theraineysisters knitting and so much more

March 30, 2007

From Sally — Lucy!

Filed under: Back Story,Peacock Shawl -- Sally's — surly @ 8:26 pm

My lovely mannequin has arrived and I’ve christened her Lucy, which is a nickname several of my friends have given me. I have NO idea why. Really. I don’t. (I think they might have some ‘splainin’ to do.)

Lucy is a bit bigger and bustier than I am, but I have broader shoulders. So we’ll have to see how she looks in my sweaters. For her unveiling, I decided to put her in a shawl I made last year. It’s the Autumn Lace Shawl, pattern and yarn from Kiparoo Farms. It’s a heavier, less delicate shawl than most of the ones I’ve made. That’s one reason I like it. The yarn is a deep, beautiful red although the strong late afternoon light in these photos washes it out a bit.

Taking pictures with Lucy was great! She didn’t complain that it was windy, she didn’t mind being fussed with, and she even let me stick some pins in her.

Thank you again, Kim!!!

Also in the oversize novelty box were these slippers, knit for me as a surprise by my big sister:

I’m wearing them right now, although I suppose I should decorate them. Thank you, Susan!

As for the Peacock Shawl, I’m almost finished with Chart 7, which is the last chart before the edging. I should finish it this week. I think Lucy will look lovely in it.

PS from Susan — I guess mine will have to be Ethel!!

March 29, 2007

From Susan — Knit Night

Filed under: Back Story — lv2knit @ 8:54 pm

We had a great time tonight.  Almost everyone was there.  I got to share my new books with the team and felt even better about them after my peeps read through them and found even more to ohh and ahhh over!  

I am stuck on Eris [sleeve] Island because I have not had time to knit of late.  Last night was spent with friends I have had for over thirty years.  We would get together regularly, but found that the time in between was getting to be 1-2 years (!).  TOO long!  So now we are making an effort to get together every 1-2 months.   It has really worked and is wonderful.  These are people who knew me when: before menopause and chicken necks, before marriage and kids, before we knew what our futures would hold. 

Now I must knit and go watch a rerun of Grey’s — though I hear it is a good one (per Kim!).  😉

March 28, 2007

From Susan — Zip It, Zip It Good

Filed under: Back Story — lv2knit @ 8:00 am

I taught the “Inserting a Zipper” class last evening for the third time in a week!  So, “zipperphobia” is NOT a universal ailment, my friends!!  Last night at the Yarnery we had three lively participants: Ruthie, Debbie and Connie.   Sorry I did not list all the participants from all the sessions 🙁 .  I found (thank goodness) that most of the people who took the class were sewers as well as knitters, so they all did a great job.  Thanks to all for making the class so fun.

Bad news, though.  I LOST money last night because I spent more than I earned on books: 🙁 and  :)  !!

First up:

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Now why would a person who makes one pair of socks per lifetime need another sock book?  Life is full of unanswered questions.

Second up to bat:

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I just really liked this book and, Sally, it has the lace-edged wimple I was telling you about!  Woo Hoo!  I did not know that until I got the book home! I like the sweater on the cover, too, and even if these designs were already in Interweave Knits, it’s still nice to have a nice book.

Third up:

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I must confess that I do not read the Yarn Harlot with any regularity.  I do not own any of her previous books.  I did do the Knitting Olympics last year, which was loads of fun, but I am not what you would call a YH groupie.  However, YH will be in St. Paul next week and I am going to hear her speak so I thought I would buy the book and perhaps have her sign it.  The book is an odd assortment of musings (inside jokes so to speak) about knitting. 

PS — they did not have the silk yarn I was looking for so “new project” is not to be — yet.

March 26, 2007

From Susan — Answers…

Filed under: Oregon Cardigan — lv2knit @ 9:18 pm

…to your questions. 

I did indeed change the look of Oregon from V-neck caridgan to a zippered jacket style.  Part of the decision was because of the weight and feel of the knitted fabric.  It just said “jacket” to me.  Can’t be helped; the sweater has spoken.  Also, when it said ‘jacket’ it also whispered “zipper” under its breath.  It did not take much calculating to make the changes, but it sure took a lot of knitting.  The neckband alone was 27 rows.

AuntieAnn asked about how I do the corrugated rib.  I do it the same as anyone else: k2 (color A), p2 (color B).  It is very slow and tedious, like regular ribbing, but you are also switching colors (every 2 sts) and changing colors (every few rows).  I did spend a lot of time trying to decide on the colors for the neck ribbing because there wasn’t anything that long in the pattern and I wanted it to match the front bands.  I ended up just mirroring the bottom ribbing and not matching the front bands at the point where they attach to the sweater.

The reason the fronts and neck are still on holders is because I am doing an i-cord bind off (2 or 3 st — haven’t decided yet) along the front edges, to frame the zipper and then binding off the neck in-between in one step. 

There you have it!

More answers to more questions:

The collar will stand up — not be folded up or down — so the right side of the ribbing will show (kind of a mock turtleneck).

The pattern came with the yarn from Virtual Yarns.  The original pattern is long out of print and virtually impossible to find.

From Susan — Alive and Kicking

Filed under: Eris Cardigan,Oregon Cardigan — lv2knit @ 3:39 pm

I’ve been flying under the radar the last few days, but getting some progress made on both Oregon and Eris.  Marina kind of inspired me when she asked about the zipper for Oregon, so I knitted up all the bands this weekend.  That means Oregon is almost a fait accomplis! 

Neckband001.jpg

Eris is my take along.  I am over halfway done with Sleeve Number One.  I bought a new pattern off the internet this weekend and if I find the right yarn, I’ll share it. 

March 23, 2007

From Sally — Seventh Heaven

Filed under: Peacock Shawl -- Sally's — surly @ 3:56 pm

This will be a quick update. I’ve just started Chart 7 of the Peacock Shawl, which is the section with the large feathers (before the edging). I’m posting a photograph although there’s not much to see yet — always the case with pre-blocked lace.

The color is deeper and richer than it looks here. I’m knitting it out of JaggerSpun’s Zephyr Wool-Silk (50% Merino Wool 50% Silk) in Mahogany. I’m using my new Addi Lace needles in a U.S. 4 (3.5 mm). I had been working on regular Addis but switched to the new ones when I picked this up to work on it again. They are a vast improvement; I can’t imagine knitting lace with anything else.

This is the first shawl I’ve knit with this yarn. It has a lot of spring to it — I think that this shawl will grow a lot once it’s blocked. So far, I like the yarn a lot; I’d definitely use it again.

March 22, 2007

From Susan — In Response

Filed under: Back Story,Eris Cardigan — lv2knit @ 10:05 am

In response to Betsy who asked about the hem shaping on Eris:

I may not have described what we are doing very clearly, but Sally and I opted to do a hem similar to that of the pullover version, but on BOTH sides. When you look at the pullover on the Girl From Auntie site it looks like both sides are shaped, but really only the right side is.

I have seen examples of the Eris Cardigan knitted up and the fronts seem to split at the tummy and I did not want to emphasize mine! I put the cabled corner shaping at both side “seams.” The pictures in my previous post show both sides of my cardigan. The fronts will be straight across. I will use a 2-way zipper* so I can open it from the bottom a little bit if I want. Because I chose to put the cables on both sides, I did not do the waist shaping. Mine will have a boxier fit. 

*And about that zipper: I am just about ready to place my order — I don’t know the exact length yet.  I get my custom zippers from Zipperstop.  They have a ton of colors and many zipper styles.  They cut to any length for $1 extra.  They do not have a soft green, but the olive I ordered for something else looks like it will work.  I’m using the plastic teeth because they match the zipper tape and will be less visible. 

March 20, 2007

From Susan — Ten Hut, Eris Marches On!

Filed under: Eris Cardigan — lv2knit @ 11:22 pm

Back to knitting, you low lifes!  Bloggiversary — is that even a real word? Too much celebrating and not enough knitting.  What kind of a knitting blog is this, anyway?!!?? 

Okay, Okay!!  I have been knitting, really I have!  I have deemed Eris suitable for survival and completion.  It looks okay, the hem no longer rolls and I think it will fit.  So, I will work on the front I-cord edging and get the sleeves started.  They will go so fast and all the hard finishing stuff is already done.  Except for the zipper, which is putsy, but not horrible.

ErisSideview.jpg

Here’s a close up of the overlapping cabled corners — after blocking, I think that’s as good as they are going to look. 

ErisCabledCorners.jpg

I have also been playing around again with the Woman’s Continental — remember GiGi and her fabulous hairstyle?

WomensContinentalDesign.jpg

I had already started the sleeves (one up to the raglan shaping and the other half way there).  Then comes the fun part with the front bands and the collar, etc. 

The front band has a form of brioche stitch, which I attempted to swatch — I had to “SOS” Surly to help me figure it out.  I could not get it to work, no matter what I tried.  The irony is, when Idonis was knitting this, I figured it out for her (?!!??)!  How many brain cells have died since then?  Can dementia be far behind?  Surly said, “It’s easy.  It works for me.  Here’s what I did.”  And, voila, it worked.  It is easy and looks cute.  What are sisters for?

We’re glad you enjoyed the contest — thanks again to all for the well wishes and support.  Luv ya.

From Susan & Sally — And the Winners are . . .

Filed under: Back Story — surly @ 2:53 pm

The guys from Price Waterhouse just dropped off the envelopes. We are pleased to announce the winners of our first annual Anniversary Contest.

Prize Number 1

Denise is the lucky recipient of Wendy Keele’s wonderful history of and patterns for Bohus knitting.

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Prize Number 2

Stephanie is the winner of a copy of Susan’s “Lace Tam and Scarf” pattern, along with 2 skeins of Rowan Silk Wool DK — enough to make the tam.

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Grand Prize:

Finally, the Grand Prize goes to Lisa. She has won 12 skeins of Tahki Jolie in color #5016 (mint), enough yarn to knit the Berry Cluster Pullover as featured in Nicky Epstein’s Knitting on the Edge. 

BerryClusterPullover.jpg

(Winners have been notified by email; if you share the first name of one of the winners, but did not receive an email at the address you used to enter, then you did not win. Sorry!)

Congratulations to Denise, Stephanie, and Lisa!

We are grateful that so many of you entered and had such nice things to say about our blog. Some themes emerged: you like our signature photograph, our tips about knitting, our willingness to admit our mistakes, and the sisterly camaraderie that we share (most of the time). We were pleasantly surprised that you also like our photography (which we worry about).

Thank you SO much letting us know that you’re reading. We are already looking forward to next year’s contest.

Susan and Sally, The Rainey Sisters

March 19, 2007

From Susan and Sally — Last Chance to Enter

Filed under: Uncategorized — surly @ 7:03 pm

Last chance for the last dance.  Get your name in tonight or you will lose out on the opportunity of a fortnight!  Just click here to find out all the details.  You have approximately seven hours before the close 😉

P.S. from Sally — It’s now just about 11:00 p.m. on the east coast. Two more hours. We’re counting down. (Actually, I’m going to bed but I’m sure someone is counting down somewhere.)

PSS from Susan — it is officially closed!  We will announce the winners sometime tomorrow [today].  Thanks to all who took the time to enter.  🙂

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