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May 22, 2007

From Sally — Cap Shawl Update

Filed under: Cap Shawl — surly @ 5:39 pm

Is it permissible to post without photographs? *looks around nervously for the blog police* Alrighty then.

I’m finished with the knitting of the Cap Shawl and have been for a couple of days. I’ve been too busy (with jury duty and whatnot) to get a good start on the border, but it was causing me some issues anyway. I’ve started it and ripped it back several times. I now think I know how I will knit it, and once I get going it will be fine.

These were some of the issues:

1. I don’t think the border chart, which is a very simple one, matches what was actually knit on the shawl. The chart is written as if it were knit in garter stitch, but the photographs of the border look like stockinette. (Similarly, the last few rows of the shawl chart show some purl rows which I think were intended to be garter stitch; however, the knitted piece is done in all stockinette as far as I can tell.) The author uses the identical border for the Maltese Shawl/Scarf pattern later in the book. In the photographs of the Maltese, the border is knit in garter stitch as shown in the chart. The difference is noticeable. This was a bit of an issue for me because her method for joining the border as you knit along assumed you would be knitting the wrong side rows. I want to do mine in stockinette and so I will be purling. So I had to make a few adjustments there.

2. Every other time I’ve done a knitted on border, I’ve had the shawl stitches on my left needle and knit the border on as if I were moving counter-clockwise around the shawl. This border is charted so that the shawl stitches are on the right needle, and you add them clockwise. I thought about flipping the chart so I could do it in my usual manner but then decided against it.

3. There are three plain rows in the center of the chart (two purl rows and a plain row with no yarnovers in between them). When I started the border, I decided that it looked funny to have those rows there — something looked a bit off-center. At Sue’s suggestion, I eliminated that bit of plain knitting. I think it looks better. Of course, that changes the number of rows in the chart, which means I have to fiddle a bit as I go so that I have the correct number of rows so that I the number of full repeats matches up with the number of live stitches on the shawl.

It takes two rows to eat up one live stitch on the shawl. I have 738 stitches and my new chart has 28 rows. That means that I get rid of 14 stitches per full repeat. I need 742 stitches for the repeats to work out. In other words, I will be four stitches short, but I can easily add those by creating an extra stitch four times.

So, that is where I am and what I’ve been doing. I have a little bit of the border finished, but I need to rip it because I changed one last little thing in my plan.

I’ll post photographs as soon as I have enough to make it worthwhile.

From Susan — just a little comment: I just bought a “new” car (2004 Chrysler Pacifica, cuz I knew you’d ask!) and today I finally got to put my vanity plates back on — LV2KNIT rides again!!  It really did not feel like my car until I put those plates on it.  Honk if you see me!! 😉

May 21, 2007

From Susan — Churchill Downs

Filed under: Uncategorized — surly @ 7:32 am

Dear, dear, Lisa — it snowed in parts of Minnesota yesterday!  Forty degrees ain’t nuthin’!!

You know how horses like to turn it on at the end of the race?  Well, that’s how I feel about the Mitered Tote (and other projects right at the end).  You just want to knit like Seabiscuit to get to the finish line! Whinnnneeeee!!

Here are the two side panels for MT:

MiteredTite001.jpg

You can tell that this is lots and lots of garter stitch!  I am going to rework the pattern and make a smaller version in spring/summer colors.  I did not want to buy the yarn until I see how this Nature Spun felts.  I think it gets that boucle finish, which I want for this bag.

Here is the mitered bottom.  The two halves of the bottom are joined along the center.  I used a provisional cast on:

MiteredTite003.jpg

Here you can see the other side of the bottom where I already picked up the live provisional sts and started knitting.  This piece will change color and start to taper soon, forming a triangular shaped gusset at the top.

MiteredTite002.jpg

At the end, you pick up zillions of sts along the edges and join with a 3-needle bind off. 

And, they’re off!!!

PS — Response to Comments: I will definitely show the construction phase.  I had a terrible time figuring out how the bottom would even knit up.  It was such an odd shape and did not make sense to me at all.  I’ll share pics and diagrams. 🙂

 

May 20, 2007

From Susan — Arctic Blast

Filed under: Uncategorized — surly @ 6:13 pm

I think Katomliz must be a better Mom than I — she spoke so lovingly about going to her kids’ soccer games.  I can’t say that with the same degree of enthusiasm — at all.  Yesterday and today, I froze my a** off and could not knit a stitch because it was so cold!  There is something about this particular tournament.  Every year I freeze.  Yesterday it was 40 degrees with a terrible wind in the morning and 90 without a breath of air in the afternoon.  Today was back into the deep freeze!

Here’s the final score:

knitting = 0
Housework = 0
Laundry = 0
Cooking = 0
Soccer = 12

You can see that the score is not in favor of anything getting done around here ;).

May 19, 2007

From Susan — Soccer and Knitting: Pas de Deux

Filed under: Lace Style Cardigan,Peacock Shawl -- Susan's — lv2knit @ 10:47 pm

Youngest daughter is in a soccer tournament this weekend, which means endless hours of sitting, waiting, cheering, and Knitting!!  I always take along mindless knitting projects for these occasions — who can just sit??!!??

Anyway, Mitered Tote is the perfect soccer project, so it is going strong.  And I took along lil Lace Style Cardi today, as well:

LaceStyle002.jpg

I am liking this very much so far.  I love the yarn and love the color.  There is a small mistake in the pattern.  It says to do a long-tail cast on and then knit 4 rows.  If you do it that way, you will have 3 garter st ridges (you get one ridge from the cast on itself).  Three ridges at this gauge is a whopping 1 inch!  Too much.  In the pictures of the finished cardigan, there are clearly only 2 ridges = 2 rows of knitting before starting the pattern rows.  I opted out of both of these options and did a cable cast on and one knit row.  I prefer the tight bead of reverse stockinette at the bottom edge.

I also went back to “My Precious” for a bit this evening and made a little progress:

Peacock5-19-07002.jpg

According to my “How Much Shawl Have I Knitted So Far” calculations, I am at a whopping 11%!!!!!  Not bad, and I don’t see any glaring mistakes — whew!  I was asked how often I’ll run a lifeline: I’m going to put one in at the end of every completed chart.

More knitting soccer tomorrow morning and if they win, another game in the afternoon…maybe Mitered will get felted this week!

PS to Marina: to add a lifeline, take a tapestry needle and thread it with a small, smooth yarn, thread, or cord.  I used leftover perle coton.  Thread it through all the sts on your needle, making sure not to go through the stitch markers.  For the Peacock Shawl, I am placing my lifeline through a RS pattern row, not the WS purl row.  It is easier to purl the sts with the lifeline through them than to work them as pattern sts.  I push all the sts back from the needle tips so they are on the center cord of the circular needle.  It only takes a few minutes.  See also: April 11 — Sally describes a lifeline and shows pictures :).

 

May 18, 2007

From Susan — Thursday Report

Filed under: Back Story — lv2knit @ 12:33 am

Tonight was knit night, and it was quite fun.  I just love getting together with my peeps — what can I say? 

I did get dissed a bit, though — people accused me of abandoning “My Precious” (aka the Peacock Shawl).  Au contraire, mes amies.  The Peacock Shawl is meant to be savoured, like a fine wine.  And don’t forget that I ripped back to 2% and re-knitted to 8% in pretty good time!  The only problem with Peacock is that it takes enormous concentration for me and therefore all planets must align for me to do my “best work.” 

I have been getting a running start on my work sweater, and continue to move right along on the Mitered Tote.  I’ll post some pics soon.

GreysAnatomy.jpg

Okay, tonight was the season finale and it was great!!  Wow!  They left just enough hanging, started some new things, and sent in a few unexpected zingers.  I will definitely watch it again tomorrow night to make sure I did not miss a word.  You are correct – I have no life ;).  I think that became crystal clear when I wrote my 8 random facts!

May 17, 2007

From Susan and Sally — We’ve Been Tagged

Filed under: Uncategorized — surly @ 10:14 am

We were “tagged” by Dianna.  Here are the rules and our random facts!

Rules:

1. Each player starts with 8 random facts about themselves.

2. People who are tagged write a blog post about their 8 random things and post the rules.

3. At the end of your post you need to tag 8 people and post their names.

4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

 

Eight Random Things about Me (Susan):

1. When I was 12, I won The Froggy-Doo Drawing Contest.  Froggy-Doo was a kids’ show on a local channel.   The prize was a package of Doozies (?!) and when I stood next to the adult male host, I was as tall as he.

2. Our family lived in Puerto Rico for three years (I was ages 5-8).  Our dad was in the Air Force and stationed at Ramey AFB.

3. I almost went over a water fall that had caused the death of every other person who had gone over it.

4. Sally and I attended the taping of one of the last Seinfeld episodes.

5. My mom wanted to name me “Sunny Ann.”  Sunny Ann Rainey.  Really.

6. I could live without ever eating ice cream again, but not without cookies.

7. I have a thing for Colin Firth, the actor.  When I turned 50 my friends put 50 pictures of Colin in my front yard — oooh, Baby!! 

 Mr.jpg
Colin as Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice (oh my, the poor man looks wet — I’ll help dry you off…)

8. I believe in lust love at first sight.

Eight Random Things about Me (Sally):

1. My favorite word in French is coquelicot.

2. Donald Sutherland once gave me a copy of Auden’s complete works, marking some of his favorites poems for me.

3. When I was learning to drive, I accidentally drove through a set of electric garage doors. Oops.

4. On my tenth birthday, I had chicken pox and my cat died.

5. I have a tattoo.

6. One of my jobs in college was answering a bat hotline. “Miss Rainey, Entomology, Fisheries, and Wildlife. May I help you?”

7. I’m addicted to salt.

8. I am the one who got Susan hooked on Colin Firth until I found my new Mr. Darcy. (That’s Clay Aiken in case you don’t recognize him.)

(To hear him sing, click the player below.)

[audio:Lover All Alone.mp3]

It is almost impossible to choose whom to tag next, especially because we can only tag those with blogs and those who have not yet been tagged. So here we go: Jennifer, Auntie Ann, Michelle, Gale, Karen, Shelly, Amy, and kmkat.  Have fun!

May 16, 2007

From Susan — I Couldn’t Hep Myself!!

Filed under: Updates — lv2knit @ 10:08 pm

I’m sorry but I have failed at being faithful ;).  I have been thinking about making the cardigan on the cover of Lace Style since it came out:

LaceStyle.jpg

This looked like the perfect summer cardi to wear in the meat locker they call my workplace!  Do they really need to keep it at 50 degrees??

The cardi takes chunky weight yarn: 90 yds to 50 gm.  I’ve been searching and searching for yarn.  I finally found my dream yarn today: Sublime Aran in “Clipper’ which is denim blue.  It is 75% merino, 20% silk, and 5% cashmere.  Oh my! It could NOT be softer, and I thought the denim would look cute with everything. 

LaceStyle-1.jpg

I am just getting started and could not get a good picture, but you get the idea.  The fabric is not as “white” in places as it looks here, but it does get that washed denim look from light reflection.  I love it so far.  My justification is two-fold: I need a summer sweater, it is mindless knitting, and my Mitered Tote is nearing completion :).  

I came home and said to Hubby, “Hey, I bought more yarn” and he said, “Keep on buying yarn until we run out of money.”  Okay, dear, anything you say!

 

May 14, 2007

From Susan — Mini Me

Filed under: Back Story — lv2knit @ 11:39 pm

Shepherd’s Harvest: the lil sheep and wool festival that yearns to run with the big dogs!!  But isn’t quite there yet 😉

I spent my Mother’s Day celebrating with my homies: knitters and like-minded individuals (crocheters, spinners, etc.) in Lake Elmo.  Part of the time was spent staffing the Minnesota Knitters Guild table.  As the new VP of the MKG I felt I should become more active and visible in MKG events.  I had a great time talking to the enthusiastic visitors to our booth.  There is so much great knitting mojo out there and lots of it landed at our table!

After my stint was over, I checked out the festival happenings – first stop:

ShepherdsHarvest001.jpg

FOOD!  What else were you expecting?  Then into each of the three exhibit buildings to check out the wares:

ShepherdsHarvest005.jpg

ShepherdsHarvest013.jpg

And some fabulous knitting;

ShepherdsHarvest011.jpg

I am not a spinner and have ABSOLUTELY NO INTENTION OF STARTING!  I really can’t get sucked into another black vortex of doom.  BUT, that said, I really like the looks of spinning and all of its accoutrements:

The beautiful spindles, like radiant flowers:

ShepherdsHarvest008.jpg

The timeless and poetic  lure of the wheel:

ShepherdsHarvest010.jpg

And if I could look as cute doing something as this woman, I might consider it:

ShepherdsHarvest014.jpg

But to be fair, the real reason sheep and wool festivals exist is to give sheep and other fiber providers their due.  Without them we would be nowhere.  So here are some pictures of the faces that make it all possible.

These lil cuties are a cross between merino and shetland sheep:

ShepherdsHarvest031.jpg

The woman who raises these sheep is selling assorted rovings for $4/pound.  I don’t know if that is a good price or not but she can be contacted at Lamb’s Fiber Farm (email philbettylamb@aol.com).  I really think her last name is Lamb!!??!!

And look at these regal beauties:

ShepherdsHarvest018.jpg

It was a fun day.  I did do a small amount of shopping.  I spotted an item I have wanted for a long time (and I had to buy one for Surly, too, of course!):

ShepherdsHarvest034.jpg

It is a tool that measures how much yarn you have.  Note that it is actually designed to measure fishing line — and is probably available in any tackle shop.  I used it to measure the above ball of handpainted 100% silk yarn that I have had for ages and could not use because I didn’t know how much I had.  I can’t vouch for its accuracy, but if it’s in the ballpark at least you have an estimate to go by.

I also bought one skein of yarn just cuz it was so purdy:

ShepherdsHarvestYarnBuy.jpg

The color is a-maize-ing (o-o-o-o-h — that’s cheesy even for me!) and I loved the lil curlicues.   I think a scarf is all I can do with one skein, but I had to have it.

That is the end of my photo essay.  I am planning on going to next year’s Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival with Sally — that should be a blast!

 

May 13, 2007

From Susan — Back at 8

Filed under: Back Story,Knitting Tips — lv2knit @ 11:02 am

Back at 8% that is!!  I finally got back to where I was on the Peacock Shawl.  Last night, or should I say this morning, I was at the every end of the row I had been on when I ripped back and found a funny looking stitch.  It was the middle st of the 3 garter sts at the end of the row.  I attempted to fix it, and the whole garter edge started to disembowel for several rows!  Eeeeeeeeeek!  You know how hard it is to fix the end of a row when it has unravelled!  There I am at 1:30 a.m. trying to salvage the shawl so I would not have to rip back — again — to my lifeline!  I managed to do it but I’m kind of afraid to peek at it today ;).

Here’s something interesting.  Have any of you done this before or seen it done?  I think it could be a great idea. 

SpiralBound.jpg

I found it on Nicole’s blog, All Buttoned Up.  It sounds like a number of people have done this with books they really “use,” like Sensational Socks, etc.  I think it has potential.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Knitting Mothers out there!!

Maybe your kidlets have actually said this!

If Mother Would Only Stop...

May 12, 2007

From Susan — Knitting Along

Filed under: Updates — lv2knit @ 1:19 am

I’ve been happily mitering along.  This is the perfect take-along project.  It is semi-mindless (except where I have to do my decreases, since sometimes I motor right past them!). 

One of the big squares is done — it’s a lot of knitting, mes amies!  It’s about 20×20 inches!

MiteredTote004.jpg

I also started the bottom sections.  I could NOT wrap my brain around how the bottom was going to work, so I had to do it to see it.  It makes total sense once you get going.  I think it would have been helpful to have a diagram with the pattern for us “visual” learners!

MiteredTote002.jpg

It did not call for a provisional cast on, but I thought it would be nicer and I think it is.

RE: Sally’s brief visit in June.  She will be here on June 14 and we are going to Panera’s in Plymouth for my weekly Knit Night.  Come one, come all!!

I am still 10 rows away from where I was on the Peacock Shawl before I ripped, but I am enjoying it immensely. 

And, please, will someone chip in to buy poor Lucy some underwear?  It is a bit unseemly ;).  They just moved our blog into the porn listings!  And should I be concerned that my husband volunteered to shop for her knickers?

GreysAnatomy.jpg 
On another note — thank goodness GA is back on track!  Last week’s show was an embarrassing disaster.  Shondra, what were you thinking?  The lame California story line was only eclipsed by the stupidity and lack of reality of its characters.  This week was pure gold.

 

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