No, I don’t live over at youtube. I really don’t. I have friends who send me links that they think I’ll find of interest. This one involving “animated” pieces of knitting is simply amazing.
February 17, 2008
February 15, 2008
From Sally — Thank You!
I so appreciate all of the birthday wishes. This has been a quiet birthday; my husband is in Minnesota visiting his mother so we celebrated early. I’ve spent the day knitting and reading. I even managed to squeeze in a visit to a yarn shop just because.
I also spent a little time watching this video of a knitting machine made entirely of Legos. It’s fascinating. I can’t quite figure out what it’s doing, but I was heartened to see that this machine knits even more slowly than I do!
From Susan to Sally
To My Best Friend and Blogging Partner!! Woo Hoo! 🙂
Yes, it’s twoo! It is a Surly Birthday today! I will not spill the beans about her age (it would give me away, too ;)), but do the math, people!
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February 14, 2008
February 13, 2008
From Susan and Sally: Long on Cute
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.Â
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.Â
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):
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!
February 10, 2008
From Susan — Is it Hubris?
I know we have been back from our fabulous whirlwind tour of New York for quite a while now, but I just received the last of our purchases yesterday by Pony Express. Sally and I were in our lovely hotel browsing the internet for knitting-related stuff (how unusual!) when I remembered a project that had been percolating in the dark recesses of my mind:
Am Kamin by Shimada Toshiyuki
I have seen this knitted up on several blogs and now on Ravelry, and thought it was stunningly gorgeous. The pattern book is in Japanese and has not been translated:
We bought our copies from a Canadian source: The Needle Arts Book Shop, proprietor Marsha White. Since the book’s arrival yesterday, I have been immersed in it, seeking understanding! I feel like a newbie knitter who looks at ANY pattern for the first time: it looks impossible to decipher:
Is it hubris to think I can accomplish this project? I keep telling myself that it is, after all, just knitting. And I have learned a little Japanese in the process, thanks to Marsha’s treatise on Interpreting Japanese Knitting Patterns. There is only one size given for Am Kamin (which would fit Sally, of course, but not moi :(), so I will need to do major adjustments to the pattern, but I do like having it nonetheless.Â
Am Kamin is worked using worsted weight wool. I have a gorgeous red in Cascade 220 (#9404) and a wonderful teal in Cascade Dolce (#927). I’m not sure I will start this anytime soon — it needs to marinate!
When you start exploring some of these other sources, you really feel like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. I felt the same way when I discovered Herbert Niebling! Aarrrrrrrrgggghhhhh!! There is so much out there and the deeper you go, the more you find!Â
February 8, 2008
From Susan — My Little Sweethearts…
I finished a pair of the Sweetheart Glovelets for me — and the added bonus is that I already have a matching hat! I used leftover yarn from the Lace Tam (Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK), and the lace pattern itself is very similar so they look cute together.Â
They are soaking wet in this picture, so I can’t wear them, but glad to get them done 🙂
February 6, 2008
From Sally — Continue to Be Our Valentine?
We wanted to post the pattern for our Sweetheart Glovelets in time for Valentine’s Day, so we went ahead and put up the pattern before I finished knitting the second glove. Indeed, the first one was still damp from being blocked — that’s why it wasn’t shown being worn. (Besides, I kind of liked seeing it surrounded by all of those goodies.)
So here are two photos of the finished pair being worn. No more candy or cookies, though; they seem to have mysteriously disappeared.
PS from Susan: I found a tiny error in the chart for the left glovelet, Size large/Extra Large: one YO symbol was in the wrong place on the thumb increases. I fixed the chart and replaced the pdf with the revised one. Most knitters would figure it out as they were knitting, so I hope no one had a problem with it.Â
February 5, 2008
From Susan and Sally — Be Our Valentine
We both love small projects and have a special fondness for gloves, glovelets, and mitts. Last year, Sally knit a beautiful pair of red cashmere fingerless gloves for a friend and kept wishing she had knit an identical pair for herself. She had the yarn, but just never found the time. The other day, we were talking on the phone and came up with the idea of a quick, easy Valentine-themed glovelet using Sally’s red cashmere. The result is our Sweetheart Glovelets.
The pattern is free to our readers. Sweetheart Glovelet Pattern
We hope you enjoy it!
P.S. If you have any trouble with the first row of the pattern (the ruffle at the cuff), click here.
February 4, 2008
From Susan — One for You and One for Me
My Roslin is complete and blocking at this very moment. It seems like only yesterday I was sitting in a coffee shop with a hoodless hoodie in my lap, sipping lattes and wishing I was done. Hey, that WAS yesterday! Yeah, I had ripped back the hood a bit, but plundered on. I really wanted this thing to get wrapped up, so every obstacle was met with determination; every painful part of the process breached (i.e., sewing down the hems :)).Â
Here is my baby blocking:
Very hard to get a good shot.
An unblocked “Lettie” shot:
And the namesake:
I quickly started something new because I am an obsessed knitter 😉 — I plan on making a few small things before starting the next “big” thing! It is a scarf which I have named The Merci Scarf because I am making it as a thank you:
The yarn is drop dead soft: it is Cascade Autunno in Desert Shade (Color #34918, 98 yds/50 gms, 100% Fine Merino). I had never heard of it, but it is very soft with gentle variegation and a ragwool effect. I had trouble finding a stitch that would work because of the ragwool coloring — too much going on for many stitch patterns.  I am using a seed rib as follows:
The Merci Scarf (multiple of 4x + 3 sts)
I am using US Size 8 needles and 35 sts
Row 1: *k3, p1* rep betw * * to last 3 sts, k3
Row 2: k1, p1, *k3, p1* rep betw * * to last st, k1
It is mindless and perfect for a scarf because it does not curl and is reversible.Â
When Rossie is dry, I’ll slap her back onto Lettie for better pics.
PS1 — AND one for Regina, another Roslin finisher!
Congratulations, Regina!
PS2: I thought I was done, but seeing Regina’s picture reminded me that I need to add the little sleeve pocket, which I planned on doing after I blocked it 🙂
