FO: Natalia's Moderne Baby Blanket

How right you are! Ripping is much better than the substandard item gifting. Despite the brief setback, I actually finished my crochet version of Mason-Dixon Knitting's Moderne Baby Blanket a few days ago. I've been busy (which I'll explain momentarily) so no blogging. First, the blanket.

The Layout


The Results


Materials
11 skeins of Mission Falls 1824 Cotton in 6 different colors (Chicory, Lintel, Grape, Phlox, Chili, Peony)
US size I (5.5 mm) crochet hook.
Finished dimensions are 38" x 28"

Pattern modifications
You probably know that the Mason-Dixon log cabin blanket patterns are written for knitting. No beef against the knit version of Moderne since I made one before. But now, time was of the essence. Besides, it seems that crochet and this 1824 cotton were made for each other, as evidenced by the way I was able to smoothly use the hook to grab and manipulate the yarn with ease.

The other thing going for me was my absolute willingness to be kinda loose with the math and let the blanket take shape, with the entire thing based on the outcome of the foundation block. The first block in the original knit pattern is essentially a 36-stitch block.

When substituting “single crochet” for “garter stitch,” remember that the single crochet is taller than garter stitch. That's why I did the foundation block as 28 rows instead of 36. The size of the remaining color blocks is determined relative to the foundation block size. Use the Mason-Dixon pattern as a guideline for when to turn the piece or pick up new sections until you are comfortable with your color plan progression. I did a two-color single crochet border in chicory and lintel.

Other stuff...
I finally started the Rehabilitation Institute Chronic Pain Management program. Yes, it kicked my butt for the rest of the day and I was none too willing to go back for more activity today. I did it though. I'm told several forms of exercise are required daily.

I suppose that, between the army of therapists and doctors, the chances for improvement in my physical condition are significant. There'd better be or there will be hell to pay!

FO: Boteh Scarf

Pattern: Boteh Scarf by Kathy Merrick from Interweave Crochet, Spring 2007
Yarn: 2+ skeins of allhemp6LUX, color: alioli
Hook: 4.5mm (G)
Modifications: 11 triangles instead of 16 called for in pattern yielded a 68" scarf, unblocked.

This is my first foray into working with hemp and it won't be the last. As mentioned, I did not block the scarf because it seems to have maintained its rounded, organic shape. I'm told by those who know such things that the fiber will soften with washing. It's already kind of soft - at least as far as hemp goes. According to the yarn store owner, that softness and subtle sheen is why it is considered "luxury" hemp. Someone on Ravelry likened it to buying jeans that are already broken in.

In other news...
I'm toying with using one of these two patterns for the birthday yarn: Eva's Shawl or Crocus Bud Shawl. Yes, I'm still in the crochet mood.

I just found out that I've been approved for one of the intensive pain management therapy programs at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. I'm hoping this will ease the pain enough for me to knit once again.

Oh, and one more thing. My cousin Simone will be going to the Olympics in Beijing as part of the USA women's basketball team. Pretty cool, eh?

A box of cat. Formerly, a box of cat food.

Pop Goes The Shoulder

It's a disconcerting sound and feeling, that "Oh, crap!" popping twinge of something anatomically out of place. When you're this|close to finishing another little doodad, you just suck it up and deal with the consequences later. I might have been pushing a bit too hard but I think this headband was worth it.

Specs:
10 grams each of light blue (2137) and navy blue (2625) Cascade Fixation
Approximately 50 clear size 3/0 seed beads
Size 5 US circular needle

Recipe:
Cast on an odd number of stitches, based on the size of your head and the amount of negative ease you desire. At 22 inches, my noggin's a bit bigger than average. My aim was for the headband to stay on (but not cut off my circulation), so I hit on 95 stitches as my magic number. Your mileage may vary.

I joined the stitches and knit the first row. Next came 7 rows in seed stitch, all in color A. Switch to color B, knit 3 rows, adding the beads in the second row. Yes, I used the crochet method to place the beads.

Switching back to color A, knit two rows. Reattach color B and use both colors, create a mock rib in a "knit 1, purl 1" pattern for 5 rows. Lastly, using color B, repeat 7 row seed stitch and bind off in pattern. You'll end up with a headband that's roughly 2.5 inches wide.

There are many variations possible such as number of colors, bead placement, border pattern, etc. Put your own mark on it. I'd be interested to know what you come up with if you don't mind sharing. Whether you have short hair or long, this is a perfect little accessory to keep you looking sporty chic and pulled together throughout the coming summer months.

I checked my stash of Cascade Fixation left over from a previous knit-along. This won't be the last of the instant gratification headbands. I just need to either learn how to involve my left hand more by knitting in the Continental style or hold the yarn and needles less tightly.

By the way, Happy Mother's Day to all who celebrate, be their children scaly, furry, feathered or smooth.

Something Is Afoot

Hail, hallelujah and a chorus of angels! I have finally finished something after a what? Three, four month drought? It's a good thing you don't stop by here for the finished items as a good friend recently said because you'd be darn thirsty.

In any event, I thought I'd start small and achievable as I mentioned in late April. Here we have my version of the purl bee's Pom Pom Peds; not on my feet because a) the skin on my legs looks weird and b) the cats take crap pictures due to the opposable thumbs issue. Leggy Creations sock blocker model shot:

Sportweight Louet Gems in grape and willow; 2/3 skein each.

No mods and super easy, these peds required almost no commitment to complete. I asked my mother if she wanted a pair but she declined, instead requesting leg warmers. Perhaps these feet could use some peds?

Meanwhile, I've got another stash-busting idea I need to try out. If it works out, I'll most definitely share it here.

Loops Over Loops

At its most basic, that's all knitting really is, isn't it? Loops over loops. Only when we apply these under-over-through actions to the loops in a consistent, uniform way do we begin to see the loops build upon one another into a cohesive fabric.

This is something that has fascinated me of late. Just how differently designing for knitting varies from creating patterns for sewing which you then apply to fabric. Of course, there are similarities of terminology, measurement and fit. But with knitting, you are simultaneously creating the fabric and the garment with all the requisite constraints of sizing and fit. Pretty freaking cool if you ask me. All from something as simple as loops over loops.

What To Do?
I delayed posting the finished Foliage hat in Malabrigo's Velvet Grapes worsted because I just couldn't decide on what to do with the 1.5 skeins of yarn I had left. The hat is a quick knit, even for me, taking only 4 days from start to finish. I hesitated on making a scarf since the temps are starting to hint at Spring in the Midwest. But I'm like, "Heck. It's wool. I'll need a scarf at some point."

After the flipping through Ravelry, a couple of books and a giant box of patterns, I dipped into the Knitty archive once again and cast on for Argosy. It sort of looks like entrelac or modular knitting but it's really just loops over loops, turned counter-clockwise 45 degrees. No diamonds. No leaves. Just a little ol' patterned stockinette and garter that fascinates my visual mind.

"No Knitting For You!"
If it's not one thing, it's another. There will be a slight break in the fiber action, so please forgive me. For reasons of either medication or stress, my hands have broken out in a kind of rash. The topical treatment consists of cortisone cream and cotton gloves and avoiding wool and doing the dishes until the symptoms subside. The only part I like is not doing the dishes. Here's wishing you a relaxing weekend!

I Knit Not. For Now.

But I do crochet. Yes, a hook and Michelle's handspun merino come to the rescue when grumpy shoulder goes into the time-out corner.

A few details
120 yards of bulky handspun merino in the color, "Hush"
Size L crochet hook
Nothing but a crochet stitch bible and a general idea for a beret (read: no pattern)

I used a knotless method (also known as "Magic Adjustable Ring") to create a foundation chain circle that could be easily tightened with a tug. Result? No hole in the top of the hat! I didn't invent it but I so wish that I'd known about it sooner. It makes all other methods for crocheting a circular object without a hole look positively arcane.

The pattern I chose is based on the Iris stitch, one of the "Fans and Shells" from The Crochet Stitch Bible, except I substituted half-double crochet for double crochet. Again, I winged it when it came to increasing the circle, keeping it as close to the shell pattern as possible. I kept this up until the top was about 10" in diameter, then I decreased to a point and continued straight in single crochet for about 2".

Oops, this is not an exclusively crochet project. I forgot about the part where I pick up the stitches along the bottom edge and do a k1, p1 ribbing for a few rows. Size 10.5 (US) double points to the rescue. A couple of buttons from the collection to finish her off and that's it! Looks like Rocky approves.

Let's see if I can finish off at least one more item before hurtling headlong into my Dream In Color KAL selection.

FO: Easy Glamour

Those of you who maintain a blog can hopefully relate to the real or imagined pressure to "feed the monster." I am absolutely in awe of those craft bloggers who have something to say - and seemingly a new project to show - nearly every day. How do they do it? Makes me feel as though I'm somehow inadequate. Eh, well. Perhaps, these be my issues alone.

As I was going to say, in an effort to keep you visiting my outpost, I figured I needed a hat, stat! Something quick, beautiful and useful. That's why I turned to my size K crochet hook and some chunky stash yarn to produce this lovely, glamorous duo.

Details
2.5 skeins Malabrigo chunky (104 yards) in the color Water Green
Size K (10.5 / 6.50 mm) crochet hook

The hat pattern is based on my own recipe for top-down crochet hats. One day, I may write it down. It's just something I've been using ever since I figured out how to crochet when I was still in the single digits. Next, I tacked on a vertical shell-like stitch called Twig from The Crochet Stitch Bible, page 81.

The scarflet or neckwarmer is straight Twig for 17 or so inches, then I do a kind of short-row to extend the right side a bit. Sew on a couple of appropriately-sized buttons on the left side and there you have it: Easy Glamour in less than two days.

FO: Let's Make A Deal!

I was determined not to do it. After all, it's something that I'd avoided for at least 3 or 4 years but this time was different. This time, the cold winds got the best of my usually overly-warm radiant heating system. This time, I found myself wearing three layers and two pairs of socks to bed.

Friends, it was time to turn on the heat! I also found myself longing to start a new pair of socks. The only way I would concede defeat to the weather and my "new sock" desires? I had to finish at least one WIP.

I chose the ZigZag Scarf from "Knitting New Scarves".


Details
ZigZag pattern, page 122
2 skeins Cascade 128
Size 10.5 US needles
Finished dimensions 6" x 58"

The most complicated thing about this scarf was the intarsia, or color-block knitting. As you know, with any multi-skein technique, there is a tendency for yarn and knitting to get tangled around one another - even if you carefully twist one yarn under and over the other as you carry it along. As the scarf got longer, I threw it over my left shoulder to keep it out of the way. I also tried to remember to turn my work only one of two ways as I worked right and wrong side rows. Not perfect, but it really did help minimize the twist-up.

Will I knit this pattern again? Oh, it's quite likely I will. Part of the fun of this is picking interesting color pairs and watching them intertwine with one another.

I said something about a sock, didn't I. I'm calling it Chewy Monkey. Relax. It's the "everybody's-done-at-least-one" Monkey, knitting up quite beautifully in Chewy Spaghetti sock yarn. Yum!

Getting My Tweed On!

A new year and new yarn to play with, so what do I do? Knock out my version of the Yarn Harlot's Unoriginal Hat Pattern (PDF) in less than 2 days. Even with chunky yarn and big needles, that still amuses me.

Details
1 skein Cascade 128 Chunky Tweed
Size 13 US dpns
2 vintage Bakelite buttons, courtesy of Vintage Necessities

Once I completed the pattern as written, I picked up 56 stitches around the bottom of the hat. Next, I used the cable cast on method to add 8 stitches to create a tab extension for the buttons. I knit this add-on flat instead of circular so that I'd end up with an easy 5 row garter band.

What's a hat without a scarf, I ask you? Just a lonely little soldier. Enter Lynne Barr's "Knitting New Scarves" and the ZigZag scarf pattern (page 122). I'm only 3 repeats into it, but it is very easy and serves as a wonderful introduction to intarsia.

What an intriguing collection of scarves that ventures far beyond the basic elongated rectangle. I strongly suggest this book be added to your knit reading list.

So many other temptations in store. What should I tackle next? Blue Sky Alpaca's Suri Merino fingerless mitts or a felted Malabrigo handbag? Oh, yeah. There are a few new designs brewing as well. My crystal ball says '08 will be a busy, busy year!

FO: A Matched Set

What started as a simple desire to provide a little warmth and softness for a neighbor who'd been ill for quite some time blossomed into a pair of somewhat stripey mittens with a matching hat to boot.

I hadn't seen Gloria for a couple of months. I'd heard she was getting treated for some sort of cancer but that's all I knew. What a great surprise to see her in early December! She was out walking around the neighborhood - a bit paler and thinner, but out and about nonetheless. I noticed she was wearing mittens and decided at that point to make her another pair.

We chatted for a bit about what she'd been going through for the past few months, when she revealed that the treatment made her hair fall out. "It's just hair," she said. "It'll grow back." In the meantime, I wanted to make something soft and warm for her head too.

Details
Both hat and gloves were made from Jaeger Chamonix, a lovely discontinued cabled yarn made with wool and angora. I have a couple of colors in stash that I was saving for something special at some unspecified future date. No time like now, eh? The accent yarn you might recognize as the leftovers from Jack's hoodie: Fearless Fibers wool and mohair blend.

I originally intended to do a hemmed picot edge but I like the casual air of the rolled brim and grosgrain ribbon through eyelet instead. The variegated band above the eyelet is a simple pattern of stockinette, then 3 rows of knit and purl stitches. The crown decrease features the same simple knit, purl texture.

The somewhat stripey mittens were based on Ann Budd's "The Knitters Handy Book of Patterns." Nothing fancy. Just a little mix of 1-2-3 rows of striping after the ribbing at the wrist, then reverse the yarns after knitting the palm. Finish the top with every other row decrease until 8 stitches remain. Draw yarn through and anchor, then you've got a finished mitten.

Epilogue
I actually finished and delivered the mittens on Christmas Day. Gloria expressed gratitude and surprise that I even had the strength to go shopping for the mittens. Imagine her face when I revealed that I'd knit them. She was so shocked that she had no time to think when I asked if she'd like a matching hat. What could she say but, "Yeah, sure!"

Three days later, hat was born. It also became the last finished object for 2007. Boy, I can't wait to see what fabulousness 2008 has in store. It could get juicy!

Gone Fishin'

Well, the neckwarmer made it into production Saturday, doing its job quite admirably on a wintry Chicago day. I think the new owner looks smashing in it.

Specifics
* Hand spun fade-dye merino from the talented hands of Lisa Mendez
* Original concept is a modified basketweave with a 5-row seed stitch border
* Two brown leather buttons hold the concoction together
* Dimensions are approximately 6" wide by 18" long

If I do this neckwarmer again, I'll make it shorter or add another fastener of some sort on the inside so that it becomes more like a collar, which was my original vision. I do love Lisa's yarn though, since it was, in part, the color fade in / fade out that inspired the piece.

Introducing...
Another original, Pattie, also known as Pirate Alice to friend and foe alike! Pattie has been known to bring grown men to their knees with her withering glance and wicked repartee. Pattie will be filling in for me for a bit as I recover from my surgery and the ministrations of The Warden. Love ya, mom!

Pattie loves crafting of all kinds, with her interest sparked at a very young age by her mother. Pattie promises to share the fun crafting projects she's found online, as well as some of the projects already completed and (still) in progress. Along the way, you'll meet her traveling companions Nigel and Elvis and, quite possibly, She Who Must Be Obeyed, Mabel the cat. Enjoy!

Happy Holidays y'all.

*Photos used by permission

My Knitting Angel

Yes, I have a knitting angel and her name is Angie. There's been a bit of blog chatter lately about paying it forward or random acts of kindness. I think it only fair that I put Angie's name out there as someone who did a me kindness by offering - no, insisting that she finish knitting my Last Minute Knitted Gifts chevron scarf for me.

Anyone who's read my screed long enough knows that I have the right shoulder from hell. When it will flare up, no one knows. Through private correspondence, Angie and I came to terms: she wanted nothing; I insisted on, at least, a token of my appreciation in return for her knitting this scarf that has nothing "last minute" about it! Sock yarn for a 6 foot scarf? But she persevered, sending me the scarf a couple of weeks ago.

It is so lovely that I decided a matching hat was in order, so I made up a crochet beret with three little purple buttons on the front. What better way to spend a snowy day in Chicago? Thank you, Angie.

ETA: The yarns used for the scarf are Scout's "Harlot's Mums" and Sunshine Yarns' "Dragonfly." The mini beret uses both of those (double-stranded) plus RYC Cashsoft in fuchsia for a solid punch of color.

Now let's see if I can't help out another Karen. She's having some trouble with her hands and wrists, making knitting next to impossible for her right now. She recently wished for a knitting angel of her own. Any more big hearts out there willing to help?

FO: Pink Diamond Scarf

I never talked about it but I've been working on this scarf / wrap thing all along. You see, I didn't want the Felted Foliage hat to out into the world without a partner, so I made a diamond-shaped scarf to keep it company using a very simple stockinette pattern.

Materials and Pattern:
400 yards worsted weight Malabrigo (color shown is Little Lovely)
Size 13 US needles

Cast on 3 stitches.
Knit into front and back (kfb) of first and last stitch of each right side (RS) row.
Purl each wrong side (WS) row.
Continue the RS increases until your knitted fabric is 34" wide. Purl back, then begin decrease.

On RS, slip slip knit (ssk) the first 2 stitches then knit to last 2 stitches, knitting them together (k2tog).
Purl each wrong side (WS) row.
Continue the RS decreases until your knitted fabric is 64" long and 3 stitches remain.
Purl back, then bind off (BO) remaining stitches.

Since the beginning and ending stitches are doubled or halved, there is only minimal curling of the edges of this pretty wrap.

All that's left on the holiday knitting list is a neckwarmer (50% complete), a scarf (just getting started) and two pairs of socks. Depending on how things go in December, the socks may or may not make it in time, however I remain hopeful.

Jack Is Three

Although he can't quite get the fingers right just yet, Jack is three years old. He was a perfect little gentleman for taking time out from opening presents to model his birthday hoodie for me. It's not as roomy as I would have liked, but Jack's mom assures me that he'll be able to wear it next year as well. If not, his baby sister will.

Cheers, little dude! Thanks for being such a good sport. Jack really did go out of his way because, at 3, he could care less about clothes. All he wanted was to get back to opening birthday presents with his cousins.

FO: Jack's Hoodie

Thank goodness! For a moment, I wasn't sure I'd be ready for the birthday boy's grand entrance to his third year this weekend. I just hope my take on this Lion Brand hoodie (registration required) is large enough to see Jack well into his fearsome fours.

Hoodie in Fearless Fibers worsted weight wool and mohair - "Stormy Night"

Modifications
The pattern as written calls for each piece to be knit separately. Since there is no shaping whatsoever for this sweater, I modified it to be knit in the round to minimize seaming. I followed the pattern primarily for sizing only.

The body of the sweater was knit from the bottom up. After casting on the total number (back + front) stitches in the contrasting color and knitting the (k1, p1) border, I switched to the main color and continued in stockinette. Once I reached the armholes, I let the "front" stitches rest while continuing to knit the "back" flat, slipping the first stitch on each row purlwise.

With the back at the desired measurement, I resumed knitting the resting stitches to the neck, then did the bind off and shoulder seaming per pattern.

The sleeves received the same knit-in-the-round treatment. I began by picking up the slipped edge stitches around each armhole. Next, I marked the underside of the sleeve then placed one paired decreases (ssk, k2tog) on either side of the marker after 4 knit rounds. I did these paired decreases only four times.

I continued to knit the sleeve to the specified pattern length minus 1.5 inches. Next, I picked up stitches in the contrasting edge color and did the (k1, p1) ribbing, mimicking the border on the bottom of the sweater. Lather, rinse, repeat for sleeve number two.

With the exception of the knitted i-cord and crossover tacking, the hood was done as per pattern.

That makes three finished items now. Now I'm left with a couple of pairs of socks, a simple black scarf and a neckwarmer of my own design. At this rate, I just may have a snowball's chance of actually meeting my holiday knitting quota.

Hello, Old Friend

You know how it is. Sometimes you've set your sights in one direction when another - long forgotten - jumps right out at you and you say to yourself, "Where have you been?" Thus it is twixt me and crochet.

I rejoined the land of the crafty going on four years now, and crochet was my ticket to ride. Since then, I've strapped myself to a knitting rocket, intent on expanding my knowledge and improving my skills with socks, lace and beads. Now, physical circumstances have conspired to pull me up by the shorts and forced me to face the fact that I have production needs and not much time in which to meet the (self-imposed) demand. Enter crochet, handspun merino purchased in a frenzy from Fun With Yarn ages ago, a few yards of pink and cream Louise Harding Kimono Ribbon, and a leftover bit of Rowan Polar as hatband / edging.

Fury fueled last weekend's fulled hat. Nostalgia and necessity nudged this weekend's hat and scarf into being:

Hello, my friend. I guarantee this is not the last we'll be seeing of one another. I've got yarn to burn and time's a-wastin'!

Foliage, Part 2 and a Birthday

I wanted to thank you guys for your support in my quest for a physician who'll work with me on this shoulder thing. Sorry for the vitriol of the post itself, but I'm not sorry about the hat that came out of it! Speaking of my version of Foliage, a number of you asked for details so here we go.

Modifications
The original pattern for worsted weight yarn calls for you to knit the crown using size 7 US dpns. I used size 8. I then worked rounds 1 - 19, per pattern.

Once the crown is complete, you are instructed to work 3 repeats of the 12-round leaf pattern on size 7US circular needles, whereas I used size 9US. I knit one leaf pattern repeat in the variegated yarn, then 12 rounds of stockinette, alternating variegated and solid yarn, then one last leaf repeat in the solid. The change in needle size is why my version bells out slightly from the crown.

The last change I made was to eliminate all but one row of the p1, k1 ribbing. I used it as the bind-off row in the variegated yarn.


Lastly, I lightly fulled the hat in the kitchen sink with a bit of Soak, hot water and scrunching to get the finished product.

Birthday Boy
The other thing I forgot about in all my righteous indignation was my baby Nikita's birthday. He looks pretty good for an 11 year old, doesn't he? That's my tabby boy, my buddy, Nik.

FO: Felted Foliage

It came as a surprise, this latest finished object. I'd just started "Foliage" from Fall '07 Knitty when it was no sooner finished. And felted. I even have about twelve inches of a matching, triangular scarf / shawl thing trailing off my size 13US straights, which should use up the remaining Malabrigo "Little Lovely (variegated)" and "Geranio (solid)." What's come over me? Let's start with the knitting first.

I had every intention of knitting Foliage as written but things veered seriously off-course when I found that I did not have the correct size (nor length) for either dpns or circular needles. I went up to size 8US dpns and size 9US circular. I'm no fan of the short-cable circular, thus I only own two in my entire collection. Although the worsted weight yarn is well-matched with needles in the 7 to 9US range, the pattern ended up rather larger than intended - and that was even prior to adding the ribbing as called for in the pattern. That's why it was ixnay on the ibbing-ray.


Exhibit A

After careful consideration cursing my stupidity, I figured that a bit of bath in mild soap and hot water might just save my bee-hind. This is, after all, one of the gifts on my holiday list. Some manual agitation, a good rinse and a roll in a fresh towel yielded a slightly smaller, fuzzier bucket hat, which I've got to say I actually like just as well!


Exhibit B

Now I will answer the question as to, "Why the knitting frenzy?" I saw a new specialist on Friday who refused to even acknowledge what the MRI shows about my right shoulder because my pain doesn't fit within his experience of that particular diagnosis. He is the second doctor to refuse to fix my shoulder. He is the second doctor to pat me on the head and send me off to pain management and physical therapy so that I can learn to live with my limitations.

If you know me at all, this treatment is tantamount to throwing a lit firecracker at my feet. I get highly agitated. Not because I want surgery from which it could take up to a year to fully recover, but because I want someone to flippin' take me seriously. I need to feel as though the physician is my ally in diagnosis and recovery. I'm doing my part, with physical therapy and research. Work with me, is all I ask.

That's why I made short work of this hat. My frustration needed an outlet and I've given up all but one of my deleterious habits. What am I left with? Sticks and string, baby. Sticks and string.

FO: Fantine!

Even a drip of water will eventually wear away rock if applied frequently enough, and thus it is with knitting. A few rows here and there mean I am finally able to say, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce Mademoiselle Fantine!"



Pattern: French Girl Knits "Fantine"
Yarn used: Nearly 4 skeins of Rowan Polar at 109 yards per skein
Needles: 11US
Start: August 27, 2007
End: October 1, 2007

You may know that my version differs from the pattern somewhat. As previously indicated, the texture of the yoke was the result of a mistake I made - one that stems from the vagueness of the 3/4 Mandarin Collar version of the pattern where it states "work until last 5 stitches". The row starts row with a left cross, purl, left cross, so I assumed that "work until last" meant work in established pattern, i.e. left crosses. So I did.


When I discovered that the pattern as written made no sense to me, I changed the yoke texture to a combination of left and right crosses aligned with the center back, then switched to stockinette stitch except for the front bands, as per pattern.



Other modifications

Yarn substitution
Instead of Rowan Big Wool (2 stitches per inch) and 17US needles, I used discontinued Rowan Polar, stashed from a sale last year. Polar clocks in at 3 stitches per inch, with size 11US the suggested needles. A little math to make the same size sweater meant I needed to add 20 stitches to my cast-on count.

Length
The pattern schematic shows the neck to border cast-off measurement of 13.5". A friend who'd already made Fantine warned me that this cropped finished length tends to ride up in the back which, given my size, is just not an attractive look. I made the executive decision to add 5.5" to the total length. To keep things in scale, I also lengthened the 3/4 sleeves somewhat to meet the bottom edge of the garment.

The verdict

I would definitely do this again with my modifications. I'll likely stick with smaller gauge yarn and needles, too, instead of the super-bulky Big Wool. The resulting garment doesn't feel quite so chunky and drapes a bit nicer, as well. This one's a keeper!

Very Berry Möbius Speaks

I so enjoyed coming into being; stitch after silky stitch of that yummy yarn building above and below the pink cable line of my knitter's needles and she had no idea. I came out just as I was supposed to, even though my knitter got tired toward the end and cheated me of a couple of rows. No matter. I got her back, but good!

I know that my knitter is a bit disconnected from her actual versus imagined body size. I gave no clue during my making that the size 46 bust was too big. You should've seen her jaw drop as she neared the end of my 430 stitch cast off. Heh. Well, fun is fun, but now what do I do? I don't see much of a future on this dressmaker's dummy. Won't somebody save me?

Help is on the way
Cry me a river, Möbius wrap. Yes, I made you a few inches too large. No, I will not rip and re-knit you. I simply do not possess that kind of patience. Unless someone has a goof-proof, can't-miss silk shrinking method, I'm giving you away, baby!

Did someone say, "Contest?"

If you're interested in pretty silk lace Möbius wrap, send an email to yimmcontest [at] gmail [dot] com. Your entry will be the subject line containing the words "Very Berry Wrap" and a number between 1 and 100. That way, I won't have to open the emails.

Specifics
Pattern: Möbius Lace Wrap from Cat Bordhi's "Treasury of Magical Knitting"
Yarn: Great Adirondack Yarn Company Silk and Bamboo
Needle: Addi Lace 6 US
Modifications: Rows 38 - 39 eliminated without significant impact to wrap.
Dimensions (inches): 46" x 13"

The last day for contest submissions is Friday, August 24, 2007. The winning entry subject line will contain the number closest to the randomly selected number. The winner will be announced the following week. Thanks for participating in the first-ever contest chez Yarn Is My Metier!

Fork. Done. Etc.

It started with beautiful yarn that, if you recall, I could not put down despite doctor's orders to the contrary. Three months later, Debi's gift of Diakeito Diamusee Fine, color 116, evolved first into damp, then blocked lace:



Then, all stretched out, it dried overnight into the Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl:


Finished dimensions: 54 x 32 inches
Needles: Addi Lace Circular, size 6 US

I made no modifications to the easy to follow pattern, which I would heartily recommend for those new to either lace or chart reading. The only thing I did was to add repeats as suggested by the designer, since I was using fingering rather than the sport weight yarn called for in the pattern.

Time Well Spent

If you were to measure it in dog years, it took 7 of them to make this pair of socks. Technically, I started them last July while laboring under the delusion that I could whip them out as a birthday present in August. Heh. Fast-forward one year and, this time, they'll be right on time.

You cannot know the joy I felt as I tightened the grafted toe stitches on my hand-carved darning egg. So may I introduce to you my 7 year-old socks:

Pattern: Hedera (unmodified)
Yarn: Sundara Yarns (Superwash Merino sock, "Red over Orange", 350 yds.)

Since the person to whom these socks will be gifted appreciates a fine vintage, I think that a year in the making was time well spent.

Other business
Imagine my surprise when so many logophiles came out of the woodwork. Be still my beating heart. Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliaphobia? Callipygian? Funicular? Splendid! Thank you for expanding my word horizons.

Can you believe it? Debi has named me a Rockin' Girl Blogger. I now have the honor of proposing others:

Chris (Crafty Angels) - She's leading a group of truly giving knitters
Abi (Noblin Knits) - One funny, smart and well-traveled Brit
Sarah (Persnickety) - Sweet, talented Chicago-area knitter
Anne (Knitspot) - Funny, witty, down-to-earth designer and knitter
Sarah (Carpe Diem) - A heck of a writer, with a sharp wit and historical bent

FO: At Last!

Can you believe it? Who knew it would take this long to finish a pair of socks? I certainly didn't. At last, my Sockapalooza 4 pal's pair is all sewn up. I started these socks in early May and it took 3 weeks to finish Sock, the first. It took slightly less time for the mate. OK, not really, but I perceive it as less time. A girl's gotta dream, eh?

So here they are, all ready for shipping on August 2nd. I even have a few little extras planned which I think my pal will approve of. What can I say? I'm a giver.

Pattern: Mona, by Cookie A.
Yarn: Yarn All Over, Moss colorway, approximately 400 yards of superwash merino wool.
Modifications: Absolutely none. The pattern was perfect as is.

By the way, just in case you were wondering about the colorful bits sticking out from the top of the socks, I've gotten some fabulous new sock blockers, courtesy of Leggy Creations. They're cats and mice partying and they are so cute, in a style that is vaguely reminiscent of Guy Buffet's whimsical French waiter.

Happiness Is...

Beautiful friends, tasty grub and fine yarn.

I broke my Monday routine and did not go to physical therapy, choosing instead to meet up with three knitting buds and one knitting bud mum. Tehemina (KnitDDS) picked me up around lunchtime and we headed to that mecca of Indian goodness in Chicago, Devon Avenue.

On the weekends, Devon is a driver's nightmare, with clogged traffic, jaywalkers and signals-optional motorists aplenty. Midday Monday? Another story altogether and frankly the best time to shop for a sari, pick up some dal (lentils), or just soak in the scented atmosphere of this multi-ethnic 'hood. Today, we were here for the food.

After a brief wait, we were joined by Alyssa (Knit Mongrel), Suni (Knit Masala) and T's mom (a machine knitter sans blog). T is 6 weeks away from giving birth to her first child, so I tried to come up with a fitting gift for a knitting mother-to-be.

I call it "Blanket Seeds": eight balls of RYC Cashsoft and a quilt-like center starter blanket. You might recognize the 6 panels of the blanket as the swatches I did for the Walker Treasury Project (Moss Stitch Rib, Waterfall, Flying Wings, Traveling Rib, Puff Mock Cable).

I single crocheted each swatch in Claudia Handpaint's "Blue Terracotta", then whip stitched each together with the blue Cashsoft. Lastly, I added a puff stitch border to the entire piece.

This 6-sectioned center panel is large enough to be used as a car seat cover initially, with the plan for knitting Mom to add to it as the baby grows.

After inhaling some dee-lish southern Indian food, Alyssa, Suni and I head into the danger zone, also known as a local yarn store.

Behold stitchers in their natural habitat. See the excitement on their faces as they cuddle up to their fibery kill.



And what did I buy? Three skeins of custom dyed Louet Gems (in "Browns") right off of the display for their new DIY dye kit. I saw the yarn, went looking for it elsewhere in the store and was told that it was one-of-a-kind.

"Will you sell it to me?"

Oh yes, my friends. It was a good day.

Because The People Demanded It

You ask and I answer in as comfortable a way as possible for me: partial body shot only, so as to show the combination of the Mia shrug with the silk chiffon dress.

You have to take my word for it when I tell you that my makeup was flawless and my Heidi-style braids were smooth and neat. The jewelry, made for me by Stylish Girl, was a perfect match with its semi-precious stones of green and brown.

This shot was taken a couple of days ago, but I held off on showing it until I could complete the modifications to add the seamless, circular knitting option to the Mia pattern.

What's on the needles at the moment? More swatches for the Walker Treasury Project. I have a couple of months to complete them, which dovetails perfectly with my on again / off again knitting capabilities. Besides that, I get a chance to knit a few rows, learn a new stitch and move on.

Knitting repertoire enhancement, stash diving and instant gratification - all in one!

No Satisfaction.

I can't get me no...
Pain or not, I just wasn't fully happy with the Mia collar. Once I tried on the shrug, it became apparent that the bead-accented flowers didn't come far enough down the front for my liking. It wasn't exactly back to the drawing board, but I did need to do something. I decided to sleep on it and, just maybe, I'd come up with a simple solution.

Mix an ice pack, an idea, Happy Forest yarn (I had 2 skeins on hand) with a few beads and what do you get? Roughly, a rhombus.


I picked up the stitches along the inside edge of the original collar, then continued down the front edge of the shrug to within an inch of the sleeve (red line). Next, I decreased the at the join (tan line) and at each edge, adding beads near the tip for an arrowhead effect.


Thanks, by the way, for your vote of confidence on my ability to bounce back from this latest SLAP to my knitting pride. Y'all are the best!

Questions and Answers

Finishing touches? Decision made!
A few amber beads and a trip through Nicky Epstein's "Knitting On The Edge" and I settled on the Berry Cluster as the appropriate finishing touch with a vintage feel for Mia. What do you think?

back, left

back, center

right, detail

Since I'm a (ahem) big-boned gal, I decided to place the visual interest up toward my face . I really like it because, if I'm feeling particularly sassy, I can turn up the collar, resulting in more face-framing allure! I did absolutely nothing to the ribbed sleeves because, well, who needs to advertise the wings :o).

So why was I in such a rush to get this done? Read on, McDuff!

Doctor, it hurts when I do this.
Superior Labrum Anterior to Posterior or SLAP. Sounds like an interesting acronym doesn't it? What it is is the answer to my questions about continued pain and weakness in my right shoulder and arm lo these many months since the spinal surgery that I'd hope would remedy the problem (among the others that were fixed). I was informed by my doctor this morning that a painful diagnostic procedure I underwent this past Monday showed that I have a SLAP tear.

The long and short of it is that I can't move my arm much and, at a certain point, any movement (even knitting!) hurts - well, burns is more accurate. I pushed myself to finish the collar on Mia so I could go out with a beaded bang! I will probably have surgery to repair the tear, but won't know when until I see another specialist in May.

Why tell you all of this? Just so you know why the knitting will become as scarce as hens teeth around these parts. This really sucks because I have so many luscious yarns and beautiful patterns yearning to break free from the yarn closet. Ah, well. What's a knittah to do, friends? All I can tell you is that you shouldn't be surprised if some goodies end up on your doorstep. If I can't enjoy it, someone else should, non?

Wild Things!

Wild thing...you make my heart sing.
You make everything. Groovy.
C'mon, c'mon, wild thing.

- The Troggs, 1966



You know this is really about the now finished and fabulous Wild Thing socks knit from Teyani's Sock Hop yarn. I just couldn't resist kicking off this post with a picture of the boys in an unusual tête-à-tête. Anyway, on to the long-awaited socks:

Start: 2/7/2007
Finish: 3/19/2007
Materials: 3+ ounces of Sock Hop yarn in the Wild Thing colorway
Needles: Addi size 2 US

The pattern is just your basic top-down sock recipe for fingering weight yarn. Cast on 64 stitches, knit 1.5 inches of k3, p1 ribbing and stockinette leg. For these socks, I did a garter stitch heel and reverse stockinette toe – something that adds a bit of textural interest while still showcasing the beautiful yarn.

I know this bum wing makes the production line a lot slower now but I can explain the nearly 6-week gap from start to finish in two words: birthday gifts. OK. Maybe three or four. In any case, they're done and I love them. They'll join the others in the dresser drawer, destined to be among my favorite (and well-worn) pair of comfort socks.

The Gift Train Keeps On Rolling

The work-in-progress spot on my knitting settee has begun to function more like a LIFO accounting system: last in, first out!

After finishing the last birthday gift, I realized there was no time to go back to my Sock Hop socks because of another impending birthday - this time for my physical therapist, Holly.

For the past 4 months, Holly has kneaded, messaged and (at times) cajoled my muscles and nerves into working like they're supposed to. If not for her, I wouldn't be knitting now. That is why I thought it fitting to make something that would warm the hands of my PT angel!

Specs:

Less than 1.5 balls of Rowan Wool Cotton in shade 941 (Clear)
Addi size 3 US, 2-circular method
Pattern, "April May" courtesy of Cider Moon

Modifications? None, with the exception of the length. Mine are about 1.5 inches shorter.

Bathed, Blocked and Ready to Go

It took longer than expected, but I finished the mini-messenger bag in time for delivery to its 11-year-old recipient later today. I kind of blew past the actual birthday by a few days, though I suspect she'll forgive me.

Specs:
(2) 138 yard skeins of Manos del Uruguay in 'Agate'
(1.5) 135 yard skeins of Malabrigo bulky handspun in 'Pagoda' (discontinued color)
Size 10 US circular needles for the body of the bag
Size 8 US dpns for the strap
4 stitch markers
2 jumbo nylon snaps as closures

The pattern (my own) begins by casting on 60 stitches for the rectangular base, knitting for 40 rows, then picking up stitches along all sides of the piece. I knit in the round for 4 inches then added a thick cable set off by purl stitches up the center front of the bag. I placed stitch markers at each of the corners so that the decrease rounds near the top would align with the 3" sides. This also left a convenient way to ensure consistency in the number of stitches, as well as placement of those stitches once the body of the bag was complete.

Pre-felting measurements: 18" wide by 20" tall with a 36" strap
Post-felting measurements: 16" wide by 13" tall with a 32" strap

Other notes:
Although the cable is not very distinctly apparent, there is a bit of texture to the bag which I like. I originally intended to do buttons and loops to hold the flap closed. I sewed on clear jumbo snaps instead so the look of the front is uninterrupted. Lastly, blocking was made so very easy with the help of a box roughly desired size of the finished product. I covered the box with a plastic bag, placed it inside the wet felt, pinned everything into shape and let it dry overnight.

Now, to finish a sock before I begin the next birthday gift...