The world truly has gone mad.

Bonkers. Completely and totally insane.

6-year-olds Under Arrest

And people think I'm the crazy one for teaching them myself.

Back

We're back . . . and I'm sick with a sinus infection. So, please bear with me. Most of today will be consumed with munchkin care and nose blowing. I'll have fun pics and such up soon. Meanwhile, enjoy your health. ;o)

Off for the weekend . . .

It's a surprise. :o) Pictures and stories on Monday.

Have a great one!

My Lace: Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl

Since I gave you a teaser earlier, I thought I'd divulge a few details about the FCSS I've started. Here's a current progress shot:



In the beginning, I thought I would be clever and do a lace swatch from the outside of the ball. I usually leave my swatches attached to the ball, and frog them after I'm done with them (they call me Ebeneeza Yarnover). So, I figured that instead of having a bunch of yarn pulled from the center of my neat ball, I'd use yarn from the outside, and then wind it back around. Well, I failed to take conscious note of Susan's comment from the pattern on the lace swatching step:

"When I knit small, top-down triangle shawls like this one, I use the shawl itself as my second gauge swatch."

When I had completed the setup rows and first pattern repeat, I liked what I saw, and didn't want to rip it out. So, I kept on going, using yarn from the outside of the ball. Perfectionist that I am, this bothered me. (Don't ask why. I don't have a good reason.) So, after bending some gray matter toward a resolution, this was my solution:



Yep. A broccoli rubber band (just the right size to hold the edges of the folded lace shawllette against the ball winder core). I wondered if it would work . . .



And it did. It held on beautifully while I wound the ball from the outside, even leaving enough room at the top for the rubber band to keep from being incorporated into the yarn ball itself. So, as a nod to the old junior high sentiments:



♥ Ball winder + broccoli band = BFF ♥

And now, back to our regularly planned blog entry . . .

For the most part, I'm enjoying working on the FCSS. I can't say I've done a whole lot of knitting, per se, since I've tinked or frogged just about as many rows as I've knit. However, I've learned a few very valuable lessons:

1. I agree whole-heartedly with Stephanie about variegated yarns and lacework . . . with one exception: your first lace project. Having different colors throughout the work makes it a LOT easier to tell one row from another, and to identify mistakes. (Let's see . . . I know I've got the right number of stitches on the yellow/peach/orange row . . . so I must have missed something after that.)

2. I'm afraid I don't agree with Susan on the use of metal needles in lacework. I've tried valiantly to use bamboo (of which I have a nice suitable assortment), but I can't stand knitting on anything that doesn't allow the stitches to slide freely. Maybe someday I'll invest in some especially expensive and slippery hardwood needles (maybe some Lantern Moon ebony circulars, hmmm?), but for now, it's Knit Picks for me. If I'm careful, I don't have any trouble due to the metal. And when I'm not careful, I don't have trouble due to the metal, either. And I do love the sllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide. It's like knitting on air.

3. Tradititonal lifelines don't appeal to me--the idea of pulling even something as smooth as mercerized cotton crochet thread through a delicately knitted something (even when the fiber is a smooth, super-soft merino) is just not appealing. However, I've used a modified version (which I'm sure has been "discovered" before this) that I really like:



A US2 32" circular. Because the wrong side rows are all purled, it's easy to pick up a row of knitting to protect it when you need to frog a few rows (as I'll be doing when I get back to the lace). Due to the variegation, it's even easy to pick up lace rows, once you get the hang of it. As you can see above, I've picked up the right leg of each stitch (including yo's), and can frog neatly back to that row. Then I just knit off of the little needle and I'm back in business. This time I'm frogging due to somehow putting in an extra yarnover. (Maybe I'm subconsciously reading my knitting already, and saw the yo's below . . . but I'm not sure that's a good thing. lol) I laddered down and took out the extra stitch--but there was no way I could get all of the slack out of the stitches. Frog pond, here I come.

And now, off to work on my grocery list for next week. (Romantic, I know . . . but there's nothing that says "I love you" like home cooked meals. :o)

Have a great weekend!

Startitis

It seems that I have a touch of startitis. That last post should have been some indication, but it took me a while to identify it. I've only started two new projects since the cardi collapse, but it sure has been fun ogling plenty of others.

Here's where startitis has gotten me:

Socks for the Anderman:



And a lace project (Susan's FCSS):



So far, so good. I've been resisting the urge to start a huge pile of things (although I did do a swatch with some Knit Picks Shadow in Vineyard for the Spring Things Shawl (okay, okay, I bought the pattern because my LYS had the Shadow for 50% off! I'm guilty; but can you blame me?). Let me tell you, stockinette swatches with lace yarn are the least satisfying of any swatches I've ever done. Sure, they're good for letting you know whether your finished lace project will be anything like the original . . . but they sure do look funny.

In other news, I did finish the baby's socks earlier this week. She absolutely adores them, which warms my little mothering heart. There was even a touch of serendipity to the random way I ended the ribbing halfway down the instep: the end of the ribbing matches up with the beginning of the toe of her Mary Janes:



I've decided that I need to knit a lot more socks for her--and that she needs more Mary Janes. Handknit socks and MJ's are a match made in heaven. :o)

Infatuation

So, what do you do when you see at least five really beautiful projects that you want to knit? Right. Now. ? ? ? ?

Since the crushing cardi incident earning that project a time out it its ziploc, I've been out trolling. Yesterday I started the Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl, but didn't get far because I had too many interruptions. (Never try to knit lace with kids or husbands about. It's completely useless. No, worse than useless. You do more tinking/lifeline ripping/chart re-reading than you do knitting. Torturous.)

So, in the face of that, I've "come across" several things I'd soooo love to knit. (Well, more like hunted out beautiful things like yarn-starved knitters descending on an LYS clearance sale, but let's not belabor the point, hmmm?)

{Sigh} If only I had time and funds to just do them all!

1. Simply Marilyn.

I love the fit and style of this sweater. Oh, and the color. I'd do this purple, or a deep burgundy shade of wine. Something that looks good enough to eat. DH loves cream, but I just can't wear it right now without looking something akin to a schoolbus. So I'll pass until I lose another few.

2. Lady Eleanor.

Need I mention that I love Jess's style? I mostly lurk over at her blog, but I just love the colors she chooses and her FO's. Gorgeous. This looks like an entrelac project that I could handle. I've been shy of entrelac after Stephanie's vehement rejection thereof, but this looks gorgeous. (And picking up stitches in worsted is MUCH easier than in sock yarn.)

3. Rogue.

I'm not nearly as cute as the model, but I can dream, right? ;o) I'm just so tempted by something that looks so incredibly warm and cozy. (And it'll stay on without any effort on my part--handy with four munchkins around.) I'd love to knit this one out of some Targhee: soft as Merino, but springy as Corriedale or Coopworth. Love the stuff.

4. The Not-So-Shrunken Cardigan

I just discovered Knit and Tonic today by following a link in a a blog linked from Yarn Harlot's Ann Arbor saga. (My heart just about broke for Stephanie today. She's amazing. If I had been through what she had to go through to get to Ann Arbor, I wouldn't have made it. My body would have given up completely long before lunchtime. Huge kudos to you, Steph.)

5. The Spring Things Shawl.

There's even a knitalong for it already. I have 100g of gorgeous Knit Picks merino laceweight that's almost as soft as the alpaca lace I bought on impulse that same day. Just springier.

I'm wondering if I should rip out the little beginnings of the Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl I've got and go download the Spring Things pattern tonight. Or is there still a FCSS knitalong somewhere? I'll have to Google . . .

Oh Horror!*

I've been knitting happily on a sweater for the baby in Knit Picks Crayon, held double (not as difficult as I'd feared). I've been cranking away on the raglan decreases during my scant knitting time over the last two days, and was pretty excited today because I could tell I was getting close. After I read over the instructions for back neck shaping, I started to figure how many sleeve stitches I needed to keep on the needles, and (oh fateful moment) count live stitches.

There were four more stitches over the right shoulder than there were over the left, an odd number of back stitches (when I started out with an even number), and three fewer stitches in the left front than the right front. Snot.

While I was sleeping, those darn stitches went out dancing, and failed to put themselves back properly. I just knew it. They were probably drinking, too. Reprobates.

So, I started trying to figure out what went wrong, and where.

From p 73 of Knitting Without Tears:

"Now mark four points where the body and the sleeves join. Place safety pins at these four points. . . . Put safety pin markers in the 1st and 84th stitches of back and of front."

I used stitch markers, thinking that the methods used for the top-down raglans I've knit for two of the other children would work just as well for a bottom-up raglan. I should have never dared dally with the heady pride that seduced me into thinking that I know better how to knit a raglan than Elizabeth Zimmerman. I realized after a few decrease rounds that I had worked the decreases slightly differently at the front left marker than elsewhere. I thought I had fixed it, but obviously I was mistaken. Sadly mistaken.

So, I knitted back to the offending spot, and proceeded to rip back the rows over the misplaced decreases. It looked like fuzzy periwinkle spaghetti found in an old cottage cheese container in the back of the fridge. I did my best to knit it back up, and thought quite a number of times that I really needed to snap a few shots for the blog (for this was definitely a blogworthy knitterly event). But I just couldn't bring myself to go get the camera. Or, more properly speaking, I couldn't get myself to put the poor thing down.

Just a few minutes ago, I knit up the last row of ripped stitches and surveyed what I managed to get back together. You can see for yourself:



The decreases are now reasonably placed (the sleeve stitches are within one stitch--which fudging I could handle). But they're chop suey. Uneven stitches (cotton yarn, anyone?), strange holes and decreases that slant outward. K2tog isn't supposed to slant left, but I managed to do that here. I really offended EZ's guardian angel, didn't I. {sigh}

I've been so excited to finish this, and wrap the baby in this cloud-soft cardigan. It snowed today, and blew and blew . . . . . the prospect of frogging That Much Knitting is a little more than I can bear right now. Knitting that much cotton again.

It's clear from the picture that I either need to frog the entire decrease portion, or try ripping back those decrease stitches yet again and seeing if I can't somehow "fix them better" this time.

Any ideas?** I'm all ears.

Meanwhile, I'm going to go start some socks.


*Uttered by Frederick (Rex Smith) in the cinema version of The Pirates of Penzance when he realizes that he must betray the father of his beloved Ruth. One of the most hilarious musicals ever made--but sadly not yet available on DVD. Head on over to Amazon and put in your email to be notified when it's available, would you? It's like a vote towards getting Amazon to pursue offering a DVD version for sale.

**I'm fully aware that I don't have any readers yet. (Well, Vern has a feed, but he doesn't knit. ;o) So, I figure I'll just pretend for now, and someday when I have blog readers, they can read my archives while they knit on stockinette they can't avoid.

The Mail is Here! The Mail is Here! Oooooo!!!!

The Book has arrived. Long awaited, Amazon-delayed, and here. I'm off to read . . . and knit in it's honor. ;o)

(** Let's have a contest to see who can name the character who said quote in the subject line. Email me your guesses; please don't leave them in the comments. ;o)

The Neatest Trick

For quite some time I've been wondering how in the world I could create pdf files. So, I went faithfully to Google, and requested an answer. The pdf of my pattern is the result.

I learned one can "print" to pdf using CutePDF Writer. You also need a copy of this for some reason. (I don't know why, but it works, so I'm not complaining.) Just download and install both. It takes less than two minutes; they're small apps. (Hooray!) Then, when you want to "save" something in a stable and universal format, just select "CutePDF Writer" from your printer list, and voila! You're in business.

Did I mention that this is now my favorite way to save web pages? Genius. (Not me, the folks over at Acro Software, Inc.) So, when I come across a knitting pattern that I really like, such as Amy King's Baby Keep Your Socks On, I can save it as a pdf instead of trying to cajole my laser printer to not include the graphics.

Sometimes, modern technology can be bent to good uses, can't it? ;o)

Easter Tie: The Process

Update: the pattern linked below has both the Child & Toddler sizes

Click to download the Easter Tie pattern.

Easter Tie

Knitter Achievement Level: Just a touch above beginner.

Size: Toddler & Child

Finished Measurements:

Toddler: 11" long, 3.5" at widest point, 1" at narrowest.

Child: 4.5" at widest point, 1.4" at narrowest.

Gauge: 5st/in in moss stitch.

Materials:
1 skein Plymouth Yarn Fantasy Naturale, (or other 100% Mercerized Cotton worsted). The Toddler size pictured took <25g.>

Needles: Size needed to obtain gauge.

Notes: I used a little trick I learned from Elizabeth Zimmerman in Knitting Without Tears. The first stitch of every row is slipped and the last stitch is purled, making a clean braided edge. Very pretty. :o) Just be sure to resist the urge to pull the slipped stitch tight as you begin the row. It makes the edging too snug, and causes the tie to dish instead of lie flat.

See?

Instructions:

Place a slip knot on your left needle. (That's CO 1.)

Kfb. Turn. (2st)

K2fb Turn. (4st)

Kfb, p1, k1, kfb. Turn. (6st)

Kfb, p1, k1 to last st, kfb. Turn (8st)

Repeat last row until you have 18 st on the needle.



Work four rows even: S1, work moss stitch across, p1. Turn

Work decrease row: S1, ssk, work moss stitch to last three stitches, k2tog, p1. (16 st.)

Work three rows even, then one decrease row. Repeat three times, leaving you with 10 st.

Work 22 rows even. Work decrease row. (8 st)

Work one row even. Work decrease row. (6 st)

Work 30 rows even. (Or adjust to provide the proper length for your munchkin.) My guy has a long waist, so 30 rows provided the right length and allowed enough to wrap around at the top for a faux Windsor knot. Just hold the tie-in-progress up to the top button on a dress shirt and keep knitting until the point of the tie reaches just above the belt buckle. Read the folding instructions below to see how to allow length for folding the knot.

When you’ve got enough to make the end of the tie reach the right edge of the tie body when it’s folded, you begin decreasing to make the wedge-shaped top that will reach around to meet the fold in the back. (I confess: this folding bit is borrowed from origami.)

Decrease for seam edge:

S1, k3, k2tog, p1. Turn. (5 st)

S1, ssk, w1, p1. Turn.

S1, w1, k2tog. Turn.

Ssk, w1. Turn.

k2tog. You should have one stitch left on the needle. Cut the working yarn, leaving a tail long enough for seaming (about 8”-10”), and pull the end of the yarn out of the last stitch so the tail of the yarn prevents the work from unraveling. (I’m sure there’s a neat little term for this: if anyone knows it, will they please let me know?)

Here’s what mine looked like at this point:

(Click to enlarge.)

To make the “knot” at the top, do the following:

Fold the top of the tie 90° to the left so the left edge of the tie body is visible all the way to the top of the fold.

Then fold the tail of the tie to the right so it’s gently snugged up against the body of the tie.

Turn the tie over carefully, and match the angled top edge with the 45° edge of the 90° fold you made first. (Yes, a 90° fold has a 45° edge. lol)

Then take the tail and whip stitch the two edges together. By choosing selectively which stitches to pick up you can ease the “knot” into looking pretty straight. (My stitches are highlighted in blue.)

Next, take your ¼” elastic and your munchkin and measure how much you’ll need to let it reach around their shirt collar with about 1/2" overlap while at rest. It’s important to make sure that the elastic isn’t stretched at all, for hopefully obvious reasons. (We don’t want any munchkin necks to be squeezed during the wearing of this tie. :o) Mark the point where the end of the elastic meets the length of the elastic, and then cut it with the ½” overlap. You can see in the photo below how the marked point serves in alignment after the elastic is cut.

Line up the cut end of the elastic with the mark you just made, and then hand or machine sew the elastic into a loop. Hand sew that loop to the back of the tie. Your project should look something like this from the back now:

From the top:

Weave in the tail at the cast-on point, and you’re done!

Corral your munchkin, and take a photo to email me for the Easter Tie gallery. (Email address at the bottom of the pattern.)

Enjoy!