Purl One, Yarn Over, Purl Two Together, Knit One

Two More Finished Projects!

2012-02-11T14:36:00.000-05:00

es, this time it's me. I've actually completed both a blanket, and a hat.

The blanket was actually a pattern for a shawl that I found off Canadian Living.

The hat is the ruffle hat I love making.

Coming soon - photos of my nephew wearing the hat!

A Finished Project!

2012-02-04T08:19:00.005-05:00

hat? No, not me. What were you thinking? I tried to do a row on my scallop-edged blanket and realised I'd lost the pattern for it.

This is my Aunt Beysun and her lovely sweater:

Scattered Knitters, Roald Dahl, and The Vicar of Dibley

2012-01-28T15:03:00.000-05:00

here's a name for my condition!

Karen Gowen calls herself a scattered knitter, and that's just what I seem to be turning into: "Some years I don't do anything but the occasional scarf, other times I'll knit up a storm and try new yarns and more complex patterns."

Meanwhile, I reread a wonderful Roald Dahl quote the other day:

"If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it.

A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely." ― Roald Dahl, The Twits

That has nothing to do with knitting, exactly, but maybe it speaks to our intentions while creating, in a Like Water for Chocolate sort of way (which book I haven't actually read yet). If you're knitting someone a gift, it helps to keep your hands clean, your wool untangled, and your thoughts happy.

That said, I think I'll pick up that kilt hose from where I last left off...

In my ongoing look at knitting in the media, I realised I might not have put up Vicar of Dibley clips before! Here are the characters discussing great storms they've lived through, while Miss Cropley knits.

For you writers out there, Cathy Campbell's discovered a great resource on the history of British winters from 1616 till now. The great storm of 1947...

More Knitting in Literature, Sort Of

2012-01-21T19:45:00.000-05:00

ex Parker is a cruciverbalist, an 'enthusiast of crosswords'.

He also has an alter ego as Salmon Gutter/Pop Sensation: "This site is dedicated to my vintage paperback collection. Every couple of days, I pull a book off the shelf and write about its cover. That's it. To understand the spirit of the blog, please read the following: The Great Paperback Project Paperback 88: Suburbia Confidential."

In a recent send-up of an Erle Stanley Gardner novel about Perry Mason, he wrote the following, in reference to an excerpt that featured the phrase 'well-knit':

"'Marilyn Marlow then said, with a predatory coyness, 'You must be Humphrey Bolgard. They said you were well-knit, but—' She ran her eyes down the length of his frame and back up again '—well, there's knit and there's knit, and boy are you knit.'"

I'd like to use that phrase in casual conversation. Boy are you knit!

Other literary knitting posts of mine have featured Patricia Wentworth, Diana Gabaldon, Lilian Jackson Braun, Diana Gabaldon again, Beatrix Potter... and Andy Capp.

Regular posting will resume soon, with photos of two (!) completed projects. Meanwhile, what is this Vogue Knitting Live of which Franklin speaks? Why do we not have such events in Montreal?

Knitted Hotel Room!

2011-12-22T21:01:00.007-05:00

've never been to Brighton, but if someday I visit, this is the hotel room I'd love to stay in:

"Deisgned by Brighton local and artist Kate Jenkins, the room features her trademark knitted food – in a wooly fry-up – a knitted telephone, curtains and toothpaste and toothbrush, not to mention the more traditional knitted bedspread. In keeping with the rest of the hotel's rooms, Jenkins' room has its own name – the Do Knit Disturb room." - The Guardian

What Do You Use?

2011-12-18T19:29:00.000-05:00

hat do you use?

Madeleine at Knit Purls of Wisdom is hosting a blogfest!

I've shared photos of my two gorgeous yellow boxes before; that's where I corral most of my wool.

Everything else is less organized. There's a plastic bag for all my needles, crochet hooks, stitch markers (thanks Helen!), and so on. But current projects fall into any of five tote bags and my pattern books and photocopied or printed patterns are all over the place.

No one wants to see photos of the mess! I hope to finish the latest blanket soon, and I'll share photos of that. Instead, for now, let's look at Old Navy's Grandmabot:

An Inspiration

2011-12-10T20:10:00.013-05:00

ose Larson was featured in the latest issue of Canadian Living.

"The Salvation Army's Christmas hampers from this past holiday season included more than 200 products from the industrious needle of one Grande Prairie senior.

Rose Larson contributed 100 toques, 50 pairs of socks, 45 pairs of mitts and 20 scarves to the Christmas drive held by the Salvation Army Food Bank. The 90-year-old has been knitting warm clothing for Grande Prairie's needy for the last three years, and works on knitting the items year round.

"That's my year's work, now I'm knitting for next year," said Larson. "It's something that I've done all my life. I've got arthritis so bad in my hand now, I can't do any other crafts, so I keep knitting."

She has been knitting since the age of twelve." - Toronto Sun

As for me... the blanket's coming along nicely. Hope to make a hat sometime soon, too. Helen gave me a virtual kick in the rear the other day...

Penguins!

2011-11-24T20:41:00.000-05:00

ast month, Skeinz, a yarn store in Napier, New Zealand, put out a call for knitted jumpers for penguins affected by the most recent oil spill.

(image taken from Skeinz, and supplied to them by Charlie, who knit this jumper)

They even had a pattern for the penguin jumpers!

"Penguin Jumper in 8ply - must be 100% Wool Yarn - 1 pair 3.25mm, 1 pair of 3.75mm needles, 1 set of 3.25mm dpn’s or circular
Cast on 36 stitches using 3.25mm needles. K1, P1 to end of row. Repeat this row 7 times Change to 3.75mm needles and K2, P2 rib. Work 4 rows increasing at each end of every row (44 sts)
Continue until work measures 15cm
Decrease 1 st at each end of every row until 28 sts remain
Decrease 1 st. in middle of next row (27 sts)
Leave on needle
Make second side the same
Transfer the 54 sts from both pieces to 3 of the set of 4 3.25mm needles (18 sts on each) and work a round neck in K1 P1 rib for 10 rows
Cast off
Stitch up sides to decreasing to 27sts (opening for flipper). Add elastic to the top and bottom to prevent the penguins getting out of them. Top: 15cm of elastic; bottom 17cm (knots allowed). Flat elastic OK"

Actually, when laid out flat, they sort of look like hot water bottle covers...

This week, Skeinz posted a video of the first group of penguins heading home. So sweet.

And if you want a bit more background on cleaning penguins, and why the jumpers were so useful, Snopes has an article on this issue.

Around the World in 80 Stitches

2011-10-22T09:50:00.012-04:00

e want! No, not cookies, but this:

It's chock full of historical references, apparently, including an article about the "terrible knitters e' Dent" in nineteenth century England, and the evolution of the sock heel from sixteenth century European stockings.

There's also, ahem, a pattern for Scottish kilt hose by Audrey Manwaring-Spencer.

Yes, yes, I know, I don't need another kilt hose pattern. I've got one already! And I'm halfway through the kilt hose. No new inches since last time. I've also got - counts on fingers - six babies to knit for, plus a sock request and a blanket request.

What's my excuse? My knitting buddy Helen is far away!

Knitting in Literature

2011-10-01T09:04:00.029-04:00

veryone who's read Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities remembers Madame Defarge knitting.

But when I was trying to find knitting related quotes for the sidebar of this blog, besides the Madame, and Jamie and Claire - and later, Dorothy Parker - I was hard-pressed to find anything beyond throw away lines. Even about Miss Marple! She knits, of course, but steadily in the background, and there are only brief mentions here and there of her creating fluffy pieces for new born babies.

The latest reference I've seen is in Carole Anne Carr's Thin Time, a breathless adventure story, where the Three Sisters at the Well of Wyrd knit. With frog skins!

Now I've discovered a new-old author. In the last Knitting Daily newsletter, Kathleen Cubley wrote about the latest issue of Piecework, where Ileana Grams-Moog talks about knitting and reading, and mentioned Patricia Wentworth, "who was born in India in 1878 to English parents, began her writing career early and continued until her death in 1961. Though she won a prize for her first novel, which is set during the French Revolution, and wrote a number of other novels, she is best known for her mystery series featuring Miss Silver", a governess-turned-detective.

"Knitting is not that common in literature, and it usually serves as a sort of stage prop, like a style of dress, to indicate something about the character of the knitter: that she is old-fashioned, or industrious, or a harmless old lady. While Miss Silver is both old-fashioned and industrious, she is not a harmless old lady. She is aware that her knitting conveys an impression that helps her in her profession. She takes advantage of that, but her knitting is not a prop. She is a real knitter and takes her knitting wherever she goes. In a given book, we may watch her cast on a garment, finish it, assemble and trim it, and immediately cast on for the next one."

Apparently, there are 32 Miss Silver books, beginning with Grey Mask (1928) and ending with The Girl in the Cellar (1961). And Wentworth also wrote another 33 novels!

Oh dear! As if my To Be Read pile wasn't already spilling off the bookshelves...

Any other knitting authors out there? Do you refer to knitting or other needlework in your books? I've got brief mentions in my novel, Out of the Water, where Santiago is telling his daughter Rosa how he courted her mother, Magdalena:

"I ran all the way to Magdalena's, stopping only to straighten my clothes and hair. Her mother recalled my face from the night before. She permitted me to enter, to wait for her husband. They assumed I had come from my ship; I did not disabuse them of the notion. They sat, knitting, in the parlour, while I did my best to hide my bruised knuckles and charm them.

"Her mother – your grandmother – would not retire and leave us alone, of course. I cast looks at Magdalena. I contrived to touch her fingers when she showed me what she was knitting."

"But –"

"Yes, her father came home. Too soon for my liking. And that's when he realised what I had done, and why."

A Knitting Book I Want

2011-09-04T12:16:00.000-04:00

hanks to the wonderfully informative newsletters I get from Wool-Tyme Kingston, I just found out about this:

On July 27th Richard Rutt, the Anglican Bishop of Leicester died. ... Monsignor Rutt was [the] author of the definitive work A History of Hand Knitting, and the contributor of his extensive library of historical knitting books to the University of Southampton's vast Knitting Collection.

A History of Hand Knitting by Richard Rutt

University of Southampton, eh? Never mind the fact that I returned from vacation yesterday; I'd better start planning my next vacation!

Knitting on Planes, and Jamie Fraser

2011-07-26T20:29:00.000-04:00

ecently, in anticipation of vacation, I've read quite a few posts about bringing knitting needles as cabin baggage on airplanes. Everyone has different advice about whether to carry them, display them, hide them beneath the standard-issue blanket, use pencils with thick erasers instead...

Each airline's website states varying rules. And of course, I happen to work for the one section of the United Nations that actually sets the international standards for this.

But there's no getting around the fact that a transatlantic flight is long. And sometimes - gasp! - I just can't read on the plane. Knitting would be the perfect past time, especially as, last time I counted, I've got five babies and at least three adults to knit for. And I haven't knit a stitch in at least two weeks.

What to do?

Robin's advice.

About's take on the matter.

Suggestions from a blogger with a great name: Damn, Knit and Blast It.

Air Canada says I'm allowed plastic needles, as long as I'm not flying to the UK. Well, there's that loophole scuppered.

EasyJet won't allow knitting needles of any kind. The airline calls them "blunt instruments" and puts them on par with hockey sticks, sabres and swords.

Guess it's a good thing Jamie Fraser will never travel forward in time.

(Gratuitous non-red-haired semi-inaccurate (well, it's not Ioan Gruffudd or Diana Gabaldon's choice Allen Scott-Douglas, now, is it?) Jamie image from Crazy Horse Woman. There's a good one here as well.)

Scallop-edged Blanket

2011-07-03T11:42:00.000-04:00

eturning to a long-lost project is not as easy as I thought it would be. Mianly because I seem to have lost all original copies of the pattern I was using.

I think it's this scallop-edge baby blanket. But if it's not... I'm halfway through a row and I'll have to tink any mistakes. Dangerous enterprise - wish me luck!

Here's what it ought to look like:

Lilian Jackson Braun

2011-06-08T07:50:00.000-04:00

Cross-posted from my writing blog, The Girdle of Melian:

willeran, Merlin James. Kao K'o Kung (Koko). Yum Yum.

I was all set to do a post on my knitting blog about the latest Lilian Jackson Braun book I've finished - The Cat Who Saw Stars - since it features an older Scottish gentleman in full regalia piping at the head of a parade that includes Qwilleran's oldest friend knitting a sock with four needles on the Friends of Wool float; and this coming Saturday is World Wide Knit in Public Day. But.

Found out this afternoon that Ms. Braun passed away last Saturday, at the age of 97, two weeks shy of her 98th birthday (condolences may be sent to the family here).

What's that you say? Never read a Cat Who... book? Well, I hadn't either, until I started writing my middle grade a few years ago. Every time I told someone there was a talking cat in it, they asked me if I'd read the Cat Who... books. So I finally picked up a couple at a second-hand bookstore. Well, Koko and Yum Yum are nothing like my Kedi - obviously those people had never read the books. If they had, they'd have been recommending them to me on their merits alone.

The Cat Who... series is part mystery, part social commentary, part ode to cats, part tribute to small town Northern America. There's a little bit of everything, in fact, and Qwilleran himself, the main journalist-crime solver-author-man about town is just the sort of well-rounded character you'd hope to meet someday. He'd sure treat you to a nice dinner out, at least.

Ah, heck. I'm not doing the flavour of the books justice at all. Why don't you start at the beginning, with The Cat Who Could Read Backwards. Margot Kinberg had a post on The Cat Who Could Read Backwards a few months ago, which described it all a bit better. Also, Clarissa Draper included Lilian Jackson Braun in her list of 5 Most Influential American Woman Mystery Writers.

Here's the lady herself:

Ah yes, the knitting. But first, Christopher Smart, the 18th Century poet. Qwilleran quotes a few fragments in The Cat Who Saw Stars, on the subject of cats in general, and of Smart's cat Jeoffry, from Jubilate Agno:

"For he counteracts the Devil, who is death, by brisking about the life.

For in his morning orisons he loves the sun and the sun loves him.

For he is of the tribe of Tiger.

For the sound of a cat is in the most useful preposition κατ' ευχην.

For the pleasantry of a cat at pranks is in the language ten thousand times over.

For the purring of a Cat is his τρυζει."

If anyone knows what the Greek words are, please tell me!

As for knitting... I've gone back to work on a scallop-edged blanket, but I seem to have lost the pattern since I last worked on this project. That's okay; all my spare moments are taken up with editing. A Round of Words in 80 Days: The past few days I've been drafting like mad, finishing up scenes that were missing. For a fourth draft, I seem to have quite a lot of blanks remaining!

Andy Capp and World Wide Knit in Public Day

2011-06-03T21:30:00.000-04:00

ndy Capp! Well, not him, but his wife Flo: knitting at the pub! (Hi Helen! *waves*)

World Wide Knit in Public Day is coming up 11 June! Where will you be knitting?

(Also, if you're lucky enough to live near Kingston, Wool-Tyme Kingston is having a major ongoing sale!)

Sewing!

2011-05-21T22:20:00.000-04:00

irst off, yes, I've finished the blanket!

Second, have you seen knitter Robin Hunter's Field Guide to Knitters? Part 3 includes Technique Knitters:

"Description
This type of Knitter rarely completes a whole project. Often they become fascinated with figuring out better ways to reach their goal of perfection but then move onto the next challenge before completing the item that provided their last one. ...

Habitat and range
Often isolated from other Knitters due to the complexity of their knitting, when they do step out to share their insights they have no knitted items to wear publicly."

I'm not that much of a technique knitter, but the description reminds me of myself, as us Multiple Project Knitters also rarely have knitted items we can wear publicly. And of course I've got piles of UFOs...

Third, sewing! Look at thus adorable turtle, made by my goddaughter's grandmother:

A Blanket for My Goddaughter

2011-04-26T21:06:00.000-04:00

o, I haven't actually finished a project. But it's been too long since I featured my goddaughter around here and she's not only grown, she has a baby sister!

I'd started this simple blanket a while ago, and I'm this (holds thumb and forefinger ten centimetres apart) close to completing it. But I couldn't resist draping it over the little one yesterday:

After all, it was her grandmother that gave me the wool!

And here's Big Sister, pretty as ever:

Knitting Paintings

2011-04-16T21:36:00.000-04:00

iscovered a new knitting blog the other day, called simply, Knitting Adventures. Look how lovely these free patterns are!

Speaking of the Royal Wedding the other day (which I might be at a local pub at 5.30 am (!) to watch), if you've got photographs of England, send them to Pictures of England. We've got one on there from the time we visited Holmfirth.

I wanted to share an old painting featuring knitting (since I've been focused on Orientalist paintings of late) and when I Googled paintings with knitting just now, I came across this wonderful site - Knitting Links from the Victoria and Albert Museum.

I couldn't find a painting that looks like my character Rosa in Out of the Water (unlike the many paintings I find on The Orientalist Gallery) but this one comes close in tone:

The Knitting Girl by artist William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1869

Cowls and Scarves and Hats, Oh My!

2011-03-29T19:06:00.001-04:00

eally, I`m working on the blanket, I swear!

Can't match my mother's speed, however. In one week (!) she knitted all of these items, plus three others not shown, for various charitable organizations:

Scarves:

Hats and Cowls:

Closeup:

Might just appropriate one of these items for myself...

Knit Your Own Royal Wedding

2011-03-17T07:53:00.000-04:00

ook, I finally have photos!

And I've actually gotten further on this blanket since last week, though I still have many many inches to go.

The background to these photos is a family tree showing how Princes William and Harry are descendants, through their mother only, of Charles II. Natural descendants of course, since Charles did not have children with his queen.

As for Prince William... Thanks to the folks at Pond Parleys, I just found out about the book Knit Your Own Royal Wedding by author and knitter Fiona Goble.

Who wants to knit a corgi? Or Camilla?

Progress!

2011-03-06T21:01:00.003-05:00

rogress with a capital P!
I actually got somewhere today on the easy peasy baby blanket I'm knitting.
Back with photos soon.
Meanwhile, here's a knitting LOL cat:

Not Knitting but Writing

2011-02-25T21:00:00.000-05:00

oing, going, gone...

It has happened with my writing before, and looks like it's happening with my knitting recently - I've pretty much dropped it all. Unless an inch per week on the kilt hose counts?

Didn't think so, somehow.

I did start a baby blanket - no pattern whatsoever, straightforward knit every row - but have gotten only a few fingers in, or about three inches worth.

So what have I been up to? Mostly editing, lots of writing-related blogging. I entered a few contests here and there, and one of them was Jen's call for a scene showing a "disgusting/annoying moment that one of your characters experiences at the hands of his/her loved one". In lieu of a photo of knitting updates, then, here's the scene, from Out of the Water (please ignore the square brackets around the bits that haven't been written and the words that haven't been edited yet):

Baha's eyes blinked rapidly in his sleep. Fever dreams. He'd called out in his sleep only the night before, Ottoman words she did not understand, and she'd had to wake him, bathe his head, change the sheets, fan him – anything to try to cool his body. Doctor [X] had promised to obtain ice three days ago; perhaps today would be the day he finally did so.
She'd been washing his forehead again as he lay on the sofa. When Ayten came in bearing soup, she the cloth in the near empty bowl and swapped it for the tray.
"Do you think he might be able to finish it today?" the girl asked, looking up at her with large eyes.
"I'll try," she said, as if it was her fault her husband couldn't eat.
[Ayten leaves and she wakes him, i.e. tickles a sleeping dragon]
He put up a hand, blocking her as she tried to set the tray beside him.
"Do you want to hold it? It's hot," she cautioned.
"I don't want it at all. I'm weary of trying to force down food I can't taste." He turned his face away, into the cushion.
"Well, it'll help ease –"
"No, it won't." He struggled to sit up, tangled in the blankets. "There's nothing you can do, Rosa."
"At least I'm trying," she snapped, not moving to help him. "You never know what might do some good."
"There's nothing." He switched his glare from the blankets to her. "Don't you think if there was, I'd – I'm the one that's dying!"
"I'm the one that has to live without you!" Her hands shook. Hot soup scalded the tops of her feet. "Ow!"
She clattered the bowl onto the floor and stalked across the corridor to their room to change her stockings. There were no other clean ones; she hadn't yet [sent out] the week's laundry. She slammed the trunk lid shut and barged into Arcturus' room.
What a mess! She wasn't about to root through all that linen to try to sort clean from soiled.
Baha's and her room was just as [bad]; they didn't even fold up the bed anymore, as he usually spent most of the day in it. And still he refused to take any sort of treatment!
She dashed away tears with the back of her hand and tidied up the bedclothes.
What's the use? She thought, pounding the pillow into shape. Why should I keep trying if he won't? If he's going to –
She pitched face first into the pile, stifling her sobs in the folds of the sheets, smelling his [cinnamon] scent with every quaking breath.

New Projects and Some UFOs

2011-01-29T18:41:00.000-05:00

ome UFOs, indeed. I have more unfinished projects on at the moment than I have time for. A scarf, a blanket, the neverending kilt hose (I knit an inch up the legs yesterday!) and all of a sudden I have - counts on fingers - four babies to knit for! I'll be starting blankets for all of them, since that seems to be the item that's used the most, simplest to knit, easiest on the wallet as I can use up a lot of the wool I already have, and the one I'm most likely to finish.

Meanwhile, it's been snowy all over North America this winter, and my aunt down in Washington, D.C. made her first snowman the other day! That is, it's not the first time Washington has gotten snow, but it's her first winter on this side of the Atlantic. Anyhow, here she is modelling the lovely hat she knitted:

I get all inspired seeing other people's finished projects. Think I'll take my face out of the computer and go start a blanket!

A Christmas Scarf

2011-01-08T19:58:00.001-05:00

have been editing my novel every day - updates on my writing blog - but am making more of an effort to make time for knitting.

I've got five days to finish this Christmas scarf, made on request for my sister, who liked the scarf I made two years ago. It's a straight pattern of six knit stitches and six purl stitches, alternated.

Here it was in the car on day one of our trip:

And here it was on the day we drove home:

I've added about an inch more since then. Thanks to Helen for talking up knitting in the car on road trips - it really works!

What's On Your Knitter's Life List?

2011-01-05T07:58:00.028-05:00

hanks to the lovely folks at Wool-Tyme Kingston, I heard about this book:

"The Knitter's Life List
To Do, To Know, To Explore, To Make
Gwen Steege
Knit a traditional gansey sweater with indigo yarn. Tour a spinning mill. Discover five ways to cast on for socks. Use steeking to make a tube into a cardigan. The Knitter's Life List is a richly illustrated compilation of more than 1000 experiences and adventures that knitters won't want to miss. You'll find unusual yarns to work with, classic techniques to master, time-honored patterns to try, innovative designers to know about, museums around the world to see, books to read, festivals and retreats to visit, and much more. Check off each item as you complete it, and move on to the next -- you'll find more than enough knitting adventures to fill a lifetime!"

Some knitting related experiences I'd like to have:

Visiting the Isle of Skye

Knitting a Fair Isle pattern

Visiting more sheep and alpaca farms

Learning to spin!

What's on your knitter's life list?

And now a word from from Harry Potter: "I was merely reading the Muggle magazines," said Dumbledore. "I do love knitting patterns."

Year End Wrapup

2010-12-26T20:49:00.000-05:00

anuary - ongoing magic loop socks.

February - finished my first ever complete pair of socks! I also joined the Knitting Olympics, and made a Victorian Shawl, finished early!

March - The Easy Peasy Tee in progress, and an update on the kilt hose. I did quite a bit of organization in two gorgeous yellow boxes, of which Frodo approved.

April - finished the Easy Peasy Tee and gave it away to a colleague. And the kilt hose got feet!

May - put together a gift set for a new baby. I also optimistically said "And now, for the first time in a long time, I only have two projects on the go - the kilt hose and the scallop-edged blanket. After that, I've got two socks and two sweaters I've promised to others. And then we'll see..."

But since when does a knitter ever have "only" a few projects on the go?

June - took the kilt hose on holiday but got only a row or two done due to the heat. Visited an alpaca farm! I came home with a bag of unspinnable fibre; the plan is to sew it into a pillow for Sam, who loves alpaca wool (see the bottom of this page), but I haven't done that yet.

July - discovered a lovely pattern for a summer dress for babies. Made one that turned out to be too small for all three of the babies I was knitting for.

August - made a larger dress for my niece and a medium sized one for my Goddaughter. Well, made is the optimum word. Started, is more accurate.

September - all the writing I was doing put the knitting further behind.

October - completed the large dress, and here's the beautiful girl wearing her dress! I was still working on my second pair of magic loop socks.

November - alternately working on the stripey socks and the kilt hose.

December - finished the socks! Here's my friend Agnieszka's beagle Zippy, wondering if they might fit him:

Every once in a while I find a knitting related image on The Orientalist Gallery. This time, there's one called The Wool Spinner.

And oh yes, I'm still working on the kilt hose. But distracted once again - I've gotten a request for a holiday scarf, and found just the right wool to duplicate the Christmas scarf I made two years ago.

I'm also on my own now that Helen's gone to England - the ninnies have gone international!

We'll see what we plan for and accomplish in the year ahead...

Stripey Socks!

2010-12-12T15:52:00.000-05:00

reezing cold outside, and snowy and icy:

Just the right conditions for some bright happy socks:

Thank you to Helen for the wool!

And now, back to our regularly scheduled kilt hose.

Pints and Purls

2010-11-27T13:46:00.001-05:00

see a light at the end of the tunnel - I'm only a Kitchener stitch away from completing the socks and then...

Well, ideally I'd get around to finishing those kilt hose I started. On the other hand, Helen got me an amazing birthday present; a copy of Pints and Purls.

There's a top-down knit shirt that looks too easy to pass up. Any excuse to buy new wool will do, I guess!

Summer in the Fall

2010-11-16T07:53:00.001-05:00

ada!

She posts on the blog! I've almost finished the magic loop socks, I swear, but over on the writing side of my life National Novel Writing Month has me cracking out at least 15,000 words per week to finish the S*&^$%y First Draft by the end of the month.

Caught my niece in her dress this weekend though!

Can't get cuter than that!

Illustrations and Progress

2010-10-30T20:49:00.001-04:00

ust when I thought I had no concrete news to create a blog update, I came across a new source of inspiration.

It's always exciting when you stumble upon a new word or author or illustration that warms your insides and incites your own creativity. I attended a meeting of the Canadian Society of Children's Authors Illustrators and Performers last week that featured "A Harvest of New Books": local children’s book authors Nancy Gow, Jennifer Lloyd, P.J. Bracegirdle, Jill Murray, Alan Silberberg and local children’s book illustrators Susan Mitchell and Yayo (Diego Herrera).

Susan Mitchell's work might be familiar to some of you, whether through the children's books and cookbooks she's illustrated, or from the lines of greeting cards, giftware and other articles she's provided paintings and creations for. Her Etsy shop is here.

I say creations, because I'm in love with her needle felted characters! I mean, just look at this fellow!

So that's what Mole of The Wind in the Willows looked like come winter time!

I also love Camouflage and Little Red.

But my favourite at the moment are the creatures on her calendar, available from Lulu or Red Bubble. I'm very partial to November, but as this is a knitting blog, here, for your viewing pleasure, is March:

Oh yes, progress - I've almost finished the socks! Photos coming soon.

Summer Dress for Summer

2010-10-12T15:40:00.000-04:00

inally able to report that I've completed the summer dress for my niece, Summer!

No photos of her wearing it yet, unfortunately - though she did try it on - as it's autumn and she's already begun wearing layers.

Here's the dress on the flat:

And here it is hanging:

I've got to get back to the kilt hose, but first - more socks on the Magic Loop! Here are the ankles started:

Blog Awards!

2010-10-06T23:08:00.001-04:00

hanks so much to Nicki Elson for the One Lovely Blog Award!

Don't forget to head over to Nicki's page to watch her book trailer!

I hereby bestow this lovely award on...

Zia, who creates lovely patterns

Anne at Wool-tyme Kingston, cos it's one lovely store

Susan, because she recently featured a lovely piece of crochet

Stephanie, for Enrique

...and...

Helen! Knitting buddy extrordinaire!

Vintage Patterns

2010-10-05T04:07:00.000-04:00

raft of vintage patterns, all found here!

As If I Needed New Patterns...

2010-10-02T15:22:00.000-04:00

ipping through to tell you about...

Véronik Avery, who has a new book out, featuring some truly gorgeous designs.

Knitting 24/7: 30 Projects to Knit, Wear, and Enjoy, On the Go and Around the Clock (Stewart Tabori and Chang 2010) is reviewed here, and available here.

I've got to finish these dresses and start on something new!

And, All Beatrix Potter All The Time - here's a recent post on Beatrix Potter, to go along with my photos here and here of knitting in some of her books.

Okay, so I'm a little behind...

2010-09-24T20:43:00.000-04:00

've been forsaking my knitting projects and have been busy wrapping up the first draft of my latest novel. Also, I'm hosting a writers' houseparty on the Compuserve Books and Writers Forum! Invitations are up now, so if you're a writer, come play - everyone's invited!

Helen, however, has been knitting up a storm: here's her cowl neck sweater and a leaf pattern tee.

I'm only a few rows away from finishing the second summer dress; then I've got to make one more, and then start on socks for Christmas gifts...

Football and Knitting?

2010-09-08T21:25:00.000-04:00

ho'd have thought that football season and knitting would go together? Yet Kathleen of Knitting Daily is right, while the men watch game after game, it's a perfect time to get together and knit.

Of course, you don't always need football as an excuse. Any ol' movie or tv show will do for me. Still working on dress #2, which is taking longer not because I've been slacking lately *cough* but because I chose to make the largest size given in the pattern... That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Meanwhile, a question for you:

Harem Scene

2010-08-29T13:46:00.000-04:00

ourtesy of the wonderful website, The Orientalist Gallery, here is a 19th Century painting by Rudolph Ernst, featuring spinners:

Knitting Funny - Don't Try This Yourself

2010-08-27T22:31:00.000-04:00

ajor spew alert!

A hilarious post from the Panopticon, courtesy of Pam.

I'm still laughing.

Almost Complete...

2010-08-18T21:39:00.000-04:00

issing only the crochet round the collar! On to the second one, in green...

New Pattern and Promised Photos

2010-07-14T08:37:00.000-04:00

have started a new pattern! The only UFO I have at the moment is the kilt hose - I'm halfway up the calf - but it's too hot to be knitting in alpaca, so I've chosen a cotton pattern to make for my niece's and goddaughter's upcoming birthdays.

The pattern is here, but I've reproduced one of the images below:

Also, as promised, here are two beautiful photographs of Hortense, taken by Ani:

Another Diana Gabaldon Knitting Reference

2010-06-28T20:47:00.000-04:00

iana's posted a new excerpt on her blog that features knitting!

Alpacas!

2010-06-25T13:25:00.000-04:00

iven the photos of Sam at the bottom of this blog, I think it's obvious how much he loves alpaca wool. While travelling through Pennsylvania recently, I saw an advert for an alpaca farm! Turns out there are over a hundred such farms in PA alone.

We visited one near Punxsutawney called Flocks by Knight. Unfortunately, they didn't have any wool, but I came away with some wonderfully soft fibre to try - once again - to spin, courtesy of Lucky Pierre (he's the tall black guy if I remember right), and a bag of short bits (un-spinnable), which I'm planning to sew into a pillow for Sam.

Thanks to Tracy for taking the time to show us around!

Also, being a city person, I was just as impressed by the hay and the tractors and the chickens.

Truckers Who Knit

2010-06-21T19:04:00.000-04:00

ow awesome is the news in this article from the Wall Street Journal? Truckers who knit! And quilt and sew and... Like shepherds and fishermen of old, a new generation of men are finding ways to keep their fingers busy during their downtime. I've always loved truck stops - someday, I hope to run into one of these guys, like Kevin Abraham-Banks, "a 37-year-old trucker with a shaved head and dragon tattoos, [who] passes time at truck stops with his cocoa and knitting... 'The fact that you can take strands of thread and basically make something out of it, that's awesome I think,' he said."
I agree!

World-wide Knit in Public Day!

2010-06-19T15:03:00.001-04:00

h yes, today's the day! Time to take your knitting to the streets!

If you're in Montreal, WWKIPD as hosted by the MontrealKnits Yahoo Group, is taking place at Portugal Park, on St-Laurent, corner Marie-Anne, and there's also one at Effiloche. If you're in London, there's one at the Natural History Museum and one in Parliament Square, among others. Edinburgh, St Andrew's Square. New York, Coney Island. The list is endless - go forth and knit!

Beatrix Potter's Knitting Animals II

2010-05-29T21:55:00.000-04:00

his post and the previous post are in memory of my friend's bunny Hortense, who passed away a little while ago.

Cat knitting:

Buying wool from Mrs Flock:

Beatrix Potter's Knitting Animals

2010-05-13T16:35:00.000-04:00

uch adorable drawings, I had to share.

Here's a knitting mouse, from Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes:

And here's a knitting rabbit from the Tale of Benjamin Bunny, with a little description of what she knits.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines muffetee as:

"[Apparently irregularly < MUFF n.1 + -EE suffix2, with insertion of -et- (perhaps compare -ET suffix1). Perhaps compare NECKATEE n.] 1. A kind of mitten. Also: a kind of muff worn on the wrist for warmth or to protect the cuff; a wristlet. Now hist. {quotes cut out} 2. A muffler worn round the neck. Brit. regional.rare. a1890 E. WAUGH Tufts of Heather (1892) I. 25 He'd a thick, red wool muffatee reawnd his neck."

Lovely Lace

2010-05-09T22:18:00.000-04:00

urry and visit Lottery Girl's blog to meet the lovely Jean Claude! Here he is being prepped, and here he is being modelled. Gorgeous! I can't wait to try my hand at lace.

Another Gift Set

2010-05-04T20:45:00.002-04:00

completed this blanket a little while ago but waited until I had the entire baby shower gift set to showcase.
The picot edging came after I learned to do it with the Victorian shawl; now I want to use it everywhere!

And now, for the first time in a long time, I only have two projects on the go - the kilt hose and the scallop-edged blanket. After that, I've got two socks and two sweaters I've promised to others. And then we'll see...

Vintage Knitting

2010-04-24T22:13:00.000-04:00

ust had some fun looking up vintage knitting photos through Google...

Here's a McCall's Magazine article from June 1905, on Knitting as Recreation (cross posted from Not Another Knitblog!):

Then there's this fun looking ad I found here. I never thought giving up a tape measure could be so much fun, but then, I don't really use tape measures. I'll pick up a ruler once in a while, but most of the time I use my fingers to (pretend to) measure inches. Two fingers = 1 inch, no?

Knitting on the plane! Ah, back in the day... Taken from Worn Through.

And here's how I feel about using double pointed needles. Trust me, this kid is grimacing not smiling.

Home for a Hobbit

2010-04-20T18:43:00.000-04:00

ould you believe I only have two projects on the go at the moment? Only the kilt hose and the scallop edged blanket, that's it!

It's probably time to look through my gorgeous yellow boxes and start some more projects, especially the *cough* socks and sweaters I've *cough* promised to make for friends... Meanwhile, here's a very dedicated lady after my own heart, one who's read The Lord of The Rings about as often as I have!

From The Telegraph: "Dedicated Maddie Chambers has completed her own tribute to J.R.R. Tolkiens Lord of the Rings trilogy by creating a miniature model of hobbit Frodo Baggins home."

Home for a Hobbit on DollsHouseBlog, Part One, Part Two and Part Three.

More Knitting in Public, and a Gadget

2010-04-14T09:21:00.000-04:00

n Blackadder, Bernard, aka Nursie, knits very very slowly, at c. 2:00:

(it's not the full episode, just clips)

And here's an invention that might come in handy someday:

The Lego Knitting Machine

Completed and Ongoing Projects

2010-04-10T22:22:00.000-04:00

he Easy Peasy Tee is done!

Here's Helen's latest shirt, with a lovely cable type stitch down the front:

The kilt hose have got feet! Now for the calf...

Organization II

2010-04-10T20:58:00.000-04:00

oila! Here are the photos! Aren't the yellow boxes gorgeous?

above: Victorian Shawl wool on the left, Icelaine handspun in the middle, sock wool on the right

Frodo pretending he doesn't notice all the balls of yarn...

Pucks and Purls

2010-04-05T11:34:00.000-04:00

n the eve of the playoffs, as the Canadiens struggle to stay in, I bring you... a hockey player who knits:

Jacques Plante, the first goalie to wear a face mask. According to history.com, he "always knitted his own underwear and stocking caps, saying that knitting was the only thing that truly soothed him. 'Someday,' he said wistfully, 'I’m going to learn to knit with my feet.'" Wikipedia adds "His mother taught him how to knit his own tuques to protect him from the cold. Plante continued knitting and embroidering throughout his life and wore his hand-knitted tuques while playing and practicing until entering the National Hockey League." There's even a play based on his knitting!

Meanwhile, if you'd like to knit a hockey player, here's one! With a Canadiens jersey not an Edmonton one, of course...

Organization

2010-03-21T12:15:00.000-04:00

esterday I bought two gorgeous yellow storage boxes and took all my wool and UFOs out of their various tote bags and did an overhaul of the entire stash. Photos to come.

Meanwhile, I have lots and lots of tiny balls of wool in one bag, five great big balls of two different colours and kinds of wool wound together, and a box of small balls of cotton wool - what do I do with all that?

Then, in the gorgeous yellow boxes I have, among others: a few skeins of fluffy yarn, ten skeins of Norwegian wool, a few skeins of cheap acrylic wool, 150g of gorgeous Icelaine wool, some just-purchased lovely sock yarn to use for socks for friends, and some other wool I received as presents.

I've actually, surprisingly, only got four projects on the go (another baby blanket with hood, a scallop edge blanket I started ages ago, the easy peasy tee, and the kilt hose) and once those are done, I'll have to find patterns to match all the wool I've now got on display in the gorgeous (that's thrice!) boxes.

Anyone have any favourite patterns they'd like to share?

In Progress

2010-03-14T15:08:00.002-04:00

uite the Easy Peasy Tee (see the one that Helen made, two posts below):

Picot edging:

ocks! Or, more accurately, kilt hose!:

Ribbing:

Another Comic I Don't Normally Read

2010-03-09T08:40:00.000-05:00

his Bizarro was in the paper on Sunday:

Look for the pie, the alien, the...

Helen's Easy Peasy Tee!

2010-03-09T08:23:00.000-05:00

sn't this Easy Peasy Tee lovely? I've started one of my own, in blue!

Finished Early!

2010-02-23T09:23:00.000-05:00

ere's the shrug!

I'm finished five days early, which is great, because my elann.com wool arrived yesterday, and I can finally begin the kilt hose.
Dum da dum dum dum...

Also, here's Helen's completed vest with all its gorgeous cables:

And author Lois Lowry has been making socks!

2010-02-19T09:24:00.000-05:00

ay 7! The shrug is finished and I've begun the edging.

The Kindle cover is from StrangeDog!

The Knitting Olympics Athletes Pledge

2010-02-19T09:21:00.000-05:00

nitting Olympics Pledge (from the knitting Olympics site):

I, a knitter of able hands and quick wits, do hereby swear that over the course of these Olympics I will uphold the highest standard of knitterly excellence.

I will be deft of hand and sure of pattern, I will overcome troubles of yarn overs and misplaced decreases. I will use the gifts of intelligence and persistence (as well as caffeine and chocolate) and I will execute my art to the highest form, carrying with me the hope for excellence known to every knitter.

I strive to win. To do my best, and to approach the needles with my own best effort in mind, without comparing myself to my fellow knitters, for they have challenges unique to them.

While I engage in this pursuit of excellence and my own personal, individual best, I also swear that I will continue to engage with my family in conversation, care for my pets, speak kindly with those who would ask me to do something other than knit, and above all, above every stitch thrown or picked, above every cable, every heel stitch, every change of colour, I swear this:

That I will remember that this is not the real Olympics, that I'm supposed to be having fun and that my happiness and self-worth ride not on my success... but on my trying.

Let the games begin!

Knitting Olympics Update

2010-02-16T09:01:00.001-05:00

t's going well!

Okay, I didn't knit at all yesterday, but here's how far I'd gotten by Saturday night - and I doubled that on Sunday! If I finish the main body of the shrug tonight, I'll post a new photo tomorrow.

Helen's Cables! Part II

2010-02-16T08:58:00.000-05:00

emember this?

That was the front of Helen's cable patterned vest. Here's the back!

Ahem. We ask that you please note the Tiffany bracelet on her arm...

Socks

2010-02-16T08:54:00.000-05:00

t last - a photo of my first ever completed pair of socks. After the ones on dpns, where I only made one sock, and the ones on straight needles, where I only sewed up one sock and ran out of wool for the second, it's nice to be able to say "I've made a pair of socks!" Hooray for the magic loop method.

Kitchener Stitch:

Pulling in all threads:

The lovely Eye of Partridge Stitch!:

As you can see, there was some slight trouble with laddering (strange, since I normally knit so tightly) and the decreasing for the toe looks rather obvious. The toe with the Kitchener stitch also looks funny in the photograph, but it's also partly because I did on my own, without watching the how-to video.

Knitting Olympics!

2010-02-12T17:15:00.000-05:00

ictorian Shrug - pattern on page 12 here - is the pattern I'll be starting at flame-lighting, tonight!

The Socks Are Coming, I Promise!

2010-02-11T11:14:00.000-05:00

nd the Knitting Olympics start tomorrow!

What's Wrong With The World?

2010-02-07T18:30:00.000-05:00

pecifically, Scotland, where guns are illegal, but you can get married at 16, drive at 17, drink alchohol at 18 - yet have to be 25 to knit. What, do they ask for identification when you walk into a local yarn store?
"Sorry, sir or madam, but according to this ID you still have a month to go before your birthday. I don't care what your parents let you get away with at home, I can't sell you those blunt tipped bamboo 9mm sticks. Yes, I am aware that you can buy bamboo shoots at the nearest Chinese grocery, and that these needles are thicker than a pen, however..."
I mean to say, what?
Thanks to India for pointing this out.
Meanwhile, I'm two sets of Kitchener stitches away from finishing my socks on the magic loop!

Caught You Peeking!

2010-02-01T10:06:00.000-05:00

peek at Helen's first finished pair of socks:

And here's Jerry, peeking through my ribbed blanket while it was still in progress:

Last Year and Ongoing

2010-01-28T15:14:00.000-05:00

ne item I omitted from my photos and features last year is the scarf below.

I knitted it as a gift (which explains the length – it was for a much taller person), in December 2008, with more of the Icelaine wool, but ended up wearing it myself. It’s the cosiest and warmest scarf I own and the Doctor Who length makes it easy to wear in different styles.

Come to think of it, I knitted a Tom Baker scarf once – wonder where it went?

(image from age of geek)

As for the ongoing, here are some shots of the magic loop socks in progress:

The ones nearer to completion belong to Helen; I decided to make mine anklets because I’m working with larger needles than called for. I love following the Tostetoes pattern; it’s very detailed and guides you every step of the way. I doubt I’ll ever use any other method for socks ever again. I’ve got to start the kilt hose once I finish this pair, but before that I’ve got to make another pair for Jenny, who enjoys socks with fun patterns as much as I do.

Before I forget, here’s a link from kc dyer for all UKphile knitters:

And in my ongoing series of knitting as featured in the media, I recently saw an episode of MASH where a trio of Korean doctors perform acupuncture to heal Winchester's aching back, and when asked how he feels he replies "I feel like I've been knitted and purled."

Bright Young Things

2010-01-15T14:53:00.000-05:00

ust look at what India's been making! Lambs, lambs, more sheep, Highland cows, and a ringmaster!
Meanwhile, read about Pam's knitting adventures: they started here, continued here and here, reached their apex here, and their conclusion here. Then they yarns were spun...

Knitting, and writing, are addictive.

2009 Wrap-up and Knitters' Olympics

2010-01-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

y first post was in February 2009. From then until the end of the year, I completed:

2 ornaments
1 large ribbed blanket
1 icelandic wool hat
2.5 socks
1 diamond pattern set - booties, hat and sweater
1 pair of booties
2 cable hats
3 baby blankets with hoods
1 baby hat with tassle
2 baby sweaters
1 baby blanket
5 ruffle hats
1 striped blanket
1 multicoloured blanket
3 hat and bootie sets for newborns
1 pair of mittens
2 baby hats
1 norwegian wool blanket
1 extra large baby kimono
1 alpaca wool sweater
unfinished items: five hour baby sweater, baby sweater, 1.5 socks

So far I've got about five projects lined up for the new year. Only one baby expected, though, for whom I've already knit two or three items. So there will probably be a lot less hat and blankie knitting!

Wool-Tyme, in Kingston, Ontario, is hosting a Knitting Olympics Project, to coincide with the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.

"The object of the exercise is to complete a knitting project that will challenge you, your abilities and your creativity. You begin your project at the lighting of the Olympic torch on Feb. 12th and strive to finish it by the closing ceremonies on Feb. 28th."

They've set up a Ravelry group for the project. If I dare, I will aim to complete a pair of socks. No second sock syndrome, no I-ran-out-of-wool and couldn't sew up the second sock, no excuses! Shall I try the Magic Loop method, return to double pointed needles or use straight needles?

Holiday Knits

2010-01-06T12:05:00.001-05:00

oliday ornaments that I created for my niece and my goddaughter:

A blanket made with wool that I received for my birthday - 6 knit and 6 purl ribbing created an extra large but very ripply blanket, perfect for snuggling in winter:

Just for fun, here's the blanket as approved by Frodo and Sam:

And another photo of my goddaughter, asleep under her baby blanket with hood:

A Swatch of Knitters

2010-01-05T11:28:00.000-05:00

hree fellow knitters:

Pam, who needs your encouragement!
India, who's busy shepherding...
Stephanie, who's keeping many hands toasty and stylish this winter!

(Is that the collective term for knitters? A swatch? Well, it is now!)

Here are some funny new knitting terms, from the book 501 Knitting Secrets:

Some newer knitting terms frequently used on the Internet:
To frog (v.): To rip out knitting several rows at a time ("rip-it, rip-it" like a frog, get it?) Also known as frogging or taking a visit to the frog pond.
To tink (v.): To unknit a stitch at a time in order to correct a mistake ("tink" is "knit" backwards).
WIP -- Work In Progress
KIP -- Knitting In Public (encouraged)
UFO -- Unfinished Object
FO -- Finished Object
SEX -- Stash Enhancement eXpedition
Stash (n.) -- A knitter's collection of yarn, books, needles, etc.

Knitting Sitings

2009-12-30T12:55:00.000-05:00

he past few days I've been seeing knitting and knitters everywhere in the media. The last two were on The Simpsons - Principal Skinner knits! - and on a Golden Girls rerun. Rose returns from a trip to the mall, where she's just bought a gun. But first, from her bag, she pulls out two skeins of wool!

Quickest Knit Ever

2009-12-19T20:23:00.001-05:00

hipped this one up in about half an hour.

Doesn't cover the ears, so it's not fit for winter here, but cute nonetheless.

Both the brown and the white wool came from Icelaine, which I previously bought from last winter.

Knitputer!

2009-12-19T19:38:00.001-05:00

ore interested in programming than knitting? Do both at the same time with... Knitputer!

toothpastefordinner.com

Knitters in Public

2009-12-13T14:40:00.000-05:00

nitters show up in a lot of television shows and movies; or rather, knitting does, since often what you see on the screen is someone who's only pretending to be a knitter. The actress was obviously coached that very morning on how to knit, apparently by someone who barely knows how to knit themselves. That's why it was a very pleasant surprise to catch an old episode of Roseanne today, featuring a real knitter.

Now let me see if I can embed this video...
There - the knitting starts at 3.55 and goes on until 6.45:

Not only is she knitting, she's knitting socks. Not only is she knitting socks, she's walking while knitting! (I do this in the summertime and only wish I could do it in the winter.) Another interesting tidbit is that she knits my way, which I think is called the Continental way, throwing her wool underhand instead of in the English overhand manner.

Oh yea, the episode is a good one, too.

Knitting and Cats

2009-12-09T11:04:00.000-05:00

ats, yes...

Not only do they wreak havoc (scroll down for my story), but also, they get into one's knitting - see Sam below!

Of Socks and Rants and the Kindness of Strangers

2009-12-05T20:46:00.000-05:00

or my birthday, Helen, who knew that I've got second sock syndrome, gave me a pattern book and some wool. Yay!

Here's the photo from the Patons pattern book:

This marks one of the few times I've actually used the wool specified in a pattern, but I'm especially excited by the fact that I get to make both socks at once.

Last weekend, however, when I was planning to finish the socks, I ran into two lines of the pattern that seemed to make no sense. No problem, I thought, I'm having brunch with a friend and there's a local yarn store in that neighbourhood that I've bought wool from before (the blue wool from Mexico) - I'll just ask them. Well.

I walked in and there was the store owner, seated in an armchair by the counter with the cash register, pontificating to another client about how much stock he had and how much money the store pulled in, and how other yarn stores were copying them... He didn't say hello to me. I waited by the cash and a woman came around from the back. I pulled out my project and the pattern book and asked her for help. Her reply? "I can't help you if you didn't buy the wool at our store." I told her the wool had been a gift. And she did have the same Patons book, on the rack directly behind me. But no, she repeated, "sorry, there's nothing I can do."

Why did they open a wool store in the first place, I wonder?

Later that week, I emailed Patons, as well as Lisa, the owner of Yarn and Thread by Lisa, whose name came up in a Google search for the Patons book. She wrote back within the hour! And wrote me back again when I replied to say that I was still feeling dense and hadn't understood the first time. Isn't that sweet? I've almost completed the socks, and I'll try to post the photo soon, dedicating them to her!

Thanks Lisa!

Meanwhile, here are two music videos featuring knitters: Runrig's Tillidh Mi, from Scotland, and the Dolapdere Big Gang from Turkey, covering The Animals' Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood.

Remember This?

2009-11-19T11:45:00.001-05:00

emember this project?

elen and I started knitting the diamond lace pattern back in April, and in October I reported that we had completed the set (mistakenly remembering the start date as May - that's how long it took!).

ast night we delivered the finished product to Chloe and Gaspard and took these lovely photos:

No Sewing!

2009-11-17T12:33:00.002-05:00

tephanie, a knitter after my own heart - who enjoys sewing up knitted pieces as little as I do - has posted a no-sew vest pattern! Here's her post, complete with photo, and here's the pattern (scroll down to Raveneli). Big needles too!

I can't wait to get
tarted...

Thanks to kcdyer for the dropcap link!

Narnia, Wool and LOLCats

2009-11-12T15:47:00.000-05:00

A combination of three things I love, in honour of the (approximate) twenty year anniversary of my reading of The Chronicles of Narnia:

New Items!

2009-11-11T15:44:00.001-05:00

Here is a random assortment of items that I completed over the past couple of months. The cable hat, the hooded blanket (as modelled by my goddaughter in the post below!), the booties and the hat with the tassle are all variations on patterns I've used before. I especially love that cable knit.

The sweater (a free Bernat pattern) is my new go-to sweater for baby gifting; it's knit all of a piece, so there's (can't decide which is the best feature) less sewing and no armhole decreasing!

The orange afghan is a new pattern (free from the skein of Phentex wool) that, once you memorise it, is a treat to knit - four rows that repeat. Delightful!

Hooded Blanket, With Model

2009-11-10T15:31:00.000-05:00

Here's the hooded blanket featured in August, as modelled by my goddaughter!

Socks, Again

2009-11-08T17:42:00.000-05:00

Stephanie's got some gorgeous photos of socks she recently knitted!
As for my socks...
I agree with her that sock projects are just the right size for carting around and knitting at odd times but there's another major reason some of us - cough cough - don't like knitting socks: you have to make another one exactly the same directly after you've finished! I knit my first sock last month and now I'm suffering from second sock syndrome; can't seem to get started on the pair! It might also have something to do with the size of needles - I used tiny 2.5mm ones; perhaps I'd enjoy the process more if they were bigger and the wool thicker... Or if I could knit both at once! My next pattern will definitely be a two-socks-at-once pattern.

The Finish Line Has Been Crossed!

2009-10-21T15:03:00.002-04:00

Way, way back in May, I reported on the Diamond Lace pattern that Helen and I were knitting for a pregnant friend.

We are happy to announce that our work is complete! Two sweaters, two hats, two bootee sets, all with buttons and ribbons, washed and wrapped, are ready to be delivered to the new mother and her (already!) three-month-old twins!

Here are the finished articles:

Helen's set in blue:

My set in yellow:

Diamond closeups:

A big round of applause, please!

What mega project shall we tackle next?

Here's Another Ruffle Hat!

2009-10-21T14:57:00.002-04:00

Another pregnant friend means another one of my favourite baby hats to knit: the Bernat Ruffle Hat!

Knitting in the Eighteenth Century

2009-10-03T09:45:00.004-04:00

I've finally, finally, finished the diamond lace pattern set! Well, except for the buttons and ribbon... It's pressing as we speak. My set was yellow, and Helen's (knitting for the other twin) is blue - watch for photos of both, soon!

Meanwhile, a little history, courtesy of the Lincoln's Birthplace Museum, Kentucky and Fort Nashborough, Tennesse:

I Started the Socks!

2009-09-25T19:29:00.001-04:00

Just thought I'd mention that I've started my first pair of socks, and it's not as difficult as I thought it would be...

Photos coming soon!

More Knits to Come!

2009-08-26T08:53:00.002-04:00

I brought my knitting bag with me on vacation, but never got a chance to pick up my needles...

Look for more baby sweaters next month.

Also, I'm finally going to tackle both crochet and double pointed needle sock knitting!

A Complete Baby Set!

2009-08-03T13:47:00.005-04:00

I finally brought this set together. Of the three pregnancies I was knitting for, this is the last one; the other two have delivered, happy and healthy babies!

Some of these items are variations on patterns I've used before, and posted here: the hats and the hooded blanket. The other two blankets were knitted off the cuff, without following any pattern in terms of the colours. However, the striped one is knit in a pattern that I originally found in a book of afghan patterns. I took these photos just before I wrapped up the items:

Red Ruffled Hat:

Multi-coloured Ruffled Hat:

Hooded Blanket:

Blanket knit on circular needles:

Striped blanket:

Hat and Bootee Set for Newborn

2009-07-23T11:57:00.000-04:00

Ta da!

A Small Bundle

2009-07-17T08:25:00.003-04:00

Sent to a friend in the UK:

The cable hat pattern is the one from Canadian Living, first featured here..

Baby Shower Part II

2009-06-29T10:10:00.004-04:00

Here is the hat and bootee set (the hat was a free Bernat pattern):

Frodo inspecting my handiwork:

Frodo inspecting the Fluffy Hat:

Upsidedown:

Baby Shower Part I

2009-06-29T08:55:00.002-04:00

I've finally got a complete set!

Here are the two blankets I knit for my expecting sister-in-law:

Norwegian Wool blanket with cable stripe:

Close-up:

Baby Blanket with Hood (pattern from the Lion Brand Yarn website):

Extra Large Kimono

2009-06-16T11:16:00.002-04:00

I've dropped the diamond lace pattern again, as I've just learned that I have less than two weeks to knit a gift for another mother-to-be!
After much searching, I settled on a kimono pattern from Knitting Daily, and hope to put up photos soon. Since I never pay attention to gauge or resize patterns properly, I've gone ahead and started the kimono (which calls for 3.4 mm needles) on 9 mm needles, in order to finish quickly and use less wool (as I only have two skeins of 100% wool from Turkey that I'd like to use, and the pattern calls for 3!).
So far so good - I've got the body and sleeves done, and might have just enough wool for the finishing. (Would that I could sew properly...) The kimono is huge! Yet will hopefully be quite snuggly once the baby is grown and winter comes...

Progress is Slow

2009-05-25T12:29:00.002-04:00

Mainly because I can't sew very well. I've finished the Diamond Lace sweater, and started on the cap. Mittens and bootees to come!

At the same time, I've begun work on a five-hour baby sweater - I'm about an hour in and getting slightly discouraged because there are a few errors in the pattern. However, I've found blog references to it here and here, which helpfully offer photos.

Summer is almost here and the babies are due at the end of the season, so I've got to get cracking!

Diamond Lace Set In Progress

2009-04-29T09:25:00.003-04:00

Helen and I are knitting a surprise gift for a colleague who's having twins - one boy and one girl! She's doing the blue half of the set, and I'm doing the yellow half. So far we've done the body of the sweaters and started on the sleeves.

Here's the body:

The set also includes mittens, bootees and a hat. Here's a closeup of the diamonds:

A Gorgeous Afghan, by Helen

2009-04-28T10:01:00.003-04:00

Isn't it lovely? I wish I could knit nothing but blankets, most of the time...

What I've Been Busy With...

2009-04-21T12:44:00.002-04:00

Another baby project - a top secret one, for a colleague at work who's having twins! but doesn't know that Helen and I are busy knitting for her...

The set comes from an old Red Heart pattern book (from the '70s? '60s? No bar code, ISBN or date!) and includes a sacque, a cap, mittens and bootees, all with a diamond lace pattern.

I'll try to post an in-progress photo by the weekend.