Summer Stripes (2)

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Jen

In a post in June, I shared my new yarn to taste, Rowan “Revive”, a DK weight yarn made from recycled clothing that is made from silk, cotton, and viscose, and here it is now knit up into an Altitude Lace Cowl and it looks quite lovely. Stripes in sand & peach tones, barely contrasting, for a perfect neck wrap to wear with natural linen clothing, I am going to keep this one for myself. But can I be honest? I feel this yarn is a bit heavy, what I would expect from a cotton based yarn, but there’s a slight toughness to the feel, maybe also having 3 plies, each with 3 finer plies. Actually, this yarn may just be a great candidate for a sweater, or to unspin, for the single plies of this yarn are all unique and truly lovely and tweeded with bits of recycled fibers. I really do like the yarn a lot.

So this closes my jaunt of Summer knitting ~~ it is difficult to believe we’re already well into July! Although the hottest months are still to come, its time I begin to direct my thinking ahead to Autumnal ideas, and back to my un-spinning experiments which I abruptly paused, and of course, some non-knitting events going on too (mostly home improvement sorts of labor, which is not near as fun as knitting, admittedly). Summer Stripes was certainly enjoyable taste of new summery yarns, and I must say I have made a couple new favorites!

Details for this project are on Ravelry HERE

summer knitting

Posted on June 22, 2016 by Jen

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I’m going a bit crazy with linen blend yarns this spring & summer. I decided to knit up TWO striped summery cowls for my Canadian Nieces Molly & Maya. The yarn I’m ‘tasting’ is “Firefly” by Classic Elite Yarns; a sport-weight %75 viscose & 25% linen ( but I tell you, it feels like mostly linen.) Time is of the essence so I’m making no pretenses, I’ve just cast on, and I’ll see you on the flip-side.

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June and yarn tasting…

Posted on June 17, 2016 by Jen

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I went into town this morning, and stopped into the local yarn shop, and there was a new batch of yarn in, which I just couldn’t resist. Rowan Purelife “Revive” : 36% recycled silk, 36% recycled cotton, and 28% recycled viscose. Beautiful apricot pink and clay tweeds, which will suit my coloring well, as I plan on making it into a ‘striped’ Altitude Lace Cowl, and for moi ! (Ahem… once bought and brought home, I can never resist a good ol’ yarn photo-shoot, as yarn makes such nice portraits.)

As of a few days ago we’ve had the presence of some interesting clouds hovering! Today I swear, it rained a few drops, a few gorgeous wet drops, and threatens to rain some more…

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June is a lovely month. Transitional, mostly unpredictable, mild, beautiful, and cheerful. I even love the word, so cute, and yet rather ancient sounding… “joon”.

I have decided to not write a pattern for the halter tops I mentioned in last post. Just too much uncharted territory to deal with, as I have so much to get busy with in the knitting, and my non-knitting life too. So the cotton tops will be a pure & simple yarn tasting and summer treat for my nieces ~~ with no agenda. ( Wow, ‘no agenda’ sounds like I was let out on summer vacation! )

That is it for this post, more a clearing of slate and in a lovely mood as June unwinds into summertime, so soon to be here.

The Last Of Spring

Posted on June 8, 2016 by Jen

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It is already the last stretch of Spring, and forthcoming is a little duo for summer! One in dark teal, and one in light teal, in Cascade Ultra Pima cotton yarn,to test my latest design, a summer top idea that I’ve been working on. Other things going on, I will splash on to this post, as I am worried I don’t share enough non-knitting things here in general. So, here, a mountain woodland garden…

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Where in I try to grow things which are sometimes a challenge, but this season, doing well enough.

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Blossoming leeks,

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my greens bed protected from the harsh sun beneath their sun-bonnet, grapes exploding into clusters fattening, beans beginning to climb, nearly 4′ high tomato plants, apples beginning to blush and swell, and very shy slow-growing zucchini…

Um….jeans ripening in the sun?

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Well, not really, just foolin’ around! Thats about it for this post, and I surely hope to have made the two halter tops by the next post, sometime around the solstice, which will be June 20!

How are your last weeks of spring coming along?

Yarn Tasting: five shades of natural

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Jen

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Blackberry Ridge Woolen Mill is a family-owned spinnery located in the hills of Vermont Township in south central Wisconsin, and one hundred percent American. I like that! The yarn? Beautiful! I just received by post, five natural shades for a ‘yarn tasting’, and I find this yarn so interesting because the greys are mixed by percentage (below right to left; cream, 10% grey, 20% grey, 40% grey, and 60% grey.) Rather simple, just natural fleece, and American grown & spun.

The fiber is puffy & soft and woolen spun, and the naturals are heathered in a seriously beautiful way, much like my favorite yarns for colorwork, from Scottish Isles. In fact, I have been nearly exclusive with Scottish Isles yarns lately for colorwork, my favorite being Virtual Yarns Hebridean 2ply, as the complex heathered mixes of colors are so rich and beautiful enough to make me weak in the knees, but very unfortunately for me there are no natural undyed shades in the Hebridean 2ply line, and undyed heathery shades I happen to be very fond of. So, I believe this yarn being so nearly exact in feel, type of spin, and weight, I think I have found my heathery greys to match with heathery colors of Hebridean 2ply, and I am really looking forward to knitting with it!

Sweater Descent

Posted on January 26, 2016 by Jen

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Descent is a word which takes many directions in meaning, most typically it means to ‘move down’ or ‘lower’ as in a physical place of going, as ‘down from a high place’ as from the peak of a mountain. It has metaphorical meaning to me as well, which I absolutely groove on, like ‘making easier’ and ‘moving into a secure low-ground of the known’. Of course there is the meaning of ‘lineage’ or ‘clan’, and far-off distant cultures or bloodlines one may have come from. But for me, primarily the relationship of the word refers to mountains, and walking, and in my case knitting while walking about the mountain on which I live.

Put it all together and I have myself a fun and meaningful project on hand to ~ finally ~ learn the knack of cardigan making, with focus on unique approaches and short-cuts, and designed for ease which one can actually knit-while-walking. My descent from a shaky high ground through the ‘scree field of mistakes’ into the known of a secure expanse of solid-ground of skill and know-how, to find place where the cardigan can be my ‘go to’ pattern when I want to throw something together and try a new kind of yarn. (hint, hint… I’ve been wanting to try Studio Donegal yarns from Donegal, Ireland… forever and a day, but more about that yarn and that place is another subject for another post). My favorite kind of clothing is a cardigan, so I am wondering why then is my wardrobe so cardigan-anorexic at this time in my life?

So as a picture tells a thousand words, I leave you fully introduced into my meaning & intent of Sweater Descent, and as there is now the first, that implies intention of a series.

Here forth the mystery will appear from the mist…

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Yarn Tasting: Shibui Twig

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Jen

If ‘rascally’ could be a word to describe yarn, I would say linen yarn is very much so. Crisp, unyielding, stubborn, and relentlessly tough stuff, linen has a great appeal to me… oh such like rusty found things, or uncushioned old benches, or crackled old earthenware. I love this stuff, and wear it constantly, year round.

Even winding it off the swift, into a ball , it has a mind of it’s own…rather messy in appearance, not laying in unison with other strands, wrestling it into a ball, as it tried to be a cube, was a task in and of it’s own!

I will tame it. It may take ten cycles in the washer & dryer along with a load of white towels, but it will soften and be every bit as wonderful as my favorite linen shirts.

This yarn however, is only 46% linen. I bought it to dip my toes into the feel of linen, for I do have 3 skeins of navy colored 100% wet spun linen waiting to be knit up. It is also 42% recycled silk, and 12% wool. It is Shibui “Twig” , and there is 190 yards of it. I am going to be sampling this lovely summery linen blend with my Una Cosettina pattern , as I have gone quite on a tangent today.

I am putting down Snowmelt gaiters for a short while, let them sit on a table for a few days. What is the rush anyway? I am my own competition , I feel suddenly today like having a little play time, so here I am yarn tasting again, going to pour myself a tall one of what I consider the perfect Northern California yarn!

A New Love

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Jen

Rowan Fine Tweed that is. This yarn is so fine, and so delicious to the fingers as can be imagined, and with lots of colorful tweedy bits spun into it . Talk about gorgeous! Especially the color palette, and the heathered tones spun together, it ranks with my favorites for color selection. But, RFT is a single ply yarn, and a little bit sassy (energized) from being so, and slightly heavier too than my fingering-weight favorites ~ Jamiesons Of Shetland Spindrift, and Virtual Yarns Hebridean 2-ply , and the other Shetland 2plies. Plied makes the yarn a bit more tempered and softer visual appeal in the knitted fabric, I think of single ply yarn as more independent in it’s feel, being that there’s no ‘unwinding’ against another ply, it is perky and assertive in the knitted look, especially if spun with decent twist. Maybe in the blocking process, from the warm soak & dry step, the stitches will melt together a little more.

Sometime at the start of the new year I decided to go in-depth yarn-tasting popular yarns of the like which are found in my local yarn shop. First on my list is Rowan. I’ve knit over half my life now not ever having knit with anything Rowan, some things just have to evolve, and that is one. I have knit and gotten quite lovely results thus far from my first projects in Rowan Felted Tweed DK, the yarn which I would like to make signature for Tartan & Tweed Mitts, and now that I’m designing a tam to go in this series, I would like a fingering weight option in addition to DK weight. Fantastic, and lucky, there is Fine Tweed by Rowan, and of it I have myself a fresh catch!

As this is a week of maximum preoccupation, I need to hold off on the pattern writing for another week or so. Just like sands in an hourglass, are my stitches on the needles, that is, when I finish this one, this Tartan & Tweed Tam in Rowan Fine Tweed, I will get back to the business of pattern writing.

All that aside, I am so excited to cast on … yes… one more tam.

A Vancouver Yarn Shop Experience

Posted on May 26, 2014 by Jen

I dropped in on Urban Yarns in Vancouver BC this last weekend, being that we were visiting Jeff’s sister who lives very near. I have not visited all that many yarn shops in my few travels, but those who know me, knew this visit was completely and totally necessary, so I was escorted to Urban Yarns, and found myself wandering about in a lovely yarn shop, just a couple of blocks away from the home of my sister-in-law.

There I took in the atmosphere of a true Vancouver Yarn Experience. I got to see & touch yarns I’ve long been curious about as well, such as New Hampshire-made Harrisville Designs “Watershed” , “Highland” and “Shetland” yarns and of those there was a lot! The Harrisville Design yarns recently was on my hunting list, but when there at Urban Yarns my mind went totally blank and I had Yarn Shop Freeze ! After wading through some other mainstream yarn shop brands, the lasting thought to ponder before I left was . . . ‘which yarn is the single-most Vancouver Experience’ ?

I was led to rather large display brands of Vancouver hand-dyed yarns, many which I could have chosen, but the most of the most that I would take home with me (even though it is to be found in my own LYS) was a very Vancouver yarn ~~~ Sweet Georgia Merino Silk Lace. Not a thrifty purchase, not by a mile, but it was ‘hand-dyed’ only down the street, and sold right there at Urban Yarns, right there on Highland Boulevard.

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I must regret one thing if not spending more money on more truly Vancouver yarns, and that is I did not have time or fore-thought to visit the place ‘just down the street’ where the Sweet Georgia Yarn people are busy hand-dying & skeining up their yarn. However, Jeff did buy me a very luxurious gift of rabbity-soft 100g skein of Merino Silk Lace (omg, Jeff bought me yarn!) Here it is, untwisted and sprawled across a late afternoon sun-beam . . .

With all of this ultra fine smokey grey silky yarn, I am now on a mission of discovery of who and what a knitter becomes when introduced to such delicate stuff, 765 lavish yards of slate grey merino/silk lace yarn ~~ which by the way, I will be winding off into a ball soon, by hand, with only the help of the backs of two chairs. On to new lace horizons!!!

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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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.

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

A Humble Yarn

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Jen

This week, while at my LYS I fell in love with a new yarn. As I held it I instantly knew it’s potential. It comes in lovely 50g skeins, so I could really squish and caress, and yes, this stuff is amazing. … Continue reading →

Yarn Tasting

Posted on March 29, 2014 by Jen

I’ve been pattern-writing furiously, and it’s been raining furiously, everything around here has been a bit excessive, and so, just before noon I needed a break. I got in my car and drove down the mountain into town, to the , um…Local Yarn Shop. I brought home two new sock yarn brands to add to my existing sock yarn stash, so that now I have a bit of a selection for some serious sock yarn tasting !

Lets start with perhaps the top names in sock yarn, Madelinetosh’s ‘Tosh Sock’.
Label says: 100% superwash merino wool fingering weight -395 yards, color Ginger. Hand-dyed in USA , from South Africa.

Next, Shibui Sock.
Label says: 100% superwash merino 191 yards, color Wasabi. Made in Peru.

Next, Sweet Georgia ‘Tough Love Sock’.
Label says: 80% superwash merino / 20% nylon, 425 yards, color Cayenne. Hand-dyed in Canada, doesn’t say if it comes from elsewhere originally.

Last in this line-up, is perhaps my favorite, Malabrigo Sock. Label says: 100% superwash merino, 440 yards, color Impressionist Sky. Made in Peru.

I am very attracted to Malabrigo for some reason, the skein is stout and heavy and has so much yarn, and it is also the finest/thinnest of all I’ve seen yet, which to me is a real lovely thing… cuz I am smitten with ultra-fine knitting. I designed my Pretty Little Things gloves with it and I’m sure I’ll not stop there.

I am loving the feel and visual texture of all four of these leading brands (well, from the LYS at least) and though there are more brands, I figured, I’d start with these. I will let the knitting and the knitted fabric & feel of the finished sock be the judge, as I am challenging myself to a bit of a sock-fest, reasoning thus far undisclosed, but expect some posts about it coming up in the next few weeks.

Have you tried any of these brands ? What do you think?

Linen

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Jen

Recently I stopped in on my Local Yarn Shop and bought these scrumptious sapphire gems of Louet Euroflax Wet-Spun Linen yarn. There were three x 270 yard skeins of fine sport weight yarn that screamed ‘take me home with you!’ all in unison, and so I did. Actually, had I not had a colossal store credit from a very generous gift, I would never have splurged on these, it was just one of those rare situations.

The honest truth is, I’ve been hankering to try the Euroflax yarn forever, and to try a simple lace stole too, so why not make this my starting point? Knowing full well that I am soon to be knitting up something for Spring Sweaters for my nieces, it will have to be something I can put down for a good long rest and just pick up whenever . . . a ‘take along in my knit-walking bag’ sort of thing, for the months ahead in spring and summer. In fact, I can’t imagine anything nicer to knit in hot weather than deep blue cool tones of linen, in the color of cold mountain lakes, or new jeans.

That’s right, I don’t expect to finish anytime soon, but I can hardly wait to begin those yarn-overs, just wading through row after row of crisp linen. Just something about linen which tickles a spot for me, and I feel though it was a bit of a stash-quest, it will be ready when I decide to cast on.