Let’s talk about the miracle of blocking hand knits. There are a bunch of different ways of blocking your knitwear and sometimes, I’ll admit openly, I don’t block things. I seldom block socks, for example. They get all stretched out when I put them on my feet. If I’m gifting socks, I may lay them flat in a nice way and hand “press” them. But some things really benefit from a true process called blocking – steam blocking, wet blocking – often it depends what I’ve knitted that decides how I block it.
The Arne and Carlos Mini Nordic Jumpers that I’ve been chipping away at over the last couple of years are a good example of how blocking changes the look of the stitches. In the first three photos below, you can see that the stitches as I’m knitting them are a bit wonky and not all the same size.
But the last photo, above, shows how they look after a good steam blocking. In this instance I used my steam iron, on the linen setting, and a damp white hand towel to gently steam the stitches. I place the damp towel on top of the little sweater and then gently press with the iron to apply wet and heat which tames the stitches. I always feel so accomplished when the stitches are all the same size and look so orderly.
All of the little items above were made for my granddaughter. I didn’t block these the same way at all. These garments are all cotton or cotton blends and as such need to be handled differently. I hand washed them and then lay them flat to dry. In reality, when her parents wash them, they can be machine washed and dried flat. It’s just easier for me to wash them as I finish … and I may be a little less busy than Kate and Spencer. The lace romper I stretched out a little bit so that the lace and bobbles show off appropriately.
My lace shawl, was wet blocked. Left to soak for 15-20 minutes so that the yarn is soaking wet all the way through. It’s then gently squeezed dry, dried more by stepping on it while it’s wrapped in a cotton bath towel and then stretching it out aggressively and pinned into place. When it’s totally dry, the edges are so stretched that when I unpin them, they don’t bounce back at all. They stay where I put them. It goes from being a mangled mess to a stunning pattern of lacework and the textured stitches are clearly visible. It’s a miracle!
I love pockets and I believe that all garments for women should have pockets. OK, maybe not every sweater needs pockets but every dress, skirt and pants should. I may have to learn how to sew pockets into some of my garments that don’t have them BUT this isn’t a story about one of those pockets.
I’m knitting Lane’s Island Pullover by Lori Versaci in Berroco’s Remix Light. I’ve made a few sweaters and a shawl by the same designer and I love her patterns. I also love that she makes my life better when it comes to seaming the pieces together at the end.
Pocket Stitches on a Holder
Lane’s Island has two pockets on the front. The stitches are hanging out on holders when the story begins. After I finished the front of the sweater (not without counting problems) I am instructed to knit the pockets. I slip the 30 stitches from the holder to a needle and then begin with a setup row. It just so happens that you begin by adding two stitches, one at either side as edge stitches or selvage stitches. The addition of one stitch on either side makes is possible to have an easy spot where we’ll put the needle to stitch up the pocket seam. Yippee!
Sadly, the first time I knitted the pocket I didn’t pay attention. I need to take the time to slow down and follow the directions. This is a pattern of behavior lately. I feel like I have too much on my plate and that’s making me make mistakes. Anywhoooo … I have pulled out the pocket and started over with an extra edge stitch on both sides of the pocket so it will be perfect when I seam up the sides.
I’ve also started the sleeves but I’m going to pick up another ball of yarn tomorrow when I’m at work so that I can knit both sleeves at the same time. I got the first sleeve ribbing done. I’ll knit the second 4 inches of ribbing for the second sleeve and then knit both sleeves at the same time the rest of the way. This way I’m assured of having two sleeves that are exactly the same lenght. (I’m thinking they only have to be 3/4 sleeves but I haven’t made a final decision.)
This is pretty funny that I’m writing another post (again) this week. This must be a world record, right? I’m going to tell you another story about me that I hope will make you laugh as it did me AND I hope it will make anyone feeling like their knitting skills are still “not good enough” will kick that notion to the curb.
Yesterday was a fairly miserable weather day. Damp and rainy and suitable for ducks and loons, only. We’ve had a lot of days like this in Maine this year. I was working my way up the front of my Lane’s Island Pullover by VersaciKnits and was getting excited because the end was near and I was eager to get to the pockets. I had knitted a few of the shoulder decreases when I realized that I had too many stitches and had another glance at the pattern. I had skipped over four repeats of the single decrease at the neck edge. Ugh!!! I looked at the neck edge and I pondered my choices – just forget about it and continue on, frog back to the decreases and do it “right”, or something else. I decided to do it “right” and frog back to the last decrease and reknit so that the neck looks more balanced when I go to pick up the collar stitches (I assume I’m going to do this. I haven’t read ahead on my pattern.) So, that was my first challenge last night.
I also realized that I had knitted almost all of the three balls of yarn that I had purchased for the sweater. Another glance at the pattern and I realized that I needed three balls EACH of two colors (a total of SIX) and I had bought three balls of the single color I wanted my sweater to be. For the love of … Pete?! Thank goodness I work in a yarn shop. This morning I went in and solved the problem by adding two balls of yarn to my layaway bag just in case and buying one more ball which should be enough for the two sleeves and any finishing that I may need to do.
It’s at times like this, after almost 40 years of knitting, that I find knitting at once humbling and hysterical. Knitting has taught me to laugh at myself. And I mean a real laugh-out-loud belly laugh. It’s always when I think I know what I’m doing that I tend to make the silliest mistakes. This one is one for the ages. (Here’s another one!) I’ve been teaching knitting for nearly 20 years and knitting for almost 40 and I still make plenty of rookie mistakes. In fact, the designer commented on my Instagram post last night, “I would say it was a rookie mistake, but we know you are NOT a rookie!!!” Truer words were never spoken. I’m not a rookie but I can still make a rookie mistake. AND that’s ok. I can … and did, laugh at myself and move on.
Last night I finished the first pocket and put the stitches for the second pocket on the needle, ready to attack it today. I’m one stitch short. It’s lucky I’m an “expert knitter” because I seem unable to count. II’m laughing again. HaHaHa.
Today our first Day Lily popped. We wait and watch for them all spring. Some days it feels like you can actually see them growing because they grow so fast. But they stay green for what seems like forever. One day one pops open and from that point it’s anyone’s guess.
Today I wrote two newsletter for work. One for tomorrow and one for the week that I’ll be at camp for my sewing retreat. Next week I’ll write another two. I’m learning how to plan ahead and write newsletters that will be scheduled for days that I will have something better to do.
I spent the afternoon knitting in my studio and I am so happy to have finished a special gift for a very special person. When I last saw this kiddo she looked like this:
Laine on the right at Woodlands Elementary eight years ago
When we still lived in Florida, I was the clinic assistant at an elementary school in Longwood, It was my neighborhood school so i could walk or ride my bike to school. I supervised the “health” of about 500 kiddos in pre-K through 5th Grade. These two kiddos were some of my favorites. I saw Laine twice a day and sometimes more. Needless to say, over the course of a couple of years, she and her family became very special to me. We all worked together to keep Laine healthy.
Fast forward eight years and I got a graduation announcement from Laine’s mom. She’s grown up over the years and is now a beautiful young woman. We’ve exchanged Christmas cards every year so I’ve seen Laine grow up but I was shocked to see that she was graduating from high school. I put the announcement on the fridge and knew that I wanted to send her something to commemorate her graduation but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to send. So I gave myself a bit of time.
One day I knew what I wanted to send her. I texted her mom and we had a sweet exchange as we used to have eight years before. I had to giggle when I heard that my text came up as the clinic at Woodlands all these years later. To give you a bit of background, it’s important for you to know that I did a lot of sock knitting when I lived in Florida and when the clinic was quiet, I used to knit. I can’t tell you how many kids asked me if I’d knit something for them. My answer was always emphatically, “no!”
To date, I have knitted for two kids: a hat for Caden and a pair of slippers for Laine. But I knew that a good gift for Laine would be a pair of socks. Socks were something the kids always wanted me to knit for them. I was unwilling to start a precedent needless to say.
But for Laine’s graduation … this I could do. She will be attending University of Florida next fall and I knew that the school colors (orange and blue) would be in her socks. And I also knew that I couldn’t see her getting a lot of use out of socks that were too warm so I decided that a pair of low socks would be a good idea. And then I found the pattern on Purl Soho’s website: Pom Pom Socklets. I had bought several colors of Zitron Trekking Sport sock yarn on clearance at the yarn shop and two of the colors were blue and orange. I had a plan.
The first sock was knitted with an orange cuff on a blue sock. Since the socks are so short, I got this baby finished in just a couple of days. Then I had to decide about the second sock. Did I want to make a pair of identical socks or did I want to have fun? I voted (vote of one) for fun and cast on a blue cuff. I would knit the body of the second sock in reverse of the first.
I think these socks are so much fun! I can see them peeking out of sneakers at a football game or another sports game. Ha! Ha! The last bit of this pattern is that they have a pompom at the back like the peds I grew up with. I got out my pompom maker and made an orange and a blue pompom. Trimmed them up, attached them to the socks and …
I’m loving them! They’re fun and youthful and I hope that Laine gets as much joy out of them as I do. She’s a very special young woman and I am absolutely certain that she will make a difference in our world one day soon.
Pattern: Purl Soho Pom Pom Socklet; Free pattern on the Purl Soho webiste (find the link on Ravelry.) Yarn: Zitron Trekking Sport which is actually a fingering weight yarn. I own a bright green, charcoal gray, orange, blue and a raspberry colorway. Great colors. How appropriate that I had an appropriate blue and a close orange colorway! I love these socks! I’ll be knitting more of them for sure. Needles: US 1 1/2 DPns. Size made: US shoe size 7 or 9 1/4 inch long foot. I made the third size (cast on 64 stitches.)
This weekend we went to Marblehead, MA for a couple of days to visit with our family there. It was wonderful … and we even saw the sun! We hadn’t packed well for sun, though, since the weather report said it was supposed to be rainy and in the low-to-mid-60s. But we survived and were revived by our visit with my brothers, sisters-in-love, nephews and niece, great-nephew and friends there, too.
I’m working my way up the front of my Lane’s Island Pullover by Lori Versaci of VersaciKnits. I took some artistic license with this pullover because I loved the style and shape but I don’t love me in stripes. So, I eliminated them. I’m knitting the sweater in the “white” (more natural) colorway of Berroco Remix Light. As a result of my choice to nix the stripes, it’s a rather “boring” knit because once past the ribbing, it’s all stockinette stitch to the armhole decreases. And then more stockinette to the shoulder decreases. Which, frankly, in my harried and hassled state of mind, has been a blessing.
Pocket #1 installedPocket #1 with a few inchesClose-up
The part that I find so incredible in this pattern (so far) is the way Lori added the pockets into the front of the pullover. It is a miraculous design, brilliant! I’m not going to share how she does it because you should buy the pattern to learn it yourself, but suffice it to say that I am so in awe of it that it’s kicking my butt into high knitting gear. I can’t wait to finish the front and start the pockets.
The stitch holder, by the way, if you’ve not seen them yet are The Knitting Barber cords. They’re silicone “straws” that your needle tip fits into snugly and you pull the stitches off the needle and onto the cord. A brilliant knitting tool.
I’ve been working exclusively on this sweater so that I can get it finished by the time I go to “sewing camp” in early July. I hope I make my deadline and if not, so be it, it’ll go to camp with me for when I need a brain break from sewing. I really do want to finish those pockets and see how they’re done.
It’s another rainy day here on the lake. I’ve had two lake association meetings already this morning. Catching up from being away. I’m watching a pair of loons preening and stretching their wings from my office window. A spectacular view when one has to be working!
Finally! The sun came out today and it actually feels like summer may happen this year. We went to a buffer planting workshop yesterday hosted by Friends of Messalonskee and it was gray and cool until we were almost done. It’s lovely to see the sun! And I’ll be happy to pack away my sweaters for a couple of months.
Since the sun came out, I decided to take a walk around the yard and see what’s blooming. My wild roses (they’re invasives but they’re surviving lakeside) are blooming but my white one took quite a beating in the rain. We have scapes and blueberries and the lettuce is going crazy! Salad for lunch today, for sure. The only plant that seems to be thriving in our “bed where nothing lives)” is the blue Iris and they’re absolutely gorgeous right now. I love our yard!
The Day Lilies and the Hydrangeas are getting ready to pop open and we have some daisies coming along, too. I’ve got a couple of beds of Black Eyed Susans coming up but can’t see any blooms yet.
I finished and blocked #19 this morning as I was ironing my linen blouses. I love what happens to colorwork when it’s blocked. 17 and 18 are not blocked (and need some seaming, but here they all are.
I’ve even begun #20 and have finished the body and most of the first sleeve. I’m making progress and just need to cast on the next one when I bind off the current ones. They’re not difficult to knit or time consuming, I just had to make the commitment to get them done! I’m getting there!
Yesterday was my Longest Day knitting marathon (and fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association). The actual “longest day” is on Wednesday but it’s difficult to commit to knitting from sunrise to sunset on a “work day.” So … the Longest Day team that I am on, Anne Budd’s team, decided that Sunday was the day to knit. And knit we did.
I had decided to work on the mini jumpers designed by Arne and Carlos because I’ve been working on completing the collection for what seems like forever. Two years at least. I’ve now completed 1-19 but two of them still need the ends woven in and seams sewn. I’ll get it done, I promise. I really want to get the knitting done so that we can use them as an advent calendar this year.
I did manage to finish the knitting on 19 despite the fact that the second sleeve had to be frogged and reknit because I got distracted and didn’t finish one round (and started the next round a needle ahead.) I think that happened when I took my husband out for lunch for Father’s Day … Father’s Day also fell on Sunday and I HAD to do something fun with him. His kiddos live far away so it’s up to me to make Father’s Day feel like a special occasion. We went to Belgrade Lakes and visited the Farmer’s Market and had lunch at Belgrade Lakes Seafood. I brought my knitting and I made my mistake while we were waiting for our food.
I had every expectation that knitting all day I would make more “progress” but I am pleased to have gotten one mini jumper completed (and today I wove in the ends and seamed the arm to the body.)
I raised over $800 for the Alzheimer’s Association, too. I am committed to doing what I can to combat Alzheimer’s Disease because of my mom. The photograph here is of my mom and four of her grandchildren. She now has six grandchildren and one great grandchild.
This was the first summer that I knew something was wrong. Mom made the mayonnaise mix twice for her famous potato salad. She forgot her purse when we went to the grocery store. She forgot to take off the emergency brake and drove until the something smelled hot in the car. There were more little things that pointed to a problem but we thought it was just normal aging. And life was really, really busy.
This was the beginning of the sad story where we had to find caregivers for mom because she couldn’t take care of herself. She would forget her wallet and realize it after she pumped the gas, she forgot tennis dates and appointments. She couldn’t remember how to feed her cat. She needed help showering and getting dressed. She needed help.
Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease shortly after this photo was taken. She was diagnosed about ten years before she passed away. She died in 2008 at the “ripe old” age of seventy-six. She had been “gone” for several years; unable to communicate or walk. The once robust, athletic, vivacious woman had dwindled away bit by bit over the ten years post-diagnosis. It was truly a blessing when she passed.
I hope that by knitting from sunup to sundown one day a year that I can make a little difference for Alzheimer’s research funding and that a preventive measure will be found so that in my lifetime there will be people who don’t have to watch their loved on disappear as my mother did. I know I’m not alone in this wish and am grateful for the many who supported my efforts this year.
I recently commented on an Instagram Post about a photographer who took portraits of girls and let them just be themselves (didn’t tell them to smile or pose a certain way, etc.) I thought the photographs, taken for an art exhibit, were beautiful and revelatory. The comments in the post were also revealing.
My comment read: “I have been told for 60+ years that I was prettier when I smiled. I’m pretty all the time. Thank you very much. And I don’t have to smile to make you comfortable.” What I meant was that I am not comfortable with strange men coming telling me that I should smile and look “prettier” to make them feel better. People are attractive or not. Smiling or not. My husband is still handsome when he’s not smiling because I know him and love him. This behavior is originated in the patriarchy. It’s about women being mere decorations. Never have I ever considered telling a strange man that he’d be more handsome if he smiled! Never.
The majority of the comments on my post were positive and supportive. I found it fascinating that over 4500 people to date “liked” my comment and 41 people took the time to comment. Again, most of the comments were supportive, saying things like: “perfect comment” and “louder for the folks in the back” and “the number of times I heard this when I was practicing law twenty years ago … from men, of course” and others.
Among those positive and supportive comments were a very few that were not: “Dude, every pretty person is prettier when they look happy. Get over yourself” and “literally everyone is prettier when they smile. That’s just basic human psychology” and “how does telling you that you’re pretty when you smile mean that you’re not when you don’t? You’re doing too much take the compliment, you’re beautiful and appreciate the person who said it rather than take the compliment and twist it into a negative.” AND all of these commenters were men: Zack, Omar and … You catch my drift.
What all of these men fail to see is that telling a stranger (or a co-worker) that they should smile is NOT said to men. It’s kind of like whistling at a woman walking by. It makes me uncomfortable because you’re a STRANGER and I don’t know you. It’s seen by those who study behavior as microaggression: a behavior used against women (people of color and other marginalized groups) to put them in a submissive position. It’s bullying/overpowering someone “weaker”. It’s a behavioral or verbal slight, intentional or not, and it communicates hostile, derogatory and negative attitudes toward marginalized groups. And sadly, it’s so well ensconced in our society that even well-educated, well-mannered people don’t understand why it bothers me.
These comments have always made me feel uncomfortable and I didn’t always have the vocabulary to explain it. Just trust me when I tell you that It’s not ok for a stranger in a bar or disco (as happened to me in college) to walk up to a stranger dancing and tell her to smile, she’d be prettier. It’s not ok on a city street, in a subway or the office either. Women are allowed to take up space smiling or not.
This is me at work this week. I’m smiling. I am a generally happy person who laughs a lot and loves to greet my customers with a smile. I (mostly) love my work and customers and I work to create an experience that leaves each customer feeling a little bit better when they leave than they did when they came in. A little bit of kindness and caring go so much farther than a critical , “you’d looks so much prettier if you smiled”.
You take care of your face (and your mouth. Mind your own business. Let me choose my face … whether it be a smile, a scowl or resting bitch face. I don’t answer to you. Take not of mom’s advice: don’t take to strangers.
I’m back in the east coast time (and I’ve adjusted to the time change) after a wonderful week in California. My daughter and son-in-love and their daughter and dogs have moved to San Diego for three months for my daughter’s work. She’s performing a new play about Billie Jean King called Love All at the La Jolla Playhouse. I was brought out to California because they needed childcare for a week when dad had to travel for his work and I was all too happy to oblige!
My granddaughter is sitting up all by herself now and starting to get up on her knees and rock. She is a professional sleeper and loves to eat just about anything you feed her … but she doesn’t like eggs. We took lots of walks, played on the floor a ton and snuggled a bunch. It was wonderful spending the time with her. Bonus – I got to spend some time with her mother, too. I love seeing my daughter with her daughter. It absolutely fills my heart.
We visited the San Diego Zoo Safari Park which was incredible! We even saw a platypus. They’re much smaller than I’d thought they were. We walked all over the park and it was amazing. The weather was cool and overcast so it was a perfect day to see all the animals and they weren’t hiding in the shade. We too their African Cart ride and saw so many animals up pretty close. We all agreed it was a wonderful place and worth every cent!
Most mornings I walked from my AirBnB to my daughter’s apartment and along the way I enjoyed the flora and fauna. (Luckily I didn’t see much fauna other than birds.) The plants, though, according to my daughter and I agreed, looked very much like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. Little did we know that Theodore Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) lived in San Diego/ La Jolla from 1948 until his death in 1991. So, when you’re reading Green Eggs and Ham or the Cat in the Hat, you’ll see exactly what La Jolla looks like! Some of the plants I loved are pictured above. The trees with few leaves and huge red flowers were among my favorites!
We went to the La Jolla Cove and walked along the coast after lunch. There were sea lions everywhere sunning themselves. And there were lots of babies. Living along the hillsides were hundreds of cormorants, some with nests and young. And more flowers on the hillside to make things pretty. It was a fascinating walk and fun people watching.
I have been knitting, too, I just didn’t get a lot of knitting done when I was in California. I’ve finished socks for my daughter, Libet. I used my favorite sock pattern by Yankee Knitter (#29 Classic Socks) and some deeply stashed yarn which turned out to be Dream in Color yarn. (All the details are on my project page in Ravelry.) I love the way these socks turned out. The colorway is an incredible mix of purples of all shades and they’re subtle until you look at them closely. I think she’ll be pleased. The color doesn’t photograph well and falls somewhere between the two photos below. What’s a knitter to do?
I finished the Tybee Sweater for Sylvie before I left and gave it a good wash and block. It’s so cute and it fits!!! I loved knitting this sweater, it’s soft against the skin and the colorway is brilliant – rainbows in softer shades. I love the buttons that I found for it at RIx Rax in Montreal. They’re vintage orange plastic (washable) and they’re perfect for this cardigan. The baby wore it several times in CA.
Tybee Cardigan in Berroco Vivo
I also finished my Old Port Hat by Andrea Mowry. This was a fun hat to knit – and I still don’t like myself in hats. I’m not sure there is a hat in this world that I will like on myself. I knitted this hat in a collection of left-over yarns that were in my stash. I had some left over bright pink alpaca that I used for the ear flap lining and then I had some Patagonia and some Rowan Felted Tweed. They are all, for the most part, used up. Woo! Hoo! I love it when I decide to knit something and don’t have to buy new yarn for it. The hat is really interesting to knit and I love the way it looks. I may decide to wear it this winter even though I don’t like it on me. It will be nice and warm!
According to my records, that means that I’ve finished 27 projects so far this year. Remaining WIPs on my needles are: My Favorite Genser (Norwegian pullover), Three Season Cardigan, and I just started while I was away a summer sweater, Lane’s Island Pullover by Lori Versaci. The original design was two-color stripes but I’m knitting it in one color (ivory) in a recycled fiber, Remix Light by Berroco yarns. I have another sweater (or two, now that I think of it) in this yarn and I love it year-round. This white one will be really versatile, too. I’ve completed up to the arm pit decreases and have a few more inches to go on the front. It will have 3/4 sleeves. (No photos.)
I’ve still got a few of the Arne and Carlos mini Nordic jumpers to finish and one of these days I’ll just get it done. I’ve finished through #18 … seven are left. I have until December, right?
I also have a pair of mittens that I started eons ago. They’re super cute but they seem to be coming out too big (again!) I’ve started this pattern once before and I’m not sure why they’re so big. I’ve got to measure the gauge to see if I’m on the right track … and if they’re way off, I may put these aside forever. Or at least for awhile. Or forever.
I’ve just finished the finishing on the Tybee Cardigan that I’ve knitted for my granddaughter. I knitted it in Berroco Vivo. The colorway is so bright and happy and I love it. The cardigan is a simple bottom up design with a “shawl” collar.
The pattern is by the Berroco Design Team and it’s a free pattern on Ravelry. The construction is simple, a garter stitch bottom band and then the body is knitted in one piece to the underarms. The button bands are knitted with the body of the sweater. The sleeves are knitted separately and then added into the body of the sweater and the raglan sleeves are knitted and the collar stitches picked up and knitted. Ta Da! Ta Done!
I bought the wonderful buttons when I was in Montreal and they’re perfect for this little cardigan! I absolutely love them! They are vintage with a shank and a little bit of color variation.
This was a fun little knit and it should be machine washable, dry flat. Vivo is a cotton yarn, DK weight, with some “thick and thin” action going on. The sweater, as a result, looks a little bit “slubby” and It makes the cardigan even cuter.
I wove in the ends and added a dab of Fray check. Cotton yarn is a little bit slipperier than wool and I want the ends to stay put. Once it’s dry, I’ll give the cardigan a little bath and it’ll be ready to go to California to be tried on my super special model.
Queen Bee Knits 