PDXKnitterati

Paying attention

Posted on June 5, 2020 | 3 comments

A little quiet over here this week, as I watch, and listen, and learn, and hope.

Some news in the knitting world:

Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival has been cancelled for 2020. They’ll be back in 2021 with the same classes we were hoping to have this year.

NBC Universal is discontinuing BluPrint, which was their rebranded version of Craftsy. If you have “forever” classes from Craftsy/BluPrint, you’ll want to download them before they disappear. I received an email saying they’ll let me know more soon; we shall see. I own 10 Craftsy classes, none of which I’ve watched all the way through. Let’s hope they do the right thing.

Alasdair Post-Quinn, of FallingBlox double knitting fame, suffered a house and studio fire and has lost all his samples and work in progress. He and his wife are safe, but they have lost everything. If you have interest in double knitting, support him by purchasing patterns from his Ravelry shop.

Soho Publishing, the good people who bring us Vogue Knitting magazine and the Knitting Live events, has had to change their operations. Knit Simple magazine will no longer be published, and Vogue Knitting will have fewer issues per year for now. VirtualKnitting Live returns next week, and I will be teaching and lecturing via Zoom.

“Knit on with confidence and hope, through all crises.” ~ Elizabeth Zimmermann

3 Comments

Posted in Knit, Uncategorized

Fern Lace Shawlette update

Posted on May 22, 2020 | 3 comments

I’ve just updated my Fern Shawlette pattern to streamline it for classes. The i-cord edging, garter stitch body, and lace edging are now all on the same chart, and together in the instructions, instead of my previous modular approach.

I’m leaving both versions in the downloads section on Ravelry, so you can choose which way works better for the way you think! If you previously purchased Fern, you’ll find an update notice in your Ravelry library.

To celebrate this update, I’m offering 10% off the pattern through May 29. Use coupon code FernUpdate on the Fern Lace Shawlette Ravelry page here. Current newsletter subscribers, check your inbox for your code.

I’m using this pattern at Virtual Knitting Live in June. If you’re taking this class, make sure you download the file that says “Fern Shawlette for classes 05.20” for the updated version!

3 Comments

Posted in classes, Knit, pattern design

Tagged Fern Shawlette, Virtual Knitting Live

Virtual Knitting Live, Encore!

Posted on May 22, 2020 | 3 comments

Vogue’s Virtual Knitting Live was much fun we’re doing it again, June 10 – 14. Registration is now open; jump if you want to take a class. Last time most classes sold out in 48 hours.

This time around I’m teaching 2 sections of Petite Brioche (Intro to 2 color brioche in the round, one section is already sold out), Intro to Lace and Beads: Fern Shawlette, Minerva Entrelac, and Next Steps in Brioche: Increases and Decreases, featuring Heliotrope hat or cowl, or Brioche Pastiche. I’m also giving a lecture: Blocking: It’s Magic!

Petite Brioche

Fern Shawlette

Minerva Entrelac

Heliotrope and Brioche Pastiche

Registration for any class or lecture includes a ticket to the virtual marketplace, and lots of fun extra activities. If you’re not ready for classes, a $3.99 ticket to the marketplace comes with those extra activities, too.

3 Comments

Posted in classes, events

Tagged Virtual Knitting Live

Virtual Knitting Live: It’s a wrap!

Posted on May 20, 2020 | 2 comments

I just finished a fun week at Vogue Knitting Live…Virtually. It’s been a great pivot from in-person events to getting together online. It felt like a safe haven in a world that’s been turned upside down. It was so cool to have students across 5 time zones! And all the money you saved on travel, you could spend in the market. Winning all around.

Thanks to all the intrepid knitters who came to the event, to classes and lectures and other free events…and to the virtual marketplace! And thanks to VKL for dreaming this up in the wake of our cancelled Seattle show. It was so successful, we’re going to do it again, June 10 – 14. Keep an eye on the Knitting Live site, and sign up for their newsletter if you’d like to join us at a future event. Classes sell out quickly! And sign up for my newsletter, if you want to know when and where I’m teaching, too.

Here’s my little corner of my office/studio where I teach. It’s the command center! The cats don’t actually get to be in the room during class, but they like to help with setup.

Another Virtual Knitting Live event is coming soon…June 10 to 14. On your mark, get set…

2 Comments

Posted in events

Tagged Virtual Knitting Live, VogueKnittingLive

Potpourri catch-up! Zoom classes, pickles, and more

Posted on May 4, 2020 | 5 comments

First, I have a Kerfuffle stranded colorwork cowl class on Wednesday evening through Weird Sisters. You don’t even have to be in the same time zone! Here’s the link.

It *is* possible to learn knitting techniques through Zoom, and if you’re missing your usual knitting circle, this is a great way to get your knitting fix. We had a Petite Brioche class on Saturday, and everyone was successfully knitting brioche by the end of class.

Second, I mailed off some goodies for the Minerva KAL participants this morning. If you’re out of the country, it could take up to 2 weeks to arrive. Otherwise, locally should be much quicker than that.

Third, my Fibonacci and Fan shawl pattern was just featured by Noble Knits. Check out this page for Fibonacci and Fan, and more great math geek knitting!

Fourth, I’ve been playing with quick pickles recently. My favorite so far are these spicy fish sauce pickles. Original recipe here, and my take below. Basically double the liquid ingredients, reduce the sugar and red pepper. And only one cucumber. That’s what fits in the jar!

Spicy Fish Sauce Quick Pickles

1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 small cucumber

Cut cucumber into 1/4” thick rounds. Whisk all other ingredients together in a wide mouth 12 oz canning jar. Add cucumber slices. Refrigerate for 3 hours/overnight. They get spicier the longer you soak them! I take them out the next day and store them in a covered dish.

5 Comments

Posted in classes, KAL, Knit, recipe

Tagged Fibonacci and Fan, kerfuffle cowl, pickles

Knit Circus The Night Sky

Posted on May 4, 2020 | 4 comments

This showed up in the mail, just before the stay-at-home order took effect. Isn’t it gorgeous? It’s from Knit Circus; the sparkle gradient is The Knit Sky, and the speckle is Mistress of Myself.

I bought these with an idea in mind, something I’ve been dreaming about for a year or more. I’m finally ready to play with it. My initial swatching looks promising. A shawl, and it’s *not* brioche. I know, unbelievable!

More later. Gotta go knit.

4 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design, yarn

Tagged KnitCircus

Minerva KAL wrap up

Posted on April 28, 2020 | 7 comments

Here’s my Minerva that I knit for the KAL! I love how this gradient version turned out. The yarn is Huckleberry Knits DK Gradient, Practical Tactical Brilliance colorway. This is my favorite of my three Minervas.

We had a small but intrepid group of knitters for the Minerva KAL. Participants included knitters from Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Canada, and the Pacific Northwest including Portland. That’s pretty cool!

Two of the colors that I love on this Minerva meet up right at the seam, and I don’t really want to feature the seam when I’m wearing this. What’s a knitter to do?

Tiny Shawl Belt to the rescue! This is a very tiny shawl cuff. I purchased it online from Indigodragonfly last month. It hides the seam, and it looks good, too. It’s made by purlandhank.com.

I had misplaced the Tiny Shawl Belt in my studio (it was with all my shawl pins right where it belonged; I don’t remember putting it away), so I ordered another one. And because I was afraid it wouldn’t get here from Canada in time for this photo shoot, I also ordered this Thinline Wrist Ruler from Crossover Industries here in Portland. It wraps twice on my wrist, three times on Minerva. It has quarter inch measurements, but it’s also available in a centimeter version. I love it.

Now I’ll have two Tiny Shawl Belts (second one still not here yet), so I’m giving one away as a KAL prize.

Other prizes include stitch markers and shawl pins. I’m messaging participants for their addresses, all over the world. Thanks for knitting along! I love seeing your projects on Ravelry, Instagram and yuur blogs. You can see more Minervas on this Ravelry page, and you can also see Minervas on Instagram with #minervakal2020.

Now my needles are empty again. I usually have one or two projects going at any time, but I just finished both of them. I’m ready to work on a new shawl design. I think I needed to work through some pandemic anxiety knitting and sewing first, and now I’m finally ready.

Also on the agenda this week: tidying up my studio so that it looks good for Zoom classes, and reviewing my classes and handouts to make sure they’re Zoom ready, too.

Back to work!

7 Comments

Posted in KAL, Knit

Tagged Minerva KAL, minervakal2020, Tiny shawl belt, wrist ruler, Zoom classes

Lockdown Love Note finished again and again

Posted on April 27, 2020 | 9 comments

It’s been modified yarn chicken all the way with my current Love Note sweater. I knit until I had just enough Aquarius to finish the body with 4 rows of ribbing plus bind off. It felt a tiny bit short.

I frogged the ribbing, and knit the stockinette body until the Aquarius ran out. Then I knit 4 rounds of ribbing in Beach Glass.

I didn’t really want a contrast color ribbing at the waist (yoo hoo look over here!), but that was all the Aquarius I had.

That also meant that the sleeves would have to be in the lighter color, too.

I had plenty of Sea Glass, so I first made the sleeves at 20 rounds. But this made the sweater look too color blocky on me, so I eventually made the sleeves really short, just 4 rounds of stockinette before ending with 3 rounds of ribbing. (Yes, I tried it on at 20, 16, 12, 8 rounds as I ripped back the first sleeve. Because why not?)

In a perfect world, I would have ended the lighter color at the end of the lace, and then the body and lower sleeves would have been in the darker color. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t have enough of the darker color to make that happen, so I waited until after the split for the sleeves to go back to the darker color. This was my way of avoiding an awkward dark stripe on the sleeve before having to finish with the light color. Winning!

The contrasting waistband looked fine, but I didn’t like the way it looked on ME.

So I took it off and re-finished with the darker color again, this time with one more round of stockinette, and 3 rounds of ribbing. Now that there are sleeves, it looks better. I think blocking will help a bit, too.

So that’s Love Note, knit in a week and a day, and finished several times. I think it’s time to move on! After blocking, of course. It’s drying now. This has been a fun knit, twice, with this pattern by Tin Can Knits.

Mood? Pretty good! The mood ring agrees. How about you?

9 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged Hazel Knits Lively DK, Lockdown knitting, Love Note sweater

Love Note in the time of Coronavirus

Posted on April 22, 2020 | 6 comments

After finishing my fuzzy purple Love Note Memoir, I wanted a spring-ier version to wear sooner. I had this Hazel Knits Lively DK in my stash. I only have one skein of Aquarius and one skein of Beach Glass because they were going to go into a brioche shawl or scarf design, but it wasn’t quite right for the project. This yarn has patiently waited for its time in the spotlight, and now it’s time to shine. I love how crisp and clear the lace is with this yarn.

It’s Love (Note) in the Time of Coronavirus! Love Note is a perfect knit for these strange times; it goes quickly and I don’t have to pay too much attention.

The pattern calls for 600 yards of yarn; I have 550. Because of the limited amount of yarn, this will be short/cropped/normal on me. And it will have short sleeves for spring/summer wear.

How can I use the two colors together and make it look right? I don’t think it would look good striped into a fade, that would look too stripey/sporty for the pretty lace. I could have made the entire top portion in the lighter color, but I don’t know how long the bottom portion will end up being. I don’t want it to look like I chopped the sweater (and me) in half. The color blocks would have to be in the right proportion to each other, and I don’t think I have enough control (or yarn) to make sure that works out.

So….I’m knitting the lace yoke in the lighter color and as much as I can of the body in the darker color. I don’t know what color the sleeves will be, below the lace yoke, until I see how far I get with the dark color on the body. Will I have to have a stripe of the lighter color at the hem? We’ll find out!

I don’t want a neckline as snug as my first Love Note, so I skipped the provisional cast on and just began with long tail cast on with the larger needle at the neck, then knit the ribbing on the smaller needle. Back to larger needle to work down towards the body.

I finished the lace, and continued in the lighter color until just *after* the split for the sleeves. I suspect that I won’t have enough of the dark color for sleeves, so I’m hedging my bets. I don’t want a line of dark at the underarm if I end up having to use the light color for the sleeves. That would be WRONG.

Now I’m on autopilot, cruising down the body. We’ll see how far this single skein of Aquarius will take me.

Oh! My classes sold out at Vogue’s Virtual Knitting Live, so it’s clear that knitters want to get together to knit and learn, even if we have to do it from a distance. There are still a few classes and lectures available at the event, but you should hurry if you want to snag a spot. Here’s the website again.

Away we go!

6 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged Love Note sweater

Kerfuffle Cowl update, and Kerfuffle Zoom class

Posted on April 19, 2020 | 5 comments

Read to the bottom if you’re interested in class!

Large cowl

I’ve updated the pattern for my Kerfuffle Cowl to streamline it for classes. I’ve been saying for years that I was going to do this, and now I have a little time to get it done. Here’s what I’ve changed:

Changed the needles to omit the smaller needle for the ribbing. Now the ribbing and the body both use the same larger needle. It works fine, and makes class that much more accessible.
Omitted the purl stitches in the first 3 and last 3 rows of the charted pattern. I was concerned about the edge flipping, but blocking takes care of that, and it’s one less thing for a new colorwork knitter to think about.
Added a larger 30″ size to the original 24″ size. Knitter’s choice!

The Kerfuffle cowl is a great project for first time stranded colorwork. There are only two colors used per round, and I’ve taken care that the motifs don’t have long floats that need to be trapped.

To celebrate this update, you can purchase the Kerfuffle Cowl pattern for 15% off through April 24, 2020 using the coupon code FRESH when you purchase it through Ravelry. Newsletter subscribers will have a 25% discount in the next newsletter. Not a subscriber? Sign up here!

Small cowl

I’m teaching a Kerfuffle Cowl stranded colorwork class through Zoom on Wednesday May 6, 5:30 to 7:30 pm. The class is being organized by Fuchsia Troutman at Weird Sisters Yarn Shop. She’ll have class kits available, and a special pattern discount, too. Register here!

By the way, my May 2 Petite Brioche class is now full; thank you for your interest! This will be a great way to get into the swing of Zoom classes. I’m looking forward to being able to teach from home, and I hope you enjoy learning from home, too.

Three of my four Virtual Knitting Live classes are full (that was quick!). There are a few spots left in my Minerva Entrelac class, so if you’re interested in that, register now. VKLive link is here.

Let’s knit together, apart!

5 Comments

Posted in classes, Knit, pattern design

Tagged kerfuffle cowl, stranded colorwork