Mariposa Shawl

The Mariposa Shawl is done, in plenty of time to wear to the wedding as planned on June 10. The pattern is by Merrily Parker for South West Trading Co., designed to be knit in their Bamboo yarn. I was just browsing (note: not shopping) at Yarns on First in Napa, CA when a sample of this shawl, in bright red, previously draped over the counter found itself on my shoulders. The sample was done in SWTC OPTIM wool. Since I couldn't have the sample and liked the purple color better the yarn and (free-with-yarn-purchase) pattern came home with me. Size 6 needles, a chart and magnetic board, 5 and a little bit of the 6th ball and 8 weeks later I had the shawl done.



Here it is on the needles - looking more blue than it really is. The pattern is a combination of frosted flowers and pebble stitch. It is my first attempt at lace knitting -patterning on both sides. The P 2 tog. through the back loop was a bit awkward at first but became easier and easier. The rhythm of the pattern was easy to learn.



I blocked it out before adding the crochet border called for in the pattern. It doesn't seem to curl and I don't think it needs the additional length. The back is knit in a parallelogram shape and finished at the top with ribbing. Then you pickup and knit sideways on both of the sides, one of which has a tube for the other side to fit through, which keeps the whole thing on your shoulders.


I am very pleased with the yarn which was lovely to work with, the pattern which was a bit skimpy on directions but understandable after a moment of panic resolved with a phone call to the shop, and the finished object. I might even consider doing this again, in black.

Knitting with Meg Swansen

Knitting Camp with Meg Swansen was a transformative experience. Not only was I knitting with true masters - Meg, Joyce Williams and Amy Detjen - but there were 19 other obsessed knitters there as well. As for the location being "in the middle of nowhere" to quote Meg, it made absolutely no difference. The only time we left the building was to visit Schoolhouse Press to try on garments knitted by Meg and Elizabeth Zimmermann and to shop. Food was brought in for most meals. Some knitters also had breakfast at Meg's sister's restaurant with residents of Msarshfield. At the hotel there was great lighting and seating, lots of help before and after class from Amy and Joyce, and inspiration from the samples brought in for demonstration. The other knitters provided inspiration as well - show and tell was scattered throughout the four days and ranged from beginners projects all the way through intricate lace and color work. I wish I had been quicker with the camera - but picking up the camera meant having to put down my needles, something I was loathe to do. We saw demonstrations of 3 ways of working 2 colors in a row. We practiced Kitchner grafting on samples knitted by EZ. We crocheted and cut steeks. We floated a pattern around a spiral yoke. We practiced knitting back backwards and purling back backwards (something I have not mastered.) We compared unspun Icelandic wool and Shetland 2-ply and wool spun for Ganseys. We talked about I-cord in numerous applications and practiced several. I can't wait to go back for more.


Joyce, Meg, and me


Amy and me


Kate in the Sweater Room at Schoolhouse Press


Trying on EZ's Pi R Squared shawl in the Sweater Room. Which led, of course, to the purchase of Jameson & Smith 2-ply Shetland jumper weight to make my own with insertions of lace patterns from Hazel Carter's booklet.

Other purchases included Satakieli to make my own color way of Amy's Faux Argyle in Sweaters from Camp. And a video of knitting information with both Elizabeth and Meg. And books by Meg , Joyce (Latvian Dreams), Hazel Carter and Wendy Keele (Poems of Color) about the Bohus knitting.

I learned to have confidence in my ability as a knitter to do whatever I wanted with my knitting. After all it's just yarn and needles and I can manage them.

Shopping with Carol in Wisconsin

Shopping with Carol in Wisconsin - what an experience! Dinner that first night was with some folks from the Midwest Masters at a truly Wisonsin restaurant. Fried cheese curds, anyone? Then Carol and I sat and knitted while getting to meet Carol and Denny's daughter Kelley and SIL Dan and their two lovely girls and exuberant puppy. The next day it was on to shopping. Between the four shops we saw on our way from Appleton to Madison and the four shops and Blackberry Ridge Mill in and around Madison we hit 9 yarn-acquisition stops in 32 hours. No, we didn't buy something at each stop. No pictures at Iris in Appleton - but we both bought yarn for the lacy shawl collared sweater in the current Knitters. Both had to be ordered, so no pictures. I also got 6 balls of Rowan Linen Drape - couldn't resist the sale corner - but it's not enough to do anything with. I'll have to do a search for more but since it's been discontinued this might be a challenge. Then out to Yarns by Design in Neenah. They were almost cleaned out by the Midwest Masters shoppers but I managed two buys - Lorna's Laces sport in Mindshaft, a color way I've not seen and 900 yds. of Dream in Color sock wt. in Beach Fog (even if I didn't love the color given where I live that was a must buy). A shawl? A baby blanket?

Then off to The Knitting Room in Fond du Lac - we both bought the new Filatura Di Crosa book for summer. And I scored another batch of yarn with insufficient yardage - a mystery blend that looks like a Monet painting.


Then off to Prairie Junction in Sun Prairie, where we were told we missed the sale by one day (why tell us that?) where Carol found more of the mystery Monet and now I have enough to do a long sleeve something. Carol got caught up in some Silk Garden for a shawl pattern.

Then on to New Glarus where we met up with Ruth and some cows:



While Ruth drove, Carol and I got to browse through the pattern books Ruth had stacked up for us. I got Vermont Fiber's twin set http://www.vermontfiberdesigns.com/patterns/women/107.php

Off to shop some more - first at Sow's Ear in Verona where I me Amy (not Detjen), also going to Meg's. Had a nice sit down in rocking chairs to knit a while.


Then off to a shop in a house (the name escapes me) where Carol and I had a tussle over a skein of merino lace weight Cherry Tree Hill in "Green Mountain Meadows".


I promptly ripped out the shawl I had just started, to cast on with this beauty. 2400 yards - enough to share if Carol's still interested!

Lakeside Fibers in Madison was the nicest place to sit and visit - with a large coffee shop in the back, lots of natural light, and a deck. Carol scored a lovely basket (furniture, not yarn) and I resisted more Dream in Color.



Our final stop was Blackberry Ridge. I resisted the Hazel Carter patterns - how could I explain a christening gown?- but didn't resist some wool/silk sport wt for the Lady of the Forrest in English Garden and some all wool sport wt. for a Vermont Fiber pattern from among the books Ruth stocked in her car for us to check out, while she drove us all over southern Wisconsin.

Finally, dinner at The Dining Room in Monticello was scrumptious and Ruth's treat. We ordered a lovely 2003 Merlot from Duckhorn which paired nicely with the quail stuffed with chorizo. We got to say a brief hello and thank you to Ruth's daughter Jane. After a farewell to Ruth I had to reorganize my luggage to fit all the yarn. And I still hadn't been to SchoolHouse Press!

Here is some of my new stash: starting at the top and working clockwise:
lace weight Cherry Tree Hill, Rowan Linen Drape, sock weight Dream in Color, Blackberry Ridge English Garden silk/wool, and Blackberry Ridge sport wt. Burgundy.



Then on Thursday morning I left Carol and Denny for Marshfield and Meg at my next adventure.

March 2007 knitting

The Alberta shawl from Stahman's Shawls and Scarves is finished and I'm extremely pleased. So please that I begged the intended recipient to let me wear it just once. The hand dyed mohair is from a trip we took together; she bought the yarn fully intending to do a sweater but somehow it didn't happen. Top left is the blocked and finished shawl, to the right is the unblocked version. I was quite surprised at how nicely it bloomed. A closeup of the pattern is to the right.




I leave for a workshop with Meg Swansen in 4 weeks. The homework for the class is partly done - the Norwegian sweater body is finished; 1 sleeve is almost done, and I'm thinking I'll only do one in advance and pick up the stitches for the second after the body is cut. Breathe in and breathe out. There'll be lots of knitters there to pass the smelling salts. I've done the name tag although this may need to be redone, larger.



I hope to have the Mariposa shawl finished for show and tell. It's in a heavenly "optima" wool by Southwest Trading Co. and the pattern (photocopied) was supplied by the LYS with the yarn. I questioned SWTC about the copyright situation on this pattern but have not had a response so I'm assuming what the shop did was fine. This is patterned on both sides, a first for me, but it's not hard to memorize so it's going along okay. Picture here: www.soysilk.com/patterns.html and scroll down to women's patterns and find Mariposa. The picture is terrible - it was apparently worn inside out by the model but the actual shawl is wonderful and fastens with one end fitting into a tube of the other end.

Another sweater that will not be done by May 1 is the Cable Cardigan designed by Kim Barnette for Classic Elite in their "Luxe" booklet. The yarn is some hand dyed merino twist, dyed in turquoise/teal and blue by Morgaine of Carolina Homespun. My gauge is right on and the sizing seems okay for this month at least. The pattern has the reverse stockinette side as the public side with the cables in stockinette; I just can't get used to what I've always considered the wrong side to be the primary fabric of a sweater. I may have to change it around but that would mess up how nicely the cables stand out. This is just in the pre-planning stages. Also in pre-planning is another Faroese shaped shawl this time in some wonderful yarn that I'll keep. Several choices are available -and I'm going to swatch no so much for gauge but for fabric consistency.

The Diamond Patch has been terminally frogged. I had too much trouble getting the size I wanted. Now I have umpteen little balls of lovely cotton knit tape and no idea what to do with it. It might have to continue being little balls of yarn until I give in and make a modular baby blanket.

Finished Projects in January 2007

January was a good month for finishing things.



Here are Jim's socks in Regia 4 stretch which took more than the two balls so the heels and ribbings are in a mottled blue. Dave's hat was a present for his 70th birthday on Ground Hog's Day. The yarn is Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride. Cozy and warm, and it matches his Mini Cooper S in British racing green, of course.

This is the swing jacket from Vermont Fiber. I made very few modifications - the sleeves were way too long so I snipped a stitch, took off the cuff and about 3 inches of sleeve, then reknit the cuff. the shoulder fit well, I love the pleat in the back which makes it comfy, and I did the chevron pattern on the yoke with needles one size smaller than the body. Fits well, it's comfortable, and I have worn it almost every day since finishing it! The yarn is from Elann, Sierra Aran in color Mallard.
http://www.vermontfiberdesigns.com/patterns/women/150.php


This is a little sweater for a newborn granddaughter of some friends from school; I knit for her father and now for his baby. The yarn is Louet Gems Merino, machine wash and dry, a pattern I did on Sweater Wizard. I love the little pockets. It's ready to ship out to Texas and I have to get it in the mail before it gets too hot for wool sweaters.

And what else have we been doing in January? Jim had his rotator cuff surgery and although we were prepared for the loss of the use of one arm for a while, neither of us realized it meant he would not be shaving for six weeks! Here he is, four weeks into recovery:
The new "fiber furniture" arrived. I have a new desk and hutch for my day job, and two new bookcases 84 inches tall, for yarn and knitting books and magazines. The plan was to stack the yarn directly on the shelves, like a shop, but I found all these neat baskets and 3 glass vases so the yarn is actually all contained. Sock yarn is in a cubby hole cube meant to hold shoes; each of the 25 little boxes has enough yarn for 2 pairs of socks, and I still have a drawer under the captain's bed in the guest room full of sock yarn. If I knit a pair of socks every month it would take me about 5 years to get through all the sock yarn I've already accumulated! The old bookcase, which was going to be relegated to the garage, is now in the upstairs hallway, against a curved wall so it doesn't exactly fit, but it holds more yarn now, which leaves some room for new acquisitions. And in the guest room closet is a tower of shelves, filled with bags. Mostly empty waiting their turn for a new project.

New home for my needles

Here is the new home I knit for my Holz and Stein needle collection. They are all considered "children's needles" because they are less than 12 inches long - mostly 10.5 and some 9 in. I used about two and one-half balls of the purple, and just bits of the teal, all Cascade 220. The purple case itself is fulled; the teal cable is knit separately and sewn on. The buttons were a gift from a knitting friend and fit the case and colors perfectly. Pattern source: www.berocco.com/exclusives.kable/kable.html

What else is on my needles?
1. Swing Jacket from Vermont Fiber Arts
2. Baby surprise jacket pattern by Elizabeth Zimmermann
3. Top-down Malabrigo set-in sleeve, made up as I go
4. Ginny Cardigan, pattern by Medrith Glover and of course
5. more socks
and soon to start:
1. Norwegian snowflake child's sweater, for Meg Swansen's workshop in May
2. watch cap for friend's birthday February 4 (better get clicking on this one)
3. Fair Isle hat for my daughter and of course
4. more socks