Category Archives: Knitting

A Weekend with Annie Modesitt

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Knit or Knot Group

OMG! She is fabulous!

Day 1 – Friday

Classes on Friday were Embellishments and Heel! Learn Toe UP Socks with Mutt-Luks!

Embellishments Swatch

You can see we did several different embellishments. I, personally, love love love the little dreadlocks! Anyway, you’ll see that there are several rows of garter stitch (just to warm up our fingers!) and then the first embellishment was the “dreadlocks”. Next, bobbles. These are nice perky bobbles with no droop or hole underneath. I love the idea of using these as buttons. Next we did a few rows of cables … without a cable needle. A great technique because, Annie says, using the cable needles stretches the yarn and sometimes makes for a gap or hole in the fabric. This technique will not! Last, but certainly not least, we did a couple of different bind offs … a picot bind off (on the right) and an i-cord bind off (on the left). The picot bind off could be used as closure for a cardigan sweater, for example, with some lovely bobbles as buttons. The i-cord band could include i-cord loops or frogs. I’ll be playing with a few of these ideas. I’ve played with adding i-cord to a flat garment but never edging a garment with i-cord!

(PS) My swatch is sitting on one of the books that I bought at the classes which Annie has written, Confessions of a Knitting Heretic. The second book I bought was this one:

Cheaper than Therapy is a collection of stories that were gathered by Annie. Since I’m a one book at a time kind of girl, I’ve not really dug into either one yet. But I am looking forward to them both!

The second half of our technique classes on Friday was a toe-up sock with a different (and better) toe and a different heel … an after thought heel of sorts, made with short rows. We didn’t really make a sock but we started (duh!) with making the toe and then knitted several rounds of the “sock” before adding some scrap yarn to mark where the heel will go. I still need to go back and finish the “sock” and I’ll show you pictures at a later date … or I’ll add them to this posting.

Day 2- Entrelac Lace

Saturday we did entrelac. Lots of entrelac. Mind-boggling entrelac!

Entrelac Swatch

We started out with our work flat, working back and forth in entrelac. I really like the look of  the entrelac (especially in two colors). It’s such a harlequin look. With the idea that entrelac can also be worked in the round, we then joined our work and then made the squares bigger and worked the top ones in lace. It was fascinating to think about taking a somewhat complicated technique and making it more complicated but the lace skirt pattern that Annie used as her example is really lovely and I would love to make something similar!

Day 3- The Universal Mitered Bag/ Modular Knitting

Sunday we made a small Mitered Bag. Using three colors, we learned how to form the interlocking triangles in different sizes and how to construct a bag (to be felted) using the technique. I found this technique really easy to follow and really enjoyed it. Annie even knitted on my bag to show how to do some of the steps … thus, I have a bright orange and a couple of tiny gray “diamonds” (on the left) which she gave me permission to pull out – but who in their right mind would pull out Annie Modesitt’s knitting? I think it makes my bag all the more special!

My Mitered Bag

This is the bag before felting. Notice the really cool “edge” at the top where the purple and cream yarn are twisted.

Two Rounds of Twisted Edging - Looks like Herringbone!

I originally had gone around again (because this round was done by Annie. Yay!) but it was too wide and I went back, after making sure I could actually DO the technique, and tore it out and bound off. I do think I’ll buy some good wool for felting and make the next size bag because it was really lovely and a good size.

Annie also gave us some tips for felting (and told us about her online classes that she offers … I would encourage anyone wanting to learn more about our craft to check out her classes  … click here to be magically transported to her site! She’s a wonderful and thorough teacher and I learned a lot!)

So, add in a potluck lunch that lasted into the next day, some great knitting women in the Orlando Knit or Knot group – which, by the way, is the local Knitting Guild Association group – and a lot of laughs, and you get the general gist of the weekend.

I had a blast – and I’m still recovering from the mind-bending concentration. I took some notes and will share some of them with you “down the road”. But for now …

Gone knitting (maybe my heel)!

Second Iteration?

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So, you’ve seen the Malabrigo Rasta cowl that I knitted (in a simple seed stitch and in a lousy photograph) a few posts ago.

Poor color (not accurate) and not a great look!

Well, I decided to redesign it … which meant frogging it and then re-knitting.

I totally love the yarn and want to work with it but it’s just not working with me … or for me! I’ve knitted three really long 5-stitch I-cords and braided them together and this is what it looks like now!

(photo coming soon!)

I’m still not sure I’m in love with this and probably will frog it, too! I really want to use this yarn for something that I love love love … something that I will wear or carry or otherwise use on a regular basis! For now, it’s going to sit on the needles and we’ll see where it takes me!

Knitting is a lot like life – you never know where you’re going to end up. One day you may be very productive and other days, never get out of your own way. It’s learning to recognize each day for the value that it adds  and accepting every one as it is. Judge me not, I don’t get a ton accomplished every day but over the course of time, it all balances out and I’m proud of where I am today.

Gone knitting!

 

Minnesotan Knitting Heretic Visit

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Well, it was an Annie Modesitt kind of weekend in Orlando this weekend. I have been fortunate enough to knit for the last few months with a great group of women who have welcomed me with open arms. Just the fix that I needed …some new friends who knit!

I signed up for a weekend of classes with world-renowned knitter and designer (or maybe she’d say designer and knitter) Annie Modesitt. Two classes on Friday, and all-day classes  on Saturday and Sunday. Suffice it to say that my brain and fingers are sufficiently exercised and I learned a lot … and, as an added bonus, added some fabulous new friends to my Florida life.

I’ll write more tomorrow after a bit of much needed time to absorb and filter all my new knowledge. But for now …

Gone … and not knitting!

Challenge

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For Christmas I got some beautiful new yarn from my LYS – Knit in Longwood, Florida. It’s a relatively small shop but it’s warm and welcoming and they have some splendiferous (yes, my word!) fiber!

Anyway, it’s a super bulky yarn by Malabrigo called Rasta in the Archangel colorway. It’s lovely in it’s wide variety of colors from purple to yellow to orange and blue and green. Like all other Malabrigo yarns, though, it’s got a lovely, soft hand and it’s great to knit with! (None of the photos of the yarn look like the yarn that I have!)

Poor color (not accurate) and not a great look!

I have already used one hank to make a seed stitch cowl (it was a free pattern with the yarn). But when it was finished, I didn’t like the way it looked … especially when I put it on. So … I did what any other knitter would do and frogged the sucker! Un-wove (yes, another one of my words!) the ends and ripped it out, ready to start over again.

Tonight, I’m trying a new approach. Something that I thought about when I was braiding the  ties for an earflap hat. Something totally different and an “out of the box” approach to this beautiful yarn.

Once again my knitting relates to my life. I’ve started a new life after having lived a very different one. My marriage needed to be  frogged too (so to speak). It wasn’t working. Not in the fabric of my life. It didn’t make me happy. Today, I’m re-knitting the frogged yarn. Creating a new life that suits me better. Learning the feel of the yarn in my hand as it passes through my fingers with each stitch … just as I’m learning about myself and the fibers that are spun together to make up the person that I am today. It’s a work-in-progress. But it’s fitting better and I’m learning so much and I’m knitting a beautiful fabric that will be my life.

Each time I sign off from an entry on this blog, I say, “gone knitting” or something similar. It’s not said lightly because, for me, knitting is serious business. I’m knitting in the hope that I can make a living and I’m knitting to make a life. And today, life is good.

Gone knitting.

New Year, New Look

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I’m sporting new hair today after going to visit Stephanie to “fix” it, I decided to take of several inches of length (I’m never sure going in what I’ll do) and I feel lighter and ready to kick some New Year bootay! I’m ready now with a stylin’ new hairdo!

I’ve also given my website/blog a new look featuring some of my knitting in the banner and the wonderful beachy sea glass blue-green, martha stewart-esque color that is now the background. I love cables and featured the cable comes from my knitted coat. One of these days I’ll post a picture of it here with me wearing it but for today, here it is flat on the floor (thank God I’m not in it!)

I knitted this sweater over the course of a couple of years and love it (although I don’t have many opportunities to wear it in Central Florida!) The pattern is Jo Sharp‘s “Uptown” cabled coat from the Jo Sharp Village Hand Knitting Collection Book Number Six. (I’ve just visited the Jo Sharp Website and it must be out of print now!) Anyway, I bought the book and yarn at a LYS in Cincinnati that was going out of business and everything was 50% off! Yippee! So the Jo Sharp Silkroad Ultra Yarn (all 31 balls of it!) was not as awfully expensive as it might have been. I love the coat’s mustardy color and, of course, the cables. BTW, I love knitting with Jo Sharp yarn and at the Website, the prices are not bad! Special discounts apply for purchasing 10 balls of yarn … and it’s quite a savings!

So, with that … I and my new hair are gone knitting!

Finished!

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I have finished a few projects and wanted to show them to you!

I finished two hats – one for my son, and one for my shop. The son  one is from a pattern that he found and you, too, can find it if you click here. What I like about Staci’s patterns and site is that she includes tutorials that you can click through to and follow. They’re lovely – and my son needed to have just that hat! (And he loves it … and promises a photo when he gets his phone fixed!) For now, however, here’s a photo that I took of the hat. My son picked the colors!

A Hat for my Boy!

I made another hat from the leftover yarn from my boy’s hat. So, the colors are the same (duh!) I switched up the pattern but kept the ear flap style. It’s likely that I’ll send it to one of his roommates because he reported that they all wanted one! If not, it will be in my shop. Click here for complimentary transportation to Esty (dot) com!

I have also finished a “Boyfriend” sweater for my friend Harriet’s 4-legged fur family. My little guy tried it on and it fit him. I have heard that Harriet’s little dogs are a bit pudgy – too many treats? – so, we’ll try it on one of them and we’ll get another one done for the second little darling. I’m making them just like my little dog’s sweaters because I love them! Harriet will, too!

Lovers’ Mitten – Great Valentine’s Day gift!

I’ve finished a “Lovers’ Mitten” to add to my Etsy shop. It’s Valentine’s Day red. Hope it (and it’s pink sister shown here) will sell this month … and I have yarn to make one or two more! They’re a little bit kitchy but they’re fun. And if it’s cold where you are, think about it – you can walk down the street with the person you love and hold hands without them being frozen stiff at the end of your walk!

I’ve also finished a pair of fingerless mittens intended to be a gift but then I realized they were going to be a duplicate gift so they’ll go into my shop. I think. Or I’ll save them for my … well, if I tell you about it, then the cat is out of the bag, so to speak. Let’s move on!

On the needles …

One almost finished pair of wool and silk fingerless mittens for my shop – they’ll be done very soon.

One half-finished black sock for my son. He’s the one who said he didn’t want me knitting him sock but this will be the third pair that I’ve knitted for him … the second that he specially requested. Ha! I knew he’d love them … who wouldn’t!?

I have 2 of my swatches from the class that I’m taking from the Knitting Guild Association finished. I’m working my way through their process with the goal of becoming a certified Master Knitter. It’s quite prestigious – but I think I can do it. The only part that makes me squishy is thinking about designing a human garment! Yikes! But I do have an idea – my sister Abbie has this really cool, unstructured sweater that I’d like to use as my inspiration.

I have a pattern for another pair of fingerless mittens sitting on my work table in my Atelier. I bought some really pretty red- and another lovely teal-colored yarn and will be making one pair as a gift for a super special friend and another for me.

I also want to make myself a tea cozy. Have you ever seen the book and patterns by Loani Pryor? She’s the Queen of the Tea Cozies! Visit her website/blog by clicking here. She offers a couple of free patterns on her site. I will likely try one of them but also really covet her book(s)! On my Amazon (dot) come wish list! I’m drinking tea daily and am wrapping my tea pot with a towel to keep it warm in the morning. I’ll also be making a tea cozy as a Christmas gift. Trying to think ahead!

Goodness, I’ve gone on … time to hit the hay so I can photograph the finished objects tomorrow and get some more knitting done!

Gone sleeping!

 

Jam! That’s Good!

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Yesterday we went strawberry picking. (Yes, it’s the season here in Central Florida. Sorry all you Yanks!) We picked a bit more that twelve pounds of berries and at $2.50 per pound, they’re quite a bargain!

Pappy’s Fresh Florida Strawberries

And today, I made a little bit of jam … and used about half of what we picked to make ten jars of jam (and a little extra for our fridge for tomorrow morning!)

The process of making jam is a very simple one. I washed and chopped the berries (more than eight cups chopped) last night. They’re so sweet and the refrigerator smelled fabulous when I opened it for my milk this morning! This morning I got the jam put together – it’s simple!

Combine the following ingredients in a large pot on the stove

4 cups chopped or mashed berries (you can use any kind! I used strawberries and mashed them well)

4 cups sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice (I didn’t have fresh but that would be my first choice!)

Over low heat, mix ingredients until sugar has dissolved. Raise heat to bring jam mixture to a rolling boil (stirring constantly) until, using a candy thermometer, temperature reaches 220 degrees.

For the details of the process, please click here to go to the recipe that I use. And click here for good directions about processing your jam (so it won’t get all yucky in your pantry and make you sick when you eat it in six months!)

I don’t worry too much about skimming foam or anything fancy. I also don’t use any pectin because I can’t decide whether it’s gluten free (or not). So, the fewer ingredients, the better. This jam has been a fool-proof treat in my house for years and it never fails. And when the berries are sweet and at the height of their season, all the better! Nothing like it in the stores – even the berries had about ten times more flavor than the ones in the supermarket!

In season, fresh, local … can’t get much better than that! And the process is so centering. I feel more balanced, calm (well, mostly calm) and it’s a great feeling to make something like jam from fresh, local ingredients. We’ll enjoy it for months to come!

Gone knitting!

“Au Revior” Allergies

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Yucky Dust Mites

Anybody who knows me knows that I have this annoying (yes, it’s even annoying to me!) allergic cough. I’ve had it for years. YEARS! I’ve done everything known to man – x-rays of my sinuses, allergy shots, doctor visits galore – and all with no result … well, no positive result, anyway!

I just read a great article in Natural Home and Garden Magazine about getting rid of allergens in your house. I thought I should share them with you here!

1) We track in most chemicals on our feet and our fur-family drag in yucky stuff on their little feet. With that in mind, vacuum frequently (um, I’m making no promises on this one) with your windows open while you vacuum and for 30 minutes after. If you have pets or carpets, this is especially important: Use a HEPA vacuum. There are also HEPA air cleaners and if your budget allows, this is recommended. The best ones have carbon for chemical filtering. You might also consider leaving your shoes at the door and wiping your pet’s feet every time you go into your home.

2) Moisture makes your home a really lovely place to live for mold and other allergens. Run exhaust fans when cooking or bathing (and for 30 minutes after bathing) to get all the extra moisture out of the air. It’s really important that your exhaust fans vent to the outside … otherwise your air is recirculating. If it’s not humid and you can open your windows, do so!

Also, check outside drainage – water should be directed away from foundations – and when you have carpets cleaned, use chemical-free cleaning methods that require the least water.  Only clean carpets when outside air is dry and you can open windows. (Or get rid of your carpets … hard surface floors are nearly a prescription “cure” for allergies!)

3) Dust mites are horrible creatures. Before you make your bed, pull back the covers and air the bedding. Wash sheets weekly in hot water. New sheets and bedding are coming out that are made with chemical-free, organic wool which is naturally mite-resistant. use mattress and pillow covers woven to at least 4.91 microns. Make sure your bedding is free of PVC and antimicrobial, stain- or wrinkle-resistant treatments.

4) If you have seasonal pollen allergies, sorry, you can’t do this next tip – open your windows! Fresh air and sunlight are free remedies for particulates, mites, moisture and chemicals. For faster action, turn on exhaust fans (exhausted outside of course) at the same time.

Thanks to Mary Cordaro Inc who wrote this article.

 

 

New Year, New Promise

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I love being the Queen Bee, don’t get me wrong. Unless this business picks up really quickly and I find a way to be self-supporting lickety split, I need another job that will provide me with income and benefits. In today’s world, people need these things!

I am going to do my best to look forward and only forward. Positive thoughts will lead me to where I need to be. I will make my best effort to get myself out there and meet new people and work to find a new opportunity for me.

2012 is going to be a great year for this Queen Bee – freedom from worry, prosperity, fulfilling work for a fair salary.

Gone knitting.