Loose Ends

Dear Cynthia,

Do you think that the term "loose ends" might have originated with a knitter?

I've had so many projects in the "almost done" state, and it's game time, so I must now get a few things completed.

Here is the Foulard in its little pouch, made by sewing two smallish pieces of polar fleece (one of them square, and the other the same size square but having a trapezoidal extension) together for the bag part, and leaving the trapezoid part to tuck into the pouch, securing the Foulard inside. This will be taken to the post office the first thing tomorrow morning, so that there is a chance it might arrive at its destination no later than Wednesday, the birthday of my mom-in-law.

I was so thankful for all of the VERY helpful suggestions regarding the needle felting on the black bag. I decided that I'm going to put needle felting on both sides of the bag. Here is the first side, with everything firmly in place so that now it won't be easy to remove. On the other side, I'm going to go with one really big flower, no stems (why didn't I think of that?), and the same colors as those on the first side.

Here is the other bag, which still needs a purchased handle. I just got done felting it in the washer, and hopefully by Tuesday it will be dry so that I may put some needle felting on this one, as well......possibly a butterfly (which I also hadn't thought of -- what we don't get in "quantity" of comments I think we make up for in "quality", and I really appreciated everybody's thoughts regarding this project), and possibly some mittens (your idea, which I also loved). It's hard for me to tell what is going to really work until I try something. That's why I like to just lightly tack things down as I'm working on a new design, so that it is easy to peel off.

Then there is my secret project, too, which must be completed by the end of this month. I'm getting close, and the deadline is within reach, but this hobby is starting to put **pressure** on me, and I'll be glad for time to knit something more mindless when these few projects are out of the way. It's all good, though -- it's still knitting, right?!!

Have a great week! I LOVE Autumn!!!!

Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)

Growing

Dear Cynthia,

First, and while I'm thinking about it, I want to thank Marie for her kind and regular comments!

Having a little more "free time" now that my test is over, this morning I played around with some needle felting designs for my new bag.

I don't think either one of these is going to be the "winner"; however, I'm interested in what comments you and anybody else out in blogland might have regarding these iterations.

Too detailed? The groupings look funny together?? Needs more flowers or less flowers or flowers moved more to the left or right? Design okay but colors wonky?

Whatever anybody might be thinking, I'm interested in hearing it, because, I am no artist.....

"Drawing" something onto a big blank canvas of a felted bag is a bit of a stretch for me, though I think it is good for me to get out of my comfort zone a little bit...

I'm also contemplating sources of inspiration other than flowers. Folksy hearts? Fish?

Note: These might look a little bit fuzzy, because I've only lightly tacked the designs in place just to get an idea of the design. (Don't worry - your eyes are fine!) That way, I may remove the fiber easily if necessary.

Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)

Foulard Finished

Dear Cynthia,

I've had this completed for a couple of days, and finally got around to blocking it this morning. (It must be in the mail for a birthday gift in the next few days.) It is from the Morehouse Farm Merino Knits book, and a nice, mindless project. Finished dimensions after blocking are 57" x 57".

It is made with KnitPicks Shimmer (two hanks), which is an alpaca/silk blend. I enjoyed knitting with this yarn, though I had to be very careful that the rings on my fingers didn't get caught on it. It is a very loose fabric, and the stitches were easily pulled. I am hoping that blocking it allowed the fibers to "grab" a little bit so that the pulling isn't as much of an issue. (If I was going to make it again, I'd probably use some merino from Morehouse Farms, because I think that would "stick" in place better.) I'm going to sew a quick little "pouch" to keep it in so that the recipient will be able to just throw it in her purse and pull out as needed when cool, such as in a movie theatre, on a porch, or during a walk.

I have a big exam tonight, but after that should have more knitting/blogging time.

Speaking of "time", here is the clock I just picked up today. DH and I ordered it as our 10-year anniversary gift to each other. It has real clock-works in it, and real chimes, which play every 15 minutes, plus the striking on the hour. I really love it. It was difficult to find a mantel clock having real (non-electronic) clock works with a depth which would fit on the bricks which jut out of our fireplace wall to form mini-mantels. It is a Hermle, and did I mention I love it! Now the trick will be remembering to wind it once a week....

There is so much I want to "talk" about, and here is a short list of things to come:

• Finishing my bag pattern, including the needle felting design on the front of it
• Adding a lining to the felted bags I've been making
• The first "I love you" sweater (which has knitting completed, just waiting for me to "finish" it)
• The second "I love you" sweater (which hasn't been started yet)
• A top-down pullover with short row shaping on the upper back so that the neck is higher in back than in front, which I'll make by following a pattern in a book I have
• The Leaf Lace Shawl
• A "Brooks Sweater" ala Elizabeth Zimmerman, except I'll be revising the pattern so that I may use my new dk weight 1500 yards of yummy hand-painted MERINO!@!!!

Anyway, for now, back to studying..... More soon!
Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)

My technology level drops further....

Dear Laura:

Well, the weekend before last, my digital camera died and so I've been unable to take pictures to post. This past weekend, the modem in my laptop died, further limiting my posting! I'm down to posting text during my lunchhour.

The good news is that the repair is covered under the extended warrenty that I've purchased. The bad news is that I have to send it away for repair. They have a good reputation for returning it quickly, but not having my computer at all, even for a few days, is very unsettling.

Seems my brother may have a point. He says that "they" are just trying to get us dependent on our electronics, and then one day, "they'll just pull the plug and we'll all be helpless!" I obviously have dependency issues!

Somehow, I still haven't found much knitting time. I have just about finished the first of three rounds of crochet border around the blanket. I finished the first sock of a pair that I've been working on, and gotten about 1/2 of the cuff on the second sock done. It's been my "lunch-time" project, so it is progressing. The weather has been getting cooler, so it's great to get a new pair of warm socks!

I really wish I could have gone to the WI Sheep and Wool festival with you! That sounds like such a wonderful time. And I LOVE the yarn you chose! Great colors!

I'm so glad you had someone offer to help with your tire. I also had a flat tire a couple of weeks ago, of course in the pouring rain. I called my brother to see if he was by chance still in town and could come to change it. He had already gotten home, but offered to come back to change it if I wanted him to. I started to say that I could do it, and then realized that, bottom line, I wanted him to! I was dressed up for work, and he works outdoor-construction, so there wasn't any sense in my laying in the parking lot trying to set the jack. I paid him with a case of beer and we were both happy!

Keep knitting - and may all your tires be "round!"

Cynthia

WI Sheep & Wool Adventure

Dear Cynthia,

I went to the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival, in Jefferson WI, yesterday, but more impressive -- I made it back home again. I submit this:Though it maybe doesn't look so bad lying here in the back of the pick-up truck, when it was actually on the left front of the vehicle, the rubber part of the tire was pretty much not centered on the metal rim of the "wheel", and the metal rim of the "wheel" actually had contact with the ground. This was only discovered as my friend, whom I'll call "Karen", and I were in the truck, and I was backing the truck out of our parking spot. And actually, it was discovered by a family parked nearby, telling us we had a major flat. Hmmm.... No wonder it was so difficult to back out of the parking spot. (Incidently, just prior to parking there we had waited for a car to vacate this same parking spot, and actually watched THAT car totally ram into the bike rack on the RV parked right behind it, messing up the car's bumper and tail-light. Woe to the unluckly person who happened to park in our spot after us...) Though it seemed unfortunate initially, Karen and I realized how fortunate we were, because:

1. This did not happen while we were driving 55 mph down the highway.
2. The same people who actually noticed the flat tire offered to help us change it, but actually ended up changing it for us. (I've changed flat tires before, but with this truck, it is a little bit different, and as I watched these nice people change the tire, I knew I never would have been able to change it on my own -- I'm too weak! -- First, the bolts holding the spare under the truck bed were rusted in place (one of the had to be broken off in order to free the tire). Second, the jack was very difficult to place properly, requiring two men to lift the front end while a nice lady put the jack in position (parked on a slight incline, grass lot, etc.). Third, it took a bit of might in order to turn the crank to raise the jack. Fourth, the bolts holding the flat tire were extremely tight. Definitely a job for superman, but superfamily was there instead to save our day. I am so grateful to them!)
3. The spare had air in it. Not enough, mind you, but enough so that we could get to a gas station and put some more air into it.
   

45 minutes later, we were gingerly driving back to the Madison area. This week, new tires!
Anyway, the Briar Rose Fiber booth totally caught my eye, and you're not going to believe this, but I splurged. The pink/brown/gold yarn is light DK weight, hand painted, merino, and 1500 yards! I was very excited to see such nice yardage in hand-painted and thicker than lace-weight or fingering. I'm going to make myself a nice cardigan out of that. And, I had to get the blue/green yarn, as well, because it was just "meant to be"... For some time I've been looking for something to use to make the Leaf Lace Shawl in a light worsted weight, which requires 850 yards, and, well, guess how much is in the hank shown? Again, nice yardage for being hand-painted and worsted, and up close and in person I just love the colors!

Well, not exactly "Thelma and Louise", but an adventure, none-the-less. One of these years, you and I should attend this event together.....though perhaps it's best if we take your vehicle.

Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)

Overwhelmed

Dear Cynthia,

I'm glad to hear of your nice trip. And, that blanket looks awesome!! However, very sorry for the demise of your camera....though relieved that you'll fully recover.

I've been telling myself all summer that once school starts for my first-grader, things will slow down a little bit. Ahem. That has not been the case...though I have hope that next week after my exam on Tuesday night, I'll be able to actually focus on something long enough to have real results....knitting, housework, or whatever..... I'm so glad to report that my cough is almost gone, and we all have clean underwear, so perhaps the planets are properly aligning for me to actually dig out of the clutter and vacuum a floor....maybe. There's also all of these knitting projects I'm trying to finish this month.

I finished the knitting on the felted bag which has a strap, and felted it today. Not exactly "knitting progress", because it did not involve picking up any needles today, but it is progress toward a finished product, none-the-less... Baby steps, I guess...

The other day you probably noticed that I posted the pattern for the cabled Christmas stocking. I received an e-mail request for it from somebody who was looking at the pattern for the red stocking w/ satin ribbon and who really wanted to make the cabled version, too, which happens to be in the same photo. I'm just really glad to hear once in a while that others might be finding the free patterns useful. Makes it feel more personal, and a little less like just throwing it out there into some vast bottomless cyberspace.

Anyway, more soon, including *real* knitting progress!

Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)

It was an...interesting...trip!

Dear Laura:

Actually, I'm just kidding. The trip went very well! Let's see, this was a numbered list last time, wasn't it?

1. & 2. The final plan and all the vehicles. We have a final plan, now that it is in the past. And actually, the Thursday night at 9:00 pm version was pretty darn close. The oldest of my brothers and his wife left in a semi - about 3 hours later than planned, but that's not bad. The youngest brother and his wife and 3 kids left in their van about an hour later than planned. Again, not bad. And the middle brother and his wife and I left in my SUV about 1/2 an hour later, and we had room for almost everything mom & dad wanted us to bring. So, nothing too interesting here.

3. My three sil's and my mom and I worked just fine in the kitchen. Managed to feed everyone all weekend and always had the dishes done and floor swept, so it worked out. Mom & I did the early breakfast shift, since the wives stayed at the hotel until late in the morning. We had quite a few giggles trying to make the big "biscuits and gravy breakfast" on Saturday - we don't do it very often anymore. Back when we did it EVERY Saturday, we could do it with our eyes closed. (And often did!) Mom remarked that we had enough grease going to put everyone into cardiac arrest. I said, "Yeah, but you know it's how we all want to go!"

4. Turned out to be more fun than interesting!

5. Well, I worked on the foot of a sock during the few daylight hours on the trip down (between episodes of falling asleep!) Once I got there, I buckled down and finished sewing the blanket together.
I had a couple of hours of quiet while the sils and the kids went shopping. The rest of my very limited knitting time was spent dinking around with the border. I finally decided on a crochet shell border - it will take about 3 rounds, I think. However, that heavy blanket and worsted weight yarn have been giving my wrists fits, so I haven't done much in the last few days.

The other wrist issue involves trying to climb a dirt pile on top of a hill, and falling up! (It was not nearly as dignified as it sounds!) No serious injury to me, just an extra ache in my wrist and thumb joint. But my digital camera suffered a fatal blow. I have the pictures that I had taken until then, but it has snapped its last.


Guess that's the recap of the weekend!

Keep knitting!

Cynthia (aka Designated Knitter)

Cabled Christmas Stocking

A pattern by YarnThrower

(These directions are for the cabled off-white stocking shown on the right in the photo. To make the red stocking shown in the photo, go here.)

Make a Christmas Stocking in an evening, using large needles and super bulky yarn! The stocking shown here was made with Plymouth Brand Yukon (35% Mohair, 35% Wool, 30% Acrylic).

(This pattern is the property of YarnThrower and may not be reproduced except for one copy for individual use. If you print or distribute this pattern without YarnThrower's written permission, you are stealing.)

Finished Dimensions:

• Off-white stocking shown is 6 inches wide by 19 inches long

Materials required:

• One skein Plymouth Brand Yukon, or Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick, or any super-bulky weight yarn (category 6) which knits up at about 8 or 9 stitches per four inches in stockinette.
• Set of four size 13 double pointed needles
• Size 13 circular needle, 16 inch (optional -- may use double pointed needles throughout, or may cast stitches onto circular needle and knit most of the sock on the circular needle, though double pointed needles will still be needed at the heel and toe)
• Cable needle
  
• Darning needle
• Scissors

Cast On:

1. Holding two double pointed needles together, cast on 36 stitches tightly over both needles. Carefully pull out one of the needles. This will yield a loose, uniform cast on edge.
2. Divide stitches evenly onto three needles. You will have 12 stitches per needle.

Cuff:

1. Place marker and join to work in the round, knitting one row. (Note that the first 12 stitches knit are on neelde #1, the next 12 stitches knit are on needle #2, and the last 12 stitches knit are on needle #3.)
2. Work in K1 P1 ribbing for five rows.

Leg:
Work 12 rows of Leg Cable Pattern as follows:

• Rows 1-4: Knit.
• Row 5: *K2, place two stitches on cable needle and hold in back of work, K2, then K2 from cable needle*, repeat section between * * five times until end of round.
• Rows 6-10: Knit.
• Row 11: *Place two stitches on cable needle and hold in front of work, K2, then K2 from cable needle, K2*, repeat section between * * five times until end of round.
• Row 12: Knit.

Work 12 rows of cable pattern two more times. Stocking will measure approximately 11 inches after this step is completed.

Heel Flap:

1. Arrange stitches on needles so that the next 18 stitches are on needle #1, and needles # 2 and #3 have 9 stitches each. The heel will be worked back and forth on needle #1.
   
2. Row 1: *Slip one stitch as if to purl, K1*, repeat section between * * until the end of needle #1, turn work.
3. Row 2: S1, purl across, turn work.
4. Rows 3-9: Repeat rows 1-2, ending with row 1.

Turn Heel:
(Note that when you turn work on rows 1-5 in this section, you will not be at the end of the row.)

1. Row 1: P11, P2tog, P1, turn work.
2. Row 2: S1, K5, K2tog, K1, turn work.
3. Row 3: S1, P6, P2tog, P1, turn work.
4. Row 4: S1, K7, K2tog, K1, turn work.
5. Row 5: S1, P8, P2tog, P1, turn work.
6. Row 6: S1, K9, K2tog, K1.

Gusset:

1. Pick-up round (Row 1): Pick-up and knit 8 stitches along right edge of heel flap. Combine instep stitches (those stitches on needles #2 and #3) onto one needle by using a free double pointed needle and knitting across the 18 instep stitches. Using the needle which was just freed up, pick up and knit 8 stitches along left edge of heel flap. Continue knitting with this same needle and knit 6 stitches from the heel. You are now at the center back, the "new" end of round. Move next 6 stitches onto needle #1. Needle #1 should have 14 stitches on it, needle #2 should have 18 stitches on it, and needle #3 should have 14 stitches on it, with yarn end between needle #1 and needle #3.
2. Row 2: Knit across needle #1. Work row 2 of Leg Cable Pattern across needle #2 (the 18 instep stitches). Knit across needle #3.
3. Row 3: Decreasing round. Knit to last three stitches of needle #1, K2tog, K1. work row 3 of Leg Cable Pattern across needle #2. On needle #3, K1, SSK, knit to end of needle.
4. Row 4: Knit across needle #1. Work the next row of Leg Cable Pattern across needle #2. Knit across needle #3.
5. Row 5: Decreasing round. Knit to last three stitches of needle #1, K2tog, K1. Work the next row of Leg Cable Pattern across needle #2. On needle #3, K1, SSK, knit to end of needle.
6. Then, repeat rows 4 and 5 until needles #1 and #3 both have 9 stitches each.
7. Knit across needle #1. Work next row of Leg Cable Pattern across needle #2 (the 18 instep stitches). Knit across needle #3. Repeat this row until 18 rows have been completed since the start of the gusset. (When at this point, row 6 of Leg Cable pattern will have just been completed on instep stitches.)

Toe:

1. Row 1: On next round, knit to last three stitches of needle #1, K2tog, K1. On needle #2, K1, SSK, knit to last three stitches, K2tog, K1. On needle #3, K1, SSK, knit to end of round.
2. Row 2: Knit around.
3. Repeat rows 1 and 2 until there are a total of 16 stitches remaining, stopping at end of round.
4. Continue knitting with needle #3, and knit 4 stitches from needle #1 onto needle #3. You should now have two needles, each with 8 stitches.
5. Cut yarn leaving an 18 inch tail, and use kitchener stitch to close toe.

Finishing:

1. Weave in all ends.
2. Add a crochet chain or I-cord for hanging stocking.

Close, but no cigar......

Dear Laura:

It's been a busy week, and I haven't found as much time as I had hoped for working on the blanket.....so I have missed my "want to be finished" date of September 1st.

Which is not to say I that I have made no progress at all! I did manage to weave in all gazillion ends, so I am quite excited about that! And I've been researching ideas for the border.
The pattern calls for using several long circulars to pick up and knit the stitches along each side, and then along each end. This does not appeal to me. I've toyed with the idea of a crocheted border, and that is a possibility.

I'm also toying with a "knitted on border" type thing. I'm not saying that it would be faster or easier, but it seems kind of like a fun challenge to figure out. I'll keep you posted.

I haven't decided whether or not to take it along to work on this weekend. It's "the big weekend." My 3 brothers and their wives and 3 of the kids and I are all driving to Kentucky to mom & dad's place. Now, overall this is a fun thing. There are however, details.

1. We are Hall's. The only time a plan is "final" is when it's over. Past tense. Future plans are really more "possibilities." This is not always popular with those who have married into the family. 2 of my sil's announced that if there was not a final plan by 9:00 pm on Thursday, they were staying home. I'm interested to see if the 9:00 plan works out to be "final!"

2. There are several issues to juggle - all the things that my parents would like for us to bring along, how much space is available for that, how many and what vehicles are needed and wanted.....the logistics of 10 people, 1-2 semi-trucks and more than one van can be quite daunting. Once again, it will be interesting.....

3. The "main house" at my parents is a "mobile home." There is a "guest cottage" on the property, which is an RV trailer parked on the hill. (I'm sorry - I just find it amusing! You can't have a stereotype without there being a sense of "true" to it!) Jeff Foxworthy would have a field day! Anyway, they have gotten hotel rooms to supply enough beds, but I also think that it will be interesting to deal with feeding 12 people for three days out of that tiny kitchen.

4. It seems that I find many of the details about this trip "interesting."

5. Of course, the most important decision for me is what knitting to take. It's the first category on my list. Right now it says,
Socks
Irish Hiking Scarf
Cotton yarn and needles for Chris (who wants to learn to knit washcloths)
Blanket?
Now, I will obviously not run out of projects if I take any one of these things, but that doesn't mean that I still won't be inspired to take another project or two along...just in case.

So, that's the news from here. I hope that you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, and....

Keep knitting!!

Cynthia (aka Designated Knitter)

Bag with Shoulder Strap

Dear Cynthia,

WOW -- I LOVE the blanket, and am anxious to see it completely put together!! Yeah, the whole intarsia thing with the hanging bobbins and the guesstimations of yarn amounts is sort of a thorn in my side, too, though I really like the way it looks. I guess that's why we have the "big picture" in mind when we're doing that sort of thing. As Allison said in one of her comments in recent weeks, "...nothing says "I love you" quite like intarsia....." I read a hint in the Spring 2006 Interweave Knits which suggested to estimate the number of stitches you'll be knitting in a particular color, and wind your yarn around the needle that many times to get the amount of yarn to put in your bobbin. I've been doing that, though I usually put in a little extra because of allowing the wraps around my needle to overlap, and its been working out as well as can be expected, for an estimation anyway..... I hesitate to put this in print, but I haven't run out of yarn doing it this way, yet.....

I've been working on my bag pattern. I finished the bottom using garter stitch with miters. Then, I went back up to the top and carefully removed my waste yarn as I knit each of the top stitches. I added a top band, and have now completed one of the strap gussets and am well on my way to knitting the strap. This would be a good time for me to learn how to knit backwards, though I'd have to figure out how to purl each edge stitch backwards, too..... I'm sure there must be some way. I'll let you know....but it's about time I learned how to knit backwards, anyway.....

I might be repeating myself here....but, after staying home with small children for the past six years, and providing day care for a third child this week, if all that's wrong with my brain is repeating things, then I'm feeling pretty good. In any case.....the pattern, which I'm hoping to have available in mid-September as a joint project with YarnBotanika, and also sold separately on our blog, will include directions for two versions of a felted bag. One version will use a purchased wood handle. The other version will have a shoulder strap. Both will have similar bottom constructions done with mitered garter stitch and ZERO seaming. The pattern will also have some options for needle felting a design onto the felted bag using assorted bits of fiber. I'm still toying with the idea of including instructions for lining it, too, though I might just put that as a sidebar item in the blog. There are a number of details remaining to be worked out regarding this, but at least the pattern itself is coming together after several iterations on how to make the top of the bag and the strap. But, so far I'm pleased with this version and hope to be felting it by the end of the week.

Well, I should get some more chores done before all of the kids get up from quiet time today, so I'll close. Again, congrats on your blanket!! That was a tremendous undertaking, and your results, even not sewn together, already look stunning!

Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)

After three years....off the needles!

Dear Laura:

Whew!! That's all I can say. Whew!! (Well, that plus the nasal rinse thing sounds really bad!)

I finished the knitting on the blanket with intarsia flowers. It's not fair to say that it took three years to knit. There was a huge gap in there. I started the blanket during my niece's senior year in high-school, intending it as a graduation present. I had 3 of the 5 strips done by graduation, and sewed them together so she could get an idea of how it would look. My second goal was to finish it by time she moved into her dorm at college. I think I might have had the 4th strip done by then. That left the final strip with 4 intarsia squares. That was 2 years ago.

I had never done intarsia, so I didn't know what I was getting into. You know how they tell you to wind bobbins of yarn for the colors you'll use? That seemed like a waste to me. How would you know how much to wind? What if you had lots of little bits left over? What if you didn't wind enough and had to join more yarn? Of course, I found out pretty quickly that I might need several chunks of the same color, but even then, I just wound a quick little ball and moved on. I cannot express the mess that was the back of those squares. My yarn was ALWAYS tangled, and I couldn't really even tell if I was getting things twisted correctly.

I told myself that it was lanquishing because with all the colors, it wasn't a portable project. The truth is I never touched it even when I was knitting at home. I didn't know which was worse, the thought of more twisted yarn or the guilt of not finishing it. And all those ends to weave in!

Well, the next niece is going to be a senior this year, and there is no way that I can shop for yarn for her blanket until this is done. When I finished the baptismal shawl, I vowed to not knit on anything else until the blanket is done. I set a goal of finished by September 1st. And I stopped being so stubborn. I wound bobbins of yarn, and was surprised by how much that helped. And knitting backwards instead of purling meant that I never had to "turn" the work and so the strands didn't wind around so bad. I can't believe how much better it went.

Getting it off the needles this afternoon was great. After supper, I visited with my sil and wove in the ends of the two strips that are not sewn together. I'll finish the ends in the sewn together strips before I add the last two. Then a crochet border, and blocking. Whew.

Then I have some socks in mind, and a scarf...perhaps another shawl. And I've already told my next niece - no flowers!! :)


Keep knitting! (And, um...rinsing....)

Cynthia (aka Designated Knitter)

Deadline knitting

Dear Cynthia,

This past week, my family and I had a really great trip to Chicago. We parked our van in Kenosha and took the Metra line into town. We went to the Shedd Aquarium, which we all loved, especially the dolphins, and the Field Museum, and the Children's Museum. Plus, lots of walking and some trips on the Elevated and a bus and a trolley. (We bought a three-day CTA pass, which allowed us unlimited rides on public transportation during our stay.) It could only have been better if I had been getting sleep. My incessant coughing kept me up for all but two hours just about every night of our trip, and on our way back home, my husband dropped me off at Urgent Care. My eyes had been pouring out a gross, opaque discharge, were all red, and very puffy. And, there was this coughing thing..... Anyway, some antibiotic eye drops seem to have helped with my eyes, and now I'm using this "neti pot" (see photo) a few times a day. It's not a very fun process, but the results are worth it. In case you aren't familiar with it, it is basically used to mix up a solution of salt, baking soda, and water, and then to pour that solution into one nostril and let it come out the other nostril. Irrigation, they say. A half of a cup seems like a lot when you are pouring it into your nostril and watching it come out the other side. Rinse and repeat with the other nostril.....

Okay, knitting, right?!! That's what this blog is about?? I have several deadline knitting projects.

First is this felted bag. It is being knit from the middle down to the bottom. Then, it will be finished by knitting from the middle up. More on this as it progresses. I'm really going to try to have the knitting completed on it by the end of this week.

Second is this mystery project. I'm about halfway through the first ball of yarn (220 yards per ball), and I'm going to use all of both of these balls, so I have a little ways to go yet, with slow but sure progress.

Finally, my Foulard, which must be done by mid-month for a gift, and which looks just as it did the last time I showed it to you.

Also, I want to put a lining in one of my felted bags, and will show you that when I get to it, hopefully this week.

In a moment of insanity, but mostly because I wanted to help somebody out, I agreed to care for a two-year-old this week, five days, nine hours per day. She is a really sweet little girl, and her parents fired their current day-care-provider, and so desperately needed somebody to help out. I thought of all of the times other moms helped me out over the years, and decided that it's nice that we moms can all be flexible for each other and try to help each other out. Plus, it is a little bit of money for me to spend however I want (yarn?? Master Knitter 2nd level course??). And so, that means getting my meals planned and grocery shopping all done today for the week, so that I don't have to take three kids with me to the grocery store -- because I still haven't mastered taking only two of them there while remaining completely sane.....

Stay tuned for knitting progress as it happens (hopefully!!). And as you always say, "Keep knitting"!

Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)

I'm going backwards....and proud of it!

Dear Laura:

Well, it was quite a weekend!

I've been working on "the blanket that will not die" pretty steadily. It's complex intarsia, with beads. After finishing the baptismal shawl, I dug it out and untangled all the yarn and "located" the directions and charts. I determined that I had 3 striped squares (easy-peasy) and 3 crazy intarsia squares left to knit.

I've finished one of each and am on the 2nd-to-the-last intarsia squares. Here's a picture of the process.

Is it any wonder that I don't love intarsia!?!?!

On Saturday, Not Worthy and The Rebellious Pastor's Wife came over to knit and watch a ball game. The big event was that Not Worthy finished her very first project!! She made a hat from Cascade 220, a basic hat pattern knitted in the round with a picot-edge hem. She did a great job! (Stop by her blog to see a picture!) She is now hard at work on her second project, a pair of Fuzzy Feet slippers. I think it's a great intro to socks - it goes quickly because it's going to be felted. She has already finished the cuff and the heel flap - she off and running now!

(I also had a report back from The Rebellious Pastor's Wife. While here (working on her lace scarf) she even mentioned that she can't work on lace in a group setting where she will be talking. She reported the next day that she is going to have to redo everything she did while telling us that!)

I worked on a stripe block of the blanket, so that was pretty mindless stockinette stitch. I also paged through The Knitters Handbook by XRX to see if there was information that might be helpful to a beginner. Then I noticed that in the knitting intstructions, they included a great demonstration of knitting backwards, which I have been curious about and unable to imagine.

That evening, when I started the next instarsia square, I gave it a try. I knitted the first row, then instead of turning and purling back, I "knitted backwards" across the row. It worked so well that I continued to do that, even when I got to the place where I was changing colors. In fact, I can see using that instead of purling fairly often. It seems particularily well suited to the Continental or left-handed knitter.

The baptism on Sunday was wonderful. I got all choked up, seeing my very first Godchild bringing her first child to the font. And wrapped in the lace shawl that I made as well! ;) They really loved the shawl, and that was great. We had a dinner at their house after the service and I got to hold that pretty little girl for quite a while.

Click on the picture for a summary of the project in pictures.....


Whew!

Keep knitting!!
Cynthia (aka Designated Knitter)

Loose Ends

Dear Cynthia,

It's time for me to catch up on a little knitting business.....

First of all, regarding your comment about my kids having my analytical abilities, I must assure you that things in life seem to balance out sometimes, and both kids have also received some less attractive genes, such as those related to being anally retentive, and also a large serving of independence. The latter is really a good trait, too, I suppose, though within limits, which the boys have not yet learned, as it looks a little bit more like defiance to me on most days.

To answer Marie's question, yes, I am knitting the sleeve in the round. (Also, don't ever worry about "ignorance" around here! One of the great things about knitting is that no matter what a person knows about it, there are always soooo many more things to learn and experiment with.) My least favorite part of knitting is weaving in the ends, and next to that is sewing seams, so whenever I think it will work okay, I typically try to use techniques which minimize the number of seams I must sew. Since this sweater is a simple "dropped sleeve" construction, it works great to just knit the sleeve in the round. If it wasn't for the striping on the cuff, I would have picked up my stitches at the armhole and worked in the round down to the cuff (but because of the stripes, and being anally retentive, I didn't want the little "vee's" of the stitches for the stripes to be "upside down" as compared to the stripes on the body of the sweater).....

And finally, Allison, thank you for your kind comments!!

No snapshots today, as I am under the weather. I've had a sore throat the past few days, and yesterday we had a party to celebrate both kids' birthdays with relatives (that way everybody only has to make the trip once), so today I'm trying to take it easy for a little while this morning. The sore throat is much better, though not gone, and other cold symptoms have appeared to take its place. Tonight, the quartet I'm in (Madison Marimba Quartet) has a concert in Milwaukee, so I'll be relying on Day-Quil in order to function. However, it does not diminish the fact that I'll have two hours of knitting time in the car!!!!! (Nice, because yesterady I had a complete day without knitting **gasp**). Since we've got a full week planned (more on that later), I won't be able to post again until Saturday, so I hope everybody has a great week!

Also, just wondering how things went with the baptism! I'm sure that everybody was very impressed with your baptismal shawl!! I want to see it in person some time!!

Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)

Showing my literary ignorance.....

Dear Cynthia,

As you know, I've been tagged.....from here.....

I'm sure there must be an easier way to do this, but I can't figure out how to paste something into Blogger (unless it is a jpg file), so I'll use the cave-man method and type the whole thing in. (If anybody knows of a better way to do this, I'm all ears!)

1. One book that changed your life:
Hmmm...."changed" is a pretty strong word, but I often think about To Kill a Mockingbird, because I've encountered a few people similar to Boo Radley in my life, and so I think about that sometimes. And, I read it in high school during a year when I had an awesome English teacher.
2. One book you've read more than once:
Hmmm... It is probably non-fiction, and probably knitting, something like certain sections of Vogue Knitting, and certain sections of The Opinionated Knitter. Does the Bible count? I've read that more than once.
3. One book you'd want on a desert island: (Note: not the ONLY book)
Hmmm.... I am clearly a literary idiot. I've never read Harry Potter, though my dad has the whole series, so I might ask to borrow it at some point -- May I take the Harry Potter series
with me to the desert island?
4. One book that made you laugh:
When I was pregnant, I read The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy" (or something like that) and I recall a part that mentioned how a husband is not supposed to mention anything about cows, or something like that, and another part about giant underwear, which made me laugh hysterically, though it doesn't seem as funny right now. Also, a couple of the Yarn Harlot's books.
5. One book that made you cry:
Where the Red Fern Grows, when I was a kid. I was at an orchestra rehearsal, and didn't have to play on one of the pieces, and so I was reading this book and sobbing.
6. One book that you wish had been written:
How to Effortlessly Raise a Child Who Becomes a God-Fearing Contributing Member of Society and Who Doesn't Talk Back to Mommy
7. One book that you wish had never been written:
Well....in general.....I think that college text books are updated too frequently, and it is a waste of paper, and poor students' money, etc., to have to purchase the "current" edition even though it is 99% the same as the prior edition which the same poor students' room-mate already has and no longer needs and would give it up for cheap....so, new editions to perfectly good text books are the ones I wish had never been written. (Okay, so I'm carrying some baggage about this, because I just purchased my course materials for my Developmental Psych class which I start in another couple of weeks, and it was $128.!!!! When I was in college the first time, I could get four text books for that price!!
8. One book you're currently reading:
Ummmm.... yes, literary idiot right now... I have some mysteries waiting to be read, and am skimming through the Yarn Harlot's latest....but only after I've pored through the latest issue of Interweave Knits again.....
9. One book you've been meaning to read:
The Notebook
10. Now tag eight people....
Hmmm....

When I was a kid, I used to read a lot. When I was in college, I only had one English class, and it was a literature class, and I hated it. I could never figure out all of the symbolism in the books, and it was a big effort for me to read some of the material with comprehension. I think I've got some mental blocks in that area. Anyway.....

Well, it's been a dreary, rainy day here today, and the boys and I are feeling a little bit cooped up. I should get going on making some dinner, and then maybe some, ummm, knitting tonight?

Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)

Scattered

Dear Cynthia,

My knitting lately has been a little bit scattered. I'm continuing to work on the "I Love You" sweater, though I can't haul it out during the day, because the boys would notice the design and it is intended to be one of their Christmas surprises. Here is the first sleeve. I'm working paired M1 increases, which is my current favorite way of "invisibly" increasing, though, of course, it is obvious that there is a "seam" forming between the lines of increase.....

Then, I'm also working on a pattern for Yarn Botanika. It is going to be a felted bag, having a needle felting design on it, and it will be sold as part of a needle felting kit. I was pretty happy with the prototype bag, so I only made a couple of changes as I knit this "production" version which has not been felted yet. This one will have wooden handles, like the prototype. However, the pattern will also include another version which will have a sturdy shoulder strap instead of the handles. I have the yarn for that, and will be starting on that in the next few days.

YAY -- I *finally* received my Cast On magazine today! It is for "August - October", so I have been anxiously checking my mailbox every day since mid-July, wondering when it would get here. It contains an article highlighting changes to the Master Knitter program, done mostly for clarification of the requirements, but a hat is now also required for level 1. I think the Master Knitter program is a great thing. Even as an experienced knitter, I learned a lot when I completed level 1, mostly about creating a final product which is more "hand-made" than "home-made". I chuckled at a comment in the Cast On magazine about the"proliferation of knitting books churned out to meet the growing market of knitters. The photographs of knitting patterns in some of these books would not be accepted as a swatch in this program." I think that is very true, though a difficult message to convey without creating a sense of eliteness. Anyway, one of these days, I'm going to order the level two materials, but I have a lot of knitting to do for Christmas before that.....

Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)

"I love you" sweater

Dear Cynthia,

Regarding your shawl, the only word which comes to mind and which accurately captures my admiration for it is a word I've heard my six year old say for only the most extraordinary: Whoa! (Sidenote: Very relieved here that the math held up and you didn't run out of yarn!) Seriously, it is beautiful, and that isn't a word which I use liberally.

I'm working on the first (of two) "I love you" sweaters. A couple of years ago, on the PBS (which is the only channel I let my kids watch, except for the occasional Wheel of Fortune) show "Mr. Rogers", he was talking about how a person might say "1 4 3" as another way to say "I love you" (substituting a letter count for each word in the phrase). So the boys and I started saying that to each other in place of "I love you" sometimes. My kids have a little picnic table in our play room, and they have spent countless hours drawing pictures there on scrap paper which my dh brings home from work. One day, they were chatting and drawing and ended up figuring out that a circle may be made with one stroke of a crayon, a square with four strokes, and a triangle with three strokes, so they started saying "circle square triangle" as another way to say "I love you". So, last year for Christmas, my dh had an artist friend work up some necklace designs using "circle square triangle" as the central motif, the boys selected one of those designs, and then the artist made a beautiful necklace for me, which was my Christmas gift from my kids, and which I LOVE! And so this year, I wanted to do something special for my boys using that theme.

And so, here is the almost completed front of the sweater for my three year old (who has big, deep, brown eyes). He'll notice the design on the front for sure. What he doesn't know is that using five "butterflies", plus another ball of yarn on each side for the background (total of seven working yarns), is what really says "I love you" on this sweater. It was a tangled mess, but for only 16 rows, it worked out fine, I could deal with it. Looking at it now in the picture, I wonder if I placed the design a little bit high on the front.....hmm.... Maybe it's just the camera angle.....

Here's the back without the ends woven in.

I got up early to make muffins this morning. The Inn we stayed in last week had a packet of recipes which guests could take home with them, and I had three rotting bananas greet me on the return from our trip, so the Inn's muffins are baking now and will be done in about five minutes.

It has been a long time since you and I took some time to just sit and knit someplace. I'll put this little bug in your ear: Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival..... It's not Lake Michigan, but, well, you know.....

Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)

Fini....

Dear Laura:

Well, I guess my cut finger did kind of rattle me Friday evening. Somehow, my blog post ended up being published three times! Got that fixed the next morning. I knew it wasn't in any way a serious injury - I've had worse cuts - but I needed a couple of extra hands to get it properly bandaged to stop the bleeding. I went through the same thing a couple of months ago with a deeper cut, and that kept breaking open for days. I've lived alone for so long that I rarely even notice it, but then every-so-often something like this kinda freaks me out a bit!

Anyway, Saturday morning was better, I could get a good bandage going, and so I sat down and FINISHED the shawl! I knitted the final two rows and then the crochet edging/cast-off. This pattern called for crocheting through the live stitches as part of the edging, so it also functioned as binding off. Of course, I pictured a "quick-crochet edging" and it took several hours, but then it was off the needles!!! And looked like this......




At this point I...hmm, I think I forgot to measure the diameter at this point or else I've forgotten the result. I know that I was hoping to get 42" blocked. I soaked it and laid it out to block.

That sounds so casual, doesn't it? "Laid it out to block." Man, that took an hour right there! There were probably somewhere around 180 little "points" to pin!! And the good news is that it blocked out to the full 48" that I originally was shooting for, so I'm very happy.

I'm sorry I didn't have anything dark to put under the blocking, so the picture doesn't show well, but here it is, in all its pinned glory.



I'm going to try to get some better pictures, and also some pictures on the big day, and then I'll pull together the "Shawl Story" and publish a link to that next week.

Whew. I may need to sit down here for a minute....

Sounds like Door County was just the right choice. Think it might be a good location for a knitting retreat? We haven't really done anything like that for a while, so we'll have to keep that in mind!

Keep knitting!

Cynthia (aka Designated Knitter)

God's Country, INDEED!

Dear Cynthia,

I was sorry to read about your accident, but am glad that it sounds like you will be okay. By now, I hope that things are better with your finger, and that you are able to knit a little bit.... And don't forget -- you could always "throw" your yarn (**gasp**). Make sure your tetanus is up-to-date! On a side note, it is awesome that you are so close to finishing! I'm looking forward to seeing it blocking, or blocked, though even as a round little pile of lace, it has a presence!

Our trip was fabulous! Door County has been largely un-developed, and they are working hard to keep it that way. It is beautiful to behold, indeed. Plus, lots of cherry orchards and some grapes and wineries, so a steady supply of wine, too! And, here's a snap of the walls adjacent to the jetted tub in our room at the Inn:The blockers on the far right were close to my foot size, but my husband thought the innkeepers would notice their absence if I took them.

This is a building which has grass growing on the top of it:The locals indicate that this would be normal if the building was actually in Sweden (it is a Swedish restaurant -- Al Johnson's). As a practical joke one day, a guy put a goat on top of it, and the owner liked it so much that he left the goat there (and added some more). Very fun to see three or four goats walking around on the roof, though I'm not sure how much the goats like it!.And, of course, there was Lake Michigan. We hiked next to it, biked next to it, walked on the beach, drove by it, went sailing on it, and kayaked on it (if you are ever wondering if your butt will get wet while kayaking, the answer is "yes", so definitely, if you are thinking about what to wear, a swim suit would be an excellent choice). Also, our Inn was adjacent to it, so we spent a lot of time overlooking it from our balcony (a PERFECT location to KNIT!!) The weather was magnificent, and now that we are home, back in our normal house in our city neighborhood, we more fully recognize what a "gift" we had in taking a trip like that. Today it is "reality" again, with the laundry aftermath and figuring out what to make for dinner.

In the meantime, maybe I'll knit a little bit to help ease the transition.....

Warm regards,
Laura (aka YarnThrower)
P.S. My next post will have knitting content -- I promise!

It's my own fault.....

Dear Laura:

You would think I would know better. I'm certainly old enough and experienced enough to know better.

I've been faithfully working on the shawl. Yesterday, when I had a mere 4 rows to go, I started boldly announcing to everyone in sight that I would stay up Friday night as long as it takes to get it off the needles, block it on Saturday and it would be displayed at work and the shop next week.

The Baptism is set for Sunday, August 20, so it would be done a full week early.

I knit the first of the 4 rows at lunch, and then sat down this evening to finish the last 3 rows. I finished the first in about 25 minutes. I took a break to put my dogs to bed in their kennels. As I shut off the light, my finger grazed a sharp edge on something and sliced open.

It's a bleeder. I've spent 1/2 an hour trying to get a clean bandage on it without....well, let's just say it isn't pretty. And it isn't just any old finger, it's the index finger of my left hand - the one I pull the yarn over. There's no way I'm dragging that lovely white silk/merino blend over that finger-that-seeps-blood until there has been some healing over.

I'm on the DL.

I shouldn't have gone around announcing that the thing was all but done.

Keep knitting!

Cynthia (aka Designated Knitter)

So close....

Dear Laura:

Four rows to go!! 3200 stitches, then a crocheted edging. So very close! These last four rows of knitting have no pattern - it's four rows of plain stockinette. *k1* repeat 3200 times! ;)

As I knit the final row with pattern repeats, I did a final count of each repeat and removed the stitch markers all the way around, so now it looks like this, all plain and white and frothy!

I also have forgotten to note a very important tip. When knitting lace, put away those fun little "charm" stitch markers. I was using one to mark the beginning/end of a round. One day it caught on a stitch a few rows back, and by time I could rescue the thing, I had a good size pull of yarn to work back in.

I like to use small pieces of scrap yarn tied into a small loop for stitch markers. On most projects, the plastic rings leave an "uneven" place between stitches where I knitted around them. I don't have that problem with yarn markers. Plus I always have little bits of yarn in my bag somewhere for those emergency marking needs!

As soon as this is blocking, I'm going to focus entirely on my intarsia blanket that I have been knitting for my niece. Yes, the one that was her graduation present. Just over 2 years ago. (Shame)

I need to get that done and out of the way....because I have another niece who is a senior this year and it's time to get going on her blanket already. (I already told her no flowers. NO intarsia!)

Hope you're having a great trip - we're about to get a bodacious storm!!

Keep knitting,

Cynthia (aka Designated Knitter)

Almost......

Dear Laura:

Congratulations on your 10th anniversary! I hope you have a wonderful trip. I've heard that Door County is a wonderful place.

Well, I don't have pictures either. Frankly, my shawl doesn't look like much other than a pile of yarn. You know the stage, you've been there...... I did make good progress over the weekend, I think around 8 rows. Let's see, that works out to 800 stitches per row times 8 rows = 6400 stitches! I did a pattern row at lunch today and 2 plain rows tonight and discovered that a row is about 45 minutes of knitting.

Also to report is that I finished the first ball of yarn - 600 yards!! I definitely needed the 2nd ball, but there is no way that I would have needed the third, so it looks like your math is holding up!

I've done more math - it's difficult to really measure the current diameter while it's all bunched up on the circular needle. I've used the numbers from the pattern, and I've determined that if I do 9 more rows, I should be at 46" blocked. The next ending place would be about 18 rows hence, and I don't think I reasonably have time for that. So, 9 more rows, then a crochet edging - my goal is to be blocking by the weekend. That's doable, I think. YAY!!

I'm anxious to move on to something else, but I have to say that if I didn't need to have it done in the next week or two, I'd be doing other things to break the monotony and I'd happily finish the full 68" that the pattern calls for. In fact, I've thought about pulling a lifeline of the thread through and working on it again after the baptism. I could go as far as the yarn would take me, and then it would be large enough to be a shawl to be worn in 20 years or so for a wedding...;)

Besides the knitting, I spent the weekend at home and got things done. I have to say, I love getting to Sunday night and knowing that I have lunches for the week done, the kitchen clean, and laundry done (which includes folded and put away - I know, I know, I never do that...but I like it!) Yesterday was a beautiful day, so I bleached all the sheets, towels and washcloths and hung them on the line. (My inner city girl and inner country girl are often conflicted, but I do love my clothesline!!) There is nothing as wonderful as climbing into a bed newly made with sheets from the line!

Also, I've "joined" Sandy in an effort to "kick the can" and give up diet coke. I've been needing a final push for that...so, I had my last one this morning. I'm officially "off the juice!"

Have a great trip....and keep knitting!!

Cynthia (aka Designated Knitter)

In a hurry -- Gotta run.....

Dear Cynthia,

There has been plenty-o-knitting around here lately, and I have photos to prove it, but Blogger is not allowing them today, and to be honest, they weren't all that exciting, anyway......

The design I submitted to Knitty made its way into the "maybe" pile, requiring a few revisions for reconsideration, so I've been working away on that. I want to add, also, that Elizabeth (Stash Amassed Beyond Life Expectancy (SABLE) -- isn't that a great knitter's acronym?) came to my rescue by offering to take some MUCH better photos of the existing piece which I submitted. If you haven't checked out the patterns she has for sale on The Garter Belt, it's definitely worth a peek over there. They have four designers, and some wonderful and practical patterns!

In addition to that, I started my Christmas knitting. I've almost completed the back of an "I love you" sweater for my three-year-old. It is NOT going to say "I love you" on it, but I'll explain more about the design, which will appear on the front of it, when time permits. Right now it looks a lot like the back of the Big "A" sweater which I made for my nephew, a pattern which I promised to post, and will, though I am test-knitting it right now as I make this new sweater.

And, the Foulard is still moving along, and each row is SHORTER than the previous row, something I never experienced on the Summer in Kansas, but something which I have to say I like! Here I am at about 120 stitches per row.

I'm trying to get this posted in a hurry, because I still have a lot to get done today before we leave for our vacation tomorrow morning. DH and I are celebrating our ten-year wedding anniversary this week, so our boys are going to Grandma's and Grandpa's house for a few days (and they are so excited about the fun they will have that they don't even seem to have figured out that this is a nice arrangement for DH and me, too). We're going to Door County (on Wisconsin's peninsula, and just beautiful from what I'm told -- the Cape Cod of the Midwest, with rocky cliffs, etc -- truly GOD'S COUNTRY!!) until Friday, so I won't have computer access for a few days.

Have a great week!
Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)

WHERE'S WALDO? (Amazing Lace, Challenge #5)

For this challenge of The Amazing Lace, each contestant is supposed to "hide" his/her lace in plain sight.

Can you find Summer in Kansas in this photo?(Thank you in advance for ignoring our 1970's kitchen cabinets. Also, please note that we have two microwaves only because one of them does not really work, and it happens to be the one which is built in and we are waiting to get rid of it for the someday when we will remodel the kitchen.)

Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)

Lucky

Dear Cynthia,

Your shawl sounds beautiful, and you have a great game plan for finishing it on time for the baptism. You probably already know this....I've read in a few places that blocking will increase the size of your shawl by about 33%, so blocking your shawl today would yield close to a 36 inch diameter!

If I was going to give my prototype bag (which I just finished today) a name, I'd have to call it "Lucky", because that's how I feel about the outcome of the whole thing. It began as a hap-hazard color adventure, and I was relying on math alone for estimating the finished size. Really, the whole project was a leap of faith, because so much depended on what would happen during the process of felting it in the washer. Plus, I had only minimal design criteria:

1. It had to fit the handles which I already purchased
2. It had to be sized to carry a knitting magazine and a bunch of other crap

Anyway, here is what it looked like with the knitting completed and looking very huge, ready to be put into the washer (side view):There seems to be a lot of knitting discussion about mitered corners lately, so I thought I'd try some to close up the bottom (view of bag bottom before felting):
After a trip through the washing machine, the new view of the bag bottom and sides:
The "tan" yarn didn't felt very well. It was a "Kool-Aid dying project gone bad", and it was originally a very light color, which I probably shouldn't have expected to felt well. The red yarn which I carried with it shrunk enough, however, to pull it all together, so it just adds a little texture....


But, does it meet my design criteria? Let's see:It holds the latest issue of Vogue Knitting, with room for a lot of crap. Lucky!

Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)

Knitting in circles....

Dear Laura:

That's what I'm doing. I just keep knitting around and around. It doesn't look much different from day to day or week to week. Right now each row takes about 20 minutes. The pattern repeats have gotten easier to memorize, so that helps. Every 4-row repeat adds about an inch in diameter.

The baby that I'm knitting this for has been born! GN3 (great-niece #3) was born on July 27th and she is an absolute darling! I got a chance to see her and hold her on Sunday.

I read somewhere of an old tradition that if a master knitter places knitting needles in the hands of a baby, they will grow up to be a master knitter (I'm technically in the master knitter program.....) This is my new "thing." I give all the new babies knitting needles! Ok, before all the screaming about safety, I obviously don't just hand them the needles and see what happens! I keep ahold of them too! And since it looks less scary ( and IS less scary!), I hand them the cable of a pair of circulars with the points down! No sense letting them flail away with long pointy sticks!

So it looks like her Baptism will be in the next couple of weeks, so I really have to keep at this. Once I know the date, I have to subtract 2 days for blocking and a day for the crochet trim. (Thank heavens there isn't a knitted on border!) So, I'll knit like mad until 3 days before the Baptism. If I had to stop right now, it would be about 28" diameter before blocking, so it would be the bare minimum size for a baby blanket. I can't wait to see how much it grows when I block it! Every additional inch now is making it look better....

Around and around she goes...where she stops, nobody knows!!

Keep knitting!

Cynthia (aka Designated Knitter)

Knitting with Broomsticks and Rope

Dear Cynthia,

I'm not *actually* knitting with broomsticks and rope, but it seems that way.

(By the way, thanks **so much** to everybody who commented about my Summer in Kansas! It is sooo nice to be able to share the "thrill of victory" with others, and I really appreciated your kind words!)

As quite a contrast to my shawl (lace weight yarn, size 5 needles), I'm now working on my own design for a felted bag (double strand of worsted weight, size 13 needles). I bought some yarn to use for this project, but then I thought I'd make a (slightly smaller) prototype version, first.....just to make sure that my calculations about what is going to happen when I shrink it in the washer are at least in the ball park (though now that I think about it, a swatch would have been MUCH quicker).....(but hey, if it turns out nicely, I'll have a hostess gift to take with me on a trip later this summer.....). And so, I've pulled out my bag of leftover worsted weight 100% feltable wool, and am sort of hap-hazardly putting the colors together as I go.... I'm also thinking (hoping?) that the colors will be somewhat muted once it is felted, but we'll see! I'll be sure to share the "before" and "after" photos with you! I'm roughly halfway done with the knitting, and expect it will all be completed in the next few days.....

Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)

Blocking -- Everything it's cracked up to be!

Dear Cynthia,

After today, you won't have to hear me droning on and on about Summer in Kansas any more.

Here is a snap just prior to blocking -- distance from the neckline to the point in back is 27 inches, and there is plenty of room for it on the folded sheet.

Here is a snap as it is blocking -- distance from the neckline to the point in back is 36 inches, and it no longer fits completely on the folded sheet.
It grew about 33% by blocking it. That little "vee" shape dip on the neckline edge is a feature of the pattern, so that it sits nicely on the shoulders.

I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome (though, for the record, I don't see myself ever wearing it again with a daisy print dress and in the midst of the ugliest cabinets in the world).I keep thinking I want to make another patterned shawl **right away**, and I keep reminding myself that I have other deadlines looming, such as a felted bag pattern which I'm just starting to work up, a sweater for each of my boys for Christmas, and a Noni bag for my mom, also for Christmas..... Plus, I want to get going on level two of the Master Knitter program (which I haven't purchased yet), and the usual socks which are always hanging around...... Another shawl will have to wait, right???

Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)

How the lace is going.......

Dear Laura:

First of all, congratulations on finishing the counting!! That's such a great place to be! And your shawl is gorgeous.....

I wish I could say the same.

There have been a few......issues.

I don't think I posted about this, but.....I carry the lace project in this zippered bag. I like to have it protected from any hazards when it is being transported. A while back, when I unzipped the bag to work on it, the yarn was caught in the zipper. I worked around and fiddled with it, and in the end, I cut the yarn, did a Russian join and moved on. After that I was careful to "wrap" the pattern around the project before I put it in the bag to keep it from the zipper.

Just last week, a little bit got caught again, but I was able to get it out without cutting. That evening, I got it out to show my brother that I had finally gotten past the part that was kickin' my behind on a regular basis, and discovered that I had snagged it, and there was a pulled piece of yarn about 5" long. (My brother observed that I had it coming for saying that the hard part was over!) I was able to carefully work the pull back into place and I moved on. ( I also got a plastic ziploc to put the lace in, and then THAT goes in the zippered bag. I learn eventually!)

Despite my confidence that it's all downhill from here, I decided to put in a lifeline and spread it out for a picture. My lifeline wasn't long enough to spread all the way, but this gives you an idea of the progress from the center flower. I love looking at the pictures - it's easier to see the actual pattern in the picture than just looking at the lace.

So, back on the needles and off we go. I did a pattern row at lunch, and then started the first of three plain rows. And got through a couple of pattern repeats when I noticed this. There is a column of circles, and I missed one. The one right BEFORE the lifeline. I carefully counted each repeat, but didn't notice that I'd skipped the circle.

*Sigh* I'm thinking of trying to fix it without going back. I'll let you know how it goes!

Keep knitting!

Cynthia (aka Designated Knitter)

Late Update..........

Ta da! It wasn't too bad of a fix.....which is good, because I've discovered that I need the fix in all 7 repeats of the pattern......possibly knitters with my concentration level aren't cut out for lace, but I'm gonna keep going......

No More Counting

Dear Cynthia,

Well, I suppose there will be more counting again for other projects, but for Summer in Kansas, my counting days are done. (YAY!)

I finished all 890 rows of the knitted on border.

Then, I did the knitting and purling to pick up the stitches along the top edge. All that remains is to complete the "picot bind-off", which is another new technique (of many) I learned during this project, but which isn't too bad....and then, what we've all been waiting for.....The Blocking. I'll hopefully have pictures of that to show you on Wednesday!

Marie -- Thank you for your kind comments to the blog! I haven't picked out which colors I'm going to use for the Noni bag yet. If you think of any colors which you think would be particularly nice, I'm all ears! I'm also sort of watching Wendy's progress on her Noni bag (scroll down toward the end of her posting). She is adding feet to hers, a zipper, a lining, and handles of course.....so I'll be watching what she posts later today to see how it's going.

Time to finish this week's grocery list. Mondays are really busy days here, because I try to get most of my big "chores" completed on Mondays.....

Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)