Tales from the River

Waves of Grain Lacy Baktus

2010-08-09T06:35:00.001-07:00

Lacy Baktus
Originally uploaded by RiverKnits

Everyone has been making these little shawlettes, so I had to try one too. I liked the effect of a strand of lace weight mohair with a strand of sock yarn so I chose one of each for mine.

I used Cascade Heritage Paints color 9906 with Feza Kid Melange 194. At first I wasn't sure if the colors were very exciting. But as the scarf grew Sheryl said it looked like a wheat field and I think she was right. I liked the subtle shades of color.

I wasn't sure whether to do the original Baktus, which is simply garter stitch, or whether I should try the Lacy Baktus for a little more interest. I'm glad I opted for the Lacy Baktus. I'm not a big fan of scarf knitting; they sometimes fail to hold my attention. Having the lacy repeat rows helped keep a fairly simple project interesting as it went along.

Of course I shouldn't knit apparently simple things at charity knitting. I was supposed to be doing the decreases but I started increasing again. Back to the frog pond... Oh well. It was worth it. I really like the end result.

Abracadabra?

2010-08-02T07:17:00.000-07:00

Want to see a magic trick?

So do I. I've been waiting and waiting for my Fairy Yarnmother to come and organize the yarn room. No luck.

Baby Surprise Blob

2010-07-16T11:10:00.001-07:00

I've finally done it! I knit Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Surprise Jacket. Actually, I knit two of them.

I've wanted to try this pattern for a long time. I love Elizabeth Zimmermann's stories and her attitude. I want to knit lots of her patterns. But they require thinking...and thinking, sometimes, is not my strong suit. At least not thinking that involves numbers.

I made up my mind when I found out my friend Sara was having twins that these were the babies who needed Baby Surprise Jackets. Iowa winters, love their mom, etc, etc. All kinds of reasons these babies deserve these jackets.

Sara makes small babies, if her first baby is any indication. And twins tend to be small babies, because while God has a sense of humor, he is also kind and just. So I wanted to make preemie sizes. And I wanted to make the jackets using EZ's own lovely and terse instructions. (Dictionary.com says terse means "neatly or effectively concise; brief and pithy". That's EZ.) I did NOT want to stoop to using the newly released, newly written out step by mysterious step, pattern.

Ha. Remember God's sense of humor? And Elizabeth Zimmermann's pith? I used the new instructions, line by line. And even then, unpithed, I could not make preemie BSJ's. So Sara better cook a couple big twins or Iowa better have an extended winter this year..

Here's what I ended up with after all the knitting and row-following:

Joe and I marvelled at it. We folded it and unfolded it, in awe of the genius who once thought to herself, "Hey. I could knit this shapeless thing, and then stitch it up in two places. And it will be a sweater." I wondered how on earth that could happen to a person. Joe decided she must have taken a made sweater and deconstructed it, then worked backwards. To test his theory, he cut up a t-shirt.

Sort of looked like my blob. Here's what the blobs turned in to....

And won't these babies look great in those sweaters?

Stranded at the Clinton County Fair (or, Sometimes Teenagers Know What They're Talking About)

2010-07-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

A TEXT EXCHANGE REGARDING MY ZOMBIE BARBECUE SOCK....

Heather: How long are my feet?

Elizabeth: If you don’t know I’m kinda worried.

Heather: I’m at the Clinton County Fairgrounds with a sock almost to toe time but no tape measure. And no memory.

Elizabeth: Colleen says as long as your forearm.

Heather: I think she may be wrong this time.

Elizabeth: Oh, you think not….

Elizabeth: 9.5” but Colleen’s method should work better.

Elizabeth: Inside of elbow to wrist is length of my foot…that’ll mess with your brain…do you have 7” dpns with you?

Heather: Nope. 6”.

Elizabeth: Colleen wondered if you had any butter…but then she remembered those are tbsp not inches. J

Elizabeth: Do you have anything that is 1” long? Aren’t any of those dumb booths giving away rulers or yardsticks?

Heather: I sent Joe around on a tape measure search…no luck. I’ll figure something out. Guess I do need that ruler tattoo. Surely one of these farmers will have a measuring tape buckled on their belt.

Elizabeth: Now she says maybe your glasses have markings that tell how long the ear pieces are.

Heather: Left ‘em at home.

Elizabeth:…or European clothing measured in cm and she’ll look up the conversion for you.

Heather: Between my elbow, wrist and thumb I think I’ve got it figured out.

Elizabeth: Colleen suggests a tattoo of a ruler…but for now she suggests trying them on since your feet are nearby.

Heather: They are nearby, but they are sweaty.

TNNA

2010-06-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

Amanda & I had a great time at TNNA!

I took a class on Chris Bylsma's Crayon Jacket, where I learned about mixing some of my favorite classic stand by yarns like Lamb's Pride Worsted with "dessert yarns" like handpaints and dare I say even novelties to achieve a pleasing overall design.

While I was in that class Amanda took a class on teaching the Undulating Waves scarf in a fingering cotton from Schaefer yarns called Susan. I kept hearing things like "so soft" and "so wonderful" from Amanda. And about a COTTON. Can you believe it?!

That night we got to enjoy seeing 99 new designs in a runway style fashion show. It will all be posted on YouTube eventually but it's not up yet... Then we were off to an ice cream social hosted by Ravelry.
We never did get any ice cream because there were hoards of people and, well at least speaking for myself, I am old and like to actually sleep at night. So after a wonderfully refreshing drink suggested by Amanda (I think it was an Amaretto Sour) and after scoring free t-shirts, we found our hotel and called it a night.

Next day we were up bright and early for our classes. Amanda went to Colorful Cables with Melissa Leapman and I took a really fun class on hand dyeing with Rachael Blackledge. It was FUN, FUN, FUN! We dyed a skein of sock yarn

then we painted a sock blank

The sock blank is a double strand, so once I unravel it, I'll have 2 matching balls of yarn. How neat is that?! Can I say again, it was really, really fun?!

Then we spent Saturday walking the floor of the show looking at everything all the companies had to show us, thinking about what you might like to see at River Knits! We ordered all kinds of things and found out about other things to keep in mind for the future.

We ordered every color of a lovely new laceweight Legacy Lace from Brown Sheep company as well as a very elegant beaded shawl pattern that was featured in the fashion show.

We processed everything we had seen Saturday over dinner that night with my friend Nanci from KnitOn! It was fun to hear about what yarns she had seen that day, hear about her trip to Kazakhstan and of course to polish off not only some Bahama Mamas but most especially a Schmidt's Cream Puff!

I was really excited about a new yarn from Classic Elite called Woodland. It isn't even on their website yet. But it is a is a very interesting animal/plant mix with 65% wool and 35% nettle fiber. Amanda said, "Don't nettles sting you?" Well, they can if you walk in the middle of them in your shorts. But nettles is also a wonderful plant that can be used for fiber as well as for salads, tea and infusions and even for making a rinse for making your hair shine. When I saw the yarn, I had to have some! There is a nice supporting pattern booklet as well, with a tunic type vest that I also fell in love with. I think someone decided to make this yarn just for me!

We also decided to grab 2 new yarns from Berroco; Blackstone Tweed CHUNKY, which as you would guess is a heavier version of the worsted that many of you have already come to love, and a new yarn called Remix. I am rarely drawn to non-animal fiber yarns but know that many of you want them. Maybe you have allergies or sensitivities, maybe you are knitting for someone who thinks that wool is itchy (even if we beg to differ...). But when we felt this one we thought, "Hey! THIS is a great mix that might really be great to knit with EVEN for people who don't want wool! Heck, even people who LIKE wool might like this sometimes. I would even like it!" The pattern booklet for Blackstone Tweed Chunky, Remix AND Norah Gaughn 7 (ooooh, you're gonna love it) are all going to be headed to a yarn shop near you.

What else? Well we were on a roll with chunky yarns because we snagged some Malabrigo Chunky too. I'll be sure to send out an email whenever I see that box. I know you'll all be really excited. Malabrigo never fails to excite. And there will be several bags of lace in that shipment as well.

Oh and if that's not enough we also decided that you probably would love Namaste's new Monroe bag so expect to see those sometime too! And we couldn't resist the cute little magnetic buddy case. I think you'll see why when they come in.

Plus we ordered new patterns from various designers and picked up lots of literature from many other companies that I will probably want to add some items from as we move towards Fall. As much as I might have wanted to I can't order it all at once! But that will give us more to look forward to.

Thank You...

2010-05-10T05:23:00.000-07:00

And so, it was Mother's Day again. It's not usually a big day in our house...because I'm not really a "celebrate me" kind of gal. But it's a nice day. My husband and kids tell me they love me and wish me a happy day. This year I got texts all day long from a string of teenagers who don't belong to me biologically but allow me to be Mama Wenig to them. It was a nice day.

In church, the pastor asked us to reflect on important women in our lives and to share what they had given us. While I didn't share out loud at that moment, I did reflect. And as I was knitting a sock at the time, my thoughts tended toward how the women in my life had shared craft with me.

It starts with my Grandma Alvy, the grandmother for whom my daughter Josie is named. I spent a lot of time in the summers with my Grandma Alvy. She would get up early and cram all her farm chores and household chores into a few hours so that the afternoons were ours. While she was working and it was still cool outside, I would be running free and playing on the farm. But when afternoon hit, Grandma and I were inside. And a lot of that inside time was crafting time. Grandma taught me first how to make potholders. She had an old metal loom, much different from the plastic looms we find now at Hobby Lobby....this was old, green, sturdy metal. My dad eventually secured it to a piece of wood and covered the bottom of the wood with carpet to make it a little more comfortable to use. I spent hours making those not-so-useful potholders. When I ran out of the colorful loops of nylon Grandma had for me, she'd cut up Grandpa's dress socks and I made potholders out of those. (I guess that's Grandpa's contribution to craft....). After potholders came embroidery. I remember vividly making the trip "in to town" to visit the Ben Franklin store and choose my preprinted embroidery fabric and choose the colored floss I would use. I think the first piece I finished was a squirrel under a tree. I remember struggling with French Knots and loving the stitch that looked like a flower petal. When I was done, Grandma made it into a pillow for me. The next summer I moved from embroidery to latch hook. I was in love with horses that year, and Grandma found a latch hook kit of a horse's head. I finished it quickly and again she made a pillow for me. Grandma was a wonderful seamstress (she's going to be 98 years old this summer, and was able to embroider me a set ot tea towels a few years ago, and up until two years ago, was still repairing her great grandchildren's jeans).

I was eleven when I stopped spending time at Grandma's farm. I took a break from craft when I was no longer able to sit at Grandma's side and learn it from her. When I was 12, I discovered Little Women and read it and reread it and reread it. Does this count in my "women in my craft live" inventory? It should. They were very real to me. The idea of Beth knitting mittens and dropping them out the window to passing children touched me. The picture of the March girls sitting together, with their workboxes at hand, stitching a set of sheets charmed me. I wanted craft in my life. I needed a guide.

When I was 19, I married into a wonderful family. My mother in law is a kind and talented woman and from her I learned cross stitch. She was generous with her materials, letting me raid her stash of patterns, fabric and floss. She showed me how to get started....I was so confused when there was no picture printed on the fabric for me to follow. The materials she gave me were a gift. The skill she shared with me was a gift. Mae moved on from cross stitch to crochet. I didn't take advantage of her crochet skills at the time she was making afghans and dishcloths and baby sweaters. (That's not true....I did take advantage of her skills in that I was the recipient of a beautiful baby sweater/bonnet set when Josie was born.) A few months later, we moved to Indiana, 800 miles from home. That's when I decided I wanted to learn crochet. I bought a book and yarn and needles and proceeded to frustrate myself. That crazy chain would not stay still to be worked into! I called my mother in law, frustrated and frantic. Her response? "I'm not sure what I can do for you from 800 miles away." :)

I eventually got it and crocheted afghans and dishcloths for anyone I could think to give them to. And then....I discovered knitting.

I didn't know any knitters when I decided that was the next craft for me. I learned again from a book (with some help from my husband, who is better at looking at pictures to learn how to do things than I am). But after I learned to knit....I met the Knitters. I have a whole new group of women from whom I can gain inspiration and knowledge as I continue my life in craft. And I am grateful. So thank you to all of you who have come into my life through knitting. And thank you to Grandma Alvy and Louisa May Alcott.

Touch of Haze Scarf

2010-04-01T12:37:00.001-07:00

TouchofHazeScarf
Originally uploaded by RiverKnits

I saw this pattern from Theresa Gaffey and thought it looked fun. I can't resist anything that uses sock yarn. Although I really like using sock yarn FOR socks, sometimes it is fun to find other ways to put something so addictive to use.

This is a simple K2,P2 rib with garter stitch borders on the ends. So the knitting is simple but not as boring as all garter stitch or all stockinette. It's the kind of project that is an especially nice time to use that set of "fancy" needles that you probably have. I used a set of ebony #10's although I think the pattern calls for #10.5's. I like that set and I figured I knit loosely anyway.

I picked Classic Elite's Alpaca Sox because I had never knit with it and I was drawn to its softness. Then I found a teal-y color of K1C2's Douceur et Soie that looked like it would be pretty together. Then I watched Pollyanna with Heather (and probably a few other programs) and Voila! The Touch of Haze Scarf is done!

Mine is at River Knits for the time being. But I think it will make a wonderful present some time. If I were ambitious enough to do a "basket of scarves" for Christmas, this would definitely be included.
Oh, and there's a hat in the same two yarns; I couldn't stop with just the scarf! They're both at the shop if you want to see them up close.

Nordic Knitting Club - Funtimes at RK & Upcoming Knitting Olympics.

2010-01-07T11:58:00.000-08:00

Nordic Knitting Club has had two great meetings in November and December as you can see from these projects. Marcia and Shirley have finished two beautiful hats (upper left and left respectively) and Laurel finished a Dale of Norway (DON) sweater (below) using yarn from Mission Falls (136). The top hat is silk garden and lower hat is a DON pattern made with Falk - soft, hard wearing and machine washable. All are beautiful colors and very nice looking, just in time for snow weather.

At the December Holiday Bash, Prella (center left) showed up in her new DON sweater which she had finished just in time for the holidays. She looks very happy, and the sweater is beautiful! Heather helped her finish the crocheted edge at a RK help session. Ann was also wearing her newly finished Rowan fairisle (center right), while Karen (left) and Beth (right) were wearing Norah Gaughn and DON sweaters that they had finished a while ago. It was a great time with new sweaters, good cheer, and the requisite cookies and candies to put us all in the holiday spirit.

The next meeting of the Nordic Knitting group will be on January 20th, 7-9 pm at River Knits. Everyone is welcome who wants to knit nordically (see description in the class list on the website). Bring your projects or start a new one. You can buy patterns and/or yarn that evening if you want. We always are eager to help you pick out new projects (we are an enabling group). In addition, those who are interested can sign up for the knitting olympics. If you can't make it to the meeting, contact me by email and I will put you on the Olympic Team.

Rules for Knitting Olympics are as follows: Pick a project and yarn and let Sheryl (me) know what you are knitting before the olympic games start; cast on during the opening ceremonies; finish the item before or during the closing ceremonies; send a picture to me if possible when you are finished, or at least email me how you fared with your personal olympic challenge. You may swatch and make all pattern decisions before the opening ceremonies, but the casting on can't be done before the opening ceremonies starts on TV. You need to have seams done and ends worked in before the end of the closing ceremonies, but you can block the garment later and add buttons or other closures. That is it. Pretty simple - you pick your challenge project, any level, any size.

There will be some fun prizes for those who finish their project. We will probably have at least one meeting during the olympics, to see how everyone is doing.

It is snowing like crazy outside, so time to go and do some knitting in a nordic style. See you on January 20th.

The Thrill of Victory!

2009-11-17T07:03:00.000-08:00

You have seen the agony of defeat; or at least the agony of stumbling blocks along the way; in the previous two posts. So it is even more exciting to finally be able to show you the thrill of victory in this one!

Knitting is such a process--a lot like life. One step forward; two steps back. And so on. Sometimes we think we ought to be a little further along and yet both life, and knitting, seem to tell us it's the journey, not the final destination, that really matters. And yet, when the final destination turns out to be wonderful too, then we feel truly that the journey was worth the trip. SOMETIMES it is!

When our knitted creations also give us the option of becoming a Jawa, well then it's even better.

Motivation Matters

2009-10-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

I think perhaps it was just the specter of having to watch this movie , but regardless, the Heather Hoodie front has been ripped, re-knit and the pieces are blocking.

Why would the possibility of a documentary on Winged Migration be so motivating? After my last post a creative reader decided to give me just what I asked for: a boring documentary. While I do generally enjoy a certain amount of Nature cinematography, I was warned that this particular documentary was not only boring but depressing. Hmm...what to do?

I sat down with the offending piece of knitting and put on a favorite podcast. It really didn't take me long once I was over the mental block of even looking at it. I told myself that if I couldn't knit and listen to Dori and Val, then Winged Migration it would be. Much to my surprise and enjoyment, I was able to do something I enjoy AND fix the problem!

BUT if you find yourself in a similar situation, and find that pure boredom is the only kind of auditory stimulation you can stand while knitting through a troubling piece, please let me know. You too can join the Sisterhood of the Traveling Documentary. Just say the word and I'll pass it on to you.

You can then be perfectly content. Just like these two.

Heather Hoodie Progress Report

2009-10-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

(Or "Why You Shouldn't Knit Cables with Decreases While Watching Flash Forward")

As you may or may not know, I am knitting the Heather Hoodie from the Fall Knit Scene. This is a bulky cable knit hooded cardigan vest in Lamb's Pride Bulky. It should be going along pretty quickly. The back is done and resting quietly at home waiting, impatiently, for the front halves.

With a somewhat uncharacteristic bit of determination I pledged to myself to knit nothing else until it was finished. I got one half done pretty quickly. They really are very narrow pieces and #10 needles are plenty big. This just shouldn't be taking so long. One side done! Good.

Then my youngest daughter came home from school explaining to us in minute detail about a new series on tv that her English teacher was telling them about (a wonderful teachable moment to illustrate the meaning of the vocabulary word "eerie"). She was eager to watch it. So we hooked my laptop up to the tv and watched the episodes to date on Hulu. She show was GOOD. The knitting; not so good.

Clearly I need to watch more boring television!

How did I do this? I looked only at my notes and never got out a tape measure or the other half of the sweater. My notes said I began decreasing on row 14 of the cable pattern. But with the excitement of the tv program I was in a rush to get to the good part and failed to notice that I needed one more full pattern repeat before decreasing on row 14. *sigh*

A little trip to the frog pond will be in order soon...

But for now, I'm soothing my knitting nerves with the Fake Isle Hat Pattern. Maybe with a minor success under my belt I can face the re-knitting of the right front of the Heather Hoodie!

Goodbye to Two Members, and Hello To a New One

2009-09-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

The River Knits Nordic Knitting Club will meet on Wed. Sept. 9th from 7-9 at RK to get the new year rolling. We have lots of exciting projects going and I'm sure we will see some finished ones from the summer. Everyone is invited who is interested in patterned knitting in the Nordic tradition. This is a club, so you should have the skills for knitting with at least two colors. Any projects are welcome if the materials were purchased from RK, or we will help you pick a new project. We are great at giving advice! I was looking at the new Wool Gathering newsletter from Schoolhouse press and there is a stunning Swedish sweater on the cover. That is just one of the new ideas pouring in to the shop in the new pattern books for club members to consider. The first book from Jared even has a Norwegian pattern and 2 Fair Isle sweaters in addition to several Nordic tams and touques. It seems like Nordic is in.

Our last meeting in July was really fun, although a little bittersweet as we wished two of our regular members good luck in their new lives. Laura is married now and moved to Bloomington where she is probably knitting everyday, and getting settled into her new house. We hope she comes to one of our meetings to show us how her fairisle sweater turned out. The last time we saw it, she had cut the steeks and picked up the neck and front. In the picture below, she is showing off her new wash and face clothes, given to her at our last meeting.

Kerry moved to Alaska and by now is in Juneau, in her new log home. Her husband got a job with the University of Alaska and we can't wait to hear how that is going. She says she will keep us updated on face book. She also got wash clothes from her friends in Lafayette.

We greeted a new member - Julia - who is now a couple of months old and was introduced to the group by Mignon, her mother. She has been the recipient of some cute knitted items. She was an inspiration and was in a good mood while we had a going away party/shower for Laura and Kerry. Everyone brought some goodie to eat including Nordic design gingerbread gloves! We all had a great time, and hardly remembered they were leaving. Good luck to both.

As a final note, anyone who is interested in a design contest for Dale of Norway should let me or Elizabeth know so that we can give you the rules and entry form. The contest has 3 categories including baby, adult and accessories. There are 13 prizes of $1,500 down to $250 in yarn. The deadline for entries is November 30th. I will have the information at the meeting. Looking forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday!

One Great Design; Two Great Awards!

2009-08-24T07:12:00.001-07:00

Everyone who see's Amanda's lovely Claire's Shawl on display at River Knits admires its intricacy and beauty.

They are even more impressed when I tell them it was designed by one of our teachers for a River Knits class. (And if they are Diana Gabaldon fans, from whence comes the inspiration for the name of this design, we talk a bit about how we are not sure we'll make it even 28 more days until the new Outlander book comes out. But I digress...)

Now I can also tell them that this design won not only one but TWO prizes in two separate fairs this season!

Sheryl Krohne entered two pieces in the Tippecanoe County fair and won prizes for both. Her Claire's Shawl won a Blue Ribbon in its own category and also got the Sweepstakes Award, in the entire hand knitting group, which means it got the award for "best of the best" in hand knitting. Way to go, Sheryl!

Peggy Favorite also entered 4 items in the State Fair in Indianapolis. All four pieces won ribbons!

Her Claire's Shawl received an "Honorable Mention in Lace, Knitting" and I believe was displayed in a special case for fair goers' admiration. Congratulations, Peggy!

And big congratulations to Amanda for creating this lovely design that has been so well received in many venues!

We can all be so proud of everyone who is so nicely spreading the joy of knitting by sharing their talent in this way.

Visitation from Beyond?

2009-08-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I happened to look through the caller i.d. list on my home phone. Imagine my surprise when I saw that I had just missed a call from

E. Zimmerman

Oh my goodness! Was Elizabeth Zimmermann making a truly long distance call from beyond? Perhaps she had heard my recent plea to be adopted and wanted to tell me that I had been accepted?!

Perhaps she just wanted to say "It's about time!" in response to the fact that I finally made a Baby Surprise Jacket.

Or maybe she wanted to tell me that if I'd read the "thinking knitter's" instructions on the Ganomey hat I wouldn't have had to rip half of it out.

Imagine how you would feel to be getting not only a call from a greatly admired person but also from another dimension!

Alas, the call was really from a realtor named "Elaine" Zimmerman. So my temporary joy at being contacted from the other world was replaced with more mundane concerns about home ownership and making sound financial decisions. But it was fun to think, just for a moment, that maybe it was a brush with something really, really big!

Oldies but Goodies

2009-08-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

When the new shipment of Asland Trends Kettle Dyed Collection came in, I was shuffling lots of yarn around at River Knits! While I was rearranging & making room for the Los Andes (super bulky merino) I came across a shop model that I made the first year River Knits was in the old house. I was tempted to just throw it in a heap int he back room because it was looking kind of forlorn and shop worn. But I took it home and gave it a long soak in some Lavender wool mix, set it out on my deck to dry in the sunshine,

and now it is back at River Knits good as new!

This is a QUICK pattern but not boring with the chunky cable running right up the scarf. The prototype is done in one skein of Brown Sheep Co.'s Burlyspun. If you've never done cables but want to try, this might be a great way to start. Or if you just need a quick gift, this is a great project to keep in mind. River Knits has many superbulky yarns that you might choose, including the original Burlyspun as well as the new Los Andes from Aslan Trends, as well as several other choices. The pattern is a freebie on the River Knits website.

I also had the fun of experiening another "oldie but goodie" for the first time. I just finished my very first Baby Surprise Jacket. I'm not sure how this much time has elapsed before adding this unique creation to my life list. But I'm glad I finally tried it so I could see what all the fuss was about. It is hard to have faith in a strangely shaped piece of knitting that looks for all the world like a misshapen dishcloth. But if you press on it really does become a jaunty little jacket.

This really could start a trend if I'm not careful; I already have a growing list of yarns in mind. This particular one was knit in Mirasol Chirapa and some leftover 220 Superwash that I had in my stash.

I also started Elizabeth Zimmermann's "Ganomey Hat" from the current issue of Vogue Knitting, but I am clearly not "perspicacious" enough to be adopted by the Swansen/Zimmermann family as I was my recent longing. I'm not sure why but my numbers ended up all wonky and my sections were not equal. I will have to rip back to the section right above the garter stitch edging and become a thinking knitter indeed.

Is Summer Really Just for Washcloths?

2009-07-06T11:51:00.000-07:00

I hope not! :-) But darn if I don't seem to knit one every summer. It's like I can't help it. Laura got married last weekend and it seemed like a nice thing to tuck one in with her present so that's what started it. Then I had more yarn leftover and it was so easy to just cast on for another one

because as much as I love stash I really don't want a dishcloth cotton stash. So it begins...I hope it doesn't lead to anything serious.

Knit Night Monday
Don't forget that Monday, July 13 is Knit Night. Hardly seems possible that it is only the 2nd monday when the month will be nearly half done but so it is. Hope to see you there!

Beautiful Gaia Shoulder Hug on Display
Margie knit the beautiful Gaia Shoulder Hug in 3 1/2 balls of Mini Mochi. It is on display at River Knits and I know you'll adore it! Margie added a border using the one found on p. 134 of Victorian Lace Today. The effect is beautiful and I know that if you are a lace lover or a shawl fan, you'll probably want to try one of these. I hope you can stop by and see it soon! Crystal Palace also has a similar shawl pattern on their website using only 2 balls; it is the Mini Mochi Shawlette.

Lanaloft, new from Brown Sheep Co.
We are trying out a new yarn from Brown Sheep Company called Lanaloft. There are 5 new colors of it here for you to try out and tell me what you think. It is a single ply worsted a lot like Lamb's Pride but it is 100% wool, with no mohair. From just touching it in the ball I think it feels like a great wooly yarn. If you try some please let me know how you like it!

Namaste's Newest Offering
I would love to place a Namaste order because they have a really awesome new bag called Hermosa. I saw it at the TNNA trade show and it is very attractive, like all the Namaste bags. I decided I would ask you before ordering though to make sure that we get the colors that everyone wants! So, if you would like to preorder a Hermosa bag (or any other Namaste product) please contact me and let me know which color and style you would like. The Hermosa bags will sell for $75.00, email me for prices on other styles. I can invoice you via PayPal for a 50% down payment or for the total price of the bag as you wish. (Or of course we take cash, check or charge in person at River Knits.) As always, special orders are not returnable, but I know you'll love these bags, so I doubt if you'll be interested in returning one!

Addi Click - New components available to pre-order

Individual tips and cords/extension packs will be available soon. Here's the full listing of what will be available.

The tips are available in US 4, US 5, US 6, US 7, US 8, US 9, US 10, US 10. 5, US 10. 75, US 11, US 13, and US 15.
The suggested retail per pack* on US 4 through US 8, is $13. 95
The suggested retail per pack* on US 9 through US 10. 75, is $15. 95
The suggested retail per pack* on US 11 through US 15, is $19. 95

The extra cord/extension packs feature three cords and one extra connector. The cord sizes are 24", 32" and 40". These are the same sizes which come with the full set. The suggested retail price per pack, is $29. 95

I will take preorders for these piece parts and might eventually stock them in the shop. They will be primarily of interest to people who want to expand their existing Click sets. (Btw, we do have some Click sets available!) I would like to place a Skacel Order by Wednesday, July 15th, so please place all preorders for Click Parts before then.

The discerning reader has already noticed that the sizes NOT included in the complete click kit are now available: US 5 size (3. 75mm) and the US 10. 5 (6. 5mm)to be precise!

Clarification: *a PACK is two tips in the same size. That is all that is included in the pack.

Ashford Hookless flyers - last call to preorder
I am also about to place an order with my Ashford spinning products supplier. If you would like one of the hookless flyers mentioned in my last post, please email me asap!

Sock Club July 25th
Michelle wants to let you know that she is unable to attend the Sock Club on July 25th due to a conflict at work. The July meeting is supposed to be covering the first part of a pattern from Cookie A's book Sock Innovation. You can see a sample at the shop. Heather will be working at the shop during the July sock club and has tackled quite a few Cookie A sock patterns, so can probably be a great resource for you during the first session. All sockies come hang out together in July and put your heads together to help each other along. Michelle will be back in August & will be available to clear up any questions you might have about this pattern.

While you are at sock club you could consider entering a submission for Berroco's Sock Star Competition. At present River Knits has some Ultra Alpaca Fine which is an acceptable yarn to use in the competition. If someone is dying for one of the other Berroco sock yarns that are qualified please let me know--I know where we can get some!

Other July Classes
There is room in the upcoming Help Session, July 18th. Please register ahead of time so we know how many to expect. Knowing what you need help with is helpful too!

We also need some adventurous students who want to join the Learn to Crochet class on July 21st. You can see the whole description on the website.

Other neat patterns
As long as we're looking at shawls, Margie shared this lovely pattern in Panda Silk dk.

And yet another great pattern using Cascade's Ecowool (I love that yarn!) is Todd's Basketweave Scarf.

And on a funny note, I can't remember if I showed you the Dead Fish Hat? Don't you think someone you know needs one?

Knit on!
Elizabeth

How much Panda Silk Does it take...

2009-06-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

...to make a pair of Mock Cable Footies?

Just one ball! At least if you have a sort of average size woman's foot and knit at my gauge. (And no, I really don't know what my gauge was on these socks; don't tell!) What you see is what I had left when I finished my pair.

I had just one ball of "denim tones" Panda Silk and it was calling my name. I harassed Michelle for the pattern even before she had it written up. Now that it has been officially available for about a month, I finally got mine done! I love them!

But what's new at River Knits?
Well we are keeping the UPS man busier & busier these days as new goodies from TNNA begin to arrive!

I wanted to find something with a little sparkle while at TNNA but I wasn't looking for something over the top. What I found were two lovely yarns from Kraemer , a company that still spins its own yarn in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

The first new Kraemer yarn is Fountain Hill, a lofty acrylic/mohair blend that comes in both sparkly and matte versions. Would make a lovely wrap in many gauges.

The other new Kraemer yarn at River Knits is Sterling Silk & Silver, a very elegant fingering weight yarn that actually includes little bits of silver to give it very posh look. This beaded scarf and fingerless gloves set would look beautiful in Sterling.

Additionally we received several new pattern booklets from Berroco.
Norah Gaughn vol 5, Norah Gaughn Men, Comfort Book for Girls, and Family Comfort.

Spinners will be delighted to learn that Ashford is now producing a Sliding Hook Flyer, that eliminates the need to move your yarn from hook to hook as the bobbin fills. Update your Ashford Traditional, Traveller and Elizabeth spinning wheels.
The flyer is available in natural or lacquer and includes one bobbin.
Prices are as follows:
Natural
single drive: 62.50
double drive: 75.00
jumbo single drive: 75.50
jumbo double drive: 89.00

Lacquered
single drive: 78.00
double drive: 93.50
jumbo single drive: 89.00
jumbo double drive: 105.00

I will take orders for these if any spinners would like to update their flyers on their Ashford wheels. Please email me or call the shop if you would like to order a sliding hook flyer.

Did you see the Entomology Shawl in Knitty? It uses one or two skeins of Schaefer Anne (or probably any of the other sock weight Schaefer yarns).

Don't forget that Knit Night is kind of late this month since the 2nd Monday doesn't roll around until July 13th! Hope to see you there.

Knit on!

Elizabeth

Summer Needle Arts Market Show

2009-06-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

Beth and I recently journeyed to Columbus, Ohio on a business trip for River Knits. This was my inaugural Needle Arts Market put on by The National NeedleArts Association. This is THE place to see the newest yarns, gadgets, books,and supplies for the industry. First of all, I am Beth's husband, and any trip with her is fun. Second of all, I'm the "behind the scenes" guy at River Knits...recycling the large boxes that the new yarns are shipped in to the shop, taking out the trash, putting up shelves, designing and managing the oft neglected River Knits Website. I actually can knit a bit. I've done several pairs of socks, a few fingerless mitts, part of a sockcap, and a water bottle cooler. With River Knits nearing six years in business, and my job at Purdue on the ropes, I thought it might just be a really good time to better understand the knitting business, and help Beth out however I can.

After a quick drive over to Columbus, Ohio...a city almost the same size as Indianapolis, we entered the show just in time for the retailers luncheon. The keynote speaker, Jim Dion, was actually quite good and talked about how to thrive in the current economic times. They did door prize drawings and to our surprise we both won...then they chose my ticket again (some people were looking at me suspicously)! After this, we each attended a class. Mine was all about Web stuff that I won't go into here. Following the two hour class we walked to the vendor floor. I was simply not prepared for the army of yarn and needle arts companies displaying their wares. The vast sea of yarns stretched further than my eye could see...those of every color and fiber called out to be seen and touched and talked about. My role was to help Beth in thinking about the selections of winter yarns for the coming season. We did a quick run through to prepare for the Saturday onslaught, then sauntered over to the North Market where yummy cuisine and local foods and products could be tasted.

After an early morning Saturday class, we hit the vendor floor with map and strategy in hand to see the best of the best. Saturday evening we invited Nancy, the owner of Knit On! near Bellevue, KY to come to dinner with us at Schmidt Haus in the German Village. Because we had such a long wait, we walked five blocks to a unique bookstore known as The Book Loft. It has 32 rooms of books. Pretty cool place. Back at Schmidt's, the food was excellent, the beer even better, and the company was superb.

Sunday was D-day, and we headed back to the convention center for another class on marketing, and to the floor to select new yarns to bring to River Knits. Below are just two selections:
AslanTrends Hand-dyed and a sample project out of Jared's new book "Made in Brooklyn". There will be some very cool, and warm, fun yarns and surprises coming to the shop later this summer! Stay tuned for updates on the new arrivals.

A Good Time to Knit Hats and Mittens

2009-06-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

Nordic Knitting Club is going to meet through the summer this year, and members of the group are making some great mittens, wrist warmers and hats. These are the perfect projects for summer because they are small, the yarn is light (not too hot to knit with) and they are very portable. They are really great projects to knit in the car while on vacation trips (as long as you aren't the driver!), if you don't have to take part in thoughtful conversations or navigate. That seems to be too much for me to do, while working on complicated patterns. Pictures here include "The thumb trick" from Elizabeth Zimmerman, worked and modeled by Peggy. The thumb is closed up now, but there is waste yarn in the stitches that will opened up to add the thumb later. Stay tuned to see how this works! Ann is shown below left with the start to the mittens to match her hat shown in the blog in January. Prella is on the right, holding up the sweater she is working on and she has just joined the sleeves to the body to start the yoke. It was an exciting meeting last week! The last picture shows Shirley working on a hat, which is much further along now, I just didn't have a more recent picture of it. It is really a beautiful Norwegian pattern with blues, reds, oranges and gold.

We hope to see anyone interested in Nordic Knitting at our next meeting - July 1 from 7-9 pm at River Knits. Other knitters in the group are also working on sweaters, both large and small. If you aren't sure what to work on, come to the meeting and we will help you get started. Happy Summer and Vacation Knitting!

Just Right

2009-03-24T14:39:00.001-07:00

Brent's Sweater
Originally uploaded by RiverKnits

I feel a little like Goldilocks. You remember the story of the Three Bears?

First I knit Brent a sweater that was TOO SMALL. (It's on the wall at River Knits - it's is lovely in every way with the perfect color of colonial blue and oatmeal with detailed stranded colorwork - except that it doesn't fit my husband.)

Then I knit Brent a sweater that was TOO BIG. It has cables that cross and meander all over the seed stitch textured background. It took at least 3 years of my life. I am not sure what happened. The gauge was ok, but when I blocked the pieces and put it all together, you could've put two Brent's in that sweater. All I could do was fall to the floor and try to stop laughing.

Last year I combined forces with Margie to make a sweater for charity. It turned out nicely and Brent said, "Could I have one like that?" He must be the eternal optimist. Or maybe he just picked the perfect sweater.

Finally, I have knit Brent a sweater that is JUST RIGHT.

Tally and the Teaching Sock

2009-03-18T06:38:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking for a year or so that I needed to knit a "Teaching Sock"...a sock where each separate piece of the construction was a clearly distinct color. I wanted to be able to help beginning sock knitters to visualize what piece of the sock each section of the pattern instructions would create. I don't know why it took me so long, but it's finally done. I'm sort of sorry I made it in a size too small to wear...wouldn't this be a wild pair of socks to wear among the muggles?

And if you look closely at the picture, you might see some white cat hair...because Tally loves to cuddle up with wet wool.

Have you been thinking you'd like to join the ranks of Sock Knitters? Have you been wishing you could join Sock Club, but haven't met the "completed one pair of socks" requirement? Join us for our Beginning Sock Knitting class! The class starts April 8 and is a four session class. Call or stop in at River Knits for more information!

Headed to Akkol...

2009-03-04T13:01:00.000-08:00

14 boxes from River Knits!

But what is Akkol? It is a place in Kazakhstan. And there happen to be about 240 kids in the orphanage there. Several of us have been knitting for them for a while now through the group Mittens for Akkol. Usually the founder of that group, an adoptive mom and fellow YSO from Kentucky, hand carries the knitted items there herself. That method is costly and allows us only to focus on the most needed of items: wool socks and mittens, sweaters and vests. It gets bitterly cold in Kaz and the wool clothing really helps provide needed warmth to the kids in the orphanage. Even more so, the handknits send a deeper message of care to some kids who could really use a boost. The group also supports kids in the orphanage in the nearby town of Urupinka.

But we are always wishing we could do more...

About a month ago Nanci, the founder of Mittens for Akkol, announced that we could send boxes on a shipping container being sent from Indiana to Kazakhstan.

Now we had the chance to send the things that would be greatly appreciated but usually too costly to ship: toys (the kids just don't have access to toys because they aren't available), pants and shoes, art supplies like crayons, paints and colored pencils, personal care items like toothpaste and shampoo. All I had to do was put out the word...

The amazing folks at River Knits did the rest! Bags and boxes started filling up the classroom and eventually I couldn't walk through the back storage room. Today some of the charity knitters took a break from knitting to box and organize the donations.

In addition to knitted hats, mittens, sweaters & vests, there were jeans and sweatpants, shirts and jackets, LOTS of underwear and socks, as well as the art supplies, toys and personal care items mentioned above.

In all River Knits is sending 14 boxes FULL of wonderful things. Margie's car is loaded down with about 287 pounds of donations, including 191 toys!
Tomorrow these donations will join the ones that are coming in from around the country to Muncie, Indiana, where they will begin their journey to the kids in Kazakhstan.

Thanks to everyone in the River Knits community for your abundant generosity. It's wonderful to be a part of such a great group of people!

A New Favorite Thing (Should be titled "True Confessions")

2009-03-03T15:56:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine once told me about a relative who grew up on a farm where they raised beef cows. You would think that he would have had steaks and roasts every day. But no, they sold the beef and only had pork themselves. At my house this has come to be an inside joke when we need a reminder that we need to enjoy life a bit and let ourselves have something nice.

Being a beef farmer that only eats pork would be like being a yarn shop owner who only knits with Red Heart; well or maybe Wool Ease. (Pork isn't THAT bad!) Not wanting to be that farmer, I decided to treat myself to one of these:

It's a Denise Interchangeable Needle Case.

I know, you might be thinking, "They already come in a case; what's the big deal anyway?"

That's where the true confessions part comes in...

The plastic case that the set comes in is perfectly adequate; IF you only have one set.

I did have one set. In 1994. I ordered it from a yarn shop in Maine when I lived here and didn't know where else to find good knitting supplies. I fell in love with my trusty Denise set and loved having nearly everything I would ever need in one box.

But then I opened River Knits and they started making Denise needles again. That's when it really all started. Eventually my one little set in the trusty powder blue case grew to look like this:

I told myself I needed a set to use at the shop at first; I didn't really even need an excuse when the third set joined my life. But I found out that it was a lot harder to keep track of the needle tips and especially the end buttons on three sets. I had discovered the joys of multiple projects and all the commonly used parts were always somewhere else. And when I did finish a project I invariably had the wrong little plastic case at hand and there wans't an opening in the right spot to store the recently liberated parts.

Imagine my joy when everything you see in the 3 cases above, plus an extra 40" cord, my extra 7mm needle tips (as yet unused), and my secret cache of end buttons, was transformed into this:

I feel like it's Christmas and my birthday all rolled into one! I love it! No more beef farmer eating pork! I am happy to have this one just for me!

So Much Fun...We're Going to Do It Again! (NOTE NEW DATES FOR THIS FUN CLASS!)

2009-02-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, a group of knitters got together to play with wool. We called it a Felted Clog Knitalong, and this was our goal:

(Didn't Maribeth do a good job?)

While it was a lot of fun to sit in the classroom at River Knits and knit together, Maribeth thought it would be even more fun to sit in her basement and felt together. So we did.

There was a washing machine....

There was food and storytelling...

And it was a good thing.

So...we're going to do it again. (This time, sadly, without Maribeth.) Beginning Wednesday, February 18, we will spend two nights knitting together (2/18 and 2/25). The third night we will go to Heather's house (if you haven't heard, it's a freakin' sweet house...) to felt together.

And when we are done, we will have one of these: My Little Companion. Want to join us? Check out the River Knits class schedule for more information!

Hats, Hands, and Two Sweaters

2009-01-27T12:54:00.000-08:00

Ann started this beautiful hat at the November meeting of the Nordic Knitting Club (see the picture where she is trying to count her cast on while we talk!). It is from a Dale of Norway pattern and knit with Baby Uhl. The stranding on the inside is perfect. Shirley and several others are also working on hats that we hope to show next month.

Gloves, mittens and wrist warmers are also proving to be very popular choices this winter for club members. Be sure and look at some of the beautiful finished pairs from our last meeting in the previous post.

Sweaters are being made by the most intrepid of the group. Laura is making an incredible Fair-Isle design using different ends of a long color repeat yarn from Denmark. It is sock-weight yarn, and so is taking awhile to finish, but is beautiful, as you can see from the picture. A beautiful child's Fana sweater is in the works from Kristin, and I hope to have a picture next month of that one.

Dawn is making a small Norwegian design for an 18" doll (see below). For Dawn and Laura - it will be their first garments made with steeking and cutting. The next installment should show the successful outcome of their adventure with scissors and wool!

Nordic Knitting Club meets the last Monday of the month, at River Knits from 7-9, and all knitters who would like to do any type of Nordic knitting are welcome. I will also try to publish updates, at least monthly, on the blog so that you can follow our progress virtually. Nordically yours, Sheryl

(PS - Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!)

I'm Knittin' Mittens!

2009-01-27T12:47:00.000-08:00

Since I became a knitter, I have wanted a pair of warm, hand knit mittens. The sticking point has been that my coat is a leather-suit-coat-lookin' thing that didn't really suit the obviously hand knit, woolly look I was craving in a mitten. Last month, I bought a proper winter coat that is perfect for wearing with hand knit, woolly mittens. I bought myself a pair of gloves that I knew I would not like, as motivation to cast on some of my dream mittens sooner rather than later. They have bobbles, which do not appeal to me, and they cost $5, so they are falling apart at a rapid pace...

Tonight, I'm casting on some mittens. Let it snow!

We Think Only Knitters Would Understand...

2009-01-21T08:11:00.001-08:00

An email exchange, in reverse:

Amanda: You just made me laugh out loud. I can't imagine what people would think if a foot arrived from Thailand.

Heather: I know what you mean...I was just sure it wouldn't be on ebay, but Joe said "Let's try" and just typed "mannequin foot" into a search and a bunch came up. And heads and torsos. And inflatable legs. It was a little freaky. I always have my ebay stuff delivered to me at work, so it was pretty funny when I got a package from Thailand, opened it up and took out a foot.

Amanda: Ah! I'm so jealous! I've always wanted a mannequin foot! Seriously. And a head. Not a hand so much...but a head and a foot sure would be nice sometimes. (Okay...someone who is not a knitter would so not understand this conversation...)

Heather: I'm going to have a shop sample up at RK in the next day or so...if you want to check it out. I used Louet Gems. I even bought a mannequin foot on ebay to use with them...they really need to be stretched out for full view...

And, as a side note...

The angel whose name is Courage is protecting the Francie Sock from Scott Farkus, who is being held back by Johnny Bravo and Hey Arnold. A couple of my staff guys had some time to kill on the day I had the sock and mannequin foot in my office....

"Crazy for Hats" Phase II

2009-01-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

Well, the charity knitting group has outdone themselves! In one week, 19 hats for the Cary Home guys have materialized, and 4 more hats for the women at Home With Hope. There was a huge pile in the donation basket, and the picture shows them spread out on the floor, with some details of each one. Many of them continue to be the Thorpe design (pattern hot link is in the previous charity knitting blog entry). And there are lots of other patterns in that pile too. If you need a pattern for one of the hats you see, you can email the blog and we will try to find out where it comes from. The need for boy's hats is pretty well filled at this time, however, the women (all adult ages) continue to need hats and scarves. Machine washable yarn is the best for them, however, you can attach a tag if other care is required.

All of you who have knitted Thorpe hats (not just charity ones), feel free to email the picture to me, and I will put it on the blog. We are going to chronicle Thorpe Mania for awhile. Elizabeth is sending out my email address in her weekly update from the shop. If you don't get her enewsletter from the shop (very useful and important piece of email every week!), be sure and let her know so that she can add your email address to the list.

Some of the ones I have so far include Mary (pictured), who attended Nordic Knitting in her new Noro Iro Thorpe Hat. She is also sporting one of those really cute neck scarves from One Skein, and a coordinating ruffle scarf on the couch that goes with her hat. (I am pretty sure that she also had hand knit socks on!)

Elizabeth (of River Knits) sent pictures of 2 of her kids with their Christmas Thorpe hats and the third picture shows the stranded knitting version, included in the pattern.

Keep happy knitting hats, the weather is perfect for it. Nordically yours, Sheryl

Meet Sigmund!

2009-01-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to "Name That Crocheted Weiner Dog" contest winner, Natalie Kanaby! Natalie felt like he screamed "Sigmund...not necessarily Freud"...so his official name will be henceforth Sigmund Notfreud.

Natalie wins the Arizona Colors Crochet Purse Kit seen below. Sigmund and I thank you, Natalie! Enjoy!

Thanks, too, to runner up Racine Kringle, for her very worthy entry: Aardi, Ninja Aardvark, Master of Disguise. Loved it! Racine, you win a ball of sock yarn...

You can pick up your prizes at River Knits...but wait until Friday. :)

Crazy for Hats - Christmas and Charity Knitting

2009-01-06T12:59:00.000-08:00

It all started with the sample that Elizabeth has at the shop for the web pattern - "Thorpe". I had made the alien hat and was looking for another similiar pattern for christmas presents and she has this pattern knitted using "Iro" yarn from Noro. It is so great in Iro! Subtle stripes and beautiful colors merge for a very stylish look. (Pink striped ones on the right). I had to use the smallest size since the gauge is a little looser using Iro, but I ended up making 4 hats from Iro for presents - on size 9 needles. They are very cozy, warm and not itchy since that yarn is soft wool and silk. The pattern is very trendy, I see it on Purdue students all over campus and in every catalog that carries winter sport's clothes. The newest baby catalog even has baby versions, and a one year old in a christmas card we received is sporting a fair-isle version! So you can't go wrong, baby or teenager, boy or girl.

While I was making the Iro versions, Elizabeth made more hats using Universal Chunky (self striping) for her son and for the girls at Cary Home. I needed to make some of those too! (Gray striped one below). And then, worsted weight versions (using a different pattern) from Malabrigo (green one above) and Manos. The Universal yarn is washable and dryable, being wool and acrylic mixture and so was perfect for the men on my christmas list (including my husband who begged for one), and for charity knitting. The charity knitting group is now making some for the boys/teenagers at Cary Home and if anyone could contribute a hat, it would be appreciated. But be forewarned, they are addicting. I have now made 8, and there is no end in sight.

Nordic Knitting - From Turkeys to the New Year!

2008-12-30T09:49:00.000-08:00

You may wonder what Turkeys and Native American cookies have to do with Nordic Knitting? And that is a very reasonable question. Since I am an academic, the end of the semester has interferred with documenting the ongoing projects in the Nordic Knitting Group at River Knits. Final lectures, tests and grades came in a big rush after Thanksgiving and I am just getting the post out from our end of November meeting, but here it is - better late than never.

We enjoyed Thanksgiving cookies with various personalities at our November meeting, the Monday before turkey day. They were a tasty treat and gave us the big sugar rush we needed to get going on those patterns and colors. The theme for this fall seems to be mittens and hats. Many of the mittens are coming from the Selbuvotter book, from a pattern of Nancy Bush's from the Piecework magazine, and from Dale of Norway flyers. Daletta, Falk, Heilo, Nature Spun Sport, and Baby Uhl are the favorite mitten yarns. Karen's (red), and Beth's mittens (teal and white) are beautiful on both sides and ready to wear. They report that they are very warm!

Mine aren't quite done yet as you can see. :<) I left them like this so that you could see how the thumbs are constructed (ha, ha).

Then, last night we had our New Year's - December meeting, skipping right over Christmas, Solstice, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. And Karen has started another pair - the Nancy Bush pattern, which uses a few less stitches than the Selbuvotter patterns, and so fits smaller hands better. She even had the great idea to use a slightly variegated yarn (Lucy Neatsby Celestial Merino) for the light stranded color, which goes beautifully with the lilac (below, right). Beth also started another pair last night. These mittens are addicting!

Toni and Dawn looked at patterns for mittens,
gloves, and doll sweaters last night, so we are looking forward to seeing progress with them in the New Year.

Later this week, I will show you the hats and socks that others in the group are working on in November and December. No large garments to report on until the New Year, but the beginnings of a really cool vest and a sweater were in evidence last night, so stay tuned. We made a lot of sweaters the last two years, so I guess it is time to warm the extremeties.

Meetings will continue in 2009 on the last Monday of each month at River Knits from 7-9 pm. As always, you can purchase items you need for knitting at the meetings, and everyone is invited who loves Nordic Knitting!! Nordically yours, Sheryl

Name That Crocheted Dog!

2008-12-16T08:50:00.000-08:00

So...it's time for another Tales From the River contest!

I was recently given this crocheted weiner dog by a friend who understands my penchant for old, weird, crafted things. He (or she) is now my office mascot, but needs a name!

Please send your Name That Crocheted Dog contest entry to riverknitstrivia@yahoo.com. Prizes will be given to one Grand Prize Winner and one Worthy Attempt. Can't wait to hear from you!

From Alien to Charity (and maybe to Elf)!

2008-11-26T13:32:00.000-08:00

This project started out as an Alien Hat for Halloween. As you can see, it turned out pretty well. I scared a lot of students at work (I teach at Purdue) on October 31. At least, they looked frightened while I was lecturing in this hat. I planned on making two of these as presents, but only got one done, so I kept it. (I really did covet it anyway). The pattern is a free one from the polarknit.com website. I substituted 2 strands of encore for the polar fleece it calls for and it worked great.

The project is so quick that I decided it would make a great hat for our charity knitting at River Knits. I have a hard time getting things done quickly enough for Holiday giving. I made a smaller one using the 2 strands of Encore again, and didn't put the spots or the eyeball stalks on it. I thought it might not look so great for a christmas present to have eyes coming out the top. (I might have been wrong with that though). I put a chain edging of a contrasting color around the earflaps and braided ties on the flaps using both colors. This version looks a lot like ones I see on campus. They are very popular now. And the whole hat takes about 2.5 to 3 hours to make on 10 or 10.5 US size needles. Cute and quick!

So, the next version may be an elf hat. The pattern is a little different and on the same website - polarknit.com (see picture below from the website). They even have ears! They would also be great for charity knitting for the holidays.

Happy knitting over the Holiday Turkey Weekend. Knitting helps calm me when relatives are around. Nordically yours, Sheryl (the Eyeball Alien)

Have camera, will blog!

2008-11-08T10:36:00.001-08:00

I have a camera again!! Yeah! I've missed being able to post pictures of my knitting and life in general. Last summer I enjoyed a wonderful canoeing trip on the Wabash. This was the last picture I enjoyed taking with my old camera.

Apparently the camera got wet after that and thus I have been incommunicado in the blogosphere. But now I am back!

Even though I don't approve of Christmas trees in November, I was delighted to see how Milissa set up the River Knits tree for the Holiday Open House! It is full of knitterly goodies that would delight even Scrooge on Christmas day!

Best are the wooly socks hung on the wall with our names on them. But if you want to see them, stop by soon. After Thanksgiving they'll be heading across the globe to warm over the feet of over 500 kids and teens living in orphanages in 2 cities in Kazakhstan. They are all part of the sock drive we've been contributing to all summer for Mittens for Akkol. If you'd like to contribute, ask me how! Meanwhile we're knitting up some slippers for the girls at Cary Home. Ladies size medium is what is needed, as well as warm hats & warm scarves and mittens.

So what's on my needles? Well I just finished a pair of Fetching mitts for my daughter. She is in her "black phase" now, so I chose a mostly black colorway of Karaoke and she is quite pleased. They go with her black coat. And black eyeliner. And black fingernails... You get the idea.

Nordic Knitting Time!

2008-09-23T06:39:00.000-07:00

With the advent of fall, it is time to get Nordically Knitting! This is a callout for the Nordic Knitting Club at River Knits. Our first club meeting will be on Monday evening, September 29th, from 7-9pm, at River Knits on Main Street in Lafayette. You can bring a project you are already working on, or come and pick out a new project. I will help anyone who is looking for inspiration or guidance, and there are plenty of other people in the club to help out too. We will have sample pattern books of sweaters, mittens, gloves, hats, scarves and socks for all ages and sizes. These will include a Teddy bear sweater pattern for a trial garment with nordic patterning and Norwegian sweater construction techniques on a small scale. It is really cute and you can see it modeled on a Teddy and a Raggedy Ann below. Also, there are great nordic patterns for Christmas Stockings, small and large. Or, bring a pattern you already have, and we will help you pick out the appropriate yarn.

Any type of northern European knitting is appropriate for this club - Norwegian, Estonian, Swedish, Icelandic, Fair-Isle, Finnish, Latvian and others. This isn't a class, so it is helpful if club members know how to knit in the round and how to use two colors while knitting ("stranding" technique). You don't have to be an expert though, and we can help.

So, don't be shy and come and join in the fun! Nordically yours, Sheryl

Charity Knitting Times Two

2008-09-09T09:57:00.000-07:00

Did you ever read those instructions that tell you to go through a pattern and circle the numbers that apply to your size? Well, I do this (most of the time) when knitting sweaters and other larger projects, but didn't really think that I needed to for socks with only 2 sizes. Well, a senior moment has proved me wrong. (Or maybe it is the fascinating and distracting conversation at charity knitting on Wednesdays!) I was making a pair of socks for the CIC (Children in Common) sock challenge, and had decided on the larger of the two sizes. Since I was knitting the second one of the pair on the plane during a business trip, I left the first sock at home to save on space in my knitting baggie (really - it is a plastic sandwich baggie). I had counted the heel stitches and knew that I had 20 on the heel flap. So..... that must mean that I was making the smaller of the sizes, and I couldn't remember for sure. The pattern uses Noro Kuryon and is from the pattern-a-day calender. The larger size was CO 44 and the smaller size was CO 40. I was a little surprised when I got home and put the two socks together and they were pretty different in size! (Photo 1) I started pulling on the smaller one on the right, trying to make it bigger, and thought that I must have been pretty stressed on the trip to have changed my gauge so much. How could this be?? Maybe I could block it bigger, but it really wasn't even close. Finally I had the sense to count the stitches. Even though the heel flap in the first one was 20 (don't know why I did that, is is supposed to be 22), the total stitch count was 44 around. So now what to do? Rip one of them out? They were too different to make a pair, especially for charity. There was no way I was sending them off to a child I didn't know, looking like this. I had started with 3 balls and had a ball left, but not enough to make two more socks.

Lucky for me, Elizabeth at River Knits had one more ball of the same color of Kuryon (different dye lot), so I snatched that up to make another pair of one medium and one large sock. The upside is that now there are 2 pairs for the charity basket instead of one! The large pair is shown in the second picture. My memory lapse had a positive end result. Now I circle my choices on the instructions, even when there are only two. I told myself that I must be getting wiser as I'm getting older. Something must be improving, because it certainly isn't my memory. And I had twice as much fun knitting these great Noro socks!

Are you a Ravthlete?

2008-08-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

Those of you who are on Ravelry know what I'm talking about. Those who aren't.....well, here's a brief explanation. Ravelry is sponsoring it's own version of the Knitting Olympics: Ravelympics. Those who are participating (like me) are called Ravthletes. Cute, right? The rules: You choose a project (or projects) that will challenge you as a knitter, and you work on them during the Olympics. You aren't allowed to start until the opening ceremonies and your projects must be complete by the time the closing ceremonies end. If you chose a truly challenging project, it's pretty tough to get it done in time.

Two years ago, I participated in the winter Knitting Olympics, organized by the Yarn Harlot. I chose a great project: fair isle knee socks. I did not finish them in time. In fact, I didn't finish them until January of this year. I was not a successful knitting olympian. This year, however, I was determined. I chose a smallish lace shawl in fine laceweight yarn on size 4 needles. I figured I'd be lucky to have it done in time.

I was wrong. But in a good way. I finished it this afternoon---more than a week early. It was an easier pattern than I expected. It's a birthday gift for my mom (if you know my mom, please don't tell her...her birthday is September 16, so please help me keep the secret until then). The only real stumble that I had in this race was running out of yarn 1/4 of the way through crocheting off the final row. Fortunately, I found some creamy white Misti Alpaca laceweight at River Knits that matched the color close enough. It was a little finer than the cashmere I used in the rest of the shawl, but it was close enough.

Pattern: Hyrna Herborgar from "Three-Cornered and Long Shawls"

An A-to-Z* Circular Vest Pattern, by Margie Towery

2008-06-20T08:11:00.000-07:00

An A-to-Z* Circular Vest Pattern, by Margie Towery
*A-musingly simple, drop-shouldered, many possibilities, next to Z-ero finishing
With thanks to Susan H. Esser for her vest pattern with garter stitch edges. I’ve revamped it to make for much less finishing. Please do not use vest for sale or sell pattern. It’s meant for charity purposes and for gifts for family and friends.

Version A: Malabrigo worsted weight in light blue, about 350 yards, size 9 needles (24” circ and straight); gauge: 4 sts/1”; finished size: chest 25” and length 14-15” (2-4 yr-olds?) Shown in photos.
Version B: Lamb’s Pride worsted weight, 2 skeins (380 yards), size 9 needles (24” circ and straight); gauge: 3 ½ sts/1”; finished size: chest 31” and length 18-19” (7-9 yr-olds?)
Version C: Cascade 220 Heather, 3 skeins (660 yards), needles size 5 and 7 24” circs and 7 straights; gauge: 4 ½ sts/1” on 7s; finished size: chest 38” and length 24” (small adult)
Instructions are written for A (B, C).
BEGINNING
Cast on multiple of 4: 100 (120, 172). (For adult version, cast on and ribbing on size 5 needles)
Join, being carefully not to twist sts.
Ribbing: 6 rows of 2x2 (6 rows of 2x2, 10 rows of 1x1) (adult version, change to size 7s on first row after ribbing)
Stockinette stitch for about 9 (11, 16) inches in the round to the underarm. At this point you should have used about ½ of your yarn. From now on you will be working back and forth rather than in round.
Slip the last half (50, 60, 86) of total stitches (that you just knitted) onto holder for the back.
LEFT FRONT
Turn to wrong side. Use cable cast on, CO 4 (4, 5) stitches. This is the garter sleeve band. Turn to right side. Knit these 4 stitches and half of remaining stitches: 25 (30, 43).
Slip remaining 25 (30, 43) sts onto holder. These are the stitches that are next up on your needle.
Turn to wrong side. With cable cast on, CO 4 (4, 5) stitches for garter neck band for left front.
Knit these 4 (4, 5) stitches, purl to last 4 (4, 5) sts., knit the last 4 (4, 5) sts. If desired, use markers as reminders to maintain garter bands. Also, try to keep garter bands somewhat loose.
*(RS)k4 (4, 5), k to last 6 (6, 7) sts, k2tog, k4 (4, 5). Turn. (WS) K4 (4, 5), purl to last 4 (4, 5) sts, k4 (4, 5).* Repeat * to * until you have 10 (12, 18) sts left between the garter stitch borders: 18 (20, 28) stitches total. End with the purl row. Break yarn; slip stitches to holder.
RIGHT FRONT
Return to right front. Slip stitches onto left needle, so you’re ready to knit them from the right side. Using long-tail method (and leaving a 24-inch tail), cast on 4 (4, 5) sts to right needle (the right front neck band). Keep yarn tight for first stitch or two and knit across 25 (30, 43) sts. Turn. Use cable CO, cast on 4 (4, 5) sts for sleeve band. Knit back across these. Purl to last 4 (4, 5) sts, k4 (4, 5).
*(RS)k4 (4, 5), SKP, knit to end. Turn. (WS) K4 (4, 5), purl to last 4 (4, 5) sts, k4 (4, 5).* Repeat * to * until you have 10 (12, 18) stitches left between the garter stitch borders: 18 (20,28) sts total. End with the purl row. Break yarn; slip stitches to holder.
The only finishing bit: Go back to the tail from cast on at the V of the neck and use it first to cinch up any loose or stretched center stitches and then tack down the v-neck pieces. It’s much easier to do this now than later.
BACK
Note: There are no decreases on the back. You’ll add the garter bands then knit most of the back flat. When you get to the last few rows, you’ll add some ribbing.
Slip the back stitches (50, 60, 86) onto the left needle ready to knit across the right side. With right needle, pick up and knit 4 (4, 5) sts from garter sleeve band, knit across back sts (50, 60, 86), pick up and knit 4 (4, 5) sts from garter sleeve band. Turn. K4 (4, 5), purl to last 4 (4, 5) sts, k4 (4, 5).
*(RS) Knit across total stitches (58, 68, 96). Turn. (WS) K4 (4, 5), purl to last 4 (4, 5) sts, k4 (4, 5).* Repeat these 2 rows 13 times (26 rows) for A; 16 times (32 rows) for B; 21 times (42 rows) for C. In order to figure number of back rows for other cast ons, count number of decreases in front times 2 minus 4 rows. For A, 15 decreases (25 to 10) x 2 = 30, minus 4 rows; thus, 26 rows.
Last (4, 6, 8) rows: (RS) k4 (4, 5) to maintain garter band, k14 (16, 23) to match front stitches and one band, 2x2 rib for 22 (28, 40 but in 1x1 rib for adult size), k14 (16, 23), k4 (4, 5).
(WS): k4 (4, 5), p 14 (16, 23), maintain ribbing, p14 (16, 23), k4 (4, 5).
For A, work these two rows 2 times (4 rows); for B 3 times (6 rows), for C: 4 times (8 rows).
Lay vest out flat and make sure your front matches the back in length. If not add rows as necessary.
All back stitches are now on one needle. Turn vest so right sides are together or face each other. Slip stitches from left and right fronts onto another needle. You’re ready for 3-needle bind off.
Bind off the first 18 (20, 28) stitches as 3-needle BO. Use regular bind off for the next batch of stitches of BACK only until you have 18 (20, 28) stitches left, to match the other front vest part. Now BO 3-needle wise the rest of the stitches.
Weave in ends and you’re done!
For adult sweater I used the texture pattern as follows: Multiple of 4 sts
Row 1: k3, p1 across
Rows 2, 3, 4: maintain stockinette st.
Row 5: k1, *p1, k3* across
Rows 6, 7, 8: maintain stockinette
After knitting in round to armhole, end with purl side rows 2 or 6, so set up rows for v-neck are done on stockinette rows.
Comments or corrections? Please email to mtowery@aol.com

Happy Sockday to me! Happy Sockday to me!

2008-06-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

After two years of waiting, my day finally came. This evening, I was gifted with seven pairs of glorious, gorgeous hand knit socks.

Aren't they beautiful?! Want to learn more about them? Then get on over to the Gaea Creations blog to read more!

What Once Was Lost...

2008-06-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

...Now Is Found!

Anyone who was at the River Knits Yarn Tasting might have heard me lamenting about my daughter's lost Wallaby. I had wanted to bring the Wallaby to the Yarn Tasting to show an example of a garment knit with Universal Classic Worsted Tapestry. When I asked my daughter if I could borrow her sweater for the evening, a horrible look of woe came over her face and thus I learned that said sweater had not been seen in months. That led to what seemed like a full-scale search and rescue mission that was finally ended with no leads into the whereabouts of the sweater.

I was sad, but I recovered. I do love my daughter more than the sweater.

So fast forward until yesterday when my dear daughter was cleaning her room and packing to go on a trip. I heard a loud, "MOM!" that inspired mild concern. I thought something was wrong. (But it was only mild concern because the something that is "wrong" is often just the presence of a small spider or something else that isn't really all too "wrong" even though it inspires that tone of voice in my daughters.)

My daughter appeared at the doorway with none other than the long lost sweater!

It had been packed in a long-unopened overnight bag that had never been unpacked after a previous outing. Mystery solved!

UFO week - epilogue

2008-05-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

This is my last day for blogging about the marathon UFO week and I was reflecting on how it had gone. I am very happy to have 6/7 projects done, and the 7th project very near completion. The pile of folded and finished items is very gratifying (see picture minus the 2 first projects that have already gone to their new owners). My friend sent a thank-you for her shawl (#1) and said it will be a comfort to wear to her chemotherapy sessions, and she loved the colors. I can't wait to wear the sleeveless linen top when the weather warms up, and I don't know if I would have ever finished it without this binge of spring knitting. Besides needing about 5 more hours on the last row, the last shawl (#7) also needs more yarn (of course). Elizabeth (River Knits and Tales from the River Blog owner) is looking for a skein of Kidsilk Haze that matches. She is the best. I am very grateful that I didn't run out of yarn on other projects. I also only have 2 knitting injuries - a very tight and sore deltoid and a stiff wrist, both on my left side. I am blaming the unfinished shawl. I have renewed respect for lace knitters. I did stretch every hour - shoulders, elbows and wrists - and credit that for not having more injuries. I usually get tennis and golf elbow from knitting that many hours a day. My workroom is a mess (see picture), but I will clean that up tonight. The best part is 7 empty knitting bags to go and fill up with new projects! Happy knitting to all of you.

The Last Long (and fun) Day

2008-05-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

Day 7 of UFO Marathon Week, Monday May 26 (Memorial Day)

Today I started knitting at 6:30 am and stopped at 10:30 pm. I didn't knit or work on knitting for only 75 minutes during the day. Those 75 minutes were to eat, brush my teeth, run the dogs on my bike, make 14 cups of tea, coffee, espresso, etc. and to go an equal number of times to the bathroom. At one point in the afternoon, when I was 8 hours into the knitting, my husband commented (I was slumped on the couch with barely combed hair, and my "Life is Good" yellow labrador sweats and t-shirt on) that all I needed was my Camelback full of my favorite beverage and I wouldn't even have to get up! I did look rather rumpled and slovenly, and certainly wasn't going to accomplish anything but knitting on this holiday day off work. It is also a good thing that he does most of the meal preparation, or I would have starved this last week.

I started the morning with 6 hours of work on the shawl border. It is the Ruffled Fichu from "Victorian Lace Today" by Jane Sowerby. I am making the sunset red version with a beautiful green/purplish silk I bought in San Francisco for the lightweight yarn and Rowan Kidsilk haze from River Knits for the fineweight yarn. I had finished the body of the shawl and picked up for the border a couple of months ago, with 6 inches of the silk left (whew!) after finishing the body. The border is described by Jane Sowerby as "a relaxing knit ... please don't count the stitches halfway through the ruffle...just think of the beautiful garment you will be wearing at the end." Well, that is good advice except if you are trying to finish it during marathon finishing week! After 6 rows of the 19 border rows, I knew I was in deep doodoo. The stitches increased from 233 to 840 by row 17. Each row pair was taking an hour, so that was 9 hours of knitting, just to get to the last row picot bind off. That row increased to 1401 stitches while binding off. I started the bind-off row at 9pm Monday night and calculated that it would take about 10 hours to finish the last row. I did not stay up. I finished 4/38 bells in the pattern during that last hour on Monday, and am working on it about an hour a day. I am also probably going to run out of yarn. It is a learning experience.

The toddler sweater for CIC charity went much faster. I had blocked it the day before, and it was still wet in the morning, so I put it outdoors on the picnic table. It was dry by 1:30pm and I knitted the sleeves and put it together. It was done by 5pm. The pattern is from the Knit Girls Kids book (same book as other toddler sweater), and the yarn is Colorado by Katia, bought about 7 years ago and left over from a vest I made for me. I really like how the baby sweater turned out.

Day 6 - Clothes Encounters of the Third Kind

2008-05-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

UFO Day 6 - Sunday May 25, 2008

Today I blocked the socks on my moose sock blockers – they are a beautiful wood with a moose cut-out at the top and are just my size. You can put wet socks on them because they are finished with a waterproof varnish.

I also got the neckbands finished on the linen top. I had to do the cast-off on each of the neckbands 3 times because it flipped out at the edge when I followed the instructions. I ended up doing K2tog every 4th stitch and then binding off and that decreased the flare. I had already dropped down a needle size and was binding off tightly. It looked much better the third time. This project was a total act of faith and I still don’t know at this moment how it will turn out. I just now threw the top in the dryer to see what the finished size will be. I bought the pattern and yarn 5 or 6 years ago. The pattern is “Elizabeth” (2002) from Louet sales and is written for the Euroflax heathers yarn. I had taken a class about “knitting to fit” and so swatched this project using the pattern stitch as recommended, washed and dried the swatches to figure out the correct needle sizes and then what size to knit. I used Addi turbos size 4.5 and 4.0 mm, which are a size smaller than the pattern. I usually knit pretty loose. Also, I was 10 lbs lighter when I started this top, and it is very fitted, so don’t know how it will fit me, even if it comes out like I planned. The linen yarn is also a challenge to knit with (although actually fun and very beautiful), and so I had lost faith in the whole project about ½ way through. However, since my New Year’s resolution (this year) was to finish my UFOs, I picked it back up in January, and decided it would fit someone. I will know the answer tomorrow when it is completely dry. It is recommended to wash in the machine, dry for 15 minutes at low heat and then finish drying flat. I will put the 2 buttons on the shoulder straps tomorrow, after it is dry, and I can see where the buttons should go. Time to finishing from starting on it yesterday – 2.75 hours. It will probably take another ½ hour to put the buttons on, although it may take hours to pick them out. Now off to work on the fichu shawl.

The pictures below are after removing the top from the dryer, and you can see it has gained 4.5 inches across, or 9 inches around (26 inches bust to 35 inches). I am 40 inches, but it is very stretchy (I hope)! The linen feels wonderful.

UFO Days 4 & 5 - Starting the long Weekend

2008-05-27T10:51:00.000-07:00

UFO Days 4 & 5 - THE START OF THE LONG WEEKEND! – Friday was day 4 and I didn’t finish a project. The work day was really demanding and long, and I didn’t get home until late, although I had been planning to leave early and get the socks done. I did get a couple of inches done on the foot (1.5 hours) after dinner and a margarita (which didn't speed up knitting), and figured I could finish the socks and maybe the sleeveless top on Saturday. On Day 5 (Saturday) I was successful with the socks. It was the first day of the 3 day weekend, and between doing laundry, running with the dog, obedience lessons at the dog club and putting away tent and sleeping bag from a recent camping trip, the socks got finished with 2 hours of knitting in the morning and another hour on the toe during Prairie Home Companion in the evening. The patterned yarn looks pretty nice in the lace part and then striped in the bottom, heel and toe. The yarn is Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock, color Flamingo Stripe, and the pattern is the Peaks ‘n’ Valleys in "Knit Socks!" by Betsy McCarthy (yarn and book from River Knits). It is a good pattern for short stripes so they don’t pool. These were knit using 2.25 mm 40” circulars and the magic loop technique. It takes a long time to finish socks for myself since I have such Big Feet! (And I’m a slow knitter) - 4.5 hours total to finish the foot and toe.
I also got a good start on the neckband of the sleeveless top on Saturday (day 5), but didn’t finish it. The yarn is Euroflax Heathers – a wetspun 100% chunky weight linen yarn. I can only knit with it for an hour or two at a time, because the linen is so inflexible and makes my hands ache if I work with it longer. The neckband is a very tight basketweave cable, and I messed up picking up the stitches, and then the buttonholes were wrong, so had to do the front neckband twice (aaaaargh!). Hope to finish it tomorrow.

Newsflash from Roswell - third UFO spotted!

2008-05-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

There wasn't too much to finish on this afghan, and that was good because I didn't have too much time yesterday. I worked on it from 8 to 9:30 pm when I got back from work in Huntington. I was really freaked out sewing up the center seam because the instructions had suggested that I needed 30 inches and I left that amount of yarn at the start when I cast on for the project. It didn't look like enough last night. I had 2 inches left when the seam was done. The bears are enjoying it in the first picture on the left. (They have their own handknit sweaters). It looked like a blob before I cast off, and I used up almost all of the yarn. This project has been going on for at least 18 months, but I can't really remember when I bought the yarn. This is my wine drinking project (and sometimes tequila) since it is knit one row, purl one row, and all I have to remember is 4 increases every knit row. It may be the only project I have never ripped any part out. As with the rest of the afghan, I completed it last night while drinking a large glass of Merlot. I love how it turned out, and the beautiful mix of colors! It is very cozy and the yarns feel delicious. I can't wait to snuggle up in it, and with the cool spring, I don't think I will have to wait until fall. The pattern and yarn both came from River Knits and the yarn is the Lorna's laces bundle. This color grouping is Watercolor, Blackberry, Sage and Denim. There are several beautiful color groupings available and the yarns range from angora and silk to wool, mohair and cotton. It is really fun to knit

UFO Day 2 - Toddler sweater finished!

2008-05-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure I would be able to post on the blog today, because I am working in Huntington. But we have a break at lunch, so here it goes, a new computer skill. The blogging is more challenging than the knitting part. Yesterday morning this toddler sweater was in 4 pieces and today it is on its way to the 3 month old baby it was made for. Forest was born in March 08, and his sweater was finished knitting in November, but not put together in time for his birth! Good thing it was finally sewn together yesterday. Before I would know it, it would be too small, although it is size 3. The yarn is a delicious lumpy bumpy stuff hand dyed by Charlene, 99% merino. The pattern is from "The Yarn Girls Guide to Kid Knits", a collection of quick and very cute kids and baby patterns that I bought at River Knits. It took 4,5 hours to finish yesterday, 1.5 hours sewing with the charity knitting group at noon at River Knits and 3 hours watching the Mets last night. Before leaving at 7am, I packed it in a little lamby gift bag, and gave it to my husband to deliver. I hope that his parents like it!

A week of UFOs - day one

2008-05-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

The first day of this knitting marathon finished successfully with the delivery of the shawl. I belong to a knitting group in Indianapolis
called the Knitwits (of course!), and we met last night at a restaurant in the Trader's Pointe area. One of the knitters will deliver the shawl to my friend who is also a member of the group. She couldn't make it last night, but will find out today what her treatment plan is for her breast cancer. It is the UFO that was started most recently (2 weeks ago) but needed to get done first. The pattern is the triangular shawl pattern from River Knits that works with the Cherry Tree Hill Boucle. I used another yarn from my stash to make the shawl this time. It is handpainted by Valentina Devine (America Knits Book), and is a boucle that I got about 6 years ago in New Mexico at a workshop she held at Ghost Ranch. It knitted up quickly on #17 needles and made a cozy shawl 74 inches tip to tip. Time to finishing - 80 minutes including working the ends in. Time for wrapping - 35 minutes (I am very slow and had to find a box, paper, bow, card, etc. you get the idea). I got up at 5:45 am and finished it before going to work on Tuesday and left after work to go straight down to Indianapolis for our dinner meeting. Lots of fun, but tired today due to arriving home at 11pm. 1 project done and delivered!! Blogging done, now on to finishing a toddler sweater, so that I can blog about it tomorrow.

Week of UFO's: 7 Days to Finish 7 Projects!

2008-05-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

--from guest blogger, Sheryl

This all started when I realized that I had way too many UFOs, and I wanted to start 2 new projects. There is no way I could have 11 ongoing projects.
I am working on the Mystery Shawl in Amanda’s shawl class and a pair of Norwegian mittens in River Knits Nordic Club, in addition to these other 7 lingering garments. Even for me, that is too many. Plus, the 7 projects that I am going to finish this week are all pretty close to the end and this plan seems very reasonable (at least it does in the middle of the night). The number of these UFOs, and their nearness to completion must have been working on my subconscious, because last week I woke up in the middle of the night with the answer – for one week, finish a project each day and they would be done - a UFO marathon week. Looking at the calendar helped the idea along, since I can incorporate the Memorial holiday weekend, giving me a three day weekend at the end of the week if I get behind on my 1 project/day schedule.
The photograph shows 6 of the seven projects – 2 shawls, a toddler sweater, one pair of socks (one sock unfinished), an afghan, and a sleeveless summer top. Another toddler cardigan is not pictured, since it is my charity knitting project and lives in the car. It is scheduled for later in the week. These projects range in unfinished age from 2 weeks to 4 years.
The schedule is: Day 1, Tuesday – Boucle shawl for a friend starting cancer therapy on Wednesday. Wednesday will be the pullover toddler sweater that needs to be sewn together – it is already finished and blocked. The afghan is scheduled for Thursday because it only needs a couple of rows and to be bound off and a small seam sewn up. That day is a long work day and so it will be a challenge to get anything done on the knitting projects. (Work can be so demanding of knitting time). Friday will probably be the sleeveless summer top, and that may run into Saturday. Saturday’s project is the ruffle on the second shawl. Sunday will be the toddler cardigan and Monday the second sock.
Well, now all there is to do is get started tomorrow! Wish me luck.

I KNIT today!

2008-05-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

I KNIT today!

What is so unusual about THAT you ask? Isn't this a blog about knitting? Don't you knit nearly EVERY day? Well, yes, usually. But not after getting stung on the hand by a honeybee.

My husband and I just embarked on a new project; installing 2 hives of honeybees at our home. Collecting the bees at the post office was really exciting. If you ever want people to notice you, I highly recommend this as an effective technique for achieving your goal! Installing the bees in the hives went pretty well too and we felt satisfied with our teamwork in getting the bees from the little screen box into the hives.

A week later we were supposed to check on the status of the bees, determine if the queen seemed to be laying eggs and install one more frame (upon which the bees build comb, raise brood and store honey) in the space that had been created by the separate little queen cage, which we removed. We did all this pretty well even though it required a more adventurous spirit than we realized it would! Brent was very brave at one point when he needed to reach his whole bare hand into the hive to pull out some stray burr comb. Later he got one sting on his hand, but he didn't seem too bothered by it.

When we were nearly done, I found one stray bee trying to crawl up my sleeve. I knew she was there and I tried to gently remove her but got stung for my efforts. I removed the stinger and wasn't too bothered by this event. We finished our job, refilled the sugar syrup that the bees feed on until they have created their own stores of honey, and called it a job well done.

But the story wasn't over. As the evening wore on I enjoyed watching the 40th anniversary musical performance of my high school swing choir. Sitting in the dark and hot auditorium I got more and more uncomfortable and realized my hand was starting to throb. By intermission I realized that my hand was beginning to swell. Being in a small town there wasn't a nearby open pharmacy but we called my aunt who left (her dog Roxie's) benadryl on the front porch for me. I took this and iced my hand but by Sunday it looked like this.

I was thoroughly miserable and needed help dressing myself and doing the simplest of tasks that I take for granted every day. I simply did not have the use of my fingers because my hand was so swollen that I couldn't bend my fingers much at all. It was surreal to see my hand look so much NOT like my hand. (The astute might be wondering what happened to Brent's hand; if you recall he also got stung once on the hand. What happened? Nothing at all. Life can be so unfair!)

I finally went to the Immediate Care Center on Monday evening because I was losing patience with the whole process. The doctor there defined my response as a severe localized response but not an allergic reaction (which would be characterized by hives, swelling, possibly difficulty breathing etc, throughout my whole body; not just at the site of the sting). He suggested Zyrtec, and prescribed antibiotics and prednisone. I took the antibiotics and Zyrtec but not the prednisone since it was to be taken in the morning. I felt so much improved by Tues. morning that I skipped the prednisone all together. I could begin to use my fingers although I still had noticeable swelling.

One of my daughters thinks I should give up the bees. Tomorrow Brent will refill the feeders by himself. I will be surfing the internet for something like this:

But today--today I KNIT! That marks the moment of true recovery! Life is back to normal now and I am really enjoying everything I do with my hands that I had previously taken for granted.

Out of the Slump

2008-05-08T13:45:00.000-07:00

In the last two weeks, I've hired an assistant, trained her and interviewed 17 candidates for my camp counselor positions. By the time I get home, I'm exhausted and crabby from having to be so friendly all day. I go home each night thinking, "I just need to put a good movie in and knit until I can't stay awake anymore." Then I sit and my arms feel so heavy I just can't knit...it's a bad feeling.

On Saturday night, I managed to pull the basket of sock knitting from the end table to my lap. I even frogged a couple of first socks, just to get them out of the UFO files. I also found a lot of first socks that had no mates...

And on Sunday, I had enough energy to cast on mates for all of them...

That's a better feeling...

New Blog

2008-05-06T05:53:00.000-07:00

I guess it's been kind of slow at "the River" lately. I really am knitting something--Amanda's socks. But those are in the "top secret" category right now so they don't make for good blog pics!

My DH started a blog a few days ago called The Big Good. Yours truly posted yesterday and since that post is tangentially about knitting, I thought you might want to check it out. It'll give you something to look at until we get a real post here again anyway!

Sockrilege

2008-04-04T05:46:00.000-07:00

6:40-something a.m. - the phone rings. Caller ID tells me it is my teenage son who has already left the house to walk the 1/2 mile or so down the lane to where he gets on the school bus. He has forgotten his math book and folder. He wants me to bring them to him before the bus collects him. I know that time is of the essence.

I am wearing a bathrobe and a pair of socks (that I treasure), knit by Michelle. But really there is no time to spare and I don't like to think of what will happen if I have to speed after the bus in just my bathrobe. Not thinking all that much I grab the math book, the folder and my car keys. I run for the car.

Two thoughts go through my mind: It has rained and the ground is wet; I wonder if nylon in socks protects against holes even while walking over rocks. I grit my teeth and speed down the lane. The bus hasn't arrived yet and I pass the forgotten books to my son and drive back up the lane a little more slowly.

I sit in my driveway and wonder if anyone in the house would come to me with a pair of shoes if I honk the horn and flash my lights. I decide it's unlikely. I take a deep breath and walk gingerly back across the rocks to the house hoping that socks are like cats and have nine lives.

Distraction

2008-04-01T12:06:00.001-07:00

Look what's trying to distract me from the piles of work on my desk...

Too bad I have to work till 8:00 tonight....

Isn't She Lovely?

2008-03-25T07:46:00.001-07:00

I'm in deep smit. I am smitten with this sock. (If only I had the photography skills to do it justice...)

The pattern is "Rib and Cable Sock" by Nancy Bush and it's from, I think, the Fall 2005 issue of Interweave Knits. I've had this pattern in the back of my mind for a long time (well, since fall 2005) but haven't found the right yarn for it.

Then came Friday, March 21, 2008. I had the day off. I had the day off with my children in school and my husband at work. I was going to knit and watch movies all day. Thursday night I had been feeling discouraged...I knew I had all day Friday to knit without interruption, but had no projects I was really excited about on the needles.

Then came Friday, March 21, 2008. I dropped Josie off at school and went straight to River Knits. I found some Jitterbug sock yarn that I loved. I went home and cast on for this sock. I knit on it all day. It was wonderful. The yarn was wonderful. The pattern was fun. The results were encouraging. I knit on them while I watched a favorite literary adaptation featuring the latest pretend person I'm crushing on. For 6 hours.

If I hadn't slept all day Sunday, this sock would have been done early Sunday afternoon. As it happened...I finished it last night. I can't wait to cast on for the second sock tonight.

In Which I Use the Word "Aesthetic" A Lot

2008-03-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

I've been talking to people a lot about knitting socks lately. I always talk about knitting socks, because I'm always knitting socks and spend a lot of time with other people who knit a lot of socks, but the last couple of Saturdays I've spent the morning teaching a beginning sock knitting class...so opportunities to preach my socky obsession have abounded. What I've discovered is that when I talk sock knitting, I use the word "aesthetic" a lot. So much that it started to sound like I was using it incorrectly. I had to look it up in the Great Big Book of Everything to be sure I wasn't. I think this definition is the most appropriate for my purposes: "pertaining to, involving or concerned with pure emotion and sensation as opposed to pure intellectuality."

Mostly I'm talking about why I knit socks the way I do...I switch a lot between 7 inch and 6 inch needles, sometimes Crystal Palace needles feel the best to me, sometimes good old Clover dpns are the thing. I do ribbing on three needles, then switch to four needles for the stockinette bits, purely because of how it looks and feels on four needles. I will always prefer dpns to the magic loop or 2 circs, and no amount of coaxing from those who tell me it's faster the other ways will change the fact that I knit socks according to what is most aesthetically pleasing to me...and that means dpns.

I also love the way a sock looks and feels when it's hanging off of dpns...particularly after the heel has been turned and there's some foot progress to be seen. For example, this Mona sock is at the just about perfect, aesthetically speaking, stage:

I'll bet you didn't think there would be a "but" in this one, did you?

BUT...I have also discovered that there are times when it is necessary to take short cuts in sock knitting. Like when you are at the Lafayette Theater watching A Streetcar Named Desire and you just want to knit around and around and around so you don't have to look away from the brilliance onscreen.

That's when you feel glad to read the Yarn Harlot and that you know Debbie Doggett, so that you can throw in the not-quite-as-aesthetically-pleasing-but-practical-for-continued-mindless-knitting technique known as the "Afterthought Heel". I read about it on the Yarn Harlot's blog...she was at a concert, not wanting to monkey around with turning a heel, and yet at the point of a sock where a heel was becoming necessary. I investigated further and found that River Knits' own Debbie Dogget is an Afterthoughter and she helped me to discover the simplicity of the afterthought heel. Here's how it works...

When you reach the point of the sock where you feel a heel should be placed, knit half of your sock stitches onto waste yarn (I've used a strand of cotton in a pastel shade, to make it easy to see it in the middle of the blue stripe):

Then you keep right on knitting around and around and finish the foot of the sock. When you have finished the toe, you go back to the heel...and here's the payoff for the thrill seeking knitter...you unravel the waste yarn...

...and pick up the stitches. Once you have the stitches back on the needles, you'll work these stitches exactly as you did the toe (decrease a round, knit a round, etc...)

I am really pleased with the two socks I have used this technique on. So pleased that in April, I will be offering a class to help others discover the wonders of the afterthought. I don't think this technique will replace my much loved, aesthetically sound heel flap technique, but there are benefits to using the afterthought heel:

1. It can keep the knitting mindless for longer, so you can watch old movies and keep knitting (I even fixed a dropped stitch in the dark at the theater last week! It was quite a moment.)

2. If you don't like the heel flap technique, this is a good heel that is easier than the short row heel technique.

3. Debbie says the socks with the afterthought heel fit her feet better.

4. If you're using self striping yarn, your stripes will not be disrupted the way they can be with other heel techniques.

5. If you have a very clever boy at home (like I do), the sock can become a puppet when you pick up the heel stitches...

The Democratic Hat

2008-03-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

This hat was inspired by “The Republic Hat”
Since campaigning is in high gear now, the name for my version seemed just right. You may wear yours regardless of your political persuasion.

Materials:
1 skein Araucania Loa (47 yd/100g)
1 skein Araucania Limari (61 yd/100g)
1 set #11 16” circular needle and 1 set #11 dpn’s (or size needed to obtain gauge – I knit loosely; you might need #13’s to get the same gauge)

Gauge: 2 ½ stitches per inch

Size: Adult medium; approximately 22” circumference

With Loa (brim color) CO 50 st. on 16” circular needle. Place marker, join, being careful not to twist.
Beginning with a purl row, knit in garter stitch (k one round, p one round) until piece measures 2 ½ inches from cast on edge.

Switch to Limari (main color yarn) and knit in stockinette (k every round) until hat measures 6 inches from cast on edge.

Begin decreases, switching to dpn’s when work becomes too tight on the circular needle:
*K 8, K2tog* repeat around
*K 7, K2tog* repeat around
*K 6, K2tog* repeat around
*K 5, K2tog* repeat around
*K 4, K2tog* repeat around
*K 3, K2tog* repeat around
*K 2, K2tog* repeat around
*K 1, K2tog* repeat around
*K2tog* repeat around

Cut yarn, leaving a 6” tail. Using tapestry needle, thread yarn through remaining stitches and weave in tail on the wrong side of the work. Weave in remaining ends.

Add a fancy button or campaign button to the brim if you wish!

Copyright 2008 River Knits

Sock Knitters' Pentathlon Begins

2008-03-03T13:21:00.001-08:00

Jacobean Silk WIP
Originally uploaded by RiverKnits

If ever there were an event to remind me that I am a VERY SLOW knitter, this is it! The Sock Knitters' Pentathlon is a contest that has brought together knitters from around the world to knit 5 pairs of socks, a sock every 2 months. The fastest to post pictures of WIPS & FO's win. Easy enough. I really wasn't eager to try to place because I figured it would be impossible. But I was really blown away by the fact that the first knitter had a finished pair of socks in something like 9 or 10 hours after the pattern was posted. Truly amazing!

This is my sock in progress. The pattern is called Jacobean; it is knitted toe up with a Magic Cast on. I had never tried that before but found it easy and fun. In case you're wondering those ARE 2 circs in the picture. Who would've thunk it? I know. The yarn is Panda Silk. Let me say these Panda Silk socks are going to be possibly my most luxurious feeling socks ever. They feel dressy and expensive (but they're not!).

Overall I think this will make a very sharp sock. I'm sure I'll have mine done sometime in the allotted 2 months!

Thorpe Mini Modeled

2008-02-21T07:08:00.001-08:00

Thorpminimodeled
Originally uploaded by RiverKnits

Here it is, on someone whom it fits! *Aggressive* blocking was the key.

Here is the picture of my Iro Thorpe too. It fits adults and used exactly one skein of Noro Iro. I even did the half double crochet border with the Iro, trying to use every last bit. I was only 80 inches short and used a complementary yarn in 2 strands of the braids.

Why gauge matters (reprise)

2008-02-17T07:49:00.001-08:00

ThorpMini
Originally uploaded by RiverKnits

It's an old, old tale, so I won't bore you with too much of it. Suffice it to say...I thought I could get gauge with Manos in a pattern calling for Malabrigo Chunky. Following the "but it's just a hat" rule of thumb I didn't swatch. And what you see before you is a hat that with any luck will fit a toddler. Bottom line, the yarn is not chunky enough, I am inherently challenged with stranded knitting being too tight, so we'll just consider this hat my first swatch. As far as the size goes, there's nowhere to go but up!

ETA: I forgot to say though, that sometimes things go right! :-)

Amanda is right--it's a lot easier to make something fit well with top down construction that you can try on as you go.

This is Knitting Pure and Simple pattern #267 Neckdown Bulky Bolero knit in Noro Iro.

Too Bad...

2008-02-06T06:58:00.000-08:00

After hearing about the tornadoes in Arkansas last night, we had to call Joe's mom this morning...she and three of her sisters had gone to their sister in law's funeral, and we weren't exactly sure where they were in Arkansas...

Turns out they are fine...they left Arkansas yesterday and got as far as St Joe, Missouri. Then the roads iced up and they had to stop at a hotel (less than an hour from one of the sisters' houses). They asked the hotel staff what the forecast was and heard that they were expecting 8 inches of snow. Now they are snowed in at the hotel...

So it's the four sisters, ranging in age (roughly) from 58 to 77 and Jenn, Aunt Cheryl's daughter, who is in her 20's...stuck in a hotel. With only basic cable and the card game Phase 10.

It's too bad they don't knit. That sounds like a pretty good deal if you've got yarn and needles with you...and what knitter, facing a road trip like that, would not have at least 2 projects along for the ride??

Fee, Fi, Fo, Felt

2008-02-04T18:11:00.000-08:00

If you saw this,

you might think I have a plumbing problem. But that's not it. I actually have a REALLY NICE LG frontloader that I love. It has changed my life. It saves water & electricity because clothes don't take nearly as long to dry since they get spun out so well in the washing machine. I love it. But it's not so good for felting. Contrary to popular belief, it does felt things--quite well! Too well! It puts permanent creases that I don't like in felted things. So I had to improvise another system. What you see above is it!

I thought it would be difficult and laborious to felt using my own elbow power. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. First off I tried my Bordhi Basket that I had knit in the moebius workshop with Cat Bordhi last year at TNNA.

I used hot water in one tub, with a squirt of WoolMix. I put cold water in the other bucket. I plunged my basket in the hot water, then when I felt like a change I threw it in the cold bucket and plunged some more. Back & forth. It probably didn't even take 15 minutes in all. I think I put more hot water in the hot bucket one time. I loved the results!

Several hours later I remembered my Unspun Mittens! I quickly scanned the Interweave Felt magazine for felting directions and discovered they involved what sounded like hard work and bubble wrap. "Bah!" thought I! My pluger method worked so well before I thought I'd try it again. I threw my mittens in the hot bucket and plunged away again, alternating with dips in the cold water until I liked what I got. Now I have a really warm pair of mittens!

I am glad I've figured out a way to do controlled felting without a toploading washing machine. It was fun!

Felted Sheep Tote

2008-01-30T17:51:00.000-08:00

So my needle felting needs a little work, but I think I can correct my mistakes on the next bag. And maybe I'll go back today and fill it in a little...I suspect I poked too hard with the 40 gauge needle...hmmm...

I'm getting ready to teach a class on this Felted Sheep Tote. It was fun to knit, and the needle felting, while obviously not beautiful, is so much fun!! I think I'm going to make the bigger size for the class knitalong bag...

My apologies for the poor photography...I think my camera batteries are dying!

Thank you, thank you!

2008-01-25T11:04:00.001-08:00

For those of you who donated scarves, hats and mittens to the kids at Youth Underground...thank you so much! We played a game of Bingo to allow kids to select items , then handed out what was left. It was definitely appreciated! (And the staff were very jealous!)

Not EGGsactly about Knitting!

2008-01-18T20:19:00.000-08:00

I know I should be blogging my Neck Down Bulky Bolero in progress...

But I'm more fascinated with this!

Aren't they pretty? Our 14 feathered ladies are giving us about a dozen eggs a day. We've tried a lot of great recipes including (but not limited to) Scrambled Egg & Pepperoni Submarine Sandwiches, Flan, Egg Casserole, Angel Food Cake, and Egg Burritos. Egg Quesadillas, Butterscotch pudding and Bacon & Egg Pizza are on my list of things to try next.

Even with all these great ideas, we could probably use a few regular egg customers while we are experiencing this egg boom. If you would like some beautiful eggs from happy hens named Catalpa and Owl (et al), please let me know. We probably have at least 4 extra dozen a week and would be glad to give you some in exchange for a donation to the chicken feed fund. Talk to me if you would like to be on the egg list! :-)

On the Needles...

2008-01-15T09:28:00.000-08:00

I know you all must be dying to know what is on my needles. I'm sure that I sensed a cosmic "What is that Heather person knitting these days?" earlier today. I hear and I obey....

First up, the Gentleman's Sock in Railway Pattern (or something with "gentleman" and "railway" in it) from Knitting Vintage Socks. What is the yarn, you may be wondering. I am, too. I know it was in the bottom right hand bin of sock yarn at River Knits. (That'll make Elizabeth roll her eyes...). It's my first adult sock using size 0 dpns, and I'm really liking the product I'm getting...
To say the next item is OTN is not accurate anymore...it was OTN when I was taking pictures for and planning this post, but was finished during a literary adaptation festival at my house this weekend (Our Mutual Friend and Persuasion). It's the Tumbling Blocks Cashmere Scarf, designed by Amanda. I used Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere in the Film Noir colorway (how could I not use a colorway called Film Noir?) I love it, and I plan to wear it tomorrow with what Joe calls my "X Man Outfit".

The shawl below is being affectionately referred to at my house as the Very Useful Shawl (a tribute to A.A. Milne and Pooh's Very Useful Pot...). The real pattern name is, I think, Simple Garter Stitch Prairie Shawl from Folk Shawls. I'm using Lamb's Pride Worsted and the color is called Blue Flannel. I have a lot of this color left from my failed Knitting in the Old Way sweater attempt. I'm looking forward to having this to throw over my shoulders in my best "Cathy on the moors" fashion, a la Yarn Harlot.

And...another Irish Hiking Scarf. Some of you may remember that I made a scarf in this pattern for the Christmas basket (and some of you may be screaming "shut the *&^% up about the Christmas basket already!! Sheesh!"). That version of the scarf was made from Lamb's Pride Worsted and selected by Joe's sister, Cam...one of the truly knitworthy of the family (she also got a pair of Trekking socks this year). The next morning she very quietly asked me if I had a softer scarf, because the one she chose was itchy. I washed it using conditioner, but still it was too scratchy. (Cam is delicate. I write that because I'm sure it will draw a funny comment from frequent commenter and utterly knitworthy Michaela...) So...I'm making her another using Pure Merino. If that is too scratchy, she is beyond hope.

And last, but not least...the Movie Socks. These are plain, basic recipe socks cast on specifically for knitting in the dark when I go to a classic movie at the Lafayette Theater. The front left sock yarn is from Opal, but I don't know much more than that. It was a generous gift from Sheryl, and happens to be Klondike Middle School colors. The front right sock is a Lorna's Laces sock yarn that I've had in the stash too long to remember the colorway. The back sock, which I wish you could see better, is using Cherry Tree Hill...the colorway is called Silver Streak, but I'm calling them the Olbermann socks, since the colorway comes pretty close to matching Keith Olbermann's hair these days. I will be attempting an afterthought heel with at least one of these pairs. Wish me luck....

Dragged Back to Reality...

2008-01-03T13:46:00.000-08:00

Christmas is over, and I've been dragged by my heels back into the real world. At Mae's house, there is no internet. I turned off my phone. For 6 glorious days I had no idea what was going on in the real world. Here are some of the things I saw while I was gone:

SCARVES...I finished the last of the scarf basket scarves (this one is Branching Out from Knitty.com) and saw many of them taken and worn by family...

JOE...knitting his brother a scarf when none in the basket were manly enough for Manly Mike.

Joe used his own basketweave pattern and knocked out a scarf in two days. I must say, the yarn was not from an LYS, as Hometown only has a craft chain...so the best we could find was 80% acrylic, 20% wool...and squeaky. But apparently, manly men can't tell the difference.

SCRABBLE...with Josie and Grandma (also in this picture, Curtis and Aunt Sharon). Grandma is a Scrabble junkie, and Josie is a grandma junkie, so it worked out perfectly.

CORNHEADS AND BANANAGRAMS...more games, this time it's Curtis with my sister and two of her boys. Holli's pretty cut throat, even while competing against children, so I bowed out of that one. (Actually, I got in trouble for encouraging 5 year old Justin to cheat by making up words. Poor kid can't read yet, and is trying to play along. It was just more fun to let him make up words and pretend they were real.)

CURTIS BEING THE COOL OLDER COUSIN...as he teaches Cory to play Playstation football....it was fun watching all the little kids look up to Curtis...and for the most part, Curtis was pretty patient and cool.

AND FOR HEATHER...lots and lots of this kind of thing. I read and I knit and I read and I knit. It was wonderful.

Can't wait for next Christmas!!

2008 FO!

2008-01-01T20:36:00.001-08:00

calorimetry
Originally uploaded by RiverKnits

My New Year's Project for 2008 is done already! That is a first. It was fun & easy & yes I only cast on 100 stitches just like everyone else who has knit Calorimetry.
The yarn is Jasper. I love it! Happy New Year!

Almost finishing and a little more finishing!

2007-12-30T20:26:00.001-08:00

This is just the coolest mitten! Long ago I started the mittens made of Northern Lights Roving in Interweave Felt magazine. I finished one of them tonight (minus the fulling) and it is just the neatest thing! I love the way the unspun fiber worked up.
As I was knitting I thought how nice it would be to have a whole sweater made this way! The un-fun part is predrafting the fiber and rolling it into a usable ball. But once you start knitting, remembering to pull out a good length of fiber to prevent yanking on it and ending up with a fluffy end in your hand, it is really not much different than knitting with regular yarn. I am really excited about my mitten--hopefully this will carry over into getting the 2nd one knit soon.

Also, along the lines of finishing UFO's of 2007, I finished the knitting part of a Moebius basket that I started in June at TNNA in a workshop with Cat Bordhi. The workshop was great and mind blowing and learning from Cat Bordhi was delightful. But I learned the fun stuff that day and only had the regular old circular knitting left to finish the base of the basket. So it had been living in my entrelac bag since June awaiting a burst of motivation. Drawing the year to a close with less unfinished business was just the ticket. I transferred the stitches to a 16" circular instead of the 47" needle that was necessary for the moebius part of the basket. I have determined that I really am not crazy about Magic Loop (or Herniated Loop, ala Cat Bordhi). It felt ungainly to me. Once on the shorter needle it was just a matter of going around and around. Now I just need to get myself to a top loader--I don't trust my front loader with this one. I don't want it to end up permanently creased. It's going to be a very cool basket--I want to make sure the felting works right.

AND the Gianna Bag is officially done!
Sewing in a lining reminded me why I don't sew often. But I do think the bag is much more useful with a lining and with practice I suppose I could improve my sewing skills too. The crochet part was really easy, even for me, and I really don't know much about crochet at all. I completed the whole thing in one evening. Everything needed to crochet the bag, including the pattern and handles, comes in the kit. The lining was my idea and I loosely used the ideas at Hello Knitty to help me with it.

End of Year Finishing

2007-12-28T17:33:00.001-08:00

How are you spending the last few days of 2007? I'm trying to see what I can finish.
Tonight it is this:
The Child's Neckdown Jacket from Knitting Pure & Simple pattern 249. I made mine in Baby Soft from Needful Yarns and it IS soft--like a cloud.

Yesterday I guess I didn't finish anything at all. I actually started something. The Arizona Colors bag made from Gianna. This is a kit from Southwest Trading Company. (Yes, we have some at River Knits!). I really wanted to finish my Regia Greenie socks, but well I needed more yarn and I was home...so I really had to start something new, right?

Before that I watched the Bourne Ultimatum and finally finished Brent's Mittens. He had gotten one in his Christmas stocking but the 2nd one was delayed due to the omission of about 1.25" between the ribbing and the thumb ont he 2nd mitten--I was just in too much of a hurry, confirming the old adage once again.

While I was waiting for Christmas to arrive but couldn't really knit on the secret 2nd mitten I made this Diversion Hat. It is the Fiber Trends pattern called Everyone's Favorite Hat and Scarf knit in Nashua Painted Forest. It only took a few hours so it's questionable just how much of a diversion it actually was.

Let's see, I know I've finished something else this week...oh it was technically last week. But I got them done in time--in spite of ripping out the first foot which was just way too big due to assuming I knew my gauge when I really didn't.

That's all for now...but I have 3 more days in 2007!

I'm Almost There...

2007-12-14T06:25:00.000-08:00

I've finished two more scarves for the Basket o' Scarves! That leaves just one (Branching Out) to be finished for Christmas...which I should be able to do this weekend...

I can't tell you how glad I am to be done with this one. It's a plain old 2X2 rib using Cascade 220. I love 220, but got really tired of the ribbing and the color. I'm not sure if I'll stretch it out a little when I block it (I would if it was for me) or just wash it to soften it up a little. We'll see how I feel tonight when blocking time rolls around.

I'm also a little undecided about Danica. I used Berrocco Ultra Alpaca, which I love...and the entrelac was a really fun process...I just am not sure how I feel about the look. The back ends up pretty messy, so I wish I was skilled enough to sew a silky lining on the back or something clever like that...but oh, well. It's done.

Leave them alone and they'll come home?

2007-12-11T07:03:00.000-08:00

My husband, primitive living expert extraordinaire, did a presentation at our daughter's school a couple of weeks ago since the kids are studying woodland Indians. He talked about fire starting & building shelters and things like that. From the packet of thank you notes we got from the kids, I think they liked it a lot--especially wondering if the school sprinkler system would go off from starting a fire indoors. :-)

But after a few days he started wondering where his fingerless mitts had gone. He looked in all the usual places and remembered that he had worn them to the school that day. He looked in his pack basket through all his primitive equipment he had taken to show the kids. No mitts.

We have lost handknit items before and I've come to terms with the fact that things that are actually used will sometimes get lost. But darn it--these were the first (and I guess only) things I'd ever knit out of my handspun. Not works of art; actually they fit in really well with a presentation on all things "primitive." We all thought it was too bad that they were lost.

Meanwhile I started another pair of regular mittens for him. He still doesn't know this so mum's the word, ok?

As it turns out I haven't worked on these much in the last week. My husband had to stop by the school for something last week and he decided to look at the lost & found table. Guess what he found? One t-shirt of our daughter's and...yes, his fingerless mitts! I think it has been a long time since he found anything of his in the elementary school lost & found.

Michelle's Sock Day

2007-12-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

My sock day has come and gone. My sock drawer is bursting and I can't fit all my socks into it. My feet are very happy this winter. :-)
Thanks to my good friends who gifted me with so much sockie joy.
Happiness is warm wool socks.

From top to bottom and left to right:

socks from Heather, pattern is in Sensational Knitted socks book 2; Amanda's Japanese Feather Lace socks; BMP from Knitty, by Sam;

Turkish style socks from Laura; Sheryl made me some wonderfully warm thrummed socks that are perfect to wear today with the ice storm; Lickety Split from Knitty by Elizabeth, one symbol is Rooster and one is Rat for the zodiac signs that represent E and me; Debbies Crystal Palace lace weight merino socks with lace cuffs, these socks are so soft and fluffy it is like walking on a cloud.

I am a very lucky lady.

The Evolution of a Hat

2007-11-25T16:52:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. I think I did...but there were moments when I wasn't so sure.

My family drove to Connorsville, Indiana, to catch the Whitewater Valley Railroad's train to the Metamora Christmas walk. I had verified that the kids had appropriate winter apparel before leaving Lafayette, and had told them before leaving Lapel that now was the time to get out all the warm things. So I wasn't at all concerned about being caught unprepared for the cold weather. But of course these are *my* kids we're talking about. The same ones who argue with me over warm winter accessories at every turn. I should not have been surprised when we were waiting to get on the train to discover that neither of my daughters brought a hat and my son had valiantly tried to leave his mittens in the car (because who wears mittens or gloves?)! But I was rather furious that I had gone to such great lengths to make sure they were prepared only to be far from any hats and about to get on a barely heated train to walk around in 20-some degree weather for 3 hours before riding again on the barely heated train.

After many tears from my daughters who lost their computer privileges for not listening to their mother, we finally boarded the train. It was then that I remembered that I had *something* in my knitting bag... yes, an unfinished hat!
This hat was the 2nd of a set that was originally started for charity. I finished the first one that is already int he donation basket. But this one was started with the remaining yarn just to see if I could get another matching hat completed. I had already decided that I needed to use another yarn to finish it off and now I had a compelling reason to work on it.
I didn't really think I could finish it before we reached our destination, but it was therapeutic to knit on it in the train. At one point my mom said, "Now you're working on something else! What is that?" I couldn't help but enjoy the irony of it: "A hat."

Well, the 15 mph old train gave me more time than I thought I would have. But I began to lose light as we traveled and the overhead lights weren't working properly so it was quite dim. Nevertheless, by the time we disembarked this is what I had:

We had at least one warm head!

And the winners are....

2007-11-15T06:14:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of you who participated in our very first Tales From the River trivia contest!

Here are your winners:

In 4th place, we have NATALIE KANABY. Natalie didn't get all of the answers right, but she did throw in a little sucking up by thanking us for the fun contest. :) For her efforts, Natalie wins the Elizabeth Austen glasses case.

Third place goes to LADONA SORENSON. Ladona wins a Sock Club T-shirt in recognition of one of the funniest answers we received. In answer to the question "What is Amanda referring to when she says she has gone over to the 'dark side'?", Ladona answered, "Knitting socks on two circular needles. She further went down that path by crocheting. If she ever crochets a sock on two circular crochet hooks, we may lose her forever."

Second place goes to SAM BLACKMON. Sam had all the correct answers! Congratulations, Sam, you win the Needlecrafters Travel Companion. If you only traveled more often, that might come in really handy. Oh well. :) (Sam actually travels all the time, and may be gone as we post this...)

And...the first place winner of the Tales From the River trivia contest and recipient of the super terrific cashmere prize package is...

DANA ANKENBAUER!

Dana not only had all of the correct answers, but she made us laugh with almost each one of them. For example, to the question "Where did Heather lay out her 'show us your socks' picture?", Dana answered, "At Davidson Fields, on top of a pile of rocks that is guarded by a 'leave rocks alone' sign. My first thought was 'I wonder if any of those socks with rocks are made with Socks That Rock?'" Her answer to the question of who had provided surveillance during Boot Camp For Socks? Simply this: "Corporal Wenig, Sergeant Doggett and Sergeant Gill. I can't help imagining 'Mimi LaValley and 100 Nuns' knitting their way up to the School of Assassins."

Congratulations, Dana...and thanks for the fun answers.

Honorable Mention goes to...

LAURA SHUMAR, who wondered if you could use a felted clog as a bicycle seat cover.

ELIZABETH MILLS, for remembering details...even though the answer we were looking for with the question of how Fiona Ellis arrived in Lafayette was "in Sheryl's mustang convertible", Elizabeth remembered that they went the wrong way on the ramp during the trip.

MELISSA BISHOP, who is recognized for the following questionable pun: Who provided surveillance during Boot Camp for Socks? "Corporal Wenig and Sergeants Doggett and Gill--they did a great job to boot." :)

Congratulations, winners! And thanks to all who played. I can hardly wait to do it again!

One Finished Object!

2007-11-10T06:46:00.000-08:00

Sound the trumpets! I have finished Michelle's socks!!

While doing so I wrote a little song. I'll have to share that with you later too.

But I do have something that is not TOP SECRET that is coming along nicely.

Colleen's Wallaby! I know the hood always takes longer than you think it's going to, but with any luck I can work through that still this weekend.

After tinking both projects last weekend and writing songs of knitting frustration, it would feel like coming out of a very dark place to finish two projects in one weekend. So alright already; get off the computer and KNIT!

Tales from the River Trivia Contest #1

2007-11-05T05:32:00.001-08:00

Faithful readers, take heart--this one is just for you! Answer the trivia questions below and you could win PRIZES!

Simply send an email to our special trivia mailbox with the answers to these trivia questions. Much like my favorite radio show, the questions have been painstakingly researched; the answers have not. All determinations of winners shall be final and in the event of a tie we will determine extra points for creativity, accuracy, or daring-do. If all else fails we'll use the time-honored technique of drawing names out of a hat. So turn on your thinking caps and send in your responses. We can't wait to see how much you remember.

1. Who are the Tales From the River contributors?
2. Name one rule of Sock Club.
3. Which contributor turned a heel in the middle of a scarf?
4. Which RK regular had to wear a pink shirt after a charity knitting challenge?
5. Which contributor worried her Shire Silk summer tee was turning into a tent?
6. What does SABLE stand for?
7. When is World Book & Copyright Day?
8. Where did Heather lay out her "show us your socks" picture?
9. Who won "Name That Yarn" at the RK retreat?
10. What position did Michelle play on her junior high softball team?
11. Who provided surveillance outside of RK during Boot Camp for Socks?
12. Elizabeth's husband could tell by sight that she had not knitted an item he was using. What was that item?
13. What is Amanda referring to when she says she has turned to the "dark side"?
14. How did Fiona Ellis arrive in Lafayette for her Jump Start Your Creativity workshop?
15. Who is the star of the "Boys Who Knit Are Awesome" post?
16. Which house scarf did Elizabeth knit for her daughter to wear to the Harry Potter book release?
17. Which contributor had to admit in July that Elizabeth had been right about Wildfoote sock yarn?
18. Which contributor started an elicit affair with Ultra Alpaca Light?
19. What is Amigurumi?
20. What was Rhianna wearing on her head in the August 14 post?
21. What did Sam and Elizabeth make for Heather's sock day?
22. It looked like a scepter or a head whacker, but what was it really?

Don't forget to send your answers to our special trivia mailbox Contest ends Monday, November 12th or whenever we get around to judging it, which ever comes later.

Mental Clarity Somewhat Lacking

2007-11-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

Like Heather, I haven't been finishing much. I'm not sure if this is due to lack of knitting, confusing patterns, or just my seemingly impaired mental condition. This week I:
1. forgot an appointment (which I had written on the calendar)
2. forgot to pay someone (who recently posted to this blog)
3. couldn't find my car in a parking lot--for more than just a minute. (I guess we're glad I don't have any pictures of that!)
4. lost Michelle's first sock (which was later found--joy!)
5. forgot how to do a technique on Michelle's second sock that I did quite nicely on the first sock. This is the one I find the most perplexing. How did it work out fine the first time if I can't seem to get it to work out now??? If I were knitting this sock for anyone else, who would I ask for help? Michelle! So now I guess I'll have to figure it out on my own. I have decided to put it away until Monday in the hopes that whatever phase of the moon or ill wind that has affected me this week will have passed.
And while I'd be glad to show you my 2nd sock and its problems, that is currently CLASSIFIED information...so you'll just have to use your imagination!

Hodge Podge

2007-11-01T13:46:00.001-07:00

I had a very long and surely entertaining post all ready a couple of days ago, but time gets away from me at a quicker pace than I remember it having done a month or so ago. I hope you all had a fun Halloween. I have a lot of candy at my house, which is all I ask of the day. A week or so ago, Josie had her friends over after the KMS halloween party. When Curtis and I got home from the Purdue Jazz concert we had gone to that night, we discovered that the girls had been waiting and planning for Curtis's return, with a face painting design all ready to try out. Curtis was not in the mood and the girls were sorely disappointed. So Mom volunteered. In keeping with the tradition of Unflattering Pictures of Heather on the RK Blog (see posts "River Knits Retreat Recap" and "How do you solve a problem like Maria?")...here you go....

It has been slow knitting at my house lately...does one sock count as an FO, or does it have to be the pair to qualify? At any rate, I finished the first of 2 year old Emma's Iowa State Cyclone knee sock (yes, knee sock...Emma only has 7 inches between knee and heel...). It's the same Regia Nation sock yarn that Sam used for her Gryffindork socks...I like it. Can't wait to finish the second and send them on to Emma...

Outlander Quiz

2007-10-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

I am Claire! Who are you? (And if you don't know what Outlander is, and if you happen to like historical fiction and time travel, then READ THE BOOK! But I warn you - Claire doesn't know how to knit!)

Which woman from the Outlander series are you?

You are Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser. You are resourceful, practical and a strong woman. You're not afraid to stand up for yourself or do whatever is needful for those you love, whatever the risk to yourself. You have a gift for healing and you are a faithful lover.
Take this quiz!

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Last minute Sock for Akkol

2007-10-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

I found out that the Mittens for Akkol list is a few pairs of socks short of a whole orphanage full. So I cast on for a little Joan's Sock on Saturday while visiting with October Fest goers who were browsing at River Knits. I got all but the toe grafting done in one day! You really have to love that pattern. Someday someone is really going to have to make me try something else because I just can't seem to stop! I think I can cast on for the 2nd of the pair Wednesday at Charity Knitting and sneak this pair in before the group organizer leaves for Kazakhstan. This one is Big Mexiko and a strand of Lana Grossa Meilenweit. I wanted this one to come out a bit smaller than the pattern is written. I was shooting for 7" and I think I just about have it!

Back on Track

2007-10-16T05:51:00.000-07:00

I finished two things this weekend AND my back is feeling better! The first I attribute to time in the car as we were driving around the Covered Bridge Festival. We had a pleasant weekend there but we forgot our camera! So you'll just have to take my word for it.

I finished the Breeze Footies, just in time to tuck them away to await the return of Spring...

And I finished the Reversible Stocking Cap (pattern available at RK) by Teresa Gaffey. Essentially you knit one cap then pick up stitches from your cast on edge and knit another one! Stuff the one in the other (or vice versa) and you have a reversible double-thick cap! Very warm. This one does take a while since you are really knitting two caps to become one. But the effect is fun and the warmth is unbeatable since you end up with 4 layers in the brim!

As for my back feeling better, I attribute that to the book Back RX. It contains a series of exercises that take only about 15 minutes to do. You are supposed to do series A until you can do them painfree, then move on to series B and finally series C. My back has been sore since before TNNA but after a few weeks of doing the exercises in this book, I feel much improved, am sleeping better and have begun the series B section. If you are having low back pain, you might want to check this book out. I can tell you that the TCPL does have it and I will return their copy soon since I just bought one to keep for myself.

A4A - First Batch

2007-10-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

These items from the River Knitters went out to Afghans for Afghans in the first box for this challenge. What you see is my rescued vest and some Joan's Socks from other folks who like to come to charity knitting. (I think Sam, Kerry & Debbie but forgive me if I missed someone!)

Sam has volunteered to send another box on Saturday for any remaining last minute items. I got one more hat done that will go in Box #2! I know that lots of other people are trying to furiously finish that "one more thing."

(If anyone else has any wool garments you would like to be included in the very last minute box you need to have it to River Knits on Saturday before 11:00am!) Thanks, Sam!

Some FO's...finally!

2007-10-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

Any Odd Couple fans out there? When I typed "FO" in the title, it reminded me of one of the Wenigs' favorite moments from the movie, when Felix and Oscar finally come to a confrontation, and Oscar expresses his frustration with Felix's notes to him: "'We're out of cornflakes. FU.' It took me three hours to realize FU was Felix Unger!"

But on to the Finished Objects...

One is Foliage, a pattern from Knitty.com. I used malabrigo (I've never used "delicious" to describe anything but food, but I might say this yarn was delicious to knit with!). I think the color is "Bijou Blue", but regardless of the name, this picture doesn't do it justice. There are a few more hanks of this color at River Knits, and you should absolutely pick it up and pet it a little bit. This hat is worked from the top down, which was a welcome change to hat knitting, and the lace pattern was easy to follow, but enough of a challenge to make the knit seem really fast and satisfying. It is for Josie's noggin...and I have enough left to make a second identical hat. I suggested making one for her friend Kayla, but as some of you have heard me say, apparently matching hats wouldn't be as much fun in 7th grade as it might have been in 6th grade. Maybe a few hats should be thrown in the Basket O' Scarves? I could do up another Foliage to be the first hat of the bunch...

The second FO is the Irish Hiking Scarf, scarf number 8 for the Basket O' Scarves. I am glad to be done with this one...I was getting a little tired of it, and it took a very interesting movie adaptation of Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome on BBC America to get me in a rhythm to finish it. I love the look...and now that I have a week's distance from it, I'm thinking of making another in a softer yarn...this one is Lamb's Pride, which I love...but it's not quite as delightful to the touch as Ultra Alpaca. Or Malabrigo...

Anniversary Celebration

2007-10-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

Today is my wedding anniversary. I was looking forward all afternoon to going out for dinner with my husband after closing the shop. When it was about time to close I got ready to close out the credit card terminal as always and the printer wouldn't work. After numerous tries of reconnecting power cords and such, I decided it had finally given up the ghost and called my credit card processing company's tech support to find out how to override the terminal's refusal to close out without a working printer.

With that done I needed to decide what to do about the printer problem. The terminal is quite ancient so buying a new printer for it seemed like a bad idea. I had a newer terminal that has both the processing and the printer in one unit. I called technical support again. And I guess saying "I called technical support again" doesn't really convey what that is like. I dial a very long number on my cell phone and then go through voice mail to get to the right department, then am prompted to enter my merchant number, which must be at least 20 digits. Entering these repeatedly on a cell phone is in and of itself quite a vexing experience. Suffice it to say I called them at least 4 times this evening and repeated this process each time. Once the cell phone cut out so I guess it was 5 times.

The first very nice tech support guy told me he could send me info to download to the new terminal and took me through a long and circuitous process of entering strange combinations of letters, numbers and what felt like Morse code into the unit. When we finally reached the download point the unit displayed, "Waiting for line" which meant it couldn't connect to the phone line. That was really a low point in the process. Did I mention I was really hungry?

After disconnecting the FAX, the phone, the terminal and reconnecting them in various configurations we managed to get the terminal to receive the phone signal. And yes, then I got to call tech support again to try the download thing again. We let it start downloading and finally went to dinner.

We returned to River Knits after dinner hoping the display would read "download complete" but I admit I was skeptical. Amazingly it WAS complete and after installing the new programming I tried it out by swiping my own credit card and EUREKA! It worked!

But at this point we had the terminal directly connected to the phone. We had bypassed the FAX and the actual telephone. A splitter and more phone line was needed to make the new terminal work. I went home to relieve my parents who had spent the afternoon with my kids and guess who spent his anniversary running to Target to buy a splitter and phone line and just called me from River Knits to say it was all working? Yes, my husband.

It is a great example of why he is a wonderful guy and why I'm really glad to be celebrating another anniversary. So if you happen to see him, tell him thanks for getting us back up & running so you can still buy yarn tomorrow! :-)

More Tomatoes

2007-09-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

So, last year at this time, I was up to my ears in this kind of tomato:

This year, I've been all about the Tomato. I finished one last month. Now I'm working on another.

I don't think I could possibly be happier with this pattern. It's very rare for me to knit the same thing twice (other than socks). But I am really in love with top-down sweater construction. I've been trying this on every few inches, and I'm able to make it fit perfectly.

A note about the yarn: This is the Shire Silk I reclaimed from the failed Lacy Leaf Shrug. It's knitting up beautifully. I have to admit that I wasn't enjoying the flat knit part, because I had a hard time purling with this stiff yarn. But, once everything was joined and all sts were knit, it's great.

I'm forcing myself to stop working on this garment because I'm knitting it along with the class I'm teaching right now. The whole point is for me to show the steps I'm going through, so I can't finish it as quickly as I'd like. So, what should I work on instead? I can't show you the two other projects I'm working on: Michelle's Sockday Socks and the two RK Mystery Shawls. And, frankly, I'd like to take a break from both of those. Honestly, I'm in the mood to crochet something. I want something I can finish fast. An instant-gratification project. But I can't seem to find anything that really appeals to me. Has that ever happened to you? If so, what do you do? I've looked through a bunch of crochet magazines, and the few crochet books I own, and I'm at a loss. Maybe I need to go to the library....

Belated Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

2007-09-19T06:38:00.001-07:00

It has taken me far, far too long to post this thank you...I was hoping to be able to have some pictures of Youth Underground kids knitting, but haven't been able to get permission from families to post their pictures...

So, to those of you who attended the River Knits retreat and participated in the auction that benefitted our program...THANK YOU! Some of the money went toward replacing the basketballs, kick balls, and jump ropes we go through so quickly, but some of it also went toward replacing our knitting needles...

So that we can continue making things like this baby blanket, which was knit square by square by several of our kids, ages 7-13. This blanket is being donated to a family in another of our agency's programs.

Woolly Demons...Redux

2007-09-14T06:31:00.001-07:00

I've made some good progress on the Summer Can Kiss My A** sweater...as you can see in the picture above. I was very excited about joining the second skein of wool...actually finishing and wearing the sweater seemed like a reality.

Ready for the but? BUT...I had the sweater on the floor, between my knitting chair and the end table last night (along with my Highland Kilt Stocking, Folk Socks, Knitting Vintage Socks, The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns and The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns)...when someone I love very much, who had been eating some KFC and whose fingers were greasy...dropped a huge glass of milk onto the sweater. It is very, very milky now. I took all of the effected items to the kitchen immediately...I laid the sweater down and got to work cleaning up the books. This morning I grabbed the sweater, and realized that in my mad rush to clean my books, I had laid the sweater down on the KFC gravy lid. See below...

I think I need some help from the Patron Saint of Helping Knitters Feel Better!!

On a positive note...last night's Irish Hiking Scarf class was really fun...

What's It?

2007-09-10T09:04:00.001-07:00

A scepter? (Because I'd love to be Queen of the World?)

A head whacker? (Because I need to keep Brent in line?)

No--It's a sock darner! Because I'm wearing holes in my socks.

Brent made this for me last winter when I noticed I was wearing holes under the heels of my Hauk socks. It is modeled after Michelle's prototype. He finished varnishing it and gave it to me on my birthday.

You use a darning egg by putting it inside your sock to give it form and shape while you are repairing it. I suppose it keeps you from accidentally sewing one layer of your sock to the other side too! I've heard that some people use lightbulbs for this purpose, but that sounds dangerous to me. I'm not very good at darning yet.

I guess now that I have a darning egg, I need to get cracking on those socks. Winter will come again...

Knitting Vintage Socks

2007-09-07T09:52:00.001-07:00

I love this book. I love knitting socks, and I love the idea that these patterns are adapted from patterns published in a 19th century British magazine...

This summer I decided to try to knit enough pairs of socks for Joe that he could wear handknit socks everyday, and I started the project with patterns from this book.

Here's what I've got so far...

The Gentleman's Plain Winter Sock with Dutch Heel, using Gems Merino (such a great sock yarn!) in a colorway called "Pewter". I'm not sure how the Dutch heel will feel inside a shoe, it's a little bulky on the bottom of the heel, but it was a great knit.

This is my favorite, both for the name and for the knit...the Gentleman's Fancy Sock. I used Lorna's Laces. I think the colorway is called "Baltic Sea".

And finally, the Gentleman's Shooting Stocking with Fluted Pattern, using Trekking. I'm not sure how I feel about this colorway for this particular pattern, but I think it'll do...

Since my Sockday...

2007-09-04T06:57:00.000-07:00

I'm told no one wants to post a new blog entry, since doing so would move the lovely orange hat picture of me down the screen...so I guess I'll have to do the dirty work...

I thought I'd fill you in on my not-quite-as-fun-as-new-socks experiences in the week or so since my Sockday Party...

Last Wednesday, some teens lost control of their car while driving into my neighborhood, and took out my mailbox...here it is, replanted...
They also drove into my driveway and really, really messed up Godfrey, the car I've had for less than a month...
We're still waiting to hear what their insurance is going to do for us.

Then this morning, a school bus accident messed up Curtis, the boy I've had for almost 15 years...we're on our way to the doctor to see how messed up he is, but we think it's nothing serious...

How do you solve a problem like Maria?

2007-08-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

There has been so much I couldn't tell you about lately. Like making this beautiful orange hat. I'm only sorry the picture doesn't show the black & neon hat band I made with my Black & Decker mixer.

Nor could you see the lovely orange, blue and green feathers. We really might need to take a better picture.

I couldn't tell you about these September Socks I was making out of Nebraskan Wildfoote when Heather proclaimed to everyone that she didn't hate knitting with it anymore. (I thought about hiding the rest of the patterns at River Knits, but I hoped no one else would notice how cool they were; great yarn shop owner mentality that is!)

And I really couldn't share this with you even though I desperately wanted to.

Better take a close look; it's not a sight you're likely to see again any time soon. Yes, I really bought it and I was really hoping I wouldn't see anyone I knew personally. How could I possibly have explained???

Sockday Report...

2007-08-24T09:52:00.001-07:00

Whoever invented the Sockday Club is a genius! I had a great time celebrating my sockday with friends and yarn. I highly recommend that you find 6 or 7 friends and start your own Sockday Club. Or Scarfday Club. Or Hatday Club.

You get to hang out with fun people like the ones you see here...

...people who paint and adorn straw hats to match perfectly the bright orange, broad brimmed hat with colorful feathers you claimed you owned, and you further claimed would match perfectly the bright orange Red Heart socks one of the members claimed to have knit for you. I wore the hat for a photo op (I hope that picture will soon replace the other picture of me on the blog...) and to give the other customers inspiration for a "You will not believe the weird women who were at La Scala last night" story to tell at work today.

Not only did they create and give me the orange hat from the joke...two of them (Sam & Elizabeth) actually KNIT ME A PAIR OF BRIGHT ORANGE RED HEART SOCKS! Now that's friendship...Joe really likes them.

Wanna see the socks I got? So did Johnny Bravo. He snuck up while I was taking a picture of this gorgeous Turkish sock from Laura. I am absolutely wearing this pair the day after Thanksgiving, when we get the tree out and watch the first Christmas movie of the year.

Here are the socks from Sam...in Nebraska Blackshirt (defense) colors. I couldn't get Johnny to cross his arms in traditional Blackshirt celebratory fashion, but he did the best he could.

Amanda not only made socks in Nebraska's colors, but she used Nature Spun, made in Nebraska. I can't wait for my first jump up, scream touchdown and high five Joe so hard my hand stings while wearing these bad boys....

Elizabeth made these beauties, also using a Nebraska yarn, Wildfoote. The pattern is called "September", which is the month of my most triumphant birth nearly 37 years ago. Johnny got a little closer to check out the glory of this sock...

Johnny snuck up on these socks from Debbie...so soft! I think I saw a tear trickle out from under Johnny's shades while he got acquainted with this pair. I'd be wearing them now if it wasn't 1oo degrees in my office....

Johnny totally conquered the Monkey sock from Michelle. It was a struggle, but he made it to the top of the big toe. I love that I got a pair in this pattern...I started them for myself last spring, but didn't get very far, and didn't like the yarn I had chosen for them. I heard rumors that the yarn is called something vegetable-y, but Michelle wasn't there to confirm.

Exhausted from the exertion required to climb to the top of the Monkey sock, Johnny takes refuge in the merino goodness of Sheryl's socks. Aren't they beautiful? Where the he** is Old Man Winter??

It's Heeeeeere.....

2007-08-23T06:17:00.001-07:00

Happy Sockday to me!

I wish it was colder...

Happy Sockday to me!

Fresh Fruit

2007-08-16T17:36:00.000-07:00

Here it is! Fresh off the needles. It's my Tomato!

It isn't blocked, and um....I didn't exactly make an effort to make myself presentable. :) I was just so excited about having the Tomato completed....I had to click a pic as soon as I finished binding off. It fits so nicely....mostly due to my own adjustments that weren't actually written into the pattern. This sweater will never ride up in the back. It will hug my curves pleasantly, but not obscenely. It will look great alone or over a long-sleeved shirt. And, of course, it doesn't hurt that the yarn is pure heaven.

Want to make one for yourself? The pattern is available in the wonderful book No Sheep for You. It's also available free at Knitting Daily. (And, yes, I used a different color pattern than the one used in the book. I can't do anything I'm told...) This garment is knit from the top down, completely seamlessly. It's the third sweater I've knit this way for myself this summer. But I think this is my favorite basic pattern to work from. Why knit a sweater this way? It's very easy to try on as you go. Just slip all the stitches onto a long piece of scrap yarn and try it on. I've found that frequent try-ons are the key to a great fitting garment.

Want to learn more about the specific changes I made to the pattern for my sweater and how you can use those changes to make a sweater that fits you? Well, for that you'll have to check out the class I'm teaching at River Knits September 11, 18, 25 and Oct 9. We'll talk extensively about fit and how to customize this pattern for your specific needs. (And how to adjust the pattern if there's something about it you don't like. Want long sleeves instead? No problem! Prefer a V-neck? We can do that!)

Here's a taste of what we'll talk about. (That's Diego. I couldn't get him to get off the sweater)

See the shape of my sweater? There are bust darts, waist shaping, hip shaping, and belly and butt darts. I lengthened the sleeve a little because a cap sleeve is not a good look for me. The pattern actually gives instructions for waist shaping, but the rest is all about measuring and (as I said before) frequently trying on your garment. It's so fun! I want to knit another one now!

Facing My Woolly Demons....

2007-08-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

This is the Manly Sweater. It may look perfectly harmless to you, but it has caused me great distress. It is the first sweater I tried after learning to knit. I knit it piece by piece over the course of several months and sewed it together during the day I took off from work to mourn Bob Hope's passing. I was watching Bob Hope movies and feeling a great sense of accomplishment, and it was a good day. Until Joe came home and put it on.

It does not fit Joe. It might have fit two Joes in those early days. The shoulder seam was practically to his elbow. I took it to the Patron Saint of Helping a Knitter Feel Better (also known as Michelle), who helped me chop it up, cut some out, and stitch it back together. It still does not fit Joe. (He wears it. I don't know if that is a sign of love or a sign of the onset of dementia. Time will tell.) This failure is constantly in my mind as I look at sweater patterns that I like. I would love to be a sweater knitter. I can't get over this sweater to move ahead to other sweaters I might knit.

Last week, when summer camp was over, I decided it was time to cast on a "Summer Can Kiss My A**" project. It should be a sweater. I would celebrate the end of summer camp by conquering my woolly sweater demon. I got yarn from River Knits on my lunch break.

Here's what this triumphant sweater looked like on Saturday. Just as I had planned...it was looking wonderfully promising.

And here's what it looks like today. So far, so good. I cast on the correct number of stitches in only one try (the last sweater attempt took 11 tries before I quit). I joined, I was careful not to twist. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Back to school excitement

2007-08-14T05:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, it was "exciting" today. Just as we'd sent the daughters off to the bus stop on their bikes, I was getting ready to pour myself some juice and contemplate the silence in my house. That was when I heard a loud "Hey!" coming from outside. My older daughter had ridden back to our house from the bus stop and was trying to get our attention. "What's going on?" I yelled. My younger daughter had skinned her arm on her bike while exuberantly speeding around before parking to wait for the bus. Oh boy. I told my older daughter to go on, and I grabbed a first aid kit & got on my bike to get to the injured one. I thought I'd clean it up and put on a band aid and a kiss and get her to school. That was until I saw her. A little antiseptic wipe & a band aid was not going to take care of this!

A neighbor mom who had driven her kids to the bus stop offered to drive my daughter back up the hill to our house which was really nice. She would not have been interested in walking at that point because not only the whole upper arm and elbow but also her same knee were completely covered in blood and scrapes.

After a lot of washing, peroxide, gauze, tape, band-aids and Tylenol, she is getting a ride to school from her Papa (who was going to ride his new bike to work today). I think she has skinned her knee on the way to school before but never like this and not on the first day!

Here she is a few days ago modeling my latest knitting. It's a ....THNEED!

No, it's really an unfelted clog. And yes, she picked the colors herself.

Is there some corollary saying for the start of school like "If March comes in like a lion it goes out like a lamb?" Because it definitely came in like a lion today!

I'm in love! Again....

2007-08-07T07:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm fickle. When it comes to some things, I just can't be faithful. Yarn, for example. I realize I just professed my love for the new Ultra Alpaca Light a couple of weeks ago. And I do still love it. Very much. But someone new has stepped into my knitting life.

Malabrigo Lace Baby Merino....and her heavier sister Malabrigo Merino Worsted.

I don't even know if I can fully express the love I feel for these yarns. Picture the colors of Manos del Uruguay. You know, the lovely kettle-dyed, irregular semi-solids and variegateds. Now, imagine next-to-your-skin softness. It's so soft, I don't want to put it down when I'm done knitting. It's soft and light and an absolute joy to knit with.

I'm using the Malabrigo Lace Baby Merino to knit the laceweight prototype of the 2008 River Knits Mystery Shawl (more info to come in the next couple of months).

The color is Tuareg, and I'm using size 6 needles. I started with 4's, and found it was just a little too solid for a lace shawl. Sorry I can't show you the knitting in progress. After all, it's supposed to be a mystery.

I'm using the Malabrigo Merino Worsted for the Tomato (which I'll be teaching as a class at River Knits in September). I realize the pattern calls for Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Organic Cotton, and the pattern appears in the book No Sheep For You. So, it's sort of strange that I'm using wool to knit it. However, I envision wearing it over a long-sleeved T-shirt this winter. I must admit, though, that the yarn is soft enough, I could comfortably wear it without the T-shirt on a cool fall day. The main color is Red Mahogany, and I'll knit the stripe designin Cadmium, which is quite possibly the most gorgeous yellow ever created.

Check out how lovely the Red Mahogany is:

I'm so in love with this yarn that I don't want to do anything else today. I just want to knit. Darn jobs and kids and housework......

Amigurumi Who? Where?

2007-08-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

One bad thing about Ravelry is it opens you up to new things you haven't seen before. For example, while browsing the groups, I came upon one called Amigurumi. What is that? The picture on the group button was a cute teddy bear. I checked it out.

Amigurumi is a style of Japanese crochet for toys or dolls. The toys are made with just single crochet and are very simple to do. Here is a Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amigurumi

I thought those projects sure are cute but they are crochet and I don't like to crochet but the bug was planted in my brain. I did find some patterns that are for knitting but not many. When I found Kerochan pictured above I fell hard. He is a little animal from the Card Captor Sakura anime/manga. I had to make him. Of course I used the excuse that it was made for Mica. Here is a link to the Kerochan pattern: http://www.wists.com/mzkitty/c128e33b4da1030e28532303558e0d23?offset=0

I had to use stash yarn because I didn't have any yellow feltable yarn and was too embarassed to go into River Knits for it. You see I gave Elizabeth and Amanda a really hard time this summer when they were on a crochet kick.

After making Kerochan, I have not felt the need to make any more amigurumi of course I have been very careful not to visit the Amigurumi group on Ravelry any more.

Here is a link to another cute pattern for amigurumi. Thankfully I have not ordered this pattern yet. http://www.craftyalien.com/component/page,shop.browse/category_id,6/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,1/

Laura, I have seen some really cute octopus, squid and seahorse patterns like this.

My New Favorite Thing

2007-07-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

What you're looking at here is my new favorite thing. I don't claim that it's an original thing or that it's my own particular invention. It's my SPIRAL BOUND copy of More Simply Sensational Knitted Socks. This book does not come to you spiral bound...I took it to Copymat in West Lafayette and had them do it for me. It was cheap and fast, and has really added a lot of "useability" to the book. It's much more comfortable to have it on my lap as I learn a new heel technique. And I'm just enough of a dork to really love the way the book feels. I did a lot of just holding it over the weekend, even when I wasn't knitting socks from the book.

I've heard of others doing this, and it didn't appeal to me all that much. I recently read about it again, and for some reason it seemed like I HAD TO DO IT! For those of you who are Seinfeld fans, you may recall an episode where someone mentions how great it would be to have "those moving walkways from airports all over the city" instead of sidewalks. Of course, that's all George can think about, and now he's really mad that he has to walk himself! That's how I felt as I thought about having this done. So I did it. And I highly recommend it. I sat in my chair last night wondering which book would be next...

Probably Barbara Walker. Or the other Sensational Knitted Socks book. Or Folk Socks!

Two More States--and that's not all!

2007-07-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from another little adventure with kids and camper. This time we headed south, to the Land Between the Lakes in western Kentucky and Tennessee. (The mechanical difficulties of the previous camping post were a thing of the past; with a new ignition and a new fuel pump, we had no worries!) Our trip earned us 2 more stickers...

a spinning demonstration on a great wheel at the Homeplace

and even one completed sock for Heather--too bad I can't show you that one!

We also learned about constellations in a planetarium, saw owls and wolves at the visitor's center and spent one day on Lake Barkley at a birthday party for my niece.

But no trip would really be complete without a little more excitement! On our way home we stopped at a rest area somewhere in Southern Illinois. I noticed an older gentleman talking with my husband near our camper and wondered if the older man was in need of assistance. How optimistic I must have been! He was telling my husband that *something* was dragging on the ground between OUR truck and camper. That *something* turned out to be the plug that connects all the tail lights on the camper as well as the camper brakes to the controls in the truck. Apparently it had come loose while we were traveling. Ordinarily it would be no trouble to reconnect it. But driving with it dragging the road had worn about half of this plug away and no connection could be made.

As evening was falling hope of stopping for dinner faded and we began what might become a race against darkness, with no camper brakes and no camper lights. As we were south of Effingham, Illinois, I called information and found cell phone directory assistance to be a very satisfactory experience. I was connected almost instantly with WalMart, who claimed to have the wrong number of pins in their connector plug. I was then connected with Autozone, where the clerk also claimed not to have the piece we needed.

For some reason we took the Effingham exit anyway, thinking we would look at WalMart and verify whether or not they really had the wrong number of pins in the plug available there. We thought we needed a 7-pin plug but we weren't 100% sure. Maybe the WalMart 6-pin plug was what we needed after all. We took the exit to find out.

Not knowing where to find WalMart, we happened upon Autozone first. We thought it wouldn't hurt to look there anyway and at least they could tell us where WalMart was. I was calculating where we could camp for the night or find a cheap room if this plan failed. Driving without camper brakes and tail lights in the daylight is one thing, but we wouldn't have risked it at night.

If there was a positive side to this part of the story, it was that I got more done on Heather's 2nd sock while waiting at Autozone...
Our luck must have been changing, because my husband emerged from that store with the RIGHT plug! All that remained was for my brilliant son to cut off the old damaged plug, strip the wires and connect them all properly! No problem! Having a brilliant son really comes in handy.

We were soon back on our way, rewarding ourselves first with a hearty meal at the Effingham Cracker Barrell. We were home by midnight and arrived to hear the words of the audio book of Anne of Green Gables which refelected our sentiments exactly:

"I've had a splendid time....but the best of it all was the coming home."