100 Days

#the100dayproject

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#100daysoffinishingWIPs

I've been inspired, 

stash of yarn is sorted and labeled

some WIPs are now FOs 

and some FOs are patterns.

#whatsmakingmehappytoday

This is Liminal!

It uses Louet Mini Skeins from my good friends at Mason Dixon Knitting.

The sample was knit, I'd hit a snag with the sizing due to the mini-ness of the skeins.

A solution was found and a new tech editor was located.

Hooray, now you can knit one, too!

This is my mod of 100 Acts of Sewing Dress #2

Now sleeveless with a slightly more open neck, perfect to pop over tees.

It needs bias binding, I'm thinking of cutting some of my indigo dyed fabric.

This was a long-languishing cardi of Rowan Wool Cotton, 

which is now completely assembled and 

awaiting a decision on the right band techniques and buttons.

Check out the pile of markers, all in this sweater noting 

increases, decreases, and other measurements.

This Ichi needed a few seams and ends run in.  

This Ichi variation needs a pattern edit and both are in my closet.  

Ichi's are knit with a few 450 yard cones of Habu Tsumugi Silk 

(I see that Habu's current put up has been changed to 265 yard balls)

I've been working on many less interesting or very secret things, 

and have enjoyed our tempestuous spring, and it's pink flowers.

Keep up with daily posts on Instagram and follow some great hashtags.

Heavenly Lilacs

Gauge - It's Much More Than a Number

I've just finished Banging out a Carbeth.

The original design was knit with a double strand of Buachaille, a yarn that I have yet to have the pleasure of working with - therefore I don't know it's particular qualities.

The pattern gauge is stated as 3.5 stitches to the inch.  

What is unknown is the actual fluidity of that fabric - that best suits the design 
as it was intended.

Two Swatches

Log Cabin A Long with Rowan Kid Silk Haze

(a swatch that just happens to be right here)

Carbeth with Quince Osprey

Both of these fabrics measure approximately 4 stitches to the inch, 

but are a world apart in everything else.

Just where am I going with this?  

As happy as I am with my dense-ish fabric sweater, 

I think that I would have LOVED a lighter weight yarn knit in a more open stitch.

 Perhaps this beautiful Romney Worsted from Prado de Lana?
It's perfect.

New Year.

A most frigid outing to the shore at Ocean View Beach Park, 7 January 2018 

Here are some highlights of the first week of this shiny New Year -

I'm working on a wrap for the Fringe and Friends Logalong

In my stash, I found the bag of Rowan Kid Silk Haze odd balls that I'd been collecting... and chose a few 

I've chosen 6 of these colors and ordered just one more to fill in a gradient gap.

This is Court House Steps, a variant of Log Cabin.  

Pithy Notes : It begins with 5 stitches.  

The ratio is 5 horizontal ridges or 10 vertical ridges, which will keep the desired rectangular shape. With this spiral design, if the bind off is done with the RS facing, the yarn tail is ready for picking up the next section... since there are 4 sections with each color, that will avoid A LOT of fiddly little ends.

I'm waiting for a skein of what I hope is a better grey to hit the mailbox.

I also remembered this WIP from 2006.  There's a shade or 2 of Noro Kureyon, Stonehedge Mills Shepherd's Wool Worsted, several colors of Kristen Nichols original run of Julia (which I LOVE) and Cascade 220 from felting days.

I have nearly completed knitting all of the yarn that was stored with it and will make a little border of black, which I had leftover from Haley's beautiful 
Cracker Blanket.

My wishes for the New Year are Balance and Stability. And as always, Love.

How to Make a Tassel

How to make a Tassel.

 Wrap the yarn around your tassel template.  Here I'm using Loome Toole Slingshot XL

I wrapped 12 times - there will also be 4 more ends after looping the tie back through.

Cut 2 more 14” strands.  

Hold them together and thread under 1 side of the wound strands.  

I use the tip of a tapestry needle to guide the overhand knot placement 

and to leave a gap for threading in the tie ends.  

Remove the tassel from the template.   

Smooth strands out evenly.  

Lay a new strand of yarn end from the cut end toward the tied top.

Wrap and coil the yarn firmly, but not too tightly around the strands toward the bottom of the tassel.  

Using the tapestry needle, run the end of the wrapping yarn from the bottom to the top under the wraps 

and trim all of the ends.  

To fasten the tassel,  thread one double tie end through an opening either in fabric or as I did here, 

the eyelet of a key fob - then thread the other in the opposite direction.  

Run both sets of ties carefully through the overhand knot and into the tassel.  

Trim all ends.

Hello Roger.

Roger has been a long time coming.  

Somewhere, earlier this year  I read an article comparing 2 artists; one who did it and it was done and the other who fiddled and changed and redid.  Both were brilliant and renowned for their work. 
I think of this every time I look at one of my projects and wonder,  what if I had just done this...

The original Roger, nicknamed Roger Sterling, was knit in Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in the color Sweatshirt.  I knit the pocket linings with Long Johns.  So very beautiful.  This project was inspired by the knit-a-sweater in November. 

In 2014.

The second was knit in a beautiful hand dyed Merino from the lovely Kismet gals.  Before I published, their lives took new paths that no longer included hand dying.  I loved this version, but just needed to tweak those sleeves and then make it in available yarn!

There was a third, ill-fated attempt with another hand dyed wool from dear and talented Jill Draper in her fabulous shade, Orange Crush.  Somehow I lost one skein of the yarn and also spilled something dark on part of the fabric.  

I took this all as a sign and set the project aside to be re-skeined, washed and made into some other amazing thing. And Roger went to the bottom of the to-do list.

Many months ago I began to follow Barrett Wool Company on Instagram and wondered if her Home worsted might be just the thing.  Yes, it was.

You can find beautiful kits with all you need to make your own favorite sweater on her site.

A portion of all proceeds from the first month of Roger pattern sales will be donated to 

Lifeline Animal Project, where they love Daisy as much as we do.

That Sweater Needs a Pocket!

It's nearly Sweater Weather.

Roger now has 2 pockets and is in the last stages of editing, hooray!

I had a little bit of Liberty fabric to create one of the pockets.

Here's how I did it.

I cut two 7" by 11" pieces, although, I may have preferred just one 7" by 21"

With this pocket, I used what I had.

Of course, this made me think about pockets that are 2 different fabrics...

 With right sides together, I stitched around the edge 1/2" from the cut edges, 

leaving a 2" opening in the center of the narrow end.  

I clipped the corners to eliminate bulk and then turned it right side out.

I missed taking a photo of basting the small opening shut, sorry!

After pressing the seams out, push the top of the rectangle inside creating 

a pocket that is beautiful from every angle.

Press it one more time.

 When I knit this version of Roger I was planning to pick up and knit the liner, 

perhaps with a contrasting color.  

I have since added information to the pattern on 

finishing the edge in preparation for adding the fabric pocket.

I matched the center of the knitted opening and the center of the fabric pocket using a jumbo Wonder Clip !

I love those clips.

I left the edges of the fabric pocket unsecured, sewing a seam across the top, 

and then a seam across the bottom.

It lays in quite nicely

 

 The pocket is set in, now to tack the knitted pocket top neatly down and 

weave in the rest of the ends.

My new Roger is ready to wear and will be 

ready for you to begin knitting in just a few days. 

The version here is shown in 

Barrett Wool Co. Home, Worsted Weight 100% American Wool 

230 yards per 100g skein  (5, 5) [6, 7] {7, 8} skeins 

1 fat quarter fabric for pocket liner (optional)

(6, 6) [6/7, 7] {8, 8}  3/4 - 1 inch buttons

8 stitch markers, waste yarn, tapestry needle

Sizes (XS, S) [M, L] {XL, 2X}

Finished bust measurement (32, 36) [40, 44] {48, 52}

Gauge - 20 stitches and 28 rows to 4 inches 

in stockinette stitch with US #6

20 stitches and 28 rows to 4 inches 

in rib pattern with US #6

19 stitches and 27 rows to 4 inches 

in rib pattern with US #7

22 stitches and 30 rows to 4 inches 

in rib pattern with US #5 for sleeve cuff, optional.

Please take the time to check your gauge.

All Sorts, my Mods to the Awesome Easel Pullover.

A pullover for a Licorice Lover!

or Rhinebeck sweater #1

Mason Dixon Knittings's Field Guide #3 is a charming little book that contains a pattern based on a sweater that Kay posted about and that I fell in love with years ago.

Easel

After knitting the sample for the Field Guide, I knew I'd make a few changes to my own.

I'm using the MDK kit, Charred Coal. 

The sleeves were knit 2-at-a-time and in the round.

Cast on half of the stitches from one end of the yarn cake for sleeve 1, then all of the stitches from the other end for sleeve 2.

Arrange needles for magic-loop and cast on the remaining half of sleeve 1.

Mark every increase!  When beginning an increase (or decrease) round, place a marker where each of the following increases (or decreases) should happen.  That way when you have to set your work down, there's that reminder that something should be happening - whenever you might get back to it. 

I've only left a marker in the first increase, both as a flag and for easy counting.

Matching Sleeves. Whew.

The body was also knit in the round 

-And-at-the-Same-Time-

It was cast on for one size larger than intended to add 

A-line shaping and a bit of short-row length in the back.

Pockets were the answer to all that blank space and extra multi.  

Thank you for the inspiration, Sonya.

Here's the original layout plan:

I ended up using just one of the pockets.  For now. I may add it at a later time.  

Hurry up Fall!!

Thanks for reading along, I have made notes which you can find on my Ravelry page.