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.

Woodford Wrap

It was a beautiful morning at the bay, the cool breeze and gentler temperature 

made wading and wool wearing such a pleasure.

  We'll just love having this wrap at hand when fall drops in.
Soon, Please.

 Made with 5 skeins of a luscious little yarn, Mirasol Sulka Legato, 
which comes in an amazing array of shades.  

Woodford Wrap

Find the pattern free with purchase at my LYS through the first week of August.

Leaving Limbo

We're settling into a little house where we can unpack all of our things.

When we left Atlanta, we packed as if we would be unpacking to stay for a long while -

 the little house we moved into was moderately furnished and we knew right away that it would be short term, therefore many boxes were stacked and unopened.

Then we came to Norfolk, and the little house where we first stayed was heavily furnished, 

so we stored almost everything.

We've been taking this move quite slowly, a trip or 2 at a time to storage. 

This way we're able to unpack completely, finding many beloved things, as well as 

things we just don't need that are somehow hard to let go of.

One of the so very many wagonfuls full of boxes.  

I'm thrilled because this one has my favorite table in it!

We should be settled in and ready for show and tell soon.

Daisy welcomes you. 

New Pattern: Cheve

This is a variation of the beloved chevron pattern with stripes of color and texture and made with Virginia Cotton spun and dyed at a wonderful family owned mill.

With over 20 shades to chose from, Cestari Dominion provides the perfect palette for this vibrant, soft and cuddly blanket.

Pattern Re-do: Marcel

This simple tee is just the right weight for Spring and Summer, 

knit with Elsebeth Lavold's Hempathy.
I love this yarn so much that I have a light pearly gray variation of Marcel on the needles now.

Another Pattern Re-do: Rivulet

By using nearly all of 3 skeins of Berocco Modern Cotton, the shrug was lengthened several inches.  I also reduced the edging for a snugger cuff.   

It's a favorite layer right now. 

Indigo and my New Skirt

It all began with a few yards of Celedon cotton jersey, 

a shade particularly unflattering to me.  

It was well washed, but not scoured.

I measured and cut the length needed to lay out an 

A-line skirt from my own adjusted Alabama Chanin pattern.

Then I hand basted miles of natural cotton thread through a very large remnant of that same jersey.

On a beautiful clear day (last year!), 

I got an Indigo vat going for a delightful class and we dipped and dipped.

The skirt fabric was immersed and oxidized once, the remnant twice.

(This is not from that particular day, but from my most recent dip in the blue.)

The fabric was left folded while in the vat which resulted in great splotchy and spilly marks. 

The thread was pulled out and wound round a cork to keep it tidy. The stitching left some great patterning behind on the fabric, and the thread is wonderfully variegated.

Four skirt pieces were cut and sewn together.

I'd drawn templates of Matisse-inspired leaves on old folders. I traced them onto the darker fabric and stitched them to the skirt using the dyed thread.

The shapes were carefully cut around after the stitching was complete.

I've tried the foldover elastic on another skirt but found it wasn't as firm as I prefer, 

so this time I stitched a once-turned casing using an easy stretchy stitch.  

On the flat, or front side, it looks like a pair of alternating running stitches, 

on the reverse, it's a row of vertical stitches.  

I'm thrilled with the fit. And. I can't wait to stitch up something else.

What are you working on?

Amalgam, the Journey from a Cowl to...

In June of 2016, on a particularly sultry weekend, 

TNNA was happening in Washington, DC.

Among the many beautiful fibers and friends, 

I found dear Kate of Dragonfly Fibers.  

She generously offered me a few skeins of 

Valkyrie, her lovely new superwash worsted.

I loved the twist, texture, and the colors.  

I quickly knit a deep cowl. 

A blend of Short Rows, Mosaic Colorwork, it was a joy to make.

The pattern was sent to Knitty - and Amy thought it was great, but...

Wouldn't it be nice to add some shaping? 

Sure.  I said.  It really would.

It was a really good call.  

Amalgam

So much fun.