Peaceful Knitter

I’ve been thinking over the pros and cons of participating in Blogtoberfest, a challenge to write a blog post every day in October, for a few days now.  Mostly I think it will be an interesting challenge, but part of me is also terrified that I won’t have anything interesting to say.  What happens when, on day 17 say, all I do is stay home in my pajamas and do laundry?  On the other hand, I like writing, and this could be just the external motivation I need to push myself a little farther.

So I will inevitably need to push the boundaries of this blog past knitting, gently exploring other areas of my creative and everyday life (the two don’t always coincide, as I’m sure you’ll see).  Fortunately for all of us, I do have some exciting fiber-related activities coming up that will be fun to document and share.  Rhinebeck, anyone?  I’m also planning to take a photo every day, sort of a mini Project 365 challenge.  Is there anything you’d like to see me write about?

I hope you’ll join me on this new adventure during the month of October.  There will be knitting, sewing, travel, and at least one day where I don’t get out of my pajamas. See you tomorrow for Day One!

This post contains images and information concerning the September 2009 Rockin’ Sock Club Shimpent.  Proceed at your own risk.

Even though I haven’t been knitting socks recently, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmingly excited to receive the most recent shipment of the Socks that Rock club yarn.  Autumn is my favorite season, and I had high hopes that the colorway would be representative of all the beautiful seasonal changes.  Would there be rich golds, dark greens and spicy oranges?  Or fiery reds and deep browns?  And what about the pattern?  I have been less than ecstatic over the patterns the club has offered this year, and have actually only knit one with the matching yarn and pattern.  The others will likely be split up, using the yarn for different patterns or vice-versa.

When I opened this month’s package, I held my eyes closed until I had the skein of yarn in my hand.  Then I opened them slowly, anticipating the moment of discovery.  And when I finally had my eyes open, what I saw was an ashy beige and burnt orange yarn.  I uttered something articulate along the lines of “Ugh….” before moving on to the pattern.  Same reaction, I’m afraid.

So I left the package on the table overnight, steeping in my disappointment.  I have plenty of yarn and projects to knit, I reassured myself.  This isn’t the be all and end all of my fall knitting.  Eventually, I logged on to Ravelry to see what other sock clubbers had to say about the shipment.  And lo!  People were loving it.

Spurned on by something like peer pressure to reexamine the yarn in question, I went back and took a closer look.  Indeed, there were more colors subtly blended in among the orange and tan I first saw.  Take a look for yourself.

• Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock medium weight in River Rocked

The colorway really speaks to the colors of fall as seen near water, touching on the colors of foliage, stones, and water together.   It’s probably not something I would have immediately gravitated toward, but after taking a second look, I think it’s lovely.

• Pattern: Knetted by Cat Bordhi

I have never knit a Cat Bordhi pattern despite wanting to for some time now.  I think this looks like a good opportunity to delve in!  And the pattern is knit from the top down, so there won’t be too many new ideas for me to get my mind around (hopefully).

There are a couple of projects in my knitting basket that need my attention, but for the first time in months I’m thinking about casting on a pair of socks!  Then again, I also have lace shawls on the brain…

Ishbel is finished!  I had enough yarn!

I bound off the last of the stitches on Monday night, just before the season premiere of House, and put her in the sink to soak.  After a while, I pinned the shawl out on my yoga mat (a little narrow for this project) on commercial breaks.  It was dry by the next morning!

• Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolda Teague, size Large (see my Ravelry project page here)

• Yarn: Malabrigo Sock Yarn in color 853; 1 skein or about 440 yards

• Needles: US size 6/4 mm Addi Turbo Lace needles

• Mods: None.

This project was everything I had hoped it would be the second time around.  I wanted a darker, more moody colorway.  Check.  I wanted it to be larger than the first version so it would stay put when worn as a scarf.  Check.  And I wanted to get it all done with one skein of great yarn.  Check.

The Malabrigo sock yarn was a dream to knit with.  The color variation is subtle yet saturated, moving from deep indigo to grapey purples and everything in between.  All without stripes or pooling colors showing up in the final product.  It is soft and sturdy too, which means it should work great for socks as many knitters have already reported.  I have another skein in chocolate brown that hasn’t decided what it wants to be when it grows up yet.

Turns out taking self-timed photos of yourself wearing a shawl is pretty tough.  First all I got was a picture of my butt.  Next it was more shawl and less butt, but it was out of focus.  Finally I got something that wasn’t too blurry or butty (helped along with a little cropping, of course).  Here it is:

Oh, I’m just in love with this!  Not only do I want to knit more lace shawls immediately, I want to go out and buy a new, more neutral coat to show off my hand-knits this winter.  Is that so wrong?

This week I have been a monogamous knitter.  This rarely happens, and I’m enjoying the benefits of focusing on one project.  I can see progress much faster than in the past when I set this project aside to knit other, quicker projects.  I started this back in July, just before heading off on vacation, thinking it would be a quick knit.  After all, I had knit this once before relatively quickly! This version has been on the needles about 2 months, and the weather is getting cooler; I felt motivated to finish this up so I can add it to my wardrobe asap!

The pattern I am speaking of is Ishbel, a viral knit that has enchanted knitters across the globe.  It is enticing for several reasons: it’s knit with fingering weight yarn; the lace is interesting yet manageable; the size is right to wear as a scarf.  I’m sure we all have our own reasons for knitting one (or more) of these lovely woolen accessories!

I am knitting this version out of a skein of Malabrigo sock yarn in Abril.  The first version I made was the smaller size, and I have been hoping to eke out the large from this skein.  Today I finished up the last repeat before beginning the edging, so I am well on my way to finishing up in a couple of days.  Fingers crossed that I have enough yarn!  I think I’ll add a life line at this point; that way if I run out of yarn, I can do the edging in a complimentary color and it might make sense.

When I haven’t been working away on this shawl, I’ve been at the sewing machine.  This week I’ve added a few more finished items to the baby pile: flannel receiving blankets!  I lucked out on a 40% off sale at JoAnne Fabrics a few weeks ago and really stocked up on flannel.  The fabrics really run the range of colors and patterns, and I picked what I liked regardless of gender implications.  So no, I don’t know what’s brewing in there!

I haven’t been following a pattern, as such.  Each blanket is made from a yard of fabric, with about 4 inches cut off from the selvage edge to create a more square shape.  Then I’ve been ironing the edges into a 1/2-inch fold twice and then sewing up the sides.  Easy-peasy and much faster than knitting a blanket!

Ishbel is sitting on the ottoman across the room, just staring at me… better get back to work!

Amanda Blake Soule’s new book, Handmade Home, is chock-full of goodness.  There are all sorts of projects that can be done with thrifted or repurposed materials, and are appropriate for crafty adults and children alike.  Her outlook of encouraging creative play and expression in our everyday lives is truly inspiring.  She engages in a way of life that I find very appealing and can only hope to draw from more and more.

Here’s a little taste for you, compiled from the book’s introduction:

Each day provides us with the opportunity to create something.  Making things by hand is a way I share my love and a bit of myself with those dearest to me. Each time I make something for my home and my family, I feel a satisfaction unlike any other feeling.  Through the act of making I find solace and peace in the small moments of my everyday life.  When I am at work making things, I am fully present in the moment.

Sounds familiar…

I found myself particularly taken with an item that I thought could be immediately useful to a couple of ladies I know who have or are expecting little ones.  The Fringed Play Mat pattern is reminiscent of the ribbon blankets you may have seen at the stores.  I had seen those and thought to myself “I could sew that!”; I was thrilled to see a simple pattern in the book for just how to do this.

Instead of making mine the 35-inch square size, I purchased fat quarters of quilting fabric.  I used 2 quarters per blanket, along with some organic cotton batting and a variety of ribbons.  Inexpensive, fun, and simple to make.  I’m really starting to like this sewing business!

As with any hand-made project, there inevitably comes a moment where you want to toss the whole thing out the window for one reason or another.  The first blanket I made went so smoothly that I probably got a little over-confident in my abilities.

The second blanket did not go as well at first.  As soon as the sewing machine started acting up, refusing to perform a simple zig-zag stitch, I lost it.  This could have been one of those pregnancy horemone-induced rages and/or breakdowns, but I quite literally tossed one of these blankets across the room before breaking down in tears.  The thread on the underside was zigging perfectly, yet the thread on the top wasn’t getting stitched into the fabric at all.  It was just getting pulled along in a straight line; this made ripping it out easier, but it was insanely frustrating.  After a time-out, the machine and I came back together for a trouble-shooting session.  I tried everything I knew how to do (which isn’t much) and eventually, inexplicably, it started working again.

Roll it up, wrap some ribbon around the whole thing, and you have a charming and presentable gift.  I added the tag that I use for all of my knit gifts, made out of a manila tag I got at Staples and a stamp I got from Michael’s.  I hand color them and write content and care instructions.

I hope the sweet babes who receive these blankies enjoy laying, drooling, playing, and napping with them!  I certainly enjoyed the process of combining fabrics with ribbon, stitching them up, even ironing them.  Sewing (even when it’s a little frustrating) brings me an entirely different sense of creativity and satisfaction than knitting.  I can’t quite explain it yet, but there is a difference in process for me that I am finding invigorating.  So while I continue to feel excited and inspired by my knitting, I am also adding this new playing with fabric thing to the mix.  Between the two, the possibilities seem endless!

It’s a chilly, rainy day and I am wearing hand-knit socks. Such a comfort and a pleasure on a day like this.

I did notice that when I went to the sock drawer to make my selection for the day that the pile seemed a little…sad. None of my hand-knit socks are worn out necessarily, but they have seen better days. And I haven’t knit myself a pair since February.

I think my sock mojo called. I saw it on the caller ID and decided not to answer, but I may have to call her back soon.

Have a great weekend!

The smell of damp wool hangs in the air around me, a direct result of my impatience and excitement.

• Pattern: Verity by Ysolda Teague (Ravelled here)

• Yarn: Valley Yarns Stockbridge in Light Grey, approx 165 yards to knit Medium size

• Needles: US size 7/4.5mm circulars and double points

• Mods: None!

I finished this gorgeous beret last night, washing and stretching it out over a dinner plate to block.  It’s been cool and breezy here, so I thought that it would be dry when I got up this morning.  Wrong!  So I moved it to a room where I could open all the windows and crank up the ceiling fan.  A few short hours later, and the body of the hat is dry, but the band is still a little damp.  That turns out to be a bit of a blessing in disguise.

The blocking process stretched out the body in such a way that I think it has the perfect amount of slouch without being too baggy or droopy.  The dinner plate trick does little to stretch out the band, however.  So I stretched and pulled things into place before stitching down the tab and sewing on the button.  Now I’m wearing it so that it will stretch to be a custom fit over my own head.

The yarn was a good match here.  I wanted something versatile in color so I could get a lot of use out of the hat, and knew I had some of this yarn leftover from my Baby Cables and Big Ones Too sweater.  It’s a 50/50 wool alpaca blend in varying shades of pewter and silver.  The slight fuzziness of the yarn works with the charm of this design to make a really special hat.  In fact, I still have yarn left over.  Gloves, perhaps?

The entire time I was knitting this hat, I was picturing a fun, contrasting colored button.  Purple, teal, red, or black had all crossed my mind. When I started pulling button options from my ever-growing button collection, however, I was taken with this shimmery platinum button.  It’s a perfect match!

I have nothing but good things to say about this pattern.  Right off the bat it’s stylish and easy without being too boring.  The knitting begins at the top of the hat, with just enough going on with increases and yarn overs to keep you entertained over the few hours it takes to knit.  And that band is a work of genius.  Bet you thought is was simple seed stitch, right?  I did too!  Turns out it’s a slip stitch pattern knit width-wise onto the live stitches of the hat.  This keeps the band stretchy yet firm, with a beautiful finished edge.

I’ve never really worn a beret before; I was skeptical that I could pull it off.  I’m still not too sure, but this hat is so cute that it doesn’t really matter!  I’m off to see what other beret I might make…

It’s been a great weekend around here.

Some highlights:

Sweetie surprising me outside my Saturday  morning yoga class.  The car was packed with a picnic and beach towels and off we went to the shore.  It was lovely.

Sushi dinner with friends.

Casting on a new knitting project on Saturday night before sushi dinner because you just can’t wait until later!

Doggie playdate for Big Martha & her friend Hugo.  She drank some funky pond water and had diarrhea all night, which was less fun.

That moment when you’re sitting in a movie theater and the lights go down and the first preview starts.  Perfect.

Sleeping in a room that is cool not from the air conditioning but from the actual air outside.

Getting good photos of your cats enjoying a lazy weekend.

Hope you enjoyed your weekend too!

In a flash I had finished another bib and realized that I had three bibs that needed buttons, ends woven in, and embellishments.  And once I had taken care of those details, the fever to knit cotton baby bibs was…gone!  And it’s a good thing, too, because I have a lot of other knitting and sewing I’d like to get done!

• Pattern: Baby Bib ‘o Love from Mason-Dixon Knitting (Ravelled here)

• Yarn: Various remnants of Sugar ‘n Cream and Peaches ‘n Cream kitchen cotton

• Needles: US size 7/4.5mm

• Mods: Slipped the first stitch of ever row to neaten the edging, changed colors when the previous yarn ran out.

Once I got all of that out of my system, I was free to revisit the Tiny Shoes booties.  You may remember I knit a pair in leftover pink sock yarn, but they came out very differently and were not a matching set.  I put the whole project in time out, and after thinking it over decided to give it another try.

The right bootie had come out perfectly, so I set about knitting a 2nd left bootie.  The construction of these wee shoes is interesting yet fiddly.  Most importantly, the construction of the front of the shoe is slightly different from shoe to shoe as you are working in opposite directions.  So where the right bootie has a neat purl ridge above the yarn overs at the front of the shoe, the left is a new cast on that got a little bit stretched out.  While these two shoes are now the same size, the details are not exactly perfect.  Oh well, I’m sending them off to my expectant friend anyway. After all,

Handmade=imperfectly beautiful.

• Pattern: Tiny Shoes by Ysolda Teague from Whimsical Little Knits (Ravelled here)

• Yarn: Holiday Yarns Flock Sock Yarn in Bubblegum, leftovers

• Needles: US size 2/2.75mm

• Mods: None.

Aren’t those little bunny buttons swell?  I have some angora yarn I’d like to make some booties out of, using these buttons as well.  Get it?! Fiber nerds we are…

Now I’m planning on finishing my Ishbel shawl and perhaps casting on some other single skein accessories.  I’ve been wanting to knit some new fingerless gloves, and I just bought the pattern for the Verity hat…Looks like I better get off the computer and start knitting!