Free to Knit

Everyone in the US will do their own personal homage to Independence today.  We're free to do that, to speak and write as we please, even if sometimes our words and pictures offend.

Everyone in the US will have some sort of celebration, probably including food.  We're free to feed the hungry when our own abundance overflows -- and when it doesn't, we still are free to feed the hungry.

Everyone in the US will go about their daily life without restrictions.  We're free to do that, to drive (within the framework of the rules of the road) and to visit and to convene.

But perhaps, just perhaps, all of us here do not recognize that we are also free to do the right thing, not just the thing we think best for us.

Perhaps, just perhaps, this 4th of July will be a reminder that it's not all about me.  There are others who are celebrating, crying, laughing, sharing, and worrying.  We are free to be part of their lives and to lift them up.

We are free to think about others and their needs.

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Finished the Arimono Shawl, while on WRT (Waiting Room Time, first cousin to HT, Hospital Time.)

During the last week of finishing, Megan Goodacre of Tricksy Knitter announced the release of another wonderful pattern in hand-painted yarn from SweaterMaker Yarns.  Fledge Shawl in Romance  Great customer service.  Megan emailed me when she realized her pic of the yarn was mis-named.  She held two colors for me until I decided which I preferred.

I'll wind the yarn and cast on for this one.  I promised myself a new something when I reached 2 minutes on bridge/plank.  Done!  and done more than once.  Getting stronger.  Better for knitting.  Core strength helps with everything you know.

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We US Catholics are finishing a Fortnight of Freedom.  I am celebrating the freedom I have to be a professed Roman Catholic, to take this belief and faith into my daily life, to worship, to give, to share, to be joyful in Christ.

Happy Freedom Day to each of my US followers and readers.  

Underline Sunny

People in southern, sunny California probably don't have much need for shawls that warm the shoulders.  But there's a mother there I know, one whose first born is flying the nest to college.  The info I have tells me she is already missing him though graduation is still an event in the future, albeit very near future, as in June 20.

The memory and prayer shawl is silk and cotton, not too dense, not too big.  Hoping this special mother will find a time now and then to wrap herself while she's reading during a cool evening or walking the dog early in the morning.  Maybe a wrap for coffee time or even a wrap for a dressy night out.

Do they have cool in sunny California?

From One+One by Artyarns. Design by
Iris Schreier.  Diamond Lace Wrap.

On the blocking board.

This one is definitely for intermediate knitters because of the turns during each of the diamonds.  There's no way to have a life line which can be a comfort and insurance during most lace knitting.  This is quite unique.  In the book it's shown in two colors and it's lovely that way too.

• Yarn:  Classic Silk by Classic Elite Yarns (50% cotton, 30% silk, 20% nylon). That should be OK for Sunny California?
• Needles:  I started with US8 and then upsized to US9.  The 8's made it too tight and dense and the 9's corrected that and matched gauge.

I'm delivering this one.  Lucky me.  It's 60 degrees, cold, wet, rainy and gray -- again, still, ever, yet, always, here in our part of the Pacific NW.  Twill be grand to hit the ground in Sunny California.

Underline Sunny.

Oh, but tis soft . .

Cashmere.  And the combination with silk is unbelievable.

I've often thought that technology has yet another leap to make -- we've gotten to video sharing with Skype and FaceTime, but still there are a few things missing.

• We can't smell the food that looks so delicious on the plate.
• We can't have our thirst quenched by the bubbly drink offered in the ad.
• We can't shake the hand of a new friend.
• We can't touch the soft yarn in the picture.

Maybe someday.

Meanwhile I'm knitting the Arimono Shawl by Megan Goodacre of Tricksy Knitter.  This is my second Goodacre pattern -- both are grand, error free, easy to follow, include both charts and words for lace patterns, and they make me happy while I'm knitting.  You'll want to check each pattern.  I've already got my eyes on a third one to add to my Goodacre collection.

The kit from Tricksy Knitter was my Mother's Day gift.
Pattern and yarn are both still available.
Megan's most recent email said they had just restocked the
wonderful yarn.

I bot Pansies at Dusk -- don't you love the name!  It's from Sweatermaker Yarns, and uses both cashmere (30%) and silk (70%).  Pattern for Arimono Shawl comes in the kit, though you can also download it to your pdf reader after purchase.

Yarn and pattern -- 

Fabulous skein wrapper with the illuminated "S".  The yarn is
hand-painted and did I mention that it is glorious!?

Enjoying this one a lot.  Glad to have some relaxing lace to knit in between other projects.

Speaking of other projects -- that experiment with the Mitered Crosses?  I frogged it.  Addey used the best word to describe what I had tried to do -- it was 'fiddly.'  I knew I wouldn't knit another and didn't really wanna spend the extra time weaving in the ends for this one.  I do think the afghan would be lovely in just the yarn the designer suggested -- a variegated Noro, on US#6.  I used a cotton on US#8.  

Bottom line -- it didn't scale well to bigger yarn OR bigger needles.  It happens.

Sure am glad there's no fee in this establishment for re-stashing.

What a difference a gauge makes

It's 'just a shawl' -- right -- so no need to swatch?   Gauge -- who checks gauge on a shawl?

It takes "only" one ball of yarn and lots of knitting for me to realize I'm using a too-small needle and the fabric is too dense.  It's the Diamond Lace Wrap from One+One, by Iris Schreier.  Fabulous designer, really incredible works by Ms. Schreier and others in this volume.  I'm linking to Knitpicks, because that's where I got the book.  One+One.  You will wanna add it to your library and add all the items to your project to-do list.

One + One showcases Artyarns products, all elegant and wonderful.
But -- they're pricey, I won't lie to you.  So I found a substitute
Classic Silk, from Classic Elite Yarns.  Beautiful heathery
colors with a touch of lavender.

Diamond Lace Wrap from One + One

My gauge problem?  I started with a US#8, as pattern quoted, with a 4-weight yarn. (CYC designations.) I knit thru an entire ball of yarn, all 135yds, only to realize by looking and feeling that the fabric was too dense and too tight and not drapey enuf for a shawl.  Back to the book.

Oooops!  Gauge not even close.  I think I'd have to up-size to a US#10 but I'm working on a US#9 now and the resulting fabric is much much nicer.  I haven't frogged the first work.  Hoping the pictures below with the ruler will show a bit of the difference.

With US#9, nice and open

With US#8, too dense.

So I'm happy now and knitting along with joy and satisfaction.

Pattern was an initial challenge.  If you can see the individual leaves in the shawl, each one is knit completely before proceeding to the next -- and on across the 'row.'  This means lots and lots of turning the work.  As more of the shawl develops, of course there's more fabric to turn.  I've managed by now to accomplish two things that make this project more fun --

• Memorized the pattern for each leaf -- it's lace on the rs and reminds me of sock heel short rows on both right and wrong side.
• Discovered how to keep the yarn in my hands so I'm not dropping it and re-setting at each turn.  The first turn uses only 3 stitches with subsequent turns advancing to 11 stitches.  Five turns for each leaf, so this 'holding onto the yarn' is a big advantage to gain a modicum of speed.

Truly, even the purchase of this book was a  happy mistake.  I was in book-buying mode and do not remember why I chose this one.  But -- oooooh -- am I ecstatic to be the owner of this volume of gorgeous designs for scarves, shawls, & shrugs.

So I made a big big gauge swatch -- that's the way I'm looking at it.  And I learned a new pattern.  Both of these 'mistakes' will mean that the real deal shawl will move along easily and be more delightful as a finished silk shawl with lovely hand.

Make a mistake today!

Cirque du Soleil

If you've seen Cirque you know about the contortionists, the Chinese women who can tie their bodies in knots and stand on their head, as in put their feet on top of their head.  Amazing feats, all.

I think that knitting 2-at-a-time using the Magic Loop method simulates the contortions of the Chinese acrobats.  The method is fabulous because you can complete two of the same (or even different) things at the same time.  This means that you work on pairs, like sox or hand-warmers, as pairs instead of as individual items.

But you pay a price, just as surely as the contortionist, no matter how well trained, must feel aches and pains (and BTW, who of us has ever seen an aged contortionist?)  In the case of this knitting method, there's lots of twisting and turning.  You must carry and keep track of (and try not to tangle) two balls of yarn.  At the end of each 'row' you must slide the work and the needles to re-position everything for the next row.

I've cast on and knitted about 10 rounds of a second pair of hand-warmers, this time using the Magic Loop method rather than DPN (double pointed needles.)

The pattern is called "Wave" (from 101 One Skein
Wonders.)  In this foto you can see both hand-warmers.
The one on the right is next in line for knitting.

Getting started is a contortion trick, too.  My way of maintaining order (as well as my own sanity) is to cast on the 30 stitches to one DPN.  Then I can reposition each half of this count (15) correctly onto the long circular needle.  Looks like this.

Hand-warmer on the left and hand-warmer on the right.
Two balls of yarn.  If you look closely, maybe even
consider counting, you'll find the total of 30 stitches per
hand-warmer divided in half -- 15 on the needle lying
toward the bottom and 15 on the needle lying toward the
top of the picture. 

Whew!

Knitting the first few rows of all projects takes a special form of patience -- one I've often wished I could transfer to other life situations.  Careful, watchful, a bit tedious, slow and steady.  Just a few of the adverbs that describe the action of "knitting the first row in Magic Loop method."

I recommend you try watching a few videos on YouTube.  Books are good, but the videos have the advantage of a pleasant teacher-like voice describing each step while you watch.  You might wanna begin with your needles and yarn and work along with the teacher.  Knit Picks has a wonderful tutorial if you wanna go step by step from pictures and words.  Knit Picks Tutorial.

Here's a few more pictures that try to tell the story of these hand-warmers as they are progressing.

About half way thru one half of one row.  The black
cord holds the stitches that will be knit 'on the way back.'

You can already see the ribbing offset that
makes the wave

The other pair, the cranberry colored ones, didn't take long -- and each of that pair was knit separately, (starting at the bottom and finishing at the top) before the second one was begun.  Used DPN for that pair.

Not sure I'll be able to compare either the process or the time-to-completion.

I am sure that Magic Loop is magic but requires more than a sprinkle of magic dust or a few abracadabras.  Somewhere along each row I'm un-contorting my yarn or needles.  Takes a few rows to get my feet to stand on my head.

Try it -- the world (and knitting) take on a completely different look and feel when you're standing on your head.

Neener neener -- two hand warmers

Yup, finished the other one.  No "one hand warmer syndrome" for this knitter.  Something wrong with the pattern, though.  Went to the publisher's site and found the link to corrections.  Sorted it out and now have two hand warmers, a matched set.  If you use patterns from One Skein Wonders make sure you check for corrections online.  It's a big help and good insurance.

This is a good example of the wave stitch, a modified
ribbing.  

Will wrap these with the scarf, no matter its condition:  complete or work-in-progress.  At some point you just gotta call it 'good to go' and put it in the gift box.  Scarf is a portable project because the item itself doesn't need more room than my lap provides and the pattern is 4 rows of knit and purl combinations, easy to memorize.  The pattern is also easy to 'read' from the knitted item.  Even if I am not sure where I left off, the knitting itself will tell me.  I can see the stitches made when I completed the last row of knitting and that's the best clue to the stitches required for the next row.

Here's a picture of the scarf.  It looks good on either side, so there's really no front or back side.  It's about 15" long at this point.  I want it to be much longer.  At least long enough to be able to wrap once or twice around the neck.  The yarn is so soft and combines wool and silk, so will be a great insulator against wind or cold.

Those needles are the best.  Aero from England.  I bot
them in New Zealand many years ago.  The yarn slides nicely
without being out of control.  These are 6mm or 10US.

The scarf pattern is at this link:  Universal Scarf.  Designer calls for 18 stitches using needles suggested for the yarn you select.  I wanted something a bit wider so added stitches in sets of 3.  Working the pattern does require some attention.  It's a rib, sort of.  But it's a combination of K2 p1 and then P2, K1.  So it's not symmetrical for your brain.  It's much easier to get your brain around two of each type of stitch OR one of each, but mixing them is a cognitive challenge now and then.  Try it and you'll see what I mean.

Meanwhile I've also begun a wonderful cowl.   It's Mosaic by Bernat. And I picked up another ball from the stash, leftover from a sweater and tried it on the cowl pattern.  Can't decide which side is which, if you can believe that.  It looks very close to Shaker Knitting and maybe Brioche stitch -- but not quite.  Still it's interesting.  Here's the leftover yarn sample.

Just a bit of the beginning -- I'll keep going just to get enough
'fabric' so I can decide if I like the yarn in this stitch.

Back to the hand-warmers -- I'm getting ahead of myself.  I have another ball of Andean silk in the stash, in cream.  May try the Magic Loop method and finish both of them at one time.  Lots of loose ends and two balls of yarn to manage.  And I have only one ball, which means right away I have to re-wind and separate.    I might try pulling one thread from the outside of the ball and the other from the inside, but that can create such a tangle.

All of these wonderful projects and more are wandering around in my brain.  I have toooo much yarn and toooo many ideas.   But I'm having sooooo much fun.  The couch is covered in books and knitting tools.  The coffee table is strewn with scissors and bits of yarn and another book.  I've made this wonderful knitting nest for myself right in the middle of the room.  How great is that!?!?

Another Experiment -- hand warmers

That title makes me sound like a mad scientist, doesn't it?!  No test tubes or bunsen burners or toxic chemicals, but lots and lots of testing and trying and searching for answers.  Mad?  You decide.

Those fingerless gloves (aka hand warmers) were shouting my name and begging me to cast them onto needles so they could come alive.  Picked Andean Silk from Knitpicks, soft and warm, worsted weight, alpaca, silk and merino wool.  Just plain yummy!

I finally got to this point -- but only after several different approaches.  Like wandering around a new city as a tourist: you get to see a lot, but your feet can get tired and you may get lost.  Still . . .

Didn't get 'here' without some detours.  Finally decided to use
the double pointed needles (DPN).
Can you see "the wave" in the ribbing pattern?
This is another from One Skein Wonders.

First I decided to teach myself another new technique.  Great idea -- put two socks or two hand-warmers (anything that requires a pair to be knitted) onto two needles and knit both of them at once.  This is supposed to guarantee against the insidious and cruel "one sock syndrome."  Yes, I have one sock sitting in some UFO box somewhere.  Sounds like a good idea -- knit both of the pair at one time.

Two at a time technique from this book by Antje Gillingham.
The explanations are fabulous; the diagrams are clear and real pictures.
I was able to use each step to get both hand warmers onto
two needles.

But I lost patience quickly.  Each hand warmer has only 30 stitches and using this new technique I felt like I spent more time moving yarn around and untangling.  Just not worth it for this item.  I can, however, definitely see the advantage for socks with finer yarn and more stitches.  I will try it again.

Converted both hand warmers to one long circular needle and tried that.  If you wanna learn more, go to YouTube and search for Magic Loop Method.  Lots of folks can show you.  Here's what they look like on the one long needle.

Even that drove me crazy.  Dividing the 30 stitchesmeans 15 on each side.  And still, I'm managing two balls of yarn and turning the needles back and forth and sliding stitches.  Groan.  Reminded me of the afghan squares I finished several years ago.  32 squares sat dormant for at least 10 years (now THAT is a UFO, readers!).  When I realized I needed only four, yes 4, squares I took four balls of yarn and cast on stitches for each of the remaining squares.  Had to sit quietly on the couch with two balls of yarn on each side of my feet and be very, very careful every time I finished one row to turn around and go back.  The afghan is wonderful but that 4-at-a-time was just painful.

Converted again, this time to DPN -- and will do one hand warmer at a time.  It's much more satisfying.  The project is now portable -- just one ball of yarn and 4 DPN's.  The pattern can be memorized after just a row or two.  Knitting around means I only turn the entire thing about 1/3 the way counterclockwise as I finish the 10 stitches on one needle and begin the next set.

This is 30 stitches in total, with 10 on each DPN.
The needle on the right is beginning to knit off the stitches from
the needle just below.  Needles are about the size of a pencil.
US8, worsted weight yarn

I'm finally enjoying this and expect to finish both hand warmers within a few days.  The wool will make them warm and the silk and alpaca will make them soft.

The wavy pattern is visible.  You can compare the pencil
to the needles and the yarn to get an idea of the size of each.

Mad or not, this knitting geek found a way to make the project work.  This time the yarn is right for the project.  This time I learned a new technique to try again later.  

Sometimes it's valuable to be a bit mad -- pick up your sticks and try something new.  You'll surely find some sanity in the process.  Life lesson again?  Gotta take a few detours to discover your true path.