Bi-craftual?

I think I’m officially bi-craftual. I have the crochet bug for certain, but have also started two new knitting projects!

Last Wednesday I started a new afghan based on this pattern from Lion Brand, a super-duper easy shell pattern. It just flies off the hook!

A little time here and there and I have about 20 inches, or about a third done And all yarns are coming from the stash, which makes me warm and glowy inside.

On the knitting front, a little story.

One. I’ve never knit with cashmere, the 100% variety. I do love its softness and warmth just as much as the next rabid fiberista, but there are so many fibers that I like just as much for a slew of reasons. However, it was on my vague fiber to-do list.

Two. I was having unusual difficulty selecting a new knitting pattern. Days went by as I mulled it over.

Then serendipity came to town. I recently taught a friend at work how to knit, and she’s really enjoying it. Her mother-in-law, I came to find out, has an enormous stash of mostly cobweb to laceweight cashmere for years, decades possibly. She isn’t a knitter but always wanted to learn.

Having learned that her DIL learned to knit, she immediately shipped a large box of large cashmere hanks plus some smaller skeins of fiber, one of which turned out to be an ounce of quiviet. And this was just a bit of her stash, she said she didn’t want to overwhelm A. Oh my.

A asked me if I would be willing to knit her MIL, H, a shawlette or other small project with the cashmere, as she wouldn’t feel confident to make that kind of project for some time. I was touched that H had generously sent A this incredible yarn to start her own stash, and also, I feel for the knitter at heart. I also love knitting with a purpose. In other words, I was game.

One day A brought the yarn in to work, and we took some time to look over patterns. We settled on Ishbel by Ysolda. Good taste, she has. And then to pick out the yarn. We went with a hank in a gorgeous shade of wine.

Then, the kicker, A asks me to please pick out one or more hanks for me. Of cashmere. Both as “payment”, which I was insisting I did not want, and also because H asked A to share the stash with me. This I did not know. Also, A did not know what in all the time in the world she would do with this much laceweight cashmere, and more was likely to come. Oh my.

So I selected a single hank, in a royal violet, and then immediately remembered that I had been wanting to get some laceweight for Knitbot’s Featherweight Cardigan pattern. I swatched, and got gauge. Woohoo!

It took 3 hours one afternoon to wind the hanks and then double-strand one and triple-strand the other to meet the needs of their respective patterns. It was so soft and smooth I could hardly feel it going through my hand.

So, I’m getting to knit with cashmere and I have two new knitting projects lined up that I’m excited about. How’s that for neat and tidy? I guess I just needed patience to wait for the fates to sort things.

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On the quiviet, A picked up that ball and asked if it was enough to make a scarf. I took out the label tucked in the center and that’s when I realized what it was. I said “do you know what this is”? Nope. I informed her it was quite a treasure. And then she calmly and genuinely asked if I’d rather have the quiviet. Not ever, I said. I will not take another knitter’s quiviet. I suggested a cowl, BTW.

Yet more crochet and links galore

Seeing as Topaz so enjoyed communing with the Hodgepodge blankie, I got right to making him a blankie of his own. I am using a similar color scheme, in part because I am thoroughly enjoying the greens/purples combo and because I have more of these 2 colors in my stash than any other.

We got to have a partially sunny day on Sunday, and I moved the Topaz-binkie around from sunbeam to sunbeam periodically through the day. He laid on it wherever it went.

   

For this little binkie, I started with ch46 and did half-double crochet throughout on a 9mm hook with double- and triple-stranded yarn. It used about 350g of yarn! Love that stashbusting. Yarn deets here.

Solel doesn’t get the blog exposure that Topaz does…so to rectify that:

I do wonder if she was asking where her binkie is? Although she has not proven too interested in this one. Probably just looking at Topaz with disdain for his love of all things human.

Anyway, it was fun and quick. Still have the crochet bug, too! I’m starting another, larger, blanket using a simple cluster stitch pattern found for gratis at the Lion Brand site. Surprisingly lots of good stuff to find, if you can take the time to sort through!

In the last few weeks, I’ve noticed a veritable deluge of wonderful new patterns and pattern sources. So much so that as I try to get this all down here from memory, I am quite sure I will forget something! C’est la vie d’une tricoteuse.

First up, because the high adorableness factor moves this to the front of the line, is Yummy Yarn’s new Hailey booties pattern (Rav). I mean, entrelac origami baby booties. Come on! So cute. Also a great way to use up odds and ends of gorgeous sock yarn.

Also, did you know you can get the Tatami Kimono (Rav) by Melissa Wehrle as an individual pattern now? It was originally available as a hard copy in a kit from Sundara Yarns. Hooray!

Some other nifty patterns I’ve recently nabbed are, in no particular order, Monday Morning Cardigan (Rav) by Cosmicpluto/Laura Chau; A Beret Named Joy (Rav) by purejoy; Contemplation Pouches (Rav) by ever green knits; Simple Summer Tweed Top Down V-neck (Rav only) by Heidi Kirrmaier (I love the shape and “feel” of this one – so nice to have all the math for just my kind of relaxed simple sweater already done!); Medano Beach Bag (Rav only) by Heidi Kirrmaier; Transition Stash-buster Shawl (Rav) by Lykkefanten; Cotton Bam Boo Baby Cable Hat (Rav) by Andi Clark for Classic Elite; and Kindred Knits Yoked Cardigan (Rav) by knitbot/Hannah Fettig, part of the Kindred Knits Collection (so much knit-patterny goodness! Hannah has more pattern goodness here, did I ever mention her Featherweight Cardigan? I really should get on this one, I know I would wear it all. the. time.

Knitting Daily has published some gratis pattern collections, or “ebooks”, one for baby patterns and one for knitted lace patterns. Also, they’re offering the Lace Scarf from the upcoming book Feminine Knits by Lene Holme Samsoe!

The most unexpected online knitterly goodness I’ve come across, thanks to an email from a (blogless) knitting friend, was Petite Purls, the brand-spanking-new and fabulous online magazine devoted entirely to baby and toddler patterns! If this first issue is any indication, we will soon wonder what we did without it! Talk about high adorableness factor! Where to start – OK, actually, they had me at Jacques Crusteau. And props to my local knitting pal Amiee, who published a great article (her first) in this issue!

I imagine you all are already all over it, but I would remiss not to mention to new summer Knitty and Twist Collective. Both have some great patterns and a wide variety too. In Twist, I got the fantastically named Uhura by Connie. If that weren’t all enough, Berroco went and published previews of all Fall/Winter booklets, including NG Volume 5 and a NG booklet devoted to men’s patterns! How in the world they consistently produce such a high volume of absolutely wantable patterns astonishes me. I want some of whatever they are on. They have some fantastic new yarns being released too!

And in the pure fun department, the Which Ewe are You? quiz, to accompany the fall release of Clara Parkes’ new book The Knitter’s Book of Wool. This is one I’m anticipating! I was Najavo-Churro. I don’t know what this means, really. But is was fun!

Whew. I’m hungry now. And I wonder why I have a hard time deciding on the “next” project. Hope you had fun with the linkfest!

FO: Hodgepodge

Mostly in the course of a couple afternoons this weekend, I was able to finish my lap blanket for work. Diggin’ the speed of crochet! I’m calling it Hodgepodge because that’s the word that jumped into my head when it was done, looking at all the yarns and colors together, a hodgepodge.

And I love it! It’s homey, and drapey, and warm.

I look at the yarns, and remember where I got some of them, the projects I used them for. There are different fibers and textures, and it’s nice to run the hand over the stitches, feeling the rustic-ness of the wools and the silkiness of the mohairs.

I started with a color palette of grays/charcoals, greens, and purples. But other than that, as you can see, I made stripes of varying width, switched colors mid-stripe so I could use up the yarn, and generally just got on with things. I picked each color with some thought, moving from stripe to stripe, but usually settled on the first possible contender and threw it on the hook.

And it was so quick! Maybe 15ish hours, and a few of that were spent detangling yarn barf, which (up to a point) I find oddly soothing.

Some details…I used a 11.5 mm hook, started with ch 40, dc throughout, except the border with is a row of sc then a row of dc. I ended up using about 600g of stash yarn (yarn deets here). I’m still smiling about that. In the end, it’s about 33″ by 43″. I wet blocked it, but I don’t think it was necessary. I thought the wools would bloom some. But overall, the stitches look more or less the same and, in fact, some of the yarns look a bit flattened and stretched out. I prefer the way it looked before the wet block, more plump. I think a steam block would have been better.

Topaz looooooves the Hodgepodge. Love. The night before I took pictures he laid on it on the couch next to me for hours. And then when I laid it out yesterday to take pictures…

Who me? I’m not trying to lay on the blanket.

Mine. All mine.

Don’t mess with me homegirl.

He commandeered it for a couple hours at least. I didn’t have the heart to move him. Needless to say, I shall have to make him his own Hodgepodge. I can also see making these as gifts, with a more sophisticated / restrained color palette and stripe pattern.

Topaz stayed right where he was all through dinner, which I am also still smiling about as after 2 days of gray skies and intermittent rain, it was a gorgeous day. We grilled and ate outside, enjoying the newly reno’d back patio:

It was blissful! Even the cooking – I culled rosemary and oregano from the backyard for the potatoes, and we ate the first 2 strawberries from the strawberry pot. They were so sweet, I couldn’t believe it! I don’t want this weekend to end.

FO Par-tay

I thought about spacing out the official “FO” posts, seeing as they are among the best blog fodder, but it would feel like I’m holding out on you, or something. So I’m throwing it all out there, having a FO party.

First up, Liesl. She’s such a show off.

I mean – quick, easy, flattering. That’s one pattern that likes to show off. This is for my sis, but it may sway me to make one for myself although I’m not usually one to wear something this outwardly lacy.

It’s a tad snug on me, but my sis is a little shorter and tinier than I, though broader in the shoulders. I’m crossing fingers that the stretchiness of the lace will make it all even out in terms of fit.

I found these incredible wooden button at Michael Levine’s, and I lovelovelove them.

I had gotten two, but decided this Liesl looked better with but one button. So, now I have one leftover for me! The deets:

Pattern: Liesl by Ysolda Teague

Yarn: 7 skeins Queensland Collection Uruguay Chunky (~500 yards)

Needles: Size 10.5

Size: Followed pattern for 34″, but it came out a little smaller

Mods: None!

Next up is a version of a Silk Kerchief. I’ve been working on this on and off for months now, and I’m glad to have it just in time for chilly June mornings. Yes, I said chilly.

Pattern: Silk Kerchief by Kate Gagnon

Yarn: 2 skeins Rowan Tapestry (~260 yards), 1 each of colorway 170 & 171

Needles: Size 9

Size: Neckerchief size…I haven’t actually measured

Mods: None again! Why mess with a good thing?

And last stop on the FO par-tay train is a pair of footies. Peds. Slippers. Come on, you know what I’m talking about!

I hadn’t realized how hard it would be to take your own pictures of these, coving only the bottomish part of your feet and everything. Luckily, my end of the office was deserted this day and I snapped away with impunity.

These ended up working as hoped, they were cozy and comfy, and kept my feet warmer than my shoes. I love ‘em!

Pattern: Pleated Ballet Flats by Cocoknits

Yarn: 0.7 skeins of Manos del Uruguay single ply/Wool Clasica (~100 yards), colorway 57

Needles: Size 7

Size: 7-8, and they nicely fit my size 7.5-8 feet, just enough negative ease

Mods: None, yet again. I would caution to be sure not to bind off too tightly. Also, the pattern (my version anyway) does not appear to have a Row 7 printed, but I did a k row. ETA: It was just my copy of the pattern – Julie (Cocoknits) graciously emailed me a new pattern download link this morning! I nabbed this puppy just about as soon as it was released, and it showed the BO row as “Row 8″, when in fact it is Row 7.  Which means this pattern is even quicker than I thought!

Last night I cast on for my “Technicolor Dreamblanket”. I decided to do double crochet throughout, with double worsted weight (or equivalent) on a Size P (11.5 mm) hook. Should go very quickly! I’m looking forward to semi-randomly mixing up colors and textures and seeing how it comes out. I just can’t bring myself to be completely random in my color choices, I’m too particular about color. Perhaps it would be liberating. But I don’t plan to find out

Blocking spree

ETA: The Summer Twist Collective is up! Haven’t even looked at it yet, wanted to get the word out

I’m not sure two counts as a spree, but that’s what it feels like. I think because it’s been a spell since I’ve finished something, especially larger than wee-sized, that needed a full wet blocking. Much less two items to block on the same day.

Finished the last bits of knitting and weaving in of ends this past couple days on both the Tapestry Kerchief and Liesl. I’m so relieved because Liesl grew to just the right size when wet. I did make a swatch, but as we all know, swatches can lie.

I found the most delicious wooden buttons, they are SO my sister, and I can’t wait for Liesl to dry so I can sew them on! However, June Gloom came a few days early and now at 2:30 the sun is peeking for the first time. We’ll see how long it takes.

Real FO posts as soon as I can arrange pictures!

With these done, the couple sweaters I have on the needles aren’t calling me, what with summer right around the corner. Then I remembered I’ve been meaning to make a couple items to reduce my space heater dependency at work. Although it’s no longer actually arctic, it is usually chiller than comfortable for most. It’s not my company, but the building management and a poorly designed HVAC system. Although I find it necessary to work comfortably, I hate that I have to use more energy to warm my space with an electric heater because the AC is running too cold. The irony. And the waste.

So, I’m making a pair of woolen slippers and a lap blanket. A knitter should never be cold! I decided on Cocoknits’ Pleated Ballet Flats pattern, and boy is it clever. And quick! One down and on to the next, after casting on yesterday evening:

I’m using a skein of bright magenta Manos single ply. I’m thinking they will brighten my office space. Not that it’s bad now, it’s quite a nice space, but a shot of bright pink never hurts! I love Cocoknits patterns. They appeal to me on so many levels – and I haven’t made many although I have a veritable stack of her patterns! Must remedy that.

I’ve gathered odds and ends, and some whole skeins, of yarns from the stash in coordinating shades of greens, purples/violets, and grey/charcoal/black to crochet a medium-sized blanket. I’m thinking I’ll mix rows of single and double crochet, for a little textural variety. Or maybe just single crochet – as I am mixing up alot of yarns. Decisions. I want this to be a soothingly mindless project. As easy as tunisian crochet is, I want it to be even easier. Something I can just pick up and let my hands go to work while my mind floats away. Between the blanket and pink slippers, I’m going to be rather technicolor dreamcoat!

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Thank you all so much for your wonderful compliments on my home dec projects! This weekend I am taking it extra-easy. After a few weekends of being a busy bee, the fibromyalgia caught up with me. Although I did do more than I would have thought previously without serious symptoms. And it’s a tolerable flare, as flares go. It hit me Wednesday and I’m feeling a little better with each day.

Prior to going gung-ho on the house, I had managed to maintain a semi-regular light yoga practice for a little over a month. You see, exercise intolerance is a huge problem for most people with FM. I’ve done yoga on and off for years. And I’ve tried repeatedly to start a very light, very gradual exercise program, including yoga, only to have a bad flare that sets me back to the beginning or worse. Through Netflix, I found a Gaiam DVD called 15-minute Results Yoga, featuring Rodney Yee, whom I really like. This DVD, with its short, but complete and not very advanced practices, is perfect for people with conditions like FM. I was able to get all the benefits of a balanced yoga practice in short bursts, so I didn’t overdo it.

There are 2 great yoga studios near me, for which I feel fortunate, and yet neither of them offer classes less than 60 minutes in length, usually 90 minutes. Food for thought for any teachers or studio owners out there, if I may make this suggestion – shorter classes, not just more gentle classes. Stamina is a problem for many with both acute and chronic illnesses, and workouts of that length, even gentle ones, are often not feasible or even ill-advised. For me, I think the previous weeks of yoga went a long way towards my being able to do so much over a sustained period without it knocking me over. As soon as I feel back to normal, my normal, I am getting back on the yoga horse! OK – tangent done

I think I’m going to go out back and enjoy the Sunday quiet and the wee bit of sun we will get today, before it gets chilly. Hope you have all had a wonderful weekend!