My Lodestone

As you all know, I'm a dedicated addict fan of Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarns - all of them. There's something about the colourways and the way that they kit up that makes them unique. A lot of hand-dyed yarns look beautiful in the skein, but then when you knit with them, the lovely colours that looked so good side by side blend into a nauseating clown barf (see my failed attempt at Caruso socks). Blue Moon Fiber Arts colours blend when they're knitted (or crocheted or woven) in most pleasing ways. I don't know this for sure, but I suspect that the dyer, Tina, actually tests how the colours knit up in new colourways that she's developing.

So when I first bought a skein in the Lodestone colourway, I fell deeply in love - fast. I think I now have this colourway in every fiber that I use. But it's not enough. Hand dyed yarns are a living entity - the colours will migrate slightly or greatly and every dye job is unique. I want so much more of this in it's current incarnation!



My newest project is the Miss Marple's Shawl from Interweave Piecework - a vintage pattern. I got two skeins of the BMFA Marine Silk fingering-weight for this pattern, for a total of about 974 yards. But I suspect it's not going to be enough for a 45-inch square lacy knit.



This pattern knits up very quickly - in the beginning, when there are just a few stitches on the needles. But I have a sneaking suspicion that as I add two stitches every other row and the project gets wider and wider, those middle-of-the-pattern rows will go a lot slower!

Our weather today is 10 degrees below zero and with the wind chill it's reported as feeling like 32 degrees below zero (really!), so I wish I was already halfway through this shawl and it would be warm and comforting over my legs as I knit!

In other knitting news, I've gone back to my multi-project ways and am also knitting both an adaptation of the Anthropologie-inspired Capelet in a black and tan tweedy worsted weight and a gorgeous little Oh Handsome sweater, using blue Lima yarn from Rowan - tweedy as well. I guess I'm having a winter Tweed moment!

Now I must go make oatmeal for breakfast and feed Holmes and Watson, and then make my way through this frozen world to my cosy office. I think I'll bring my vintage shawl and knit at noontime while the frigid wind swirls outside my windows.

Miss Sophia Marple

Today dawned with a definite sharp crispness (I lighted a fire in the fireplace!), and it reminded me that I hadn't finished preparing for winter. I do have balaclavas made for everyone now (you wouldn't believe the storms we get here) and here is the baby one:



I used a most wonderful vintage pattern that shapes the headpiece so perfectly with no piecing or sewing. Everything is made in one piece. Easy. The yarn is Blue Moon's lightweight fingering STR in "Manly, But I Like it Too." Babies are always overheated, so the lightweight will be perfect.

Now I am on to another vintage pattern, this one from the recent Sept/Oct Piecework magazine:



This magazine was so unique in that it explored the handwork, mostly knits, in classic literature. Miss Marple mysteries by Agatha Christie had their own feature and a project alluded to in one of the stories was the central pattern. In many Miss Marple mysteries, she is described as discreetly knitting on a shawl or on baby things while suspects spill the beans around her. I think it is The Caribbean Mystery where she is knitting a pink shawl.



The shawl chosen by Piecework is from the same era, 1930, and was donated by the fabulous Iva Rose who rescues vintage and antique patterns and preserves them for the rest of us and for historians. The pattern is printed in its original form, but only the pattern - definitions of the vintage stitches aren't included.



In the Interweave Piecework group on Ravelry, a few of us have banded together to knit up this pattern and figure out the needle size and yarn requirements. (Come visit us if you want to knit along!). So far, it seems that a fingering weight yarn with size 6 US needles are the favoured choices. There has also been a lot of discussion about which stitch to use for increases: kf&f, bar lift, or backwards loop cast on. In the original, the increases are almost invisible so this will influence my choice. There is also an obscure mention of knitting into the back of stitches, without specifying which stitches so this might refer to the increases, in which case probably the lifted bar increase was used. The original pattern was for a square shawl, though some are halving this to make the lighter triangle.

My own yarn will be Blue Moon Fiber Arts Marine Silk (merino, silk, and sea cell) fingering in the Lodestone colourway. I ordered two skeins just in case, since I plan to make the original square shape in full.

This is what Marine Silk looks like (this is the Quilla colourway; it will be a while before my Losestone arrives):



and this is what the Lodestone colourway looks like - a subtle very light green (it didn't photograph well, but you can get the idea):



I'm really looking forward to this project! I think it will be fast and relaxing to knit a simple square shawl in the cold weather.

One more cold-weather knit for myself is part of my plans (I really need to get back to knitting for others!), also from this same Piecework magazine - these gorgeous gloves:



I'll use the leftover dove grey cashmere yarn that I used for my own balaclava. I know, they won't wear well, but maybe I'll save them for special winter occasions!

getting away from me

Whoa! A whole lotta time has gone by since I updated. Design takes so much more time than the production part. So many times I tinked back, studied my theory and my stitches and my desired outcome and re-designed and re-counted... it's fun, it's exciting, and for me, it's very satisfying. But it's not quick.

Now my task is to take my notes and my finished items and my photos (and my memories) and write up the patterns. I'm going to do something different with this one, and I'm excited. It will be the second edition of my knitting Zine...

Here's a sneak peek:





The colours have been so inspiring to work with! This is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Saffron Jungle and Lucky, both in Socks That Rock mediumweight.

There's more coming - three more in this series I think, and then I'm going to switch to making vintage underwear for a while.

Obsidian

Remember these? My Once in a Blue Moon Cast On socks started on the second full moon of December 2009?



They are now these:



Whew! I can't believe it took me so long to finish these! They were at the bottom of my knitting bag, only brought out between other projects - not the way to get your socks done!



But yesterday was my birthday, and my boyfriend had given me such a wonderful day I was determined to finish these up and give him a present too! He loves them, and happily posed for pictures.

The stats:
yarn: 1 skein Socks That Rock mediumweight fingering (had a few yards left over)
size: men's 9
needles: started toes with size 0 DPNs and finished the remainder on size 3 DPNs
pattern: my own. These are toe-up, with Lucy Neetby's toe cast on and an adapted increase/decrease heel. The stitch pattern is an easy one - and may be my favorite rib pattern:
Row 1: K2, P2
Row 2: K all
This rib doesn't scrunch up but is nicely snug and looks good. The bf said that to him, it looked "Celtic".

The bad news - the heel!



Even though I measured and re-measured, the foot turned out too long on both feet, so the heel is sloppy. You can see the extra fabric bunched on the sides. The good news is that the bf says they aren't too big and are very comfortable (he's wearing them with shoes today and the report is positive). He pulls them up so the heels are tight:



It's not too bad, and I think (hope) that when they're washed they'll tightened up a little bit. Next time I'll make them tighter. Can you believe that these are the first socks I've made for him? I think there will definitely be more!

January Spring

It is still winter - and should be the dark bleak ice of winter, being January in the Northeast. But an unexpected warmer temperature brought rain instead of snow and today the bright sunshine and glistening streets actually make me think we are closer to spring than my dark, frozen heart expected.

Along with this spring-like feeling, Rowan came out with the previews for their Spring/Summer issue: #47. I found full pictures on the HULU website, a place where the magazine can be ordered, though I usually just pay the extra bucks to pick it up at my local addiction supplier (AKA: LYS).

I've read a lot of grousing about the Rowan Spring/Summer story being too "pastel" but I thought the images were very spring-like and romantic. There were several designs that caught my eye, but only three that I think I would actually make.

This one - definitely a favorite style, with a fitted bodice and those gorgeous vintage-style sleeves:


This one intrigues me, though it looks loose and not very defined, it seems to made with a very fine, almost diaphanous, fiber - I have to admit I love and wear long droopy sweaters quite a bit, especially in my air-conditioned workplace:


and this one - I can't tell exactly what it is - vest? shawl? scarf? - but I'm a sucker for anything that shows a picture of the ocean, so this is definitely on my list!


Right now, all of my spring knitting is just in dreams. I'm still in the dead of winter where knitting is concerned, having finished an unsuccessful pair of dog-walking mitts, one sock of a pair of very lovely BMFA bf socks, and almost the whole front of a brown tweed alpaca cabled man's vest - coming along nicely, thank you!, if a bit boring st st knitting for the whole back.

In other news, BMFA has created two special colourways for the Ravelympics!


One, called Vancouver Violet is a shaded solid just the colour of the logo. The other, called Ilanaaq, which is the name of the Olympics Rings logo and means "friend" has all the colours of the rings in one skein. Very exciting!

Rose Petals and Gingerbread

We had a chance to visit the Portland yarn store Twisted a couple days ago. It was a long ride on the MAX and then a long walk down Broadway, but so worth it! If you have a chance when you are in Portland, you really should go. It was probably the friendliest, most welcoming yarn store I’ve ever been in. We were there for a couple of hours, had tea and ate peaches for lunch at their table (which they were fine with - they have a big washroom so we could make sure our hands were clean for browsing afterward), talked with both of the ladies there about all kinds of things - not just sales talk, and looked at everything in the store 2 or 3 times. It was relaxed but they are seriously FULL of yarn and patterns. I don’t know how they get so much into their space. It’s very pretty too with lots of comfortable chairs. When we left, a book club was on the couches discussing their latest read!

I got several skeins o yarn - all from local dyers, including of course Blue Moon Fiber Arts. These are Gibson (the top one) and Gingerbread Dude... aren't they perfect fall colours?



I also got skeins from Black Trilium Fibers, and Indigo Moon...

There are so many rose bushes in people's gardens in Portland. Whenever we walk, and we walk a lot, we stop a million times to smell the different rose petals. Some smell like strawberries! On 23rd St in the Alphabet District, we stopped at Alotta Gelato and I got Rose Petal Gelato!



It was wonderful.

I turn to the right...

Blue Moon Fiber Arts has done it again = captured my pure mood in colour:



It is the latest ...and first... offering from the Sock Club for 2009

My Blue Heaven <-- Listen to the Smashing Pumpkins sing this...

Day is ending
Birds are wending
Back to their shelter of
Each little nest they love

Nightshade's falling
Lovebirds calling
What makes the world go round
Nothing but love

When Whippoorwills call
And evening is nigh
I hurry to my blue heaven
I turn to the right
A little white light
Will lead you to my blue heaven

You'll see a smiling face
A fireplace, a cozy room
A little nest
That's nestled where the roses bloom

Just Molly and me
And baby makes three
We're happy in my blue heaven

You'll see a smiling face
A fireplace, a cozy room
A little nest
That's nestled where the roses bloom

Just Molly and me
And baby makes three
We're happy in my blue heaven

We're happy in my blue heaven


What will I knit with this? At the moment, it's a mystery...