Category Archives: Knit

Took a little trip…

Posted on October 16, 2011 | 8 comments

…across the country to Orlando to visit SirCollegeDude. He’s at the University of Central Florida, and they’re the Knights, hence, SirCollegeDude. I cashed in a bunch of miles and took CollegeGrad with me; DH met us there. We had to fly first class on the way out, boo hoo.

A little afternoon cocktail with my knitting? Sure!

Dinner was nice.

SirCollegeDude’s working on a Baja car like this one with the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), but this year’s car is taller. It was a very soggy wet weekend with torrential rains, but we took advantage of a break in the rain to get in a quick campus tour.

We headed to Kennedy Space Center on Sunday. This was a great place, really interesting and inspiring. Lots for the science geeks!

This enormous building is where they assembled the space shuttles for launch (the orbiters plus all the stuff that put the orbiters into space). From there they were taken via crawler to the launch pad. A very slow, exacting process with a maximum speed of about one mile per hour.

Here’s one of the engines at the Launch Complex 39 Observation Gantry. And my guys.

The Apollo/Saturn V Center has an actual Saturn V rocket in it. That thing is LONG. There are a lot of interesting exhibits about the moon missions. I’m not sure why we went to the moon, other than because we could, and we wanted to do it before the Russians did, but a lot of science and engineering went into the feat.

Maybe it’s because we needed a Hello Kitty astronaut.

It was great to spend some time with the whole family. I also got a chance to knit with Dee last weekend, but I forgot to take a picture! It’s always fun to meet a friend from the blogosphere.

I finished the knitting from the first picture this week; it’s another This Little Ziggy vest. I’ll show you, soon. I’m still trying to catch up with myself…I’m moving way faster than a space shuttle on the crawlerway!

8 Comments

Posted in Knit, travel

Tagged kennedy space center, orlando

Nothing to see here…

Posted on October 5, 2011 | 8 comments

I’m knitting away on a couple of projects, but nothing I can show you right now. How about if you look at this instead?

My friend, ex-co-worker and fellow Day Old Pastry Joanne gave me this lovely box of Alma chocolates. They are gorgeous, and taste even better than they look. The flavors: Thai peanut butter cup (ginger, lime, Thai chiles, red volcanic sea salt), Mexican chocolate truffle (chile de Arbol & cinnamon), Bourbon (the copper colored one), Habanero crown, Deux pistaches, mint diamond, salted peanut butter cup, whiskey caramel, Sabrina (fig/marzipan), rosemary fleur-de-lis. Can you match the description to the chocolate?

The occasion? I was honored in church last Sunday for my work there over the past 10 years. I “retired” in June; the Teen’s graduation and our impending empty nest made me feel like it was time for a change. I’m now spending more time at my knitting activities: designing, teaching, blogging, tech editing. I love it!

We have an addition to our Kindle family. Yes, DH is a kindle junkie. Big old Kindle goes to CollegeGrad. The middle one is mine; DH gave it to me for my birthday last year. The new little one belongs to DH. Do you think he’ll get a Kindle Fire when it comes out? Place your bets!

And because I can’t leave you without your daily dose of fiber:

Don’t they look like cupcakes and frosting?

8 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged chocolate, kindle

Ruffle Tank transformation

Posted on September 27, 2011 | 9 comments

I finished my red ruffle tank (rav link). Leigh Radford is the designer, and this is the second time I’ve knit this pattern. Last time I knit with Louet MerLin, a merino/linen blend. This time it’s linen all the way, Louet Euroflax sport in burgundy.

I had set this project aside to work on the Zen Rain KAL and the This Little Ziggy vests, but I really wanted to wear it to OFFF. At the beginning of the week, I could tell that I was going to have to do some marathon knitting, which isn’t that much fun with linen! I just had one shoulder to finish and and join to the other, four ruffles to knit, and some i-cord edgings. I had already worked this in the round so there were no side seams to deal with, and omitted the keyhole back neck and just made the back shaping match the front. Even so, I took a few shortcuts at the end. Instead of applied i-cord I opted for a simple slip stitch crochet edging around the neck and armholes. After the crochet bind-off on the first ruffle, I did a purl bind-off on the rest because it was faster for me. Still, I finished binding off my last ruffle at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning. Knowing that I could put this yarn in the washer and dryer meant that I could go to bed and hope for the best in the morning!

The fabric was really crispy before I washed it, almost like a net. I opted to wash it by hand, and I’m really glad I did. I filled the kitchen sink with warm water and a bit of Soak (love this product) and started squishing it. There was a lot of excess dye, so I ended up rinsing it 6 times, and the water was still pink. But oh, the transformation! When I first started handling it, the fabric was stiff and rough. With each subsequent sink full of water, the fabric became progressively more like…fabric! It was so much fun to feel this transformation with my hands. It was still a bit stiff when I was done, but it was headed for the dryer.

I put it in the dryer and checked it every 15 minutes. What an adventure! (I know, I should wash and block my swatches, but then where would the excitement be?) When it was dry, it was a slinky feeling piece of fabric, almost fluid. It is amazing. I love it. It is so comfortable to wear, even on a hot and humid day at OFFF. And it’s a good thing I wore it Saturday, because Sunday was rainy and cold.

I’m glad I got it finished, and I’m glad it fits! I think in a perfect world it would be an inch narrower, but I had already altered it to make it smaller than the smallest size. If it still bothers me the next time I wear it, I’ll crochet a little seam along the sides from the inside. Until then…absolute love.

9 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged linen, red ruffle tank, Ruffle Tank

OFFF 2011, Sunday

Posted on September 26, 2011 | 3 comments

Sunday’s weather wasn’t as good as Saturday’s. It poured. But fun is what you make it, right?

I found Jen (Hanks in the Hood) and Teri outside in the Andersen Fiber Works booth, trying to stay dry. Business was hopping despite the rain!

Note that Teri is wearing her just completed Zen Rain shawlette. Not even blocked yet, but so pretty!

Check out Jen’s cute hat. I saw more like these in the barn, and in team colors, too. They were next to SuDan Farm’s sheep, but I’m not sure if the hats were from them, too.

I saw Shetland wool, on the hoof…

And a 10 day old lamb, hanging out with mom.

It turns out that it’s twin lambs; I didn’t see the other behind her!

These are actually St. Croix hair sheep, not wool sheep, from Dreamfield Farm. They are bred for their meat, and are fantastic bramble and weed eaters, but you won’t get wool from them. They never require shearing; they naturally shed their long hair in the summer. So cute!

I saw Deb Accuardi talking to Yvonne in the bunny barn. Do you need a bunny? Deb has a few that need homes. Yvonne is the creator of the Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival; mark your calendar for April 20-22, 2012!

So I didn’t really buy anything, because as you know I don’t stash. Much. And I felt so scattered this weekend that I couldn’t really settle down and look at things; I felt more like I was at a big party and wanted to chat up all my fiber friends! But I did get something, in a roundabout way. When I saw Karie (Silverpurl), I told her that my purple Passiflora tank fit her so much better than it fit me, and I wanted to give it to her. (We were in Amy Herzog’s Fit to Flatter class together.) She offered to trade me something for it, so this is what I chose from her booth.

It’s about the size of a dime, a little thicker, and so cute! I love it. Karie makes beautiful jewelry, shawl pins, and stitch markers. Check out her Etsy store! And the yarn under it is the last delivery from Knitted Wit’s Community Supported Yarn club. This merino/cashmere/nylon blend is actually much greener than the picture would have you believe, but I was exposing for the necklace rather than the green. It’s very pretty, and I have design plans for it, too. This of course means that it’s not stash, because it’s the next project!

What’s *your* next project? Mine is green!

3 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged OFFF

OFFF 2011, Saturday

Posted on September 26, 2011 | 6 comments

September is my favorite month. Birthday, anniversary, back to school, Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival!

I helped Lorajean set up her booth for Knitted Wit on Friday. She has new display walls and they look great! Her new fall color line looks great, too; I’m especially fond of the deep plummy aubergine. I don’t know if that’s the real color name, but I love the color. You can see it on the front of the rack she’s standing by.

I saw my friend Sarah; she was plying a yarn sample that she had just drop spindled.

And met up with my friend Sonia, who had just picked up a pile of goodies for Stash. This is the new shop that she’s opening in Corvallis, Oregon in mid-October. She’ll be featuring fine yarn, fiber, and artisans from the Pacific Northwest. I’m so excited for her!

I did a demo on how to purl back backwards without turning your work at the PDXKnitbloggers’ spot on the lawn. It’s so easy; you just have to dive in and try it. This is a great technique for knitting entrelac, and you know that I do love entrelac!

Saturday evening there was a reception sponsored by Carolina Homespun for the authors and contributors of four new books from local authors: Created in Oregon, Beyond Toes, My Grandmother’s Knitting, and Jazz Knitting. It was a wonderful get-together; thanks to Morgaine for the party!

Check out the peacocks on Jazz Knitting’s author Ilisha Helfman!

Pat came to show me her Zen Rain shawlette. Lovely! And check out the ruffles on ruffles on me. Can one ever have too many? I think not! I’m wearing my new linen ruffle tank, which I finished at 3 a.m. so I could wear it to OFFF. Crazy, yes, but I love it. More on that in another post.

I met the other Machelle from Created in Oregon. She has a beautiful sock pattern in the datebook. Neither of us spells our name in the conventional Michelle way.

Machelle and Michele!

This post is getting pretty long! I’ll tell you about Sunday in the next post. Did you go to OFFF on Saturday? It was definitely the better weather day!

6 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged Created in Oregon, OFFF

Sneak peek! This Little Ziggy…

Posted on September 23, 2011 | 5 comments

is going to market…the market at Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival. Come by the Knitted Wit booth (I think we’re on the lawn) and see the Ziggy vests in person! Pattern will be there, too, hot off the press. More details on the pattern later…

Thanks to Lorajean’s li’l guys for modeling!

Bye; see you at OFFF!

5 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged Knit, This Little Ziggy

Created in Oregon, and OFFF

Posted on September 21, 2011 | 7 comments

Last year, Deb Accuardi of Pico Accuardi Dyeworks asked me if I’d like to design a pattern for her new calendar project. Yes, of course! The datebook was to feature 12 patterns in Pico Accuardi Dyeworks yarns, and 12 areas in Oregon. I asked for blue yarn and the Oregon Coast for my project, which is the Rockaway 2-Way Beach Beanie/Cowl (Ravelry link). It’s the August pattern in the datebook, Created in Oregon: A Knitter’s Datebook 2012.

Other contributors include Leigh Radford, Sivia Harding, Kristin Spurkland, Judy Becker, Larissa Brown, Shannon Squire and Emily Williams. The datebook is now available from Pico Accuardi Dyeworks, and through several yarn stores in the Portland area. I know Twisted and Urban Fiber Arts has them. They’ll also be available at Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival this weekend in the Carolina Homespun booth, along with yarn kits for the calendar projects. You can get your datebook signed by Deb from 3-5 at the Carolina Homespun booth, and for even more fun, there’s a reception with authors and contributors for this book and several other new knitting books from Oregon authors on the lawn at 5 p.m. I’ll be there, and hope to see you then.

Here’s the backstory on my design. I go to Rockaway, Oregon at the coast every year with a group of friends for Crafty Moms weekend. There’s nothing like a sea breeze and a perfect view to clear the mind and inspire creativity!

Hat shown in Pico Accuardi Dyeworks Worsted, Rodgie’s Midnight Dancing on the left; cowl shown in Dream in Color Classy, Deep Seaflower Blue on the right.

The lacy pattern at the top and bottom edges creates a scalloped edge reminiscent of the Pacific Ocean’s waves. The elongated lattice pattern at the center makes the most of the hand-dyed yarn’s variegated loveliness. At the coast, you never know if you’ll need a little warmth or a lot, so this piece can be worn as a hat, or as a cowl.

Please excuse my semi-stern look; the sun was very bright on this February day. Many thanks to Laurie Nelesen for taking my picture; I can’t be the model and the photographer at the same time! (None of the other Crafty Moms wanted to model for me. Go figure…)

Are you coming to OFFF? I hope to see you there! I’ll be helping Lorajean of Knitted Wit set up her booth on Friday, and I’ll be around on Saturday and maybe Sunday, too. You can find my patterns and a new design (more on that tomorrow) in the Knitted Wit booth!

7 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design

Tagged Created in Oregon, Rockaway Beach Beanie/Cowl

My Grandmother’s Knitting: Launch Party!

Posted on September 19, 2011 | 10 comments

I recently posted a review of My Grandmother’s Knitting by Larissa Brown, and Friday night I attended the launch party for this book.

The event was held at Andersen Fiber Works, a new-to-me and fairly new shop in Gresham, Oregon. The space is lovely. Most of the shop is downstairs; I’ll get to that in a moment. In the upstairs loft, there is a great space for spin and knit-ins. On this night, there were all sorts of activities including book signings by designers from My Grandmother’s Knitting:

(Judy Becker, Kristin Spurklund, Leigh Radford, Emily Johnson, Chrissy Gardiner)

and karaoke!

(Stevanie Pico of Pico Accuardi Dyeworks with friends and family)

Downstairs there are lots of yarns and fibers that are from independent artists, including owner Jen Andersen who has been dyeing as Hanks in the Hood for the last five years. Here’s some of her fiber:

I saw lots of yarn and spinning fiber, including lots from Ms. Gusset and Dicentra. Check out this mondo ball of fiber from Dicentra.

And these fabulous felted hats from Attitude Hats.

This is Sarah Lajoie, the artist behind the hats.

Owners Tyler and Jen Andersen were the gracious hosts of the evening. Jen is modeling one of Sarah’s hats, and a coordinating necklace by Jennifer Fulks. The medallion is actually two alabaster bowls, one nested in the other. Gorgeous, as is Jen!

I saw a nice selection of Lantern Moon tools, baskets and bags in the shop, too. I love these, as you know, and see several that I own.

Larissa’s friend and neighbor Rondi prepared and hosted a buffet of treats both sweet and savory.

A fun night all around. Do you have a copy of My Grandmother’s Knitting yet? It’s a winner!

10 Comments

Posted in Knit

Swiftly winding away

Posted on September 13, 2011 | 15 comments

I’ve resisted buying a swift and ball winder for a long time. I usually have my yarn wound at my local yarn store, a skein at a time. (Fear of commitment? wouldn’t want to wind them all, in case they don’t cooperate with my vision for them.) But when my Aunt Rose visited this summer, she insisted on buying both of these for me. And I have to say, I’ve used them a lot this week!

Since CollegeDude2 is off to university on the other side of the country, I thought I’d use his room as a knitting studio. His futon bed has converted into a comfortable sofa, and his desk is now my desk, which doubles as a winding station. (There’s a lot more clearing out to do, but half of the room is now mine.)

Lorajean at Knitted Wit had a brainstorm for a project: She asked me to design a toddler vest to go in a kit with her yarn. Check out the cute colors! And the swift and winder turned them into this.

The first vest is done; here’s a sneak peek at the edging. Full reveal after I get some cute action shots!

So thanks to Aunt Rose for the great tools, to Lorajean for the opportunity to come up with something fun, and to CollegeDude2 for the use of his room! I’m getting a lot more done now that I have this cool corner office in the house. What’s inspiring you these days?

15 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design

lace triangles

Posted on August 28, 2011 | 5 comments

I took at class at Twisted on Saturday, Designing Lace Triangle Shawls with Sivia Harding. Sivia is the queen of lace, and beads. I took a one hour wonder beading class with her at Sock Summit 2009. This class was six times better, because it was a 6 hour class! And there was some beading, too. We learned about basic triangle shawl construction, choosing a pattern, stitch dictionaries, how to chart our lace, swatching, transitioning between lace patterns, edgings, and beads. Whew! I came home inspired, and spent part of this afternoon working on a design.

Alas, it didn’t quite work out to be what I wanted, but I’m not done yet.

I also played with my camera the other morning; Franklin Habit’s class has inspired me to take more pictures. My camera is just a point & shoot Panasonic Lumix; it doesn’t have a very fast lens. I wanted to see if I could get it to play with depth of field. I’m still not quite sure how to make it happen with this camera. (I miss my film SLR…) I just kept playing with macro and zoom until I got these. I loved the way the sun was lighting the flowers of the dandelions, while the ground was still in shade. It looked like fairy lights, just magical.