theraineysisters knitting and so much more

Well, as promised I am here to update you on my status as a Dorset shawl pin maker.  I am a Dorset shawl pin maker!  I tried it out today and in two hours had created a shawl pin!  I did make a small one (1-1/8 inches), so those take less time.

Step 1: Cast the Ring — this is the time consuming/annoying part!

Step 2: Slick the Ring — this just means nudging the knotted edge to the back.

Step 3: Decorate — I chose a simple design called Bachelor Buttons

Step 4: Add the side rings that make this a shawl pin

Step 5: Make Stick Pin — I used an existing shawl pin stick

Because mine is a bit small, I think it would look really cute on a sweater!

The supplies are plastic rings, perle coton #5 and/or 8, needles, and metallic thread.  The sticks she uses are bamboo skewers that we all have in our kitchens!

There you have it!  Pat Olski has all of her knowledge and creativity available in numerous books and magazines.  I got my information from Crafting Thread Shawl Pins.

I just got a wonderful book written by Pat Olski called Crafting Thread Shawl Pins.  It is a stunner!  The pins are absolutely gorgeous.  I hope to make a few but haven’t quite gotten there yet.  Here is the cover:

And a really pretty pin:

They are all so beautiful.  You can match the colors to your favorite, special shawl or sweater.  Or make your own buttons.  The illustrations are extremely clear and the instructions well written.  I will post updates on my progress!

I also embarked on some brioche knitting…syncopated brioche to be exact.  Syncopated brioche turns some standard “rules” on their head.  When knitting typical brioche, one color is dominant and worked as knit brioche sts, and the other worked as purl.  In the following Diamond Lattice Cowl, both colors are dominant.  Mind blown!

Had to make another!!

I used Malabrigo Rios, colors Cereza and Pearl Ten for the red/gray, Lettuce and Aquas for the green.  One skein of each color.  I will be teaching this as a class at BeWoolen next month.

And for those of you knitting tubular cowls that need to be grafted together, read my tip about getting started and easier grafting in The Rainey Sisters Ravelry group!!  I learned a lot about what NOT to do when grafting this friend’s Velvet Mirror Cowl!

I just finished a cute, wearable cardigan: Always There by Joji Locatelli.  The pattern had some issues, but then so did I!!  The yarn was purchased at BeWoolen — my LYS and home away from home!  Just 1.4 miles away, it’s not only close, but well stocked with nice yarn and even nicer people!

Here is my finished cardigan.  I made several mods to the pattern itself, but looking at it you wouldn’t know.

It fits perfectly, except the sleeves may be a bit too long.  I will wear it a couple of times to make sure and then might shorten them.

The yarn is their own BeWoolen DK, color Midsummer Sky.  I snagged it on their official opening weekend, so it has been marinating a while.  As with any hand-dyed yarn, you have to expect some variation.  So what I did instead of alternating skeins was to change skeins at section breaks — when changing from stockinette to twisted rib for instance.  It really worked!  The color changes created broad stripes, instead of  color breaks in the middle of a section.  One of the skeins was a true outlier.  I would not have used it at all but I realized I needed every gram!  It forms the lightest stripe in the low end of the sweater, but somehow in the sleeves, it caused hideous white stripes!

Because I matched the skeins on the sleeves, both sleeves had the same hideous striping.  So, I tie dyed them!  I bought turquoise tie dye and dyed the bad sections!  As I was slathering on the dye, I suddenly realized that it could go horribly wrong, but it was too late!  All I wanted was to add a little blue color to the white areas, so I didn’t let it set very long.  I immediately soaked and blocked it.  The results: perfection, and shock that it worked!!

ETA: I used Tulip One-Step Tie Dye, color Turquoise.  I used the refill powder and mixed it with more water to make the color lighter, testing it on white fabric.  I applied it to the white areas and kind of massaged it in.  I placed the treated sleeve areas in a bowl of salted vinegar water for a short time to set the color, then soaked and blocked as usual.  The tie dye instructions say to wait 6-8 hours, but I waited closer to 6-8 minutes!!

After it dried, I went to sew on the buttons.  I harvested gorgeous glass buttons off an older sweater that I no longer wear.  As I was marking where to sew them I realized I had made a mistake…

1. Buttonholes need to be evenly spaced.  I do this by counting sts in between the buttonholes — or in the case of ribbing, the ribs between buttonholes.
2. Knitters can’t count.

Okay, then.  I had miscounted the ribs between two buttonholes!  9 instead of 8 like the others.  The extra space wouldn’t be noticeable between the buttonholes, but it would be noticed between my stunning buttons.  I thought it was beyond fixing, but of course it bothered me.  So, I cut the bind off yarn, ripped back the bind off across the bottom two buttonholes, and re-positioned them one rib higher.  It’s funny because at the time I thought the last buttonhole seemed like it was closer to the bottom than I had planned.  Listen to that little voice in your head!!  I could have fixed it much easier when knitting the band!!!

So the problems are fixed, except for the sleeve length.  I will hold off on judgment until it’s worn.  Sometimes sleeves creep up when you wear a shirt underneath.  I am super pleased with this after all is said and done.

And I have never understood people who don’t block their knitting!!  This thing was FUGLY before I blocked it, but I had hope!!!  This picture was taken moments before my tie dye extravaganza!!  😉

PS to Christina — I don’t really have any advice for you on this.  I’ve never done a faux buttonband so have no advice to offer.  Maybe post your question on Ravelry, either in the Techniques secton or within Joji’s Ravelry group.

I received two knitting kits for Christmas this year.  One was my Oregon Vest, which I already posted about.  The other was my Tamback Scarf, designed by Carol Sunday.  Surly and I each bought one for the other for Christmas!  I felt “obligated” to get it on and off the needle ASAP!

When I saw this, I was just stunned!  It is such a unique design.  It was fun to knit, and a ton of work!  Check that box!!

Yes, it’s time again to celebrate Surly!!  Talented, funny, at times silly, Little Sister Surly!!  I miss my little sistie — and don’t know when we will be together again.  We talk often, but it’s really not the same.  But I have hopes for this year.

Happy Birthday from your big sis (“It’s the big one we don’t like!!”)!!

It’s really not too late to knit up my free 2022 Winter Games Hat!  It’s not as cute as 2018, but it’s done in bulky yarn which is all the rage!  Actually, it should have been knit in Malabrigo Rasta, but I was too cheap to use it for a free pattern.  😉  I used Cascade 128 yarn and included a Rasta recipe.  This is a fun, quick knit.  FYI: the word TEAM is on the other side!

In 2005, Surly and I took a trip to Scotland where we had the ultimate honor of attending a class held by the legendary Alice Starmore herself.  In the class, she cut the steek of her Oregon Cardigan, Autumn Colourway.  I was hooked!  I immediately embarked on that knitting journey, which was chronicled here in the blog for MONTHS.  Fifteen years have passed and alas, my cardi no longer fits (I blame the sweater 😉 ).  So, I decided to reknit Oregon, but as a vest this time.  My husband got the kit for me as a Christmas present (“John, you bought me this kit for Christmas!”), but I opened it a week early!!

I decided to knit it at a looser gauge.  The cardi had a potholder-like, felted quality to the fabric.  I am so glad I did!  It looks less refined when held up to the cardigan, but that is never going to happen!!  The vest took me a month.  Retirement (and no children in the house!), not faster knitting, is the secret!!

I used the buttons purchased for Elizabeth of York — they are gorgeous!!  I gave my Elizabeth of York to Surly because it didn’t fit (I blame the vest 😉 ).

I searched everywhere, including my old class notes, to find a really nice buttonhole for corrugated ribbing, but wasn’t thrilled.  So I invented one!!  It is virtually invisible and accommodates this fairly large button — a tight fit, but it does work.  I wouldn’t want to button/unbutton often, but I believe it will get easier with use.  I describe it in detail on my Ravelry project page.  I am experimenting with this BH for regular 2×2 ribbing.  It looks great if done starting on the wrong side, like I did for this vest.  I am going to keep trying!

For old times sake, here is the original cardigan:

The good news is, the vest DOES fit!

PS to Poodletail: I used a US sz 5 for the bottom ribbing and the body of the vest.  I used a US 4 for the armbands and buttonbands, but should have used a 3 for the WS rows of the buttonband.

I’m here to say that I finished one of the projects I talked about in November.  Whew!  First, however, I’d like to thank those of you who have reached out to make sure we are okay.

As many of you know, we moved to Boulder about four years ago to live near our daughter.  And, as you’ve probably seen on the news, a devastating fire destroyed whole neighborhoods in several communities in and around Boulder just before the new year.  It’s hard to describe the scope of the damage.  Almost a thousand houses burned to their foundations in a matter of a few hours.  We were having such high winds that the fire was racing the length of a football field every few seconds.

You can get an idea from this Map.  In it, the red markers are houses that were destroyed, blue indicates damaged.   If you zoom in on the affected neighborhoods, you can see the scale of the loss.  My neighbor’s daughter lives in one of the areas that was hardest hit.  Her home survived.  It’s the only one in the neighborhood that did.  Please keep the residents of Superior and Louisville in your thoughts.  It is going to be a slow and painful recovery.

Back to knitting.  I finished Hinterland by Jennifer Steinglass.  I had originally set it aside after knitting the yoke.  That was the fun part, right?  I did eventually knit the body, but was left with the dreaded sleeves.  Despite wanting to start so many new projects, I persevered and it’s finished.  My husband thinks it will make the perfect après-ski sweater when we hit the slopes later this winter.  (Weather and Covid permitting.)

The main yarn is Arranmore Light by the Fibre Company in the color Meara.  The contrast color is Salty Dog, Spincycle Dyed in the Wool.  I wasn’t sure if I wanted to have the design at the cuffs or leave the sleeves plain.  I finally went for the color work because I thought I should be more daring.  I deliberately mismatched the cuffs just to show more of the color changes.

I became enamored with the cutest sock pattern ever, called Holly & Jolly!  But, I don’t like knitting socks, so I made some handwarmers instead.  They demanded a hat, so the hat was next!!

The candy cane chart has a simple fix to eliminate the jog.  Check out my Ravelry project page to learn more!  This picture shows the BOR and no jog in sight!!

Are you ready for the holidays??

It is time for my third annual Hostess Hat launch!!  And it’s FREE on Ravelry!!  It’s called the Noël “Ugly Sweater” Hostess Hat.  Maybe not the best name, but the hat kind of looks a little gaudy!!

The hat trio!!

All the details, including my source for beads, are included in the pattern.  I would love you to knit one up and embellish it to suit your own taste!!