theraineysisters knitting and so much more

February 13, 2008

From Susan and Sally: Long on Cute

Filed under: Cross Lanes — Both Sisters @ 1:00 pm

Remember these little guys — very long on cute!  We mentioned them a while back, reminiscing about a trip to the Wensleydale Longwool Sheep Shop in the UK. 

Wensleydalesheep.jpg

We both bought yarn and patterns at the shop during the Jean Moss Knitting and Garden Tour we did several years ago.  The trip was absolutely wonderful, and this little shop delightful. 

From Susan: I started a sweater quite a while back in the aran weight yarn, in a lovely rosy red.  The pattern is from an OLD Patons Booklet (c. 1996):

Wensleydale.jpg picture by lv2knit

Wensleydale003.jpg picture by lv2knit

One sleeve almost done, and one left to do.  It is ridiculous, n’est-ce pas?  Even the neckline is completely done!  Every once in a while I re-visit this baby, but it never seems to get to the finish line!

From Sally: She really should finish it, shouldn’t she? I mean who would desert a sweater with just one sleeve left? (Ducks and runs.)

I bought some very pretty dark green Wensleydale yarn, but being such a delicate flower of humanity I need to save it for a cardigan. It’s a bit too scratchy for me to wear right next to my skin. I did like a number of their original patterns, especially this one:

For some reason (more sleeve avoidance?) I decided to start it. I looked through my stash and chose some “Kid Koigu.”

plus

equals

We’re certainly not the first to combine Kidsilk Haze and Koigu, but we both love the combination and have knit several garments using the two yarns together. It makes a lovely fabric of 5 to 5 1/2 stitches to the inch on a U.S. 7 or 8 needle.

Here’s the beginning of my Cross Lanes.

I’m planning a few minor changes to the sweater: I’ll shorten it slightly and do something different at the neck (maybe a mock turtle neck?).

Changing the subject, we had an ice storm last night in the nation’s capital. A large tree came down behind us, but fortunately our house and most of our landscaping was spared. I “skated” out to get the newspaper this morning and took some photographs.

PS from Susan — if you can stand another re-hash!!  Here is my Emmeline (from Rowan #28), in “Kid Koigu” to show how gorgeous this combination can be — I love this sweater!

KidKoigu.jpg picture by lv2knit

February 10, 2008

From Susan — Is it Hubris?

Filed under: Back Story — lv2knit @ 11:18 am

I know we have been back from our fabulous whirlwind tour of New York for quite a while now, but I just received the last of our purchases yesterday by Pony Express.  Sally and I were in our lovely hotel browsing the internet for knitting-related stuff (how unusual!) when I remembered a project that had been percolating in the dark recesses of my mind:

AmKamin.jpg picture by lv2knit
Am Kamin by Shimada Toshiyuki

I have seen this knitted up on several blogs and now on Ravelry, and thought it was stunningly gorgeous.  The pattern book is in Japanese and has not been translated:

NewStylesinHeirloomKnittingCover.jpg picture by lv2knit

We bought our copies from a Canadian source: The Needle Arts Book Shop, proprietor Marsha White.  Since the book’s arrival yesterday, I have been immersed in it, seeking understanding!  I feel like a newbie knitter who looks at ANY pattern for the first time: it looks impossible to decipher:

AmKamin001.jpg picture by lv2knit

Is it hubris to think I can accomplish this project?  I keep telling myself that it is, after all, just knitting.  And I have learned a little Japanese in the process, thanks to Marsha’s treatise on Interpreting Japanese Knitting Patterns.  There is only one size given for Am Kamin (which would fit Sally, of course, but not moi :(), so I will need to do major adjustments to the pattern, but I do like having it nonetheless. 

Am Kamin is worked using worsted weight wool.  I have a gorgeous red in Cascade 220 (#9404) and a wonderful teal in Cascade Dolce (#927).  I’m not sure I will start this anytime soon — it needs to marinate!

When you start exploring some of these other sources, you really feel like Alice falling down the rabbit hole.  I felt the same way when I discovered Herbert Niebling!  Aarrrrrrrrgggghhhhh!!  There is so much out there and the deeper you go, the more you find! 

February 8, 2008

From Susan — My Little Sweethearts…

Filed under: Sweetheart Glovelets — lv2knit @ 7:48 pm

I finished a pair of the Sweetheart Glovelets for me — and the added bonus is that I already have a matching hat!  I used leftover yarn from the Lace Tam (Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK), and the lace pattern itself is very similar so they look cute together. 

They are soaking wet in this picture, so I can’t wear them, but glad to get them done 🙂

February 6, 2008

From Sally — Continue to Be Our Valentine?

Filed under: Sweetheart Glovelets — surly @ 9:21 pm

We wanted to post the pattern for our Sweetheart Glovelets in time for Valentine’s Day, so we went ahead and put up the pattern before I finished knitting the second glove. Indeed, the first one was still damp from being blocked — that’s why it wasn’t shown being worn. (Besides, I kind of liked seeing it surrounded by all of those goodies.)

So here are two photos of the finished pair being worn. No more candy or cookies, though; they seem to have mysteriously disappeared.

PS from Susan: I found a tiny error in the chart for the left glovelet, Size large/Extra Large: one YO symbol was in the wrong place on the thumb increases.  I fixed the chart and replaced the pdf with the revised one.  Most knitters would figure it out as they were knitting, so I hope no one had a problem with it. 

February 5, 2008

From Susan and Sally — Be Our Valentine

Filed under: Sweetheart Glovelets — Both Sisters @ 8:52 pm

We both love small projects and have a special fondness for gloves, glovelets, and mitts. Last year, Sally knit a beautiful pair of red cashmere fingerless gloves for a friend and kept wishing she had knit an identical pair for herself. She had the yarn, but just never found the time. The other day, we were talking on the phone and came up with the idea of a quick, easy Valentine-themed glovelet using Sally’s red cashmere. The result is our Sweetheart Glovelets.

The pattern is free to our readers. Sweetheart Glovelet Pattern

We hope you enjoy it!

P.S. If you have any trouble with the first row of the pattern (the ruffle at the cuff), click here.

February 4, 2008

From Susan — One for You and One for Me

Filed under: Roslin Fair Isle Hoodie — lv2knit @ 12:36 am

My Roslin is complete and blocking at this very moment.  It seems like only yesterday I was sitting in a coffee shop with a hoodless hoodie in my lap, sipping lattes and wishing I was done.  Hey, that WAS yesterday!  Yeah, I had ripped back the hood a bit, but plundered on.  I really wanted this thing to get wrapped up, so every obstacle was met with determination; every painful part of the process breached (i.e., sewing down the hems :)). 

Here is my baby blocking:

Very hard to get a good shot.

An unblocked “Lettie” shot:

And the namesake:

I quickly started something new because I am an obsessed knitter 😉 — I plan on making a few small things before starting the next “big” thing!  It is a scarf which I have named The Merci Scarf because I am making it as a thank you:

The yarn is drop dead soft: it is Cascade Autunno in Desert Shade (Color #34918, 98 yds/50 gms, 100% Fine Merino).  I had never heard of it, but it is very soft with gentle variegation and a ragwool effect.  I had trouble finding a stitch that would work because of the ragwool coloring — too much going on for many stitch patterns.  I am using a seed rib as follows:

The Merci Scarf (multiple of 4x + 3 sts)
I am using US Size 8 needles and 35 sts

Row 1: *k3, p1* rep betw * * to last 3 sts, k3
Row 2: k1, p1, *k3, p1* rep betw * * to last st, k1

It is mindless and perfect for a scarf because it does not curl and is reversible. 

When Rossie is dry, I’ll slap her back onto Lettie for better pics.

PS1 — AND one for Regina, another Roslin finisher!

Congratulations, Regina!

PS2: I thought I was done, but seeing Regina’s picture reminded me that I need to add the little sleeve pocket, which I planned on doing after I blocked it 🙂

February 2, 2008

From Sally — More Sleeve Avoidance

Filed under: Knitting Tips,Sally's Kauni — surly @ 6:38 pm

It’s too bad I never wear vests because I really am not of a mood to knit the sleeves on my Pearl Buck cardigan. So, in addition to a bit of stealth knitting, I’ve gone back to my damask Kauni, which I started in a burst of enthusiasm and then set aside. It’s just what I have been in the mood to knit the last couple of days, however. Here is how it is looking.

I’m getting to the point where I need to figure out exactly how long I want it so I can decide where to start the armholes (which means dreaded future sleeves). I also need to decide what kind of neckline I want. To that end, I made some graph paper to my gauge and charted the pattern again onto that paper. Then I used that as a kind of stencil — making multiple copies of the pattern repeat. Now I’ll cut and paste my sheets of graph paper together so that I have a paper duplicate of my sweater upon which I can plot out the neck. Doing it this way makes it easier for me to make sure that I’ll start the neck shaping at an attractive place in the pattern.

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