purlsandmurmers

Hats for Alex

After I read Marji's  September 26th post I immediately sorted through my odd lot bag for some yarn for baby hats.  I wrote about the first hat here.

It took me a little while to get back to this project but I finally did, knitting one hat on Thursday and another yesterday evening:

These hats are knit in remnants of Mission Falls 1824 Cotton and are ready to be shipped off, along with the first hat, on Monday.

It had been a while since I had knitted a hat and it has been perfect knitting therapy, short and sweet and easily knitted when one is tired or just a little scatterbrained.  I seem to be avoiding casting on for a more major project right now, just as there are several projects lined up in need of finishing.  I am sure the need to knit something more complicated and interesting will resume, but for the moment these hats are the perfect thing.  I have started another one, this one out of lilac superwash wool, but this one will be larger, a child's size, to be donated to a local school.  I think all the local schools accept hat, scarf, and glove donations but I tend to give mine to the Pre-K to 2nd grade magnet school in Poughkeepsie, a school that serves a large inner city and welfare population, and never seems to have enough hats and scarves to go around.  Although it still seems unseasonably warm, winter will come and I hope to have something ready.

And I forgot to mention....

The Vogue Knitting wasn't the only new knitting magazine to arrive last week, but it was the only one that was probably worth mentioning. 

The new Verena also arrived.

When I was first notified that Verena was no longer going to be published I was devastated because they had so many sweaters I loved.  Then, when I was notified that they were resuming publication I was filled with glee and quickly dropped the required cash for a new subscription.

I shouldn't have bothered.  This is the second issue of the "new" Verena I have received and both have been completely boring.  What a disappointment.

Vogue Knitting

Here it is more than half way through the week and I am still catching up with last weekend.  And not all bad things happened, and I did indeed enjoy my short visit to Rhinebeck.  Any problems were purely of my own doing and stemmed from the generally overwhelmed mental state in which I was operating. 

There were some good points though.

For the first time in a few years, the winter issue of Vogue Knitting arrived BEFORE the sheep and wool festival.  I distinctly remember running around Dutchess and Ulster Counties on a Saturday evening two years ago looking to purchase a copy of the magazine because mine had not come and I desperately needed more information on a pattern for which I wanted to purchase yarn.

In fact, even though I missed time at the fairgrounds and a party or two, I was happy to spend stolen moments curled up with this issue of VK.  I like this issue far, far more than the last one, the much touted anniversary issue, which I thought was quite disappointing.

Admittedly I was first attracted to this sweater because of the color.

But when I looked more closely I found that I still loved the pattern.  I actually have some of the recommended Colinette yarn in my stash, although perhaps not enough for this sweater.  I purchased it for something else, for which it may or may not be suited.

In fact this seems to be the color of the season, at least as far as my attraction to the Russian collection in the magazine, because I was also attracted to this sweater, which is fabulous for its color, and the lovely shaping and detail, enough interest to keep it from being a boring knit, and yet no so busy that it doesn't get worn.

I have mentioned several times lately that I seem to be increasingly attracted to color work again, although you haven't yet seen me start any sweaters that require multiple colors in any form.  Still I feel myself getting closer and closer.

This issue has three sweaters that are really tempting me to take the color plunge:

But it is not all about color, or at least bright color.  I also love this classic cardigan shown in the section on Paulina Porizkova:

 
I find all of Tom Scott's designs fascinating and I am particularly attracted to the interesting shaping of the garments, although this simple wrap uses no shaping and I love it.  This is the sweater from this group that I am most likely to get made first, and it is the only one in the set where I actually like the fringes as part of the design.

Still, this short, one-sleeve wrap is also high on my list and looks like it would be fast an entertaining to knit and wear:

Although I love beautiful knitted lace, lace garments are among the least likely in terms of my actually wearing them,  so they aren't usually high on the list.  None the less, there is an absolutely beautiful beaded shawl that I would love to knit:

And Shirley Paden's lace skirt and top also attracted, especially after I noticed that it was indeed two pieces and not a dress.  I don't think I would knit or wear this as it is written, but I am very intrigued by the design and I am already dancing around a few ideas.

Of course the likelihood of my getting to any of these projects in the immediate  future is even further in the world of fantasy.

The knitting goblins were out this weekend

In many ways the past weekend was a bitter disappointment.  Not that anything bad happened, just that what was hoped for also did not occur, and exhaustion and frustration truly ruled the roost.

To begin with, I had sincerely looked forward to going to Rhinebeck.  The NYS Sheep and Wool festival was going to be my escape from the hubbub that has surrounded me the past few weeks, not that the fair grounds would be quiet, but that it would be a different kind of activity, one in which I could either partake or just sit and watch as the mood struck.

It didn't happen quite that way.

The woodpeckers were back and I have gaping holes on one side of the house.  I don't know what prompted this.  We have lived in this wood sided house for 24 years and never had woodpecker problems until last year.  I thought they were gone.  They're back.   The WPP (Wood Pecker People) could only come on Saturday and I knew where my priorities had to be.    Then someone else, another contractor, needed to come on Sunday to finish up a job that had been rained out earlier in the week.  There were too many people around, schedules were being changed constantly, nerves were frayed.

Saturday morning we got a call that the crew would not be out until after 2 so I thought it would be a good chance to run up to Rhinebeck for a few hours.  DH wanted to go too, but we were both tired and short on sleep, and none to focused.  It was probably a mistake.  We looked at the animal barns and I thought I took pictures, but obviously there was an operator malfunction and only one picture, of llamas, actually was retained on my camera:

I also saw a few favorite bloggers, talked to a few people, looked around, and even bought some yarn (more about that in another post).

One thing we were looking for was a nice wool that I could felt to make a nice thick, soft on the feet, bathmat for outside our shower door.  I can't find one that is just the right shade and size, and since, for various reasons, we decided to replace the wool carpeting in our bedroom with an actual floor, I thought a soft wool mat would be a nice compromise.

I knew that I did not want superwash wool.  We found two vendors that had something in the color we wanted, but one was superwash and therefore not right.  But we were running around, and we were tired.  In the end, I was getting overwhelmed from the choices and DH was getting grumpy and we had to go and I just bought the yarn....

AND GUESS WHAT?

I bought the wrong one.

DUH.

Beautiful yarn from Brooks Farm.  The lovely colors are just perfect for my master bedroom and bath.  But it doesn't felt.  You can beat it up in the wash, run it through the dryer all you want, and it just becomes softer and softer, but it does not felt. 

Only afterwards did I look at the label and say "Oh".  I got confused.  And that wasn't the least of it.  I wound one skein of yarn while I was so exhausted that I just wanted nothing more than for the two workmen to go home so I could sleep.  I was interrupted in the middle and I apparently let the yarn wind back on itself inadvertently, and I may have wound it too tightly as well, because when I pulled the center yarn from the ball to start knitting a huge tangled mass leapt off my lap and spun itself around the room in a tangled mass of fibers which will take me hours, if not days, to unravel.

And you know, in the end it is all kind of  hilarious.  And I have a 10 x 11 inch doll blanket, or cat blanket, or something.    I'll just buy Cascade for the bathmat.  And I am not going to save this yarn, not because I don't love it, but just because sometimes it is better to just cut one's losses and move on.

There are two skeins remaining (see above photo, lower left for a picture of the yarn).

Brooks Farm Yarn
Solana Superwash merino wool
5.8 ounces   320 yards each (640 yards total)
Color ES18
beige/natural/blue
MSRP $24.00 per skein.

$30.00 will buy both skeins plus a partial wound skein (I will not subject the tangled mess on anyone) including shipping.  If you are interested email me at:

mardelATsewdistractedDOTcom

with a subject of YARN and I will get back to you with PayPal information.

Bird of Paradise Socks

I lost interest in fiber-related pursuits for a short time there.  Partly this was just because life got in the way, and partly because I felt myself to be on hold.  I didn't want to start anything new and I didn't have the time or patience to work on finishing Passel or other projects that are awaiting final assembly.  But I didn't even work on simple projects like my socks or another baby hat. 

Even knitting seemed like too much trouble, and it is rare that I fall into that void.

Luckily it did not last long, although I haven't started the next sweater yet.

The Bird of Paradise socks are done and I love them:

The next project is started, another small one.  And I am thinking about knitting again so a sweater will follow shortly.

Smoke

Life has been rather involved lately and fiber time has been at a premium.  Luckily I have the sock to keep my fingers calm and there have been moments each day devoted to the simple pleasure of knitting simple socks.

One of life's interventions came in the form of an electrical fire in my clothing closet last weekend.  Luckily it was a small thing, the breaker tripped and the fire put itself out before we came home (we were in NYC at the symphony).  All that we found upon our return was a dead circuit and the smell of burnt plastic/electrical wiring in the master bedroom.   Now the reclamation process begins.  There was very little that was actually burnt, but everything:  my clothes, fabric, yarn, and some roving, smell strongly of burnt plastic.  Everything has to come out to be cleaned or replaced.

The cleaners, who specialize in smoke damage and other damaged textiles, tell me they cannot clean the yarn  or the rovings however and the insurance company has told me to compile a list of all the yarns in the room so that they can reimburse me for the same.  There was not that much yarn, three 18 x 11 x 6 inch boxes, the contents of one of which is shown above.  I really think that I can probably unwind the yarn and put it in skeins then wash it and rewind it, although there is enough yarn that is going to be a tedious and time-consuming process.    G is not convinced that it is worth the effort, but I am a little sad that one of the projects in the closet was this yarn from Anny Blatt:

:

Which was meant for this sweater from 2005, which I had just moved back up to the front of the queue.

My small stash of rovings were also stored in that closet and even though I really have not spent much time practicing my spinning, I am very sad at the prospect of losing them.  The reimbursement is not really the issue, there is not that much money invested in the rovings, certainly under $100, but I still find myself very sad as I really love the colors and the potential they offer.

I suppose that if the smell can be removed by washing, the process of felting, with agitation, hot water and soap would take care of it.  So I might try felting a small piece of something, perhaps a scarf, to see how it turns out.

But I am not sure if I can wash the rovings and still use them for spinning or how I would go about this.  I am told I would need to use fairly warm water and a plenty of soap, that water alone will not remove that burnt plastic smell.

If anyone has any knowledge or suggestions, please let me know.  I suppose I will also inquire at NYS Sheep and Wool next weekend, but at the moment I just feel sad.  I might buy a tiny bit of roving, but I don't see me getting much time to try spinning in the immediate future, and I have plenty of roving to deal with in the meantime.

Still, we are very lucky.  And I am grateful.  But I will be very happy if life would go intervene in someone else's plans for a while.

Book Review: Inspired Fair Isle Knits

Some of my knitting time over the weekend was occupied by poring over a new book:

Since I love Fiona Ellis's Inspired Cable Knits I pre-ordered the new Fair Isle book from Amazon and it arrived sometime near the end of last week. Since that time I have spent some time looking at the book and thought I would attempt a more thorough review.

Fiona Ellis seems to have successfully worked out a style combining traditional elements in sweaters that have strong traditional roots, but are not limited by traditional constraints or styles and which are also quite modern and fit into modern lifestyles   This book appealed because I love Fair Isle knitting and have several books on the subject, but find that it does not, for the most part fit into my lifestyle.    About one traditional stranded fair isle sweater is all I need and it would not see heavy wear.  I think the author has been successful in using fair isle techniques and patterning in sweaters that are not, for the most part fair isle sweaters.

If you are looking for a book on traditional fair isle knitting, this would not be the book for you.  Hopefully one would glean this from the title.  This does not mean the book is devoid of useful information.  There is a good information section in the front of the book which covers techniques, terms, and assembly of the sweaters.  There is certainly enough information here to get most knitters through the construction of any sweater in this book even if they have no experience with fair isle or stranded knitting.  There is a good glossary of terms and even a needle size conversion chart.  In the back of the book is a list of all the yarns used along with a photo of each project which makes it easier to find the desired information.  Almost everything you would need for finding the materials for a project and substituting yarns if desired can be found in the book.  I would prefer it if WPI information had been included with the yarns as well, as I find that this is quite helpful for successful substitution, but actually this information is included in few knitting books.   There is also a good list of yarn sources.

The patterns seem to be well written.  The sizes are given, the diagrams also include measurements, there is a thorough list of yarns and equipment needed for each project.  Ms. Ellis also highlights any specific techniques that might be needed in constructing each garment and refers the reader back to specific information in the introductory section that might be helpful.  The instructions seem to be clear and thorough although I have not yet followed the directions to knit any sweater in this book.

Truthfully, I don't usually look at how well the patterns are written when I buy a book.  I am all for style or good detailed information on technique.  I tend to figure that I can figure out how to do anything else, and I have always knitted with this attitude, even when I was a fledgling knitter.  That does not mean that I haven't thrown sweaters at the wall and walked away for long periods of time.  But although I have not looked the actual writing of the patterns in the past, I recognize that this is something to which I should pay more attention, especially if I am going to make some attempt at recommending books.

While I am still on general opinions of the book, I do have a few quibbles.  First of all the editing is not always great.  Occasionally words are missing from sentences, although not that I have discerned, in any sections explaining a specific technique.  Some of the pictures are styled more like fashion shots, were taken in motion, and either do not show enough detail of the sweater itself or are somewhat blurry.  Fashion photography has its place, and some of the photos are beautiful, but I want to see a good photo that shows the shape and fit of a garment that I am about to knit.  When photographing knitting that has fine detailed pattern work like Fair Isle, I want to see the detail of the pattern and blurred photos do not aid in this process.

Another complaint I have is about sizing, although to be completely fair this is not unique to this book, and this book is better than many.  It lists the finished chest sizes of each garment at the beginning of each pattern, and the diagrams all have measurements as well.  This seems like it would be obvious, but I am surprised at how many knitting patterns do not give this information.    However the sizes seem inconsistent, especially when paired with other visual clues concerning the sweaters.

For example, lets look at the first two sweaters.  This sweater is knit in DK weight cotton.  The XS is given as 35" finished chest and the S as 39".  Obviously from the photo it is not a close fitting sweater, although it is hard to see the exact details of the fit from the model's pose. Still, the sweater looks loose but not tremendously over-sized.

The second sweater is in a worsted weight wool.  It is not written for an extra-small, but the small measures 34 1/2 inches at the chest, about the same size as the XS in the first sweater.   So I would assume that this sweater is meant to be more closely fitted than the first.  But the photo of the sweater seems to indicate otherwise.  In fact it looks too big for the model:

There is no indication of what size sweaters the models are wearing, or indeed of how the sweaters relate to the body size they are written for.   It seems to me that it would be easy enough to publish a fitting chart listing the actual body sizes that a designer is writing for, something like you find any mail order catalog and in sewing patterns.  If a designer gave us actual body measurements, for example a size XS is designed to fit a person with a 32" chest, S is a 34" chest and so forth, and then gave the finished dimensions of each sweater,  it would be much easier to decide which sweater to knit.  I might not knit the sweater that corresponds to my chest measurement if I want more or less ease than the designer, but at least I would have a better indication of what the designer intended.  This book is so thorough in so many ways, it seems a shame to me that such a little detail as this was omitted.

Of course knowing what the designer intended still doesn't tell us what size sweater is shown on what size model.  And I can understand that the models might not want a caption saying "X has a 32 inch chest and is modeling a size L", but I do think that knitwear designers need to think about how they present and label the photographs of their designs to provide as much information as possible to their audience.   I of course tend to assume that most models exist within the range of standard model proportions, namely tall and small, but this is not always the case because all models are not runway fashion models.

But on to the fun stuff.  You know that I buy a book like this for the patterns.  I am a sucker for new patterns, for colors, for designs that make me think differently or inspire me to try new things even if I don't knit the actual patterns in the book.  There are several sweaters here I would knit.

First of all, I love the first sweater, the cotton raglan with the fair isle sleeves shown above.  I would definitely wear that in spring, fall and on cool summer days (it is not appropriate for mid August humidity in the Hudson Valley).

I also love this cardigan, although the main photo does not do it justice:

Granted I am biased because I also love the colorway shown, but I also love the shaping and the detail, I love the way the patterning is used for a simple front band.  I love the pleated sleeves.

I also love this little top:

This top is shaped and apparently meant to be a bit more fitted given the measurements (XS = 32") which is appropriate for a little summer top.  This is the kind of thing I live in during the summer months, again except for those days of 90% humidity when nothing is appropriate.  I love the feminine details which enhance with overwhelming the style. I like the combination of colorwork and lace as well as the touch of Berroco's Mirror FX in the pattern detail. 

I like the touch of pattern work in this sweater:

This is really just a lovely soft sweater without the fair isle detail and I love the nice wide neckline.  I might be tempted to leave the pattern work off, but I think that in the end I would like the sweater better with than without.  First of all the color detail adds a little interest.  Secondly notice how the color work is placed at the shoulder line.  The stranded nature of the fair isle patterning will provide a firmer fabric at the shoulder which will help add structure and support to the garment.  This hides having to have an ugly firm seam and it provides shape to what would otherwise be a rather floppy sweater.  The same thing is true at the sleeves.  The fair isle band will help hold the sleeves in place, allowing the lace to flare out from a fairly firm wrist.  Without the fair isle I would think that this sleeve would just stretch and get in the way of everything.

Then I love this much more traditionally shaped sweater:

Doesn't it just look like a wonderfully comfy weekend sweater? It makes me want to take a walk on an Autumn day, kicking the fallen leaves in my path. I can see it as shown, straight through the body and mid-hip length (on me) or altered to have a little flare toward the hips and cut a little longer as well.

There are a few other things that inspire me as well.  I like the scarf shown on the cover, although at 9 inches in width it would never be my everyday tuck into a coat scarf.  Still there are times when a big warm dramatic scarf is just the perfect thing, and I love the i-cord fringe at the bottom as well.

There are also several men's sweaters that intrigue me and which I might adapt partially to sweaters for myself.  I wouldn't make them as they are written, and the men in my life don't wear sweaters so I am really no judge of men's sweaters, but they do inspire me, and I am a big fan of books that make me thing of sweater design in new ways. 

I am also interested in the IDEA of this sweater:

As you can tell, you can't really tell much about the sweater from the photo.  A better idea is available from the diagrams, it is a pretty traditionally shaped, straight raglan with a hood.  I realize that I am mostly attracted by the artful photography and the colors, and that often, falling in love with a pattern based on such sketchy details is  recipe for disappointment, but it haunts me nonetheless.  It certainly gives me a foundation from which to work so something is bound to come of it eventually.

As a last note, I love this sweater, although I have absolutely no one to knit it for:

How could I not?  My favorite colors.  The perfect amount of detail.  Unfortunately there are no little girls.  Maybe someday.
 

Almost

I decided to knit a baby hat.  I had one skein of a superwash wool.  Surely it would be enough.

Almost:

Although there may have been enough yarn to gather the remaining six stitches, there was not enough to suitably anchor the end and no one wants a hat unraveling on their baby.

Luckily I found something close enough in the lone-ball-bin and the job was finished.

Escape with sock

We played hooky from routine today and took a drive up to the Berkshires.  G drove and I knitted on the Bird of Paradise sock.  I am still entranced with  the colors and patterns as I knit although I am not yet convinced that this is a pair of socks I would have chosen to wear had they not arrived in th mail. That is the joy of joining; sometimes you get unexpected surprises.

This is also my first pair of ribbed socks and they feel a little loose and bulky on the foot.  I assume this is due the stretchy nature of the sock.  I think they will be perfect with my gardening boots, which is very appropriate as the colors seem to speak to me of the garden.  They are happy garden socks.

They actually remind me of those trays of cut up vegetables that surround bowls of dip at parties, but "crudité"  does not sound like a good name for socks so I have decided to stick with the official moniker of "bird of paradise".

As we drove I noticed that they actually reflect many of the colors of the leaves this fall.  There are many yellows and oranges, and there is still a good bit of green in the trees, but the socks are really too bright to call them "autumn in the Berkshires" besides which, in a normal year, one where there is perhaps more rainfall, there is much more red in the autumn colors.

The first sock was finished as we pulled we made a pit stop at a small town gas station.  I wove in the ends as G pumped the gas.  It seemed like the perfect opportunity to honor the occasion with a photograph:

They do coordinate nicely with the car, don't they? 

Are you lonely tonight?

Poor Passel.  Abandoned.  Sleeves Pinned to the blocking board.  What is a sweater to do?

The knitter on the other hand, has fallen head over heels in love with another, simpler, less complicated project. 

Truthfully, knitting time has consisted of car time and TV time, and seaming and embroidery do not fall into either category.  I am glued to my chair in front of the television watching Ken Burns' The War, and as I watch I knit the brightly colored bird of paradise sock.  It is moving ahead at great speed and it is nice to have something that just works without my having to think about it much.

In fact the sock is so easy and so bright and cheerful, I almost feel guilty knitting it while I watch this intensely emotional series.

And I got my invitation to Ravelry today.  More distractions await.