the back and started on the first side. The pattern, designed by Iris Schreier, can be found in the January issue of Creative Knitting. I am knitting it with a hand-painted rayon rik-rak yarn in the colorway Cedar Moss, from the seller lotusblossom on eBay. I couldn't pass up the deal on this yarn - an 8-oz, 600-yd skein for $12.50! Both older daughter and oldest granddaughter have expressed an interest in it, so I'd better get back to work!

Finished! Pinwheel Purse

2006-02-10T15:49:00.000-08:00

I found the perfect button, and the Pinwheel Purse, from Modular Knits by Iris Schreier, is finally finished. It is worked in Noro Silk Garden, colorway 213, on size 8 bamboo needles. I may run some elastic thread through the loop fastener so it hugs the button.

Two-Color Multidirectional Scarf WIP

2006-02-10T15:44:00.000-08:00

This Two-Color Multidirectional Scarf from Iris Schreier's book, Modular Knits, started out as a 2-color Diamond Blossom Scarf. I kept ending up with one less stitch, so after frogging it many times, I gave up and started this pattern instead. The yarn is ArtYarns Supermerino.

Sheer One-Piece Shawl WIP

2006-02-10T15:40:00.000-08:00

The Sheer One-Piece Shawl is an Iris Schreier pattern from her book, Modular Knits. This will be awesome when it is finished! The yarn is a hand-painted Pima cotton in the colorway Dusk from seller lotusblossum on eBay.

Scarf Angst

2006-02-09T12:37:00.000-08:00

My beautiful granddaughter Sarah turned 17 yesterday, and I wanted to make something for her. When she was little, she had a great way of fueling my creative efforts. Whenever I made something for her, she would look up at me, her appealing dark brown eyes wide, and say, "Grandmom, you make this for ME?" That always had the desired effect, sending me back to my stash-filled workroom to create yet another costume, doll dress, or whatever her heart desired.

I found 2 skeins of Coats & Clarks Jai Alai in the colorway Damson in my stash, perfect for a spiral scarf. I was nearing the finish line on this scarf when I realized there wasn't enough yarn to finish binding off - witness the circular needle dangling at the end of the scarf. I ran out to look for another skein, but Murphy's Law intervened. This particular color is now discontinued. I tried frogging it to make it one row shorter - no mean feat as the last row is 700+ stitches long! This yarn does NOT lend itself to frogging, and picking up dropped stitches was an exercise in futility. I dug through my stash, thinking I might have misplaced a skein. By the end of the afternoon I had dragged out all my yarn - 10 large containers plus assorted bagsfull - and along the way discovered the Luster Sheen sweater I crocheted 14 years ago. Alas, no Damson Jai Alai, or any other yarn good enough for Sarah's scarf. I took this picture to commemorate these 2 failures: the sweater that didn't fit and the scarf that ran out. Then I buried them with much pomp and ceremony in my stash and went out to buy more yarn for Sarah's scarf. Her birthday present will be a little late this year.

Blue Fur Boxer

2006-02-07T11:46:00.000-08:00

We are owned by seven furkids, five of which are rescues. Here is our biggest furbaby, Coco, in her fancy new fur coat. Of historical note, Boxers originated in Germany in the early 1800s as a result of breeding the Brabanter Bullenbeisser ( I think that means a medium bulldog bred for boar-hunting) with the early English Bulldog. Boxers are indoor pets because they cannot tolerate extremes in temperature due to their close-fitting smooth coat. Our dogs love to go for boat rides, but when we went out on the lake on a cool day last fall, the wind was too much for Coco. She started shivering and tried to crawl behind my legs to get warm. I knitted her this furry coat in Lion Brand Wool-Ease and Fun Fur from a free pattern on the Lion Brand website. I had to made adjustments to the pattern which was written with small to medium dogs in mind, and I realized when I had it sewn together that the underpanel should have been attached in reverse - with the wide end at the chest - to fit Coco's svelte stream-lined shape. There is no belly on this girl, so I tightened up the bottom of the underpanel with single crochet.
Coco wore her coat for a test-run on the second-floor deck, a favorite hangout for both dogs. They can see all over the neighborhood from there and bark at any ducks and geese that dare to approach the dock. She jumped and pranced around, and refused to come back inside - ordinarily she dashes out for a quick look-see then runs back in if it's too cold for her. Levi, her faithful Beagle side-kick, decided Coco must have turned into a soft plushy stuffed toy, his prey of choice. He chased her all over the deck, trying to chew up her new coat. Perhaps he's jealous, so another dog coat is on my list of things to knit. For him, a denim jean jacket would be just right, and maybe I can learn how to knit his name into the coat - so he can sport a Levi label.

Felting the Pinwheel Purse

2006-01-27T03:11:00.000-08:00

My latest project is the Pinwheel Purse from Iris Schreier's book Modular Knits. I worked it in Noro Silk Garden, colorway 213, on size 8 bamboo needles. It was dreadfully floppy and awful-looking once I got it all sewn together, so I gave felting a try. I got lots of good felting advice from the list members on the Multidirectional group. I asked for advice on felting in a front-loader, and got great feedback. I ran it through 3 power-wash cycles, then hand-felted it in boiling hot water in the kitchen sink for about 15 minutes. This is a picture of it blocking. Now to find the perfect button to fasten it!

A Work in Progress: Sheer One-Piece Shawl

2006-01-07T02:42:00.000-08:00

I'm knitting toward my next free pattern with this Sheer One-Piece Shawl from Iris Schreier's book Modular knits. The yarn is a huge skein of handpainted Pima cotton in the colorway Dusk, which I found on eBay from Over The Rainbow Yarns. I am using a double wrap instead of a yarn over for the elongated stitches, as Iris suggested, and it is working up very quickly. More pictures as I get further along - I'm almost finished the back center-increase diamond.

MD Scarf in Cashmere

2006-01-07T02:34:00.000-08:00

Along with being a knitaholic, I'm also an eBay addict, where I found one skein of Makalu handpainted cashmere DK. It was high time I got over my fear of messing up luxury yarns - I did okay with the ArtYarns Regal Silk - and started using some of my small stash of high-end treasures. The cashmere was just enough for a multidirectional triangle scarf, a joy to work with and so soft and warm to wear.

Multidirectional Triangle Baby Hat

2006-01-07T02:17:00.000-08:00

For my next free pattern project, I knitted an MD Triangle hat for my 8th grandchild, Cassandra Ruth. It is done in Bernat Sox, colorway Hot Jazz on US 3 circular and dp needles. I like the way the colors spiral around to the top of the hat.

Cassie Ru would like you to note that she is wearing her Ugg Boots, a gift for her first birthday from Grandmom and GrandDoug. They are all soft suede and are perfect for first walking shoes.

CassieRu liked her new hat, only pulling it off once to admire the colorful pattern. That's Matt in the background, CassieRu's big brother and my second grandchild.

A Giant Leap to The Diamond Blossom Scarf

2006-01-06T12:31:00.000-08:00

I admit it, I am a freebie junkie. Iris Schreier's Multidirectional group on Yahoo offers free patterns for completing different projects, and I am determined to get them all! So as soon as I had Iris' book, Modular Knitting, in my hot little hands, I jumped in feet first on the Diamond Blossom Scarf pattern.

I had to order another skein of Regal Silk 101, a flimsy excuse to buy more ArtYarns! I started working on this pattern during a tornado watch and warning, so I ended up frogging and tinking several times - I was a little tense, watching the emergency broadcasts on TV and alternately scanning the sky for funnel clouds.

I realized after I started working that I should have worked through the multidirectional tutorials before jumping into this pattern , but the lure of another free pattern was incentive enough to keep at it until I had the pattern fixed in my brain.
It is lovely, it is gorgeous, and I wore it outside and in for its' lightweight warmth and luxurious drape. I never envisioned being able to create something this beautiful! DH even noticed and complimented me on my work!

Multidirectional Scarf and Hat

2006-01-02T22:59:00.000-08:00

When I was visiting my mother in California last October, we went to the By Hand Yarn shop in Sonora. There are no local yarn shops close to where I live in Southern Illinois, so I was eager to browse for luxury yarns. I came away with enough Berocco Denim Silk for a sweater, 2 skeins of Noro Daria to make a bag, and the focus of my visit - silk yarns. I had never worked with silk yarn before so I chose single skeins - Angora Cottage 100% silk in Night Dreams and Soy Silk/Angora/Wool in Fall Leaves, Artyarns Regal Silk 101 and Silk Ribbon 123. I was thinking of using the silks and the Daria for beaded knotwork, but being the Internet junkie that I am, I had to look up the websites on the yarn labels to find out just what could be made with silk yarn.

The patterns at Artyarns sent me back to By Hand Yarn looking for the Starburst Shawl and Diagonal Tank patterns. Further study of the ArtYarns website revealed the mutidirectional knitting group moderated by Iris Schreier, author of Modular Knits (Lark, 2005) and co-founder of Artyarns, which offered free patterns, advice, and a warm group of knitters from all over the world. I knew I had to join the group, buy the book, and learn this fascinating knitting technique.

I have been knitting madly ever since. Pictured is my first mutidirectional project, the MD scarf, worked in Caron Rainbow colorway Jetstream. The fringe is a crocheted design posted by a member of the multidirectional group - thanks, Sarah! I earned the free pattern for the matching hat, and the set was claimed by one of my granddaughters, Arlyn Danielle, when I went back to New Jersey over the holidays. The colors look great with her auburn hair!

Little Red Riding Hood and Me

2006-01-02T01:09:00.000-08:00

This is the last item I crocheted before I rediscovered knitting, a sweater for my granddaughter Arlyn Danielle.

My mother taught me to knit when I was quite small, from an old, well-thumbed knitting booklet of doll clothes featuring Little Red Riding Hood. I aspired to knit a Red Riding Hood cloak for my Ginny doll, but I can only recall making a small garter-stitched square in dark red wool. I remember thinking that the eyelet row for the drawstring was too complicated, so I put it away. As I grew up, I would occasionally start a knitting project from my mother's McCall's Needlework Magazine, but I always chose large advanced projects which took forever to complete, and I soon lost interest. I actually managed to finish a pair of mittens and a baby sweater, but my knitting just didn't look right, it was bumpy and the stitches twisted the wrong way. A college roommate taught me how to crochet in 1970, and I was happy with how quickly a project worked up, and I didn't have to fuss with dropped stitches or finish an entire row before taking a break. I occasionally attempted small knitted projects, but my stitches still twisted in a peculiar fashion and never looked quite right.

Recently I found a pattern that I just had to make, but it was knitted. Now that I had a computer and access to all sorts of free information, I did some research on the Internet and discovered, to my chagrin, that I had been knitting backwards for years - knitting through the back of the loop instead of the front. No wonder my stitches looked strange! I had to re-learn the basics, and my knitting finally looked the way it should. I also picked up lots of speed, and now I am knitting faster than I ever crocheted.