Summer Alpaca Knitting

We have had the perfect summer for knitting with alpaca — cool and damp. The alpaca was a lovely gift from Kelsey, who just finished a Fulbright scholarship in Peru and is next going to Ecuador with Kiva. Kelsey is a weaver and, based on her writing, made the most of her time in South America. You can read about her travels here.

She brought me three skeins of yarn from Sol Alpaca, 80% baby alpaca, 20% silk, 100 meters/50 grams. The blue is deeper and richer than in the photo.

I kept the scarf pattern very simple — stockinette and garter ribbing — to highlight the yarn. Knit on US5 needles. The finished size is 7 inches wide by 74 inches long.

Thank you, Kelsey, for the beautiful gift.

A New Shawl

For the past several years, I have attended Myrna Stahman's annual lace knitting retreat. A week of lace knitting — how good is that! I have made some good friends and learned a lot. This shawl, in a way, represents how much I enjoy the retreat and the esteem in which I hold my fellow lace knitters.

Those of you, dear readers, who are familiar with Myrna's book Stahman's Shawls & Scarves  recognize the pattern as Marialis, a.k.a., feather and fan. Marialis is Myrna's sister, and a regular at the retreat.

The yarn was dyed by retreat attendee Patti, who produces and dyes yarn in her studio in The Dalles, Oregon, for the 10th retreat. The colorway represents the landscape of the facility where the retreat is held, with the trees, roses, blue sky, and so forth.

As to the details, I knit the shawl on US4 needles. The lace weight merino yarn weighs in at 340 yards per 1.8 ounces. I used almost four skeins, about 1,200 yards. I made version B, variation 1. The finished back neck length is about 26 inches. And, yes, the feather-and-fan does its cupping thing as the pattern grows. And I don't care.

Another Shawlette

As I have mentioned more than once or twice, I like shawlettes. And I like using sock yarn for them.

The details on this one:

• Pattern: Mini Mochi Shawlette from Crystal Palace.
• Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock lightweight, color Waterlilies, 1 skein/350yards
• Needles: US5

Of course, I made a change. I did not like the knitted-on edging with this yarn so I did a picot bind-off

Autumn Shawlette

I like shawlettes and shoulder shawls. They are easy to wear and don't take forever to knit. And it is nice to have small shawl for cool weather or air-conditioning. This one was interesting to me because it starts at the bottom, casting on what seems like a gazillion stitches, then knitting upwards as the shawl gets smaller. I think I prefer starting from the neck but I do like this scarf.

The details:

• Pattern: Lace Panel Shawl and Scarf (I made the scarf version)
• Yarn: Jamieson's Shetland Sprindrift, color Autumn, 105 meters/skein, approximately 2.5 skeins
• Needles: US2 (2.75mm)
• Finished size: Approximately 11 inches back neck length

As usual, I made some changes, preferring directional decreases, especially the quadruple decreases in the panel. Instead of making them all as a knit 4 together, I made the right-leaning ones as K4tog and the left-leaning ones as SSSSK.

I very much like the I-cord bind-off across the top; to me, it makes a nice finish.

True Blue Damson

I am a big fan of Ysolda Teague's Damson shawl. It is easy and gives a lovely result. I finished this one a few months ago and finally got a photo that I like.

I added small blue and magenta-ish 6.0 beads to the edging. I like beads on the bottom of shawls for sparkle and to add a little weight to the bottom of the shawl. Other details:

• Yarn: Harrisville Shetland Tweed, True Blue, approximately 500 yards
• Needles: US6
• Back neck length: approximately 15 inches

The shawl is is hanging on my 50+-year-old Royal Ann cherry tree; I hope recent wind storms have not destroyed this year's crop.

So Where Have I Been?

Knitting, of course, and drinking wine. But not at the same time. Mostly.

First was the Puyallup Knitting Guild Spring Retreat, where we learned all about mitered squares. Great fun!

Second, a trip to Napa for Stags Leap District Vineyard to Vintner.

As soon as we get some good weather here, I have some FOs to photograph.

Another Old Favorite

Whenever I have a small amount of yarn in search of a project, I often turn to Versatile Scarves by Evelyn Clark. I especially like the Triple Eyelet Scarf.

The details of this one:

• Yarn: Brunswick Impressions hand-dyed wool (discontinued), Maui Ombre, less than 1 skein, maybe 250 yards?
  
• Needles: US9
• Finished size: 14 inches back neck length

I have finished several other items that I will post as soon as I can get decent photos.

Back to Doilywood

I saw this doily while cruising through an old knitting and crochet book that belongs to my mother. I did not think I had seen this before, but it turns out that I already had it.

This doily appears in two places that I know about: Hand Crochet by Royal Society #3, Lace and Doilies and Danish Lace Treasures by Gloria Penning. The latter has errors in rounds 43, 62, 63 and 65, at least compared to the former. I also understand that it appears in Kunststrick/Knitted Lace by Sonja Esbensen and Anna Rasmussen, but I do not have that book.

This doily has a bit of everything: some fagoting, some large holes, a section with patterning on every round and an unusual bind-off. Perhaps not the most attractive doily ever designed but certainly interesting to knit.

I knit it with Flora thread, size 50, on US0 (2.0mm) needles. Finished size is about 10.75 inches diameter.

Old Style

While clearing out a box of old sewing supplies, I found this lovely package of sewing needles.

Based on some superficial Internet research, it appears the packet was produced in Germany before World War I; some suggest it dates from the Spanish-American War (1898). When folded, it is about 4.75 inches wide and 2.5 inches high.

And it appears to have most, if not all, of its needles.

Was this an advertising or promotional item? Sold or given away? If it is from the Spanish-American War era, was it intended to encourage support for the war or to celebrate a victory? Or was the Iowa the focus? How does the German-made Iowa needle book relate to other similar military-themed Army and Navy Needle Books? And why military-themed needle books at all? Sadly, I have more questions than answers.

Nevertheless, it is still a beautiful little piece of sewing history and military history.

Damson

The first time I saw this (thanks, Pat!), I knew I had to knit it. It is Damson by Ysolda Teague.

• Yarn: Pagewood Farm Yukon in Really Red; merino superwash, bamboo, nylon; 450 yards. I did not have enough yarn to finish as written, so I did a crochet bind off instead.
• Needles: US5
• Finished size: 15 inches back neck length

I am working on a second Damson. I expect to have enough yarn to bind off as the pattern specifies, and maybe even add beads.

Two Bow Ties

Finding a pattern for leftover bits of yarn or one special skein is always a challenge. The Garter Loop-Through Scarf by Marci Richardson from the book Designer One-Skein Wonders is a good option. In both cases, I made the scarf longer and narrower.

One was made with about 160 yards of Gedifra Momentum, a worsted weight poly-cotton blend with a bit of sparkle.

The second was made with one skein (120 yards) of Noro Yuzen, a DK weight, wool-silk-mohair blend.

I think this pattern will enter my repertoire of favorites.

More Wine Tasting

I have come to like JoJoLand's Wine Tasting Scarf, even though I changed the direction of most of the decreases to make a stronger line on the lacy bits. The yarn (which really isn't this orange) was hand-dyed by my friend Naomi.

Knit on US4 needles. Finished size 6 inches wide by 46 inches long.

Maybe it is time for some wine tasting.

Hat Trick

I have been knitting hats recently. Must be the cold weather. My friend Jane had knit the Debbie Bliss Cabled Beret, which I liked a lot. The pattern as written is knit flat; I changed it to knit in the round.

I started with some Cascade 220, color 4008. Knowing that I am a relaxed (very relaxed) knitter, I used 2.75mm (US2) needles for the ribbing and 3.75mm (US5) needles for the body, sizes I usually use with worsted-weight yarn. The result is a nice hat, but not a beret.

Could I make it more floppy and beret-like? Yes, with bigger needles. I retained the 2.75mm needles for the ribbing but went to 4.5mm (US7) for the body. The yarn is Plymouth Galway Colornet, color 565. Ta-da! A beret!

The red hat has a finished weight of 84 grams. The green one has a finished weight of 102 grams. That's a difference of 22 percent!

And, yes, I know that a hat trick needs three. So here's the third hat, based on Jared Flood's Turn a Square hat. I like the shaping on this hat. The blue is Brown Sheep Top of the Lamb in Blue Flannel; the stripes are Cascade 220 in color 8404 (brown) and color 8021 (off-white). Needles are US3 for the ribbing and US4 for the body. Yes, relaxed knitter.

More Fluttering

When I saw this yarn, I knew it had to be a Flutter Scarf. The yarn is hand-dyed baby alpaca (435 yards per 1.8-ounce skein) from Spor Farm in The Dalles, Oregon. Patty calls this color Wild Child. Knit on US3 needles.

This is a happy scarf. Wearing this scarf makes me happy.

Ice Queen

Holiday greetings to you, regardless of what holiday(s) you celebrate. Perhaps every day you are able to knit is a day to celebrate.

I have been wanting to knit Ice Queen since it was published. It has two of my favorite features: lace and beads. I had one skein of my minty green mohair-silk left so it became Ice Queen. And it has been cold so a warm scarf-wimple was appealing.

Details:

• Pattern: Ice Queen by Rosemary Hill, published on Knitty; version A (stockinette) with bead placement that is a combination of versions A and B and my own misreading of the pattern, which means lots of beads
  
• Yarn: 1 skein Emmebi Silkid, 70 percent kid mohair, 30 percent silk, 220 meters per 25-gram ball, made in Italy but purchased in Riga, Latvia
• Needles: US8 for the body, US for top bind-off
• Beads: 8/0 silver-lined tourmaline seed beads
  

Doily with Spiral Variegated Version

Fear of variegated thread for doilies? Not me. The right colors and the right pattern can work together successfully. For example:

Details:

• Pattern: Doily with Spiral from Yarn Over
• Thread: Valdani 35 wt., 100 percent cotton, color Vanilla Sky from DS9 Designs
  
• Needles: 1.2mm (0000) for start and first 8 rounds, then 1.5mm (000)
• Finished size: 12.5 inches diameter

I have some more of these lovely threads; just waiting for the right pattern to find me.

Brrrrrr!

The deep freeze of the past 10 days or so is starting to thaw. It was perfect hat-knitting weather.

I was delighted to find Jared Flood's Turn a Square Hat. It is a great way to use leftover bits of yarn; in this case, Cascade 220, color 8408, 100 percent wool, and discontinued Brunswick Tweed, color Birch Bark, 50 percent wool and 50 percent cotton.

Gobsmacked!

When I first started lace knitting, I spent many hours visiting Nurhanne's Web site, Yarn Over. I was especially enchanted by her collection of doily patterns and quickly became hooked. I still visit regularly and still knit doilies from Yarn Over.

In December 2007, Nurhanne offered Pay It Forward on her former blog. She offered a hand-made item to the first three people who signed on and agreed to make the same offer on their blogs. This was too good to pass up.

So, this week I was gobsmacked when I received this beautiful wool shawl, made by Nurhanne, based on a Marianne Kinzel leaflet.

It is so beautiful. That it is also one of my favorite colors is a bonus.

Unfortunately, only one person signed on for my Pay It Forward, and I had no way to contact her. So, Robin, if you are still out there, please make contact so I can Pay It Forward to you.

Wine Tasting

Wine has a big role in our household. We enjoy wine and my husband is a wine economist (I am the principal wine research assistant). So when I saw this pattern, called Wine Tasting — and saw it shortly before his birthday — it seemed like destiny.

• Pattern: Wine Tasting from JoJoLand. I made some changes: I thought that some of the decreases were going the wrong way (wrong way for me, YMMV), so I changed them. Unfortunately, the pattern is not charted, and I did not take the time to chart it. Had I done so, I would have discovered the decrease issue before I started knitting. Oh, well, do-overs are part of the process.
• Yarn: JoJoLand Melody in color MS12, 220 yards per 50-gram ball.
• Needles: US4
• Finished size: 9 inches x 57 inches

Minty Fresh

Kid mohair and silk and beads — yummy.

• Pattern: Scaruffle by Bess Haile, from Clara Parkes's The Knitter's Book of Yarn. I think the numbers in the pattern for the short rows are off, but the pattern is very forgiving.
• Yarn: Silkid by Emmebi, 70 percent baby kid mohair, 30 percent silk, in minty green, made in Italy but purchased in Riga, Latvia. (Mint green is not always my first choice of color but the combination of color and softness-silkiness of the yarn makes it work for me.)
  
• Needles: US4 and US10.5.
• Finished size: Not nearly as long as the pattern but very wearable.
• Beads: Silver-lined 8/0 seed beads in a color called tourmaline. I added five rows of beads in the neckline area. Tedious, but worth it, I think.
  

And, yes, the scarf is photographed on my Japanese lace leaf maple in its full autumn splendor red.

Mighty Fine

I had an opportunity to knit with a buffalo-merino blend from Buffalo Gold (I do not know if it is generally available yet). It is mighty fine yarn, in two senses.

First, it is almost cobweb weight, coming in at 400 yarns per ounce.

Second, it is mighty fine to work with. It is extremely soft and luxurious. You want to fondle it, as well as knit with it.

• Pattern: Glorianna, from Elizabeth I by Jolene Treace.
• Needles: 3mm. I used plastic needles with a little "drag" to them. The fineness and softness of the yarn did not work well with my slickest needles.
• Finished size: 7 inches by 60 inches.
  

Patron of the Arts

The Museum of Glass is one of my favorite places to hang out. The museum Hot Shop, where you can see artists making glass, is one of the few places where I can't knit because watching the artists is so interesting.

I am especially interested in the museum's Kids Design Glass program. The first Kids Design Glass exhibit opened this weekend. Museum supporters were offered a chance to sponsor one of the pieces. This one, by 10-year-old Meredith, is the one I chose.

It is untitled but the artist's notes say that it is a chicken-turtle with big lips. Makes sense to me.

Some of my other favorites are Pepper and Green Guy.

Use the Kids Design Glass link above to see more of the collection and the original drawings. Better yet, visit the exhibit.

Fall Landscape

Evelyn Clark's Landscape Scarf is one of my favorites because of its versatility. My standard Landscape Scarf differs from the pattern because I alternate only garter and stockinette. I make it as big or as small as I want based on the amount of yarn available.

This one is extra-special because I used yarn dyed by my friend Naomi. She says the yarn is Knit Picks Palette, originally in a variety of colors intended for a Fair Isle project. She over-dyed it all to these beautiful fall colors. Naomi has taken to dyeing yarn in a big way, with great success.

I knit the scarf on US6 (4mm) needled. The finished back neck length is 16 inches.

A Week Full of Lace and Learning

The annual Boise lace knitting retreat brings together about 20 lace knitters for a week of teaching, learning, sharing and fun — and a little shopping. This year's retreat was as rewarding as previous retreats. Classes on incorporating lace into sweaters, designing doilies, geometry of shawls and short-row doilies gave participants much to think about.

The show-and-teach sessions each day allowed participants to show off their beautiful knitting, such as:

A Commission

A few weeks ago, my friend Annika asked for a knitted blanket for Fluffy, her hamster. I had never made a hamster blanket before but if Fluffy needs a blanket, then Fluffy needs a blanket. Annika expressed a preference for red.

I knit a plain square; garter borders, stockinette interior. I nixed lace because I was afraid Fluffy would get her feet caught in the lace. And, I thought it should be machine washable and dryable. Fortunately, I had some red tweed Wool-Ease in stash, which met all of my criteria.

Annika and Fluffy appear to be happy with the results. Annika always supervises Fluffy when she is in her blanket so Fluffy doesn't chew it.

Annika is a great girl — a good student, math whiz, student leader, friend to animals, very articulate, and lots of fun. I am glad she is my friend.

Fancy Feet

It has been a while since I knit socks. The last socks I knit — actually, all of the socks I previously knit — were top down, knit on double-pointed needles. Then three events came together:

• I borrowed Socks from the Toe Up by Wendy Johnson from the Tacoma Public Library (I have since purchased the book).
  
• I decided that I should learn Judy's Magic Cast-On.
  
• I closely watched my friend Carole knit socks on two circulars. She knits two at a time; I started with one at a time.

The result was a pair of toe-up socks, made from Patons Kroy Socks FX in Cascade Colors, knit on US1 (2.25mm) needles.

I am a convert to toe-up, Judy's Magic Cast-On and knitting socks on two circular needles. That is a lot of change in one pair of socks.

Just in time as the weather starts to cool down.

Four Blue Ribbons

Each of my four entries in Lace categories at the Western Washington Fair in Puyallup won a blue ribbon.

My Flutter Scarf won in a category for beads, and even won a Judges Craftsmanship Ribbon (the pink one attached to the blue one, below). I have never won that before so I am really excited.

Mandenblute doily, in the large doily category.

Coronet doily in the small doily category.

And Weeping Willow shawl in the garments category.

Additionally, I won a red ribbon (second place) for a vest in the Knitting section. I usually threaten that Mike has to wear the ribbon when he wears the vest. An idle threat, as it happens.

And an honorable mention for my Lily of the Valley lace scarf, also in the Knitting section.

I am pleased that the judges liked my knitting. The fair attracts so much fabulous knitting of all sorts that judging must be very, very difficult. I would much rather knit than judge.

Vested Interests

Turns out that sometimes plain, stockinette knitting is just the right choice. That was the result for this vest for my husband.

The details:

• Pattern: Combination of Classic Knitted Vests for Men and Women by Nancy Wiseman and The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd
• Yarn: Brunswick Berber Tweed (discontinued); 50 percent wool, 50 percent cotton; 250 yards/100 grams; color Birch Bark
• Needles: US5 for body, US3 for ribbing (yes, I am a "relaxed" knitter)

I tried adding cables and other flourishes to make the knitting more interesting, but the yarn color is so complex, almost a ragg-like quality, that any additions got lost. So plain stockinette was the default. Though it was rather boring knitting, I am pleased with the result. Brunswick sure made some nice yarns back in the day.

A Hat

I haven't posted recently because I haven't finished anything recently, except for a hat. But I think it's a pretty hat. It was a bit of a challenge, because I had only one skein of the multi-color green yarn. I opted for a top-down hat, figuring I would knit as much of the green as possible, then switch to something else for the ribbing. Finding a complementary color and weight was harder than I thought it would be.

The details:

• Pattern: Karlchen
  
• Yarn for top of hat: OnLine Linie 50 (discontinued?), viscose-cotton-linen blend, 50 grams, 88 meters
• Yarn for ribbing: Pima Tencel, cotton-Tencel blend
• Needles: US4 for top, US2 for ribbing