tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40506142024-02-28T16:07:04.007-05:00Lana's Laboratoryexperiments in knitting and crochetUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-81483903144500431542013-11-07T01:54:00.001-05:002013-11-07T01:54:43.348-05:00I'm not the boss of youHere's something that's been bugging me for a long time. If comparative study of multiple toe-up cast on methods doesn't keep you awake at night, you can probably wander off and happily go on about your life.<br />
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When I write a toe-up sock pattern, here's the easiest/briefest way to start the instructions:<br />
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<div style="margin-left: 1em;">"Using Judy's Magic Cast On (JMCO), CO 24 sts. Knit 12 sts (half the sts). Rnd 1: ..." </div><br />
But as much as I love JMCO, you don't <i>have</i> to use that particular method, and I don't want to imply that you must. But if you use the Turkish (aka Middle Eastern, or just Eastern) or Figure 8 methods, at least with most versions of the instructions for those two methods, you don't get the row of visible stitches between the needles that JMCO produces. So I'd prefer to write something like this:<br />
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<div style="margin-left: 1em;">"Using the invisible toe-up cast on method of your choice, CO 24 sts. If using Turkish or Figure 8 method, knit 1 rnd; if using JMCO, knit 12 sts (half the sts)."<br />
</div><br />
Except... some instructions for Turkish or Figure 8, particularly the Turkish include knitting the stitches a second time, which <i>does</i> put an extra row of stitches between the needles like JMCO. So unless I were to provide or cite specific instructions for each method in every pattern, in order to guarantee the same structural results with all cast on methods, we need these starting instructions:<br />
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<div style="margin-left: 1em;">"Using the invisible toe-up cast on method of your choice, CO 24 sts. Knit until you have one row of sts visible between your needles before beginning Rnd 1."<br />
</div><br />
Remember, too, in addition to having taken forever to think about this, I've had varying degrees of creative control when I've worked with other publishers. So you can probably just substitute that wording into any toe-up sock pattern of mine that's ever been published, and feel unoppressed. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-30692201772625310042013-11-05T12:20:00.002-05:002013-11-05T12:20:38.093-05:00UmSo, you know how you when you owe a friend an email, or a call, or maybe even an old school letter, and you have every intention of answering them, but they're so important to you that you don't do it right away because you want to make it <i>really good?</i> But then some time goes by, so then the pressure to be really good is even higher, so you put it off even longer. And this whole cycle repeats and builds like a pressure cooker canning jam until so much stuff has happened that you feel like you owe them a novel, or at least a holidays letter with nice photos, maybe even digital scrapbook pages and and and...<br />
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Um. Hi.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-3101752433180881642012-11-20T14:26:00.001-05:002012-11-20T14:28:58.544-05:00No flange, not safe(Trust me, you'll be just as happy that this post has no photos.)<br />
<br />
I've come to regard the crochet hook not just as a fiber arts tool, but as one of life's most basic gadgets. It's not in the same league as the lever, the wheel, and the inclined plane, but it's just the thing for retrieving small objects from or through tight places. I've fished a ring out of a sink drain and finagled a broken key end out of a lock.<br />
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Last night, in a motel in southern Iowa, I had to have my spouse use a tiny steel crochet hook to remove a cylindrical foam earplug I had jammed too far into my ear. If you can top that for unusual crochet hook applications, please leave a comment and tell me about it!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-20674092247647632122012-10-26T13:31:00.001-04:002012-10-26T13:31:50.307-04:00Too soon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVn3A2kSGIYd_vGYD67R2u9Rk4wIEZS78DgYq0L4SZZmA1ZHAYdsc3LvGnMEahX36dHLrljzScBy9tx-2ePIFDD_tmhwv5NOm4FWlB_eik-QIeujPvrwxMEIDoK_QshRxElMd4dA/s1600/IMG_0833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVn3A2kSGIYd_vGYD67R2u9Rk4wIEZS78DgYq0L4SZZmA1ZHAYdsc3LvGnMEahX36dHLrljzScBy9tx-2ePIFDD_tmhwv5NOm4FWlB_eik-QIeujPvrwxMEIDoK_QshRxElMd4dA/s320/IMG_0833.jpg" /></a></div>A month ago I was planning to find a new home for this WIP. I was convinced that there was no way I would ever finish the beaded border. It's Susan Pandorf's <i>Evenstar</i> pattern, which calls for 56 repeats of a 20-row knitted-on border chart, and each repeat uses 50 beads. I worked on it for several miserable days in February 2011 (admittedly, I was recovering from a very bad case of bronchitis, which didn't help). I repeatedly dropped beads, dropped stitches, and shredded the yarn, accomplished a little more than 3 repeats, and stuffed the whole thing in a bag in The Closet of Despair™.<br />
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Five days ago, I liberated it. It was so beautiful that I thought I'd give it one more try before giving it away. As of this morning, I've completed 30 repeats, more than half the border. <br />
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So, <b>what happened?!</b><br />
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In short, I've got better tools and more experience. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRL58yuTdo53wVV_rT7BYAQdZVOxeY32jrMy2JE4PBdEU0gvkZNXMtr-RcTMULii44gweVw8uELxcH0IraygmdQYzl64ysPSANhNw3Hbm8al_HIyKKPygNTXQQ02oh4l_ifDXtQ/s1600/IMG_0832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRL58yuTdo53wVV_rT7BYAQdZVOxeY32jrMy2JE4PBdEU0gvkZNXMtr-RcTMULii44gweVw8uELxcH0IraygmdQYzl64ysPSANhNw3Hbm8al_HIyKKPygNTXQQ02oh4l_ifDXtQ/s320/IMG_0832.jpg" /></a></div>I knit the entire body of the shawl on Addi Turbos-- not the <i>Lace</i> Addis, either, but the regular ones, with their fairly short, rounded tips. Now I've got Red Lace ChiaoGoos (which I'm not sure even existed in February 2011). Not only do they make working the decreases easier (how did I ever slog through all those twisted double decreases in the body without them?), but those pointy points really make transferring the stitch back to the needle from the crochet hook simple.<br />
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The crochet hook I was using before was too small for the job, so tiny that that the silk thread didn't really fit in the notch, hence the shredding. The one I'm using now is twice as big (1.0 mm instead of .50 mm), yet still fits through nearly every one of the size 8 beads.<br />
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Even having the beads on a "bead mat" (in my case, a clean dinner napkin) instead of in a bowl or a tin keeps them from rolling around while loading the crochet hook. And since I've had more beading practice since then, I can pick up several at a time instead of having to load each bead on the hook individually.<br />
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I often tell my students that there's not really any such thing as a project that's too <i>hard,</i> but sometimes a project is too <i>soon.</i> Maybe I should try listening to myself occasionally.<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-19587814238901716082012-10-15T14:26:00.000-04:002012-10-15T14:27:24.566-04:00Fall tree-peeping, knitter-styleI only live about an hour and a half's drive from Bloomington, Indiana. It's an easy day trip. It's a wonderful "real" college town (as opposed to an ordinary town which happens to have a college in it), with great shopping, dining, entertainment, and an attractive campus. If I could live anywhere in Indiana, it'd be Bloomington.<br />
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The problem with day tripping, though, is that at the end of the day, you have to drive home, so somebody has to forgo the wine at dinner. There's nowhere to grab an afternoon nap, and you always get tired before you've done all the things you want to do. So this year for my spouse's fall break, we booked a couple of nights in a hotel right off the town square. (Don't worry, this isn't going to turn into a Diary of my Vacation post.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJaaJnAruYYO6xm4tt_GS_8-qjmweqJnik2w637F657llVoGDHEdSCSqzKp6zB_BeyveqzWDpS5sIEfYdJysbKli3ABZDQ8DY30BsZtl-ij_QMMtw7ht5EngMeyI4X2o999VKIdw/s1600/IMG_0795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJaaJnAruYYO6xm4tt_GS_8-qjmweqJnik2w637F657llVoGDHEdSCSqzKp6zB_BeyveqzWDpS5sIEfYdJysbKli3ABZDQ8DY30BsZtl-ij_QMMtw7ht5EngMeyI4X2o999VKIdw/s320/IMG_0795.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUd12uOtMzvvEtO8ynJRcKJL-bIfYqVvTStQNmChpi-ZhnBXaqeM_J5jjdGmBwZ-CD10tE-17vxO6Wf65Yo1LpN9r1kT9ll13GX0rEcXA3UVzLPGzK9iQzyeRjiXtAbyAPLRYNFw/s1600/IMG_0798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUd12uOtMzvvEtO8ynJRcKJL-bIfYqVvTStQNmChpi-ZhnBXaqeM_J5jjdGmBwZ-CD10tE-17vxO6Wf65Yo1LpN9r1kT9ll13GX0rEcXA3UVzLPGzK9iQzyeRjiXtAbyAPLRYNFw/s400/IMG_0798.jpg" /></a></div>As we approached the hotel, I was supposed to be navigating, but I got distracted by the fabulous lace-covered tree at right. In fact, the downtown Bloomington Entertainment and Arts District (BEAD) was full of tree sweaters! A little Googling turned up the reason: it's a fundraising project for domestic violence victims. You can see all the trees and read about the Knitting to Heal project <a href="http://www.knittingtoheal.org/locations/">here.</a> <br />
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Another of my favorite trees was, unsurprisingly, sponsored by a local yarn store, <a href="http://www.yarnsunlimited.com/">Yarns Unlimited</a>. I wish I had a 360-degree draggable panorama to show you all the charming knitted and crocheted sea creatures!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJkxSrz6D8xSseeQr44k-dkj7GsqLENPL5LsgVPFdSWQWGdHNJoB_jQhuJHtglumfR4kmboTON-0tb8CBYAWDp3jgVGDw43bNUaIhZi4AkvCwtjxmy99ZSSpHEBwt2Wo1mZ8BHeQ/s1600/IMG_0805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJkxSrz6D8xSseeQr44k-dkj7GsqLENPL5LsgVPFdSWQWGdHNJoB_jQhuJHtglumfR4kmboTON-0tb8CBYAWDp3jgVGDw43bNUaIhZi4AkvCwtjxmy99ZSSpHEBwt2Wo1mZ8BHeQ/s320/IMG_0805.JPG" /></a></div>Oh, and here's the obligatory photo of my yarny souvenir shopping from Yarns Unlimited and <a href="http://inayarnbasket.com/">In A Yarn Basket</a> (all sock yarn, except for the shawl pin. Let's pretend to be surprised). I've recently learned from Twitter that souvenir yarn doesn't count as stash. ;)<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-6823212787892621572012-10-03T21:34:00.001-04:002012-10-03T21:34:45.856-04:00Intermediate gratificationMy mom phoned me the other day for advice about her current project. It was a supposedly flat-topped hat, worked from the top down; she was dubious about it because it wasn't lying flat. So I recommended she block the WIP to see if that would make it lie flat, before investing any more time in it.<br />
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I actually block WIPs all the time. This has become easier since I bought some very long cables for my laminated wood interchangeables; I can just replace the needle tips with the plastic endcaps, and the cables function as flexible blocking wires. (Compared to knitting, blocking crochet in progress is so easy it feels like cheating: just replace the hook with a plastic coilless pin-style marker.)<br />
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Here are a few of the reasons I'm frequently pinning something out just before bed:<br />
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<li>If I've found a mistake in lace several rows down (or, as happened to me earlier this week, a <i>hundred!</i> rows down), and it's the sort that can be fixed by dropping a stitch column or two, I know the repair will be a lot easier if I block it first to set the shapes of the stitches.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd_wvA_9LmdIFZHwsTv4gMa76GlcNeUt6pZO_arzZ8EGqQAODQItJJK714-zzCL3F_kdHbRk7RLPk-oW7xgHZK65N1TFLvgQ87G5bpKK2x9pLGZjhw9caYDwEmSiwSpCYbWi1fA/s1600/IMG_0777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd_wvA_9LmdIFZHwsTv4gMa76GlcNeUt6pZO_arzZ8EGqQAODQItJJK714-zzCL3F_kdHbRk7RLPk-oW7xgHZK65N1TFLvgQ87G5bpKK2x9pLGZjhw9caYDwEmSiwSpCYbWi1fA/s320/IMG_0777.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgphs3Y1oIPb3EUJ2qw0-fJijDChYg37WNG_SG1F7InCPdS0bQmIjg7CuSKHc7_fcnFNZPx6F-8O5GI44KzbiD95xq-pnuFmp9gpyEVGKsvM0-Q_MnkcH01V9qOGk9PnNXv-gzw/s1600/IMG_0780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgphs3Y1oIPb3EUJ2qw0-fJijDChYg37WNG_SG1F7InCPdS0bQmIjg7CuSKHc7_fcnFNZPx6F-8O5GI44KzbiD95xq-pnuFmp9gpyEVGKsvM0-Q_MnkcH01V9qOGk9PnNXv-gzw/s320/IMG_0780.JPG" /></a></div><li>For a shawl, or some other garment where gauge isn't critical, I probably didn't swatch. So, I just want to see how the fabric is going to look after blocking, to make sure I like it. Again, this is particularly true with lace, which always looks a well-used dishrag before blocking; sometimes I just want a little reassurance that it'll be fine in the end. Compare the two pictures at right of the same project: the first was taken before blocking, and the second was taken afterwards. (The pattern, by the way, is Corrina Ferguson's <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/yeats"><i>Yeats.</i></a>)<br />
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<li>If I'm using a sleeve or some other small part of a garment as my gauge swatch, I need to block it as soon it's big enough to measure. (I may actually have finally outgrown the folly of measuring gauge without blocking!)<br />
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<li>With a really challenging project, I might want to block gently before binding off, to reveal any mistakes I've missed while they're still accessible from above. I really don't ever want to repeat the occasion where I discovered a mis-crossed cable on the back of a sweater-- <i>after</i> I'd bound off the neck, joined the shoulders, and picked up stitches for the hood.<br />
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And sometimes, I have more than one project going at a time. (I know, you're shocked!) Usually one of them is The Thing I Am Currently in Love With, and another is The Thing I Need to Get Done. Sometimes the only way I can force myself to stop working on the first is by blocking it in the morning. That way, I only have to be virtuous for the thirty seconds it takes to shove the object of enchantment into the sink; then for the rest of the day, I'll have to work on the object of drudgery until my beloved dries.<br />
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(Or, uh, cast on something else entirely...)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-81722196578780861542012-09-25T20:46:00.000-04:002012-09-25T20:46:48.740-04:00To have and to holdSo, the thing about knitting lots of shawls is, you end up with lots of shawls. Sure, you can give some away. But if you (like me) tend to make shawls requiring occasional handwashing and fidgety blocking, it's a little like giving someone a pet: it comes with an implied obligation, so you don't want to impose a handknitted shawl on just anyone.<br />
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(Yes, Mom, I made a shawl with your name on it. You don't have to call me and hint.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcQASXvS1FVDPdgYxAwl26ab-lfy51yxyWXp3RIofIV1HVFN5jeQG0PSY8y6Ivi4AZkKeAvHBQMqCz82LKyNVw3EkVJiRSukUHPVVFN-3rmloS2pxOXAXSdUVSkJ0EjJGLAn_Sw/s1600/IMG_0781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcQASXvS1FVDPdgYxAwl26ab-lfy51yxyWXp3RIofIV1HVFN5jeQG0PSY8y6Ivi4AZkKeAvHBQMqCz82LKyNVw3EkVJiRSukUHPVVFN-3rmloS2pxOXAXSdUVSkJ0EjJGLAn_Sw/s320/IMG_0781.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://www.containerstore.com/shop/elfa/components/elfadeacutecor?productId=10007740&N=80345">Here's</a> my favorite way to store all those fabulous shawls. It's part of the elfa brand modular closet system sold by The Container Store. This piece is actually marketed as a pants rack, but I have a lot more shawls than pants. There are little clear rubber rings on each metal bar that help keep the shawls from sliding off.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXg9usxkwNE9w7JgrCVtWpNCPq_E1rVNgDJxAZ7rl-2poZDray4jBdmzRiFBhkuehk6Z0ieIKTpTu2c6LQ7GCQTRwoJhU2miEm5B2EAom40vw0uUu0l8vD97vAXMkDukg-R8yY1g/s1600/IMG_0785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXg9usxkwNE9w7JgrCVtWpNCPq_E1rVNgDJxAZ7rl-2poZDray4jBdmzRiFBhkuehk6Z0ieIKTpTu2c6LQ7GCQTRwoJhU2miEm5B2EAom40vw0uUu0l8vD97vAXMkDukg-R8yY1g/s320/IMG_0785.JPG" /></a></div>And look! The rack slides out, so it's easy to hang and retrieve shawls neatly from the top, without disturbing their neighbors.<br />
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As you can see, this rack is full. And what you can't see is that there are more shawls folded on the shelf above the rack. It's definitely time to order a second rack. Pants are overrated, anyhow.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-8995023939704387472012-09-04T12:06:00.000-04:002012-09-04T12:06:17.407-04:00A literature surveyLet me remind you that I am an expert on graduate school, having dropped out of two of them...<br />
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In many academic fields, when one is starting to investigate a research topic, the literature survey is an essential stage. It involves hunting down journal papers related to the topic, reading or skimming them for important results, and studying any potentially-useful techniques the author has developed. A researcher who doesn't do this thoroughly risks the frustration of having a paper rejected because her results were already published by someone else, or because a known technique would make her results trivial. Basically, you have to become really familiar with what's been done before in order to confidently contribute something valuable and original.<br />
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For the last several weeks, I've been doing something similar with knitted shawls.<br />
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I got it in my head that I'd like to design some knitted shawls and shawlettes, but I've made (read: finished) surprisingly few of them, notably Haruni, Traveling Woman, and Sunbird. I'd already done a good job of filling my Ravelry favorites with interesting candidates, but I hadn't studied how they were constructed, or how the stitch patterns interacted.<br />
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Late last week, I finished Melissa Lemmons' <i><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fountain-of-diamonds">Fountain of Diamonds.</a></i> (I'm not going to branch off into a pattern review, but I will say that I knit this pattern exactly as written, right down to the placement of stitch markers.) <br />
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The three-triangular-panel construction gives better front converage than the common triangle or semi-circular shapes, yet doesn't overpower a short person like a long triangle can.<br />
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I also tried a beading method I hadn't previously used, at least not with success (there's an Evenstar shawl shoved in a bag in my nightstand, with only the beaded edging unworked). Be warned: the Clover steel crochet hooks with the comfy handles are sized much differently than the Susan Bates hooks. The Clover size 13/14 I had on hand was .50 mm, compared to the .75 mm Bates size 14. Beading went a lot better once I got the correct-size hook for my size 8 beads.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtqrkajDeDs6yUKka6d9TMjSP3ZokCcISMxuFyoV2MXQ_f2ooc19bRG0E8b4zAQRw5VkpKUKJ5y5tDRgyUzlLcHz8OX1Tla1WfYbNlumbwn0_OF7I4JiM4uKmQUqVh3KJcj_88w/s1600/IMG_0749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtqrkajDeDs6yUKka6d9TMjSP3ZokCcISMxuFyoV2MXQ_f2ooc19bRG0E8b4zAQRw5VkpKUKJ5y5tDRgyUzlLcHz8OX1Tla1WfYbNlumbwn0_OF7I4JiM4uKmQUqVh3KJcj_88w/s320/IMG_0749.jpg" /></a></div>Beads are notoriously hard to photograph, and I like subtle combinations of beads with yarn, but you can probably make them out along the upper edges of the diamonds. They sparkle when the shawl moves, and they make those otherwise-interminable purl rows more interesting to work. The center of the flower at the bottom of the diamond, by the way, is created with a 3-to-7 increase. That wasn't a new technique to me, but it's a favorite (I used something similar in the flowers on my <i>Betony</i> socks).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvBLbr0NwHUvBl1HSCbEIBloeAcrNZp2dJkejh6_oMqm_Dvh0e8XsZaCCTuNcvw9vhsHLrS_ZCuSdQzULjlORpo8HeEm0ymsuJO5Fu2VKrGzsTcoaKlwXrTPRZ-1EfcHHjCbIbQ/s1600/IMG_0748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvBLbr0NwHUvBl1HSCbEIBloeAcrNZp2dJkejh6_oMqm_Dvh0e8XsZaCCTuNcvw9vhsHLrS_ZCuSdQzULjlORpo8HeEm0ymsuJO5Fu2VKrGzsTcoaKlwXrTPRZ-1EfcHHjCbIbQ/s320/IMG_0748.jpg" /></a></div>I also worked my first-ever nupps (pronounced "noop!s"; the exclamation point is optional). They're the little knobs outlining this leaf motif. If you're unfamiliar with these, they're made by working (k1, yo) a lot of times into the same stitch and ending with a final k1; then all strands are purled together on the following row. For the love of all that's holey, do not attempt these without needles with sharp, long tips!<br />
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So if anybody asks, it's not recreational knitting, it's a literature survey.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-30081951689808877232012-08-21T10:03:00.000-04:002012-08-21T10:03:27.645-04:00VanityI just have one quick little thing to show you today:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHerwsK0rbN7dRDz236KtpRB9y8i5LGJ-OBmMoP3NZmGo5HTO6YgFfjVtwios4gciVGavbVyHgR8UYd6JxZs5hCdCp1zlYkLky1KyC8DT7P8XmYQKCgWp5dreRwfcjA-bom2Hd4A/s1600/IMG_0732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHerwsK0rbN7dRDz236KtpRB9y8i5LGJ-OBmMoP3NZmGo5HTO6YgFfjVtwios4gciVGavbVyHgR8UYd6JxZs5hCdCp1zlYkLky1KyC8DT7P8XmYQKCgWp5dreRwfcjA-bom2Hd4A/s320/IMG_0732.JPG" /></a></div>That's right, it's now a <i>Skewbaru.</i><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-24571350300446183532012-08-14T20:27:00.002-04:002012-08-14T22:40:33.264-04:00Stitches go in, stitches come outSo you would think, in four and a half hours as a passenger on the road to Madison, that I ought to be able to get a lot of knitting done, right?<br />
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Well, yes and no. <br />
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I started the second sock of a pair as soon as we left town, because second socks (usually) require no decisions. But I forgot to bring my design notes, so I had to figure stuff out by looking at Sock One. The first time I cast on, after 6-8 rounds I realized I'd started with the wrong number of stitches. On the second try, I got a little farther before noticing my gauge didn't look right. Sure enough, it was looser than Sock One. So I double-checked my needles and <i>I had brought the wrong size needles:</i> 2.5mm instead of 2.25mm.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpc7NfgY1cMTbTMm8ro-drFvlfoJBnHkP4q8hHrXc-Hv1VroNkOD9y_HKRGJceWGaDDI9t9DipLc6MlAq99UNRZACypoNTPd48bJB_a0MLp2IzvS8Bnsw_Efo1KzQhbHNKkiYhg/s1600/IMG_0726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHpc7NfgY1cMTbTMm8ro-drFvlfoJBnHkP4q8hHrXc-Hv1VroNkOD9y_HKRGJceWGaDDI9t9DipLc6MlAq99UNRZACypoNTPd48bJB_a0MLp2IzvS8Bnsw_Efo1KzQhbHNKkiYhg/s320/IMG_0726.JPG" /></a></div>Luckily, I only had to fidget about 45 minutes before we got to Champaign, IL, where we got off the highway for gas, restrooms, and an emergency yarn store stop. I was sorry I couldn't spare more time to browse at <a href="http://www.cu-needleworks.com/">Needleworks,</a> but I did get a pair of 2.25mm circulars. Unfortunately, the only metal ones they had in stock in that size were Susan Bates Quicksilvers. I don't mind them for larger-gauge projects (in fact I rather like the finish), but for socks, they were a misery. They have nice sharp points (excellent for lace and twisted stitches), but look closely at the cable join; that little smooshed place is wider than the rest of the needle, so tightly-knit sock stitches do <i>not</i> want to slide over it. After a while I got frustrated and took a nap.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpc4LOxLFXQGJ7FAxp6LVT_kOaVenf-gVHlEhwZMnIayOZF32p9LKti7nBfj83mULlvrIOsuUN78kYw6EiIOxJEpuQrmBa5WGgweaSDjxNAMTRJdxrnXUa9LYtxd0bvaKA3lLvQ/s1600/IMG_0700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpc4LOxLFXQGJ7FAxp6LVT_kOaVenf-gVHlEhwZMnIayOZF32p9LKti7nBfj83mULlvrIOsuUN78kYw6EiIOxJEpuQrmBa5WGgweaSDjxNAMTRJdxrnXUa9LYtxd0bvaKA3lLvQ/s320/IMG_0700.JPG" /></a></div>By the time we switched drivers in Rockford, IL, all I had finished was this tiny little toe-start, about an inch tall. I got another inch or so knitted after snapping this photo on the comfy couch in Lakeside Fibers. Mercifully, I was able to replace the offending needles with Chiaogoo Red Lace needles at The Sow's Ear, and finished the toe at Late Night Knitting. These are my new favorite sock needles. I'm a long-time fan of Addi Lace Turbos, too, but I have acidic skin and wear the "slick" off the finish pretty quickly. I'm hoping the stainless steel Chiaogoos will tolerate me better. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAhk9lIFrldIQjVuV4j5vVHNQ35opD-geHiGqnZLwcTc3_-GPsVZe7xf9lBYX_t7eJXOMztfPRPKBMl6fX1wLgSyvCim8gNl1IkhBE18RfrCPECkt0wQpGiKoeOYSYrhXbu5wDw/s1600/IMG_0704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRAhk9lIFrldIQjVuV4j5vVHNQ35opD-geHiGqnZLwcTc3_-GPsVZe7xf9lBYX_t7eJXOMztfPRPKBMl6fX1wLgSyvCim8gNl1IkhBE18RfrCPECkt0wQpGiKoeOYSYrhXbu5wDw/s320/IMG_0704.jpg" /></a></div>Unfortunately I slept late the next morning and didn't manage to get the instep pattern established before my afternoon coffee-and-knitting date at <a href="http://www.evpcoffee.com/stores.htm">EVP Coffee</a>, with my friend Jamie McCanless, Madison resident, cool dude, and tech editor to the stars. Jamie's too interesting company for me to set up the instep without my notes while we talked, so I knit a lot of stitches, but only in a "they're all wrong, but it's okay, I'm a process knitter" sort of way. (Guess I should have taken a photo of those completely random traveling twisted stitches before I ripped them out, huh?)<br />
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And two weeks later, I'm ready to turn the heel. Um, yay?<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-53241397419704517192012-08-07T16:54:00.000-04:002012-08-14T14:08:53.901-04:00Driving and drawing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ot07_YItrx7yNODxoZNEGzGM_9yrl6fjz8GlmWjcppZ7vf7l2cBxV5sfTyMZQxlpzNvNLw9IssfymXhz-72s8NvKM7km4sg7-_2QaRjx8qzU9q7o8BrsNOon-Pcq-4-RunYMRw/s1600/IMG_0701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ot07_YItrx7yNODxoZNEGzGM_9yrl6fjz8GlmWjcppZ7vf7l2cBxV5sfTyMZQxlpzNvNLw9IssfymXhz-72s8NvKM7km4sg7-_2QaRjx8qzU9q7o8BrsNOon-Pcq-4-RunYMRw/s320/IMG_0701.jpg" /></a></div>I've done a lot more traveling this year than I typically do. I'm not going to recite my entire 2012 itinerary at you, but I did just get back from four days in Madison, Wisconsin, which is my favorite Midwestern city. It's pretty, pedestrian-friendly, and environmentally conscious (at least, compared to where I live), and there's a great abundance of good food and drink. You can't walk a hundred yards in downtown Madison without the opportunity to buy beer, cheese, or beer-battered cheese.<br />
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The reason for this trip was that my spouse was giving two talks at <a href="http://www.maa.org/mathfest/">MathFest 2012</a> and I went along. As a recovering mathematician, I often get to see old friends at math conferences. For example, we had lunch with <a href="http://aleph.math.louisville.edu/">D. Jacob "Jake" Wildstrom,</a> crocheter, combinatorist, and coauthor of Making Mathematics with Needlework. Jake was kind enough to share an order with me of the finest cheese curds in Wisconsin, to save me from eating them all myself.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6R0M04WI7-CwMedMjtxqu7Y5PPB8o_RgdSnub36Z0e240KIkxR92xUtDggJV3RZ30pUdxzJ4PsTQqTMANujhqx1iNlJC9h8JgUYmKQhntOgR3xe__g9-1UoyV9pnsHvmA2elI5Q/s1600/IMG_0703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6R0M04WI7-CwMedMjtxqu7Y5PPB8o_RgdSnub36Z0e240KIkxR92xUtDggJV3RZ30pUdxzJ4PsTQqTMANujhqx1iNlJC9h8JgUYmKQhntOgR3xe__g9-1UoyV9pnsHvmA2elI5Q/s320/IMG_0703.jpg" /></a></div>One particularly great thing about Madison is that they have figured out that coffee and yarn should be together. I spent an hour knitting on a very comfortable couch in the <a href="http://www.lakesidefibers.com/coffee-room.htm">Lakeside Street Coffeehouse,</a> which shares a building with <a href="http://www.lakesidefibers.com/">Lakeside Fibers.</a> I would have stayed longer, but a heavy lunch was making me drowsy (remember those cheese curds?). I also went to Late Night Knitting at <a href="http://knitandsip.com/">The Sow's Ear</a> in nearby Verona, WI, which may be the Knit Night to end all Knit Nights. I talked to a lot of great, interesting people at both shops and, of course, did a little souvenir shopping.<br />
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One of my spouse's talks was about graph theory and blackwork embroidery, and I helped out by drawing some of the diagrams for his slides. <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/joshuarbholden/stitching-graphs-and-painting-mazes-problems-in-generalizations-of-eulerian-walks
">Here are the slides</a> for the whole talk; the illustrations with a fabric background are mine.<br />
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Now that I'm home, I've got some knitting technical illustrations to draw ASAP. I'll show you a sample of my illustration style and answer a frequent question about Skew at the same time. The original wording for the lifted increases is confusing. So here's a hopefully-clearer restatement, with a picture. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqZ8CHa9IBZayzTIH-VqUJQUCJXXvgs9qjOOdeJhygeAyA4jOKi2Rac1WpH9mfrUYoDmEqs4wU0C1YGY2F0-_0pGA_0IM6Hv8WeKjuQ1O1ySP0niJN_Wemv4FvbLdgARXleygtQ/s1600/Lifted-increases-flattened.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" width="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqZ8CHa9IBZayzTIH-VqUJQUCJXXvgs9qjOOdeJhygeAyA4jOKi2Rac1WpH9mfrUYoDmEqs4wU0C1YGY2F0-_0pGA_0IM6Hv8WeKjuQ1O1ySP0niJN_Wemv4FvbLdgARXleygtQ/s320/Lifted-increases-flattened.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>LLinc:</b> use the left needle to pick up the aqua strand in the direction of the arrow; knit in the back of this strand. <br />
<b>RLinc:</b> use the right needle to pick up the purple strand in the direction of the arrow; transfer it to the left needle and knit it (in the front).<br />
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If you're having trouble remembering whether to knit in the front or the back, the key idea is that they are intended to be <i>untwisted.</i> (Of course, if you <i>want</i> them to be twisted, by all means. It's your knitting.)<br />
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By the way, MathFest is scheduled to be in Portland in 2014. I'm desperately hoping it will coincide again with Sock Summit, like it did in 2009.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-51050588846103662212012-07-31T14:22:00.001-04:002012-07-31T14:22:59.750-04:00Revisions and invasionsAfter my guests left town, I buckled down and finally finished the sample sock pair for the new self-published edition of <i>Willow Tea Room.</i> They're knit in Simply Socks Yarn Company <a href="http://www.simplysockyarn.com/servlet/Detail?no=3344"><i>SSY Solids</i></a> in Lavender. As a result of switching to a thinner yarn, the pattern has been re-gauged, re-sized, and (of course!) re-edited; the new edition has three sock circumferences to choose from, and instructions for altering the foot length.
<p>By the way, this is an absolutely terrific yarn. It's got three plies (and you know how I love a round yarn!), comes in an extensive color selection, and is put up in 50 g hanks so you can buy only what you need. And in spite of the name, they're not entirely solid-colored; there's just the tiniest bit of variation to add interest.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzwoUvJ8Dn0tyfMWvL5taPoJeAtTa7fosp_6hbiqzUGCrFUpbQ88mXv4L3u9yShEehAgm4_9emOL65wJnIfqHhRgK2a2rhSWhghYhyphenhyphenwjAXvfmZsfDY1RlWwSWmIT7WWlWziJCEA/s1600/IMG_0698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzwoUvJ8Dn0tyfMWvL5taPoJeAtTa7fosp_6hbiqzUGCrFUpbQ88mXv4L3u9yShEehAgm4_9emOL65wJnIfqHhRgK2a2rhSWhghYhyphenhyphenwjAXvfmZsfDY1RlWwSWmIT7WWlWziJCEA/s320/IMG_0698.jpg" /></a></div>
You only get this lame laid-flat photo for the moment because I need to find a model. For whatever reason, most of my local friends either have really small or really large feet. The socks fit me, actually, but there is not enough Photoshoppery in the world to make my legs presentable right now, what with the blackberry scratches, the insect bites, and the accompanying ankle swelling.
<p>See, we live on a seven-acre plot, six acres of which is wooded. And I've declared war on some invasive species that have moved into it. Just for example, we have large canopies of Japanese honeysuckle vines on top of thirty-plus years of thorny old blackberry canes. For the last few months, I've been hacking down Bad Plants and piling them up to burn. Earlier this year, I had a glorious time setting fire to a giant stickery pile of brush in my driveway.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0WjmnhS_KSXIftrFzwMDP-ZQAkn8OXZWlPWoPmktF9ylbE2Rp0QS1lakG82GHLCT2vMFAc54_DXhaoXDWm7X2b-Tv1sR5F0NnSrnHWmPtS_2S6BM31_uKt5SIyWuCgCIPyiEEA/s1600/IMG_0696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0WjmnhS_KSXIftrFzwMDP-ZQAkn8OXZWlPWoPmktF9ylbE2Rp0QS1lakG82GHLCT2vMFAc54_DXhaoXDWm7X2b-Tv1sR5F0NnSrnHWmPtS_2S6BM31_uKt5SIyWuCgCIPyiEEA/s320/IMG_0696.JPG" /></a></div>
However, there's been a temporary ban on open burning here for weeks due to extremely dry conditions. (In case you didn't know, the lower midwestern United States is having a serious drought.) So now there are numerous piles like this one, waiting for rain.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtiZR3bNx3TdrWPcFXumP-l7IDnNRTBEEHWVYjl99KEQxL2T8bqQ96m97edkDbePHHs1ePpZpsTipgjDY69ycvff4jT3l82CBtn-wuRwjyViCIPt1hl8zK4KY1tt4J_CMEtnjRg/s1600/IMG_0697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtiZR3bNx3TdrWPcFXumP-l7IDnNRTBEEHWVYjl99KEQxL2T8bqQ96m97edkDbePHHs1ePpZpsTipgjDY69ycvff4jT3l82CBtn-wuRwjyViCIPt1hl8zK4KY1tt4J_CMEtnjRg/s200/IMG_0697.JPG" /></a></div>
By the way, I'm a disturbingly good firebug; this gray spot is all that's left of a pile twice the size of the one above, and I didn't use any accelerants except the match.
<p>Oddly enough, the Honeysuckle Wars have turned out to be related to knitting. The large-motion, non-repetitive upper body exercise has been really good for preventing the return of my knitting-related shoulder pain. (Disclaimer: this is my personal experience only and should not be taken as medical advice. Consult a doctor before reading this blog.) And the fresh air, the improvement of the view out the windows from my workspace, and the satisfaction of doing something good for the ecology have all been great for my mental health.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1dnpzexH_hF8TOMwFZl5zNIvXj0ps6txPQzjHNF53ZdkWfDZbm5qZjyREVJT1cG9LgPOqXzp2WkJY2tNPrNGr0BBY3zQ400n71RdpRuZz1B6jh7W2uInvWf3goX4yxc_8KCQxQ/s1600/IMG_0699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1dnpzexH_hF8TOMwFZl5zNIvXj0ps6txPQzjHNF53ZdkWfDZbm5qZjyREVJT1cG9LgPOqXzp2WkJY2tNPrNGr0BBY3zQ400n71RdpRuZz1B6jh7W2uInvWf3goX4yxc_8KCQxQ/s320/IMG_0699.jpg" /></a></div>
Today, though, I'm taking the day off from playing Junior Forester to get ready for a short vacation, which will include meeting up with some Awesome Knitting People. I'll be taking along the stockinette sock project for social knitting. It's coming along much better this time around, although I may yet rip back and try a sockitecture experiment. (The yarn is Schoppel Wolle <i>Wunderkleckse;</i> isn't it pretty?)
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And no, of course it isn't the only project I'm packing. Don't be silly. Time to wind some yarn.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-17687825685089750472012-07-24T12:01:00.001-04:002012-07-24T12:01:32.788-04:00Wining + winding = whiningThis is going to have to be brief because my in-laws have been in town until this morning, and I'm leaving for a trip this afternoon (for which I haven't finished the laundry yet). Let me be clear that a visit from my in-laws is a <i>good</i> thing (and I'm not just saying that because my father-in-law has been known to read my blog on occasion!).
<p>My mother-in-law, in fact, is a knitter. She's not a rabid one, but she works on interesting projects and likes to learn new things, and she has wonderful taste. She's been fascinated by my knitting socks on two circs, and this time I handed her one in progress to knit on for herself, which she did with great success. Turns out we even have similar gauges!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxW4yTw7yTvMtPFHm2jokqIarAWOy1v6ypwXNsDnRgABx4lCIylnNTA8fJd4Hc1Ool-YqwfhUBelLtaD_nHjNaCnqEbVryD4iun2sFAVInVTm-AS7TYm-rRmf9Coup5We_xZ3dqA/s1600/IMG_0650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxW4yTw7yTvMtPFHm2jokqIarAWOy1v6ypwXNsDnRgABx4lCIylnNTA8fJd4Hc1Ool-YqwfhUBelLtaD_nHjNaCnqEbVryD4iun2sFAVInVTm-AS7TYm-rRmf9Coup5We_xZ3dqA/s200/IMG_0650.JPG" /></a></div>
Meanwhile, a large pile of Wollmeise grab bags arrived while they were here. She'd never seen Wollmeise before, and was really impressed with the saturated colors. I got two skeins of Birkenrinde, which she particularly admired, so I sent her home with one as a gift.
<p>I took having company as a justified opportunity to knit a stockinette sock. I was going to show it to you because the yarn was knitting up in a particularly interesting way, but it'll have to wait. I had to rip it back from the beginning of the heel flap to the end of the toe last night, because I failed to count before beginning the straight section of the foot. Likewise, we went to hang some new curtains in the process of fluffing our house before company arrived, and I discovered I had only ordered half as many as I should have. (I do know what order the natural numbers come in, I swear!)
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRmiUyp86a5T5jTW5dIxFbmO7dktFD6sqWNKIc3dVHnt4dM9FhuOMPNjtXcVwQZFZuvboFyqt7JOcqRQSvBk8ozUS-yLL31iLdAV_eN_08KmUZI7AAdTukViUlPUO1rhgpRcm5g/s1600/IMG_0656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRmiUyp86a5T5jTW5dIxFbmO7dktFD6sqWNKIc3dVHnt4dM9FhuOMPNjtXcVwQZFZuvboFyqt7JOcqRQSvBk8ozUS-yLL31iLdAV_eN_08KmUZI7AAdTukViUlPUO1rhgpRcm5g/s400/IMG_0656.JPG" /></a></div>
Also, here's the result of winding yarn after your dinner party of five consumes two bottles of wine. I didn't have the heart (or the lighting) to take a photo of the loops wrapped around the gears before I admitted defeat and got out the scissors.
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On a (mostly) positive note, early last week, I did finish the shawl I was crocheting at the car dealership. And yes, there's a pattern in progress, although the stitch diagrams are giving me fits.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-72277752215859562992012-07-16T20:21:00.001-04:002012-07-16T20:21:16.976-04:00So about that ballwinderI caved. I got tired of having to impose on my LYS to wind giant balls (like the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/wollmeise-lace-garn">Wollmeise Lace-Garn</a> I mentioned in my last post, which comes in 1740 yd / 300 g hanks). And I'm a real big fan of using The Right Tool for the Job. So I ordered the Nancy's Knit Knacks heavy duty ball winder.
<p>
It took me a while to figure out where to put it (no, I didn't clamp it to the back seat armrest in my Subaru). It has much nicer clamps than my old Royal, so I wasn't worried about marring the surface of a good table; but most of the tables in the house have either a very shallow lip extending over a vertical panel, or a routed edge. And of course there has to be somewhere nearby to mount a swift. The kitchen island countertop worked great, but my family assured me that I couldn't leave it set up there.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwiXa93Okd6J6SMQDBQzTpi_MIfE-UpR6T0KOMcxB62XdbRUbVGUU0tR5L2QeG6ShfheErt3E6MdJTd3UYl9swqZaV8PRvhatBh3sWL5D8cCeGFhQbezHOcZeVfiVrxDbS-KW7zA/s1600/Ball+winder+-+1996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em"><img border="0" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwiXa93Okd6J6SMQDBQzTpi_MIfE-UpR6T0KOMcxB62XdbRUbVGUU0tR5L2QeG6ShfheErt3E6MdJTd3UYl9swqZaV8PRvhatBh3sWL5D8cCeGFhQbezHOcZeVfiVrxDbS-KW7zA/s200/Ball+winder+-+1996.jpg" /></a></div>
I finally settled on a little bookshelf in my living room. Here's the whole yarn-winding setup, ready to go. The swift has to be taken down between uses because it's clamped to the table where we usually eat. That's my laptop in the background; this is also the table where I usually do any extended computer usage this time of year, since it has great light and a nice view.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAU_IopRTk66Oh2vLTyM09ajLgDY84iJjg2Wch37yXwrFnOeTiQr7MyjR64l2FRFteLPjYnQUWgVPcMH-XozkD9GMcyKRbOJrbj6rS2ENRNoT3-kgA3FZ-N-gAHhRV-QH932cKPQ/s1600/IMG_0627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em"><img border="0" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAU_IopRTk66Oh2vLTyM09ajLgDY84iJjg2Wch37yXwrFnOeTiQr7MyjR64l2FRFteLPjYnQUWgVPcMH-XozkD9GMcyKRbOJrbj6rS2ENRNoT3-kgA3FZ-N-gAHhRV-QH932cKPQ/s200/IMG_0627.jpg" /></a></div>
The ballwinder is every bit as good a tool as I had hoped. Better, in fact, since it's much more versatile in terms of, mounting position than I realized. It came fully assembled except for the handle and even included the necessary nut driver in case I ever have to open the case to adjust or lubricate the inner works. It's well-designed for its function and well-crafted with a nice finish, so I'm happy to have it sitting out in my living room. The photo above is pretty much the last non-word on its usefulness.
<p> Unfortunately, my swift doesn't work nearly as well. The screw that holds the clamp below the umbrella to the vertical post is wooden, including the screw threads, and some of the threads broke off. So it doesn't hold very well, and the umbrella has a nasty tendency to collapse mid-winding if I encounter a resistant spot. And of course, once a skein falls off the first time, it tends to have a lot of resistant spots.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvwJ9b1J6FRQMlYlci8n6FYKx7OF3ZeXQWScdcXZkLC6r7UFa3PkYgEpVvn0rOC4JJ8I6cWg6kwtd0u9ySec0bn6EtH9biRIDN7wfbXn8xjbYFZrwfeDDYJjDPCUhf5iW-x7__g/s1600/Ball+winder+-+1997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em"><img border="0" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJvwJ9b1J6FRQMlYlci8n6FYKx7OF3ZeXQWScdcXZkLC6r7UFa3PkYgEpVvn0rOC4JJ8I6cWg6kwtd0u9ySec0bn6EtH9biRIDN7wfbXn8xjbYFZrwfeDDYJjDPCUhf5iW-x7__g/s200/Ball+winder+-+1997.jpg" /></a></div>
Today I got fed up and consulted my household engineer. A woodworking clamp under the umbrella is pretty clunky, and orange, but very effective. And next time I go to the hardware store, I'll see if I can find a smaller, round clamp (perhaps in the plumbing department?) that will do the job.
<p>By the way, speaking of using the right tool for the job: if you need to give your long-haired cat a lion cut, don't use your husband's beard trimmer. Just sayin.'Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-40982315528252313542012-07-10T13:16:00.000-04:002012-07-10T13:16:08.194-04:00If I could just replace that cupholder with a ballwinder...I had this idea in my head: "Mondays! I shall blog on Mondays, nothing ever happens on Monday." So of course yesterday I got to drop everything and drive to the far side of Indianapolis (about two hours away). But I came home with this:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYFI3hUkAxb9YV5hNTW6KvsHSyOWxo1VbN5_4LaqvngWFXP3YF736IOMBiMIIEqMpXyRhH7X7N7VpGCRW4uSHNuvDo9B028oteHoWFh5T7xyh_yJ9Ctll8Uv17LEBoXeB5aQQGA/s1600/IMG_0614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right;margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYFI3hUkAxb9YV5hNTW6KvsHSyOWxo1VbN5_4LaqvngWFXP3YF736IOMBiMIIEqMpXyRhH7X7N7VpGCRW4uSHNuvDo9B028oteHoWFh5T7xyh_yJ9Ctll8Uv17LEBoXeB5aQQGA/s200/IMG_0614.JPG" /></a></div>
I've been shopping since February to replace the old beater my husband totaled by driving it over a curb and down a hill into a tree ("But at least not into the creek, honey!"). He was actually still driving it, but the air conditioning went out on it last week, so the project became just a <i>leetle</i> more urgent.
<p>Since I didn't drive on the way over, and the dealership insisted on making me wait while they washed my new used car (in spite of it being <i>already</i> cleaner than any car I'd driven in at least ten years), I also came home with this:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheiwT0_7AGu3udVOjQg3ogtDGCwclSi5yyBs25gUkoTCGLCOqopGMOuwzQUiS3c5pUzStvDTEwXio4NdVgvEPxF7RxH0fHgefWpIV_k4bdxCsxG1jIfxiIiFB3KoVN72WEpUDUuw/s1600/Photo+on+7-9-12+at+9.33+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="134" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheiwT0_7AGu3udVOjQg3ogtDGCwclSi5yyBs25gUkoTCGLCOqopGMOuwzQUiS3c5pUzStvDTEwXio4NdVgvEPxF7RxH0fHgefWpIV_k4bdxCsxG1jIfxiIiFB3KoVN72WEpUDUuw/s200/Photo+on+7-9-12+at+9.33+PM.jpg" /></a></div>
I got several rather long rows added to this shawl, which I'm crocheting from The Verdant Gryphon's Mithril. It's one of my very favorite laceweight yarns for crochet.
In fact, here are some closeup shots of three I love. It's hot outside, so you get indoor shots, but they're in natural light, albeit from the skylight over my stovetop, with a cutting board for a backdrop.
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Here's the Mithril; it's the only one of the three that hasn't been blocked, since I'm still working on the project, so cut it some slack.
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This is Wollmeise Lace-Garn. It's a little heavier than Mithril. It's challenging to get your hands on this stuff, but it's worth the trouble. I've gotten most of mine from other Ravelers' destashes, actually, although once in a great while The Loopy Ewe gets some (it usually sells out within about twenty minutes), or sometimes I'm still awake at 2 a.m. here for the German website updates.
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The lightest of the three is Lana Grossa Merino Lace. Lana Grossa isn't all that common in U.S. yarn stores, but not impossible to find either. I bought mine at a LYS in Indianapolis. And right now, with the exchange rate, it's possible to order it from Europe for about the same cost, even including shipping, as buying it at home. (That reminds me, I wanted to order some green...)
<p>So what's so great about these yarns? The thing they all have in common is that <b>they all have three or more plies,</b> which makes them "round." With fingering weight yarns, there are a lot of round choices, but lace yarns are frequently two-ply. Sometimes the structure of two-ply yarn obscures the structure of the crochet stitch. This can be a good thing with very simple stitch patterns, but if I'm going to the trouble of designing complex new edgings (which I am), I jolly well want every detail to show up.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-36043028114351750712012-07-02T15:10:00.002-04:002012-07-02T15:10:59.546-04:00ResurrectionI know I haven't blogged in a long time, but as you can now see at the top of the page, I do tweet regularly, and have been for over a year. Apparently I have an attention span of about 140 characters. So if you don't yet follow me on Twitter, please do!
<p>
Meanwhile, I've spent the last year or so concentratedly acquiring useful skills for self-publishing. I've been fortunate to work with some of the very best publishers in the business, but what can I say, I'm a control freak. And I've discovered I really enjoy typography, graphic design, and layout.
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I've attended two of Cat Bordhi's Visionary Authors retreats now, and yup, I've got a book project in the works. But since I plan to do my own book design and layout, I've been learning Adobe InDesign by developing a new single-pattern template. (You can see some of the design elements in my refreshed blog template, as well.) So here's what you can expect in the short term:
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<li>I'll be releasing a second edition of <i>Oblique</i> using the new template. Hopefully, if testing goes well, it will include a new, larger size. For those of you who've already bought this pattern through Ravelry, you'll get the update free. Having recently made a couple more pairs of these myself, I can happily report that the new template is also quite usable on an iPhone, for your paper-free mobile knitting.
<p>
<li>I've got a new crocheted shawl pattern ready to publish except for the photography. Here's a teaser photo of <i>Cremona</i> (a.k.a. "Epic Flounce"). <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1THlF0JcQXXt_oYP5CDGCzsmC8vYNpTv29de8EvTn-f93g2y5AnRrDQcoJVW-7DpCl635ebLYT5tey1kuLorR7hTaynFPhw2TjuQzyQrpVgyDT-UjMoVOSbC88uJqDve5KmJIyg/s1600/IMG_0492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1THlF0JcQXXt_oYP5CDGCzsmC8vYNpTv29de8EvTn-f93g2y5AnRrDQcoJVW-7DpCl635ebLYT5tey1kuLorR7hTaynFPhw2TjuQzyQrpVgyDT-UjMoVOSbC88uJqDve5KmJIyg/s320/IMG_0492.JPG" /></a></div>
<p>
I injured my shoulder from repetitive strain pretty badly late last fall, and couldn't knit for several months, but I could crochet. So you can expect quite a few more crocheted shawl patterns in the coming months. And after an ergonomic consultation with Carson Demers and weeks of physical therapy, I'm happy to report I also have two new sock patterns prototyped.
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Oh, and by the way, I discovered I haven't been receiving your comment notifications in a long time. My ISP got bought out by another ISP, and they changed my email address, and the comment notifications have been going to the former, now defunct address. So I promise I haven't been ignoring you.
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But right now, there is <a href="http://www.ustream.tv/channel-popup/sevenkittens">something very important</a> I must go look at on the internet.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-13978996867689506352011-11-07T00:24:00.003-05:002011-11-07T00:36:35.144-05:00Any minute nowAre you anxiously awaiting the Winter 2011 Twist Collective? I know I am. The <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/twist-collective-winter-2011">pattern list</a> is already entered into Ravelry, so I'm not giving away any secrets by saying that I'll have another sock pattern in this issue. I'm incredibly excited about it and can't wait to share.<br /><br />Meanwhile, I'm knitting a pair of socks for myself from Loure, my pattern from Fall Twist Collective. The prototype pair was too small for me, and I recently had the pleasure of giving it to a wonderful designing friend. I'll eventually get back the sample pair I knit for Twist, but it, too, is a little small for my wide feet.<br /><br />There's a Loure knitalong just getting started on the Ravelry Twist Collective forum. If you've been thinking about knitting Loure but would like a little company and occasional advice, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/twist-collective/1879521/1-25#1">please come join me!</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-63083798347845467582011-04-18T20:59:00.006-04:002011-04-23T13:20:21.520-04:00Sizing woesThere's a well-known editor who has publicly proclaimed that all sock patterns "ought to" be offered in a range of sizes, as if anyone (like me) who has ever published a sock pattern in only one size should be publicly flogged with a handful of Addi Turbos. And I'm absolutely in favor of offering as many sizes as is possible. But when I say "possible," I mean <span style="font-style:italic;">provided that re-sizing does not compromise the integrity of the design.</span> Sometimes the math simply doesn't allow a complex sock pattern to be re-sized without significantly changing the sock's appearance. If we insist that a sock pattern shouldn't be published without three or more size options, then we run the risk of (a) banishing many very beautiful, complex sock patterns, and (b) promoting dishonesty in sock sizing.<br /><br />Let me explain what I mean by "dishonesty in sock sizing." Once, in my pre-professional-designing days, I bought a sock pattern by a very well-known designer. The pattern was written for three sizes (64, 72, and 80 stitches around the leg), and I started knitting the medium size. When I got to the transition from ribbing from the leg, the knits and purls of the 2x2 ribbed cuff did not flow smoothly into the knits and purls of the more-complicated leg design, like the pattern photo showed. <br /><br />As I tried to figure out what was going on,I discovered that the sample sock photographed was the small size. And I realized that in order to size up the pattern from 64 stitches while preserving the symmetry, the designer had to add 4 stitches of ribbing on <span style="font-style:italic;">each</span> side of the centered motif on the front of the leg, and likewise 4 stitches of ribbing on each side of the centered motif on the back of the leg. That's 16 stitches added in total. And in fact, that is how the pattern was written for the large size. But the designer included the in-between size even though it was impossible for the ribbing and leg to line up (IMO a very important feature of the design). The medium size simply wasn't as attractive as the other two sizes.<br /><br />The moral of this story is that I just don't feel it's right to pretend a pattern is graded for sizes that look significantly different from the sock shown in the photo.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-83420123220288953232011-04-12T15:25:00.010-04:002011-04-13T13:27:27.098-04:00Something Nouveau<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.sanguinegryphon.com/catalog/bmz_cache/9/932f6a6ba45ac736265cb9623f54269b.image.183x220.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 183px; height: 220px;" src="http://www.sanguinegryphon.com/catalog/bmz_cache/9/932f6a6ba45ac736265cb9623f54269b.image.183x220.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Have you seen <a href="http://www.sanguinegryphon.com">The Sanguine Gryphon</a>'s Spring 2011 <a href="http://www.sanguinegryphon.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=22_105">Art Nouveau pattern collection</a> yet? I have a new sock design in it. <a href="http://www.sanguinegryphon.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=22_105&products_id=3417">Willow Tea Room</a> is a toe-up lace anklet named for a Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed building in Glasgow, Scotland. The rosebud motifs appear on the leaded glass windows and doors, and the lace grid is reminiscent of the chair backs.<br /><br />The pattern model features TSG's Skinny Bugga! in spring/summer 2011 colorway <a href="http://www.sanguinegryphon.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=18_79&products_id=3249">Golden Orb Weaver.</a> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1GmvxferVhy3ZpdBu-0P5spEbta147ZKp6HYWUi_Lqc-lPMytWM9twIwcqMVcV7iDNDesa2xDVf2LrOp2nf_BHYUd_V9COb-T8gzcEdmjq4Wkw68fw8Sv_TMfv-iQej-4wRc5g/s1600/WTR+Miss+Spider.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx1GmvxferVhy3ZpdBu-0P5spEbta147ZKp6HYWUi_Lqc-lPMytWM9twIwcqMVcV7iDNDesa2xDVf2LrOp2nf_BHYUd_V9COb-T8gzcEdmjq4Wkw68fw8Sv_TMfv-iQej-4wRc5g/s320/WTR+Miss+Spider.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594784325805237506" /></a> After I sent off the sample pair, though, I made a second pair to keep for myself. This time I used a winter 2010 colorway, Miss Spider, because the inspiration building is decorated in similar shades. Here's a quick snapshot of my pair. (The camera angle was a little awkward; my feet aren't really that short.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQB91s01YSKwHsdLnDwsUBSbP2qh0gmWbHEpksmdi_2UQR1fiyLnwjG9glr1vupyEAOGYot7LeB6ViGMfiTYLa26GR4ies0Pgw4YVfguBJmYcJREm0FZ1D7nH1RYn4fzBICt0Ow/s1600/dscn1297.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQB91s01YSKwHsdLnDwsUBSbP2qh0gmWbHEpksmdi_2UQR1fiyLnwjG9glr1vupyEAOGYot7LeB6ViGMfiTYLa26GR4ies0Pgw4YVfguBJmYcJREm0FZ1D7nH1RYn4fzBICt0Ow/s320/dscn1297.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595116542191762066" /></a>Like Betony, WTR has asymmetric toes and arch shaping. And both Betony and WTR have a heel that is identical in appearance and proportions to a top-down flap-and-gusset round heel. However, Betony shapes the sole flap with short rows; WTR shapes the sole flap with decreases and then stitches are picked up along the sides. A bit of garter stitch at the sides of the heel back adds interest and coordinates with the garter-and-twisted-stitch lace background on the instep.<br /><br />The sizing for this sock is a little unusual. There are two foot circumferences given, but three foot lengths, as well as directions for adding more foot length. If you have any trouble following the pattern (for this or any other reason!), please do email me at the address on the pattern.<br /><br />If you have really small feet and like a snug fit, you can still knit WTR. Now, I think it's a terrible idea for a pattern to direct changing the finished size of a sock by changing gauge <span style="font-style:italic;">with the same yarn</span> (that's a whole other post). But it's perfectly fine to change size by changing gauge if you also change yarn weight. If you use TSG's <a href="http://www.sanguinegryphon.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=18_45">Little Traveler</a> instead of Skinny Bugga!, you can get a very nice sock fabric at around 9 st/in and follow the instructions for the size M circumference. The Little Traveler version of the Golden Orb Weaver colorway is called The Five Continents.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-4507357683722595542010-11-25T15:24:00.005-05:002010-11-25T16:04:32.869-05:00Not todayI know I've mentioned before that I intend to publish a multi-size version of the Skew sock pattern. And at least a couple of times, I've predicted in private emails or Ravelry messages that it would be available by Thanksgiving.<br /><br />The bad news, obviously, is that today is Thanksgiving. And it's not ready.<br /><br />While I'll openly admit I'm a procrastinator, there were three specific reasons that interfered with the release of multi-sized Skew. The first is that I personally test-knitted the adult Small size and ran into some difficulties with the fit. As a matter of personal pride, I will NOT sacrifice quality to rush this project.<br /><br />The second reason is that we have been having a radical remodel done on our house: we added a second story. As a night person and light sleeper, I've found it virtually impossible to get enough rest before being woken up by the noise of hammers and air compressors and chop saws. And the stress of arguing over design decisions has been even worse. I've tried leaving the house to work at a coffee shop, but usually I found that I needed some yarn or needles I'd left at home. One time I realized that I was too tired to drive home safely. So I quickly gave that up and have been working on less mentally-demanding projects instead. Mercifully, the contractors are only a couple of weeks away from completion. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fUr15xNYoGxFm5xbrBT4QJp8SYFCTWT-fmtN-iKV3EoNdFSai96Ci6zXemfe_XJh28abexsQ6NkuknjUEUghpvaRioRt1rkzC9ts4Ano2omw-gYFpzmu9PX-devgcdwY3X9Qlw/s1600/Callisto.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 230px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fUr15xNYoGxFm5xbrBT4QJp8SYFCTWT-fmtN-iKV3EoNdFSai96Ci6zXemfe_XJh28abexsQ6NkuknjUEUghpvaRioRt1rkzC9ts4Ano2omw-gYFpzmu9PX-devgcdwY3X9Qlw/s320/Callisto.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543589004468967490" /></a> The final straw is that I've been babying a terminally ill cat this fall. We were able to suppress Callisto's symptoms at home for a while with medication, but the meds eventually ceased to be effective and we euthanized (a tremendously painful, personal family decision) and buried her yesterday. She was not our only cat, but Callisto is the one who cuddled with me while I worked, often sneaking onto my lap under the knitting-in-progress, and I miss her terribly.<br /><br />Now, on the bright side, an unusual opportunity has come up to assist me in exploring the Skew sockitecture. I'm not ready to make it public yet, but it may help me provide an even wider range of Skew sock options than I had previously considered.<br /><br />So if you have ever made a wish for any variant of Skew, hang in there. I haven't forgotten you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-19962792208823209582010-10-06T15:58:00.010-04:002010-10-09T15:46:47.966-04:00A gear to wearThis is what happens when a knitting designer has a housemate who is a mechanical engineer:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrJah7i5TR1xNXbRVFvH4bITusZrPwd0nr02fbzFQ6uieKvZNnrVSHvnJQ7OIW4UFDAi1Uaos6kNXXR3q_IlGQXY3MfX3nys2MAtu14mqCmBDRpKG8IUaauaQeyqvTTKimW7k1w/s1600/Hanging+recolored.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrJah7i5TR1xNXbRVFvH4bITusZrPwd0nr02fbzFQ6uieKvZNnrVSHvnJQ7OIW4UFDAi1Uaos6kNXXR3q_IlGQXY3MfX3nys2MAtu14mqCmBDRpKG8IUaauaQeyqvTTKimW7k1w/s320/Hanging+recolored.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525025883125165602" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold; font-style: italic">Involute</span> is a full-circular capelet named after the curve that forms the contact edge of gear teeth. Its lower edging consists of twenty-four teeth. The square neckline represents a gear’s square axle opening. Four “spokes” are separated by panels of Arrow Lace suggestive of rotational motion. Garter ridges and eyelets provide texture and laciness, but with an industrial feel. Even the color is reminiscent of antique brass.<br /><br />This design was originally conceived in response to a call for submissions for the Sanguine Gryphon's fall steampunk pattern collection. They passed on my submission proposal, so I ordered some yarn, knit madly for several weeks, and submitted the completed Involute for the <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEdf10/index.php">Deep Fall issue of Knitty</a> (punch line: it was very graciously rejected by Knitty also), which meant a photo shoot in mid-July. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24343915@N06/4799627490/" title="Statuary by named4wool, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4799627490_11a73b1e93.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;" width="320" alt="Statuary" /></a>I had a great site for the shoot-- I live just down the road from an engineering college. But I couldn't get the sample finished until the morning of the submission deadline, and it was nearly a hundred degrees that day. So here's Involute on my awesome model, as she tries not to melt. (That reminds me, I think I owe that girl some knitwear.) After a few shots with the cool rusty statuary, we hastened indoors for the rest of the photos.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxyNqfJbisn1bqKML0aOXohyphenhyphennmifbY_F-ozmld2fDhE5jO6lY6VKF7i7BAJAFVhOWVsNzeH2skaS2ypJhKX88bqAkMgRl7yDBkwpgN-ZP5SRp9JDqkWrcYrEcpoPRnxiCWzz5-w/s1600/Interlocked+cropped.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxyNqfJbisn1bqKML0aOXohyphenhyphennmifbY_F-ozmld2fDhE5jO6lY6VKF7i7BAJAFVhOWVsNzeH2skaS2ypJhKX88bqAkMgRl7yDBkwpgN-ZP5SRp9JDqkWrcYrEcpoPRnxiCWzz5-w/s320/Interlocked+cropped.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526130941089673250" /></a>I really did research the proper shape and spacing for gear teeth, so if you have two Involutes-- or in my case, one Involute and a submission swatch-- the teeth do mesh. The photo at left is the engineer's favorite.<br /><br />Out of ideas for potential publishers and anxious to get Involute out into the world, I decided to self-publish, so Involute is now available for purchase through Ravelry.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-83219383054223758492010-09-28T13:56:00.007-04:002010-10-01T01:25:13.024-04:00BetonyFinally! Something new to share!<br /><br />I was invited months ago to design a sock pattern for the August installment of <a href="http://www.threeirishgirls.com/">Three Irish Girls</a>' <a href="http://www.threeirishgirls.com/product_p/c-sockyarnista.htm">Sock Yarnista Club</a>. Betony is now <a href="http://www.threeirishgirls.com/product_p/p-betony.htm">available for purchase directly from Three Irish Girls.<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24343915@N06/4955010844/" title="tops by named4wool, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/4955010844_f6df9d1166.jpg" align="center" width="360" alt="tops" /></a><br /><br />(I wanted to name this sock after an Irish wildflower. I apologize to my friend <a href="http://bitchesgetstitches.wordpress.com/">Steven A.</a> who was really rooting for the name Butterwort, but I was too chicken to name a sock this pretty after a carnivorous plant. Another sock, another time, my friend!)<br /><br />Betony is worked from the toe up and, although the toes aren't worked on the diagonal like Skew, they are shaped to be left- and right-footed. I'm in love with asymmetric sock toes. Not only are they more comfortable, but they also wear more evenly than symmetric toes because the strain on the big toe is eliminated.<br /><br />Speaking of fit and wear, check out the arch shaping:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24343915@N06/4954422691/" title="arches by named4wool, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4148/4954422691_d142d579b5_m.jpg" align="left" hspace="10" width="192" height="240" alt="arches" /></a> Unlike arch shaping on top-down socks, which places increases on the sole of the foot, toe-up arch shaping places decreases on the bottom of the foot. The double layer of stitches in a decrease is more durable than an increase. And of course they feel great snugged up into my arch.<br /><br />I'm particularly happy with the heel. For a very long time, I've used a toe-up heel with the same structure and proportions as a standard top-down flap-and-gusset heel, but it involves knitting a shaped heel cup and then picking up stitches around it. Personally, I don't mind picking up stitches; but I know some people do. And most toe-up heels with short row heel cups are either way too shallow or have way too many gusset increases (but that's a rant for a whole separate post). So for a change, Betony's heel has the same proportions as my usual heel, but the cup is shaped with short rows instead of picking up stitches.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/24343915@N06/4954419467/" title="fallingwater by named4wool, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4088/4954419467_55ab7f240d_m.jpg" align="right" hspace="10" width="240" height="192" alt="fallingwater" /></a>By the way, the heel flap is patterned at the sides, but I left the center of the flap plain since that area is prone to wear. However, you could certainly pattern the whole flap if you want to wear Betony with clogs.<br /><br />And now for the bad news: there are a couple of errata. I've posted them to Betony's Ravelry pattern page, but I'll repeat them here.<br /><br /><li>In the Double Rivulet Rib chart, the three central columns should be (p1, k1, p1) instead of (k1, p1, k1). <br /><li>In the Ribbing instructions, the Right and Left sock instructions are switched.</li>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-34407720941311133092010-06-18T12:10:00.003-04:002010-06-18T12:22:05.564-04:00Strange juxtapositionsYesterday I saw Cookie A attempt to explain the Axiom of Choice to room full of knitters. One of my life's Great Missed Photographic Opportunities was my failure to snap her picture drawing the Cantor set underneath a knitting diagram.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9I3B30K2nqnDPa6EvvyaYYxS5KK9t17nLxZIgjpA_Rk3zlvMCPuHGCkOI4z-5gH_cm_dbZupI2c2IGhQ66VCfSZcuDwJ__qaYzKKJ1T9N0Ry5o4v2YvN4od6OrY1lArk3H1LuA/s1600/franklin.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9I3B30K2nqnDPa6EvvyaYYxS5KK9t17nLxZIgjpA_Rk3zlvMCPuHGCkOI4z-5gH_cm_dbZupI2c2IGhQ66VCfSZcuDwJ__qaYzKKJ1T9N0Ry5o4v2YvN4od6OrY1lArk3H1LuA/s320/franklin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484149086420595794" /></a>Demonstrating that I occasionally learn from failure, I offer you <a href="http://the-panopticon.blogspot.com/">Franklin Habit</a> wearing my Oblique fingerless gloves.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-30509682602174975812010-06-17T13:57:00.004-04:002010-06-17T14:04:37.964-04:00Getting carded<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLUvR8ZmYU4l8kabjKnE4WLr0W1S9ursw5Z_lTG9F1KtIqU3TxxrewbQ47HeL47R_ptaUm0qsEVBp8CkyrgiMJDa_E_WzQJkcN91xqSuy29d1laeyku9_wPYwgZ3LKJMzjV6_6Q/s1600/Business_Card.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHLUvR8ZmYU4l8kabjKnE4WLr0W1S9ursw5Z_lTG9F1KtIqU3TxxrewbQ47HeL47R_ptaUm0qsEVBp8CkyrgiMJDa_E_WzQJkcN91xqSuy29d1laeyku9_wPYwgZ3LKJMzjV6_6Q/s320/Business_Card.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483803502537680146" /></a><br />Okay, I <span style="font-style:italic;">think</span> I've successfully ordered business cards to pick up later this afternoon. The hotel wireless was too slow to handle emailing a big attachment, so I had to sneakernet the file downstairs to the business center and use webmail. Let's hope it went through.<br /><br />I really do need them here. Just this morning I talked to an indie dyer who would be interested in sending me some of her yarn for a Skew sockitecture-based design and an Ohio knitting guild program chair who invited me to give a workshop.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050614.post-73252175159358130192010-06-17T05:54:00.006-04:002010-06-17T13:44:50.545-04:00Pharmaceutical failureWell, bother. I've got another hour before my alarm, but my sleeping pill wore off. I'm always too excited too sleep unaided at these events, and I only get six hours' help from a pill, so that leaves me about three hours short. I guess I need to add a bottle of anti-redness eye drops to my travel supplies, so I won't look like I followed up a hard day of knitting with a hard night of drinking.<br /><br />Today's agenda: a morning class with Cookie A, and an afternoon trip down toward the Capitol building to see if the independent printer can crank me out a small batch of business cards. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3QLZAeJfyiyxmfpZH_6CUxchxnv_NzeLgSmKseFYaACKapeP5Gqm3YayeBjZiz-7tzHRbvPYe78GevYsNMGc_K0GllzAs4fzCOH0NyW5Dp_7QGX-MJqAz8-qvUS7w2JSTFCV_A/s1600/North+Market.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc3QLZAeJfyiyxmfpZH_6CUxchxnv_NzeLgSmKseFYaACKapeP5Gqm3YayeBjZiz-7tzHRbvPYe78GevYsNMGc_K0GllzAs4fzCOH0NyW5Dp_7QGX-MJqAz8-qvUS7w2JSTFCV_A/s200/North+Market.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483798973152970210" /></a>In between, I'd say lunch at North Market is a strong possibility, including a salty caramel ice cream sandwich from <a href="http://jenisicecreams.com/">Jeni's</a> (yesterday I had the orchid vanilla sandwich, which includes a marvelous layer of tart black currant filling). North Market reminds me of Faneuil Hall in Boston: you can just eat your way down it from one end to the other. You can get Indian, Vietnamese, Mediterranean, sushi, crepes (savory or sweet), fine chocolates, pastry, or gourmet ice cream. And those are just the places that caught my eye!<br /><br />I don't think I'll be needing to spend a lot more time in the Knitter's Market, though. I covered it pretty well during last night's preview session. Unfortunately, it's a lot smaller this year. Last year, the exhibitors were split between two rooms, one of which was distinctly less desirable than the other. It wouldn't surprise me if a number of the exhibitors who were stuck in "the Cave" decided not to come back this year (I know that's the case for one of my favorite indie dyers). I did make a beeline for the Briar Rose booth, though, to snag a couple of skeins of limited edition teal merino/silk laceweight.<br /><br />I'm going to see if I can doze a bit before breakfast and Cookie.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0