theraineysisters knitting and so much more

October 3, 2007

From Susan — I’m Such a Risk Taker!

Filed under: Whisper — lv2knit @ 11:28 pm

I’m not really, but after trying to make “Whisper” with the yarn called for (Rowan Calmer), I went out on a limb and decided to try something very different.

Here’s Whisper:

whisperpattern.jpg picture by lv2knit

I am starting this as my take along project in the new (trumpets, please!) worsted weight KidSilk Haze — called Aura.  I am using the Ivory, but it is actually more like an ecru.  I know it’s fuzzy and Calmer is anything but, however, I think hope it will work.  We shall see. I have been wrong so many times before! 🙁

Let’s go back to the thrilling announcement: Kidsilk Haze in worsted weight??!!??  I was beside myself when I heard about this development.  It is soft, and obviously heavier than KSH, the original.  It is a mohair yarn so there is a lot of fluff involved in getting to a worsted gauge. I am knitting it down a bit on US Size 6’s and getting 5 sts/inch.  The band says you can knit it up to a US 10 for 4 sts/inch. 

I hope this lil project works out (Susan says, crossing all her fingers and toes).  I’ll post some pics once I am truly underway.

PS in answer to WendyM: The Calmer just did not look nice when knitted up in stockinette for ME (it could just be me and my knitting).  The yarn itself is actually very stretchy so maybe that caused some sts to be smaller if the yarn was stretched out more in one spot.  I don’t know.  Yarn is rarely stretchy — knitted fabric, yes, yarn no.  Maybe I could not knit with stretchy yarn (?).  It is soft and very beautiful.

PS2: The Yarnery now is selling some of their patterns on line.  This includes the cute Easter eggs designed by Marie Mayhew and of course several gems by Theresa Gaffey (including the Modular Tote).  These treasures are a click away — and check out the giant felted candy corn for Hallowe’en!! 

woollycandycorn.jpg picture by lv2knit

OMG, they’re too cute!

October 2, 2007

From Sally — Tangled Yoke Redux

Filed under: Knitting Tips,Tangled Yoke — surly @ 9:20 am

As I merrily plow ahead with my Tangled Yoke, I thought I’d share one of the changes I made. The instructions, which are for a cardigan (I’m knitting this as a pullover), call for you to knit the entire piece (back and fronts) back and forth with a purl stitch running from the hem to the under arm to give the look of a seam. I did that, but wasn’t sure I liked how it looked. So, in order to see if I would like it better without the faux seam, I undid it on one side. Here’s what I mean.

First, here is a shot of the side “seam.”

To remove it, I first dropped the purl stitch all the way down to the garter rib. (I wasn’t going to undo the seam stitch there because it provides a focal point for the decreases.)

Then, using a crochet hook, I laddered the stitch back up — turning it from a purl stitch to a knit stitch.

Without the seam stitch, the side looks like this:

I liked how that looked better, so before I joined the sleeves and body for the yoke, I undid the seam stitch on the other side as well. Important note: I conducted this experiment before I finished the garter rib on my first sleeve, so I could decide whether or not to add the seam stitch to the sleeve under arm. I wanted the sleeves and body to match, obviously.

A few people have asked me about the yarn I’m using. It’s Rowan’s Felted Tweed Shade Number 152, which they call Watery. It’s a very nice yarn to knit with. I would definitely use it again.

September 30, 2007

From Susan — Bottom Knitter

Filed under: Back Story,Modular Purse,Susan's Kauni Cardigan — lv2knit @ 5:55 pm

I am knitting the bottom of the barrel modular purse.  My knitting is as exciting as licking stamps.

ModularPurseBottom.jpg picture by lv2knit

I am plodding along on this project to have something to do.  It is not the most exciting fish project in the sea.

I did finish the 7th Harry Potter book.  I am in shock and awe.  It was amazing.  You are driven to get to the end, but you do not want it to end.  There is a sadness about its finality.  I must say though, placing my beautiful Hemlock across my knees while snuggled up with Harry P. made me very happy!!

I did a lot of swatching over the past few days and nothing has clicked, so I will be returning some yarn this week.  I would rather waste one skein and move on than sit on yarn I do not think I will use.

Kauni Update: I need to finish Sleeve #1.  When you knit a Kauni sleeve, you need to err on the side of too long rather than too short.  You can always rip back, but it would be nearly impossible to add length if you have already moved on to the second sleeve.  The colors need to stay in sync.  I am knitting my sleeves from the cuff up, so I will need to make sure the sleeve is overly generous before breaking off for Sleeve #2.  I also may change the way I am doing the shoulders.  I am considering a 3-needle bind off with a visible outside ridge.  Don’t know yet, still pondering! 😉

It is a rainey Sunday afternoon, so you know where I am headed.

PS — Daughter #1 got a job in a darling coffee shop!!  Woo Hoo!  Whip me up a latte, Baby!

September 28, 2007

From Susan — Mint Julep?

Filed under: Back Story — lv2knit @ 7:10 am

My oldest daughter is a senior, need I say more?

TeePee009.jpg picture by lv2knit

I feel like I am living in the Old South under the hanging boughs of a giant Weeping Willow, waiting for Rhett and the boys to bring me supper.

Or maybe Mardi Gras?

TeePee016.jpg picture by lv2knit

We are just nerdy enough to be happy she got tee-peed on Senior Tee Pee night!  And the cops were out searching every car for suspicious quantities of Charmin! 🙂

I stayed up until 2am reading the last of Harry Potter #6…I am shocked, saddened and afraid to read #7.  I do not expect to get much knitting done this weekend!

GreysAnatomy.jpg picture by lv2knit
And of course, GA started up again last evening.  I thought it maintained the continuity of the previous seasons.  I’ll keep watching.

September 26, 2007

From Sally — Would Tangled Yoke Look Good With Just One Sleeve?

Filed under: Tangled Yoke — surly @ 11:50 am

No, I don’t think so either although I am sure I could do a dramatic shoulder baring pullover with strategic short rows. Anyway, it’s hard to post interesting updates that revolve around sleeves, so let’s just cut the pretending. I’ve finished one and am about a third through the second. I’ve pretty much figured out what I am going to do with the yoke as I convert it to a pullover, so I’m eager to get to that point. Here’s where I am.

My next project is already on the needles. I won’t say anything about it right now but if someone named Maria is reading, you can pretty much guess what I’m up to. (Besides no good.)

Several readers were wondering what I was flaunting wearing in my Yarn Harlot photo. It’s the Cap Shawl from Victorian Lace Today, which I knit out of KidSilk Haze. The color is called Blush.

For those who might have missed it the first time around, here’s a slightly better look at it:

To see more photographs and read more details about the knitting of it, click here.

September 22, 2007

From Susan — Another One Bites the Dust

Filed under: Back Story,Hemlock Ring — lv2knit @ 1:46 am

Are you tired of seeing my weekly Hemlock updates?  Well, this should be the last one.  I am done with Hemlocks for a while, though my love affair with them has not ended.  I do anticipate knitting one or more of these in the future.  I just love making them — and because you can finish one in a week for around $30, it’s a great gift idea.

So, here is the last of the Hemlock Hat Trick — this “blob” picture really looks like a blob 🙁 — it looks like Sally took the picture (Susan says with a wink ;), thinking back on Sally’s Yarn Harlot photos).  And before you yell at me, Surly, I do think most of your photography is fabulous!!

SusansHemlock001.jpg picture by lv2knit

And the blocking shots:

SusansHemlock006.jpg picture by lv2knit

SusansHemlock008.jpg picture by lv2knit

SusansHemlock009.jpg picture by lv2knit

I am now in between.  I certainly can go back to the Kauni Cardigan — one sleeve and the front bands to go.  Not a lot left to do.  I also was working on the felted Modular Purse.  The class was supposed to start tomorrow, but got cancelled — try making a living from that, mes amies!  It took the wind out of those sails.  I could start Plisse, but just looking at the directions made my head hurt.  Lots of odd shaping and tiny print to decipher. 

OR I could start the Large Lace Collar.  After seeing Michelle’s (sorry, Michele with One L!!) Michele’s masterpiece, it is very tempting:

LargeLaceCollarBohus.jpg picture by lv2knit

It is beautiful to see but even more wonderful to touch — like rubbing the soft underbelly of a baby kitten (I got to hold it at the knitter’s guild meeting).

We’ll see.  The nip of fall in the air certainly encourages winter-type knitting — real wool and rich colors.

September 21, 2007

From Sally — The Yarn Harlot

Filed under: Tangled Yoke — surly @ 10:17 am

Last night was Back-to-School night at my son’s high school. Yesterday morning, one of our regular readers — Wendy O — mentioned to me that Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (The Yarn Harlot) was coming to town. Say what? How did I not know that? I implored my husband to attend Back-to-School night in my stead (after just returning from a month in Italy bicycling he had no good excuse to say no), and then off I went. (Sadly, Wendy could not go. Thursday was apparently THE night to traipse back to school in the Washington, DC area.)

It was a really fun evening. Stephanie was both funny and thought provoking and it was great to spend time with so many knitters. Now that I no longer work in a yarn store, I don’t see all that many knitters in person; it was a nice little treat. I saw former favorite customers , old friends, met some new people, and briefly felt like a rock star when regular reader Lee from Baltimore found out who I was and got very excited. (Waves to all who were there.)

Stephanie kindly recognized the name of our blog and remembered meeting Susan (or at least meeting her Bohus) last April. Here are a few bad photos.

Stephanie photographing the crowd:

Signing books:

Posing with me:

As an extra bonus, I actually made progress on my Tangled Yoke sleeve — all in all a wonderful evening.

PS from Susan: I just found out that the “Learn to Knit Kit” gift basket fetched $160 for the United Way — woo hoo!  🙂

September 19, 2007

From Sally — Tangled Yoke Update

Filed under: Tangled Yoke — surly @ 12:07 pm

My assistant is gone, but the knitting continues. I have finished the body of the Tangled Yoke to the point where the sleeves are added, and I’ve (just barely) started on the first sleeve. As I said, I am knitting this as a pullover, so the body — as you can see — is in the round. There’s not a lot to say; the fun stuff starts later. Here is a progress photo.

I am not deliberately ignoring some of the questions readers have asked about the Silver Belle. I am, however, ignoring my Silver Belle for the time being. When I get back to it, then I’ll try to answer the questions you had.

September 17, 2007

From Susan — Le Bag

Filed under: Back Story — lv2knit @ 6:22 pm

Here it is — I got a picture of the silent auction bag pre-sale:

Marketsquares004.jpg picture by lv2knit

I think it turned out cute — they used matching ribbon and allowed some of the contents to show.  There is something in the bottom which makes it very round and flat.

Here is a picture of the bottom, which creates a nice starburst pattern:

Marketsquares003.jpg picture by lv2knit

Like I said, it’s not my favorite, but I hope it finds a good home! 🙂

September 16, 2007

From Sally — My Assistant Is Back!

Filed under: Tangled Yoke — surly @ 11:59 am

Yes, my little assistant came back for the weekend. As usual, he is a big help.

He’s been helping me with my Tangled Yoke non-cardigan. I’m now past the garter rib section of the body and have just started the increases in the stockinette portion. (The pattern is slightly fitted; I decreased stitches and am now adding them back in.) Here is a not great photograph of my progress (the color looks very washed out here; sorry):

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