theraineysisters knitting and so much more

…is nowhere to be found in Minnesota!

We got quite a bit of snow yesterday (during evening rush hour, thank you) and the wind chill today is -14 degrees.  Spring may be coming up on the calendar but it sure looks a long way off from my window!

To seek spring, I’ve turned to my knitting.  Sally’s Ode to Joy is so joyful and bursting with beautiful spring-like colors, that somewhere along the line I decided to exchange my autumnal colorway to Sally’s Cape Cod.   Candace was very accommodating.  I started this a couple of weeks ago. 

It is a slow knit.  Sally described this in detail, but to recap — you are always knitting with three tiny strands of yarn.  The color change is created by changing out one strand at a time to the next color in sequence: 1-1-1 changes to 1-1-2, then 1-2-2, and so on.  It is difficult to knit without looking because you must be certain that you don’t miss any strands as you are knitting.  It is knit on 3.25 mm needles.  The novelty of changing the colors wears off quickly, long before you are done.  BUT, after seeing Sally’s lovely sweater and the desire to wear it this spring, I will plod on.

Heaven save me from Ravelry!  Again, I have been sucked in, but gladly.  I just received a package from Needle Arts Book Store.  If you order the Peacock Feathers Stole pattern (the triangular shawl converted to a rectangular stole) and two balls of Exquisite, you receive an additional ball of yarn.  I wanted four balls, so by buying the pattern, I actually saved money, kind of (shopping logic is great I tell you!). 

Exquisite completely lives up to its name.  It is gorgeous: 50% mulberry silk and 50% merino wool, laceweight, 500 m to 50 gms ($8.50/skein). 

Exquisite Yarn in Slate Blue

It has the luster of silk and is incredibly soft.  The color is amazing.  I think it is much higher quality than Zephyr Merino and Silk, which I have used and loved for lace shawls.  This is nicer.

I’m off today and no one is home — yay!  — but I am doing laundry and cleaning bathrooms — boo!  

Off I go to the salt mines, but may get a little fun stuff done, too!

AND, go read Yarn Harlot!  Been there, done that…over and over again!

Check this out from Moosie:
Exquisite is 50/50 merino wool/mulberry silk. Zephyr is 50/50 merino wool/tussah silk. Two different types of silk with different characteristics. Tussah is from the Antheraea pernyi moth’s cocoon while mulberry is from the bombyx mori moth’s cocoon. Tussah worms feed on oak leaves while bombyx worms dine on mulberry tree, wormspit.com gives a lot more info about silk in all it’s different forms.

In response to Wendy who asked, “As always, you gals are an inspiration!  I’ll be interested to hear if there was much yarn left over.  Dare I ask what size you’re knitting?”

The Ode to Joy Kit comes in 2 sizes: small and medium/large.  Sally made the small size and had some yarn left over.  I am making the medium and will need to lengthen the sleeves.  Usually I make the jumbo size in everything.  In this case, however, I decided to make it to fit a bit smaller and cropped like it was designed — it would have taken way more yarn and a lot of refiguring of the pattern to remake it into a larger sweater.  I will make a dress or two to go with it and wear it to work.  When I make a sweater to wear with pants, I make it huge to get to where it needs to go…but this will be a very short jacket on me.

Sometimes the best laid plans go awry.  This second Sunburst Beaded Bag is a disappointment — it is so blah!  And I had such high hopes!

The center circles were gorgeous when they were laying there on their own, but look completely non-descript in the bag.  It also goes with NOTHING*!  Oh well…. 🙂

* PS to Nancy — I never even though of black!  Oh wait, I don’t have anything black.  Never mind!

PS2 — now I feel bad after reading everyone’s comments.  And, really, I wasn’t fishing for compliments, but appreciate them all the same!

PS from Susan: Scroll down to see Surly’s Bohus update if you have not yet done so!!

Dianna nominated us for the Kreativ Blogger Award — another “made up” award like the Oscars!  We thank you and our mother thanks you! Now off to look for gowns for the red carpet (and we promise that they won’t be sock monkey dresses. Maybe.).

Here is what we are supposed to do, and the rules for our nominees:

1.  Copy the award to your site — check
2.  Link to the person from whom you received the award — check
3.  Nominate 7 other bloggers — hmmm, that part’s hard
4.  Link to the award recipients on your blog — easy, once Number 3 is done
5.  Leave a message on the blogs you nominate — okay, can do

It is so difficult to list one’s favorite blogs.  Someone gets left out.  Someone’s feelings get hurt.  So, we will list some blogs and hope that no one feels like we don’t like them.  We like a lot of people and a lot of bloggers!!

These are some of the blogs that touch us or teach us or inspire us.

Things Soo Likes — Soo is an incredibly gifted knitter and the sole inspiration for Susan’s Lyra.  She knits some of the most gorgeous lace there is and also owns up to some crazy mistakes!

Twin Set Ellen — Ellen and Jan are sisters (twins — duh) that share a blog and share their knitting over a great distance.  Blogging keeps them connected and enhances their friendship.  We certainly can relate.  Susan also knows Ellen personally as a fellow guild member and likes her a lot!

Rosemary-Go-Round — Romi’s Monday Musings are a favorite way to start the week.  Romi is a really talented designer, jewelry maker, and published author.  She will be teaching at Yarnover on April 18 so we’ll get to meet her in person and hang out for a few hours!  That may be the royal ‘we’ as Sally may not be at Yarnover this year. 

WendyKnits — Wendy’s blog was Susan’s first introduction to blogs and therefore set the bar pretty high.  Wendy is a prolific and talented knitter so there are RESULTS posted and not just false starts and UFOs.  Plus, we have met and dined with Wendy so she isn’t just a mega-blogger, she is a real person!!

Knititude — Angela Hahn is another talented knitting designer that we both admire.  We knitted her Aran Wrap from Vogue last year and have bought other patterns as well.  Her blog has some lovely patterns to buy and drool over!

Knitting Elegance KAL — We don’t visit this site often, but it is nice knowing it is there!  This blog features Japanese knitting, which we both love, and shows some wonderful finished works.  Worth a visit for inspiration if nothing else.

Ravelry — Yes, we know that Ravelry is not a blog, but to be honest, it sure feels like one!  It is a place to see great projects, watch people’s knitting progress, and connect with other knitters on the Forum Section or in groups with people of similar interest.  If you are not a part of Ravelry, go sign up today.

As we review the above list, it makes us appreciate the blogging community as a place to connect with others and learn a lot about knitting and its infinite potential.  Thanks to all who inspire and delight!

Last year we introduced a new design: Sweetheart Glovelets.  With Valentine’s Day a mere two weeks away, we wanted to remind everyone about this FREE pattern in time to buy yarn or stash dive, and knit up these lil cuties!

Sally’s Glovelets:

Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere (1 skein, 200 yds/55 gms), US 3 dpns, Color Keja

Susan’s Glovelets:

Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK (2 skeins, 114 yds/50 gms each), US 3 dpns

We hope you enjoy the pattern!

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

Well, at least for now!  The Bohus Exhibit was stunning, but of course, no photography allowed.  We were able to take pictures of the designs that Solveig recently put into kit form, but I did not have a camera with me .  Saved by friend, Kim!  Here are a few of the Bohus Beauties we saw that evening:

Red Light

Turquoise Light

Gothic Windows Pink (Sally bought this kit)

Rime Frost (aka Grace Kelly Bohus)

Azalea

It looks like I missed a great time on Sunday by the blogs I’ve read.  There was a special dinner for the Swedish dignitaries and some of the MKG Board to thank us for our support of the exhibit.  I did not go because I had been out knitting with peeps for days on end and thought I should be home at least one night — mistake!  I do plan on visiting the exhibit at least once more before March.

I want to thank Sally for her kind words about the “nursing care” I provided — it twern’t nuthin.  Honestly, I didn’t do much of anything!  I do know now that every time she visits I better have homemade shortbread cookies on hand!

ETA from Sally:

A reader commented: “I love the pictures but I have a question that has not been addressed by any other blogger or any website selling the Bohus kits. What sizes do the kits cover? Or is everything written for just one size? (And why isn’t this mentioned anywhere?).”

Here’s the answer: The typical kit contains sufficient yarn to make the largest size. For example, I purchased the Gothic Windows kit in pink. Directions are provided for sizes XX Small, X Small, Small, Medium, Large, and XL (bust size from 36 1/4 to 46). At the top, it says, “There is sufficient yarn in each kit to make the XL size.”

For my Large Lace Collar, I made the size largest size yoke because of the modifications to the design I am making to knit it in the round. I had “yoke” (colored) yarn left over.

Here is a link to the American Swedish Institute Shop for kit prices and availability: ASI Link.

It was fantastic.  The exhibit is jaw dropping.  The history is inspiring.  The designs are too beautiful to be believed.

I picked Sally up at the airport and she was like a weak kitten, but was also quite a trooper.  We arrived at the opening reception at the American Swedish Institute, and right as you enter, you see your first Bohus sweaters in a small display case.  I gasped.  Then we entered the reception area and saw fantastic food — I gasped again and ran for the goodies!

Here are some of the key players at the event:

Susanna Hansson — Susanna is one of the favorite teachers at Yarnover and I think is single-handedly rekindling a love for all things Bohus.  She translates the Bohus patterns into English (thank you!).

Wendy J. Johnson — Wendy was instrumental is making the exhibit a reality and in getting the Bohus Stickning book (see below) to press.

Solveig Gustafsson — Solveig is recreating the gorgeous Bohus kits.  This endeavor is as much art as science, and she does unbelieveable work.  She dyes the yarn to precision and knits the samples (she said that she knits the yokes and her husband knits the bodies by machine!).

Kerstin Olsson — Kerstin is one of the original team of designers for the Bohus and designed my beloved Wild Apples.

Sally and I saw Susanna right away, and she asked if we would like to meet Solveig — of course!  Solveig said she reads our blog all the time!  I was floating on Cloud Nine after that comment! 

There were two main viewing rooms with Bohuses on display.  It was breathtaking to see a roomful of Bohuses!  Kerstin provided an informal history lesson on the different designs.

Later in the evening, Solveig did a lecture describing her personal journey into Bohus and the creative process of recreating the designs.  She has completed 32 designs and said there are over 1,000 left to do! 

She was so warm and funny.  Someone asked this lengthy question about the link to the past and did she feel a spiritual connection to the knitters who have gone before…etc., etc.  Her one-word response: No.

And then they unveiled her most recent designs: Blue Light, Turquoise Light (which she pronounced “turquose” — again, very cute!), Red Light, Gothic Windows and the simple but elegant Rime Frost.  Rime Frost is famous for the fact that Grace Kelly wore it on many occasions, so it is often referred to as the Grace Kelly Bohus.  How to choose?  One cannot!

I did buy the special edition book published for the event:

Available for $14.95

It includes pictures that have never been seen before.  Today we will see the documentary film about Bohus Stickning and knit in the “Castle” with others who understand the significance of this historic exhibit — woo hoo! 

For another perspective, check out Ellen’s blog.  Last night she wore her just-finished Forest Darkness (gorgeous!).

The Bohus exhibit starts this weekend and dignitaries from around the globe are converging on the Twin Cities — one notable name is Wendy of WendyKnits.  I was invited to a soiree last evening to welcome her to town.  It was in the fashionable warehouse district: upscale, trendy, cosmopolitan, sophisticated — of course, I was completely unfamiliar with the area!  Couldn’t find the place to save my life.  I finally got there because of Brad’s brilliant (baby steps) instructions, “Yes, turn right — yes, right there.  I can see you from here.  You’re doing fine.” 

The hostess: warm and inviting
The food: gourmet
The setting: out of a movie — think steel, glass, leather

I felt like a kid whose mommy and daddy let her stay up during a grown-up party!  I’m sure they thought we were all hicks because the knit-bloggers were taking pictures of everything, like tourists! 

I talked to some very wonderful knitters: Wendy, of course, Chris (from Stumbling Over Chaos), and Kmkat (aka Kathy at Kmkat and Her Needles):

Wendy…………………………KmKat……………………Chris…………………..Moi

We also met the hostess’s lovely mum, Donna.  She was elegant and lovely and fun:

Donna with their HUGE Standard Poodle — handsome as a movie star!

It was a great kick off to a sure-to-be fab weekend.  Today I await Surly’s arrival.  She has been quite ill the last couple of days, so she may not be able to make it.  XXXXXXX (crossed fingers!)

PS: Sally made it onto the plane so there is hope!!

Wow — what a celebration for our country and the world…ushering in a new president and a new era.  It will be interesting to see what unfolds.

Last evening was our monthly Guild meeting.  It is always fun to meet up with dedicated knitters.  Our program was “movie night” and this is the movie we watched:

Forty minutes of heaven, except that it was 60 people watching a crummy TV with very iffy sound.  Oh well!  Loved every minute!  One of our newest members was introduced and said, “I found out about the guild through The Rainey Sisters.”  Yes — we got a shout out!!  Woo Hoo!  Thanks, Rose, for the “free advertising”!  It helps us keep our costs down!   And a special “hi” to Patsy! 

Sally arrives on Friday so we can participate in the wildly anticipated Bohus festivities.  To be honest, I don’t think the American Swedish Institute will know what hit them!  Saturday there will be open knitting time throughout the mansion.  We will rock the place!!!