Tag Archives: Knitting

More Knitting Completed (for once)

Posted on February 11, 2012 by | Comments Off on More Knitting Completed (for once)

My needles have been on fire!

Well.

Not in the Caroline Fryar sense of “on fire”.  Seriously, that girl can knit. Not only that, but she is quite the up – and – coming designer.  I’m ridiculously proud that my Emily got to model some of Caroline’s garments for the JMF spring books, because before long that girl’s name will be all over the place.

Anyway.

I have been keeping my head down and zooming through some projects I’ve had going for awhile.  I’ve still got at least 5others  going on needles now, but that’s a story for another day.

I finished a hat for myself while Paul was in surgery – I wanted a slouchy but simple thing to keep my head warm around the house (and possibly in bed) while the cold winter settled over us.

Unfortunately the cold winter never materialized, so the broken upstairs heat pump has been not much of an issue.

And I haven’t really gotten to wear my hat at all.

I got the pattern HERE.

The yarn is Debbie Bliss “Baby Cashmerino”.  It’s light, it’s soft, it’s a perfect icy, wintery blue.  If only it were really winter instead of fake spring.

The other finished thing was actually finished for quite awhile now but awaiting blocking.  It’s a good thing I finally managed to get it done because it’s a very belated Christmas gift for my grandmother.

It’s another “Far Away, So Close” shawl, this time knitted in Malabrigo.  I don’t remember which Malabrigo or even the colorway because I lost the tag.

Surprise grandma! I’ll have it in the mail ASAP.

It’s super – soft and warm, and Emily is upset that once again she was asked to model a shawl that she does not get to keep.  Yes, I get the hint.

It’ll be nice and cozy with my grandmother, who lives not far from Buffalo, where it’s much colder than it is here.

Usually.

Just not this year.

 


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Progress Report & Detailed Explication: Jay’s Sweater

Posted on February 10, 2012 by | Comments Off on Progress Report & Detailed Explication: Jay’s Sweater

After putting in another 5 hours on Jay’s sweater, and knitting a pretty mindless rectangle, I got up to the underarms.

All the arrows, you can see, are pointing to tiny irregularities that occur at regular intervals up along the garter stitch borders. These irregularities are wraps. The amount of vertical space (known as row gauge, and measured in rows per inch) that stockinette stitch (the stitch the body’s done in: every stitch a knit stitch) and garter stitch (the stitch the front borders are done in: alternating rows of knit and purl) take up are different. Garter stitch, since it moves more laterally and frontwards/backwards, takes up less vertical space. Therefore, if the two are going to coexist side-by-side, you need to work an extra row or two of garter stitch every now and again. Turns out, every 6th row, you turn the work, and add a short little 7th and 8th row to each border– the irregularities, the wraps, are the evidence left over from executing that turn (the move itself is called wrap and turn, and is used for working short rows. Also, there are lots of different ways to work a short row.).

Okay, so, another 5 hours, and we’ve got both the right and left fronts, and the back completed. The fronts involve putting stitches for the underarms on hold (white yarn), decreasing for the armscye and the opening of the neckline (arrows again), and working increases on both sides of the garter stitch borders to create a gentle shawl collar.

So, what we’ve got, from the front, looks like this:

The two sides of the collar meet at the back of the neck and are grafted together. Here’s the back of the neck. The seam’s circled:

The back, of course, is sewed to the right front and the left front. These seams, usually situated at the tops of the shoulders, are, in this design, placed a few inches over the curve of the shoulder– it’s a very thoughtful touch, and looks very clean and professional (Bravo, Alexis!).

After that, the body’s done (until it’s time to return for finishing work: zippers and pockets). Time for sleeves.

Okay, I’ve put the sleeve on hold so I can take this photo, because this is important. So, basically, thus far, I’ve knitted a vest. To put sleeves on it could be as simple as picking up the stitches around each armscye and knitting around and around. However, let’s do one better, and think about sleeves (and arms). Because the arms’ natural position is by one’s sides, less material– less fabric– is needed at the underarm than at the top of the arm. Hence this, the short-row sleeve cap. Before working the spiraling round-and-round of the sleeve, first you work a sleeve cap back-and-forth, using short rows. You begin working the stitches at the top of the arm, and, with each pass back and forth, add one stitch on either the right or left side of those stitches– you’re working a short-row that gets longer by 1 st with each iteration. Eventually, all the stitches have been subsumed, the center/top of the sleeve is longer than the sides/bottom, and you switch to working the sleeve in the round (that’s the part I’m about to start on).

Sound good?


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A Bunch o’ Stuff

Posted on February 7, 2012 by | Comments Off on A Bunch o’ Stuff
So I guess I have hit an official blogging slump. I have been doing things, at least I think I have, but most of them are not things I take pictures of. And the creative stuff has been mostly long-term projects -- not the kind of things I want to keep posting updates on as it would probably bore everybody to tears.

But I have a few little things to share. First off, some yarn dyeing, Or overdyeing if you want to be accurate.

all of them - just out of the pots

One of many wonderful Ravelry friends had some leftover Juniper Moon Farm yarns that she was willing to swap to me so I could put them toward my Log Cabin Blanket.

They were all lovely, but not quite bold enough next to my other colors, so I decided to dye them a little darker.

The green was a very pale mint green to start,

green before

green after - wet

and became sort of a brown and green mossy color when it was done.

green after - side of cake

The red was very pink-y/magenta-y,

red before

red after - wet

so I oranged it up a bit.

red after - side of cake

The blue was so pale that it was not even as blue in person as it appears in this photo.

blue before

blue after - wet

I am pretty proud of this one. :)

blue after - side of cakes

So that's that for yarn dyeing adventures for the time being. I'd love to do more, but I absolutely cannot take on another hobby at this point in time.

A cool thing was this suitcase that the boys and I found by the side of the road when we were out walking the other day.

fun decal

have to try to preserve this sticker

I gave it a good shake to make sure it wasn't filled with anything (believe me, my mind was going over all the terrible possibilities of what might be hiding inside a locked suitcase on the side of the road). When it felt empty, I decided to go for it and we carried it home.

good sturdy handle

The locks were easy to pick, thank goodness.

classy

And the verdict is: a million dollars in unmarked bills!

Sorry, no, that's my fantasy version. In real life, it was empty as can be, but in excellent condition!

clean and really nice inside!

No smells or anything, so we are good to go. Now to decide what to use it for!

Other recent acquisitions include some very special baby clothes.

This dress (actually a toddler size, rather than a baby size) was made for my mother, for a wedding she was in when she was about four years old.

a dress my mother wore around the age of 4

dress detail

Needs a cleaning and has a small stain, but it will make a little girl very happy someday I am sure.

This sweater and matching bonnet were made for me when I was a 6-9 month sized person and will be perfect for Liddy's first winter!

another one of my baby sweaters

yoke detail

And THIS sweater.

a sweater I wore as a newborn

Newborn sized, lightweight, covered in these little gathers that remind me of little daisies,

gather detail

perfect for a May baby! I think if I can make a matching hat, Lydia might wear it home from the hospital.

Now a super quick update on the ever growing Log Cabin:

progress and next colors planned

I am OBSESSED I tell you. Love this project so much.

can't stop staring

A sort of recent project that is not especially pretty but is inherently useful is this set of cast iron skillet handle covers I made.

I sandwiched layers of plain and printed vintage feedsack over some vintage wool batting I took out of a dry rotted lap quilt, and put pieces of an unwanted pot holder in the middles for added protection.

short handle snap-on cover

The feminine hygiene product looking ones are for the short handles. As you can see, they wrap around

wrapped around

and snap securely in place.

snapped

For the long handles, I layered some some longer rectangles the same way, but sewed them together into tubes then so they can just slip on and off.

long handle sleeves

They work SO WELL! I snap them on before I start cooking and they stay cool to the touch and do not burst into flames the whole time the meal is being made!

now safe and easy to handle

They even work on a skillet that has been baking in the oven (but obviously I do not keep them on the handles during the baking...)

Anyway. Finishing up a very lengthy post with some love.

Love item #1: I joined Pinterest.

HOLY COW I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Seriously, it is what I always dreamed of in a site for categorizing and sharing my favorite things. Love, love, love.

Look me up over there, if you are so inclined. (Link above) I will be busy filling up my boards and spamming the crap out of my followers with pictures captioned with such descriptive gems as, "WANT!" and "COLORS!" and "GARDEN LOVE!"

Love item #2: The other morning, Ethan magneted a message on our refrigerator to remind us to "go out and love people."

Ethan's reminder to go out and love people

A few hours later, I came across Love item #3: a tiny flour heart on the bottom of my hotdog bun at lunch.

random heart on a hot dog bun

(And yeah, I checked first to make sure it was flour and not mold. Either way, it was still a tiny heart.)

I think that's all for now. I am exploding with ideas but finding myself with little motivation to actually do much other than knit and sit in front of the computer. But I have a few things lined up for when I have those bursts of productivity...

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Four New Knitters

Posted on February 7, 2012 by | Comments Off on Four New Knitters
The Little Red Barn was a happy place today.  When people come together to work with yarn and enjoy each others' company, the world is a little sweeter place to be.

Today friends Lisa, Robin and Dawn, and new friend Cyleena started learning to knit.  And every single one of them left with some wonderful stitches on her needles.  Cyleena is a precious young home schooled teen, who had no trouble keeping up with the ladies, and endured lots of "mom talk" while she diligently stitched along.  What a good sport!


It's a stretch to call this "work" for me - we had such a great time.  I can't wait to spend another five weeks with this group, passing on the simple skills that will empower them to create their own masterpieces.


We are going to make excellent progress.  We're working up to a fun sampler scarf project - it moves from block to block, adding a new competency with each one.  You can find it here on Ravelry, if you'd like to give it a go.






Would you like to learn to knit or spin?  Gather up some friends and check our calendar.  Tuesday mornings will be free again on March 27, and Wednesday evenings are currently free to book a class.  Free animal scritches included at no extra charge.

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Child’s Eared Hoodie

Posted on February 7, 2012 by | Comments Off on Child’s Eared Hoodie

When you start work in the yarn & fiber business, one of the rudest awakenings (and, later, most irritating assumptions) is that one does not, in fact, spend one’s day knitting, spinning, and hazily swanning around the pastoral scene. Like everybody else, I mainly write emails, answer the phone, help customers, and solve all the problems I’m able to.

How nice, then, to be asked– no, assigned– to spend the day knitting!

We’ve had a few customers who had had trouble making the Child’s Eared Hoodie. So, my job last Thursday was to knit the pattern and, in so doing, come up with the Errata (they’re here). I made the smallest size, and it took about half of the day.

In yet another happy coincidence, one of my friends had recently asked me to knit a baby something– a cousin, I think– and so I’ll be sending this off to him.

I’m quite pleased with how it turned out. I didn’t add the ears– children suffer enough indignities without having a pair of animal ears slapped on their heads– and, of course, I fixed the mistakes and unclear portions of the pattern, but, otherwise, it’s exactly as written. I especially love the smart little i-cord ties at the front!

This is, incidentally, the first thing I’ve actually finished in 2012. So there’s got to be some good magic in there somewhere.


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Five Years’ Time: Endpaper Mitts

Posted on February 6, 2012 by | Comments Off on Five Years’ Time: Endpaper Mitts

I think it can be fun to look back and talk about what I was knitting a long time ago. I consider five years to be an acceptable buffer zone of embarrassment (both in knitting and in most other things) and so, like last month, I think I’ll show you what I was working on five years ago, in the winter of 2007.

I had recently gotten very excited about knitting after discovering Eunny Jang’s fantastic blog. I seriously don’t think I would have remained a knitter if I hadn’t found it– I knew about Knitty, but not yet about Ravelry, and, although I didn’t know it, was looking for someone to talk to me intelligently about knitting: technique, design, materials, the whole thing.

In (weirdly) my very first college all-nighter, I read the entire backlog of her blog (…while listening to The Earth is Not A Cold Dead Place on loop? Remember what I said about 5 years erasing all shame?). My memory has crystallized the whole experience into a sort of magical movie-montage that, to quote Michael Chabon, does indeed glisten with epiphanic dew. It was absolutely transformative. I don’t think I’ve ever read another blog that’s enchanted me as much, save Kate’s, which I think I found two years later.

All of which is to say, I was thoroughly enticed by the Endpaper Mitts, and so rode my bike down to Yarns Etc (it was still in Carrboro!) and looked around. I found 4 prim balls of Rowan Wool Cotton (not exactly suited to the task at hand, but what did I know?) and took them home.

These mitts have been my winter companions for the past five years, and I think it’s time to let them go. For one thing– and this is the main thing– they’re not particularly warm, thanks to the cotton. Therefore, they’ve biased me against mitts as a rule. I know I may well be wrong about them, and so am asking– are mitts actually warm? I’m always reading that they’re practical, and the woolen ones I’ve made and given as gifts have seen years of use, but I am still unconvinced (and know there’s only one way to remedy this). They also, again thanks to the cotton, are very drying and inelastic– not exactly something one wants to jam onto cold hands.

I think the only reason I’ve held on to them for so long is that they’re very beautiful. Which is certainly the case.


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Progress Report: January Aran

Posted on February 4, 2012 by | Comments Off on Progress Report: January Aran

Here is an admission. I haven’t shown much of my January Aran sweater, because, frankly, there hasn’t been too much to show. I am knitting at what is, for me, a positively glacial pace. I have just about 12″ to show for a month of work.

There are so many other irons in the fire– both knitting-related and not– that I haven’t found the time to devote to this.

I’m still pleased with it, of course. It’s just so much easier to crank away at a project when the pattern’s laid out in front of you, instead of waiting to be invented.

It doesn’t help that the weather’s so wretchedly warm, and that I recently re-inherited about 10 of my old machine-knit sweaters from middle and high school (hand-me-back-ups, I guess they are). I’m certainly not motivated to want another sweater, beautiful and handmade or not.

I haven’t given up yet. But this one’s definitely on the back burner, and may very well spend most of the spring there.


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Welcome to Midwest Yarn!

Posted on February 3, 2012 by | Comments Off on Welcome to Midwest Yarn!

We will post when our website is set to go live.  It should be up and running by mid to late February.  Until then our Ravelry ads will point you to the blog.
Welcome to the Midwest Yarn blog!  Midwest Yarn, a Cherished Moments company, is a small business operated out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My name is Melina and I am the proud owner of this wonderful yarn shop.  Over the past few years, I have been operating Cherished Moments, dreaming about the many different options available for needle artists when it comes to yarn.  And then it hit me, OPEN A YARN STORE!

Our goal is to provide the highest quality yarn to knitters and crocheters alike.  There's nothing like proudly wearing a handmade garment and feeling how soft and luxurious the yarn is.  We carefully select our yarns to make sure that we only stock lines made from natural fibers. Silks, wools, cotton, and their blends make wonderful fibers to work with. 

You may not see yarns from nylon, acrylic, or polyester, but you will see high end brands like Noro, Debbie Bliss, and more. We will also carry yarn made from organic fibers and are working to find spinners and dyers who would like to sell their natural fiber yarns as well.
 
To start we will carry some great new yarns and some favorites like:
  • Noro
  • Louisa Harding
  • Sirdar
  • Juniper Moon Farm
  • Ella Rae
  • Debbie Bliss 
We will do everything we can to provide excellent customer service, support for your projects, and a welcoming environment for yarn lovers everywhere. All the comforts of your local yarn shop without having to leave your home.

If you do love the atmosphere of your local yarn shop, don't worry!  My goal for Midwest Yarn is to also open a brick-and-mortar shop as soon as possible.  Until we reach that goal, check out what we have to offer and let us know how we're doing.

I will be using this blog to support other knitters and their projects, keep you updated with what's going on with our store, and offer you special deals.  For now, make sure you follow our blog.  Ravelry group (Friends of Midwest Yarn), blog, Facebook page, or Twitter (@midwestyarn) followers receive a 10% discount - more details to follow.

GRAND OPENING SPECIAL:


Enjoy 20% off your first order using the coupon code WELCOME20 at checkout. 

Otherwise, any order over $50 shipped in the US will receive free shipping.

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Tinder

Posted on February 1, 2012 by | Comments Off on Tinder

Yesterday, I went to the DMV to get my Virginian driver’s license, car title, license plates, and voter registration. Because I am one of those people who finds a deep satisfaction in doing the right thing, and doing it in the right way (which probably says horrible Jasager things about me), I was pretty excited at the prospect. Knowing full well the godawful wait that, well, awaited, I was also feeling pretty clever that I’d brought my knitting.

However, it wasn’t to be. Two rows in, my number was called, and I was up at the counter, handing over every piece of Important Paper I own. I left, satisfied, with everything I’d come for. I am now an official Virginian– the best part of which is BORROWING PRIVILEGES from the UVA Library system (I’ve been in torment without easy access to a university library. The parking for the library may be a fresh torment, but at least I don’t have an excuse anymore to Not Read Books.).

The knitting I was so excited about is the Jared Flood pattern, Tinder, which I’ve admired since the BT Fall collection was released back in September. I’m making it as a present for someone, and, somehow, I’ve ended up in an inadvertent knitalong with Zac’s mom. She’s going to beat me to the finish. I’m sure of it. It’s not a race.

I’m working in Sabine, which is exactly as described– the yarn that will steal your heart. As a sworn cotton-hater, I was prepared to dislike it. And, of course, I love it. It has all the lightness of cotton, but none of its harshness, dry feel, or inelasticity. It has a beautiful hand, and perfect drape. I’ve worked with it before, test knitting a garment for Marie Grace’s beautiful collection, and knew then that I wanted to use it again. It may end up being my go-to worsted this spring.

This is the 4th big knitting project I’ve taken on this spring– wish me luck and speed (and smaller requests)!


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A Fine, Fine Day for Fiber

Posted on January 29, 2012 by | Comments Off on A Fine, Fine Day for Fiber
Does it get any better than this?  Sunshine, brisk breeze, and a dozen sweet friends crafting together with fiber of all sorts - roving, yarn, delicate thread...


Anna brought new baby Ike by for his first visit to the barn.  The last time he'd been here, he was still a bump.  Now he's a doll--a gorgeous boy.

 

That's tough for big brother Brian to compete with, unless you blow bubbles in your water.  That makes everybody smile.

Peggy showed Leslie some spinning tips.  Leslie's going to be spinning soon.  She's already rocking the knitting thing.


Anela told her all about knitting with those mysterious double-point needles.  Nothing to be scared of...


Karen got to be with us again today, and this time, she brought her amazing Drudik wheel.  She got this wheel from the Oregonian wheel maker back when they didn't cost as much as a used car, like they do now.  It's a beautiful wheel that spins like buttah.


Her daughter, Lisa, brought her bobbin lace project with all its pretty bobbins and beads and pins, on the velvet pillow...  It's intricate and amazing, and I was fascinated watching her.


The lace formed steadily under her fingers, following the printed pattern, twist by twist and knot by knot.  Watching her helped me understand the experience of an uninitiated person watching a lace knitter or a talented drop spindler.  It's all magic, until you get the knack.


Rita took a break from knitting her wedding veil to work on knitting her lace garter.  How amazing will that be?


We enjoyed finally getting to visit with Karen and Gail, who hadn't been able to come to the LRB in a while.  Barbara came again this week, and invited her friend Linda.


Linda found herself adopted by Smokey, who draped herself across Linda's lap and didn't move for ages.


Virginia got to drop by, too, and she worked on a pretty kettle dyed wool purse.  Maybe she'll felt it, or maybe she won't.  Such are the quandaries of a fiber artist.


Leslie had really come to the farm to work, so we spent some time skirting and tumbling Solomon's black alpaca fleece.  She caught on quickly, and now has achieved the elite rank of Certified Fiber Tumbler here at Jacob's Reward Farm.  Solomon's pretty fleece is medium fine and open, so we had to spend some extra time opening the locks and blowing the dirt and grass away.  But that shiny black fiber is so, so worth it.  Great job, Leslie -- thanks!

You are always welcome at the Little Red Barn to share these days of friendship and fiber arts.  Learn something, share something, experience something beautiful in this sweet little community.  You make a difference...  At the bottom of this page is our Google Calendar.  That's where you'll find all of the goings on here at the farm.  We'd love to have you join us!

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