Bouclée

Five years in Seattle...

2008-10-13T12:49:00.000-07:00

The city that I started calling "home"...

The UW campus where I worked so hard...

The activities that kept me sane...

And the friends I left behind and miss already...

Back to our regular programming...

2008-08-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, yarn-related activities have taken place. Look for a few finished objects in the next few days.

This baby blanket is my sixth baby blanket in four years. Each time, I start with an idea about the pattern or the color palette I want to use, based on the personality of the expecting parents. Sometimes parents decide to find out whether they're expecting a boy or a girl, sometimes they don't. Sometimes I buy yarn before they can find out because I can't wait to get started!

My baby blanket skills have definitely improved over the years. The first one, four years ago, was my one of my first knitting projects in a decade. I decided to knit a baby blanket for my upcoming goddaughter. I had just knit her a baby hat and a pair of booties in a few days from a kit I got at the fabric store. How hard could it be to knit a whole blanket, really? I simply knit the pattern that came with the ball band of the white acrylic yarn I found at the fabric store. It called for some combination of yo and k3tog every other row. I wanted to throw the blanket across the room after 6 rows. I just couldn't manage the k3tog (knitting 3 stitches together at once). My mother suggested I change the pattern to k2tog (more manageable) and only do the pattern row every fourth row. That was much better. I just went on that way. I didn't start over, so the blanket had a few rows of the original pattern at one end. On top of that, the second skein of white acrylic yarn was a different weight than the first one (I didn't really know about yarn weights then), which meant that the second half of the blanket is slightly narrower and at a looser gauge than the first half. It was misshapen and crooked... but made with love! I gave it to my goddaughter on her first birthday. Her parents thanked me profusely at the time. I'm not sure if she ever used the blanket...

My skills were already much improved for my second blanket, a stripey fringed garterstitch blanket in "santa fe" colors, to match the cantalope-colored walls of the baby's room. After that, I switched to crochet. It's faster than knitting and is naturally double-sided, which is a plus for a blanket. I made a granny-squared blanket (the only one I made with input from the expecting mother). I made a striped blanket in bright colors for my pastel-averse friend's baby boy. I made a psychedelic rainbow blanket for my nephew, because I wanted variegated yarn with a touch of yellow to match the color of his room. It turned out much brighter than I expected, which is funny since my brother's usual color palette is limited to earth tones...

Which brings us to this blanket. I knew my friend Katie was having a little boy. I wanted some boyish colors, a combination of greens and blues. The Moderne baby blanket pattern, from Mason-Dixon Knitting, was just asking to be crocheted. I used the schematic drawing in the book to figure out the proportions of each rectangle, crocheted a foundation chain of the right length, and proceeded to crochet one rectangle after another.

Things were going swimmingly, until I added the two bottom (third and fourth to last) squares. I was at a friend's house, admiring her 3-month old baby, got distracted and simply crocheted two many stitches into the previous squares. My new squares were too many stitches wide and were rippling. I was in complete denial about it, convincing myself it would all be fine when I blocked it, until I finished the last two squares and tried to lay the blanket flat. It was abundantly clear that no amount of blocking would fix this problem... so I ripped out the last four squares and put the blanket aside "for a while." Fast-forward to two months later... I picked it up again, did things right, and finished the blanket in a few days.

Pattern: Moderne Baby Blanket, from Mason-Dixon Knitting by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne (see it on ravelry here)
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash, 2 skeins each of Celery (905), Caribbean (847), and Colonial Blue Heather (904). Just over 1 skein of Aran (817).
Hook: 5.0 mm (H)
Started: February 27, 2008
Finished: August 9, 2008
Modifications: well, obviously it's crocheted... but I also added a one-row border of half-double crochet.

It's one of my favorites, because it turned out exactly as I pictured it (which doesn't always happen). Katie seemed to like it, and I hope her little Sebastien does too...

Would like some? It tastes like chicken...

2008-08-22T08:40:00.000-07:00

I saw this list on Clotile Dussoulier's Chocolate & Zucchini blog. Here's what she had to say about it:

"The Omnivore's Hundred is an eclectic and entirely subjective list of 100 items that Andrew Wheeler, co-author of the British food blog Very Good Taste, thinks every omnivore should try at least once in his life.

He offered this list as the starting point for a game, along the following rules:
1. Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2. Bold all the items you’ve eaten (I've used icons instead, and added an asterisk for the items I'm particularly fond of).
3. Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4. Optional extra: post a comment on Very Good Taste, linking to your results."

I've always considered myself an omnivore... am I really?
Here's my list:

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (I did have alligator in Louisiana, but no crocodile)
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses (have I had this cheese? I'm not sure...)
17. Black truffle (not on its own, only truffle oil)
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns = char siu bao (this should be an easy one to check off the list)
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper (no thanks, I'd rather feel my tongue... I've learned from Captain Haddock's experience in "Le Temple du Soleil")
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float (why haven't I had this before?)
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (cognac yes, cigar no)
37. Clotted cream tea (of course!)
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu (no thanks, am not suicidal...)
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel (in sushi/sashimi)
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut (best when still warm from the oven, yum!)
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi (thanks, Yuko!)
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine (yes!)
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake (or beaver tails!)
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill (eeeww!)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

60 down, 40 to go!
(although I don’t think I would ever eat Fugu (too risky!), Kaolin (dirt?), roadkill (especially if this means eating whatever is left of an animal that was run over by a car), or Bonnet peppers (why suffer unnecessarily?)

Wedding Gift

2008-07-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

A friend from my knitting group got married last week. Earlier this Spring, when I learned I was invited, I decided it was only fitting that I give her and her husband a handknitted gift. It had to be something for both of them. I knew Emily was planning to knit them handtowels, so I looked for something else they could use for their home.

At about the same time, I noticed this pattern for crocheted placemats in one of the Berroco Spring pattern booklets. The pattern called for Berroco Naturlin. I could have substituted Knitpicks Cotlin, as I did for the moss stitch handtowels I knit for Katie and Brian's wedding. Naturlin is a new Berroco yarn, and my LYS carries it. It's nice and shiny and still cheaper than Louet Euroflax.

I started crocheting the first placemat mid-May. It's a simple enough pattern, but I managed to do it wrong... The pattern says the placemat is crocheted “from side to side”, which I interpreted to mean that the foundation chain was on one side and that as you crochet the placemat is already at its full depth and grows in width all the way to the other side. The way I understood it, the borders would attach to the foundation chain and the last row. Well, it turns out that “from side to side” means that each row goes from one side to the other (!) (isn’t that always the case? why the need to specify?). The foundation chain is supposed to be at the bottom of the placemat, and you crochet until you get the desired depth. Borders are then supposed to go on each side, perpendicular to the foundation chain.

My first clue should have been the fact that after a few rows my work was over 15 inches. Instead of wondering how my gauge could be off by that much, I just unraveled it and started over with a shorter foundation chain. I only realized my mistake much later, and I decided it didn't really matter. Of course, I did the same thing for the second placemat so they match. If you compare my placemats to the pattern photo, you’ll see that the stitch pattern in the center panel is rotated 90 degrees in mine relative to the pattern. The result looks great anyway: a rectangle is a rectangle...

My other modification to the pattern (this was a deliberate one) is the addition of a border of (sc - ch1) along the top and bottom edges. I think it gives the placemats a cleaner look and helps smoothen the contrast between the border color and the center color.

The Naturlin yarn was a little rough to the touch and contained some plant matter, but it softened nicely after blocking without losing any of its beautiful shine.

Pattern: Randolph, found in Berroco #273 Naturlin (Spring 2008)
Yarn: Berroco Naturlin. 4 skeins of main color (6310 Mate) and 1 skein of contrasting color (6325 Cinnamon). Used all of the main color yarn, and only a tiny bit left of the contrasting color.
Hook: 4.0 mm (G)
Started: May 14, 2008
Finished: July 21, 2008

I would knit these again. They make a great "on-the-go" project, because the pattern stitch is the same for every row and easy to memorize. In fact, I have more Naturlin in the stash for a housewarming gift...

Deidre liked them, and seemed to already have plans for them.
The wedding was lovely, and Deidre and Joel looked very happy. Congratulations to both of them and best wishes for the future!

First socks...

2008-06-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

I know I just posted about my first pair of completed socks, but this is the first pair of socks I ever started... way back in the Winter of 2007. I mentioned them when I made a list of unfinished objects in January (the other socks were on that list too). In an attempt to tie up loose ends, I'm currently on a "finish-all-my-old-WIPs" kick.

I wanted to knit socks, but I was intimidated by DPNs. Too many needles, too short, too pointy... Instead, I found a pattern on the KnitPicks website. It's a pattern for toe-up socks on two circular needles. It calls for knitting both socks at the same time, but I opted to only knit one at a time. Since I had no idea what I was doing, the first sock was far from perfect... First, it's definitely too wide. The pattern says to increase until you get the right width, but I overshot it a bit. Plus, I think socks are supposed to have a touch of negative ease. Second, the afterthought heel included in the pattern didn't fit my heel well at all. It was a spiral heel, and my heel is not that round... Finally, I didn't use the right bind off, and it was not stretchy at all. Which meant the sock was hard to put on and take off. I started the second sock at the time (i.e. Winter before last, or maybe Spring...), but stopped at the top of the foot. I can't remember why I stopped. I probably had other projects to work on. But I do remember that I wondered if and how I could ever fix those problems...

I picked up the second sock last week and finished it over the weekend. I used a yarn-over bind off, very stretchy... I used a different afterthought heel. It's triangular and fits my heel much better. I also made the leg longer.

I unraveled the bind off on the first sock, lengthened the leg and bound off using the yarn-over method. I frogged the heel and replaced it with the triangular afterthought heel. They're still a little too wide, but I don't think I could have fixed that easily... still, they're very comfy!

Pattern: Two at Once, Toe-Up Socks, by Kelley Petkun. Replaced the afterthought heel with the one described in Sandy Cushman's Up-Down Spiral Sox, in Interweave Knits Favorite Socks.
Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug, in Blue Parrot. About 0.85 skein or 270 yards (320 yd/110g)
Needles: 2 US 3/3.25mm circular needles (24")
Started: Winter 2007
Finished: June 16, 2008

Ta-daa! A pair of handknit socks!
Funny how fast a pair of socks are done when you start with one and a half socks...

110 dropped stitches... no problem!

2008-06-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Phiaro Scarf (on Ravelry), by Katie Himmelberg, from Knitscene Winter 2007/Spring 2008
Yarn: Southwest Trading Company Bamboo, in colorway 134/Azul. Approx. 1.4 skeins (or 350 yards)
Needles: US 7/4.5 mm
Started: Late April 2008
Finished: Cast off on May 25, 2008. Completed finishing (weaving in ends and braiding fringe) on June 3, 2008.

In April, I decided to knit Emily a scarf for her birthday. I knew she had been eyeing this scarf in the new Knitscene magazine. I picked some Bamboo yarn from the stash, in a colorway I knew she would approve (it has teal in it) and set forth.

This pattern is a wonder of design. It's a scarf, but it's knit in the round in stockinette stitch, so it's pretty mindless knitting. (The cast-on edge is slightly tighter than the cast off edge, but it isn’t really obvious once the scarf is wrapped around your neck. I’m not sure how this could be avoided or fixed.)

The magic comes during the finishing: when casting off, you cast off a block of stitches, then drop the next block of stitches, etc, until you get close to the end and then drop 30 (yes, 30!) stitches in a row. After reading about other people's experience with this pattern on Ravelry forums, I knit through the back loop the stitches immediately before and after the stitches to be dropped (like suggested in the pattern for the Clapotis). This is meant to minimize pulling on the edge stitches.

Once you unravel the dropped stitches all the way down, you now have a big circular band, that just grew to more than twice it's original length and looks like a big mess!

To get the fringe you cut the strands from the 30 dropped stitches right down the middle, and then proceed to braid the bazillion ends you just created... Blocking is essential, or at least getting the scarf damp enough to get the kinks out of the strands of dropped stitches. I didn’t actually pin it down, I just draped it over the back of a chair. It dried really quickly, because it's so airy.

I cast off on May 25, after knitting to a width of about 15 inches (I measured at the time, but now I forget the exact measurement). It’s a pretty airy scarf, so I think this width works. I then spent 3 evenings braiding the fringe… The finishing for this scarf is pretty intensive, with a lot of ends to weave in on the cast off edge and all the braiding to do. But it’s a pretty easy knit (if a bit repetitive) and the end result looks really cool.

Gave it to Emily last night, who promptly wound it around her neck and didn’t take it off all night! I think that counts as a great success!

Seattle in June-uary

2008-06-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

Seven inches of snow fell on I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass last night. Seriously.

Yesterday, while waiting for the bus dressed in a long-sleeved t-shirt, a sweater, a weatherproof jacket, and a scarf, I really wished I was wearing gloves. The warmest it got was a record breaking low of 55F/13C (and it got as cold as 45F/7C).

"Seattle just experienced the coldest first week of June, according to climate records dating to 1891", according to the Seattle Times.
Yes, 1891.

Well, at least I'm glad to know that this weather isn't normal.

Can't wait for Friday: if the forecast is right, it will be a balmy 73F/23C!

Where Art meets Craft

2008-06-05T22:27:00.000-07:00

It's been over a year in the making, but I just finished my first pair of socks!

Pattern: Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Basic Sock Recipe, found in her book Knitting Rules!
Yarn: Opal Hundertwasser Sock Yarn, colorway "Wartende Haüser (Waiting Houses)". Purchased at Little Knits, in West Seattle.
Needles: US 1/2.25mm DPNs for the first sock and the top of the second sock. I realized halfway down the leg of the second sock that my gauge was tighter, and changed to US 2/2.75mm DPNs for the rest of the second sock.
Started: March 2007?
Finished: June 5, 2008

When I first saw this yarn at Little Knits, I couldn't resist. It's the first sock yarn I ever bought, so it is fitting that I used it for my first pair of socks... I also immediately felt that this colorway would be great for my friend Catherine. I started the first sock over a year ago, thinking I would send her a pair of socks for her birthday in April. After one sock, I changed my mind and decided to knit her a pair of mittens (which she did get last year). I only picked up the second sock a few weeks ago (I cast it on last year) and have been working on it on and off in between other projects. Because of my knitting tension apparently changed in the last year, the top part of the second sock is slightly tighter than the first one. It's actually probably better...

Where is the art in this? The colors in this sock yarn collection are inspired by paintings by the Austrian artist Friedenreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000). This particular colorway is inspired by a painting entitled "Wartende Haüser" (Waiting Houses).

You may have noticed that the socks are fraternal twins, not identical twins. I did that on purpose. I think it makes them a little more unique, it gives them a more character. Really, it's just plain cool...

Five Days in Oklahoma City

2008-06-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

Where am I?

2008-05-31T08:54:00.001-07:00

The land is flat,
the earth is red,
the sky is blue,
the sun is bright,
and it's hot outside.

On the cab ride from the airport, I asked the cabdriver what was good to eat here.
"Steak!".
Pause, then:
"You're not one of those vegetarians, are ya?"

I'm definitely not in Seattle anymore... (not in Kansas either!)

Gnome 2.0

2008-05-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

Remember my first gnome?

He has a new friend...

Introducing the new and improved gnome!

The pattern is loosely inspired by the pattern I used for the first gnome, Simply a gnome!, by Else Tenessen. This time, I wanted a pointier gnome, so I did smaller numbers of increases and spaced them out about every 4 rows for the hat and 6 rows for the head and body instead of every 2 rows (basically, whenever I felt it was time for the next increase). Compared to my original gnome, I have about 16 rows for the hat compared to 12, 6 rows for the head compared to 5, and 9 rows for the body compared to 8. I also stuffed it more and did a better job of crocheting the bottom circle for a better fit.

The other major differences are the beard, eyes, and nose (there is one!). Instead of making the beard separately and sewing it on, I crocheted it directly on the face before stuffing it. Same for the nose. I also sewed the eyes and eyebrows on before stuffing it.

Yarn: Cascade 220 Wool and Superwash Wool, leftover from various projects. Eyes from Jo-Ann's.
Hook: size G (4.25mm) for body, size F (3.75mm) for beard and nose. Eyebrows sewn on with darning needle.
Started and finished on May 14, 2008

It's so cute! A definite improvement. I made it as a gift for a friend. It will soon leave for a new home... I think my original gnome will be sad to see his new friend go so quickly, maybe I should give him a nose to cheer him up...

Generation Gap

2008-05-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

A conversation between a mother and daughter, overheard recently while walking through the gift shop at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland:

Mom: You can have a souvenir if you want. What would you like?

(pointing at the posters, cds and other memorabilia of artists like the Beatles, the Doors, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Police, U2, REM... and the prominent displays of the 2008 inductees, including Madonna and John Mellencamp)

10-year old girl: Hannah Montana! I want Hannah Montana!

Sigh...

Belated gift, belated post...

2008-05-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

Although I have been knitting and crocheting lately, this post is about a project I finished months ago. Last fall, I was invited to a wedding reception across the country. (Not the wedding itself: they were married in a small ceremony over a year earlier). Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to the reception, so I decided to knit them a wedding gift. I chose the Moss Grid Hand Towels, from Mason-Dixon Knitting.

I figured I would give it to them when they came back to Seattle after the reception. Well, I wasn't quite done. I had just started the second towel and was kind of bored with the pattern. It was right before Christmas and lots of gift knitting needed to be done. Also, I realized I wouldn't see them before the holidays so I decided to put the hand towels on hold... and didn't pick them up again until February. Oops... When I did get back to actually working on them, I promptly finished the second towel. You're thinking I gave them the towels as soon as they were done, right? You would be wrong...

Well, first there was the baby shower and I didn't want to give the wedding gift with the baby shower gift. Then it took a while before I saw both of them together. I finally gave them the hand towels with some fancy guest soaps at the end of April. Which explains why I didn't post about them earlier. Funnily enough, I gave them their wedding gift 9 days before the birth of their son... (he's very cute).

Details:

Pattern: Moss Grid Hand Towels, from Mason-Dixon Knitting, by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne.
Yarn: Knit Picks Cotlin, in "Linen". 2 balls each.
Needles: US 5/3.75mm
Started: November 2007
Completed: February 21, 2008
Gifted: April 26, 2008

Although the pattern gets a little repetitive, they're actually a fun knit. I would simply suggest alternating with a different project to break the monotony. I like the natural color, it gives the hand towels a rustic feel. The Cotlin is actually very soft, even more so after a run through the washer and dryer. The fact that it's machine washable makes it a great choice for towels. The cotton gives makes it softer to the touch than some pure linen yarns.

The recipients seemed really happy with the towels. When I suggested they use them as guest towels, both of them rejected the idea flat out... They said they would much rather use them themselves! That makes me a happy knitter...

Tulipomania

2008-05-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

I went to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival for the first time this year.

There were tulips in many different colors, sizes, and shapes...

Multicolored tulips.

Tall and pointy tulips.

Fuzzy tulips.

Even some scary tulips.

These delicate pink tulips were my favorite

How can you NOT take 250 pictures of tulips?

Yes, I might have gone a little overboard...

To see pretty pictures of tulips in Holland, at the famous Keukenhof Gardens and around Leiden, go here and here.

Cobalt Blue Is In For Spring!

2008-04-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

Through Ravelry, I enrolled in a yarn swap for yarn snobs. Basically, you commit to sending your swap pal yarn and a few treats, according to preset rules. Every participant fills out a questionnaire, to give their swap partners an idea of what they like.

Emily has been taking part in yarn swaps for a while, and I thought it would be a fun thing to do. Our packages have to get to our swap partners by May 10, so I was pleasantly surprised when I received an unexpected package last week!

As expected for a yarn snob swap, I got some really nice yarn: a skein of Malabrigo Lace, in Buscando Azul (I'm not sure what that means, but it's a very nice deep blue) and a skein of Cascade 220 in a similar color (blue velvet) that will be perfect for mittens next Fall (I'm thinking colorwork, with light blue or ivory... maybe these?). I've never knit with Malabrigo before, but I've heard great things about it... I'll have to find a nice pattern to show it off!

My swap partner, the very generous DuchessRed (here's her blog), also included a box of spicy chai tea, two bars of dark chocolate (one with candied ginger, one with cherries and dark almonds... yum!), and two bars of handmade soap. Judging by her blog and her ravelry groups, I suspect she might have made the soap herself! How crafty is that...

Thanks to DuchessRed! Can't wait to use the yarn...

My fifteen minutes of fame...

2008-04-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

My picture is on the Yarn Harlot's blog! Quick, go look!
Isn't it exciting?

Stephanie, if you read this, thank you! It was a pleasure to meet you (again)!

Habs Win!

2008-04-22T09:36:00.001-07:00

Shetland triangle finished!

Details:
Started: March 25, 2008
Finished: April 13, 2008
Pattern: Shetland Triangle, by Evelyn Clark. In Wrap Style.
Yarn: All Things Heather Handpainted Superwash Merino, won in a contest on the Yarn Harlot's blog
Needles: US 6/ 4.00mm

I was fortunate to show it to Stephanie herself last night at Third Place Books. She remembered the contest and the yarn, and said the shawl was lovely. (At least I think that's what she said, my memory is a little blurry). I had been talking to the people behind me in the line, a nice couple from Nanaimo with a very cute sleeping baby. They mentioned I was from Montreal and concluded I was probably a Habs fan. "Of course," I said. "And I'm missing the game to come here." (The seventh game of the quarterfinals, with the series tied 3-3!) To which Stephanie replied, as any true Torontonian would, "They'll lose. The Habs will lose"

Well, the Habs won. Beat the Boston Bruins 5-0. So there. And the Leafs didn't even make the playoffs, so who are you to talk... ;) (I have to say this, I'm from Montreal)

For the record, I'm glad I got to hear Stephanie talk. My mother was visiting, so I dragged her along. She knit and crocheted a lot when she was younger, but hasn't for a long time now. She was impressed with all the people knitting and the different types of projects being worked on, and has been talking of maybe taking up knitting again, maybe...

Finally, a baby girl...

2008-04-08T17:02:00.000-07:00

Ever since my goddaughter was born (she's now 3 1/2 years old), everyone I know has been having boys... Don't believe me? Off the top of my head, I count 4 little boys amongst my friends, three pregnant friends expecting boys, and my sweet little nephew whose now 6 months old. One friend actually had a girl recently, but since they decided not to find out the baby's gender during the pregnancy, I had to go with a gender-neutral pattern. You can understand how excited I was when I found out that I would finally have a chance to knit something girly...

I had been looking for an opportunity to knit Elizabeth Zimmerman's February Baby Sweater after seeing a few pretty ones in other people's blogs, especially this one over at Brooklyn Tweed. (This is the fourth or fifth project he has inspired, I guess we have similar tastes...) Not that there aren't many other pretty examples out there: mine was the 900th on Ravelry! Because of the lace pattern, it is pretty girly. Elizabeth Zimmerman's patterns are genius! This one is knit in the round from the yoke down, but doesn't involve fancy origami folding like the baby surprise jacket I knit for my nephew last summer.

I had some yarn leftover, so I decided to knit a pair of Saartje's bootees. They're the cutest thing... Probably very impractical, but absolutely darling little things.
Emily knit a couple of pairs as gifts last Fall.

Patterns: February Baby Sweater, by Elizabeth Zimmerman (from the Knitter's Almanac) and Saartje's Bootees, by Saartje de Bruijn.
Yarn: Dale Baby Ull, in red. Less than 2 skeins for the sweater AND the bootees. Purchased at the Fiber Gallery
Needles: US 4 (3.5mm) Addi Turbo circular needles for baby sweater, and US 1.5 (2.5mm) DPNs for bootees.
Time to knit: Sweater started on March 10 and finished on March 25, 2008; bootees started on March 30 and finished on April 1st, 2008. Buttons sewn on sweater and bootees on April 3, 2008
Buttons: Pink with little multicolored polka dots, purchased at Bad Woman Yarn

Who's the happy recipient of these lovely gifts? Pensive frog's upcoming baby tadpole...

Hockey Night in Canada meets Shetland Triangle in Seattle

2008-04-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

Did you recognize it? It's the yarn Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, aka the Yarn Harlot, sent me last Fall for correctly identifying the Hockey Night in Canada theme song.

What could I knit with this special yarn? Well, it's sock yarn but I'm not a sock knitter. Plus, I wanted to knit something that would last a long time and not end up with holes in the toes... I figured I should knit a scarf or a shawl. There are plenty of scarf and shawl patterns out there for fingering weight yarn. But if you're looking for a tested and true pattern that can be made with only 360 yards of sock yarn, your choice narrows down pretty quickly (thanks to the Ravelry pattern search engine). I opted for the Shetland Triangle, by Evelyn Clark (in Wrap Style). Knitted over 700 times, according to Ravelry... can't go wrong with that! Here are a few lovely examples... I think the slight color variegation will add to the texture of the lace.

Why now? Well, Stephanie is on tour with her new book. With a little bit of luck and a lot of knitting, it will be ready for her visit! I've already knitted 45 rows (out of a total of 114).

A new project...

2008-03-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

Do you remember this yarn?

Pretty, isn't it?

Can you guess what it will become?

Happy Easter!

2008-03-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

When Easter came around a few months after I moved to Seattle four years ago, I felt really homesick for the first time. I realized no one here would give me chocolate on Easter morning... Eating chocolate for breakfast was (and still is) a tradition in my family. So, I took matters into my own hands and went out to buy myself some chocolate. I ate it on Easter morning, but it wasn't quite the same...

This year, a friend of mine gave me this cute lavender egg with chocolate inside. What a difference... I guess I made a home for myself in Seattle over the years, and good friends along the way! A friend who gives you chocolate is obviously a good friend, don't you think? ;)

It's still winter at Mt Baker

2008-03-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I went skiing at Mt Baker with Emily and Dave. It was a beautiful day...

"Magnificent! Fantastic! The most beautiful day of the year", would say my dad.

The snow was fresh and heavy, which made it a challenge to turn in some places. Can you see Emily and Dave way up the slope?

I had fun, and was happily tired at the end of the day. Thanks to Emily and Dave for taking me with them!

And look who also enjoyed Mt Baker!

Le fabuleux destin d'un nain de jardin

2008-03-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Simply a gnome!, by Else Tenessen
Yarn: Cascade 220 Wool and Superwash Wool, leftover from various projects. Eyes and eyebrows sewn on with Tahki Cotton Classic (leftover from this baby blanket)
Hook: size G (4.25mm)
Started and finished on March 18, 2008

He seems to like Seattle.

Spring awakening!

2008-03-20T18:08:00.001-07:00

It's the first day of Spring! The cherry trees are blossoming!

I have to enjoy it: next year on the first day of Spring I might be stuck under 10 feet of snow...

Baby alert!

2008-03-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, another baby gift! I know five people who are currently expecting and are due between early April and the end of May. Expect lots of baby knits to pop up here in the next few weeks... One of them had a baby shower on Sunday. Since it was only announced about 10 days earlier, I needed a pattern I could knit quickly.

A friend of mine knit this pattern over a year ago for a different baby shower. The hat was worn as long as it could possibly fit... but that baby is all grown up now... Time flies! Since it came so highly recommended, I figured it was good choice. It's a fairly simple pattern, and Cascade Fixation gives it a nice stretchy quality.

Details:

Pattern: ? (can't remember what it's called), from Acorn Street in Seattle
Yarn: Cascade Fixation Multi, less than 1 skein.
Needle: US 4/3.5mm, in DPN and 16" circular
Started: March 5, 2008
Finished: March 9, 2008

Isn't it cute? And the little slippers are adorable...

Do trees need to keep warm?

2008-03-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

Knitters in Ohio are knitting a sweater for a pear tree! It's being described as a new form of graffiti street art. Original, no?

I wonder whether sweaters would affect how much maple sap can be collected from a maple tree... Don't worry, I don't have plans to knit for trees (or any other plants) any time soon. No need to stage an intervention.

p.s. It's apparently a movement, with "knitted graffiti" around the world, from Paris to the Great Wall of China. Who knew?

The End of the Endpaper Mitts

2008-03-06T10:40:00.001-08:00

These should have been done a long time ago. They were my first colorwork project since I started knitting again (i.e. not including the green icelandic sweater I knit in my early 20s, which was too small because I forgot to go up a needle size after the ribbing...) They even inspired Emily to give fair-isle a whirle and knit a pair... which she finished months ago. I started them in February or March 2007 (can't even remember now) and knit a whole mitt and even cast on for the second one. And then I was struck with a major case of second mitt syndrome...

The unfortunate sequence of events that led to this regrettable episode of second mitt syndrome:
- The tiny bamboo needles I used for the ribbing hurt my fingers. After doing the ribbing on the fingers and thumb of the first one, my fingers needed a break before going on to the wrist ribbing of the second one.
- In the meantime, I decided to knit a pair of mittens as a birthday gift due in April, so I put them aside "temporarily". After the mittens were done, I moved on to a baby blanket that was long overdue.
- When I was done with that, it was mid-May and I had lost interest in the mitts. I figured it wasn't "mitt weather" anyway and put them at the bottom of the pile, to be picked up again in the Fall when it got cold again.
- When came Fall, I was busy with a million other projects. Let's see, I can remember a baby blanket, a few gifts, and a few things for me...
- It's only when I reviewed my knitting for 2007 that I remembered about them. A sad state of affairs...

Really, I have no excuse. When I did pick them up again, I finished the second one in 6 days...

Details:

Pattern: Endpaper mitts, by Eunny Jang
Yarn: Cascade 220 in red and blue heather
Needles: US 0 (2.0mm)Clover Bamboo DPNs for ribbing, US 2 (2.75mm) Clover Bamboo DPNs for pattern
Started: Winter 2007
Finished: February 26, 2008

Cascade 220 is much thicker than the suggested yarn (worsted vs fingering weight). It makes for a very dense fabric. Although they are a little stiff, they are much warmer this way. I suspect a good blocking will soften them up, and will probably even out some of the stitches. I've already worn them, and they're great for our current late winter weather!

Mea culpa...

2008-02-26T11:55:00.001-08:00

Emily and I went to Boston over Presidents' Day weekend for the AAAS conference. You can read her account of our trip here. Unlike me, she remembered to take pictures...

The conference was interesting and stimulating. We found some time to walk around near the Convention Center, down tree-lined Newbury St (nice shops!) all the way to Boston Commons. We walked the Freedom Trail and refreshed our knowledge of early American history. We ate good Italian and Indian food, and even had some "chowda". But the most exciting part of our trip has to be our trek to WEBS, the largest yarn store in the U.S.

On Monday morning, we rented a car and Emily courageously drove through the pouring rain and gusty winds all the way to Northampton. When we got there, the rain stopped but a low-hanging mist clustered in fields and ditches. We half-expected a headless man on a galloping horse to emerge in front of us...

Anyway, we got to WEBS around 10:30am. We walked around the front part of the shop for awhile, and then Emily went to inquire about a restroom. She came back five minutes later, grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to the back room without saying a word... and there it was: the WEBS warehouse! Aisles filled with bags of yarn, at greatly reduced prices! We were overwhelmed... Emily stopped to take a few pictures, but we completely forgot after that. We don't even have a picture of the front of the store! We walked around the warehouse twice: the first time to get a sense of what they had, and the second time to fill up our baskets...

After three (yes, three) hours in the store, this is what I got:

- Queensland Kathmandu DK Tweed, in dark green (for the Gathered Pullover)

- Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy, in dark pink (for the Mirabella Cardigan, I plan to use the yarn doubled (two strands) to compensate for a different yarn weight)

- Elsebeth Lavold Classic AL, in red and slate grey (for the Minimalist Cardigan)

In my defense, I must say that I am allowed to buy yarn when I travel (although the rules say that it should be limited to one project). I went a little overboard with the number of projects... I had prepared a list of projects and appropriate yarns, and I'm happy to say that I stuck to the list (although I substituted equivalent yarns). Everything I got was 50% off, so great deals all around! As Emily said, our savings on yarn paid for the rental car...

If you're a knitter and you're in the area, you should absolutely go to WEBS! The long drive is definitely worth it: the selection is amazing, and between the sales, closeouts, and discounts, the prices are practically unbeatable!

Red Carpet Update!

2008-02-25T16:55:00.000-08:00

Although not much knitting was done during the ceremony (I was in charge of filling out the official results on the ballot for our Oscar party pool), our hostess went above and beyond to provide us with delicious food, including these...

Homemade red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese and mascarpone frosting, sprinkled with coconut, and topped with Oscar-shaped sugar cookies with golden sugar sprinkles. Delicious... and pretty enough for the red carpet!

It almost made me forget that George didn't win... but when I got home today this was waiting for me in my mailbox, so all is well with the world...

Red Hat and Red Carpet

2008-02-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

I have been working on my many works-in-progress. The Moss Grid Hand Towels are done, but still need to be washed (more on that in an upcoming post). The Endpaper mitts are progressing nicely, and should be done shortly. I also picked up the Montego Bay scarf again!

Because I was making such good progress, I decided to cast on for the Foliage Hat. I had some Frog Tree Alpaca Worsted burning a hole in my stash... I cast on right before leaving for Boston for a conference and got a whole lot of knitting done on the plane and during the conference. If I'm not taking notes, I find that knitting (or crocheting) keeps me focused on what the speaker is saying because my eyes and hands are busy, so my thoughts don't wander.

Details:
Pattern: Foliage Hat, by Emilee Mooney. Published in Knitty, Fall 2007
I made no modifications. The cast-off method wasn't specified, so I used a yarn-over cast-off, which is quite stretchy. (My first cast-off attempts, with a simple knitted cast off in ribbing was a disaster: so tight that I couldn't squeeze my head through it...). The hat itself is very stretchy, so it's very comfortable to wear. Of course, it's now sunny and warm in Seattle...
Yarn: Frog Tree Alpaca Worsted*, in red (color 23). Purchased at the Fiber Gallery.
Needles: US 7 (4.5mm) DPNs and 16" circular for hat, US 5 (3.75mm) for ribbing. The hat is knit from the top down, so DPNs are used for the crown.
Started: February 13, 2008
Completed: February 20, 2008

*Frog Tree yarns import their alpaca yarns from a non-profit cooperative in Bolivia. :
"Purchases made by Frog Tree Yarns are intended to provide support to the individual artisans and non-profit groups. We operate as a not-for-profit company, and do not take any salaries for our efforts. Excess funds generated by T & C Imports are used to provide educational assistance to individuals and support to educational projects."
They also commit to fair trade practices.

No doubt Brangelina would approve... Look for them on the red carpet tonight at the Academy Awards! I'll be watching. And even though Daniel Day-Lewis is practically a shoo-in for Best Actor, I'm secretly hoping that George wins...

The significance of cupcakes...

2008-02-08T12:53:00.000-08:00

My friend Nora, over at Whopping Cornbread, has introduced me to many wonderful aspects of the American culture. Cupcakes are one of them...
She asked me to do a guest post for her about cupcakes. You can read it here.

My last birthday in Seattle

2008-02-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was my birthday. For the last few years, I have invited people over for a dinner party on my birthday. I decide on a menu and spend the day cooking a nice meal for my friends. Some people think it's not right to cook your own birthday dinner, but what I really want is to be surrounded by friends, talking and laughing over a nice and leisurely meal. The goal is to have everything ready when the guests arrive, so I don't have to spend the evening in the kitchen while everyone else has fun...

My birthday dinner menu:

Hors d'oeuvres
***
Cassoulet de canard
or
Root-vegetable cassoulet
***
Mixed green salad
Cheese plate with fruit
***
Pineapple upside-down cake

To find duck legs for the cassoulet and buy a nice selection of cheeses, I went down to Pike Place Market. I love going down there, it makes me feel all grown up to walk around the market with my environmentally friendly fabric shopping bag to buy meat, vegetables, cheeses, and flowers from people behind stalls. I think it's the interaction with these people that makes it different. At the grocery store, you hardly ever have to interact with anyone. Here, you have to ask and answer questions, and you can get a taste of the cheese... And I couldn't resist the tulips.

This being Seattle, I made a cassoulet with only poultry: duck legs (of course), chicken sausage (instead of saucisse de Toulouse), and turkey bacon (instead of lardons or bacon). And to accommodate the vegetarian among us, I also made a root-vegetable cassoulet from a recipe I found online, by Daniel Boulud. I doubt that any of these could pass off as cassoulet in the southwest of France where this dish originates (they are serious about their cassoulet), but my versions turned out well and my guests seemed to appreciate them!

(yes, the crust on the root-vegetable cassoulet is a little past "golden", but that's what happens when you're talking away and not paying attention... It tasted perfectly fine)

When I first had a dinner party for my birthday a couple of years ago, I made smoked salmon tartare, chicken puttanesca, and pineapple upside down cake, all from scratch. The next week, the only thing people kept telling me about was the cheese plate... It seems the idea of a cheese plate after the main course and before dessert was both unusual and fascinating... so now I make sure I always have a cheese plate...
Pineapple upside down cake has been my birthday cake for as long as I can remember. It's the only cake I remember my mother making on a regular basis. It wouldn't feel like my birthday without it...

I think the evening was a great success. I had fun, and I think everyone else did too. Sadly, it is my last birthday in Seattle. I'm moving back to Canada next Fall, and will have to start a new birthday tradition...

In the meantime, I leave you with a picture of the card and gift Emily gave me. Yarn humor, you have to love it...

Unfortunately, I already have the Dai Sijie novel (very good, great choice!). I just started "How I Learned to Cook", a collection of essays by famous chefs. Quite interesting!

p.s. I just noticed on the picture that there's a pretty big typo in the title on the spine of the book...

The endless cardigan

2008-02-01T18:33:00.000-08:00

To be fair, the title is slightly misleading. It makes it sound like knitting this cardigan was a painful process. It wasn't. It's a great pattern, simple but with enough going on that you need to pay attention. The stripes are a great motivator because you can actually see how fast you're progressing. But, dude! It's fingering weight yarn! Even if the stripes add up, it's such thin yarn that the length (actually the width, since it's knit from side to side) changes sooooo slowly... Hours and hours of knitting stripe after stripe, and I was still only halfway through the back! I think it wouldn't have seemed as long if I wasn't knitting against a deadline...

I got an e-mail in early January inviting me to a baby shower for a friend from knitting club. I see her regularly at knitting club, but I don't know her that well so I hadn't expected the invitation (but was flattered to be included). Emily was better prepared than I was... As soon as I got back in town after the holidays, I surfed Ravelry for a suitable pattern: a quick knit using yarn from the stash, but still worthy of a baby shower gift. This baby cardigan seemed like the perfect pattern: knit in one piece, so minimal seaming and weaving in of ends would be required. It called for fingering weight yarn, and I have tons in the stash. It had to be gender neutral, so I chose some white Baby Ull and green Fleece Artist Sock Yarn.

I had 10 days to knit the whole thing and I thought that was plenty of time. Of course, I then proceeded to waste the first evening because I cast on with the white yarn first and decided the next day that it would be prettier with a green border and white stripes (I still think starting over was the right decision). So, 9 days to go. I knit and knit and knit every chance I got. On the bus, over lunch, while reading e-mail, and every night. The day before the baby shower was a Saturday, and I knit most of the day. Still, it wasn't meant to be. The morning of the baby shower, I still had to knit a whole sleeve and one of the fronts. Fortunately, I figured that might happen and I had a backup gift (baby pyjamas and bibs). It took me another week to actually finish it. Now it's all nice and blocked, with white buttons sewn on. And the expectant mother will get it this week at knitting club... I hope she likes it!

Pattern: b14-27 Jacket by DROPS design
Yarn: Dale Baby Ull (white) and Fleece Artist Basic Merino Sock Yarn (green)
Needles: addi turbo US 21/2 (3.0mm)
Started: January 9, 2008
Finished: January 29, 2008

I'm really happy with the cardigan! It's cute, and the color combination comes out great! I can see myself knitting another one, but next time I'll make sure I have a three-week time frame...

Belated New Year's Resolutions

2008-01-16T16:50:00.000-08:00

I started talking about a yarn fast a few months ago. And then I went to trunk shows and won some yarn. A friend of mine suggested that I was actually on a yarn diet, not a yarn fast. I agree that it is probably more realistic to plan to restrict my yarn purchases, instead of banning any new yarn purchase altogether. And since I don't want to end up with a stash of unmanageable proportions, I really need to take this yarn diet seriously. Especially since I'll be moving across the continent in a few months, and I don't want to have to explain to the customs officer why I have all this yarn...

In an effort to make this yarn diet more effective, I have decided to put some rules in writing for everyone to see, in the hope that it will make me stick to them.

Here they are:

1. I am allowed to purchase yarn to knit/crochet gifts, if and only if suitable yarn is not available in the stash. Priority should be given to using yarn from the stash. If there is suitable yarn in the stash but not in the quantity required for a given project, I will be allowed to purchase yarn to meet the yarn requirements. If the stash does not contain ANY suitable yarn, I should seriously consider choosing a different project instead of buying new yarn.

2. Yarn purchases are allowed on trips as souvenirs. These purchases should be limited in quantity... A few rules about such purchases:
- NO MORE SOCK YARN! According to Ravelry, I have 22 skeins of sock yarn and I have yet to complete a pair of socks. Granted, I have been using sock yarn for non-sock projects, but I really think I should stop buying sock yarn. Even if sock yarn is pretty and variegated.
- The purchase should be limited to yarn for one project.
- Ideally, preference should be given to yarn that is unavailable locally (in Seattle) and definitely shouldn't already be available in the stash...

3. The yarn diet does not apply to patterns, needles/hooks, or other accessories. Anything that helps me go through stash yarn is welcome.

4. Yarn sales and trunk shows should be avoided. In the case where my resolve falters and I do attend such an event, the rules are the same as in #2.

5. Yarn won in contests doesn't count... I figure the chances of me winning more yarn this year are slight.

I solemnly swear that I will try to adhere to these rules for all of 2008.

2007 in letters

2008-01-11T15:12:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I wonder if I'm unable of original thought... It seems I'm getting a lot of blogging ideas from Emily. She is a more experience blogger, so I guess it's not surprising. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, isn't it?

Emily recently posted a list of all the books she read in 2007. Here's mine:

1. Odette Toulemonde et autres histoires, Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
2. Shopaholic and Baby, Sophie Kinsella
3. The Memory Keeper's Daughter, Kim Edwards
4. A Respectable Trade, Philippa Gregory (borrowed from Nora)
5. Fruit of the Lemon, Andrea Levy
6. The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri
7. The Secret of the Pink Carnation, Lauren Willig
8. The Masque of the Black Tulip, Lauren Willig
9. The Deception of the Emerald Ring, Lauren Willig
10. Bloodletting and other miraculous cures, Vincent Lam
11. Joseph Balsamo, Alexandre Dumas
12. The Continuity Girl, Leah McLaren
13. Le collier de la reine, Alexandre Dumas
14. Practically Perfect, Katie Fforde
15. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, J.K. Rowling
16. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling
17. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K. Rowling
18. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling
19. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling
20. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling
21. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling
22. Gucci Gucci Coo, Sue Margolis (borrowed from Nora)
23. Goodnight Nobody, Jennifer Weiner (borrowed from Nora)
24. Queen of Babble in the Big City, Meg Cabot (borrowed from my mother)
25. Bergdorf Blondes, Plum Sykes (borrowed from my mother)
26. Hadassa, Myriam Beaudoin
27. Life Skills, Katie Fforde
28. Storm World, Chris Mooney
29. The Hopeless Romantic's Handbook: A Novel, Gemma Townley
30. Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain
31. Break No Bones, Kathy Reichs
32. A Cook's Tour, Anthony Bourdain
33. The Nasty Bits, Anthony Bourdain
34. Ni d'Eve, ni d'Adam, Amelie Nothomb (borrowed from my mother)
35. Chagrin d'ecole, Daniel Pennac (borrowed from my mother)
36. Dedication, Emma McLaughlin (borrowed from my mother)
37. The Xmas Factor, Annie Sanders
38. Bright Lights, Big Ass, Jen Lancaster
39. Three Wishes, Liane Moriarty
40. The Club Dumas, Arturo Perez Reverte
41. Maneater, Gigi Levangie Grazier
42. Big Boned, Meg Cabot (borrowed from my mother)
43. Typhoid Mary, Anthony Bourdain

Not bad... that's almost a book a week!

A few thoughts:
- Of course, I re-read all the Harry Potter books before I read the seventh and final book!

- I discovered Anthony Bourdain when he appeared as a guest judge on Top Chef last summer. I loved his books! I grew up in a house where food was very important, so I can relate to that, but I knew nothing of the restaurant world... I gave my mother a copy of "Kitchen Confidential" for Christmas.

- I've been on a "chick lit" kick for the last couple of years. Some of them are well written, some are just entertaining. It's usually "feel good" reading, which I enjoy after spending the day reading and writing about serious and complicated stuff for my dissertation...

Now if I could only find a way to read and knit at the same time...

2007 in stitches

2008-01-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

A list of finished objects of 2007:

Knitting:
1. Latvian Mittens, for Catherine
2. Clapotis, for myself
3. Baby Surprise Jacket, for Youri
4. Red Light Hat Special, for Hugo
5. Red Light Hat Special, for Anne-Marie
6. Lu, for myself
7. Baby Hat to match the BSJ, for Youri
8. Ana Hat, for myself
9. Christmas Stocking, for Youri
10. Dale Pink Hat, for ?

Crochet:
1. Crochet hat, for Chantale
2. Red and Pink Scarf (my own pattern), for myself
3. Silk Garden scarf (using a pattern stitch from Harmony Guides volume 7), for myself
4. Navajo Baby Blanket, for Hugo
5. Pretty in Pink Sundress, for Baptistine
6. Rainbow Baby Blanket, for Youri
7. Cupwarmer, for Nora
8. Cupwarmer, for Emily
9. Bamboo scarf, for Christine

Is that a lot? It seems to be less than I thought. Before this blog and before Ravelry, I probably wasn't keeping track of my knitting accomplishments as thoroughly...

In the interest of full disclosure, a few unfinished objects started in 2007:

1. Colinette toe-up socks on 2 circulars, 75% done
(my first pair of socks. the cast-off on the first one is not stretchy, which means I should rip it out. If I can redo just the casting off, I could get around to finishing the second sock. But I also don't like to feel the definition of the stitches under my foot when I try on the finished sock. The yarn is really pretty.
Plan: try to fix the cast off. If it doesn't work, who knows?

2. Cotton fair isle socks, about 15% done
I like the idea of cotton socks better than wool socks. Wonderful yarn to work with, and fair isle is always fun. Got sidetracked onto other projects, but should really finish this one.
Plan: pick it up again (but when?)

3. Endpaper mitts, about 55% done
I should really finish these. Emily got inspired to knit hers when she saw mine (or the first one of the pair to be more precise). She finished hers ages ago and I still have to finish the second one of my pair. The problem is that I'm on really thin bamboo needles for the wrist ribbing and the thin and pointy needles hurt my fingers. If I can get past the ribbing, I should be fine.
Plan: finish these before the end of winter...

4. Hundertwasser socks, 50% done (one sock)
I knit these as a gift for a friend. Her birthday came and went, so I put them aside to work on more pressing things.
Plan: finish for this year's birthday (mid-April).

5. Lotus Blossom Tank Top, 25% done
I was knitting this for myself after seeing how pretty it was on Emily, but got sidetracked to work on baby gifts.
Plan: pick it up again in the Spring

6. Montego Bay Scarf, 5% done
I fell in love with the yarn, and cast on immediately. The yarn is all pinks and pale greens, yellows, and purples. It seemed like a little taste of Spring in November.
Plan: make this a traveling project?

7. Moss Grid Hand Towel, 55% done with the first of two.
Another project inspired by Emily. I need to finish these ASAP, as they were planned as a gift for a reception back in November. The intended recipients don't know about them, so they're not waiting expectantly for them, but I should still get on it.
Plan: Bus project until finished.

8. Baby cable sweater, 5% done (for one of the many babies I know...)
I started it in November, thinking I might finish it for Christmas but then decided to knit the Christmas Stocking.
Plan: rip it out and start over in 9 month size.

That doesn't even include all the other projects I have in mind and for which I already have yarn... Maybe I'll save that for another day...

A Surefire Way To Avoid The Dreaded "Second Sock Syndrome"

2008-01-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

Why, knit a sock that needs no mate, of course! What am I talking about? A Christmas Stocking. This is the (long-awaited) secret project that came from the yarn pictured in my last post. See, I didn't forget to tell you...

Details:

Pattern: Fireside Stocking from Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2007 special issue. The pattern is by Kate Gilbert (whose pattern are brilliant, in my humble opinion). Modified to add the personalized border.

Modifications: Knit the pattern as directed until the end of the leg chart. Then, instead of knitting the hem straightaway, I knit a two-color braid using instructions from Latvian Mittens, by Lizbeth Upitis. For the personalized border, I came up with my own chart (wrote it up in Excel: my brother was so proud, as he creates Excel spreadsheets for everything, but this was a use of Excel that he hadn't thought of before...). I got inspiration from letter charts I found on-line and in different knitting books, but eventually made up my own to fit the number of stitches I had on the needles. The chart was for half the number of stitches, starting in mid-front. I knit it twice, which means my nephew's name appears on both sides of the stocking (his name will appear with either side of the stocking facing out, to account for hanging it on either side of the chimney... or to ensure that Santa Claus doesn't miss his name). I knit another two-color braid on top, and then knit the hem in red and attached it at the bottom of the personalized border.

Yarn: Cascade 220 in two shades of red (5013, 9404), three shades of green (8267, 9407, 2429), and ivory (8505). Instead of the blues and purples suggested in the pattern, I decided to go for reds and greens which I felt were more traditional Christmas stocking colors. Basically, I substituted the blues/purples for greens or reds on alternating rows of squares. I kept the idea of going from dark to light to dark colors for the greens. Because I only had two shades of red, I used the dark color for the center rows.

Needles: US 5/3.75mm in DPN and 16" circular needle. I used a slightly bigger needle size because I tend to knit more tightly in fair-isle.

Here it is, filled with presents for my nephew! He's too little to appreciate the stocking (or the presents, really), but his parents were very happy! And the stocking will be used for years to come...

Next up: a list of finished objects from 2007, plans for 2008, and a few resolutions...

Secret project...

2007-12-08T17:42:00.000-08:00

What do you think this will become?

Without giving too much away, you probably already guessed from the colors that it has something to do with the upcoming holidays...

Actually, I'm thinking of knitting a Christmas sweater for my brother. All bright reds and greens and reindeer and santa and everything...

HA! I think I've just given my brother a heart attack! (He only ever wears solid neutral colors and can't even bear stripes, let alone a loud red and green sweater). I tried to find a link to a really busy Christmas sweater pattern to really scare him, but I couldn't find any. I guess no knitter would waste their time knitting an ugly sweater...

So, this yarn is not destined to be a sweater, but something else very special for Christmas. I won't say anymore here: I don't want to spoil the surprise! But if you're on Ravelry, you can get a peek of it in my projects.

I'll show you the finished product over the holidays.

Ana hat!

2007-12-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

The Ana hat is done!
5 days from cast on to bind off... not bad, don't you think? Quite a quick knitalong... Emily finished hers on Wednesday.

The hat is really easy to knit.
First, you make a long rectangle in stockinette stitch. I added a dozen rows to the 22" size, because my row gauge was slightly off. (145 rows instead of 133)

Then you pick up the cast on row (after unraveling the provisional cast on) and one side of the rectangle. Three sides of the rectangle are on the needles, the other one is the edge of the hat. Then you knit all the stitches you just picked up.
Because I had more rows, I ended up picking up 9 extra stitches along the side of the rectangle (109 instead of 100). To get to the desired number of stitches for the folding process (multiples of 20), I did 9 evenly spaced decreases along the side of the rectangle while I knitted all the picked up stitches.

Then comes the folding process. It's basically three needle bind-off in sections.
Transfer equal number of stitches on 2 DPNs, fold (purl sides together), and do three needle bind-off. Repeat...

When you come to the end of the folds, the hat looks like this:

Finally, you start the gathering process to close off the back of the hat and end up with this:

(that's a desk lamp under there, to try to give you an idea of the shape)

I like it a lot. I even planned my outfit around it this morning... If you want to see what it looks like on an actual person, go see Emily's pictures. I need to figure out a way to take pictures of myself wearing my finished objects. My experiments with mirrors have not been successful. Maybe I need a remote control or something... Any suggestions?

My first knitalong!

2007-12-02T23:05:00.000-08:00

OK, so it's not an "official" knitalong... Emily and I bought kits to make Ana hats at the Fleece Artist trunk show in October. We were lucky to get our hands on the only two kits available that day. The colors were meant to be: Emily's is teal (always her favorite!) and mine is burgundy.

Emily started hers last week, and I cast on for mine today. I've knitted over 40 rows, so I'm about a third of the way done. It's a pretty quick knit! For all I know, Emily could be done already! I guess knitalongs might be better suited to larger projects... In any case, we can confer about the folding process. The pattern comes with written and photo instructions that make it seem really complicated. I hope it will become self-evident once we get started. I think we'll both be done pretty quickly. And not a moment too soon! We'll need our Ana hats to face the cold weather: it snowed in Seattle yesterday!

Details:
Pattern: Ana by Perl Grey
Yarn: Fleece Artist Woolie Silk 3-ply (65% wool 35% silk) in Burgundy (230 meters/100g). Purchased at Hilltop Yarn in Queen Anne (Seattle)
Needle: addi Turbo circular US 6 (4.00mm), 32 inches (80 cm)
Started: December 2, 2007

The yarn feels great, and the colorway is wonderful. Subtle shades of dark pink and burgundy, with a little hint of caramel. It'll be perfect with my caramel-colored coat!

A festival of finished objects (part 3)

2007-11-29T15:19:00.001-08:00

Even though the some of the coffee stands on campus are now serving coffee in compostable cups and sleeves, there's always room for improvement. For example, you can reduce the use of cup sleeves with a new reusable crocheted cupwarmer!

This was a quickie! The pattern was published last year in Crochet today! and I remember intending to make one at the time. For some reason, I never got around to it. Other projects kept me busy. But when my friend Nora asked me recently if I could make her a reusable cup sleeve, I remembered the pattern and looked it up.

I set out (with Nora's help) to find a L (8.0 mm) hook. Not an easy task: my multiple LYS carried crochet hooks up to J or K, and then M/N (9.0 mm). But no L. Even JoAnn's didn't have any. I eventually found a L hook at Fred Meyer (go figure...).

I whipped out some yarn out of the stash (originally intended for a scarf, but I didn't have enough for a whole scarf and never found the right yarn to combine with it to make a scarf). The cupwarmer took about an hour to make, from start to finish, including multiple stops along the way to make sure it fit on an actual cup.

Details:
Pattern: Java Cozy, by Vashti Braha, from Crochet today! (Oct/Nov 2006)
Modifications:
- Foundation chain: ch 28 instead of ch 19
- Crocheted two additional rows with M hook at the top, to increase the length.
- Didn't do the slipstiched edging (top or bottom)
Yarn: Di.Ve Fiamma colorway 17017 (browns/purples/greens/red), about 1/3 skein (1 skein: 55 yards/50g)
Crochet hooks: L (8.0 mm) and M (9.0 mm)
Started: November 28, 2007
Finished: November 28, 2007

Isn't it nice? It's so easy to make and practical that I'm planning on making myself one, and maybe a few others as gifts... Save the planet with crochet!

A festival of finished objects (part 2)

2007-11-29T07:03:00.000-08:00

Remember when I fell off the wagon? Well, I finished one of the kits I purchased that day: the Lu top, by Perl Grey, using Fleece Artist Scotian Silk.

It's a quick knit and the stitch pattern is easy to memorize. It's all knit in one piece from side to side (front-sleeve-back-sleeve-front), so there's no seaming involved. I did run into one problem. The pattern comes in two sizes: medium and large. I knit the whole thing in medium, only to realize that it was much too short for me (it did measure 12 inches as stated in the pattern, but it looked too short on me). The width was fine. I suspected it might stretch out a little when I blocked it, but I wasn't sure. The yarn is 35% silk, which isn't the stretchiest fiber...

So I unraveled the whole thing and started over, casting on the number of stitches suggested for the larger size (to increase the length) but sticking to the number of pattern repeats suggested for the medium size (to keep the width). It did stretch from 14 to 15 inches in length after blocking, and I think it's a much better length than before. It was worth knitting it twice...

Details:

Pattern: Lu, by Perl Grey
Yarn: Scotian Silk (65% wool, 35% silk) (375m/250g) by Fleece Artist in Jester(?)(I used a little less than one skein)
Needle: addi Turbo circular, US10/6mm
Started: October 2007
Finished: November 2007

The color is really difficult to capture on film. This is the best picture I could get of it on me:

I really like it! I wear a lot of red and it goes well over a long-sleeved t-shirt or a thin turtleneck. To keep it closed, I'm using a small tulip brooch I bought in the Netherlands years ago, in a town called Delft (best known for their porcelain). Because the color is so bright, I wanted something small and subtle... and tulips go well with red, don't they?

A festival of finished objects... (part 1)

2007-11-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a while now, but that doesn't mean that there is no knitting going on... (although I hardly knit a stitch during a recent 10-day trip).
So, I have decided to make up for lost time and present finished objects from the last few weeks.

First and foremost, the Clapotis. Yes, I too have succumbed to the lure of the clapotis... like a zillion others. I started it in May using cotton yarn, thinking it would be done in time for summer. Of course, other projects became more pressing (baby gifts, anyone?) and my clapotis lay untouched for a good part of the spring and summer. I finally finished it in late October, right before leaving for a trip to San Diego.

I was slightly disappointed with the finished product, because it was a little too short for me to loop it around my neck. Fortunately, it stretched out during blocking and is now a perfect size. (It gained about 10 inches!)

Details:
Pattern: Clapotis, by the brilliant Kate Gilbert
Yarn: Tahki Tweedy Cotton Classic, colorway 268 (orange/teal/lime), purchased at Weaving Works
Started: May 2007
Finished: October 2007
Final size: 15 inches x 65 inches

I followed the pattern exactly. If I were to make another one, I would probably make it narrower and longer. I assume that cotton is more likely to stretch out during blocking than other fibers.

It's now a little cold in Seattle for a cotton scarf, but I'm sure I'll use it a lot when it warms up again. And I love the color: mostly a coral-salmon dark pink, with a little lime green and pale teal. It'll go with everything...

Coming up: other finished objects (the Lu cropped top, and a baby hat) and new works-in-progress (moss grid hand towel, Montego Bay scarf, and bamboo scarf).

Philosophical musings about the world's biggest stash...

2007-11-07T14:16:00.000-08:00

I just stumbled upon these images of what might be the world's biggest stash. Clearly, my yarn stash is of amateur proportions compared to this.

My response to those images are an odd mixture of relief (I'm not that bad!), wonder (look at all that yarn!), and concern (am I at risk?). Now, I ask you: should a yarn stash of such proportions be a lifelong ambition or a cautionary tale? In other words, when does "a lot of yarn" become "too much yarn"?

What is the purpose of stash yarn? and when is a large stash a problem? Like any of life's big questions, isn't it all relative? If you have lots of room for it, you're not going broke buying it, and you live a functional life outside of your yarn stash (as it seems to be the case for this woman), it's probably just like any other hobby. Between you and me, it seems improbable that she'll ever actually use all this yarn. At some point, a transition probably occurs from buying yarn for knitting purposes to collecting yarn for its own sake, like others collect stamps or commemorative spoons.

I think it's still realistic for me to think that I'll knit (or crochet) all the yarn I now have in the stash, but how do you know when you cross that line? And what should you do when you get to that point? Stop buying yarn? That seems unlikely. Give some away? Sell it? Or be honest with yourself and admit that you're now a "yarn collector"?

p.s. I stumbled on this link on Annette Petavy's blog, who herself got it from Shannon Okey. I'm not the only one to question the size of my stash in response to those images. Annette Petavy has stopped using a stash counter. She says: "Les pelotes, c'est le bonheur. Et on ne peut jamais avoir trop de bonheur." In other words, "skeins are happiness. And you can never have too much happiness." What do you think?

Fair is fair

2007-10-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

Well, after having blogged about my nephew's blanket and Raphael's blanket, my friend Nora asked: "Are you going to blog about H's blanket?"
Touché... So here it is!

Truthfully, H's blanket is probably the nicest one I've made. Or the most polished, I should say. That may be because I actually followed a pattern...
Nora didn't want any pastels for her boy-to-be, so I looked for bright colors. This pattern seemed just right.

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Details:
Pattern: Navajo Throw, from Candy Blankies by Candi Jensen
Yarn: Tahki Cotton Classic, multiple colors. I used the colors suggested in the pattern, except for "lavendar" and "wine" because they weren't available at my LYS when I bought the yarn. I picked the closest I could find.
Purchased at: Weaving Works
Started: August 2006
Finished: May 2007

Now, following a pattern didn't come without a few adventures. Nora's baby shower was planned for late October 2006, and I was determined to be done with the baby blanket in time. I was going to a conference the week before and was more than halfway done. When I got back, I only had about 10 rows to go, and a border to crochet. In 5 days. No problem, right? Wrong.

Because I worked on it on planes and in conference halls, I had the blanket on my lap most of the time and didn't really spread it out. When I got home, I realized that the blanket had gotten narrower and narrower, to the point where my working row was about 2/3 the width of the first few rows. I think I missed a stitch every time I changed colors. I didn't have time to deal with it before the baby shower, so I let it sit (fortunately, I had other gifts planned for the shower). I tried to "fill out" the missing stitches by crocheting additional stitches on each side, but that definitely looked bad, really bad... So, after a few months of denial (hoping the problem would fix itself) I finally sucked it up and frogged the blanket back to the first 3-4 rows. And started all over again.

When it was done, I washed it and blocked it. It blocked really nicely, all soft and drapy. I finally gave it to Nora (or rather to H) just in time for Mother's Day. I think it (secretly) is my favorite of all the baby blankets I made...

H seems to like it...

Here it is!

2007-10-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

Yarn from the Yarn Harlot!

In case you didn't know, I won a skein of sock yarn for identifying the "most iconic Canadian song" on her blog. (it was the theme to Hockey Night in Canada)

I received the package today. It contained a nice card, a small chocolate bar (robust dark chocolate, yum!), and a skein of All Things Heather sock yarn in Royal.

It's a very pretty color. Now I just need to find the perfect pattern for this special yarn... Thanks again, Stephanie!

On a separate note, I just finished the Clapotis. More on that another time...

p.s. I didn't win any yarn at the Louet trunk show at Village Yarn and Tea Shop. Guess good things don't come in threes...

They just don't understand...

2007-10-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Happy Hour with other graduate students:
Friend - "We were thinking of going out for dinner on Friday. Do you want to come?"
Me - "Sure, that sounds like fun... Oh! No, wait! I already have plans on Friday!"
Friend - "Really? what plans?"
Me - "I'm going to a yarn store..."
Friend - (interrupting) "A yarn store!?!" (look of puzzlement and amusement on my friend's face, as well as everyone else at the table) "You can't come to dinner because you're going to a yarn store? On a Friday night?"
Me - "Yes, they're having a trunk show. And I've never been to that yarn store..."

Ah, Muggles... they just don't understand. In the end, the dinner plans are not until 8-9pm and the trunk show is at 6pm, so I can probably do both and not have to explain further why I just can't cancel the "yarn store thing"... (I even RSVP'd! How am I going to win a door prize if I don't go? You know, good things come in threes and all that...)

By popular request...

2007-10-14T10:54:00.001-07:00

OK, not really. One person commented on Ravelry about this baby blanket I made last year for a friend's baby, and she asked if I had more pictures of it. Since uploading all my stash into Ravelry has gotten me pretty close to my monthly Flickr upload quota, I figured I'd post about it here.

This blanket is the first thing I crocheted. Ever. And once I finished it I was convinced I would never knit anything again: I was a crochet convert. I proceeded to crochet gifts for everyone I knew, mostly an insane amount of scarves (and at least one other baby blanket). Since then, I've realized that some things are not well suited to crochet (like socks or mittens), and I go back and forth depending on the project at hand.

A friend of mine tried to teach me how to crochet in the spring of 2005. She's left-handed, I'm right handed. I didn't get it. I went home and I tried to chain and couldn't get the hang of it. Over the following summer, my mother showed me again. Although she hadn't done it in years, my mother is an experienced crocheter. Not counting all the outfits she made for me as a child, she crocheted two (yes, two!) bedspreads, a twin-sized fake granny square for me and a king-sized bedspread for my parents' bed. She managed to slow down her movements enough that I finally got it. And I was hooked! (ha! pun intended...)

My friend had just told me she was pregnant. I had just finished a (knitted) baby blanket for another friend of mine, and I was looking for a new project. The timing couldn't be better. We went to "A La Tricoteuse" in Montreal and she chose a color palette in their range of superwash yarns. She also pointed to a few square patterns in Jan Eaton's 200 crochet blocks.

I took the colors and the pattern book, and came up with a plan. 24 squares for the outside border, with alternating red-navy and navy-red for the inner and outer stripes around blue, green, or yellow middle stripes. 4 nine-patch granny squares in the center (with alternating colors for the flowers) and 4 for the four corners of the inner section. 16 granny stripe squares for the rest of the inner section, alternating red and navy for the inner and outer stripes, and yellow, blue and green for the middle stripes. And I pretty much stuck to the original plan.

Details:
Pattern: Jan Eaton's 200 Crochet blocks for blankets, throws, and afghans.
Squares #61 Nine Patch Granny (8), 76 Granny Stripes (16*), and 149 Solid Square (24).
Yarn: Superwash DK by Emu in red, yellow, navy, royal blue, and bright green.
Started: August 2005
Finished: September 2006 (I pretty much set it aside from January to June 2006, so it could have been done much faster).
* My original plan was to make 16 of those. Because some of them would be side by side and this block was crocheted from side to side, I decided to make "strips" instead of blocks. I chained double (or quadruple) the number of chains in the pattern, and went from there.

When I finished this blanket, I hadn't discovered the wonders of blocking and the strips didn't line up perfectly with the other squares. I had to crochet small "joining sections" (in yellow) between the nine-patch-granny squares and the 2-square sized strips at either end of the blanket. And then I sewed the whole thing together. I had a bazillion ends to weave in. Just weaving in the ends took me several hours.

I'm really proud of the final result, and I think my friend likes it too. Last time I visited, it was on the rocking chair in her son's bedroom .

p.s. No yarn yet from the Yarn Harlot. I'm guessing it'll take another week, with the border and everything...

Should I be reading the signs?

2007-10-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

I just won more yarn! Well, there goes the yarn fast again... Could it be that the gods of knitting are trying to tell me I actually do need more yarn? I'd be happy to oblige...

The Yarn Harlot herself is going to send me yarn for having correctly identified that most iconic of Canadian songs, the theme to "Hockey Night in Canada".

Actually, I was pretty sure what the song would be even before I clicked on the video. Having grown up in Montreal with a serious hockey fan as a brother, it would have been a disgrace if I hadn't recognized it... On this Canadian Thanksgiving day, I'd like to publicly thank my brother for all the hockey-watching he submitted me to over the years... It finally paid off! ;)

If you got here through the link on the Yarn Harlot's blog, welcome to my blog! It's fairly new, and I hope you like it! But be warned: there will be crochet! Actually, I worked on 2 squares of the Rainbow blanket during Stephanie's visit to Third Place Books in Seattle. Crochet with a little Yarn Harlot mojo... The blanket is now with my nephew in Montreal, and I hope all this visual stimulation will have positive effects!

p.s. In the interest of full disclosure, I let Stephanie know that I'm Canadian (even though I live in the U.S.) I don't know if that will affect her "double points" system.

Falling off the wagon...

2007-10-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

I recently decided to go on a "yarn fast". I knew I had a lot of yarn, probably enough to keep me busy for a whole year. In fact, surely enough to keep me busy for a couple of years... The need for a yarn fast was reiterated when I started uploading pictures of the stash on Ravelry. Yes, I finally got in Ravelry two weeks ago!

So, I knew when I decided to go on the yarn fast that there would be moments when the risk of yielding to temptation would be very strong, and even too strong to resist. Today was such a day. Hilltop Yarn in Queen Anne was having a trunkshow of Fleece Artist and Handmaiden Fine Yarn. Both wonderful yarn lines, with beautiful colorways. I already have a bunch of Fleece Artist sock yarn in the stash, and a couple of skeins of Blue Face Leicester 2/8. Their colorways really are wonderful. And it's made in Canada. I knew I wouldn't be able to resist... So, my plan was to allow myself to buy only one skein of yarn. I told Emily of my plan ahead of time and she said she would make sure I'd stick to the plan. Well, things did not go quite according to plan...

We got there at the same time as the two women from Fleece Artist and Handmaiden, a mother and daugher. It took a few minutes for the yarn to be set up, and lots of customers came in. Everyone was swarming around the yarn, petting it, picking it up. At first things went well. I picked up one skein of Woolie Silk 3-ply, a kit for a hat. I was heming and hawing, and finally gave it up to another customer and felt really good that I was going to leave without buying ANY yarn. Emily was getting the same kit, so I could always borrow the pattern from her and use some yarn in the stash to make the same hat. Well, the lady decided that the colorway didn't suit her skin tone and handed me back the skein. What was I to do? It was just one skein, and I was still sticking to the plan... I bought it. And the holiday issue of Interweave Knits. I'm on a yarn fast, not a pattern fast...

There was a little quiz to fill out and prizes to be won. We had to match 5 undyed skeins of yarn with their fiber content, just by touching them. They were made of silk (Silken), silk and cotton (Swiss Mountain Silk Cotton), silk and wool (Lady Godiva?), silk and seacell (Sea Silk), and silk, wool and seacell (Great Big Sea). While we were waiting for the answers, Emily, Rachel, and I started looking at other kits. Emily tried on the sample Lu and Imogen. I had noticed one of the Lu kits earlier, because the colorway was really nice, mostly reds with some blue and a little green and yellow. It's made out of Scotian Silk. So I tried on the sample Lu too. And that's when things started going wrong... It looked nice on me, and the colorway sold me over.

I was going to stand in line to pay when they announced the winners of the contest. I had gotten all the answers right! I won 2 skeins of Handmaiden Cashmere and Silk! It's a new Handmaiden yarn line. Well, I'm not exactly sure what this prize was worth, but it's cashmere and silk so it's a really wonderful prize! So soft... I must admit that as she was handing me my prize, she had two different colorways in her hands and was about to hand me 2 skeins of a dark green colorway, definitely not my usual color palette... I asked her if I could have the other one... Some may think it was bold of me, but I won (and the others skeins were for the runner-up, so I think it was ok for me to get first choice... don't you?)

From what I can gather from the website, I think the colorway is "Peridot". (Fleece Artist and Handmaiden never marked the colorways on the skeins). I've been meaning to knit a lace scarf or stole in pale grey for a while but could never find the right color. This one has a little bit of pale green in it, I think it will be perfect. I just need to find the perfect pattern... any suggestions?

Now that the Handmaiden/Fleece Artist ladies had given me this heavenly soft yarn, I really had to buy the Lu kit to make up for their generosity... didn't I?
So I left the store with 4 skeins of yarn instead of one. But somehow I don't think it's really my fault. I can't help the fact that I won two of them! Maybe it's Emily's fault for not stopping me? Well, it's not like I stopped her either...

Rainbow

2007-09-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

I'm very proud of this last baby gift: a very colorful baby blanket!
When I learned last January that my sister-in-law was pregnant, I knew I would have to come up with a very special baby blanket. I waited patiently until she made it to 12 weeks of pregnancy, but couldn't wait to buy yarn until they found out if it was a boy or a girl...

I had to decide on a color palette. I knew the baby's room would be yellow (they were not planning on repainting the room). I wanted something colorful and childlike, and no pastels. And it had to be superwash, of course... I settled on Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted and decided to try on a few colorways. I first bought it in Daffodil, which is very pretty but has too much yellow in it to be used in a yellow room... I had also bought it in Icehouse, which I ended up using for a baby surprise jacket. But what I finally settled on is the Rainbow colorway... isn't it nice and bright? And appropriate for a girl or a boy! So I went back to Acorn Street and bought a whole bag of it...

I remembered seeing a pattern for a knitted baby blanket awhile back that made an impression: the Northern Lights Nursing Blanket, by Handmaiden. (Fleece Artist does a full size version.) I really liked the idea of corner blocks knitted from variegated yarns all assembled together, but I was worried that knitting such a blanket would take forever... so I decided to make a crocheted blanket loosely inspired by the Northern Lights blanket.

I found a crochet block pattern in Jan Eaton's 200 Crochet Blocks . I used pattern #21 (page 44), made up of single crochet stitches. Because I was using variegated yarn, I only used that one yarn for the whole block (no stripes).

I crocheted about 6 blocks between April and the beginning of September 2007. I had other projects going, and was somehow convinced I had plenty of time left to finish the blanket in time for my sister-in-law's due date on September 29. Lo and behold, my nephew was born early on September 4! I had my work cut out for me... My friend Emily was nice enough to let me use her swift and ballwinder to wind the 9 remaining skeins, thereby saving me hours of doing it by hand... From September 5 to September 20, I averaged 2 blocks a day.

I had originally planned on making 48 blocks for a 6 x 8 blanket, but when I got to about 30 squares I realized that 5 x 7 was plenty big for a baby blanket. I started mist-blocking and sewing up the squares as I crocheted the last few ones. When I traveled to see my new nephew, I sewed squares during my layover at the airport (the last one had been blocked that morning). Final sewing took place on site, as well as the two rounds of single crochet edging. One final wet-blocking of the finished blanket, and voila! A psychedelic baby blanket for my very cute new nephew...

Details:
Pattern: my own, using block pattern #21 from Jan Eaton's 200 blocks. Same block repeated 35 times, assembled in a 5 x 7 rectangle, and finished with 2 rounds of single crochet edging (single, half-double, single in each corner)
Inspiration: Handmaiden's Northern Lights Nursing Blanket
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Rainbow 601 (9 skeins, with leftovers)
Hook: H/8 (5.00 mm)
Started: April 2007
Finished: September 25, 2007

Prototype

2007-09-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

It wasn't supposed to be a baby hat, I swear... I bought some Misti Alpaca worsted from Little Knits last spring. One of the colors was described as "Copenhagen Blue". It reminded me of a friend of mine who wanted to buy a new outfit for a conference in Copenhagen. We spent the whole day shopping for a "Copenhagen Blue" suit. Her birthday is in September, and so I bought the yarn planning to make her a birthday present with it. I had just knit mittens for another friend of mine, so at first I was planning to make another pair of mittens. Hard to resist after using Latvian Mittens, by Lizbeth Upitis. But my friend has the nasty habit of losing her gloves repeatedly every winter... I suspected the same fate would await any mittens I would knit. I had to come up with a different idea. I started looking for hat patterns and eventually stumbled upon the Red Light Special, on Brooklyn Tweed's blog. I had never heard of Brooklyn Tweed's blog before, but I've been reading it ever since. He's a gifted knitter, and his pictures are inspiring...

So, I decided I would knit a Red Light Special Hat for my friend, printed the pattern, put it in a ziploc bag with the yarn, and put it in the "queue". Since her birthday is in early September, I put aside the baby blanket I was working on (more on that later) to knit the hat. I swatched, and got gauge (I swear!) with US 4 needles. I proceeded to knit the lining with US 2 needles, switched to US4 needles when I got to the main pattern and knitted along, admiring the lovely fair-isle pattern as it appeared under my fingers. When I joined the lining to the outside part of the hat, I began to worry. The hat seemed small. I somehow convinced myself that it was because it was still on the needles, and that it would get bigger once I blocked it... Ah! Denial is a strong thing. The finished product is lovely, but has a circumference of about 50cm (not quite 20 inches). There's no way it would fit an adult-sized head! I gave it to my friend Nora, and it's just the right size for her 9-month old son... He seems to like it, and the color brings out his blue eyes. All's well that ends well: she's happy to have a nice handknit hat for her son, and the product of my hard work doesn't go unused... My mistake seems to be that I swatched in stockinette stitch using only the main color yarn, not in fair-isle pattern. It seems that I knit more tightly in fair-isle. I guess that shouldn't be surprising.

Details:
Pattern: Red Light Special Hat, by Brooklyn Tweed
My only modification is 1 row of MC between the "turning row" and the beginning of the pattern chart.
Yarn: Misti Alpaca Worsted (100% Baby Alpaca) in 6309 (MC, described by Little Knits as "Copenhagen Blue", but actually "Ocean Mist Teal"), 3620 (CC1, "Scarlet"), 2915 (CC2, "Tangerine"), and 7238 (CC3, "Chartreuse Melange"). The lining is Classic Elite Premiere (50% Pima Cotton, 50% Tencel) in color 5258 ("Twizzler"), bought at Weaving Works. This cotton/tencel lining is so soft, and not at all itchy!
Needles:Prym US4 (3.5 mm), 16'' for the main body, and Addi Turbo US2 (3.0mm) 16'' for the lining. Crown finished using Susan Bates DPNs size US4 (3.5 mm)
Started: August 16, 2007
Finished: August 30, 2007

I've decide this hat is a "prototype" for the hat I intended to knit. I just need to figure out which needle size to use, and I'll knit an adult-sized hat for my friend's birthday. It will now have to be a belated b-day gift... (The baby blanket is #1 priority right now: my nephew was born last week, and was not expected until the end of September... I have a lot of catching up to do!)

Experiment in natural dyeing

2007-09-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

When my friend Emily mentioned earlier this year that blackberries could be used to dye yarn, I knew it was something I'd like to try. Another friend of mine has wild blackberries overtaking her garden in August every year. They grow faster than anyone could eat them. I made lots of blackberry jam last summer (in fact I still have a few jars left). So this year, when blackberry season started in early August, Emily and I set out to dye some yarn. Using her copy of Wild Color by Jenny Dean and Karen Diadick Casselman, we figured out what we needed. We went to our LYS (Weaving Works). I picked some thick/thin wool yarn (hopefully enough for a scarf) and Emily chose two skeins of fingering weight merino. I also decided to dye some leftover ivory-colored Cascade 220. We were dying about a pound of fiber.

First step, soaking the yarn in water for over an hour. Then, I prepared a mordant solution with alum 8% and cream of tartar 7%. I boiled the yarn for a good 45 minutes, and then let it soak overnight in the mordant solution. The next day, I picked about 3 pounds of blackberries (I didn't realize how heavy blackberries were!). We only needed a pound of blackberries for our dye bath. I boiled the blackberries and strained them to get the deep pink blackberry juice. We rinsed the yarn thoroughly and put it back in the pot with fresh water and all the blackberry juice. We let this simmer for about 40 minutes, then let it cool a little. At that point, the yarn was a pinkish mauve.
We had to let the yarn sit in the blackberry dye bath overnight, so we divided it in two so that Emily could bring her yarn back home with her. I rinsed my yarn out the next morning and hung it to dry. Emily waited until the next night to rinse hers. We decide against the iron treatment, because iron solutions are somewhat toxic and need to be disposed of as hazardous waste. We didn't want to deal with any of that. After rinsing and drying off, my yarn ended up a pale lavender.

The Cascade 220 actually a little darker shade than the untreated yarn. Emily's yarn is also a different shade, somewhere in between.

The color looks slightly different depending on the lighting, ranging from a dusky grey to a very light mauve. The mordant is supposed to help stabilize the color, so it won't fade over time. I guess we'll have to wait to see how well the color holds up...
I think the thick/thin yarn will make a nice scarf. I'm not sure how I'll use the Cascade 220 yet. It'll have to be something quite small, or maybe part of a fair-isle project.

Another baby, another gift...

2007-08-10T19:34:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law is pregnant, which means I'll be an aunt soon! As soon as the first trimester was over, I set out to find a pattern and yarn for a nice baby blanket. I have a plan, and plenty of yarn, but it's far from being done... I've kept it all a secret, so more on that in a few weeks...

In the meantime, I wanted to give her something hand-knitted for the baby shower scheduled for mid-July. I had been toying with the idea of knitting a "Baby Surprise Jacket" for a while now. I bought The Opinionated Knitter, by Elizabeth Zimmerman, last winter and hadn't knitted any of the patterns yet. I was intrigued by the pattern for the BSJ, and even more so after seeing a few pretty examples in the blogosphere, including one by Brooklyn Tweed last June. So, with a good excuse to knit a baby garment, I looked up the pattern, chose some yarn in the stash, and set out to knit a BSJ. I cast on on July 6, and lo and behold the Yarn Harlot also knit her own version of the BSJ that same weekend! She's a much faster knitter than I am: she says it took her 6-8 hours to knit the whole thing. Granted, it wasn't her first one, but after 8 hours I was probably a quarter of the way done...

It's a really fun pattern to knit, even though I had trouble visualizing which section would become which part of the jacket as I was knitting... I guess that's why it's called a "surprise" jacket! I followed the pattern to the letter, and it turned out perfectly.

I ended up knitting the last 15 rows on the plane the day before the baby shower, casting off while waiting for the plane to take off in Toronto... (after sitting on the plane at the gate for 90 minutes, we all had to get off and were eventually transfered to later flights: I finally landed in Montreal 6 hours later than expected... but that's a different story)

Here are a few pictures of the finished garment, before knitting the seams. Here it is before it is folded (cast-on on top, cast-off at bottom):

In the process of folding the right side (left on the picture):

Right side completely folded (left on the picture), beginning to fold left side (right on the picture):
Still folding left side (right on the picture):

Completely folded:

My mother, who used to knit a lot when we were little, was duly impressed by the genius of the pattern. I gave it to my sister-in-law before knitting the seams. I thought it would be fun to have people guess what it is and try to fold it correctly. Apparently, non-knitters don't appreciate the genius of this pattern as much as I do... The BSJ is now finished: seams done, crochet edging all around, four pale-blue buttons on the front, and wet blocked. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture!

The details:
Baby Surprise Jacket, from The Opinionated Knitter, by Elizabeth Zimmerman
Started July 6, 2007
Finished July 20, 2007 (buttons and blocking on July 31, 2007 (not shown))
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted, in Icehouse (about 1.5 skeins)
Needles: US size 8 (5mm) Addi Turbo circular needles
(this is a larger size needle than recommended in the pattern: the end result is a BSJ in a larger size)

Et c'est parti!

2007-06-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

As a first post, it's appropriate that I'll be telling you about a gift project. I give away most of what I knit or crochet. It's not that I don't want to knit for myself, it just happens that way. All these new babies, they all need blankets or hats or sundresses...

Pattern: "Pretty in Pink Sundress", from Jane Davis' Simple Crochet for Cherished Babies.
Yarn: Rowan Cotton Glace, color 822 pink (almost 4 skeins)
Crocheted with E hook (3.50mm)
Started June 1, finished June 11. (I still need to sew two little buttons to the right shoulder)

This is destined to a new baby girl born two weeks ago, my cousin's daughter. Because there was no time for me to make a baby blanket, I was looking for a simple pattern I could whip out quickly but that would still make a nice gift. Won't she be pretty in this pink dress?

It's crocheted in 3 parts: front yoke, back yoke, and skirt. The skirt is crocheted as a long rectangle and the first and last row are then sewed together to form a tube. The skirt is much wider than the yoke and must be gathered when the top of the tube is sewed to the yoke. I think the gathering gives the sundress a lovely "flowy" quality. I'm now working on a matching sun hat, from the same book. I'll keep you posted!