Major Knitter

Prepare to Dye!

Remember this sweater that I knit for Primogeniture for Christmas?  (Note - being modeled by Secundogeniture because he was available!)

I knit it in natural wool - because that's what I had on hand.  Primogeniture requested a charcoal gray sweater.  I asked for help in my Finish or Frog It Friday group on Ravelry and got a lot of suggestions.  My friend, upon realizing that this was my very first time dyeing a hand knit sweater directed me to the RIT dye videos.  It looked so easy, so that's what I did.

Supplies on hand:
6 gallons hot water
2 cups vinegar
Rubber gloves
1 bottle Rit dye
1 bottle Fit fixative
2 teaspoons dishwashing liquid
Sweater to be dyed
Sample knit swatch (with same wool as sweater) to test the dye

I carefully followed the instructions on the packaging and the video.  The sweater soaked in the dye for about 30 minutes (with constant stirring).  Then it soaked in the fixative for about another 30 minutes.  Then I rinsed it in cold water until the water ran clear.

I pressed out the excess water in the sink, blotted the very wet sweater in a large towel, then blocked it to the proper shape on my kitchen table.  Notice the swatch alongside the sweater.  I'll send that to my son to keep in the unfortunate event that the sweater requires mending down the road.

Now we wait a few days for this Forbes sweater to dry.  If you like this - please check out designer Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed.  

I can't wait for Primogeniture to try it on!

 

 

 

Sweet Smelling Sachets

After all the effort and hard work put into spring cleaning my Knit Nook, I decided it was time for some new sachets.

I threw away all the aged Moth Away sachets I purchased nearly 10 years ago.  I wonder how long they actually last.  I guess that 10 years is longer than their manufacturer suggested lifespan.  The old ones were a little dry and crusty.  

I whipped up a few dozen sachets using some lavender buds I ordered online and leftover fabric from a baby quilt I made last summer.  I spread these out evenly among all the wool on my shelves.  

What tricks do you employ to keep your stash safe?

A Place for Everything

And everything in its place.

I like that saying.  But it's more of an ideal than a truth in my life.  I need about eight more hands to keep everything as organized as I'd like.  But every once in awhile I get organized and put things back in order.

Here is my bag of circular needles in an utter state of chaos.

I took my bag of chaos and my knitting needle filing system with me to Wednesday knitting - this week at Panera - and decided that my WIP for the week would be to sort through the chaos and restore good order to my knitting life.

Yes, I have multiple needles in the same size.  It's the way I roll.  As you know, I could have anywhere up to twenty WIPs at the same time.  The sweater I'm working on right now uses four sets of US Size 7 needles at the same time, plus 2 sets of US Size 5 needles.  So, having an interchangeable set of circular needles wouldn't really work for me.  This system works.  It especially works well when it's organized.  

Now I think I'm set for the next six months until I find my bag of chaos overflowing once again.

What method do you use to organize your needles?  BTW, these are just my circular needles (and some dpns).  The straight needles are an entirely different story.

I Believe! I Believe!

Apparently, you can teach an old dog new tricks.  Earlier last week you learned that I aspire to make Anne Hanson's Honey Baby shawl as my challenge knitting for 2011-2012.  Something I learned at Knitting Central is that you should always read your pattern before you undertake any knitting project.  It's sort of like a roadmap.  You should look it over so you know where you're going.  So I did this with Honey Baby.  I printed it out and tried to read it.  I was slightly overwhelmed by all the lacy goodness.  So rather than focus on the pages and pages of YOs, K2Togs and PSSOs, I read the one prose paragraph and had an "aha moment"

Anne very clearly tells us the answer to the question we've all been asking.  How exactly should we block our projects?

Soak shawl in lukewarm water with a small amount of wool soap added for approximately 60 minutes or until fiber is completely saturated. Rinse and squeeze out excess moisture by rolling the piece in a towel. Stretch slightly (keep some of the fabric density) and pin piece to the finished measurements on page 1. Allow to air dry completely before unpinning.

Well, I'll be.  There it is -- as clear as day.  I must confess, I've never been much of a blocker.  I don't knit much lace (which I do block), and I knit sweaters in the round, if at all.  But I thought Anne's directions were as clear and specific as could be, so I followed them to a T.

Here are three strips of my Sampler Blanket soaking in the sink with a bit too much wool soap.  Note to self - less time use a little bit less soap.

I may have forgotten to roll my strips in a towel.  Oops!  I placed the blocking wires along the lengths of each strip and blocked them uniformly.  I was quite pleased with how they turned out.  Now I just hope they'll "air dry completely before unpinning"... which by the way, has to be before tomorrow's 9:30 a.m. class.  

Thanks Anne!  You're a lifesaver.  I haven't even actually committed to the Honey Baby (except for purchasing the yarn and the pattern) and already, I've learned a great deal.  This is going to be a very positive relationship.  Just think of the things I'll learn when I actually start knitting on Honey Baby.

Stash - U.S. Style or Private Knitting Lessons in CT

My friend Michelle has been back in Westport for over a year.  She lived in London for several years and had a knitting store called Stash Yarns in Putney which she opened with her friend Nathalie.  For years they were living the dream - good friends spreading the joy of knitting to others.  Now that she's back in the US, she wants to start something similar, without the storefront... and the yarn.  She wants to do what she loved most - spread the joy of creating with others.

In case you don't remember, let me tell you what a talented fiber artist Michelle is.  She knits, sews, crochets, spins, dyes and more.  Remember our dyeing class last fall?  Go look at the wonderful things Michelle taught us.

Joanne and Michelle are hand-dyeing my yarn in the non-striping method Michelle taught us.  This may well be one of my all-time favorite fiber classes ever!  Michelle is a fun and gifted teacher.

If you are interested in learning more about Michelle's private or semi-private knitting lessons check out her blog - KnitAround.  She'll also be teaching Beginning Knitting at Westport Continuing Ed this summer.  Hire Michelle to help you take your knitting up a notch.  You'll be so glad you .  

 

Collective Problem Solving

I think I love you. All of my readers and invisible friends have been so very helpful.  You gave me such great ideas and I listened to you.  

My predicament started with some major pooling with the Lorna's Laces yesterday when I had only knit the cuff.  Many of you recommended trying to knit the pattern of the sock to see if that altered the pooling because sometimes it does, depending on the pattern.  I decided to try this solution first as it seemed the easiest one to attempt.

Unfortunately after just another inch, it was quite apparent that the pooling was as bad as ever.  On to the next solution.  You recommended obvious things like changing needle sizes or patterns.  Since I didn't want to change patterns, I opted, with much reluctance to go down to a US Size 0. YIKES.

Voila!  Problem solved in two easy steps.  I like the striping on this sock and while I know the heel flap will have some pooling, I'm totally fine with that.  The US Size 0 needles will be an issue.  They'll cause me to knit these socks slowly with lots of other projects thrown in the mix.  I can only knit on needles that small for short spurts, otherwise I'll wreak havoc with my body.  But I'm happy as a clam thanks to all of you and your collective wisdom and problem solving.  What would I do without my readers?  Thank you!

 

No Wonder I Can't Find Any Needles

I guess by the looks of things, it's time to organize my Turbo Addi needles and put them away.

I decided to clean out my Knit Nook on Tuesday, and I found finished projects with the needles and extra yarn still in the project bag, needles lying around, half-started projects, and well, knitting needle pandemonium pretty much everywhere.  I put all those wayward needles in one bag and now it's time to sort them and put them away.

Here's my filing system for my circular needles and dpns:  a hanging file box sorted by size.  This system works well for me.  The interchangeable systems that many of you like simply don't work for someone like me who has too many projects going at once; not to mention using multiple needles on a single project.  For example, I use 4 sets of US Size 7 for the Wonderful Wallaby at the same time!

So there you have it.  It's no wonder I was having a hard time finding needles.  How about you?  What needle organization system works for you?  Is it time for a little spring cleaning in your nook, too?

  

Where I Ponder the Meaning of Moss

So, why is that I'm knitting a lovely pattern and the directions say to knit the Moss Stitch for 4 rows... and then I read the stitch-by-stich instructions for the Moss Stitch only to discover that it's really a Seed Stitch in my mind.  Is this an English vs American definition?

In my mind, the Seed Stitch has always been a K1, P1 pattern over an odd number of stitches (repeat of 2+1)  (You would K that last stitch).  You would repeat this pattern every row.  Or, as some people like to say, knit the purls and purl the knits

Moss Stitch, on the other hand, was a K2, P2 pattern.  On the wrong side, you would then knit the stitches as they present themselves.  On the 3rd row, you would alternate and Knit the Purls and Purl the Knits for a P2, K2 pattern  On the 4th row you would knit the stitches as they present themselves.  This would give you 2x2 block pattern. 

What about you?  How do you interpret Moss Stitch vs Seed Stitch?

Fair Isle Tricks

Every time I knit, I learn something new.  Here are some close-ups to show you what I mean.  My first row of flowers on my Fair Isle sweater buckled and bowed - and I thought I was being so careful

After analyzing my work, I realized that I was catching the floats in the center of the flower on every single row.  That was causing the flower to pucker.  You can see how it caves in the center exactly where I caught each float.  So I tried to stagger the catches.

Ah, much better.  It took too long to make that first row of flowers, so I decided to just leave it.  I might regret it, but I like to think of it as a visual reminder to myself to always stagger the catches on my Fair Isle.

Froggy Island

Thanks for all your great tips and explanations about the SWTC Oasis yarn and pooling.  I decided in the end to frog it.  I really like this Oasis yarn and want to make the perfect item with it.  I considered alternating yarns like many of you suggested, but I wanted something so mindless that I didn't even have to think.  Just Knit.

 

I'm going to knit it into a chemo cap.  I think the soy silk fibre will be the perfect light weight combination for indoor wear year round.  This time I even like the pooling.  It's actually giving the knitting a spiral effect.

I really do love these colors together.  I never in a million years would have combined them, but I find them to be pleasing to the eye in a surprising sort of way.  Since the company name is South West Trading Company - I can almost picture the Mojave Desert with a brilliant blue sky set against some purple mountains with the desert sand.  Are you feeling the heat?