Category: Knitting

Knitting projects

Turkey Tracks: John’s Socks

Turkey Tracks:  May 29, 2011

John’s Socks

Earlier in the spring, I visited Halcyon Yarns in Bath, Maine.  Halcyon Yarn is famous in Maine.  I can’t imagine why I haven’t ever visited since I go by Bath not infrequently.  Here’s the web site:  http://halcyonyarn.com/.

I bought a ball of yarn I fell in love with.  Zauberball yarn:  http://halcyonyarn.com/products/yarn/06716600.html.  I saw socks, not shawls.  Ok, the truth.  I bought 2 balls.  One I fell in love with, and one I knew would make a pair of socks that would go with a winter sweater and pair of corduroy pants I have.  I don’t really have socks that work well with this combo.

Of course I started with the ball I loved.  As I worked, John thought he loved the developing socks too.

 In retrospect, this beautiful yarn–lovely to work with–would have taken a pattern with no trouble–without taking away from the changing pattern in the yarn itself.

Turkey Tracks: The T-Shirt Rug and Rags

Turkey Tracks:  April 23, 2011

The T-Shirt Rug and Rags

On a very pretty and warm day last week or so, I switched out my winter clothes for spring/summer ones.  (I’ve been freezing practically every day since!)

In the process, I realized I had accumulated way too many stained t-shirts put aside for yard work or painting.  What to do with them?  I couldn’t bear to just throw them away, and I have a lot of rags already.  Or, so I thought.

I found myself wondering if I could weave strips of them into abraided  rug or placemat on the hand-looms.  But, I didn’t think I had enough for a rug, and I don’t need placemats right now…  Then, I remembered making Kelly’s rug out of potholder loops linked together.  So, I took the t-shirts to my sewing room and began cutting the thrunks, up to the arm pits, into strips with a rotary cutter, which slices right through the double layers.  I used a long ruler for stablity.  I cut the short sleeves off and realized I had a pretty nifty doubled rag of a nice size.  (I threw the long sleeves away once I realized they were too bulky to loop like the potholder loops.)  That left the armpits to the neck, which I slashed in half for two more rags.  (Cotton t-shirts make such nice soft rags.)  I divided the rag pile in half and put one-half in the laundry room and the other half in the kitchen bowl with the white washcloths I’ve been using.  (See earlier posts about NOT using so many paper products like paper towels.)

Connecting the loops like potholder loops made too bulky a knot.  So, I opened the loops, slit the ends, and looped the lengths together like I would while making a rag rug.  Since I wasn’t sure I would have enough materials for a braided rug, I decided to knit the strips on big needles (13s).  If you knit constantly, you get a garter stitch, which has interesting texture.  Here’s the start:

Here’s the finished rug:

It’s stretchy and endearingly rough looking and very sturdy.  It will work fine near doors for muddy, wet shoes/boots coming into the house.   It only took me a few nights to make it while watching movies.

Here it is in use–the mud/garden shoes came from Tara Derr Webb when she moved from Reston to California over…10 years???…ago.  I release and feed the chickens first thing in the morning, so I need a pair of mud shoes or winter boots very near the back door:

Now, here’s the fun part.   I’ve been looking for ways to cut down on paper towel use, and dripping out bacon strips was one of our last uses for paper towels.  I took two of the short sleeves this morning, put them on a plate, and used those.  Afterwards, I just threw them in the laundry.  I usually wash kitchen towels, etc., separately any way, so I think this use of the sleeve rags will work just fine!

Turkey Tracks: Noro Iro Sweater

Turkey Tracks:  April 19, 2011

Noro Iro Sweater

It’s finished.

And, it’s quite wild, isn’t it?

The color mixture is not really “me,” actually, but I’ll have fun with it next winter nevertheless.  I can see it worn with a VERY plain top and VERY plain pants/skirt.   I made a bubble hat with leftover yarn that, believe it or not, tames everything down a bit.

I like the buttons that Helen of Heavenly Socks in Belfast helped me pick out:  http://www.heavenlysocksyarns.com/.  Helen is the best!  She will order more yarn than SHE needs just to get what you want.  And she always encourages you to buy extra “just in case,” which she takes back if you don’t use it.   The buttons pick up the lime green bits in the yarn.

A reminder:  Noro yarns are variegated in brilliant colors in ways that are impossible to “match.”  They just knit up the way the color wants to arrive.  I was successful at some matching up though…

Turkey Tracks: Cookie A’s Pomatomus Socks

Turkey Tracks:  April 1, 2011

Cookie A’s Pomatomus Socks

I reconnected with my fried Jane Williams a few months ago.  When we came to Maine, Jane and her family went to London and on to Indonesia.  Jane’s back in Northern Virginia now, and I’m looking forward to a visit with her in April when she comes north to visit her mother.  In London, Jane went to the Royal Needlework school where she learned to be even more awesome fiber arts skills.  While I was learning quilting, she was already well into knitting.

Jane mentioned Cookie A’s work, and I went searching for examples.  I just completed Cookie A’s FAMOUS SOCKS–the very first pattern she put on knitty.com and which thousands of people have made now.  I’ve also bought BOTH her books, and I can’t wait to start another pair of her socks.  Only, most of my current yarn is variegated in nature, and Cookie A’s socks are spectacular in solid yards.  I’ll do what I can…

Let me just tell you that these socks were more than a notch above my current skills.  I tore out the first cuff and leg SEVEN TIMES before I finally “saw” the pattern.  Once that happened though, I was off and running and having a spectacular time–even though Cookie A knits on 4 double-pointed needles and not the 5 I use–which I use because I tend to “ladder” socks at the joins of the needles.  Maybe I got over that with this pair.

Here’s what the look like finished:

When you put them on. the little scales open up into a lacy pattern:

THANK YOU JANE AND COOKIE A!!!

Here’s the pattern and more information.  You can search to see more of Cookie A’s patterns.  The first book has detailed instructions of how to do yarn overs, increase, and the like.

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTpomatomus.html

Turkey Tracks: The Absolute Best Way to Learn How to Knit

Here’s another draft lurker post!
Turkey Tracks:  February 15, 2011
The Absolute Best Way to Learn How to Knit
Coastal Quilters met last Saturday, the 12th.
We have a table where we all bring timely magazines to share, and I picked up a May 2007 CREATIVE KNITTING magazine from the pile.  Inside was a glowing review of this DVD on learning to knit, so I’m posting it for any of you who would like to learn to knit, but need help getting started.
The review says “Leslye takes the time to explain each step in exquisite detail, with careful scripting to avoid the annoying `ums’ and `ahs’ that are so much a part of many how-to videos.”  And, “the production quality of this DVD is superb, easily navigable, with clear closeups of hands and yarn, seen from the knitter’s point of view.”
The internet is full of “how to” videos, and you can learn how to do any particular knitting thing that way.  But, having a tutorial all in one place could be a terrific way to jump start a new skill.  The DVD is pricy, just under $30.  But, but, it’s cheaper than taking a class…  And, the reviewer said that “beyond-the-basics knitters may want to practice…[their] methods as an alternative to their current practices, and knitting teachers can learn a thing or two from watching this experienced teacher at work.”
It’s available on-line, but not at amazon.com.  Just google the title.
The Absolute Best Way to Learn How to Knit – DVD
Leslye Solomon
Fiber Fantasy
Glyndon, MD
410-517-1020

Turkey Tracks: Bamboo Silk Scarf and KJ’s Purse

aha!  Here’s the missing post on KJ’s purse–and the bamboo silk scarf.  Will post it and delete the newer post.  It was lurking in “drafts” which I don’t seem to be able to find…  Thought you could only have one at a time

Turkey Tracks:  February 2, 2011

Bamboo Silk Scarf and KJ’s Purse

I’ve finished two projects in the past few days.

You might remember an earlier blog on 3 different yarns I had bought.  Here’s the finished scarf from the bamboo/silk yarn:

The pattern was daunting for me, but it came out nicely, don’t you think?  I had to keep track of different stitches and use a cable holder for all 30-something rows of the pattern.  But, about halfway along, it became much easier as I “got” it.  Nevertheless, such intricacy is slow.  I have new-found respect for people who knit those Aran sweaters with all those different patterns and cables.  The scarf is VERY long–enough to double so that the wearer can thread the ends through the middle loop–something Mainers do a lot–and still have generous tails falling down the front.

It’s going to a dear friend who has been so generous with her spirit, her knowledge, her time, and her love.

Karen’s Purse

So, Karen Johnson, the Community School student who graduated last year and who is now the intern at The C-School (GO KAREN!), has admired my versions of this purse off and on for as long as I’ve known her.  I’ve made about six or seven purses from this “Bow-Tie” purse pattern, and I think I myself ha’ve had two versions while I’ve known Karen.  (Bow Tucks Tote, #PS008, Penny Sturges)

Anyway, Karen’s birthday was Christmas week, so we went to Marge’s Maine-ly Quilting store in Nobleboro, and Karen picked out fabrics for her purse.  Karen, you might recall, made a quilt last year with me.  So, it was pretty amazing to see how much confidence she had in picking out her fabrics for her purse.  And, mercy me!!, is it cute or what?  I’m letting her choose the fabric for my next project for sure.

Karen loves pink, so that was the starting point for the bag.  She chose a soft black for the bottom, so it would not show dirt.  (This bag is washablel, however.)  And, she chose the stripe for contrast.

Inside, is a bright, lime green, which looks way too muted here.  And, you can’t see it well, but the stripes match perfectly on BOTH sides!  John made the hard bottom, and I covered it with fuzzy fleece and fabric and glued it to the back of the board John made.

These fabrics did not come all together; Karen hunted all over the store to put them together.

Here’s the end detail, with the small ties “gathering” up excess fabric under the “bow-tie tuck” of the purse’s name.

And, here’s the purse pocket detail up close.  Karen chose a different big closure button, but I began to see tiny white antique buttons for the pocket stripes–from a collection I inherited from my great aunt Margaret. (People used to cut the buttons off worn-out clothing before using it in other ways.)  There are 20 small buttons and, with the large button, 21 buttons total.  Karen is 20 and will be 21 next year, and I hope she will still be using her purse then.  All these buttons have been handled many times by many hands, so each touching sends along its own energy to Karen.

Here is Karen’s bag, ready to be delivered to her this Friday (Feb. 4th.) when we will have a visit.  Below, Karen’s purse is sitting alongside my bag and is atop the scarf, wrapped and ready to be mailed.

Karen was to have helped me cut out the bag (no sewing, I promise!) and do the ironing while I sewed, but she has been so busy with her work (at a local nursing home where she is getting training to be a Personal Care Assistant) and with her new internship responsibilities at The C-School, and as I am leaving Feb. 18th for 10 days or so (quilting in Williamsburg with my quilting friends, attending the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show, and visiting with family), I just went ahead and made the bag.  We will do another one down the road, I’m sure.

Turkey Tracks: In Progress: Noro Iro Sweater

Turkey Tracks:  February 12, 2011

In Progress:  Noro Iro Sweater

Well, here’s my Noro Iro sweater in progress.  You may recall that I’m using a pattern from Jane Ellison’s book, KNITTING NORO.

I have run into gauge problems.  The pattern calls for a 7mm needle, which falls somewhere between our 6mm (10 1/2) and 8mm (11) American needles–which means the sweater will fit ok but is going to take more yarn!!!   Fortunately Helen at Heavenly Socks in Belfast, Maine, has two extra skeins since she so generously ordered the yarn for me, which meant she had to order 12 skeins and hope to sell the other 4 since I was only supposed to need 8.  She’s great that way!

 What you see here is the back.  The bottom is knitted in a textured pattern for about 11 inches.  Then you switch to stockinette.  Both showcase the yarn nicely.  I wish I had put that wide dark band fully at the bottom.  I do like the scalloped bottom edge.

Here’s the pattern I’m trying to do.  Notice how matched the yarn is on the sleeves and front body.

I have no idea how my sweater is going to come out because I can already see that the back will be different.  The back is twice as wide as either of the front pieces, right?  So, the yarn color on the front is knitting out twice as thick before changing to a new color.  In other words, the only way you could try to match color would be to do a lot of cutting of yarn.  And, I don’t think that’s the purpose of this yarn anyway.

Oh well!  It will be what it will be!

It’s feeling a little fussy to me though.  Like one of those garments that are wearing you rather than you wearing them!

Turkey Tracks: Ball-band Dishcloth

Turkey Tracks:  January 9, 2011

Ball-Band Dishcloth

I finished the Ball-Band Dishcloths I talked about some time ago as an unfinished project.  I have no idea why they are called “ball band” discloths.  Maybe it’s the pattern…

I used red and green Peaches & Cream cotton for potential Christmas use–though they are looking very pretty on top of my yarn pile at the moment.  I got the pattern from Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne’s MASON-DIXON QUILTING.  But, as they note, the pattern is on the inside of the label of many of the P&C yarn balls.

Here’s what they look like:

I added the little braided end. It’s easier than weaving in all the loose ends.

These beauties hold up really well.  I have some that are three years old now and going strong.   As Gardiner and Shayne say:  THEY MUST BE USED!!!  Plus, they’re fun to make.

Turkey Tracks: Three Knitting Projects

Turkey Tracks:  December 30, 2010

Three Knitting Projects

I have three knitting projects going on at the moment.

First, I bought this book at the Border’s in Portland when we spent the night before flying to Charleston at Thanksgiving.  I LOVE Noro yarn.   The colors are brilliant, vivid, and so much fun.  I’ve made two scarf Noro projects.  And, two matching hats.  But I’ve never worked with the bulky weight–Iro.   KNITTING NORO has a bulky cardigan that I really liked, and Helen at Heavenly Socks in Belfast helped me find an Iro I liked.  She ordered it for me forthwith AND gave me a 20 percent discount on it as part of her holiday discount special.

 

Amazon.com: Knitting Noro: The Magic of Knitting with Hand-Dyed Yarns 9780307586551: Jane Ellison: Books

Here is the yarn I chose.  You can see I’ve wound 5 of the skeins.  I left three so you could see how pretty they look, too:

I can hardly wait to start this sweater.  But, but, I have two other projects ahead of this one.  A silk/bamboo scarf–so I can master cables and an intricate pattern.  (I’ve already taken it out twice, but I’m getting the hang of it now.  And, some sock yarn (magenta and dark grey) that I’m going to use to try socks that start at the toe AND that use a 5-stitch pattern.

In addition, I’m working on 3 quilts in various stages of development and just sent one off in the mail today.  But more on that later.

Turkey Tracks: Kelly’s Potholder Loops Rug

Turkey Tracks:  December 14, 2010

Kelly’s Potholder Loops Rug

Last summer, days before the Mike and Tami Enrights were to drive back to Charleston, Kelly (5 1/2) began asking me multiple times daily to learn to knit.  I promised him I would come prepared Thanksgiving.

How to teach a younger child to knit?

I fell back on Kay Gardiner and Ann Meador Shayne, MASON-DIXON KNITTING, for ideas.  They recommend a potholder loops rug.  Aha!  All the kiddos had gotten into making potholders while they were here last summer.  Gardiner/Shayne also recommend Harrisville Looms for high quality, beautifully colored, potholder loops.  (The loops we worked with over the summer were a nightmare–poly blends that stretched all out of shape, etc.)  I went online and ordered GOBS of loops and, because they looked really good,  two high-quality boxed potholder loom/loops sets for any kiddo who wanted to make potholders.  (They would make great teacher gifts.)  I had them shipped directly to Mike and Tami.  I was ready to keep my promise to Kelly.

The loops and looms were indeed very high quality.  I HIGHLY recommend them.  The loop colors are beautiful, and you can order isolated colors if you like.

Here is a picture of our beginnings:

Along the way, we made a HUGE ball of the potholder looops–and all the kids participated in that effort.

Kelly could knit, but required supervision to ensure he didn’t drop loops, or get the needle into the wrong part of a knitted loop, and so forth.  We both liked the closeness of this collaboration.  His attention span, though, was only good for 5 or 6 stitches at a sitting.  Nevertheless, he was amazed at how his efforts made his rug grow and grow.  It grew especially at night.  So when he waked in the morning, he checked it first thing.  He decided he wanted a LONG rug to take to school for naps, and we measured and measured each day until the rug grew to be as long as he was.

Here’s the finished rug with, left to right, Bowen, Wilhelmina, Talula, and Kellly.  It is VERY hard to get four active children to sit still.  Kelly has the remnants of the loop ball we made in his hand.

Note:  You  need either VERY long needles or a circular needle of at least 25 inches, and bigger would be better.  This project would make great placemats, especially if you ordered specific potholder loop colors.  You could make potholders to go along with placemats to keep drinks off of a nice table.

Meanwhile, the kiddos first cousin Ella Monahan made a potholder and took it home to Florida with her after the holidays.

And, Bowen, who is now 7, announced he’d really like to learn to knit as well.   Tami drove, and I got him some needles and some Peaches & Cream cotton thread to make himself a yellow scarf.  He could master knitting, though he worried himself to death that he wasn’t doing it right.  But, he was.  And, he’s the only person I have ever taught that grasped the left hand European style at once.  (It’s so much faster, but harder to master.)   Bowen’s attention span was good for about a 25-stitch row.   Thus, the scarf became a wash cloth as Bowen grasped the full appreciation of his task.  And, he asked me to take it home and finish it so he could give it to neighbor Leeola, who, in her late 80s, tragically fell in her front yard and broke a hip a few days after Thanksgiving.

Here’s Bo’s washcloth finished:

These Peaches & Cream wash/dish cloths wear like iron.  I use mine all the time, and some of mine are two or three years old now.  There is a famous, fancy-looking, but easy Peaches & Cream dish cloth pattern.  It’s featured in the MASON DIXON QUILTING book and is on many of the Peaches & Cream labels.

I remember crawling into my grandmother’s bed in Reynolds, Georgia, on winter mornings.  She’d be sitting up in bed, knitting.  I can still hear the clicking sounds of her needles as I snuggled down next to her.  She made us hats and gloves and scarves, and when they would arrive at our far-flung Air Force base homes, we’d feel her love for us.  She also made us beautiful dresses on a tredle sewing machine in her bedroom and boxed them up and sent them to us.  When a box came, we could hardly wait to open it.  At that time, materials were expensive, and bought clothes very expensive–especially on Air Force officer salaries.  Later, I learned to sew on her machine.  I tell this story because these influences stuck with me and appeared down the road of my life.  I hope they do with my grands.