Loving Rhinebeck

NYS sheep and Wool festival, what a wonderful weekend. The company, Donna, and the weather was perfect. we packed alot into a short period of time, cooking demo, watching the chopsticks fastest knitter contest, sheep shearing, dog fresbie players, and of course yarn browsing.

Home Grown

     Back to gardening ..it's been a long time.  Probably lost my desire to work in the garden about 6 years ago, knowing that there would be that long distance move and that the house would be sold.  We had a beautiful garden, by the way, it was mostly perenials or self seeders..so the iris, delphinians, lavender, cosmos, tulips and carnations continue to bloom

Cardigan Knit one knit all Adding the front and collar

This project is really working up much faster then expected.  Back is on the stitch holder and collar is worked on the circular needles.

It this point the front side and back are knit together at the same time that the collar is added.

Notice the I cord binding which is knit in all at the same time and the collar.  Now to begin the left side.

The needle to pointing to the front side and I corded buttonholes.

From Fleece to Wool I Hope!!

So now to spin.  A friend has Dorset sheep with lovely coats.  She asked if I'd like the wool and since I had the time (who I'm I kidding) thought it would be a fun thing to do.  Wash, comb, card and spin some wool... Well at least some of the washing is complete... the wonder of the Internet, enabling me to watch a video teaching me how to cleanse the fleece while I was washing it.  Mind you I have done this before on a teeny tiny scale.  When in college my Primitive Weaving course began with the professor handing each of us a handful of unwashed fleece..from which we were expected to create a finished product, all using primitive tools.. even had to make our own spindles and loom.  Loved the project back then, but I can see that this is going to be a lot to do...why now that I look at this beautiful white wool  ...I'm realizing I'm going to have a TON of yarn!!!

Enjoying the craft and workmanship

I have always wanted to crochet a bedspread. Crochet is where my interest in fiber began. It always seemed such a task..yet I have the materials in my stash.   This is not my work, bit it is lovely and a wonderful bargain ..less then $20 at a local garage sale.. It needed a touch of loving care, delicately washed and sun dried.  There are a few loose chains that need repair, but overall this is a beautiful piece.  Ecru in color and not a mark on it.   Probably stored in a cedar chest waiting for a special guest to visit.   I decided a few years ago that nothing should be tucked away waiting to be enjoyed.  So out came the silver (a gift from my brother) and any other items in my cedar chest that could be used and enjoyed everyday.  This coverlet is laying across my quest room bed.  I'm just waiting for my guests.

Knit One Knit All #4

Total pink and bulky --This next hat is shaped with shortrows and will be woven together top to bottom. (notice the blue yarn, that's the provisional cast on) What is really nice about working in the Bulky yarn is that no short row holes can be seen, and that's even without knitting the wrapped stitch.   A super quick project- this is the work of one afternoon.

The top of the hat is on the left and you can see the levels where the hat increased in size across the right side and the middle (center of photo) less increased

Last week was a knitting week!

Noro Silk for Katie

Knit straight (I tend you use circular needles not matter what I knit--I never drop a needle this way!)

Moebius using Opal yarn (lace weight)  I used Cat Bordhi's book Treasure of Magical Knitting for the pattern..just getting used to calculating cast on stitches.  It always seems that the circumference is larger then expected for me.

Scarfs,wraps and hats

The last week has been filled with projects.. Finished projects
Entrelac noro silk cowl
Vogue caplet in wool
A moebius wrap in variegated Opal sockenwole. Photos to follow

Also started the third K1, knit all hat...may fingers are working at super speed

Knit One, Knit All Fall cardigan

As I said I will be working on two projects at a time for this sojourn through this wonderful book.   My Vogue capelet is finished (just featured on a Yarnmarket email,  as soon as it is blocked a bit I will post the photos.), now it's time to begin another large garment.

I had planned on knitting a cardigan with this yarn anyway.  The main portion will be knit in Knit Picks City Tweed DK.  This blend of merino wool, supefine alpaca and donegal tweed, feels wonderful in my hands.   What I really like about this particular design is that I will be able to do some minor shaping so that this cardigan will not have a boxy look and the button holes are so cool,  Icord again. The other consideration is the contrasting panel..I may consider a knitted pattern of some type instead of a color change for this portion of the sweater... Just have to wait and see.  Above you can see what I have knit so far.    Now to choose my second project .. maybe one of the glove patterns.....

ko,ka #2 the brim

So once I sewed the tapered side together, the hat looked very strange to me.  Adding the border and brim was very easy and this is where I feel you have the flexibility to make the hat longer.

  Knitting in the design, I choose light olive and turquoise and then used the green for the brim.   this part is knit in the round (my favorite way to knit) and again the use of icord for finishing really gives this a rich look.

Knit One Knit All #2





I decided to take the liberty to skip to any pattern I choose during this endeavor..so I am knitting the Single Border Hat , page 15.  Again I read over the pattern instructions and wondered how is this going to work.. but of course it does because Elizabeth Zimmerman is genius!!   Using Paton's Merino wool (from my stash) I cast on the required stitches and knit away.. 

 



Love the spiral affect



Still did not get the look of the hat?













Finishing the caplet

Here are a few shots of the edging on the caplet.  Only 8 more repeats to go!!! 

Blogging from my IPad...

Don't know if I mentioned I have an I Pad..absolutely love it..you down download patterns, knitting apps and now seems that I can blog from anywhere...now I know thus should not be such an amazing thing to me but somehow my tech brain has been on a long vacation thinking about knitting and hypnosis instead...well let see if this really works for me...hey where can I add photos????. Whew the spell check?? This may be a problem!!!!

So spelling is definitely going to be a problem ..plus the keyboard high-jacks my intended words

Knit One Knit All --One down more to follow

The first project in Elizabeth Zimmerman's wonderful book Knit One, Knit All is complete.  The Spiral Hat  (yarn Cascade 220 super wash)

Knitting an I-cord and creating a fabric (piece) at the same time is pure genius

I found during the construction of the hat that by changing the way I picked up the side stitch the look of the join changed.

Sometimes I knit two stitches together from the front, or the back or I would pick up a stitch with out knitting it and yarn over.

You may be able to see the effect on the spiral above the outside edge.  It's only a slight difference. 
For my next project I'm going to take notes on everything I do or adjust.   What an innovator Eliz Z is .....I love this technique and can see using it to attach I-cord to any project easily.. what a great way to add a hem!!!


I'd  like to knit this piece again using a different yarn, something with a little mohair or angora.  

Happy 4th

We have a few Yarn Bombers here in Sonoma..but of all that has been done in the past this is outstanding!!! Even the hub caps are knit!!!!

Lavender Field

             I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.   Everyday I look out my window and see the mountains and gorgeous blue sky (almost every day).  Sunday I was fortunate enough to travel North up the highway to Kenwood and visit the Sonoma Lavender Festival.   It was a lovely day.  The fields were in full bloom and the lavender was ready to be picked.   My first visit was to the chocolate shop --lavender infused truffles...absolutely delicious and then for a hand massage with lavender salt rub and lotions... there were cooking demonstrations and authorities in lavender cultivation giving presentations,  it was a perfect day. Lavender is healing and soothing..great to use creams on those knitting hands



sneak peak



knit in public day

We had a beautiful day in the Sonoma Plaza Rose Garden.. The park was filled with children playing, birthday parties and tourists...the sun was shining and although the wind picked up it was a perfect day..life doesn 't get any better.. Photos to follow

The sweater Ella

Finally finished all the last touches, and in this case that means sewing on the buttons... Oh about the buttons I searched and searched all the shops for the best button and low and behold the perfect buttons were in my button box.

Swirls!!!! with the exact same colors !!

  Plan on posting to ravelry ElizSCknits pattern and all..

So it begins -- Knit One Knit All Pattern #1

 Knit One Knit All  Chambered Nautilus Tam



picking up I-cord stitch

Although my caplet is not done I decided to begin the first pattern in Knit One Knit All. Saturday is Knit in Public day and this is a wonderful piece to work on, the caplet is too intense to be able to knit and talk.   It is a spiral I-cord beret.  You know I love spiral designs, it must be the hypnotist in me!!  The pattern is written as Elizabeth Zimmerman would have written it and I realized that I needed to read the directions over twice and then experiment with the stitch.  I began with a chunky yarn on a size 7 needle to get the gauge desired, but found the fabric to be stiff and the spiral was not lying as it should.  Then taking Cascade 220 superwash in a lovely brown I began all over again.   The fabric swirl is created by knitting across 7 stitches, including short rows and attaching to the I cord you create in the row.  My knitting style is unconventional, the legs of my stitches do not lie on the front of the needle, so many times I need to re-load the stitch in order to get the desired result.   I found that in the beginning of this project I was not following the directions as clearly written and created a new version at the attachment to the I-cord, with a second raised  row running along side.   Once I realized my error and how to create a more seamless attachment the spiral took on a new look.   See below.

Knit One Knit All

Have you seen this book?  I am in love.. never thought I would want to knit almost every design in one book  but I have changed my mind...Soooo here is the plan   I will knit every design,, except the pullovers. ( At my age and body type ..definitely not my style) but who's to say I could knit them  and give as gifts... hum..
Game Plan:

• I will have two projects going at one time, at all times
• I use quality yarn from my stash, before I purchase new yarn
• Each design will be photographed in progress
• I will update this blog frequently with the details

Oh but I must finish this project first.  It's on the cover of Spring Summer Vogue  --Caplet--knitting it in Rowan DK Wool and working on the border now....  I'll keep you posted... really I will!!!!