sucked in

As soon as I saw this shawl - In the Pink by IzzyKnits - I knew that I had to cast on for it straight away. I love the construction - not a triangle, not a rectangle but this wonderful arcing curving shape. However, I did realise that I was in no position to knit it right now so I decided to just allow myself a portion of it, that wonderful central spiral.

And yes, it's as wonderful as I thought it would be.

Vital Statistics
Pattern: In the Pink by IzzyKnits (available free!) - yes, the same one that I had a go at a couple of weeks ago with a different yarn.
Size: I knit only the central whirl and did the larger 62-row version.
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock (80 per cent wool, 20 per cent nylon) in colourway Manzanita. It's beautiful to work with and I love every shade of the subtle shifts in the colour (unlike some variegated yarns that I could mention).
Needles: 3.5mm which produced a lovely fabric. Probably looser than I would usually knit but that's a good thing because I often find things coming out too bulky.
Start to finish: 1 March 2010 to 11 March 2010. I tell you, it was mesmerising.
Stash/recycle content: Yes, this yarn came from stash! I have two skeins but that will unfortunately not be enough so I will have to buy more. Later.
Comments: Lovely to knit, lovely yarn to knit with, lovely colours - love love love.

Verdict: I am committed to getting at least one of my other lace pieces done (Faux Prussian Stole, Knitted Veil - I have not forgotten you) but this will be next.

s[no]w show

A couple of days ago, snow finally fell in Seattle. It didn't actually hit the ground but never mind that. Then that same evening there was an incredible hail downpour, evidence of which was still on the ground the next morning.

one stitch forward

And one stitch back, or thereabouts, on the destashing front.

The Vital Statistics
Pattern: Icelandic Jacket by Leslie Stanfield from Adorable Crochet for Babies and Toddlers. Now all too often whenever a book proclaims itself to be 'adorable' or 'stylish' it is anything but. This is, thankfully, not one of those occasions. This pattern at least from the book is adorable.
Yarn: I chose this pattern in order to use up the Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton that I have had since the dawn of knitting time. The pattern necessitated me purchasing three additional colours, which turned out to be four more balls. While I have seen some Jo Sharp wools here in the US, I found that this particular cotton was quite hard to come by and ended up purchasing it on ebay and from others on Ravelry. Hence four more balls of the stuff because the Calico was a two-ball deal. So I used:

• 4.4 skeins in Cloudless (light blue)
• 0.6 skeins in Putty (light brown)
• 0.3 skeins in Calico (white)
• 0.3 skeins in Freesia (yellow/green)
  

From the five balls that I started with, I am left with not quite four balls remaining (and an adorable jacket).
Size: The pattern is written for only one size (6 months) but with a bit of crochet know-how I think that it could quite easily be re-sized. I see on Ravelry that someone has made an adult version.
Hook: 3.0 mm for edging, 3.5 mm (E) for body, 4.0 mm (G) for foundation chain.
Start to finish: 16 February to 1 March 2010 - crochet is fast.
Recycle/stash content: Well, I really did try but as far as making a dent in the stash, I only reduced it by one ball.

Comments: This is a great pattern, I just love it. I made it from cotton instead of wool so that will have changed how structured it is. I can't wait to make another one from wool to see the difference. I also crocheted the lower fronts and back all in one piece (the pattern calls to divide below the yoke and have side seams but I didn't think this necessary). I also think that all but one of the underarm gusset increase rows (being the one with four increases at the edges) could be worked in a single row.

The sleeves could also be crocheted in the round but I didn't do this as it would have made the fabric of the sleeves slightly different from that of the rest of the garment (when you work crochet back and forth you see back and front of the stitch on alternating rows; when you work in the round you see only the front of the stitch every row).

Only one other hint - when placing the top-most button hole, place it just below the neckline because you then crochet three more rows. If you place it any lower, it will be too low once those rows are done. I bought my metal buttons from The Weaving Works; next time I might try wooden as the book suggests. Oh and one more, I always like to use a slightly larger hook to make my foundation chain to ensure that it is loose enough.

Verdict: If I were to make as many of these as I would like to, we may just have to move to Iceland. I'm extremely happy with the result and it really is adorable.

worsted case scenario

I've alluded to this before but will now come out and say it - I'm a gauge snob. Yes, anything that knits at less than 22 stitches to 10 centimetres is, well, a stitch (or several) below the mark in my book. But boy, does it knit up quickly and is hence perfect for baby gear!

I only just recently discovered the 'friend activity' tab on Ravelry and have been regularly peeking at what other people are liking, planning and knitting. I have thereby also greatly increased the number of items that I am liking, planning and yes, even knitting.

Anyway, that is how I found the super-cute Childhood Remake Sweater from a Norwegian outfit called Pickles and I pretty much just had to cast on straight away. Two days later and I have almost finished the front and front sleeves (I'm knitting it flat instead of in the round because, well, I just wanted to) - great to knit! The yarn that I am using is all from stash - Pingouin Fleur de Laine (Ravelry link) in a baby blue that I got at a stash swap (thanks Melissa!) and some yarn recycled from a J Crew sweater which I substituted for the handspun that the pattern calls for. I don't have any handspun and I thought that this oatmeal-coloured yarn unravelled from an Aran style sweater was rustic enough.

whirlpool

Sometimes there's a a pattern that just sucks you in, sends you into a spin and you have to try it out. Such was my experience with this amazing pattern, In the Pink by IzzyKnits.

So I tried it out with my Casbah, wondering whether the pooling tendency would be broken up by the eyelets. Which it was, very nicely. Except now I am completely decided about this yarn - the variegation is not working for me. Three gently used skeins of Handmaiden Fine Yarns Casbah in shade Vintage for sale or trade on Ravelry.

february book roundup

I read three books this past month!

• After the Armistice Ball by Catriona McPherson - I love detective fiction. This one is set amongst the upper class of Scotland, post-WWI. Good characters, well written, intricate story with just enough nuanceIt's the first in a series of five or six - hooray.
• Salvation on Sand Mountain: snake handling and redemption in Southern Appalachia by Dennis Covington - I heard about this book on NPR and having previously read The Little Friend by Donna Tartt (which was the first I had encountered I think about the notion of snake handling) my curiosity was sparked. This book disappointed me though; the strength and nature of the author's spiritual revelation and apparent redemption was not conveyed to me.
  
• Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris - guilty reading pleasure: mediocre writing about sex with vampires in rural Louisiana.

good lieutenant

First started and finished project for 2010!

The Vital Statistics
Pattern: Kiddie Cadet by Alice Schnebly available free. There's quite a story behind finding this pattern - a few weeks previously I saw an adorably dressed little boy at the library during story time, wearing an adorable hat. I came home and Ravelry searched - magic, found the pattern, delighted! Not so magic - the name of the pattern really disappoints me. I'm not at all comfortable with militaristic connotations for children's wear.
Size: Baby
Yarn: So yes, I knit this hat anyway, despite feeling uncomfortable with the pattern name; and in green tweed. I wanted it to be a stashbuster and that was what I had in the appropriate weight - Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed in shade Highlander.
Needles: 4.5mm
Start to finish: 15 February 2010 to 23 February 2010.
Recycle/stash content: 100 per cent.
Comments: This was a great, simple knit. It has a great structure, particularly the brim which could be a bit tricky if you were new to short rows but don't let that put you off. I didn't use any insert in this brim but imagine that for a larger size it may be necessary.

Verdict: I do really love this hat and this pattern. Next time I'll be more judicious with my yarn choice.

applause please

I've done it, I've earned my knitting stripes, I've knit a clapotis. I've also frogged it - never mind.

Flatliner
Pattern: Clapotis by Kate Gilbert, available from knitty.com. It is a fantastic pattern - a unique concept and extremely well devised, all the way down to the stitches that create a consistent selvedge across all sections. I like this sort of attention to detail.
Size: Ah, rather huge, too huge in fact. I knit 8 rpts of section 2 and 28 rpts of section 3. The width was good (in theory) but it turned out rather too long.
Needles: 4mm Addi Turbo.
Yarn: Handmaiden Fine Yarns Casbah, a merino/cashmere/nylon sock yarn, colourway Vintage.
Start to finish: I started this on 31 December 2009 and knit furiously until 5 February 2010. It's taken me until today to accept that it hasn't been a success. I should have known when I couldn't be bothered to weave in the ends ...


Comments: Knitting is harder than you might think. Well, not the actual knitting but the creation of an item that works. I realise now that designers must put in a lot of thought to the mix of pattern, structure, texture and fibre. That was the problem with my clapotis: it just didn't work. For one thing, my choice of yarn was not compatible with the stole that I wanted to create. The Casbah is gorgeous yarn, squishy and drapey but this drape combined with the bias inherent in the pattern just created a too long scarf that was too bulky to boot. And then there was the variegated yarn effect - I didn't like it, it pooled. I loved the yarn when it was all in a hank but not when knit up. I'm curious to see what it looks like when done in garter stitch which I have had luck with before when using a variegated yarn.

Verdict: You knit, you learn. Why did I keep knitting this, even long after I had misgivings? Because I had a brand new baby, because I was spending hours on the couch breastfeeding, because despite the tumultuous change in my life and obligations I wanted to hold on to something of my own. I was knitting, feverishly, to save a sliver of my old life.

ecklon ex klatt

Also known as a freesia.

After ordering it on 6 February, the final ball of Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton that I was waiting for arrived in the mail yesterday. It came from Philadelphia, by ground, so perhaps that accounted for the hold up, snow storms and all.

The final colour was freesia, that yellow-green. I was a bit concerned that it wouldn't fit with the rest of the colour scheme for the Icelandic Jacket but I have completed the yoke now and I am absolutely delighted with it. It's not often that I have that 'this-is-what-I-will-knit-for-the-rest-of-my-life' feeling (or crochet, as the case may be). But I've got it now.

I'm thinking through my stash at all the different things I could try this with - Shetland wool, assorted worsted weights, what size would it come out if knit in 4ply? - and all the possible colour combinations of course - ah, this must be the lure of colourwork. Super easy in crochet because although you are effectively crocheting stripes, the different heights of stitches and crocheting into gaps creates colour sequences. I'm even thinking of some variations ... I really could be doing this forever.

perle 8

I got some thrift shopping in today - hooray! And at a thrift store that I had not known existed what more (and I pride myself on knowing these things). The Northwest Thrift Store (14130 Juanita Dr. N.E., Ste. 108B Bothell, WA 98011 (425) 820-2662. 10:00am-7:00pm. Mon-Fri 10:00am-6:00pm. Sat 12:00am-5:00pm) is what I know op shops to be like in Australia - it's small, friendly and interestingly does not have that thrift store smell so familiar to the big chain places.

For a smaller place I did suprisingly well - a set of red Tommy Hilfiger queen size cotton interlock sheets which I will use as backing for the wagga (yes, I'm still working on that); a grab bag with some Filatura Lanarota 100 per cent cashmere yarn, enough to knit a baby hat; some cute boys trousers and Timberland shirt; two childrens books; and another grab bag with a few skeins of DMC embroidery floss and a few balls of coton perlé 8.

Coton perlé 8 - whoo-hoo!! I always look for this at the thrift store and while fine crochet thread like Cebelia is easy to come by, this was my first success finding it. Some time ago I was consulting with a quilting friend (that's you Justine) about the estate sale quilt and how I could go about working on it. She recommended coton perlé 8 for the quilting and when I had the epiphany that it comes in 200-odd colours, well, that was it for me: I started collecting. Because why be required to go to the shop to find a matching colour if you could just consult your stash instead? I have about 40 so far, mostly purchased from ebay. Now I'll have to start working on that quilt.

recovery

Yesterday afternoon with a couple of friends I headed down to Tacoma for a few hours at the Madrona Fiber Arts 2010 Winter Retreat. I was, alas, underwhelmed. I didn't take any classes so cannot account for those but the marketplace and teachers' gallery in the evening didn't hold much interest for me. It was lovely though to be out and about, to go out for dinner and to chat and laugh with friends.

And I knit two rows on something long neglected - the faux prussian stole. The last time I worked on this was on the train on the way to Sock Summit (notice a pattern here? I can't afford to wait for knitting conventions to get a few rows done on this!) and I ran out of yarn. I had put another ball into the project bag but yesterday evening found myself without a darning needle with which to make a Russian join.

Luckily I was surrounded by knitters - I think that half of the restaurant could have lent me one. So, join made and two rows knit - small victories.

What always worries me about going back to a project after a significant pause is that I will not be able to recover where I left off, or understand where I was up to. This apprehension actually puts me off picking something up again and so the pause becomes a break becomes a full-blown holiday. Thankfully I had worked out a good method for keeping track with this project - the edging repeats every 12 rows but the lace motif repeats every 96 rows (yes, really) so you need to keep track of both which edging row and which pattern row you are up to.

It was fun to knit this again and I am going to make an effort to keep at it, even if just bit by bit.

potato love

Some writing paper from the thrift store folded in quarters, half a potato and an ink pad (which only just made it); 23 Valentine's cards for child care tomorrow.

stashquisition

In the last couple of days, in an attempt to use up some stash, I have managed to acquire five new balls of yarn. I have had some Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton in colourway Cloudless (at left) since days of yore, or at least since very early in my knitting career; it could well be one of my first stashed yarns. I bought it before I understood gauge and it wasn't a great colour for me anyway. I have since used it to knit a child's jumper and perhaps some other oddments.

The desire to use it led me to the Icelandic Jacket (centre) which requires three extra colours, only one of which I am counting amongst my new five (Calico on the right). Thoughts of crochet led me to the Bergamot jacket which led me to a yarn store (or two) in search of the pattern book and some hooks and basically at this stage, all was lost.

In my wanderings I managed to pick up (left to right) a ball of Rowan Revive in colourway Ironstone, Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Peridot, Rowan Lima in Lima and Rowan Felted Tweed in Camel. They are all curiosity purchases, the first two as possibilities for Bergamot, the second two as options for Tim's Great Garment of 2010 (TGG10). I'll swatch them up and probably end up knitting four more baby hats.

Bergamot isn't looking too hopeful though. Thank you so much for all the colour suggestions - navy, grey, oatmeal, cream - all of which, alas, are contraindicative to this being a project for me; as lovely as I think that Bergamot would be in any of those shades they are not ones that I can wear. A rich plum on the other hand, lovely on me but I can't see Bergamot in it. Perhaps we are an ill-fated pairing, this project and I?

ps. The other two Soho Summer shades are still in transit, otherwise it would have been seven.

bergamot

Is it possible for a pattern to just infiltrate your brain? When I need some knitting supplies (mostly needles or to check out books) I like to go to The Weaving Works in the U-District of Seattle. And every time I walk in the door, my eye is caught by a poster for the Rowan Purelife range. And that poster features this cardigan/jacket - Bergamot.

At first I didn't like it. Then I found it quite interesting. And now, well I'm thinking about what yarn I might make it from.

I'm in a crochet frame of mind at the moment as I am planning to make the Icelandic Jacket (Ravelry link) from Adorable Crochet for Babies and Toddlers by Lesley Stanfield. I am hoping to use up some Jo Sharp Soho Summer DK Cotton that I have had forever. This got me to thinking about crochet jackets, got me to thinking specifically about this one.

Thing is, this is one of those patterns that I find it difficult to imagine in any colourway other than that presented by the yarn company and this yellow/tan is not something that I could/would ever wear. But it seems to need something in a neutral shade - is that perhaps the styling of the whole thing? Am I mad?

Or perhaps I've just been drinking too much Earl Grey tea lately.

review

Wow, I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I unearthed Woolsthorpe - I'm much further along than I had thought. Back, left front, right front, one sleeve - done! And it's half seamed already as well. I seem to have gotten stalled on going upstairs to grab a pair of 3.25mm knitting needles with which to cast on for the second sleeve's cuff. I had thought that I had stalled half-way through the shoulder shaping on one of the fronts - I really dislike that when you have to figure out where you are up to and is it the same as the other side and did you make any changes that you have now completely forgotten about?

I'll be casting on the next sleeve for this pronto. Then there will be the button band, the buttonhole band, collar and one more pocket band. Plus the rest of the seaming. I have also allayed my fears about fit - I was already pregnant when I started knitting this and so chose the size based upon my Wallingford which is from the same pattern book. I'm still pretty buxom but the fit is good and I'm sure that it will button up nicely, ah, sometime in the future. So assessment - doable, in the near future.

And speaking of Wallingford (actually officially called Wallington)- hooray! My project is illustrating the page for this pattern in Ravelry.

I'm particularly delighted about this because a) I was pipped at the post to be the first person to complete this pattern, and b) it is knit from a recycled yarn and I love to promote that.

Next up for review and assessment: a knitted veil in Peruvian wool.

tender buttons

I've had some button luck lately. I bought a Moth cardigan at Value Village the weekend before last. I didn't like the cardigan, but I do love the buttons. As you can see, buttons and garment have since parted ways - now I need to make something that requires four buttons. Ah, any excuse.

And several, several weeks ago, I finally mastered a knit buttonhole that I am happy with - extremely happy in fact. I have never been satisified with the basic 'k2tog yo' buttonhole and upon Di's advice tried the one-row buttonhole which I believe comes from Vogue Knitting: the ultimate knitting book. This is a very neat and tidy buttonhole with good sturdy edges and no stray loops for buttons to get caught in. I heartily recommending having a look at it.

I have put it to good use in the front left side ribbing of my woolsthorpe cardigan. Yes, long neglected but still in the works, as are many of my current knits. The next few posts will be a review and assessment of the current knitting situation.

mixtape 12

I've been a bit slack promoting the last couple of issues of mixtape but, hey, they've been busy months. Here's a preview of issue 12:

Greg The Quilter

Crafting In The Animal Kingdom

Prints Charming Craft

Cadence Of Craft

An Ode To A Cozy

Whip Up Calendar

Pledge Your Allegiance

Treasure Seeking

Worry Dolls

How To Write A Tutorial

The thrill Of The Make

Crafty Lady

Craft Circus

Photographer – Beth Wilkinson

Work Life Balance

Photographer – Sarah Cunningham

Sweet As

Lark Circus Cuteness

Twitter Directory

Kitty, Daisy & Lewis

Fireballs – Go, Go, Go!

Book, Zines & Magazine reviews

Grow Things – Legal Things

Flower Garden

Sadie’s Pickets

Martha Goes Green cookbook

**************** mixtape is a collision of craft, eco-cool and pop culture kitsch ******************

You can pre-order over on the website now!

stiff

I read a book! In keeping with my new year's quasi-resolution I thought that it would be great if I could read a book each month (at least). And January is going well - Stiff: the curious lives of human cadavers by Mary Roach.

Yes, a curiously morbid choice given how incredibly squeamish I am but I saw it in a shop window and my curiosity was peaked. And it is not a morbid book - unsensationalist, droll and informative about cover it. Mary Roach is a journalist which shows in her writing style but not to the detriment of this being an entertaining read.

There are chapters on anatomic dissection, organ donation, crash test dummies, human composting as a cremation alternative and ah, all sorts of other ways in which we can be useful after we die.

For someone such as me who has trouble walking past the meat section at the supermarket it is testament to the way that this book is written that I could indeed stomach it.

buy australian made

With pleasure!
It's Australia Day today so we celebrated with an Australian friend, eating fairy bread (hundreds and thousands on white bread) and TimTams, now available in the US. If you're in Seattle, get over to QFC quick smart!

forgive me for repeating

I'm still a bit stuck on 2009. I realised that I had one more finished object, you see - the apron that I made for Di's son, C. You can see him putting it to good use here.













Excitingly, this was made predominantly from stash. The fabric that I used also features in my vintage fabrics quilt. And I have actually used it in two further sewing projects already this year (details to come). Pretty good mileage for one shower curtain. The pattern came from Better Homes and Gardens 167 Things to Make for Children.

So, including my recent appendix, this brings my 2009 tally to:
projects: 36
knitting: 18, sewing: 17, other: 1
recycled/refashioned/upcycled: 26
made from stash: 8

2009 was also significant in terms of what I made, particularly what I knit - garments! adult garments! three adult garments! I don't think that I expressly stated that this was an aim for the year, probably for fear off jinxing myself. But I did it - Sunrise Circle, Wallingford and the Pimlico Snug. I am going to dare say it for 2010 - I would like to knit an adult garment for someone else, namely Tim.

And I also completed my first ever piece of knitted lace - the swallowtail shawl - which is pretty much the reason why I started knitting.

On other matters of repeating - Clapotis is going well. I agonised quite a bit about how large to make it, about how large I could make it, about how to maximise how large I could make it given the amount of yarn that I had. I only did one increase more in section 2 than the pattern directs but am up to 15-odd of the section 3 repeats. I think that I could do as many as 30! The pooling is still happening but never mind. I'm having fun dropping the stitches and helping them to ladder down - it's so contrary to normal knitting practice. Each one is deliciously transgressive. So, I've done about 15 repeats now ... oops, repeating myself.

doing laps

So, variegated yarns - like them or not? In the hank I often think that they look wonderful and (along perhaps with many a knitter) have been lured into a purchase as a result. Once wound up into a skein some of that mystique tends to disappear as the colours get all tangled up, and you discover some colours that, ah, you didn't quite realise were in there. Is it something about the magic of the dye job that in the hank you only see the colours that you like, and can selectively ignore the ones that make them pop out (which you may not necessarily appreciate as much)? And once it's knit up into a fabric ... well then things can start to not look so good.

The only other time I have really knit with a variegated yarn was the Elizabeth Zimmerman tomten jacket in 2008 from Noro Kureyon, which was a great success. That was knit in garter stitch and I recall deciding at the time that garter stitch was indeed the best choice for such yarns. And here I am now knitting Clapotis which is a whole lot of stocking stitch. I am undecided as to whether it looks like a dog's breakfast, and if it does, whether I can live with that. The dropped stitch effect certainly serves to break up the swathes of colour and it is fun to watch the various hues layering upon each other, row by row. Except when they don't.

Don't layer that is - yes, I'm talking about pooling.

It strikes me that in a reasonably evenly space-dyed yarn that it is inevitable that there will be some combination of stitch count and length of colour repeat that will result in pooling. I have seen quite dramatic photos of seriously pooling socks (no, no idea now where) that were reknit with just an extra stitch or two that resulted in quite a different pattern effect. Anyway, my Clapotis is indeed pooling although interestingly this didn't happen until quite a bit into the current 119 stitch-wide stretch. And I'm about to change skeins. And in the Clapotis pattern I really don't think that it matters as the bias pull means that the columns all sit askew anyway.

So, I am currently knitting laps on my Clapotis, just back and forth with not a lot of variation on each row. I'm doing the sixth repeat in section three and expect to have enough yarn to complete maybe twenty. I am also doing laps around the house - change table to couch to kitchen to laundry and back to the change table. There's a quick detour to the bathroom a few times a day and we are getting out a bit too.

Doing laps is relentless though - I had forgotten how relentless it is to look after a new baby. You get through a day only to wake up again (after a few short bursts of sleep) to another in which you do pretty much exactly the same thing. And newborns are demanding and fragile and as much as I want my baby boy to be just that I also find myself longing for when he's a bit older. Really, I think that I'm just longing for a break from the laps but I know that things don't work that way. So in the meantime I am just learning to love the laps, surrendering myself to them and perfecting the art of knitting while breastfeeding (better than knitting while swimming).

owena-k

Does this mean anything to you? It's the brand name (I guess, maybe it's the design name) printed in the selvedge of this awesome fabric that I bought at Goodwill a few days ago. It's a medium- to heavy-weight fabric, I'm assuming cotton. I didn't think to put anything in the photo to give a sense of scale but the pattern is very large. You can see its full width in the photo below which is probably the standard 150cm/60in wide.

This incredible fabric raises a couple of questions - first of all, what to do with it? It is really to heavy to make clothing out of and the scale of the print would probably be considered to large but that is part of what I love about it. Perhaps a duster of some sort (the jacket duster, not the housework type) would work with the weight and scale.

Really, I think that it is a decorator fabric and although I think that it could look great as a slipcover I can't see it in our house (besides which, Tim doesn't like the colours). Perhaps a bag of some sort, although that would lose the effect of the scale of the pattern. There is certainly enough of it - maybe 5 metres.

The other question that it raises for me is one about stash. It is all very well to plan to work from my stash this year and to not go out to buy materials for a project, but what about plain old buying materials because you come across them and they are great and unique and a real bargain (US$4.99). When there is no specific purpose for it, only ideas and aspirations, this fabric just becomes more stash and defeats my good intentions.

Anyway, I'll keep thinking about what to make from it and in the meantime will keep wondering about its provenance. If you recognise it, or the brand, please do let me know!

the sound of one hand

Clapotis - I absolutely had to get away from all of the venereal disease puns so mine will be called 'applause'. I can pretty much date my knitting career around this pattern. We moved from Sydney back to Melbourne at the very end of 2004 and I started knitting with Melbourne's Stitch 'n' Bitch group that next year in about June.

Clapotis was published in Knitty in the (northern) Fall of 2004 and Clapotis knitting was still going strong in mid-year 2005. A number of people had finished theirs, many were still knitting away, there was much discussion of the recommended yarn (Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb - unavailable in Australia at the time and really expensive to purchase from overseas), discussion of substitute yarns, whether to knit or purl the stitches to be dropped ...

So, for me Clapotis remains the first, classic social knitting project. I think that it is also known as (one of) the first viral knit(s). For me at the time it was a bit beyond my knitting borders. I was still quite attached to the idea that you had to knit a project from the recommended yarn and did not yet have enough knowledge of what else was out there to make a substitution choice. So I perused the colour swatches for Lion and Lamb, and I dreamt. (Incidentally, I think that I would have chosen Black Pearl had I ever actually gone for the L&L.)

Anyway, five years later and I have since seen many lovely Clapotis knit from sock yarn. I bought this Handmaiden Fine Yarns Casbah sock yarn in the colourway 'Vintage' at Sock Summit last year and decided to cast on myself.

As I am using a different weight yarn I have done more increases (section 2 of the pattern) than the pattern states in order to approximate the original measurements. And now I am just going to knit - knit knit knit until I can knit no more. I weighed the amount of yarn that I used to do sections 1 and 2 and will need that amount to do the decreases. I have three skeins of the Handmaiden and am quite a way through the first skein. When I get to third one I'll be keeping an eye on the weight to know that I have enough left. Also, instead of placing markers to indicate which stitches are to be dropped, I am purling the stitch that will be dropped. That is what gives the fabric its current ribbed appearance.

And the yarn - it feels lovely, it is merino, cashmere and nylon and just slips through the stitches. But the variegation ... the variegation - what is it about variegated yarns? That will be a discussion for next time.

chunky children's mittens

Absolutely the last knitting project for 2009 - I don't have any more up my sleeve.

The Vital Statistics
Pattern: Chunky Children's Mittens by Adrienne Jones, available free at Fabric Addict.
Size: 3-4 years.
Yarn: Ístex Álafoss Lopi in shade 133, purchased at St Vincent de Paul op shop in Malvern, Melbourne.
Needles: 4.5mm
Start to finish: 6 December 2009 to 28 December 2009.
Recycle/stash content: 100 per cent! I was so delighted when I found this yarn at the op shop because it was one that I hadn't encountered before and it seemed quite, well, exotic.
Comments: While I am very grateful for patterns that are provided free of charge on the internet, I guess that they don't get quite the same degree of quality control/checking as those that originate from commercial sources. I knit the first mitten in an evening but had to rip it back to the cuff the next day because the proportions were way out - may have just been a case of the yarn that I used and my gauge. I knit them again, measuring against little miss bear's hand as I went. I also mucked up the stitch count on the first mitten as the pattern is written using the abbreviation M1 (make 1) but actually defines this as 'knit through the front and back' (which I would denote as kfb). This does make a difference.

Verdict: Hmmm, ok. Next time I would knit the cuffs using a smaller needle to keep them snugger. And the yarn - yes, exotic and still filled with scraps of Icelandic vegetation but really, these heavier yarns are just not my knitting cup of tea. I would like to embroider or needle felt a snowflake onto the back of these mittens but that will have to be considered a separate project!

appendix

Actually, there are a few things that I made last year that I simply never got around to blogging about, post baby.

feather and fan bonnet; felt booties; cache-cœur

The Vital Statistics
Pattern: Feather and Fan bonnet by Larissa Brown, available free as a Ravelry download.
Size: only one size, depends on what yarn you use.
Yarn: Rowan Wool Cotton in shade 973 Blue Wash. I had been curious about this yarn for a while and picked up a ball a few weeks back, just for the sake of it really. The bonnet used up a little more than half the skein.
Needles: 4mm.
Start to finish: 28 November 2009 to 4 December 2009.
Comments: I love the feather and fan stitch pattern. It is enjoyable to knit, old-fashioned and still lovely. I am loathe to put ribbons or strings onto babies clothing though so I just did a very short crochet chain which I fixed at the centre back of the bonnet.
Verdict: Love feather and fan but am not sure that a bonnet (apart from looking very precious) is really that useful; I haven't managed to keep it on baby bear's head yet.
Recycle/stash content: none.

The two sewing projects came from a wonderful book, Intemporels pour Bebe, that I bought in Paris when we were there the year before last. The booties are made from wool felt that I purchased for the project at Nancy's Sewing Basket in Queen Anne, here in Seattle (but I would be keen to try them using a felted jumper/sweater). I machine stitched the two uppers together at the front centre seam but hand stitched the sole to the uppers as this was too fiddly given the size (shown are the 0-3 months size, I also made 3-6 and 6-9 at the same time). The buttons came from the same Ann Taylor blazer that I used to trim the Carmine jacket in February last year. Baby bear hasn't worn them yet because, umm, I can't find the pair at the moment ...

And the cache-cœur - I love this little garment. It is made from a felted woollen jumper/sweater that was given to me by a neighbour (already felted). Her husband apparently thought it very strange that she was passing a laundry mishap along to someone but I appreciated it immensely. It was a lovely woollen and a really good weight to sew with. The green ribbon was one that I had in stash. I also made a biscuit-coloured version of this but it is currently recovering from a baby spew incident (aka in the wash).

These were both very simple projects: the full-size patterns were included in the book and the sewing up was straightforward.There was some hand finishing involved but that was my choice. The instructions are all (bien-sur) in French but if you do any crafting from Japanese books then these would be a breeze. And recycled/stash content: quite high - the buttons on the booties and everything for the cache-cœurs.

One more project in the next post ...

tally

Happy new year!

I'm very excited about 2010 - we're really settled in here in Seattle, we have a new family member and there is so much to be made, ah done. A quick look back first: This time last year I wrote that it was going to be a priority to read more books. Hmmm, I have read a few and more is a relative term. Was there a real dearth in 2008? I'm going to keep trying on this one. I also wanted to craft from my fabric stash but looking at the photos above I can see that most of the fabrics used here were purchased for the purpose. I think that some of the knitting came from stash.

projects: 32
knitting: 17, sewing: 14, other: 1
recycled/refashioned/upcycled: 24
made from stash: 6

This was also quite a year of firsts - my first significant piece of lace (Swallowtail shawl) and my first adult garments (Wallingford, Sunrise Circle and Pimlico Snug). And I finally completed the felted jumper bag - hooray! All in all, a very satisfying year. (And there's one project in there that I haven't shared yet - some mittens.)

So, 2010 - well, now I have two children to sew for and I hope that this will translate into twice as much sewing. And this year, this year it's s-t-r-e-t-c-h; yes, I am going to come to terms with sewing knits. I now have my machine and overlocker set up side by side in my own sewing space so there are no excuses! And I'll stick with crafting from stash and reading books again. What about you? Any craft horizons that you are determined to conquer this year?

(ps. I pinched this fantastic mosaic trick from Di.)

cascading leaves

A door prize project!

The Vital Statistics
Pattern: Presto Chango by Valerie Wallis, available free on the Jimmy Beans Wool website.
Size: 6 months (the smallest size)
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Cotton Patiné in shade 06, 1.7 skeins; I won three skeins of this yarn as a door prize at the knit-in for feminist scholarship that I attended earlier this year.
Needles: Another door prize - this time from a launch of Yarn magazine that I attended in Melbourne a few years ago. And they're beauties - Lantern Moon 5mm straights.
Start to finish: 16 August 2009 to 28 December 2009; such a small project but one that I just worked on in small fits and starts. I'm actually surprised to realise that I've been busy with it since August.
Comments: No major modifications. I used my Cotton Patiné because it was in the stash rather than the yarn suggested. Hooray - stash busting. I also didn't bother to make button holes on the panel but instead sewed on some trusty snaps.

Verdict: An easy knit, to lovely effect. Basic one piece construction, plus the extra panel which I guess you could swap for other (spare) panels which you could knit with different designs/in different colours. Great if your baby tends to be a spewer. I'm not mad keen on knitting with cotton, it was pretty slippery on the Lantern Moon straights which are, by the way, the most beautiful wooden needles. So rich in colour, such a lovely weight, superbly smooth.

baby steps, baby steps

No, he's not walking yet. That's me, taking baby steps, learning again what it is like to make it through a day punctuated by nappies, breastfeeding and burping, and with a three-year old in the mix to boot. I'm not complaining - our baby is lovely and mild and little miss bear is delightful. It is, however, a real process of adjustment.

And, frustrating as it is to me, I am just taking it slowly, one small step at a time, learning how to incorporate things into this new routine.

I am currently absolutely taken with this book, Felting for Baby: 25 warm and woolly projects for the little ones in your life. Well, particularly with the booties project on the cover. Here are my baby steps over the past couple of weeks, each undertaken on a different day:

- bought roving in various colours at Weaving Works; I'm planning to use smoke (a silvery grey) and aubergine
- made it to the library and photocopied the bootie outline (I made both a 200 per cent enlargement as the pattern calls for and a 150 per cent enlargement)
- salvaged an empty milk carton from the recycling (this was much more difficult than it sounds because we are very fortunate to have my mother staying with us at the moment and she keeps the kitchen spic and span)
- washed said milk carton
- traced the bootie outlines onto the milk carton and cut the templates out

More updates as they come to hand.