Tag Archives: knitting

Frogging brioche tutorial

Posted on September 25, 2020 | 1 comment

Is it possible? Can you frog brioche? Of course. It’s getting it back on the needle that’s tricky. I’m here to help! I’ve had a lot of experience frogging…(for newbies: frogging means rip-it, rip-it, rip-it).

You can rip one row/round at a time, alternating colors, but it’s just as easy to rip them simultaneously. The trick is to rip until you’re close to where you want to end up, and then tink (un-knit, knit spelled backwards) the last row or round, one stitch at a time, picking up each stitch as it’s freed from the yarn. This is also how I frog regular knitting.

After I made this video, I frogged this project completely, because it’s a little too big. But I wanted to show you how it worked, before completely undoing it. It turned out to be just a big swatch!

1 Comment

Posted in Knit, tutorial

Tagged fixing mistakes, frogging, frogging brioche, knitting

Eclipse 2017: Path of Totality

Posted on August 24, 2017 | 6 comments

Well that was stellar! And lunar. And solar…definitely awe inspiring!

Pinhole camera made with knitting needle and paper on hand

I trekked down to Salem to view the eclipse from Willamette Valley Vineyards. They were in the path of totality; Portland was at 99%. That tiny, tiny 1% makes a big difference.

DH stayed home; he’s not as geeky about these things as I am. I wanted the sun to disappear completely. It did not disappoint.

It was so uplifting to share this awe-inspiring event with an enthusiastic group of people. So much positivity. We wrote and sang “Path of Totality” to the tune of Age of Aquarius. Fun and funny.

Of course I brought my knitting. Bag by Chicken Boots (Saremy), needle keeper by A Needle Runs Through It (Maria), bead needle by Bead Aid (Sarah), bead tin by Miss Purl (Danielle), yarn by June Pryce Fiber Arts (Cheryl), beads by Bead Biz (Jean)! It’s like another group of friends beyond the ones I was actually sitting with.

People’s phones kept going off with emergency alerts. Turn off your ringers, please! Yes, rock climbing. Check out this link for an amazing photo; it’s not mine so I don’t want to publish it here. Rock climber silhouetted by eclipsed sun at Smith Rock.

I don’t pretend to have a camera good enough to get a picture of what it really looked like; I’m leaving that to the professionals. This is what it looks like from an iPhone.

So cool to see Venus out during the day. The sun is completely eclipsed here, but the phone camera can’t catch it. It was a dark circle surrounded by intense twinkling light. It was easy to tell when totality hit; a collective gasp went up and our eclipse glasses didn’t let any light through. It was equally easy to tell when it was time to put the glasses back on. So bright! Those two minutes of totality went by all too quickly. Just a tiny sliver of sun seemed like complete daylight.

The sun was about halfway back for this picture. Hard to tell.

Traffic home was a bear. But it was worth it. Biscuit and I caught up with Game of Thrones the next day. She likes dragons; I think because they sound like her. Kind of raspy and squeaky. Bisqueak!

Did you chase the eclipse, too?

6 Comments

Posted in beading, cat, Knit

Tagged eclipse, knitting, wine

What Springsteen said to me

Posted on October 5, 2016 | 19 comments

“You’re a dangerous woman.”

Who, me?

Bruce Springsteen was in town to promote his new autobiography, “Born to Run.” The event was at Powell’s Books, a large and wonderful independent bookstore here in PDX. We managed to get tickets (we crashed the first server, just like Sock Summit), but poor DH is out of town so a friend came with me.

The rules:

• The event is a meet and greet only. There will be no book discussion, booksigning, or performance.

• Springsteen will not sign anything during the event (books will be pre-signed). No memorabilia or other items are allowed.

• Please leave bags, backpacks, and personal items at home as these are not permitted at the event. Any personal items that cannot be pocketed will not be permitted in the event space. This includes backpacks, purses, shopping bags, etc. Only the book that ticket buyers receive at check-in will be allowed into the event space with ticket holders.

• You are allowed one posed photo with Bruce Springsteen. An employee of Powell’s will take the picture using your phone or camera.

I don’t have a lot of clothing with pockets; I’m all about the skirts and boots! I wanted to take some knitting with me for waiting in line, and it had to be small to fit in my tiny jacket pockets. I’m not a sock knitter, but a half ball of yarn and a sock on the needles made sense. Of course, for me it was sport weight on size 2 magic loop. Look at that heel flap! I finished the flap, the heel turn, and started gusset decreases while in line.

What do you say to Bruce Springsteen, that hasn’t been said a million times before? In my case, it was, “Would you hold my sock?” (Definitely inspired by the Yarn Harlot.) But when it was my turn, the handler looked at my needles and told me I couldn’t go up with knitting needles. So I took the needles out, because I really wanted Bruce to hold my sock. Here’s our exchange.

Me: Would you hold my sock?

Bruce: (looks bemused)

Me: I had to take the needles out; they wouldn’t let me have them near you.

Bruce: You’re a dangerous woman…with those needles!

He had the sock; I had the yarn ball in my pocket. We’re connected by yarn! So we took our picture, and I thanked him for coming before they sent me on my way. 10 seconds, totally worth it.

I just found out that you can make gifs and videos from the live photos on newer iPhones. So here it is; I love how Bruce is wiggling the sock. Too cute!

As I said, I’m not really a sock knitter, so I may never finish this sock. I’d have to put it back on the needles, for starters. So I think it will go in a shadow box with the picture, and we’ll call it good.

The Oregonian was there talking to people who were waiting in line, and I ended up in their video. I’m at the 26 second mark, in my Webfoot Shawlette in Hazelknits Entice, Hoppy Blond.

OK, back to knitting!

19 Comments

Posted in events, Knit, music, Portland area fun

Tagged knitting, sock, springsteen, Springsteen at Powell's

Do you listen to that little voice?

Posted on August 31, 2016 | 5 comments

The one that says, “That bind off may be a little tight.” Or, “I don’t think that bump is going to block out.” Or whatever.

That little voice knows best. Sometimes It takes a while for me to pay attention to it. A lot of times I don’t listen because it often pops up when I’m nearing the end of a project, second-guessing myself.

I should have listened about the bind off. It was too tight, and it really showed when I was blocking my garter stitch project. I tinked the bind off after the shawl dried, all 470 or so stitches. Ouch. Now I have to re-block the whole thing to get the edging right. But it will be gorgeous.

And recently, I frogged this.

Airplane knitting, and a knitter across the aisle! I had worked on it all the way to St. Louis and back earlier this month, and the more it grew, the less I liked it. That hump at the center neck was becoming more and more pronounced, and it was never going to block out nicely. I listened to the little voice, but I should have listened much sooner. Oh, well. All frogged, and working up nicely in a different design. Or at least I think it is.

This is pretty much my process. It starts with an idea, and I plan it out. Start knitting, see what I do or don’t like, and adjust as I go. Trial and error. I make the mistakes so you don’t have to!

Does that little voice speak to you? Do you listen?

5 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design

Tagged frogging, knitting

The right tools make knitting so much easier

Posted on June 8, 2015 | 11 comments

Back from TNNA and working hard! I’ll do the write up in my next post, but for now I’m knitting away on a lace project obsession.

I started this last fall, and set it aside because of other deadlines. When I picked it up a couple days ago, it was on a set of Addi Turbo needles. I started knitting and felt like I was fighting to make the lace stitches and m1 increases. The tips were just not pointy enough. Let’s look a little closer…

You can see that the tips on the Signature needles (blue) are a bit pointier than the Addis (silver). You wouldn’t think it would make that much of a difference, but it does. These are the regular Signature tips, not the stiletto.

I don’t think I would have put up with fighting the lace stitches for thirty 300 stitch rows last fall. I’m guessing I was knitting on the Signatures, and used the Addis as a stitch holder when I switched projects. I have a habit of swapping needles like that, but I should really make a note of it when I do. Last fall was a long time ago, too long ago to remember details.

I’m also noticing that my gauge with the Addis was looser than with the Signatures, even though they’re both metal. I ripped out the 8 rows I knit these past couple days, partly because of gauge, and partly because of a better idea for some math issues.

Now knitting speedily and happily on the Signatures! They’re the right tool for this project for me. But I have a whole arsenal of needles, because it really depends on the yarn and the kind of knitting. It’s good to have choices! Metal, wood, pointy, blunt…

Do you have a variety of needles, or one particular favorite? What works for you?

(PS: Thanks again to Sarah for the lovely Signatures she gave me several years ago!)

11 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged addi needles, knitting, knitting needle, signature needles

Fall favorites

Posted on November 20, 2014 | 4 comments

Knitting with my assistant

Raking leaves

Catnaps

More knitting!

Fall is my favorite time of year.

Don’t forget, the Indie Design Gift-A-Long pattern sale ends tomorrow at midnight, Eastern Standard Time! Now’s the time to stock up on patterns for gift and selfish knitting. Use the code giftalong2014 for 25% off the specially featured patterns of nearly 300 independent designers on Ravelry. The details are at the Indie Design GAL group. There are already more than 200 posts in the FO picture thread! There are some great prizes being awarded, and a lot more to come.

My featured patterns for the GAL are here. From what I’m seeing, there should be a lot more Snowy Woods Cowls and Thrumbelina slippers making their way into the world. I’m looking forward to seeing them in the project pages.

4 Comments

Posted in events, Knit

Tagged autumn, cat, Indie Design Gift-A-Long, knitting

January is selfish knitting month: cast on with me!

Posted on January 2, 2014 | 14 comments

After the frenzy of gift knitting (which I don’t do…), January is traditionally selfish knitting month. (And I’m using the term selfish in the most positive way: for your SELF!) What are you going to knit? Are you casting on something new, or trying to finish something already on the needles? I need to finish something to clear my needles before this.

I’m planning to knit the Rose City Yarn Crawl Mystery KAL, so I can have this shawlette for myself. My original will be a sample somewhere for the next year, and I want one for me NOW. Will you be knitting along with me? You’re invited! Check out the RCYC group on Ravelry for ongoing details.

I’m also having a Thrumbelina KAL. If you were lucky enough to register for Lantern Moon’s April retreat, you’ll be knitting your own Thrumbelinas along with me before the retreat so you’ll have cozy toes when you go to Timberline Lodge. No kick off date yet; we’re working out details. But you don’t have to be going on this retreat to knit along. The more the merrier for the KAL, as far as I’m concerned. More thrums for everyone!

And I need to get started on a new design, due in March.

All three of these upcoming knits are fun, but technically for me they’re work, so they’re not really selfish knitting. What about something that’s just for me? I guess finishing the current knit is all about me (my own knit of my new shawl design debuting in February), so that counts. But I’m also dreaming of casting on Lempster from Knitty. While I’ve been dreaming, my friend Sarah has knit two of them! I received some gift cards to Twisted for Christmas, so they may kick start my Lempster. Am I crazy? Can I get all these knits done in a timely manner? There’s only one way to find out!

What’s your selfish knitting for January? If you need some inspiration, go look through the Doomsday Knits and Under 100 Knit Collection sets. And don’t forget, I’m having a giveaway of the Under 100 ebook. Leave a comment on the previous post to enter to win. Happy new year!

14 Comments

Posted in KAL, Knit

Tagged kal, knitting, rcycmkal, rose city yarn crawl, selfish knitting, thrumbelina

Josephine in her finery

Posted on June 9, 2008 | Comments Off

The Josephine Top is coming along. I’m at 8 inches on the back; it’s time for the second set of decreases in the ribbing section. The pattern is easier to remember than I initially thought, so I’m cruising along with only an occasional glance at the chart.

Here’s a closeup of Jo with her new stitch markers between each ribbing and lace section. See the bright lime green rubber one on the end? I need one more new marker!

And I think this looks like a tiara, which is fitting for the Empress.

My pattern writing is stalled for now; I’m pretty focused on making progress on this project. All things in their time.

Comments Off on Josephine in her finery

Posted in Knit

Tagged Josephine Top, knitting, stitch markers

Vickie wrote:

Posted on May 13, 2008 | 1 comment

“i’m meeting mom at kahneeta to camp on friday/saturday, may 9/10. there’d be a bunk for you in keiko if you’d like. it’d be just sitting around in the sun (hopefully), playing scrabble, that kind of thing.”

Coming off a busy spring of organizing other people and projects, I jumped at the chance to do something that someone else had planned, especially since it meant that I could spend a weekend catching up with my best friend from college. Her mom is cool, too. The bit about sitting around in the sun sounded pretty good. Spring has been a long time coming around here. It’s still cold, and it’s been really damp. So I didn’t ask too many questions. None, in fact.

You might ask, “What’s Keiko?” I didn’t, but I was pleasantly surprised.

We stopped at Timberline Lodge (elevation 5,960 ft) on Mount Hood on the way over. It was a gorgeous day. The last time I was there, I stood on this deck to take a picture. Not this time!

Mount Hood is 11,239 feet tall, the tallest mountain in Oregon, and according to Wikipedia, the Oregon volcano most likely to erupt. This wasn’t the day.

Crossing over the Cascade Mountains takes you to another Oregon. I live on the wet side. It’s sunnier on the other side, and less populated. We did have to stop for some traffic. (By the time I could get the camera out, the traffic jam was over and she was safely across the road.)

In Simnasho, on the way to Warm Springs, is this picturesque ruin:

The weekend did include the aforementioned sitting around in the sun at the hot springs-fed pool, scrabble, and lots of scenery.

And a baby (well, three weeks old):

Vickie came up with an impromptu martini shaker, courtesy of REI. Ingenious!

It was a lovely weekend, great to get out my usual routine. I always feel like I have new eyes when I go someplace and really “see” things. Thanks, Vic!

I knitted on Shetland Triangle II over the weekend. It’s getting close to the end, which means that each row takes longer than you’d think. I haven’t decided if it’s going to be the same size as the first one, or bigger. I’ll have to decide soon. I also brought lots of cotton washcloth yarn to knit samples, but that didn’t happen. I wrote some teaching patterns a few years ago for a beginning knitters’ group, and I’d like to publish them as a set, but I gave the samples away as gifts, so I have to make them again to photograph them. All in good time. Knit on!

1 Comment

Posted in Knit, travel

Tagged knitting, mt hood, scenic

Slap myself upside the head

Posted on May 7, 2008 | 3 comments

So I’ve been hanging back, not posting anything, because I haven’t finished anything since the Shetland Triangle last week. Second one is going great, but it’s not done yet. What other knitterly exploits could I possibly have to blog about?

Doh! I went to the Lantern Moon warehouse sale last Saturday. I love this company. They’re locally owned, have beautiful things, and provide jobs to women in villages in Vietnam. They’re good people. And they make my favorite needles, the ebony circulars. On Saturday, they were also giving back to the community; a portion of the day’s sales went to the Grant High School Foundation.

I didn’t buy much: a handbag for me, a basket for a knitting friend, and several mini-balls of Gelato, Leigh Radford’s silk taffeta ribbon, for another crafty friend. I already have a lot of their stuff. My restraint was countered by Anna’s shopping spree; she made out like a bandit! Yes, she did buy everything you see here, and some things that you can’t see, too. Caught by the camera phone; I don’t usually take my camera shopping.