Author Archives: pdxknitterati

Almost…

Posted on December 21, 2009 | 13 comments

So close, and yet so far…

I can see that I’m not going to get 56 more stitches out of the remaining yarn. I bought another 50 gram skein, and I’ll figure out what to do with the 48 grams I’ll have left!

In the meantime, I made these.

They’re just those gingersnap cookies that show up this time of year. I used our mini ice cream scoop and filled them with peppermint ice cream. Then I drizzled them with chocolate truffle sauce (recipe here). They’re back in the freezer, firming up.

And the Day Old Pastries sang Mary, Mary in church yesterday. I love singing with my Pastry friends. We’re not perfect, but we have a lot of fun.

Busy, busy, busy! Knitting and shopping not done. But I’m off to a party…

13 Comments

Posted in Day Old Pastries, Knit, music, recipe

Tagged Knit

As You Like It, aka Knitter’s Choice

Posted on December 19, 2009 | 14 comments

I’m having a knit party at Twisted next month as a fund-raiser for our high school booster club. I did this last year, too, and wrote the Checkerboard Scarflet pattern for that party. This year’s party will feature a pattern for even quicker neckwear. These cowls are designed to be knit with Malabrigo Chunky. What’s not to like?

The pattern is called “As You Like It.” There are two cowls worn three ways. This one is my favorite. I love the fabric and the texture. Knitting this was heavenly.

Here is the other one/two. Knit it once, you can wear it either way.

They’re fairly simple projects, since the party is for knitters of any skill level. I hope they like them! We’ll also have needles donated by Lantern Moon to work with. Again, what’s not to like? The patterns will be for sale as a set.

And now, back to my Christmas knitting! I need to finish the stealth project, and then write up the pattern. I’m really pleased with it, It’s turning out just the way I wanted…after three tries.

Do you have knitting to finish before Christmas?

14 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design, ravelry

Tagged cowl, Knit, malabrigo

Faith, Hope, Love, Knitting

Posted on December 15, 2009 | 7 comments

This book by Lorna Miser, the founder of Lorna’s Laces (a yarn company), is sweet.

I received this book from Peggy McMullen at the Oregonlive knit blog in exchange for sharing a free pattern for a single skein project. Peggy had a long list of books, and this is the one I chose.

The patterns are nice enough. (I previewed them on Ravelry before choosing my book. What a great tool!) I can see myself knitting several of them. But what I really like are the personal stories that accompany each of the 24 patterns. Many of the designs were originally knit for special people in Lorna’s life, and I enjoy seeing the thoughtful care that went into making these designs reflect something about those people.

Knit on!

7 Comments

Posted in Blogging, Knit, ravelry

Tagged Knit

Pippi goes to Multnomah Falls

Posted on December 13, 2009 | 20 comments

It’s been really cold here lately, with temperatures down in the teens. That’s pretty chilly for our mild climate. But Jack Frost is an artful decorator. check out my windshield.

Laurie and I took a quick trip out to Multnomah Falls on Friday morning. It’s one of my favorite places; I’ve posted about it in other seasons, too. Laurie was wearing her Pippi hat.

The falls were stunningly gorgeous.

Some people made the short trek up to the bridge, but I was short on time and not dressed for more than a quick photo op.

The lower falls:

We had a quick stop at Rooster Rock on the way back, and saw the ice in the Columbia. Do you see Beacon Rock way up the river?

I’m knitting away at a new design project. I took it with me in the car, but I can’t show it to you yet, so here’s another picture of someone else’s knitting. One of my students from my Christmas stocking class sent me a picture of her nearly finished project. Congratulations, Courtney; it looks great!

What’s on your needles?

20 Comments

Posted in Knit, travel

Tagged christmas stocking, Knit, multnomah falls

Christmas sweaters

Posted on December 10, 2009 | 19 comments

First, a disclaimer: I didn’t knit this.

Grant Butler over at the Oregonian/Oregonlive is collecting pictures of ugly Christmas sweaters. I don’t think mine is ugly; I think it’s kitschy cute! But I told him I’d send him a picture, anyway.

It’s so NYC. We lived in New York for 9 years, and this sweater at Nordstrom Rack just spoke to me. I think I’ve had it for 6 years or so, but I can’t remember.

I hate knitting intarsia, so I would never make something like this. But look at the detail! From the sequins on the gift and the beads on the hat…

To the beads for tire treads…

What’s not to like? What do you think? Cute? Ugly? Kitschy? Would you wear it? I love it. But only once a year.

19 Comments

Posted in Blogging, Knit

Tagged christmas sweater, Knit

December Single Skein Club

Posted on December 6, 2009 | 8 comments

It’s December, which means it’s time for the sixth and final 2009 offering of the Single Skein Club at Twisted. This club has been a ton of fun to be in, even if I didn’t knit most of the projects! There’s something so tantalizing about about knowing that a surprise is waiting for you at the yarn shop. If you haven’t picked up your kit yet, or if you’re non-local and waiting to receive your shipment, avert your eyes now. Oh, wait, I’ll distract you with this other picture, first.

One of these things is not like the other…

But the color is pretty similar! We love clementines at our house; they’re sweet, juicy, seedless. A perfect small snack. My mom gave me this persimmon before we went away for Thanksgiving. After seeing them on a tree in North Carolina, we came home to eat this one.

Have you ever eaten a persimmon? The Teen laughingly insisted that it was a tomato. But it didn’t taste anything like a tomato! Sweet, but not overly so, and firm-ish like…a not quite ripe mango? Anyway, it was good, and it’s gone.

Okay, back to the Single Skein Club. Last chance to avert your eyes.

Ready?

This month’s kit has a very timely pattern for mittens, 100 grams of yarn, and a ruler with a built-in needle gauge. Always handy! Oh, there was also a twizzler that matched the yarn, but that was munched days ago.

The yarn is Hempwol, a 65/35 wool/hemp blend. It feels nice. The color is a heathery red. Love it!

I don’t think I’ll be knitting this into mittens until after Hanukkah and Christmas. There’s a lot of knitting going on here, and I’m pretty pleased with all of it. More, later.

8 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged Knit, single skein club, yarn

Quincy rocks!

Posted on December 5, 2009 | 10 comments

I finished my second Quincy hat (ravelry link) yesterday. This is just the cleverest construction.

One of the other knitters at knit night (Toni, if you’re keeping score) actually did the garter stitch kitchener join on the moebius strip. I commend her. I thought about doing it. BUT! She also turned the strip so that the join was under the twist of the moebius. Brilliant! I decided then and there that I’d use the three needle bind off again, and hide the slightly irregular join under the twist. Double brilliant! Because it’s hard to be chatty and learn a new technique at the same time, and knit night is all about the chatty. Check this out.

Isn’t it cool how the join is just sitting under the twist? I love it. So much that I’m going to take out the crown on the first Quincy hat and scoot that join under the twist, too. I’ve noticed that there’s a little garter bump on the i-cord, right where the join happens, and if it really bothered me, I’d do it differently next time (will there be a next time?). But it doesn’t really bother me, so I’m definitely not going back to re-do the first two!

Details: Quincy hat by Jared Flood
Yarn: Bulky Merino from Knitted Wit in Passionflower colorway
US size 10 needles for band, and size 9 dpns for crown
Mods: 3 needle bind off instead of grafting the ends of the moebius strip, and placing the twist under the twist line instead of opposite the twist

In other news, I just taught a Christmas stocking class at Twisted, using my snowflake Christmas stocking pattern. It was really fun. The group was great, funny and intrepid. They learned to turn a heel, a neater way to make a circular join, knitting in the round, working with two colors, and reading and following a chart. That’s a lot of ground to cover in 3 hours, but they were up for it, and they did great! They’ve promised me pictures of the finished stockings. I’m looking forward to them!

Knit on!

10 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged brooklyn tweed, christmas stocking, jared flood, Knit, quincy hat

One skein projects

Posted on December 1, 2009 | 11 comments

My little purple Fetching mitts have gone AWOL. I’m sure they’re in a knitting or music bag, somewhere in this house, but for now I’m wearing these instead.

These are my Chunky Piano Mitts. The pattern is free here on my blog. They take less than 100 grams of chunky yarn, and they are fast!

Speaking of free, and one skein, Peggy and Mims at the Oregonlive knitting blog are featuring a free one skein knitting pattern every day from Nov. 28 through Dec. 24. My spiral rib hat was featured on Sunday, Nov. 29.

You can share patterns, too, as long as they’re available for free. And there are prizes for sharing!

What’s your favorite one skein project?

11 Comments

Posted in Blogging, Knit

Tagged free pattern, Knit, one skein

Happy Thanksgiving! Happy FO…

Posted on November 26, 2009 | 17 comments

Happy Thanksgiving! We’re at the point in the day when the turkey is roasting (on the grill) and everyone is just hanging out. Must be time to blog…

I’m working on a set of cowls for a pattern for the auction knit party at Twisted. I finished one yesterday, and today was a picture perfect day. Too bad the other cowl isn’t with me; I guess it will have a photo shoot later.

This is knit with Malabrigo Chunky, colorway Noviembre. Pattern coming as part of a set. The yarn is really fun to knit; it’s big and chunky like al dente pasta.

And pretty fun to wear!

The teen likes it, too.

We took a walk this afternoon and saw this persimmon tree.

And the neighborhood football game.

I looked up and saw this:

I don’t think I’ll be taking a nap outside. They’re circling…

Wishing you lots of turkey and pumpkin pie!

17 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design, travel

Tagged cowl, Knit, malabrigo, neck warmer

As luck would have it…

Posted on November 22, 2009 | 14 comments

I’m pretty lucky! Bonnie picked me as the winner in her drawing for some yarn and her new pattern.

This yarn is 50 grams/146 yards of Alpaca Silk in the Ice colorway from Blue Sky Alpacas. It’s a gorgeous shade of gray, and the silk in it gives it a beautiful sheen. It feels great, too.