Author Archives: pdxknitterati

The magic of blocking

Posted on September 15, 2009 | 20 comments

My friend Claudia knit a beautiful shawl. It’s Ene’s Scarf by Nancy Bush (rav link). She blocked it, but it was a bit small and didn’t wrap the way she wanted it to. I offered to block it more aggressively, since I have blocking wires and I’m not afraid to use them!

Pre-blocking, the shawl was 55″ x 29″. I didn’t take a picture; it was late at night when I was finally ready to attack it. I gave it a good soak with some Soak (love this stuff), and then blocked it out to 63″ x 33″. Wet wool is amazingly stretchy. I could have tried to make it even bigger, but it looks nice where it is now. I’m hoping the extra 8 inches across the top makes it wide enough to wrap the way she wants.

Here’s the shawl, now that it’s dry. I love how much airier it feels.

The lace is really pretty.

And the edge is gorgeous!

Nice work, Claudia!

Are you an intrepid blocker? It makes a world of difference!

20 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged blocking, ene's scarf, Knit, shawl

Knitty’s up!

Posted on September 11, 2009 | 9 comments

I mentioned Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off in yesterday’s post, saying that I couldn’t tell you more yet. It’s up today! I also found out that I’ve been spelling her first and last names wrong. It’s Jeny Staiman. And she’s brilliant.

Here’s the rest of Knitty. It’s a little slow today; I imagine they’re getting a gazillion hits. I’ll go back and look at it later…

Knit on!

9 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged Knit

If at first you don’t succeed…

Posted on September 10, 2009 | 15 comments

You may recall that I’m knitting a toe-up sock, based on what I learned in Cat Bordhi’s class at Sock Summit. Here’s where I was on my sock on Sunday afternoon.

And here’s where I was a mere 5 minutes later. Ouch.

When I tried on the sock, I found that it was about half an inch too long in the foot. Even after tracing my foot and measuring and figuring and all that fun stuff. Poot. Why didn’t I try it on sooner? I did, right after the heel turn, and found it a bit loose, but assumed it would be all right once I finished the back of the heel and got going on the leg. But I couldn’t try it on for a chunk of time because I was knitting in church. (Knitting in church? Meditative, helps me focus. Trying on sock in church? Distracting. Not OK.) When I got home, I tried it on, and it was baaaaaad.

Here’s the bad part of knitting from the toe up, at least with this particular sock architecture. I had to rip all the way back past the beginning of the arch expansion to make the toe end of the foot shorter by half an inch. That’s horrendous. This is my first completed toe up sock, so I don’t know if it’s different with a different sock architecture, but that’s where I had to shorten it on this one.

Looking on the bright side, it gave me a chance to reposition the band so it wouldn’t run into the heel. Perfect.

I finished Wednesday night. It’s perfect. It’s beautiful. I love how the Coriolis band winds around the ankle. And I love how simple stockinette lets this yarn shine. It’s Socks that Rock Mediumweight in Alley Oop, and it’s only 48 stitches around. Fast!

I used a 3×1 rib at the top rather than my favorite 2×2, because I wanted it to look more like stockinette than ribbing. And because I knit this based on what I learned in Cat Bordhi’s class at Sock Summit, I finished with the bind off that Cat introduced to us, Jenny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off by Jennifer Staimann. It’s really stretchy! I like the little bumps under the chain loops of the bind off. They look like beads. And I still can’t tell you how it’s done, because it’s not published yet. It’s coming soon, in the fall Knitty.

For the second of my fraternal twin socks, I want to try Cat’s Upstream sock architecture. I was going to try the Riverbed, but I think I’ll save that for a patterned sock because it really lends itself to that. I want something that will let this yarn sing in stockinette. And now that I know how long to make the toe portion of my sock, there shouldn’t be any more frogging trauma. Right?

15 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged cat bordhi, Coriolis, sock summit

Stitch markers, redux

Posted on September 6, 2009 | 17 comments

I made some new stitch markers this week. I needed some markers with smaller loops for smaller needles. The round ones that I made before are great for knitting with worsted weight yarn on 7’s or 8’s, but they really stick out on a size 2. Rather than trying to make smaller loops with wire, I opted to use flex cord this time. Here are the new ones.

Do you want to make some, too? They’re a bit easier than the round ones I made here because you don’t have to finesse the round loop and twisted end. You’ll need some flex-cord (fine weight), some beads, and some crimp tubes in a size appropriate for your cord. You’ll also need something to cut the cord, and either a crimp tool or pliers. Ready?

Cut flex cord in 4 inch (10 cm) lengths, one for each stitch marker.

Put both ends of the cord into the crimp tube, and slide the tube until your loop is the size you want. Then crimp the tube with your crimp tool or pliers.

Add the beads, again putting both ends of the cord into each bead.

Add another crimp tube, make it snug up to the beads, and crimp. Trim the cord as close to the bead as possible.

That’s it! You may want to add crimp covers over the crimp tubes, but I think these look fine. (And I fail at getting the crimp covers on without either dropping them or destroying them.) One marker is different; I like to make one out each set different so I can use it to denote the beginning of a round, or the beginning of a right side row, or whatever.

While I had the beads out, I made this necklace.

Time to get back to knitting!

17 Comments

Posted in beading

Tagged beading, stitch markers

Dizzy, my head is spinning

Posted on September 5, 2009 | 17 comments

Are you old enough to remember this song? Apparently I am! But it was an oldie when it first came across my radar. Honest.

Here’s my first yarn! The fiber is Shimmer, 80% merino, 20% tussah silk, from Knitted Wit. The colorway is Hydrangea.

I did the shoebox lazy kate, but my center pull ball didn’t want to pull smoothly from the center. It kept tangling around the knitting needle because the outside yarn was wrapping around the needle in the opposite direction. I ended up putting the knitting needle up through the box and using it like a flagpole so it could unwind over the end of the needle. Whatever.

Plying seemed to be pretty straightforward, and the resulting yarn isn’t wackily twisty at all. I don’t know if it’s true, but it seemed like the twist of the single was untwisting itself into the twist of the plying. Is that what makes the whole thing balance? I just let them twist together, and if it didn’t go twisting back on itself in one direction or the other when I took the weight of the spindle off it, I considered it to be ready to wind off before plying the next bit.

I haven’t washed it or thwacked (!) it yet, but I will soon. I have some blocking to do for a friend, so I’ll use a packet of soak for all of it.

And apparently I’m a spinning fool. Because look what I’m doing now. Dizzy…

This is more Shimmer from Knitted Wit. The color is Rose City, and I love it!

17 Comments

Posted in spinning

Tagged spinning, yarn

What happens next?

Posted on September 4, 2009 | 10 comments

I finished spinning my first bit of fiber. What do you call that thing, anyway? It was in a pretty braid. My spinning isn’t very consistent yet; sometimes there’s a clump of almost roving, but mostly it’s a nice single. I’m getting to the point where I can feel if it’s doing what I want. I love it when the twist jumps up between my fingers and the fiber is nicely drafted and takes up the twist with a little zing.

Here’s Day 1.

And here’s where I ended; I think it was 4 sessions in all.

This is the sum total of it, on a small Turkish Delight. It’s a center pull ball, if I can screw up the courage to take it apart. Will it explode? There’s a lot of twisty energy in that little ball of yarn! It’s all new to me.

I’ve read that you should ply your singles to balance the yarn. There’s not a lot of yarn here, so it won’t amount to much. I think I can take the end from the inside and the end from the outside, and ply them with the spindle in the opposite direction that I spun it. How do I hold the ball, on a knitting needle maybe? And I’m guessing that I somehow need to keep it under tension so the twistiness doesn’t curlicue everything up? Any and all hints welcome!

10 Comments

Posted in Knit, spinning

Tagged Knit, spin, yarn

Blast from the past

Posted on September 2, 2009 | 19 comments

Courtney’s post on Retro Knitting reminded me of a booklet/magazine that’s been on my knitting shelf for what seems like forever.

This one is a 1965 reprint of a magazine originally published in 1952. It used to belong to my Aunt Vivian, who gave it to me when I was in high school. I remember knitting these slippers!

And check out this dress:

Aunt Vivian used to make clothes for our Barbie dolls. Does this look familiar?

The sash is long gone. I found this dress, along with some other treasures. The other items are from more doll clothing booklets, and I have those, too. Check out what a fashionably dressed Barbie was wearing in the late ’60’s and early ’70’s. Styling sheath dresses:

Mohair winter coat, scarf, hat:

A sequined shell:

And this half of a skater outfit. I love the mohair edging on this. I wonder where the fabulous flared skirt went? I’ll have to check with my sister; she has the other half of the doll clothes!

Check out this elegant skirt.

Especially the waist shaping!

Aunt Vivian loved to knit and crochet. She made lots of clothes for our dolls, and vests for us. In her later years she knit many, many hats for the homeless. How lucky was I? Two knitting aunts, one on each side of the family.

Oh, by the way, I’ve been backwards sleuthing: Aunt Rose must have taught me to knit the summer I was 14, not 16. Beginning the summer I was 15 almost 16, I worked in a salmon cannery in Alaska during the summers, to earn money for college. Hey, I’ve just gained two years of knitting history!

19 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged Barbie, Knit

Toe-up? Lessons from Sock Summit…

Posted on August 27, 2009 | 22 comments

I’m knitting away on my Coriolis sock that I started after my class with Cat Bordhi at Sock Summit, Dancing with Socks. I made the baby Coriolis in class, very cute. (It’s the one on the right.)

I came home and decided to make Coriolis(es?) (Corioli?) for me. I’m using Socks that Rock Mediumweight; the color is Alley Oop.

I usually make my socks from the cuff down. This toe-up thing is a pretty new trick for me. I think I’ve mastered Judy’s Magic Cast On. This makes a very tidy toe.

I like the kfb increases on the sides. Again, very tidy.

And this is the nicest short row heel turn that I’ve tried so far. It doesn’t make the diagonal line; the heel looks very much like a flap and gusset heel. It’s also nice and deep, the way that I like my heels.

I”m knitting on the leg now, but it’s not compelling. Part of what kept me plugging away at the heel was the anticipation (dread?) of wondering if the stripe would run into the heel. It did, but it’s no big deal. Cat suggests a star toe in her book, New Pathways for Sock Knitting, so the foot can be rotated to avoid this issue, but I didn’t read the book before starting. I was working from class notes. No worries, it doesn’t bother me.

But now that I know how the story turns out, I’m not sure I have another of the same sock in me, even if the stripe rotates in the other direction. I may go for fraternal twins, and do a different pattern with the other half of the yarn. I want to play with Cat’s Riverbed sock architecture. Who says a pair of socks have to be the same? Second Sock Syndrome, I laugh in your face!

Do you have issues with doing the same thing over again? Apparently I do.

Knit on!

22 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged cat bordhi, Coriolis, Knit, sock summit

The winner, and the distracted…

Posted on August 24, 2009 | 8 comments

Thank you all for sharing your “how I learned to knit” stories. I really enjoyed reading them. Now for the payback: the random number generator at random.org has chosen the number 20, so the 20th commenter is the winner of the Cherry Mallow sock yarn. The 20th commenter is (drum roll please)…rustyfingers! Congratulations, Carol! PM me your snailmail addy, and I will pop the yarn in the mail.

Hmmm. What can I show you, to avoid showing you that I don’t have any knitting to show you? Oh, yes. Twisted‘s Single Skein Club offering for August. If you haven’t received yours yet, you must be even further behind than I am! Look away, if you must.

August’s Single Skein Club package is a seriously fun kit for either bottle cozies, can cozies, or coasters. Choose your own adventure! The patterns are by Michelle Molis, of Japanese Vines fame, and the yarn is the ever popular color wonder, Noro Kureyon. This skein is shades of green, blue, purple, and brown. There were other colors available, but this one is pretty much me, all over again.

Of course, I haven’t even cast on, since this kit came just before Sock Summit. But let me show you how far I’ve gotten on June’s project.

Oops. Look at that pattern. It says it’s April’s project! I think it’s a typo, but that doesn’t change the answer : not far. This will be the the Seedling Sampler Scarf. It’s my first beaded knitting. The cast on went well! The rest? Well, I’ll get to it, some day.

April’s project was a toe-up sock by Chrissy Gardiner, but I was pretty toe-up averse before Sock Summit, so that one hasn’t been cast on yet, either. Perhaps I’m not cut out for the pressure of being in a club with timed offerings! Yikes.

There are so many beautiful patterns and yarns to knit, and I just can’t knit them all. I’m still working on the stealth Noro/Mini Mochi project (no final verdict on which yarn is the winner of that contest), my blue ruffle tank, and, a Coriolis sock that I started after taking Cat Bordhi’s Dancing with Socks class at Sock Summit. More on that in another post, though; it’s too dark to take a decent picture tonight.

Knit on!

8 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged Knit

Luminary panel musings

Posted on August 20, 2009 | 49 comments

There were some interesting questions put to the Luminary Panel at Sock Summit. One that I found particularly intriguing was, “Why are there no knitters of color here?” I found it interesting on a couple levels. One is that I *am* a person of color, just not the color that the questioner meant. (I’m Asian-American, and I saw many other Asian-American knitters at Sock Summit.)

The discussion by the panel first delved into socio-economic issues; if food and housing is insecure, knitting is not going to be high on your priority list. Race is often tied to socio-economic status. Knitting in the US is primarily a recreational activity, and it can be quite spendy if you let it be! But I ran into an acquaintance right after the panel discussion, and she commented that she doesn’t have a ton of money, and that you don’t have to have a ton of money to knit. Another idea explored by the panel was that knitting isn’t a part of all cultures around the world. One could extrapolate that we should evangelize knitting and spread the word, but I don’t think all people should be forced to consider knitting for their leisure activity. It’s supposed to be fun. I think we should just say, “Here’s something I like. If you want to knit, I’d be glad to teach you.”

Who taught you to knit? Did you ask to be taught, or did someone offer to teach you? Or did you just find it intriguing on your own? As a child, I wanted to learn to knit because I was heavily into the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Deep in my heart, I wanted to be a pioneer girl. (Pretty funny for a Chinese girl.) In fact, part of the reason I still love my cuff-down socks on dpns is the whole pioneer sticks and string schtick; pioneer girls didn’t have two circulars or magic loop! (This reminds me of the “You can’t use the pedal when you play Bach because he didn’t” argument, although in that case I’d say, “He would have if it had existed!”)

I’m still knitting along on my ruffle tank, and swatching my colorful stealth project. And I think I’m going to start one of Cat Bordhi’s toe-up socks, just for review. And I’ve fallen in love with Lorelei from Twist Collective, but I don’t think I’ll start that right now! Just dreaming. I’ve noticed a good bit of start-itis in other bloggers that were at Sock Summit. Too many creative ideas all at once?

Besides start-itis, Sock Summit has had another effect on me. I had to buy another box to store my increased stash. Although the stash is growing, I’m still not a stasher at heart, so I’d like to share a skein from my Sock Summit goodies. This is from Deb Accuardi’s pre-summit lunch. The colorway is Cherry Mallow by CraftsMeow. It’s 100% superwash merino wool fingering weight yarn, 400 yards.

If you’d like to play, leave me a comment telling me who taught you to knit. I’ll do the random number thing and pick a winner after August 23. Good luck; I’m looking forward to some wonderful stories!

49 Comments

Posted in Blogging, Knit

Tagged contest, Knit, luminary panel, sock summit, yarn