20,736 stitches later

And my pi shawl is done. Started 17th August 2012, finished 18th March 2013, blocked one day later. The sheer number is stitches explains the long delay for this post, there wasn't much progress to show ... Just row after row of a garter band.

Here the shawl before blocking, and to explain the 20,736 stitches, I decided to add a nine-stitch garter band as the edge. Which meant that I worked nine stitches up and nine stitches back for each of the 1,152 stitches of the last full round. Before blocking the shawl measured 44".

During blocking the shawl spread a full 55" or 1.4m across, pretty much dominating our small living room. Bear spend much of the day shooing Yoyo the cat off the mat, and Yoyo spend much of the waiting for bear to leave so she could sit on the wet shawl.

The lace opened up beautifully, which was a surprise, as I thought the possum part of the yarn would bloom and close the lace considerably.
The shawl weighs 221 g dry, and was worked on 3.5mm needles, the garter boarder on 4mm. I slipped the edge of the boarder to make a neat chained edge, and attached the band with a simple k2tog. I blocked the shawl with TIG welding wires and tee-pins, running the wires through each slipped stitch.
And I went for the heart option on the edge ....
So time to knock-off and complete the other WIPs ... and plan something for my swap partner.
Na Stella

Cat included for scale

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Moving along

Things are still ticking along nicely around here, when I say nicely I mean as usual, so there is frogging of a kind, the kind that isn't so much frogging as starting again, and very slow progress on my pi shawl.

I finally bought a new phone, one that let's me text easily. This one has a typewriter style touch screen keyboard rather than a number pad, keeping up with the cubs is soo much easier. When I bought it I looked at the cases sold for phones, and part of me thinks such things are a tad weird. For a start one buys a new phone, usually because it is thinner, or smaller, with a better screen than the competition, and then immediately slaps a thick case around it making the super cool thin phone all thicker and heavier, canceling all the features one carefully chose it for. I bought phone with gorilla glass, toughened to resist scratches and decided to make a soft crafted case to keep it in. Knitting seemed too fuzzy, too soft, too likely to attract lint in my handbag, and I'd seen a crochet technique over cord on pinterest that held promise, stiffer, more case like. The first case was worked quite firm, with a teeny crochet hook, orange soft cotton over thicker yellow cord, and suffers from the goldilocks effect in that it is too small. Well it fitted, but actually slipping it into place on the phone was a struggle - i had assumed being cotton it would relax, but seems corded crochet does not (or not yet). Rather than frog it, as it was soo much work, I've set it aside and started another putting into play what I have learned, the second one is on 2mm hook, same cord and thread, and I am not pulling the cord quite so firm this time. Crochet is not my best craft sport ... so progress has been slow, but is faster now with a larger hook.

Look, I'm nearly half way there! The first case took nearly a week, the second might be only a few days. And today is a rainy dull day, a perfect day to keep warm and dry inside crafting. Yoyo shares the feeling, except being a cat, replaces crafting with sleeping. Being a cat she sleeps where experience tells her it is warmest, on the back of the sofa where usually the sun shines. Being a dull rainy day, the warmth from the sun is totally imagined in this case. Yoyo is not the kind of cat to let reality stand in her way.

I've not just been crocheting, and playing with my new phone and all its features (it has a very nice camera, f2.0 and a Carl Zeiss lens), but I have been plodding along with my pi-shawl, again with Yoyo as a photo prop, this time she is doing that cool cat thing, sleeping with one eye just open. I choose to knit mine on 3mm needles, making a thicker and more dense lace than if I used the recommended 4mm needles. Knowing that I suspected my shawl would end up smaller, so I've adjusted the maths a little. I plan to repeat the gull wing lace for the full 80 rows, then work a round of increase eyelets, the the lace edge. The pattern calls for only 40 or so rows then a fake increase row (eyelets only) and then edging. In the original the shawl finishes before the seventh increase round? I think given my use of smaller needles I need the extra repeat rows of lace, so my edge will start just after the seventh increase round (2x576 stitches). I also like the idea this way the repeats will demonstrate the pi principles more clearly, as each band of lace will be double the width of the previous one. Nice idea ... but at an average of four or so rounds a night ... progress is slow.
Take care
Na Stella

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Edges and buttons!

I'm rather pleased, the grey cardigan, the one knit on teeny 2.75mm needles using sock yarn is almost done! Almost, there are button holes to finish and sleeve cuffs to work, but the end is in sight. Todays post is all about the little fiddle bits, starting with the buttons, and ending with the edges. I don't have progress photos, as much of this has been knit in the evenings, but I do have details. And yes 2.75mm isn't teeny for many knitters, but it is kind of smallish to me to be using for a cardigan.

Vintage blue buttons x 7

Here are the vintage buttons I settled on, I was thinking either classic shell, pale or dark, or even classic white shirt buttons ... but these ones caught me out with how well they seemed to echo the crochet lace detail. I wove all the ends in after trying the cardigan on, it fits and I love the neckline. For a while there I was wondering if my plans were weird and I would have a cold shouldered cardigan, you know one that leaves to much shoulder out on show and cold? I calculated the neck stitch count by draping a measuring tape around my neck, trying to allow for a wide rib band, and forgot that the weight of a garment can stretch the neck edge, hence my use of small needles and bind offs that will resist stretching.

Buttons with crochet lace

On the cardigan, the blue and white and gold seems just fine, not too sparkly. Just goes to show that not all that is planned is best, and sometimes things just seem right. I worked wide 1x1 rib edges right around the cardigan, using different sized needles.once it would have been important for me to use the same size needle so the rib matched exactly, now I realize the neck edge will stretch when worn so a smaller needle will help control the stretch. I cast off the front and neck edges using i-cord bind off, this time a two stitch variety, using a 2 mm needle across the neck and a 2.5 mm needle along the fronts. This should help the neck stay firm.

Mitred cause interesting effects

The mitered increases at the corners worked well, and produced some interesting effects that I had not considered would happen. Because the hem ribbing was already well established when I started working the final band in the round, the mitered corners created an interesting shape, unusual but not ugly. Right now nothing has been blocked, when it is I will be able to shape the corners a little more sharply.

Tubular rib cast off

I did consider working the i-cord bind off across the hem but thought it would provide a hard horizontal line, something that is hard to make successful at hip level in any design. Instead I worked tubular bind off ... Two set up rows then stitching my way across the entire hem grafting the Knits to the Purls. I tried to do this with all the stitches on one needle, but resorted to the easier method of separating the stitches out into two parallel needles.

Which leaves me finishing the sleeve ribbing .... And the finishing the afterthought button holes.

More on both of those next time, and a decision of the cuffs are cast off with I-cord or tubular fashion. I'm even wondering if this could become a late entry in the games which are not the Ravelry Olympics, although I have other wips that really need to see some closure, and I'm not sure if I've meet any qualification regulations. I guess this could be my spectator project. Elder cub is now into rowing, and is so interested in the rowing - new Zealand doing well is only increasing his interest.

Na Stella

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Round and round,

The next few days will be about knitting around and around and around in single rib, whist I decide if there will be button holes or sewn on giant snaps, and what cast off I will use. I'm not even sure I know what buttons i will use, but I have a few options, vintage black Victorian glass, dark shell shirt buttons or something entirely new .... For now I am just knitting ribbing around and around on four long circulars like a weird variation on knitting on bendy dpns.

Knitting on four circulars

The second sleeve has been knit up to the point where the ribbing starts, and set aside. I have threaded a life line through the live stitches. I wanted to finish neck and front bands before finishing the sleeve, as I know that the neck band will 'lift' the shoulder, pull the neck in and so mean I will need a longer sleeve. When I worked the ribbing at the hem I set up two full rounds of tubular rib, ready for a cast off. Between then and now I decided I wanted to knit the front, neck and hem edges all in one piece, so I frogged the tubular set up back to single rib, and picked up the live stitches. I then picked up stitches on a slightly smaller needle right around the edge, the two front edges, and the neck. As well as using a smaller needle I picked up one in four stitches, my standard pick up ratio for stocking stitch.

Extension of hem ribbing,

I'm using not quite a smaller sized needle at the hem, a 2.5mm, as I really don't want this cardigan to be tight at the lower edge. The cardigan is knit on 2.75mm, which gives a nice firm gauge in sock yarn, I like my knits on the firm side, well cardigans and sweaters, shawls and scarves I like softer and loftier. I took extra care to make sure I picked up stitches along the same line on both left and right front ... The more i knit, the more i finish, the more I'm learning which bits to take care with and which bits don't need so much care. Picking up is One of the area that shows up as messy if I rush.

Pick up around neck edge

Around the neck and the front edges I used a 2mm needle, because I want those edges firmer and more stable. Using two different sizes of needle means that i will have to make sure i knit from ends of the needle the stitches i am working on. I picked up three in four stitches from the purl bumps of the long tail cast on and it looks like when I knit the neck rib the effect will be fairly seamless, almost like a provisional cast on. I plan to increase at each corner, two stitches, every second round. As for button holes .... I'm still thinking about those. I found an option in the big book of knitting and knitting school that looks promising but i'm not sure it works on a ribbing band as they show it worked on stocking stitch. Who knits stocking stitch bands?

Na Stella

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Look lace!

I've been crocheting lace, and I love it. I'm not really one to crochet much, I can, but there are other fibre crafts I prefer. Prefer for their look, their end result and maybe even the process - but I have been working some crochet lace and I like it. Imagine how much I will like it when it is blocked and sitting open and even more lace like?

First up is the sleeve, now it isn't finished, merely parked. I worked until I was mid way down my forearm and decided to park the live stitches until I worked out how long the ribbing was to be. I like the idea of a generous ribbing - but I don't want to run out of yarn.

Then I thought, if I am wanting to avoid running out of yarn I should work all the little unknown bits like the crochet lace around the neck. The original pattern was worked in pieces, and seamed, then the crochet stitched to the neck edge. My modification involves knitting the cardigan as a top down raglan, starting with a band of eyelets. I decided to pick up and crochet along the purl bumps under the eyelets, as I thought the crochet lace was a good match for the look of the eyelets. That was the plan, it was largely untested. Oh I had swatched the crochet on two different hook sizes, and picked up along the crochet edge and knit a band, and I had swatched the eyelet band ... but I had not combined them all in the same swatch. The plan worked out well, very well.

So well that the lace finished symmetrically at the centre front neck edges! I was impressed, even though it was more blind luck than planning, but impressed enough all the same. There are ends to weave in, and still a neck band to pick up and knit, at the same time as the band for the front edges. At this point I am thinking little grey or black buttons, on a band, but I am not sure. I want horizontal button holes but that means knitting a vertical band and I'd rather knit the band horizontally as one with the neck and hem edges ...... decisions, decisions. Suggestions, suggestions ?

For now I am back to the other sleeve, I have picked up and will be working away tonight decreasing away the small underarm gusset, another modification. Then it is down the sleeve, decreasing every 6th round until it is the same length and hopefully the same stitch count as the other sleeve. I have the 'right' stitch count now, and in theory after the same number of decreases I should have the same number of stitches .. but in practice there is always between one and three stitches over or missing. One of those universal truths of knitting - theory and practice are not the same thing.

take care
more soon - maybe even a sleeve. 

One thing at a time

This week there are two finished objects, and one new project. I'm pacing myself, working away one at a time at the projects in the unfinished pile, the Work in Progress's that have slipped to the bottom of the queue. Doing so has resulted in one finished project, the linen lace edge that was started at Knit Camp way back in May. I cast off Friday, woven in ends yesterday and blocked today. The next project in the queue is the Hope-he-never-needs-this hat, which is finished, but not blocked. And within a month there is a secret swap project needed ... so I'd best queue that one up next. I have the pattern, and the yarn, and all I have to do is knit it ... and such things don't knit themsleves.

 So here is the lace edge all done. At knit camp 2012 we were presented with two options, to knit the lace and then stitch it to a hemmed circle of linen or to hem a circle of linen using blanket or buttonhole stitch and then crotchet an edge that could be picked up and knitted on on to. I liked the idea of when something is done it is done, with no seaming or sewing - so I went with knitting on my lace as I went.

 Once knit I the lace needed blocking, although there is something charming about the deep relief of the leaves - especially when viewed from the wrong side. Mid way through working the edge I had steam ironed it, as it is linen, just to see the effect.

 First I drew a circle in chalk on my blocking board that I thought would be the right size to block to, but I underestimated and had to draw a slightly larger circle. Then I pinned the quarter points, the eight points, then all the points in between.

 
One of my favorite subjects at high school was one called 'Technical Drawing'. I loved it, we spent our time learning how to draw with great accuracy and detail all sorts of things. Plans, elevations, perspective views, unfolded or 'developmental' explanations, exploded views. I loved the large sheets of heavy white paper, the use of special pencils, and scale rulers, and the sort of planning and understanding that had to happen before one started drawing. I liked that the final drawing was a graphic representation of something. Most of all I liked the tools, the specialist little boxes of drawing equipment like this extending compass, or circle maker. I've kept all of that, in its little rounded wooden box, and love any excuse to drag it out and use it. Yes I could have used a plate ... but why when I have tools like this?

At this stage it looked pretty good .. until smallest cub said "what is this?" and pointed at a few teeny tiny loose loops. She was helping me pin out the points, Little cub has a keen interest in blocking, I think it may be her favorite process. I must admit that I am always slightly in awe at how simple washing and stretching can open out the lace pattern so cleanly and clearly. Whomever discovered that technique deserves some sort of knitting honor.

Argh, there was a dropped stitch, three loose loops, which I've secured with a few pins, and once the lace is try I'll secure them by weaving a thread through them and secure it neatly. No one will ever no, expect, me, little cub and all of you.

Take care, we have a fantastic frost outside this morning, the kind that leaves the road white and sparkly, so I'll be staying safe in side and warm most of the day, but the sky is blue and the sun is shining so it will warm up slightly.
na Stella

Still avoiding the fix

Yes, I'm still dithering over the fix for the snagged lace. I know it is fixable. I know that fixing the pull means sitting and patiently tugging and easing the yarn back into its rightful place. I know that will take time, more than a few moments. I'm just not ready to sit and focus on that right now. What I have done is pick up the lace shawl and look at it, this I think is preparation for fixing the snag. And I managed to make a clearer image of the snag .... in all its loose yarn glory. There seems to be about 14cm of yarn to work back into the knit.

Meanwhile my classic grey cardigan grows, I have divided the yoke up into two sleeves and a body, and am now knitting the body. I have tried on the yoke and it all feels good so far. This past weekend was Queens Birthday Weekend, usually a cause for a long weekend. This year the Queen celebrates 60 years on the throne, as I type that I think that can't be right. Yet I have checked and it is, 60 years of being The Queen. There were all number of celebrations, and it seemed that the Queen's face was on the front of most printed magazines, featured daily on tv, and online. I've joined the online celebration with what seems to be the customary overuse of the Queens image, here a 26 year old Elizabeth R printed on the cover of next weeks NZ Listener peeps through the armhole of my knitting. She has the most amazing eyes doesn't she? I am sure I can see a hint of a smile in them.

The entire image shows her wearing what must have been deep  red lippy - not something I usually associate with the Queen. but there it is. As you can see I'm nearly at the end of the first skein of yarn in the cardigan. So  I either commit to a second skein .. or I set this project aside and complete one of the many other things that are still on the needles and in need of attention. I'm really not sure what the decision will be. Perhaps I'll even spin instead of making a decision. Things at work are quietly busy, there is a heap of marking to have done, fantastic news as M had her final for her PhD and once she has made a few minor changes has passed (there are balloons everywhere - and I mean everywhere in the office, dozens and dozens of them), and with no studdents there is a window of opportunity to write a few articles and work on some teaching prep. All that seems to be almost too much - perhaps I am beyond making decisions right now and I just want to wallow in part done projects and avoid making any decisions?

I'm probably just tired, weekends away do that to me, more so now than ever.
Take care, we had snow this morning, and it sort of lasted, traces still around the corners of the city and our lawn.  Bear drove carefully, and so did I, hope you do too.

na Stella

Ouch!

This morning I dumped my suitcase contents on the bed and unpacked, somewhere along the way I snagged a knit shawl (Deciduous) on a zipper. Ouch ...and bother ... and other words, there is a snag in my lace knitting. A ten centimeter loop of yarn that is not where it should be. Intellectually I know I can fix this, after all the yarn can be carefully teased and tugged and pulled back into the knit until the stitches are where they were. I know this - but I'm avoiding it, I think I need a to work up to this one. Any tricks and hints welcomed with an open mind.

Also on the needles and growing is my classic grey cardigan, growing so much that I'm almost ready to split for the sleeves and body! The rate of progress surprises me, but I have had quite a bit of time to knit this as my take away project for this weekend. I think I need to work an inch more then divide for the body and arms ... after that I feel it will continue to grow.

I was presenting at Handmade 2012, taking three sessions, and loved it. The attendees were all keen and interested - which is something I like about an environment where the participants have chosen to be there. The beginners all went away half way through there projects, being able to cast on and cast off and knit, and having done all of these things four different times. I have a sneaky learn to knit project that has them make button holes using a cast off and cast on when they are only 9 rows from the start. Newbies at both sessions even managed to weave their ends in, another important skill for the new knitter. We had all the usual incidents, dropped stitches, yarn overs where they were not intended, split stitches, and choices of yarn and needles that made for sticky knitting. As a class we talked about how as a beginner you are not in a great position to make the best choices about yarn and materials - and that if it was still very awkward after a while - maybe try a different size needle, or type of yarn or way of knitting. We talked, or I mentioned that as a more accomplished anything you are able to knowingly choose materials and tools that are tricky and do well with them, and that they would all be in that position sooner than they thought. Amazingly after the first hour there were several newbies who wanted to frog their knitting back a few rows and make it better! This was after they had worked their fourth cast on and realized their casting on skills had improved to the point they wanted to rework the original cast on so it was neater. All in two hours, I don't think I was so motivated in my first two hours of knitting!

In the more advanced session there was a great bunch of knitters who totally accepted that I was going to let them explore at least 8 different methods of adding beads to knitting, and that I expected them to think about which method they would use where. Most seemed to like the appearance of methods that used a hook device to place a bead over a stitch, found the methods where the bead was already threaded on the yarn much easier to work. I even told them about Fleegles latest play with guitar strings --- and provided two strings to play with. We cut them into shorter lengths and compared the guitar technique to using super-floss and crochet hooks. Again the knitters were amazing in that they totally accepted that there was no right answer, and that the class was more exploratory - guided by me. One even started playing with placing her beads in eyelets created by yarn overs and K2togs! Above are the tools we used, mini-crochet hooks, vintage ones in teeny tiny sizes, and OralB Super floss which is useful to have in a beading kit. The super floss is commonly mentioned online in regards to beading, but here in New Zealand is not so easy to find. I do like the squishy bit near the end that is perfect for parking beads on.  I trekked off  to visit two supermarkets, and three chemists before I resorted to phoning around to locate some close to home. A well stocked Chemist will likely have it or be able to order it in for you ... I'm still tracking down a similar but different product - floss threaders.

And here is the quick project of the week, called Bookcase and it goes with the article I have just submitted to Entangled. I meet up with Genny the editor and driver of the Entangled at Handmade and was reminded of how passionate she is about promoting and supporting crafters at a level way beyond the how-to-make- a-decorated-thingy level. My  article is all about how making a record of your making can liberate you and enable more making. I just have to finish it up and provide the final images, I've been waiting for some nice diffused light to make the photos with.

Take care - hope your long weekend goes well if you are in a country that celebrates the Queens Birthday - if not - welcome to the week!
Stella

New but not what I should be doing ...

Over the last few days I've been working on a new project, I shouldn't be, there are several things that need to be sorted by the end of May. I've got a set of teaching notes to update, and a new teaching project to turn into samples and instructions that can be understood by others. You know, ones own scribbles and cryptic notes are enough for oneself - but rarely understood by other people. Have I been doing those things, no, and I have been making what seem like valid excuses Before I could make headway on one project - I needed to make a trip to the bead shop, and the stash. I've now done both and really should be starting that one tonight. For another project I need to find the file I used in the last class, and I've just done that now. But in the meanwhile I decided that the best thing to do with deadlines and things that needed to be done ... was to set up a new knitting project.

 There is method in my madness, the new project is a simple cardigan, mostly stocking stitch which will provide me the mindless knitting that is needed along side more challenging projects. You may disagree, and you are probably but I find most knitters, most crafters are the most excited and productive with several new projects on the go at once. So far I've cast on and worked the first 6 rows. The swatch was knit weeks ago, and blocked, I've done the maths, and made plans for a top down raglan, with a wide shallow neckline. The cast on row has been set up with stitch markers for the increase points and so it begins.

The swatch was finished a few days ago after languishing in the workbasket for weeks. I picked up and added a stocking stitch neck bank, and grafted it down. I liked the effect, and think that I will use this for not only the neck but the front bands and the hem. Maybe deeper for the hem. The cardigan is based on the now out of print Claire cardigan, but converted to be top down, in the round, and at a gauge that suits sock yarn. Basically I'm using the photo to create something similar. I was playing with having the crochet lace as a lace band .. but the idea didn't pan out as nicely as I thought it might, so I will revert to using the crochet over the top of the raglan cardigan. That way the lace will disguise the evidence of short rows that lower the front neck. Even when worked invisibly, using all the tricks I know to rearrange the wraps and conceal the short row turn ... there is often still a visible hint of 'something' in stocking stitch.

The other change I'm making is to insert a row of garter stitch boardered eyelets just above where the crochet lace will attach. I used eyelets to differentiate between two area of my swatch knit with different sized needles and I liked it, like it a lot. The top edge of the crochet is a little like the eyelets and I think this is will provide a nice transition between the neckband and the crochet. Besides I'm fighting the urge to make this fancy and add all sorts of little pattern-ey things. Two things stop me, I want a simple grey cardigan, that is elegant and will work with a lot of my wardrobe, and I want a simple knit, a mindless knit. Tonight I will make a start on the short rows ... and plan the graph for my beaded wristers for my Handmade class. I've been collecting lots of ideas, and have pages and pages of notes ... but this week is the time to turn those notes into material that is useful to others.

Take care
and have a quiet week, I hope to, it is the last week of formal classes for most of my students, so at work there is a quiet uprising of the kind of student stress that is contagious. Luckily I work with a great bunch of people who are very good at remaining calm in the face of stressed students. I hope to do the same.

Na Stella

Where did that week go?

Ever have one of those weeks where some how, the week is gone and there isn't much to show for it? There are times that I think my whole life is a bit like that, and the older I get the more time seems to fly and the less time I seem to have. Today there is a new project, specially requested by Bear, and an old project comes closer to ending, and there are new toys.

Bears A-kicking hat in Stansborough grey

Bear has very little hair, he won't mind me saying that, I know as I asked. What hair he does have he keeps very short, military short, clipped. Its been like that for a while, a long while. Here in New Zealand we have two factors that combine and raise the risk of skin cancer, much of the population is genetically disposed towards fair skin, the kind that burns easily, and not just in the midday sun. Add to that here in New Zealand the light that we get seems richer in the kind of wavelengths that cause damage to the skin. Don't panic, its not cancer, but there are some little spots that won't heal that Bears doctor wants to remove. Years of exposure to the sun has created skin that is almost to thin to take standard wear and tear and the treatment is to remove the skin and let new thicker skin grow. Bear is a sensitive sort and dosn't want to expose his head to the view of the world while it heals so requested a hat that could be worn indoors. We had a shared Ravelry session, where quite a few patterns were viewed and considered, many were rejected and we both felt that Elliots Ass-kicking hat by Megan Ellinger was the one. Then I invited Bear to view the stash drawers that held suitable yarn - and this is what he picked. Stansbourgh Yarn, 4 ply in natural grey. I'd link to the yarn itself but it was bought a few years ago and they don't do this one any more, just a DK / light worsted weight.

Edging Banjo-Helen's baby blanket.

Most of this week I've been knitting on the hat, seemed only fair that it be completed quickly. Bear wants to book a session with his doctor soon. Before I was distracted by the hat, I begun the edge on Banjo-Helen's baby blanket. I hope to have this done by the end of next week. Next weekend is the local Knit Camp - and I'm wanting to take something smaller with me to work on outside of class. The sanquhar mitts perhaps? Start a cardigan for me, start one for little cub ... start something for my secret swap partner, finish the socks on the needles? I've no idea what will be next but just thinking about what it could be is fun.

New toys, a pair being two makes it toys plural  doesn't it?

And here is my new toy, so new that I've not even brushed fibre past them. A pair of Howard Hand Cards, fine 120 TPI, standard sized, from The Woolery.com, shipping was almost the same cost as the carders themselves.  I've been looking at carder prices and shipping for three or so years now and with the current favorable New Zealand exchange rate I was able to by the carders with shipping for a little less than the cost that the carders alone would have been three years ago. I had to take a bit of a leap and risk, not being able to discuss hand carders much here, most locals have Ashford ones, and few spin woolen, and not being able to try different brands and styles before I bought. The Howard ones seemed good value for money without going for a student model, and a nice compromise between curved and straight. The more I looked the more there seemed to be a clear preference amongst those who use hand carders for either straight or curved. I'm waiting for a dvd to arrive to guide me, How to Card Wool: Four Spinners, Four Techniques before I start of and learn bad habits. Some times I just like to let the excitement rest while I look forward and plan to use new things rather than jump in and get all muddled. I thought since I was enjoying playing with spinning worsted that a pair of hand carders and a little tuition might be a good thing. The carders arrived within 4 days, the DVD was order first and I'm still waiting on it, I can wait - there is plenty to do.


This week looks like another busy week, lots to get through at work, there is another big hand in for students,  and so a pile of marking for me, and student presentations this Monday. Plus I'm nearly done on the next article for Entangled ... this one is on workbooking and keeping records of ones crafting. I'd best head off and finish that before Little cubs friends descend for a play date this afternoon and distract me.

Take care
na Stella

Finished project and new project

My largest lace shawl to date is finished, all done. The ends are woven in, there were only two, one at the beginning and one at the end. The lace is blocked and open and dried, luckily before today's rain. the loose stitch that was spotted was isolated and woven in as neatly as I could, trying to match the pattern. With that project done, and off the needles there was all the excitement of choosing a new project, and I had fun this week. I dithered over which of two projects should be next, swatching and swatching for one, and then put that aside as I couldn't decide what to do and started another.

Deciduous shawl blocked, and finished,

Here is the shawl, and its statistics, Pattern is Deciduous Lace Shawl by Evelyn Clarke,  knit in Touch Yarns Lace  Kid Merino 2 ply. The yarn is hand dyed deep brown-green but has hints of purple here and there. I started January 1st 2012, finished April 16th 2012. I have no idea how some people knit 12 shawls in a year ... no idea at all. Finished blocked measurement = 64” across tip to tip and 33” from start to center tip, I probably blocked it larger but it has relaxed a little. I read that some people leave lace blocking for three days - to remove the potential for such a relaxation. I  didn't do that this time, but might next time. I love how shear the lace is now and the small leaf pattern really has a three dimensional effect- looking almost like small bubbles or stones. 

Deciduous shawl - the tapered ends

The corners blocked out nicely, I initially worried that the stocking stitch lace that framed the shawl would result in curling. I contacted two Ravelers who had knit this ... and both said that curling was not a problem so I trusted in the pattern and finished it as suggested. To date there has been no curl. The final edge is a simple crochet cast off, with loops. That makes the shawl fairly easy to block, sliding blocking rods through each loops and pinning the shawl out flat and symmetrical.

Claire cardigan - integrating the crochet and the knitting.

With the shawl off the needles I started looking for a new project. I have two cardigan sets of sock yarn sitting ready to knit a cardigan with. One in steel grey and one in burnt orange. I fell in love with the Clair cardigan listed on Ravelry, but sadly wasn't able to buy the pattern, I did track down someone who had knit it and traded for their copy of the pattern. Something about the cardigan just appealed. The shape is very much like a store bought cardigan I wear with dresses, and I loved the lace detail around the collar. When the pattern arrived I realized that what I had thought was lace worked as part of the cardigan was a crochet over layer, almost like a flat collar stitched onto the cardigan after it was knit. I wondered if the lace could be integrated into the cardigan and started to play. That of course meant updating my basic crochet skills using Youtube and other online tutorials so I could make sense of the charted crochet design. I also was attempting to reguage the cardigan from sport weight yarn to sock weight yarn. I worked the crochet on a 3mm hook, and worked at picking up and knitting from the edge, and it worked. I've swatched the raglan shaping on 2.75mm needles , and a 2x2 rib on 2.5mm needle. I'm also planning to swatch on 3mm and 3.5mm just to see what guage I like best. 

3mm and 2mm sampling of crochet lace in sock yarn

The Clair cardigan is bottom up, and knit in pieces, but I plan to knit mine top down and seamless. Given the cardigan isn't particularly high necked I thought the crotchet lace was a little bold, would take up to much of the shoulder and look odd unless I had a dress with an even lower neckline underneath it. So I've re-swatched the lace on a 2mm needle, and I like this better, its firmer and denser in a good way. I'm also looking for a result where the crochet stitches are the same scale and size as the knit stitches. The crotchet on 2mm swatch is smaller and  forms a more dramatic curve - so I've stalled as I think about how to make it less curved.  I'm using odds and ends of pale sock yarn - the same brand of yarn the cardigan will be in, which is nice, I can swatch and swatch and have lots to swatch with.

My Dirty Rainbow yarn

With my highly modified version of the Clair cardigan in the Thinking-chair, while I ponder my next move I started my second project for the week. Now there is more than one Helen in my world, there is embroidery Helen, and lace knitting Helen. Both those Helens knit but one is known for her embroidery, then there is Banjo Helen, who works with Bear and also is a knitter, but has started to play the Banjo. Banjo-Helen is having a baby and is moving to Wanaka - and it is cold there in the winter, it snows. I love to knit baby blankets, and handpspinning seems the right material for a brand new baby that a family has spend 9 months making and will be living where the snow lies on the ground there is skiing. That leads me to my second new project for the week, a slightly modified version of Knitspots Rosebuddie, this time knit in three different worsted weight handspun yarns. The first yarn I've called My dirty Rainbow, as it was intended to be a rainbow but seemed dirty in a good warm way.

Banjo Helen - the baby blanket, warm and thick,

As the colour changes are vibrant I'm omitting the rosebuds on the body of the blanket, but working the lace corner increases as charted. Right now I've incorporated 100 grams of woolen spun merino, followed by 100 grams of Pitt Island Merino from a spinning swap some years back, and now I'm working on the final burnt orange border. This is in orange Romney. I love the way the corner increases are worked in this blanket, and plan to start the final edge as per the pattern soon.

Once Banjo-Helen's blanket is done I think I might be ready for another play with the Clair cardigan pattern. I'm on leave this week but haven't done anywhere as much as I planned.  I used to worry about that but now just  accept that I will always plan to do more than I have time for. I've made lots of starts, there is a dress for little cub and a dress for me - both half sewn, and two new projects, and we have had visitors several time and will again. It has been a good holiday ...and today I have cut a deal with both cubs. If they tidy their rooms properly, clear and sweep under their  beds and the rooms surfaces are clear and clean, with most of their  things away in the right places ... we will head of to town and go to a movie. I won't be able to knit in the movie, but tonight is knit night and I'll knit more there.

Take care
na Stella

That nagging feeling

Last night I frogged my lace knitting, I pulled the work from the needles and carefully frogged the last 11 rows of lace. I didn't do this lightly, for nine of the eleven rows something had been bothering me. I had that nagging knitting feeling.
Last Wednesday I worked the last of the small leaf repeats that make up the body of the Deciduous Shawl, then I started to work the Large Leaf boarder. I worked from the first edge to the central stitch and was greatly pleased to find that my stitch  count was perfect. Then worked the second half of the shawl and discovered that when I worked the decreases they lined up perfectly on on of the small leaf repeats. How odd I thought that had not happened when I knit the first side. So I put down my yarn and counted my way across the shawl - making sure I had worked according to the chart on the first row of the Large Leaf pattern. I suspected that I was a stitch or two out, that can happen sometimes with lace weight yarn, the yarn is so fine that two stitches cling together and trick me into thinking that they are one. I counted, and looked, and things seemed fine, so I decided I must have been mistaken and so I kept on knitting the chart. As I knit the rest of the chart there was an increasing sense of wonder that each row worked out perfectly, the decreases and eyelets all lined up with the first row - I was beginning to think that  maybe I was improving at this lace work, that I could read a chart and count and knit all at the same time.

On the left - my mistake, out by one stitch, on the right - well the right side of the shawl

Then as I finished working the eleventh row I realized that the leaves on the two halves of the shawl looked very different. The right of the image shows how the leaves looked on the right side of the shawl, when the large leaves were placed perfectly over the small leaves, and there was a perfectly positioned small leaf continuing up between each large leaf. The other side of the shawl was comparatively a mess, in that two strands of small leaves sort of mashed up into a hybrid leaf between the large leaves, and the large leaves were distorted. The distortion was a result of each large leaf not being centered over a trio of small leaves.I realized that not only was the lace not lined up but not being lined up was creating more mess than I imagined it would.
Each row that I knit confirmed in a small way that something was wrong with that one side of the shawl, and even more that the second side was perfect... and try as I might I could not continue to ignore it. I had visions of wearing the shawl and having to make sure that the 'perfect' side was always the one that that was wrapped on top so it would hide the imperfect side. I knew I could photographed and block the shawl and hide the mess from you all .. but I would know, and those who knit closer to home would know.

So I frogged, ripped it back, which is easy to say and type but much harder to do. Ripping took an entire evening, and had many moments where I wondered if I had stuffed up completely and would be frogging the entire thing. I carefully pulled out the knitting needles, carefully pulled back one row at at time until I was 9 rows back. Then I slid all the live stitches onto a needle, once safely parked I breathed a huge sigh of relief. At any point before that I was aware that had anything snagged the yarn, a loose movement of my hand, foot, cup-of-tea, or the cat, or the other end of the needle,  I would have had a sudden unravel of uncontrolled size and I didn't need that kind of drama. As worked from one end to the other making sure that all the stitches were oriented the right way, then I tinked the last 2 rounds one stitch at a time. At the end of the evening I was worn out, worn to a frazzle, but happy. I did one last transfer of stitches from right to left needle as I made sure that what I had matched the last row of the small lace chart perfectly.

The first time I knit the large leaf boarder it took two days, so the frogging and reknit will add 3 days work .. not much considering I cast on the day after Christmas and now we are in April.  Best think about all of this is that I had the Easter break to focus on fixing it, so I didn't have to abandon it and head out to work .... I had time to settle in and fix it.

Take care - hope your weekend knitting involves a lot less frogging and tinking than mine.
na Stella