theraineysisters knitting and so much more

March 29, 2008

From Susan — Miter, Miter, Pants on Fiter

Filed under: Susan's Mitered Cardigan — lv2knit @ 11:10 am

I finished the back!  Woo Hoo!  It took longer than expected, of course, but I am pleased so far.  The front will be shaped differently than the pattern, too, with traditional neckline shaping (for notched collar) and added pockets.

The following picture shows the elements of this cardigan that provide structure.  The red, crossed lines run along cast on edges, which I did using a cable cast on for a firm edge.  If you follow the bands of color, you can see that the knitting is multi-directional as well.  This provides additional support for the garment that plain garter stitch does not.  Garter tends to stretch.   I know of some people who made this jacket and experienced stretching.  I think if you follow the instructions in the magazine and use a regular knitted cast on, there may be an increased tendency to stretch.

One of my peeps just finished her Mitered Cardigan and went to block it by soaking it in her washing machine and then spinning out the water.  She has done this many times….BUT, she had purchased a new washing machine.  Ruh Roh!  The new machine goes directly from soak to wash.  She was upstairs when she realized she was listening to the familiar (and unexpected!) whoosh, whoosh, whoosh of the wash cycle.  She said she screamed and bolted so fast her hubby thought she was on fire!  Anyway, the jacket was lightly felted.  I must say, it is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous in its felted state.  It does still fit her, but not in the generous, over-sized way she had planned.  Bummer!

I really enjoyed reading all of your comments about knitting and sewing.  I, too, love to sew and do agree that HAND sewing is portable.  Quilting has always had a strong social component and has been a major source of community networking for many years.  The StarTribune article was focused on sewing garments by machine which is a different story.

 

March 27, 2008

From Susan — Sewing is the New Knitting?

Filed under: Susan's Mitered Cardigan,Uncategorized — lv2knit @ 10:29 pm

That is a quote from the paper today (Startribune, March 27, 2008). 

Knitting was the new-again craze five years ago. Everyone was clicking needles, from young professionals in bars and cafes to superstars such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Roberts.  Now sewing is back in vogue.

“Sewing is the new knitting,” said Amber Eden, editor of Threads, a magazine for sewing enthusiasts.

Hmmmph.  I think it is great that young people are rediscovering how fun it is to get creative and customize your clothing and your look.  A return to our roots.  But the “new knitting?”  Au contraire, mes amies!!

Sewing is not and never can be the new knitting — because of one very important difference: knitting is portable.  Because it is portable, it can easily be shared as a social activity. 

The news article describes “sewing retreats” at hotels or on cruises, craft expos that attract thousands, etc.  But sewing enthusiasts cannot do what I did this evening: grab my knitting bag and hang out at Panera’s with my knitting peeps.  I didn’t have to drag a sewing machine, cutting table and iron with me to share my craft with others.  Sewers can host expos, have shop hops, blog about their projects — but the activity itself is either very solitary, or takes a lot of effort/resources/space to be a group activity. 

For many years, sewing was my hobby of choice — but I was hidden away in my basement sewing room, away from the family (not always a bad thing ;)), and isolated.  With small children, it just did not work.  So, I started knitting more and have never looked back.  It brought me out of the basement, into the light!!

Susan steps off soapbax…..Okay, let’s talk about knitting! 

Modified Mitered Cardigan
Mindless miters are mighty fun to knit!  I am liking this project.  You can really see the construction here.  The three sides of the 4th back section are on the needles.  The left and bottom edges are picked up along the adjacent sides of the previously knit sections and then the 3rd leg is cast on.  You can also see how I carved out the armhole shaping on the left side.


Mitered Cardigan by Norah Gaughan, Vogue Knitting (Holiday Issue, 2003)
Rowan Tapestry, US 6 needle

I am almost done with the back, so the project is motoring along nicely.  AND, it is very portable.

March 23, 2008

From Susan — Happy Easter!!

Filed under: Susan's Mitered Cardigan — lv2knit @ 9:52 am

I know we are supposed to be announcing the contest winners, but that may be a day or two more — busy lives, you know!  Anyway, I did not want to wait to wish everyone a Happy Easter.  This is one of my favorite cartoons of the season:

easter.jpg easter image by noelle_926

I also want to mention a new “freebie” pattern on our site.  I wore this sweater yesterday (yes, it is still “sweater weather” here — it is snowing as I write!).  It is my own design, done in Dunedin yarn.  The factory that made this yarn burned to the ground before I knit the last stitch, so any hopes of having this design go anywhere were dashed long before the sweater was finished.  I went ahead and wrote out the pattern for posterity and put it away.  When I decided to post this as a project on Ravelry, the pattern question became relevant once more.

Joan of Arc
by Susan Rainey of The Rainey Sisters
Finished Bust Measurement: 45″
Gauge: 32 sts and 48 rows to 4″ (US Size 2 and 3)
It is one size fits none, out of non-existent yarn, but knock yourselves out!


Now that we’ve had that lovely walk down memory lane, what am I knitting now?  I made Norah Gaughan’s Mitered Cardigan from Vogue Knitting, Holiday 2003, years ago in Mountain Goat Yellowstone and loved it.  It has a unique construction that provides a lot of structure to the garter stitch jacket.

MiteredCardigan004.jpg Mitered Cardigan picture by lv2knit

As I was contemplating what to do with my Rowan Tapestry (Lakeland), I kept going back to the Mitered Cardigan because it is so perfect for variegated yarns.  I decided to revise it a bit so it does not look identical — it will be more tailored, with set-in mitered sleeves, notched collar, and pockets.

This is the start of the back.  Even though this is lighter weight yarn, I think it is working out so far.  I’m not sure how the unplied Tapestry will hold up over time.  I love the look and feel of some of these yarns, but they pill so easily it drives me nutty!!

March 1, 2008

From Susan — To H*LL and Back

Filed under: Roseleaves Tunic — lv2knit @ 12:04 pm

I have seen the Gates of Hell.  We will get there by virus.  OMG!  Even with a flu shot this year, I suffered for almost a week, unable to lift head from pillow.  UNABLE TO KNIT for days.  That, mes amies, is my definition of hell.  Oh well, I’m better now :)!

I have been knitting on the Roseleaves Tunic.  I cannot tell if it will be gorgeous or an absolute disaster.  It is that darned variegated yarn — I have a love-hate relationship with the handpainteds.  It is very difficult to tell how they will look.  DH is my Muggle Canary-in-the-Mines.  He has no sense of fashion (he thinks he does…), but he will comment favorably on beautiful yarns.  For instance, he loved the Merci Scarf and said so frequently.  He has not said a single word about Roseleaves — not one.  That tells me he is saying to himself, “What is she thinkin!?!  Utt-bay ugly.”  Like I said, he has no taste so that may not be enough to deter me ;)!

Here is a picture of the yoke;

The sleeves are knit top down from each side.  Here is a picture of the first sleeve, which is almost complete:

Sally says to keep knitting.  I have a long way to go: the sleeves from cuff to cuff will be 5-1/2 feet!  And then the body.  She promised to give me some of her yarn if I run out — at least I think she did 😉 !  She will, because she is so good to me!

February 24, 2008

From Susan — Will Someone Knit for MOI??

Filed under: Roseleaves Tunic — lv2knit @ 10:46 am

Lorraine so aptly voiced this sentiment (“Susan- I’d love to have a [Merci] scarf like that, but I don’t want to knit one- does that make sense?”) — alas, I am afraid the answer is a resounding, YES!  It makes tons of sense!  However, for most of us, we are the knitters, not the knittees.  There are so many things I “want” that I do not have time to make.  I want them to magically appear in my closet, in the exact style, color, etc. that I covet.  It takes so long to make everything and costs so much for the yarn (I do have expensive taste ;)) that I can’t do it all.  The internet has just made it worse.  I find “must haves” every day!

But this is too scrumptious to ignore:


Sirino 50% silk/50% wool from The Great Adirondack Yarn Company, color Serengeti II (675 yds, 150 gms)
Note presence of dog hair — it is on everything I own

This yarn is so beautiful, I cannot find the words.  It is like knitting from an Egyptian pharoah’s jewel cache.  There is a lot of a deep rusty, copper color and a deep, regal purple, with very short runs of aqua and peacock teal.  The sts shine like there is light emanating from inside.  I hope when I get to the lace section (with stockinette thrown in) that I still like the way the colors work — but this is stunning color, like I have rarely seen.

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 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.

January 16, 2008

From Sally — Where (Will) We Be? New York! New York!

Filed under: Pearl Buck Swing Jacket — surly @ 11:43 am

Start spreading the news . . .

Yes, the Rainey Sisters will be together again! Tomorrow, Susan is flying to Washington, and then on Friday we will take the train up to New York. We’re going to see Clay Aiken in his Broadway debut in Monty Python’s Spamalot on Friday night. (I say “we,” but y’all know it’s mostly me.) On Saturday, we’ll catch Wicked. (Susan’s seen it; I haven’t.) In between, we’ll knit and visit yarn stores. So far, we are thinking about Purl Soho, String, and Habu Textiles. Any other suggestions greatly appreciated, although we don’t have a lot of time.

In the meantime, for those who like to watch paint dry, I’ve finished the second front of Pearl Buck.

Just the two sleeves to go. (Doesn’t sleeve avoidance mean it’s time to start a new project?) The original pattern calls for very short (just below the elbow) belled sleeves. I’m making more of a full length stove pipe sleeve — kind of a cross between the sleeve on this:

and this:

The sleeves will therefore end up being slightly belled at the wrist, but get tighter at the elbow (even though I am not changing the number of stitches until close to the armhole).

The jacket doesn’t have any additional finishing along the front edges. I think it needs something. I’m debating among several quick little finishes; I’ll let you know what I chose to do once I decide.

Now to answer a few questions/points:

1. Should I get a little assistant of my own?

Yes. I mean, no. Not if I want to keep my husband. (Don’t tell him it’s a tough call.) I think someone asked his name. It’s Batman (the little assistant, not my husband).

2. The length of the Pearl Buck Swing Jacket

Yes, it’s pretty dang short. Too short to actually be called a jacket in my opinion, but I am not the one who named it. The usual way of lengthening by just adding rows before the armhole won’t work because the pleat chart, which completes the lower back panel, is a set number of rows. There are two ways one could lengthen it, however.

If you wanted to add fairly significant length, you could chart out one more diamond for the pleat — a larger, first one. You would need to alter the number of stitches you cast on and move the fold line stitches out slightly, but it would be relatively easy to do. I considered doing that, decided not to, and have slight regrets. Le sigh.

If you only wanted to add an inch or so, you could add that to the yoke, which is knit sideways. You would just add stitches to the number the pattern tells you to cast on, but then follow the directions as written for the neck shaping. HOWEVER, you would also need to adjust where you start the armhole shaping on the lower back piece and on the fronts. You would need to move the shaping up to compensate for the increased width of the yoke.

3. Why did I invert the pleat?

I just didn’t like the way the pleat hangs in the original design and thought it would be fun to hide the diamond pattern inside an inverted pleat.

PS from Susan — here is my Viking:

VikingTurid.jpg picture by lv2knit

January 12, 2008

From Sally — The Buck Stops Here

Filed under: Pearl Buck Swing Jacket — surly @ 3:40 pm

or will when it’s finished. Pearl Buck Cardigan. Get it? You do and you’re still not laughing? Okay, that was pretty lame even for a Rainey Sister blog entry.

Anyway, I’m slowly motoring along. I’ve finished the back, the back yoke, and the left front. It’s a simple, easy knit which is apparently what I was in the mood for. Who knew?

I lightly steamed and pinned the pieces onto Lucy to get an idea of how it’s turning out.

As long as I was taking pictures, I photographed these lovely porcelain buttons that my daughter’s boyfriend gave me for Christmas.

They’re made by his parents. If you’d like to see any of their other buttons (they also make pendants), you can find them here. If anyone is looking for gift ideas for me for some odd reason, I especially like this one. *g*

On a sad note, I said goodbye this afternoon to my little assistant. He and my daughter are on their way back to college. Sigh.

January 8, 2008

From Sally — My Inverted Pleat

Filed under: Pearl Buck Swing Jacket — surly @ 2:53 pm

I’ve finished the back of the Pearl Buck Swing Jacket — it went fairly quickly because the piece is shorter than the back itself will be. There is a knitted back yoke that I’m about to cast on. I’m pretty much following the pattern as written, except for changing the way the pleat looks. When binding off the back, you “set” the pleat by binding several layers of knitting together. Here’s Lucy modeling what I’ve done. When it’s finished, I am hoping that the jacket will swing a bit in the back, revealing a little bit more of the design hidden in the pleat.

IMG_3370

IMG_3369

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