Camp Socks

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Jen

Its already been almost three weeks since we were at 9000 ft elevation and I was knitting-in-the-wild beneath a lovely brewing storm on a huge granite rock. I had so thoroughly enjoyed the quick packing trek to Granite Lake, the sitting cross-legged on the granite in complete stitching meditation, one with the darkening sky and gathering storm, the quiet of everything before the outbreak, even the fish hunkering down. Yet I remember yet distinct intermittent sounds ~~ the wind whipping the tent about and water boiling to make trail coffee. And it just doesn’t get any better than that ( High Sierra trip posted here ).

So here my friends, are another pair of Penny Candy Socks. Just a simple, wild & maybe even frivolous (and very blue) pair of socks, made on that High Sierra excursion but I hadn’t gotten around to washing & blocking them until just now.

And they are added to the slowly growing pile of knitted socks designated for xmas gifts. . .

Just Hanging Around Knitting . . .

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Jen

Last Friday was the Independence Day holiday here, and we went on over to my brother’s as there was quite the party happening in his little Appalachian-esque neighborhood. Well, there I am knitting, you know ‘on-the-go’ , with the knitting bag slung over my shoulder and knitting as I always do. My youngest niece, Miss Eleven-Years-Old knows how to knit, and is getting better, so I said “Lets get you some knitting ! ” … so we walked down to her house and raided her mom’s stash & needles, and found a darling knitting bag and we set her up to knit-on-the-go too. So there’s the two of us among the wild & crazy dancing & feasting folk outside, she and I knitting together near the whole time, while walking about here and there with knitting satchels slung over our shoulders, swaying to the music … knit-dancing ! … and thoroughly enjoying our peaceful & productive selves ( stopping only to munch cake and other wonderful things ) . She got nearly half of a garter-stitch cotton dish cloth finished, and I made great progress on my hat band. I knit until it was too dark to knit any longer, however, Miss Eleven carried on knitting into the darkness which totally killed me, her eyes like a hawk’s .

Backstory over. About the forthcoming big Autumn Thing, this year I’ve got some ideas, I may either come up with a whole new design from which I will write & submit a pattern, but I best not dawdle. The motif I have got going here, about a wide and shaped band for a hat, and playing with some 2ply (Starmore) wool, I’m on a roll. I’ve got most of my big chores out of the way for the week, so looking forward to just hanging around knitting !

Its Only Knitting

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Jen

I’ve been busy as a bee working away on my designs, coming up with new ones and further test-knitting my existing ones. Add now tutorials. I have gotten to the point in the whole knitting Thing where I really don’t have time or energy to put into anything which is not my own design. I really can’t regret this , because whether or not I endeavor to write the design into a pattern, I’ve just come to face the fact that I have to make up for lost time. I’ve embraced Indie Design, and am committed to wear ‘all of the hats’ in the job, and I’m ready for a lot of hard work ahead. The more I tell myself this the more I want to work like an ox towards succeeding. However, the elusive truth often escapes me, and that is ” Its only knitting. ” A quote of Elizabeth Zimmerman’s used by over-zealous knitters everywhere. Although it is ‘only knitting’ , I am practically ‘only knitting’. I have little chalkboards I’ve made which I’ve placed in prominent places of my work space , with lists or sage messages to give me perspective, and I use them to keep my focus clear wherever I turn. Today’s brilliant message . . .

Yarn Tasting : Four Sock Yarns

Posted on May 17, 2014 by Jen

I have sock yarn ‘on my brain’ and in recent many weeks have been trying different brands in a sort of comparison & contrast project ~~ in a Sock Yarn Tasting ! I even accidentally (well, almost) designed a new thing in the process of fiddling around with sock yarn (more on that later). Although my Sock Yarn Tasting has been a great source of entertainment for myself, and I actually do feel a sense of earnestness to convey my thoughts on the matter . At the very least, in the process of comparing I’ve settled on my favorites, and better yet, answered my curiosity as to why.

I have knit On The Trail , a whole lot (it’s what I do) , also while waiting for pots to simmer & the kettle to boil, while watching tv, while talking on the phone, while reading, and even sometimes in between sets at gigs, so my knitting is always hanging on the chair back. So, while my hands have gotten a bit sore from all of this knitting, I am pleased with the small woolly mountain of knitteds which I am producing. Soon I’ll be off to Vancouver for Jeff’s family reunion of sorts and you can be certain I’ll be packing up my menagerie of socks-in-progress to take along, and excuse myself for being entrapped by the knitting while in others’ company, returning hopefully with a pair or two to add to the growing stack of socks I am squirrelling away for the gift-giving holidays.

I am just am so filled with a sense of giddy & calm pride, as I have found knitting socks to be my meditation. Ahem, okay, so here’s my observations so far of the superstars of sock yarn market which I am sampling : Madelinetosh “Tosh Sock” , Malabrigo “Sock”, Shibui “Sock” , and Sweet Georgia “Tough Love Sock”~~~ all knit up with my Penny Candy Socks pattern with size 2.75mm – US 2 circular needles (two of them).

As Shibui Sock & Madelinetosh Tosh Sock seem to me about the same thickness, I knit them together in stripes because they feel nearly identical in thickness, though the Tosh Sock is a tiny bit more ‘firm’ , they are thicker, and even a bit fluffier.

Ginger Lime Chews Penny Candy Socks, details on Ravelry HERE

I observe that the fabric of Tosh Sock & Shibui Sock produced is more substantial, and would be great for a slightly thicker pair of socks but as this is so, I might only wear these socks with the roomiest of my shoes. Great for hiking boots, great for Dansko Clogs which tend to fit a little roomy anyway. (Note to self: get another pair of Dansko Clogs !) but not so great for my dressier shoes. Soft, plush, firm.

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jenjoycedesign©SweetGeaorgia-Tough-Love-sock-yarn

Next in the line-up, Sweet Georgia “Tough Love Sock”. This yarn is indeed a tough yarn. So much in fact, that I suspect the slight lack of elastic properties of the yarn effected the gauge, as the same number of stitches on same needles as I knit the others, the Sweet Georgia socks turned out really very large by comparison ! I stopped at one sock, not sure how to proceed, for these would indeed be tough socks and big enough for a man, I just couldn’t think of any men I’d like to give orangey red lace-bordered socks to. No offense to you men who would love them, I just wasn’t in the mood to make the second sock, so I will post the photo of the one.

I think I might have to compensate with this yarn’s properties, to knit the next size smaller with them and see how that works. ((also notice that the two colors were so alike, melting into each other a little too much , that seeing the stripes was insanely difficult)).

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Finally, for the kind of socks that one would easily slip into one’s favorite shoes , that is, shoes worn regularly with store-bought socks, the finer fabric of Malabrigo’s fine fingering-weight “Sock” wins out. Mostly for it’s soft resilient and lovely elastic feel, but equally for the rich colors in each hand-dyed skein. I have to say also that I have a real penchant for “oh so fine” knitting these days, and it’s fine-fingering weight that I seriously am in love with.

jenjoycedesign©Malabrigo ImpressionistSky y Aguas

My Penny Candy Socks and Pretty Little Things Gloves are designed with Malabrigo, and I’m more than happy with the slightly delicate character of the fine fingering yarn with its superwash easy-care and softness of touch. In fact, I feel like hoarding every ‘solid’ color of Peruvian-made Malabrigo yarn, and happily knitting Penny Candy Socks for everyone I know.

Blueberry Gumballs Penny Candy Socks, details on Ravelry HERE

It is a goal of mine to knit for next holiday season, as there’ll be no hitting the shops in a bug-eyed panic to find something meaningful. Because basically, it can’t get much more meaningful than hand-knit socks knit fresh only months previously.

I’ll end this yarn tasting with more Malabrigo yarn on the needles, in murky green and clear blue. This photo was taken early this morning, as the stripes began to colorplay . . .

Socks in progress, details on Ravelry HERE

Una Cosettina

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Jen

Una Cosettina, or ‘ A Little Something’ is the name of these half-mitts, designed especially for Oropa 1ply yarn, which is made with wool from sheep which have roamed the foothills of Alps of Northern Italy for perhaps a thousand years. Who knows for sure? But, there is an age-old mill in Biella which uses much the same processing methods as of long ago, and which make the wool from these Old-World sheep into yarn. Oropa 1ply is a rustic heritage yarn as rugged as the mountain terrain it comes from. Truly Oropa yarn is nothing less than a timeless treasure. I talk a lot about the yarn, and Biella’s place in Italy’s wool industry in Posted From Italy, Yarn Whisperer, and some about elements of design process in my previous post.

I wrote a pattern which incorporates the following; my own edging that I will simply call ‘eyelet edging’, a cast-on and bind-off’, elements of i-cord, rib, and lace all in one. Shown in Pearl Grey & Natural Oropa 1ply, sturdy & feminine, these half-mitts will keep your hands warm, while letting the spring breezes through from it’s open lace-work. Inspired by womens riding gloves of olden days perhaps, slightly bell-shaped , stylish, and ready to make a spectacular conversation piece when people ask about them.

jenjoycedesign©Lacey Little Somethings half-mitts — Modeling both sizes ~ smaller size to left, larger size at top.

The photos show both sizes, and two slightly different cast-on eyelet edgings at the beginning of cuff, the end result in pattern, is slightly again different, combining both ( just a matter of changing one round of rib, into knit stitch). In the weeks ahead this very same pattern is undergoing translation into Italian, and it will then become available to purchase in kit form with the very same Oropa 1ply yarn as you see in photo. As soon as I have any information to the kit being ready, I will post in celebration of a job done collaboratively , having a sense of place from both Northern California, and Northern Italy.

Thank you Bonnie, for asking me if I would like to design una cosettina (a little something) for The Wool Box, because I most certainly and thoroughly enjoyed it ! May only ever the warm & soft breezes of spring blow through your lace ~~ Ciao.

Meanwhile I will have this pattern available along with my other designs, which you will find on Ravelry HERE

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Now, for a little more information about The Wool Box !

You may read a little bit about Some info on The Wool Box and then check out the English translated websites that Volunteer English-speaking Ambassador to The Wool Box , Bonnie, as created on Ravelry HERE and on Facebook HERE.

You can read more about “The New History of Italian Wool” from Bonnie’s blog called “Wool In Italy” . . . on her post HERE .

If you would like to contact The Wool Box directly (in Italy), below are links Bonnie has provided me:

The Wool Box Shop: www.thewoolbox.it
Informazioni: info@thewoolbox.it
Customer Service: customer-service@thewoolbox.com

“Pretty Little Things” Gloves

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Jen

At last ! After a mountain of reworking and writing and editing, I finally have the pattern ready for PLT gloves. I have been working like an ox (like a pair of oxen!) on these for longer than I care to remember (clear back into October perhaps???) and I collapse in front of you all, with one last utterance before I lose consciousness and that is . . .

” Please stop on over on the pattern page and see all the prettiness there is to be seen” ! Also you can visit the sisters of PLT gloves ~~~ Pretty Little Things Socks and make a sock & glove matching set !

Now Reading . . .

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Jen

Birthday cake for breakfast? You bet ! As last night we were too stuffed from dinner out, we couldn’t eat even a bite, so birthday cake was waiting to be cut into this morning. ((My top-secret-recipe cake, which I made myself for myself (I know!) … only as I love to have an opportunity to keep practiced.))

I now am a proud owner of a hand-made book stand, and Jeff made it for me, and on very short notice !

(Miss MacLeod , thank you for the epic read with which I am about to test out my new book stand ! xx)

The best thing about this book stand is that it has a very wide base and I can easily perch it on the half-wall under the skylight and read-while-knitting-while-standing. Its been a lovely birthday, thank you much for all of your sweet birthday wishes yesterday .

I really couldn’t be happier, because as I post this . . . it’s raining!

Grey Days Of January

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Jen

Grey “yarn days” of January.

A lull after the knitting frenzy (and posting frenzy) of December !

I’m having fun with balls of yarn about the house.

Bathroom mirror blues . . .

Yarn steps . . .

In the bed frame . . .

Another knitting needle yarn kebab . . .

Green . . . waiting for rain !

Precarious !

Having some fun today (being my birthday) photographing yarn. These will be fun new banners for Yarnings . . . I figured , well, it is just so artful, yarn in a sense of place. On the stairway landing half-wall where I photograph so much, on the stair steps themselves (a very favored personal trend) , and even precariously balanced on the iron rail which overlooks the lower part of our house, and all places which get a deal of light flooding from above via sky windows .

And now Emma and I are going for a walk while I rattle off a few more fingers in Pretty Little Things gloves . . . prototypes which will be finished , photographed, and pattern ready soon!

Six Days

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Jen

Taking a break from the yarns, and before I get into the next big project, I thought I’d make a batch of cranberry jam ! The mountain’s freeze-drying wind is keeping me from walking today, and so here I am, with cheery sing-along Christmas songs , a fire in the woodstove, and more still to make.

Just feeling rather cheer’d by the seasonal dazzle of colored lights and sentimental old ornaments. Some are very old, as this doll’s doll that was my mother’s as a child, which I made into an ‘ornament’ years ago, and the little sheep given to me by a friend back when I just started learning to spin and got a spinning wheel . . .

And the little ‘teazle mouse’ given along with a really generous gift certificate to a lovely spinning shop, now two decades ago (does anybody remember the one in Jack London Square in Sonoma??) I remember I only got to spend a little of it before the shop sadly went out of business.

I’ll be making some peppery spiced cocoa a little later today so do hang around !

Wild Boot Socks

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Jen

Here’s some wild-caught boot socks (not the farmed variety. )

Edit In 10/15 : Now, the day after, I can tell the world these were made for my ten-year-old niece who just turned eleven yesterday ! I stuffed them with retro candy and she loved ’em!

I’ve been sketching with some DK yarn bits in my stash drawer. Total improvisation of color stranded motifs. Like fly-fishing for wild trout, one listens closely to their instincts .

Just a wild pair of boot socks, playing with color and also functional design. I talk about this process way back in this post

These would pair well with hiking boots or big ol’ clogs.

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Wild Boot Socks details on Ravelry HERE

Upcoming: I’m working on the last of the size-run test-knitting and then pattern for PrettyLittleThings socks should be making an appearance! I got sidetracked with some other knitting projects, but now there’s nothing standing between me and the pattern. 🙂

Pretty Little Things In Blue

Posted on September 28, 2013 by Jen

I’ve been test-knitting a size run of my Pretty Little Things , and writing up & refining the pattern as I go. Technical writing is a very interesting thing, and really I never thought it would appeal to me. Yet now that I’ve done a few relatively simple patterns and relaxed a little since the last one , and now that it’s already into Autumn, I’m beginning to ‘chill out’ as they say. Its really not a very big deal if I decided to write my patterns my way.

After all, I’m not competing with anybody but myself. As thoughtfully and as precisely as possible, and in as standardized words as necessary, I’ll convey the instruction, however, I will allow my own voice to speak through the technical. I can’t even begin to know if an idea that came to me is completely original or even a little, or not at all. Degrees of originality don’t factor in, nor can they be measured.

I must be simply be in my own skin, and focus on communicating my idea and not worry and fret how others have done it, or said it, or written it before. My only wish for myself is that I communicate well and am artful. There is suddenly in this Age of Indie Knit Design, a refreshing lack hard-core rules and such wonderful freedom abounds. This is especially so with indie design which bleeds over into creative writing, so with a whisper of confidence I will soldier on, in my own style, knowing that its okay to be different. I will learn one fine day at a time, and one design at a time.

A Toothsome Treat

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Jen

I made an icecream cake, and here’s how I did it . . .

090
I started with one layer , using half of a cake recipe.

Ahead of time, I started heating cream with chocolate in it for the ganache pour. I made a very creamy concoction of about 1 cup cream to 4 or 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, heating in a bowl over water (double boiler) very slowly. I then added a little liqueur into the chocolate.

I made the icecream.

Genache, icecream, and cooled cake, now cut carefully in half, inside edge up, all ready.

I spoon into the layers some yummy flavored liqueur. The liqueur options probably not a good idea for a kid’s cake. Furthermore, probably would be best to freeze the layers at this point, though I didn’t for this one, I wish I had.

I spoon the soft icecream on to the thickest cake layer.

And I pop the other on top, pressing a little tiny bit.

Smoothing out the sides a bit, and pop in freezer to harden up.

I begin a process of pouring a little runny genache on top and spreading it down sides, then putting back in the freezer for about 10 minutes, though it quickly became very messy, this was just the first pour. Do this until you have no more genache, or save the last bit to put into a cake decorator bag and write something on top, such as ” I dare you to eat this all at once ! ” or ” Happy Birthday ” or whatever.

Pretty Little Things

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Jen

A nice pretty little pair of socks I’ve been working on here and there while knit-walking the mountain. Pretty Little Things were so much fun to make ! I managed to make a knitted hemmed folded cuff, nearly three inches wide, lined, knitted back into the work, added a darling picot edge, and one tiny wee peerie to make it just pretty enough !

Did I say pretty? I might add plain, basic, sturdy, utilitarian, old-fashioned looking, and as sleek as porpoises because there’s no ribbing. Oh, and they are very, very warm ! The ‘legs’ are two layers thick of stockinette stitch, lined, so they actually hug my ankles snugly. My little feet feel very happy indeed to have their first socks knitted custom, just for them ! You can bet on a pattern for these popping up here sometime soon , so hang around !

Autumn Ahead

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Jen

A welcome sign to me is the first Big Leaf Maple leaves just beginning to fall, and I believe I saw a few on the road-side today, while driving up the mountain ! And it appears as though Autumn Cardigans are well on their way too ! I thought I’d be really thrifty and frugal (and prudent) to use up a pile of about six skeins of light turquoisey tweed left over from a project last October, and well, it only got me this far ! Blast.. that’s the last ball of that, right there on top, with only the body and one sleeve finished (minus yoke & second sleeve and button bands). So no problem, I’ve ordered more, 3 more skeins for Niece Of Thirteen’s cardigan.

Here is the yarn for Niece Of Ten’s cardigan will be this deep coral pink with mossy green peeries… won’t that be fun?

A Cheerful Teapot

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Jen

Meet my new cheerful little teapot, nearly the color of golden honey, or milky tea, or marigolds.

This morning I was over at Morrie’s house. She has quite the collection of tea and teapots, the most adorable little ones too. We had an impromptu ‘tasting’ of three teas, not because of any reason other than I wanted to use all three of her littlest cuties that happened to be within arms reach, and because there were all these bags of tea everywhere, we pulled out of kitchen crevasses while looking for the Earl Grey.

Then I spread out my latest knitteds on Morrie’s kitchen table, and we discussed sock formulas and then she showed me her latest black Shetland raw fleece and we buried our noses into it while both agreeing it was the finest and very sweet smelling! We flipped pages in knitting books, fondled yarnish things, and we infused each other with ideas as the tea infused in the pots. And so it is . After having come back from Black Sheep Gathering with fleeces to show me, she was a bit preoccupied about ‘ observing process ‘ over ‘ processing observation ‘. I can just hang with someone like that !

So anyway, I wanted to show you my teapot, my very first teapot ever I can remember having, strangely. It is a three or four-cupper, and I got it for $2 down town at the thrift shop on the way home from Morrie’s, and the loose tea stays nicely at the bottom while I pour the tea out ~~~ it just doesn’t get any better than that ! I’m having my first cup of tea (Irish Breakfast) from it right now.

I think I will make some shortbread to go with !