Monthly Archives: February 2017

Valentine’s Day…

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Pattern Re-Release: Flidais Stole

The end of last week the rights to the Flidais Stole returned to me. I’ve since laid it out in my own pattern format and added line by line instructions for the chart.

Here’s the pattern info!

The Flidais Stole combines multiple Aran Lace patterns for a beautiful, romantic result.

Both charts and line by line instructions are included.

Flidais is the Celtic goddess of the woods and wild things.

One size
Can by altered lengthwise by working fewer or more repeats

Finished Measurements
15 inches / 38 cm wide by 78 inches / 198 cm long

Yarn
Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted, 100% Peruvian Highland Wool (110 yards/50g), 10 balls. Shown in Briar Heather 25982.

Needles
US4 / 3.5mm straight or circular needles, or size to obtain gauge

Gauge
24 sts and 28.25 rows = 4 inches / 10 cm average over Flidais pattern, blocked.

Notions
yarn needle
cable needle

Skills
cabling, novel cable stitches (definitions/directions given), simple lace, yarnovers, decreases, knit through the back loop
pattern is both charted and written line by line

Review: Crochet Borders

Review: Crochet Borders post image

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First, the facts:

Title: Every Which Way Crochet Borders: 139 Patterns for Customized Edgings

Author: Edie Eckman

Published by: Storey Publishing, 2017

Pages: 218

Type: Crochet

Chapters:

Design Concepts
Border Designs

KS: Crochet Borders

The In-Depth Look:

My first thought, looking through this book, is how much both my grandmothers would have loved it.

Now, before you get up at arms about me jumping to the conclusion that crocheting is for grandmothers (though they are as welcome to enjoy the craft as anyone else), I’ll just note that both my grandmothers loved to crochet. One of them left us with gorgeous afghans, and the other with a pile of lace-edged handkerchiefs. I never saw either of them knit, but I know they were talented at crochet.

And this book? So many beautiful borders just waiting to go on almost anything. There’s even a nice, clear explanation on how to prepare different materials for a crocheted border–crochet, knit, fleece, or commercial fabric–because why limit yourself solely to things made with yarn? (Again, see note above about those stunning handkerchiefs.)

After a nice, detailed explanation of hows and whys you want to use borders, and some basics about rounding corners–because every pattern here adapts for corners–the patterns start with some basic elements. These can be used as simple borders themselves, or as a base or addition to others. (Creativity is key, right?)

After the fourteen basic elements, the actual patterns begin–125 of them, all beautifully photographed and annotated with characteristics like “wide,” “undulating,” “reversible,” “open/lacy,” “layered,” and so on. These get reprised at the end with a spreadsheet-like table at the end so that it’s easy to spot, say, all the borders with Motifs, or that are Fringy.

Actually, I think I’m rather in love with all the cross-referencing among the source material in this book. The Appendix not only gives the table I just mentioned, but also a pictorial index of all the borders, an explanation on how to use the charts (because all the patterns come with both written and charted instructions), and a glossary to explain all the terms and stitch techniques.

Add to this an index and a convenient wire binding inside hard covers so that the book will lay flat when you use it but not get battered in your bag? Yeah, I’m impressed.

You will be, too. I think this is one of the most useful crochet books I’ve seen in a while. I only wish I could have seen what my grandmothers would have thought of it. You should definitely check out your own copy, which you can get at Amazon or at your local shops.

Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.

This review copy was kindly donated by Storey Publishing. Thank you!

My Gush: So impressed!

Other posts for this author:

Weekly Photo Challenge: Shadows…

The prompt is shadows. The sun shines thru the stained glass windows on the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs, on Martha’s Vineyard and makes beautiful patterns on the floor.

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https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/shadow-2017/


Photo Challenge: Shadow…

*Just a note to let you know that I will not be doing Through Jersey Eyes blog anymore beginning in March.   Please follow me on my other blog .. MV Obsession.. https://mvobsession.com/  Thank you to all who have followed me here. 

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The prompt this week is to show shadows…

The sun streaming thru this store window and the words on the outside of the window were shadowed on the frame inside the store.

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https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/shadow-2017/


Snow Day

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What kind of book do you like to curl up with on a snowy day?


Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!


The Heart Of A Tulip…

photo shop copy


Remembering The Ferry, Islander…

February 2007, exactly 10 years ago was the last time I sailed on the Islander..

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Even though not sleek or graceful, for 57 years the Islander brought her own special beauty to the waters surrounding the Vineyard. The Islander will continue to exist through paintings, photographs and in the memories of those who loved her.

Early morning …

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The beloved ferry the Islander plied the waters between Woods Hole and Martha’s Vineyard  for 57  years before retiring in the winter of 2007.   There was just something about this tub of a boat that endeared her to all who sailed on her…  she wasn’t a great beauty but she had a regalness about her.

Her blue plastic outdoor seats  certainly weren’t known for their comfort, but comfort wasn’t necessarily what one was after for the 45 minute sail from America to the Vineyard, which was more of a transition from the everyday to the magicalness awaiting you.   The Vineyard is many things to many people and in many hearts the Islander was the emotional connection.

I don’t know if any songs have been written about her but I do know that one in particular was written on her.   Carly Simon was on the Islander  late one night on her way home to the Vineyard when she penned her song “Never Been Gone.”   Her words come to mind every time I  go back to MV.

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Education

When I started this blog almost ten years ago, I said:

Punctuality is not just about making meetings on time, but about being exact. It’s about doing what needs to be done at exactly the time it should be done. To me, that’s an issue that transcends mere punctuation. That ripples right out into the real world. Doing what is right, and doing it precisely. When you have everybody doing exactly that, well, it seems to me that that’s more or less the foundation of basic civility . . . and civilization itself.”

I also said that you need to know the rules, to break the rules.

My country was founded on that tough, make-do attitude of making the most out of what you had. We prided ourselves on our self-reliance and our ability to think outside the box and create things for ourselves rather than depending on other people. Our innovation was legendary.

Now, I don’t want to get into a debate right now about how we’re raising a generation of children whose research capabilities end at opening an app on their smart phones, but let’s think about how important it is to know things.

I said right at the beginning that this blog was going to be about the tools we need for civilization, and knowing the rules was right at the top of the list.

To be creative, you need to know certain rules. (How not to blow yourself up, for example.) To be able to think outside the box, you need first identify and measure your box.

Nobody can be creative or innovative without having a fundamental understanding of how the world works.

Understanding things like gravity, physics, and math that describe the physical world. Rhetoric, languages and grammar for communicating–not to mention art and music for things worth communicating.

  • It’s never been more important to be informed.
  • It’s never been more vital that you know the rules.
  • It’s never been more necessary to stand up for what you know to be right.

I like rules. I like having boundaries and understanding how and why things work. I like having the basic tools necessary to know that if I perform Action A, the result will be B.

But I also like having the freedom to say, “But what if I try C? What will happen.”

You can’t innovate if you don’t know what people have done before you.

You can’t create unless you know what other people have created. In fact, there’s a philosophical question for you: if two people independently create the same thing at the same time, do they both count?

The answer is yes, but the one who has the press conference to announce it to the world gets top billing.

So, don’t be shy, now.

Learn everything you can so you can create, innovate, and know exactly which rules are meant to be bent … and which ones deserve to be broken.

Isn’t that what education is for?

What’s the Difference? Sample Knitting vs Test Knitting

Have you heard the terms sample knitter, and test knitter, and wondered what the difference is?

Some folks may define those two terms a bit differently, but here’s how I look at it.

A sample knitter:

  • Knits the pattern precisely as written
  • Uses the yarn supplied
  • Returns the sample to the designer/yarn company/ etc — whoever contracted them to do the work; they do not get the sample back
  • Work to a specific deadline
  • Paid, usually at an amount per yard

A test knitter:

  • Knits the pattern precisely as written* (see my comments below!)
  • Either uses their own yarn or supplied yarn
  • Keeps their sample
  • Work to a deadline (that can often be a bit more flexible)
  • Usually not paid, but can be

I use both sample knitters and test knitters, but for very different reasons.

I hire sample knitters to make, um, my samples, when I don’t have time to make them myself. My sample knitters are awesome: not only do they make beautiful samples in a timely manner, they give me feedback on the pattern and take great pictures before returning the sample to me. I use that sample for my photography, and often loan it to the yarn company who supplied yarn support for their use in trunk shows etc.

I know a lot of designers use test knitters instead of tech editors. I rely on a tech editor to catch problems in the pattern (and have started having patterns edited by two different tech editors: no one is perfect! as a tech editor myself, I know this).  My testers are fabulous in finding errors, but that’s not why I have testers!

I use test knitters primarily to have multiple finished projects visible on Ravelry, to show customers what the pattern looks like in different yarns, etc. I also hope it gives something back to my fans: they get a chance to knit the pattern before anyone else. I am also flexible in modifications: I figure if one of my testers is interested in modifying a pattern, customers may be, and it’s nice for them to be able to see that. I give testers their choice of any of my other Ravelry patterns as a thank you. I have a set of policies regarding testing here, which I made in response to questions from test knitters.