Category Archives: Knit

Nose to the grindstone

Posted on January 10, 2013 | 10 comments

January was supposed to be Selfish Knitting Month, but I haven’t started anything for myself. I’m working on a design for Twisted’s Shawlette Club instead. When inspiration strikes, you have to run with it!

I can’t show you what I’m working on, but it is gorgeous and I love it. I even have a name for it. (Sometimes coming up with a name is the hardest part of designing.) The yarn is a luxury fiber from Blissful Knits, and it is decadently wonderful to knit with. How’s that for vague, but enthusiastic? I’m nearly done knitting the prototype, and will be sorry to no longer have this yarn running through my fingers. But you can have it running through your fingers if you sign up for the club! The first club package goes out in March; my design is in the second package, in May. I love sock yarns, but I’m not much of a sock knitter. Shawlettes are a perfect way to use these lovely yarns without knitting socks!

But I do want to knit something for me this month, too. I need a new cardigan. My Central Park Hoodie is pilly and no longer fit to wear in public. Help me decide what to knit next! I want a top-down cardi that I can knit fairly quickly. I’m thinking of DK or worsted weight yarn. Shalom? Tea Leaves? I don’t want anything with a really wide yoke, though. Help!

Have *you* found the perfect selfish knitting project?

10 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design

Tagged selfish knitting, twisted shawlette club

Merry Christmas!

Posted on December 25, 2012 | 3 comments

I finished my Silver and Gold KAL project. It wasn’t the lovely silvery yarn from Knitted Wit. I decided to knit another Hoppy Blonde Webfoot for a UO Duck fan, instead. Gold! And I finished a couple days go. It’s blocked and wrapped, and waiting to be gifted. No picture, though; it was dark when I wrapped.

I also gave my Madelinetosh Pashmina Filigree to a dear friend. Two knit gifts, and only one on deadline. Perfect.

If you participated in the KAL and would like to enter the drawing for a yarny prize, please contact me by Dec. 31 to let me know. I saw the pattern sales go out, but haven’t heard from you! It’s been a busy month, I know.

We started our Christmas Day with mimosas and Cinnamon Roll Waffles. After seeing this on the web, we had to try it. They were pretty tasty!

Wishing you a peaceful day. How are you spending it? We’ll be having 14 at dinner tonight. Prime rib is in the oven and smells heavenly already…Mookie can’t wait!

3 Comments

Posted in foodies!, Knit

Tagged christmas, kal

Keeping it organized…

Posted on December 22, 2012 | 7 comments

FO pic! Here’s my sister with her Webfoot Scarf, hot off the needles.

Christmas was great, lots of family and friends. The kids gave me a Cuisinart ice cream maker, so tonight we had bourbon vanilla ice cream profiteroles with chocolate truffle sauce and bourbon caramel sauce. It was beyond delicious.

Coming down to the end of 2012. It’s been a good year, lots of travel and knitting. Sometimes both at the same time! I’m looking forward to what happens next for PDXKnitterati. I have a few deadlines to meet, design-wise. How do you keep yourself organized? I like lots of lists. And for my knitting, there’s this:

A different silk taffeta bag for each design project. All the bags go into my favorite around the house basket, Bindi by Lantern Moon. I think it’s been discontinued, but I love the size of this.

What’s next on your knitting radar? Do you have a selfish project lined up for January after gift knitting through December? I’m having a pattern sale on Ravelry; all of my patterns there are 20% off through January 5. The coupon code to enter is MeMeMe as in, it’s all about ME (which really means you). Thank you for reading and knitting!

7 Comments

Posted in foodies!, Knit

Tagged baskets, christmas, ice cream, Knit, organization, pattern sale, profiteroles

There’s a hole in my sweater; darn it!

Posted on December 14, 2012 | 4 comments

I went to put on my 20 (or is it 25?) year old sweater yesterday, and noticed that there was a hole in the front. (I can’t remember which kiddo was the infant when I knitted this sweater for myself. I just remember that it was naptime knitting.)

Darn it.

Why yes, I did. I didn’t have exactly the same color, but this is reasonably close. I duplicate stitched over the adjacent stitches and the one broken stitch. I think it looks pretty decent.

This post is for Deborah, who was asking about repairing holes in knitting.

Now if only someone could repair the hole in our hearts, after the local shopping mall shootings, and the kindergarten shootings in Connecticut. So sad.

4 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged darning, repair

the week that was

Posted on December 9, 2012 | 13 comments

When I was jamming and knitting at Vickie’s house last week, she showed me a couple yarns that she had picked up. She wanted to make some cabled fingerless mitts with a bulky yarn, but the pattern she had chosen didn’t work at that gauge. Hmmmm. I have a free fingerless mitt pattern at that gauge, but no cable. (Also, that pattern needs a revamp for the thumb, so don’t count on it right now.)

So I thought about how to add that cable, jotted down some notes for her, and voila! Her cabled fingerless mitt.

Do you want to knit these? I’m planning on re-writing the (very brief) pattern, which was more of a dashed off recipe at the time. It’s on the to-do list…

What else happened this last week? I finished this Snowflake Christmas Stocking at knit nite.

I started it a long time ago when I was teaching a class. I found it in my UFOs (unfinished objects!). All it needed was an i-cord hanging loop and weaving in all the ends. It’s actually a quick knit in heavy worsted weight yarn; I had just forgotten all about it. Now it’s done, and it’s going to be a gift.

I’m also working a Webfoot scarf for my Silver and Gold Filigree KAL. It’s Webfoot instead of Filigree, but it’s definitely gold! I was planning to knit Filigree in silver, but it turns out that I need this particular scarf for someone. Are you knitting along? I know that there have been some KAL sales through Ravelry, but I haven’t heard from KAL knitters. I’d love to know how you’re doing. Don’t forget, there’s a drawing after December 25 for a skein of fingering weight yarn for KAL finishers.

And last but not least?

A bunch of thrums, waiting for a knitting project. It’s a lot easier to thrum when the thrums are made up ahead of time. I think a lot of people are knitting Thrumbelina right now; I’m seeing patterns fly out the digital door! ‘Tis the season for the gift of warm feet. This just makes me want to thrum some more. I was wearing my Thrumbelina slippers today, and they are still very cozy. I like wearing them with socks, because they’re slightly more cushy that way, and it puts off having to launder them.

(old pic, just so you know what I’m talking about)

I haven’t done any Christmas shopping yet! And we are celebrating Hanukkah, too.

Are you gift knitting? How’s it going?

13 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design

Tagged fingerless mitts, snowflake christmas stocking, thrumbelina

Silver and Gold…Filigree KAL

Posted on November 30, 2012 | 6 comments

The holidays are fast approaching, so I’m having a Silver and Gold Filigree KAL during December. My Filigree scarf is a quick and easy project using one skein of fingering weight yarn (about 350 yards), perfect for gift knitting, or an accessory for yourself.

(I just finished this one.)

Why silver and gold? I wanted the KAL to be festive for holiday knitting. I was thinking of Filigree, and metal, and suddenly “Silver and Gold” was running through my head. Do you remember this song that Burl Ives sang on the children’s classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?”

Now it’s running through your head, too. You don’t have to knit in silver or gold if you don’t want to; any color will do. Whatever makes you happy.

I asked Adam, KAL master at Twisted, if I could do a Filigree KAL there, and he thought Filigree would be perfect for their Selfless Knitting theme during December. If you want to knit along in person with me, the KAL runs on Friday evenings from 5-8 p.m. at Twisted. I’ll be there tonight just to say hi, but beginning December 7 I’ll be knitting my Filigree there.

I’m using Knitted Wit‘s Shine merino/tencel yarn, color Moon Shadow. Looks like silver to me!

Are you interested in knitting along with Filigree? You can knit along and comment and/or ask questions through the blog, my Facebook page, my Ravelry group, or in person at Twisted. To further entice you, I’m having a sale on the pattern through Ravelry: Use the coupon code silverandgold for $1 off the pattern through December 24. Here’s a direct link for order plus coupon if that’s easier for you.

I’ll have a prize drawing for KAL finishers at the end of December. Come join in the fun! It’s an easy and intuitive knit, and a lovely gift.

6 Comments

Posted in KAL, Knit

Tagged filigree, scarf, silver and gold

Steeking success

Posted on November 27, 2012 | 5 comments

Our steeking class was small but brave. Naomi and Deborah did all their homework, and came to show their knitting just who’s boss. I also knit another Kerfuffle so I could cut right along with them. First, we marked our cutting line. This made it a lot easier to see where to crochet our reinforcement.

Deborah was the first to cut.

It’s always nice to have friends for support on your first steek! I cut next.

And Naomi cut her steek, too.

I brought bubbly, and we toasted our success! We picked up the stitches for the ruffle and headed home. Thanks to Naomi and Deborah, for doing all the homework, and for having faith that this little cutting exercise would work out!

Question for you: Would you rather steek and cut a swatch, or an actual project, like we did on Monday? There’d be homework either way, but a swatch would be a quicker, simpler knit. I’d love to teach a class like this again, and am wondering which way would make it the most enticing.

Onward! I finished my Kerfuffle that night, and blocked it the next day.

The purple scarf is another Filigree, knit with MadelineTosh Pashmina. It’s sport weight, and it’s absolutely yummy. I knit it mostly because I wanted to see if there was enough yarn in a skein to make this, since the other Filigrees are knit with fingering weight. The answer is yes, I had plenty of yarn. And the sport weight version is just a little weightier, which is pretty cozy for winter. I’m not sure if this one is for me, or for a friend. We’ll see!

What’s next on the knitting agenda? I have a few design projects that are due in the next few months, so my home knitting will be focused on that. But for public knitting? I’m planning to knit another Filigree, and you are welcome to join me! I’m planning a knitalong, both through the blog and in person at Twisted during December. It’s a quick knit, one skein, a perfect gift. More details in the next post, after I get things figured out. I hope you’ll knit with me!

5 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged kerfuffle, Knit, steek

Ready to steek

Posted on November 23, 2012 | 10 comments

You can get a lot of knitting done while waiting for a turkey to cook on the grill…

The checkerboard section in the center is where I’ll be cutting this piece in class on Monday night at Twisted. There’s still room in the class, if you’re a quick knitter and can get your homework done by Monday evening!

We expected our turkey to be done in 4 hours, but it took 6. Such are the vagaries of using a grill to cook a turkey.

It was worth the wait! Our standard sides: potato/carrot/onion/celery stuffing, Brussels sprouts, baked sweet potatoes and apples, rice stuffing with Chinese sausage/oysters/celery/water chestnuts. The rice stuffing is my addition; my Dad used to make it and my kids love it. The potato stuffing is the classic from DH’s family. Something for everyone!

The only hitch in the weekend is that my in-laws were unable to make it. Dad is recovering from pneumonia. He’s much better, but not ready for travel. It’s the first time in 25 years that we haven’t been together, but we did a little Facetime chat. Thank you, technology!

I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with friends and family and good food. What’s your go-to side dish?

10 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged kerfuffle, steek, thanksgiving

Kerfuffle update, and come steek with me!

Posted on November 17, 2012 | 2 comments

I’ve got a couple things going on with my Kerfuffle Cowl and Ruffle Kerfuffle scarf patterns right now. First of all, I’m raising funds for American Red Cross Disaster Relief (Sandy) with 100% of the proceeds from online sales of these two patterns through December 15.

Second, I’m about to cast on for another Ruffle Kerfuffle scarf today. I’m teaching a steeking class right after Thanksgiving weekend at Twisted here in Portland. It’s on Monday, November 26, from 6-8 p.m. We’ll be doing the crochet reinforcement, CUTTING the steek, and picking up the ruffle on the Ruffle Kerfuffle Scarf. Class is $20.

All the knitting is done before class. Yes, it’s a lot of homework, but this gives us time to reinforce and cut. There’s still time to get the homework done; if I can do it, so can you! I was going to do mine on a swatch, but it’s way more fun this way. And I loooove knitting with Malabrigo Worsted.

If you’re local, I’d love it if you join me and be the absolute BOSS of your knitting.

2 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged kerfuffle, red cross, ruffle kerfuffle

Go Ducks! Knit Lace!

Posted on November 14, 2012 | 7 comments

That seems like a non-sequitur, but I can explain. I was inspired by two things for my latest design: a picture in a stitch dictionary that looked like duck feet, and some beautiful Hazel Knits Artisan Sock yarn in a glorious color named hoppy blonde. I knew I wanted to make a scarf/shawlette that would fit right in at an Oregon Ducks football game.

I’m not much of a football fan, but DH and I, and our eldest son all went to the University of Oregon, so I’m vaguely paying attention. The Ducks have been having some swell seasons lately. Right now they’re 10-0 this fall.

I started this project on our trip to Europe in September. A tiny setback was that the charted pattern in my stitch dictionary didn’t yield the results in the picture. But I figured it out. I *am* the boss of my knitting.

I love how this turned out. But what if you’re not a Duck fan? You could pretend that they’re just diamonds, not duck feet. Or…you could knit lace. I designed another version for non-Ducks.

This one was knit in Hazel Knits Artisan Sock, Jam Session. I love it, too.

Both versions are included in the pattern. They’re both worn bandana style, so the widest part of this very shallow crescent is at the front, with the tails brought around again. You can wear it loose, or add a stick pin for stability.