Taming the Steek

This project went from cardigan to pullover back to cardigan. I've seen several versions of steek finishing on the internet.
Well, here's how I did it. I'm sure there's many other ways but it worked and that's what counts.

I sewed grosgrain ribbon on each side of the garment over the steek. (Right side facing)

Cut the steek...

Sewed the ribbon onto the inside....

Put on the finishing touches and blocked. This pic shows the colors more accurately.

This shot shows the seamless set in sleeve. The stitch pattern blends in well and will hold the shape better than my plain stockinette sweater.

I have the material for the skirt and as soon as I'm finished with my spring fling sweater/jacket--yeah, it's another one of those out-of-my-imagination creations that will morph several times before it's called done so I'll save the torture for the end. Never made a skirt. Hope I can handle a tube. Luckily WEBS still had the color and amount in Cascade 220 that I think I need. Met a friend of mine from high school there and then we did lunch. If you're ever in Northampton MA, stop and walk Main St. It has everything. Great restaurants, unique shops...and lots of traffic but many places to park. You could hike it from WEBS but it would be quite a hike. Personally, it's a shame there aren't eateries closer to it. I think Noho is missing economic potential. WEBS is such a huge draw and we knitters like to eat! Help keep up our strength from all the wool fumes!

The Long Weekend

February in New England is interesting. Temperatures range from the single digits with wind chills below zero to the mid 50's with fog so thick you can't see the house across the street. This can all happen in long weekend. Stuck in the house because it's too cold, too wet, too foggy. At the moment we are in the 40's and falling fast with a snow squall twirling large flakes in a frenetic dance outside my office window. Feels like I'm on the inside of a snowglobe. The snowbanks are dirty and unappealing. Mood levels turn negative and impatience is high. We've had enough and are ready for the season to change.
So when your stuck in the house on a long weekend and you're a knitter, you're at an advantage. Projects are finished, new ones started and the cat gets to sit in your lap all day. Everyone is happy. My cardigan with 2 color rib that became a henley is back to a cardigan. Once it's finished blocking I will attempt to post my tutorial as lacking in steps as it is. It's too heavy to wear now which is okay because I want to knit a skirt to go with it. Unless we go back to arctic conditions, I'll have to put it away.
The snow squall has stopped. Who knows what will show up next! Oh, the Russian Coat? Frogged. Too fiddly for my impatience. I hate sewing stuff together and each hexagon has a seam. The used wool has been washed and once dry I'll rewind into balls. I'm working on my own version. I think there will be shortrowing involved.

Now We Are 1

We celebrated birthdays! Beau and Andrew are one.

Top photo: April 2007. Bottom: February 2008. They were 6 weeks old when I got them I'm guessing birthday is somewhere near the first week of February.

Bitterly cold here in W. MA. Won't last long. The snow squall yesterday was a little freaky. Spent a lovely morning in Northampton having brunch at Union Station. Sunny and clear. Even ditched the heavy wool coat. Went to the mall in Hadley. Meandered back home and noticed the ominous dark clouds to the west. I was home maybe a half hour and darkness decended. I looked outside and saw nothing but white snow coming in horizontally and the wind howling. Lasted quite awhile. Didn't disturb my knitting one bit.

The cardi I was working on has turned into a henley pullover. (stay with me here)It's going to be too warm to wear past February, more of a late fall/winter top. Putting on the finishing touches. And then it's on to an item I saw in the Vogue 2007 Holiday issue. The Russian coat by Norah Gaughan. It's stunning. Not using her yarn suggestions. They're beautiful but mine's going to be wild. Where hers is rich and earthy mine will scream. Call it what you will. It's a very elegant style and I'm hoping a change in color won't change that aspect. Won't know until we try, right?

Ain't No Sunshine

Since the sun refuses to shine on us I've resorted to craptastic flash shots-yuk. This current w.i.p. has an interesting beginning. I'm anxious to see how it turns out. Doesn't it make Gracie look slim?

My wrist gave out on the two color ribbing so I went back to a seed stitch sleeve. Duh, it's still knit/purl!
The sweater below is the same color combination as stated in the last post. It's been perfect for this weather.
Detail of the neck two color ribbing-blurry of course. I cast off in purl, it looked better than knit.
And my make-it-up-as-I-go pattern on the front and sleeves.
I really should start doing lighter weight non-wool items but as long as it stays cold damp and dreary I will continue. Besides, it's all I have in my stash.

Super Tuesday?

Voting day here in Massachusetts. The building I work in is also the polling destination for the town. Busy, busy, busy. By far the most turnout in the 2 years I've worked here. It's a Town Clerk's worst nightmare. The day begins around 6am and ends anytime after midnight. Even with freezing rain and treacherous driving conditions the voters are doing their civic duty. Kudos! And yes, I voted in my own town before I came to work.
I wish I had a pic to show of the charcoal grey with fern green design around body & sleeves raglan style sweater. It is done. Blocked. Has been worn. Next on the sticks is a set- in -sleeve -top -down -jacket. The upper section and sleeves is seed stitch. I'm throwing in a 2 color 3x1 rib from the bust down. It's a corsety effect. With a steek! I've only steeked once before. My game plan is an I-cord finish and incorporating floating I-cord as the button loops. It works in my brain, we'll see how it goes. Color? Fern green as the main color and charcoal grey as the purl rib and I-cord. Yeh, I bought the same amount of Cascade 220 in each color and they look fab together. Well, my opinion of course. Pictures would help, I know.
I'll be building a boat tonight as it is supposed to rain torrents tomorrow and with the ice and snow it will have nowhere to go but my cellar.

The Perfect Weather for Knitting

The Sea Urchin sweater is done. With the temps in the single digits there is nothing else to do but hunker down, cover up with a blanket and knit yourself silly. And I did. I finished the Sea Urchin, blocked. Ella Rae Classic
-100% wool
-219 yards per ball on 8's. I love it. It was a find in the back room at Webs. $2.99 per ball. Soft, not scratchy. No splitting and not a knot in the 6 balls consumed. I'm going back for more. I started and almost finished a vest (different yarn, Cascade Bollacine, dark navy) with grand plans of doing a two color rib with a lighter gauge yarn(Rowan Matchmaker), smaller needle. I won't show you the result. The ribbing will be ripped out and tried again. To ease the pain I swatched some Cascade 220 (yummy!) in charcoal for design to be disclosed as soon as I come up with it.
Beau is knitted out. Total exhaustion, can you tell? Either that or he's been into the catnip and crashed. It happens.

(see that hideous blanket? It's actually the largest dishcloth ever made (5feet square)The cats love it. Wherever it goes, they go.)

The Snow People are Sweating

January thaw. Temps reaching 63 degrees in Western Massachusetts is causing all sorts of problems for the lovely snowmen. I heard on a police scanner one had fallen across the road. (Apparently it was a large snowman. I can't imagine being the idiot that called that 911 in. ) I don't know what the police did that responded."Dispatch: you have a snow person of uncertain gender down in the road causing a situation. " Police: "Copy that, I'll need back up!" Such a loss. I hope a new crop appears soon.

I took a picture of my wip last night!

It looks like a giant sea urchin. Maybe I should do "scallop" edging? Sorry. I did go with the garter stitch after the armhole so the part that folds back is the same on both sides. When I run out of the current ball in process I'll put the body on hold and do the sleeves. This project goes so quick. I'm thinking another in cotton for this spring for my sleeveless dresses. January 8 and I'm thinkin' about spring!

Phew, It's Over

As predicted, the boys hid in the cellar for 3 days. I missed them. The house is back to pre Christmas decorated mode.

Andrew said, "I finally get my chair back, who were those people?!

Over the holiday I stuck mainly to socks as we were in and out of the house and didn't have time to snuggle in for a good knitting spell. Since then I have reviewed my stash and found an aran weight off white yarn with yardage that doesn't meet the quantity I need for a full blown aran. So, since I've been itching to make another Shellie Mackie pinwheel sweater I am cooking up a version with aran-ness. Here would be a good place to insert the photo of the work in process but-hah, well, we know how I am about that. (dork). I'll describe- the back pinwheel design has bobbles every six rows in the center of each eight sections. I have reached the sleeve opening and left the stitches live on the backside and did provisional cast on the front side so all stitches will be live, no seam. I wanted to use seed stitch from this point forward but my increases were messed up by the second round because the pattern wouldn't cooperate-seemed to work in my head but actual knitting didn't. So I'm pondering a pattern that will look the same on both sides, keep my increases looking neat and tidy and NOT be ribbing. Nothing wrong with ribbing, just get tired of it. I may go with garter. Soft and doesn't curl. Knitting in the round makes that k 1 row, p 1 row. I've also toyed with the idea of short-rowing the fronts for a button closure. I will also change my mind 50 times before I get to that point. Hopefully I'll post the finished product.

The Count Down

I have 4 family Christmas events next week starting Sunday. I should be in panic mode because I haven't finished shopping by a long shot. I need to give up working-it's getting in the way. We've had several snow falls in the past 2 weeks and that has caused delays. Our old standby department store in the next town, which always has what no one else does won't be selling (oops, almost said the brand name and that won't fly) product X any more because company X feels the store is too small to sell their product. Never mind the product has been sold there for probably the last 75 years. The store is 125 years old. It's one of the last family owned department stores allowed to exist among the BIGGER non-mentionable retail facilities of it's caliber. A bit upper crusty but like I said, it has what the others don't.

Sunday's event is the older sister and companion traveling from Vermont. I'm serving Sauerbraten. Never made it before but my friend Alton Brown on the Food Network is helping me by allowing me to download his recipe. Christmas day will be mom and me and the boys. Nice and quiet, well as quiet as these 2 cats can be. Thursday the younger sister and her daughter will arrive from NJ. Her husband will arrive late Friday. An extended family party is being held on Saturday. Ham for the Friday event. Shepards Pie for Saturday's pot luck event.

Beau can't wait. He'll hide.Andrew can't wait. He'll hide. These kitties just don't care for alien life forms. There are times I'd like to hide with them.

Knitting Like A Mad Woman

Awhile back I told of a guernsey/ganseyish creation and this was the result.

Knit from the top down and very light weight. Araucania Natures Wool in a delicately variegated yellow. I had to dig around in WEBS warehouse section to get them(matching hanks). Well worth it and I think it's part of the fun. Mom liked it so much she wanted one--a bit different and red. We found ....

Cascade 220, a bit thicker material. I changed the cable for interest (my interest and I don't care for twin dressing with my mom, love her dearly but...just sayin.)Mmmmmm. I'll be borrowing this one. I've finished it since the pic but it's drying.

The boys helped put up the Christmas tree. Andrew made sure all the pieces were there.

Beau made sure I got all the pieces out of the box.

And made an inspection. He found it acceptable.

A nap was required afterward. I'm not sure what the cat-stacking was all about, there are other chairs to nap on.

Happy Holidays!

Progress Report

No I still don't have pictures. I get up in the morning-it's dark, come home at night-it's dark. Weekends are flying by. I'm actually taking time off from work to go shopping. Then there's the impending doom of a collosal snow storm smacking us this afternoon. Everyone will be out to buy their prune juice and toilet paper because they'll be housebound for something like 24 hours! You might think we were back in grandma's time when roads were impassible for days and days. Silly really. They canceled school before a snowdrop has fallen. I could launch into one of those stories that our parents and grandparents unloaded on us about "when I was in school", blah, blah, blah. But it's true and probably why today's hysteria over snow sounds so ridiculous.
It's Thursday so the Hall is peaceful. I can actually get stuff done.

Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men

Warm the Children donations on the clothesline in the Hall. The five hats to the right are some of mine. Pompom credit goes to mom. She's my official pompom/tassel maker.

Survival Center contributions of clothing and food. Things just magically appear, must be the season.
I had pics of WIP but it was nasty. I don't seem to get enough daylight to get a good shot. The top front and back are almost complete. It's starting to look like something!
Today I am wearing my pinwheel sweater. Wendy is making great progress on her version. Go see! You'll have to scroll down to 12/5/07 entry.

While Visions of Sugarplums Dance in Their Heads

I doubt its sugarplums, more in the line of what naughty thing they can do next.
The holiday gift knitting is coming along. The holiday shopping is not.

Andrew has the right idea....


Beau has the right idea...(he was sitting up and just leaned over, the ultimate nap attack.)
My sister and I never got along this well. These two give each other facials. Interesting technique. I'm an esthetician and I've never given my sister a facial. When I do give facials I'm a bit more traditional than this.
I'd load up a pic of the w.i.p. but it doesn't look like anything yet. Stay tuned.

Where's October?

It's the end of November and I haven't posted a thing! I really suck at this. I have knit so much stuff I can't remember it all from the last post. We have sweaters, hats, more hats (it's Warm the Children time). Socks. And get this, I won $25 from WEBS for using my canvas WEBS bag for my purchases! Best mail I ever received. Ranked higher than the refund check from my mortgage company. I thought the certificate was going to burn a hole in my wallet if I didn't get to WEBS and SPEND it. I spent way over the certificate amount, of course. Mom has requested a red sweater like the yellow-oh, ah--yeah, it's one of the ones I've made since the last post and unfortunately I don't have the camera to down load the pic. Sorry. It's gansey/guernsey-ish. Cables and heavier stitches on the top sections and plain stockinette on the lower sections of body and sleeves. I put my own twist on the finishing bits. Make note to self, find the camera!

I Feel Like I'm In Slo-MO

My current project, top- down- set- in- sleeve- boxy- mock- turtleneck-points & bobbles edges - pullover was progressing at break-neck speed until I got to the finishing. The points and bobbles are taking hours and hours. They're just little triangle sections with 3 bobbles at the point. My impatience is not enjoying this part of the project. It's moving too slow. What am I in such a hurry for? Beats me. The back of my brain keeps telling me it doesn't like the material. It's a Cascade Bollocine wool/acrylic mix. Yes, I said the "A" word, get over it. I've done one other project with this product and it draped and behaved great. I've learned from past experience to not make judgement calls until after its blocked. Maybe it's the weather. September in Western Massachusetts does not usually coincide with close to 90 degree weather. Summer, you had your chance and you cooked us enough with your heat and humidity. The Autumnal Equinox has passed. It's harvest time. Warm breezy days and nippy nights-that's proper-now DO IT!
For those of you in the Western Mass area-don't forget Fiber Twist later in October.

The End of Summer

The gladiolias are here. The frosts we've had this past week are bringing an end to the garden.
Andrew is just plum tuckered out from being outside.
And the poncho is finished! Of course, now it's warming up again--but I'll be ready!
On the needles is a pattern from Nicky Epstein's Knitting on the Edge. A cutie with bobbled edges. My version will be a bit longer as I am past the "Flash my belly" phase.

I Haven't Had Time to Blog.....

I've been knitting.

First, Marl denim merino crew for mom...shhhhhh, it's for Christmas



Merino Mock Turtle with Baby Cables for me, extra long
Below is a Shelly Mackie design. I made the shoulder span a bit too wide but will definitely do again. Here it is short...
and the backFlip it upside down and it's long (and blurry)
and the back
I had fun making this one. It's Araucania Natures wool in a green pear colorway, variegated. Good to know my crocheting skills are still viable.

I also managed a pair of socks with Baby Cable rib. Lana Grossa Mega Boot Stretch I believe.


On the needles is a red poncho (what is this thing I have with ponchos-love them) of Araucania Natures Wool Chunky. Hopefully it won't take months to get that blogged! And I'm counting on New England getting out of this stupid heat wave.

Lace or Not

I FINALLY started my lace project. I took the photo below.
I messed it up on the next row. Easy fix right? Just tic back a row and try it again. Oh, no my friends. No. And sorry about the blurriness. My camera doesn't do upclose well. So I calmly put the lace away. It's supposed to be Print o'Wave that Eunny offers on her site. Maybe I'm not cut out for delicate knits. This is the third lace project I've tried. Beau says: Will you finish ripping that out so you can play with me? I'm bored.

When We Were Young

I was blog surfing and stopped to read Yarn Harlot today. She has a "No TV" rule that I thought all parents had abandoned after I grew up. Bless the Harlot. It got me to thinking what I used to do when TV ban was in place when I was younger. My best friend and I would get on our bikes, stop and pick wild berries, eat most of them, take the rest to one of our homes and bake something with our booty and clean up the kitchen because that was the rule. Some arts and crafty thing would be done. Her mom would buy "cooler" craft projects like toxic plastic dipping stuff that you made flowers out of, I think it was called Dip It. Her mom was a scout leader so she knew lots of natural crafty projects too. In fact, I still have a little cat sculpture made of a spikey material for a body and pine cone petal ears and feet. It used to have a twirly grapevine tail but that fell off years ago. It's full of dust because you can't dust the spikey thing--ahem, I'm getting off track. These are things we did because "we had nothing to do" (insert whine here). And we LIVED and now I look back and wish I could hop on my bike and go to S's house and do it again. We don't live in the same area as we grew up, in fact, she lives in another state/world. We didn't wear helmets while riding our bikes. Got in plenty of accidents. Didn't blame anyone but ourselves and laughed more than we ever do today. We get together and still laugh and for a little while go back to being 10 except now we could care less about TV.

Not So Beautiful Weather

Hot, Hot I say. So Hot I don't want to leave my cool office and go home to NO A/C. Let's see, it's 97 degrees, that's 36C which to us crazy Americans sounds much cooler but the Yarn Harlot assures us it's not. She got a new stove. Toys, toys, toys.
Yeh, this weather just proves I would make a terrible Southern Belle. Too much whining that it's HOT!
I'm supposed to be knitting lace but I have never charted before and I detest having to follow patterns row by row. I've got the new Addi lace needles, have the wool, now I just need the determination. I mastered a top down set in sleeve pullover--I CAN DO THIS. Maybe tomorrow, if it's cooler.

Beautiful Weekend...Weather-wise

Sunny days, breezy gorgeous weather.
Sadly, we lost a historical section of a factory to fire. On the good side, no one was hurt, including fire personnel working on the blaze for the last 3 days. The fire doesn't want to go out. It made the news in Boston so it thinks it's BIG TIME. The factory, at one time back in the 1700-1800's made cutlery, then fine paper (ya know, the kind you make money out of). Old brick structure with style. When have you seen that lately.
Anyway, may I present cotton/silk tunic!

Great to throw on over a tank top and jeans or capris. Top down, drop shoulder construction. Front slit, side vents, bell sleeves. One change, hook and eye at the top of the front slit to keep it from falling off my shoulders because you know, the laws of cotton are to stretch as soon as you wear it. Love it.

Artful Yarns Fable-6 hanks, WEBS (a bargain out of Grandpa's Garage at $3.79/hank)

40"finished tapered to 38 at hips

Color: chamois, lime, salmony-pink

Knittin' & Kittens

Here's the Knittin'.....



And here's the kittens...
Watermelon Shrug has become one of my favorite things to wear. The only design element I would tweak would be a more curved short row back. I'd definitely make another as soon as I forget how impatient I got with the 2x2 ribbing. Why do I keep putting it in my designs? Because it works!
Beau and Andrew look innocent enough here-believe me they're not. Curtain including rod came down last night (tension rod and no they weren't climbing the curtain, it touches the floor and they were playing amongst the hem.) My knitting has become a hunting item for them so it HAS to be put away, no leaving it on the couch even for a second. The brown sock above had to have major repair due to a chewing thru the working yarn. I love them just the same.
I have a tunic that I just finished of a cotton/silk blend from stash supply. As soon as I get a good shot of it I will show and tell.

It's a Budget Thing

I payed the bills Sunday night. I got a reality slap Sunday night. It's funny how you just go along, happy, happy and then wham! ya figure out you have less to have fun with than you originally thought. Nobody likes to budget because it's always the fun stuff that gets cut first. Budget constraints during the Web's Anniversary Sale. How cruel is that?

These guys are fun and cute. They got a new toy from my friend G. It has catnip.

Can you tell?

Knitting with kittens is a challenge. Beau is fast as lightening and managed to chew threw the working yarn of my current project. (note to self: put knitting away when the little darlings are not going to be supervised.) Andrew will peacefully lie next to you and allow you to knit a project by yourself. Occasionally he will add kitty drool to the working yarn. Blech. They have their own balls of yarn but the yarn mom's using is always more interesting.

A Little Reading

Since my budget is a bit strained I will have to

stay content with what the library sent home with me.

I think that will work.

In Process

Wacky weather here in New England but what else is new. It snows, it melts. The wind howls and blows dirt everywhere and the sun is so bright it makes you squint with sunglasses on. The maple sugarers(?) are upset because their yield is half what it should be. Tomorrow will bring some new crisis no doubt.

The main part of the shrug is done. Budget constraints have halted production. You see, the main bath is in process of redecorating complete with a new pedastal sink. Therefore rug, towels, walls all need new color. A little reconstruction has to be done to the wall where the old sink cabinet used to be. IT'S CUT INTO MY YARN BUDGET. It'll look great when I finish but I want my cake and yarn too! I'm breathing, breathing, breathing. Here's what I have-I know, I rarely show WIP pics.

The shrug is your basic top down raglan without the fronts. The sleeves are 3/4 length. (That reminds me of a saying in fashion that 3/4 sleeves are for people who can't make up their minds. Completely false I say!) Then I curved the back by short rowing. I'm not happy with the telltale marks but hoping that wash and block will "bloom" the yarn.It's a cotton blend so we'll see. The other little item is made of some mystery microfiber. All ribbons can be changed, even the bow on top. It's attached with a snap. A girl has to have choices!

Mom won't let me help her knit so I'll just nap beside her.

The Last Snow

This is the result of a spring snowstorm. The picture doesn't do it justice. The clouds were dark and the snow coated all the branches. It was breathtaking. This happens to be a golf course believe it or not. Yes, it has an old fashion hay treader. It's the blurry thing in the middle.

My newest knitting project is completely summer and a little out of place with all this snow. Yes it's a shrug but that's all the info for now because to be quite honest I'm still making up the pattern in my head. Designing on the fly! I will say that it is going to be a whimsical piece.

Please excuse Beau, he had to take an emergency nap.