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Archive for the ‘knitting’ Category

Carson’s baby sweater

Posted in knitting, knitting techniques, tagged , on May 5, 2010| 1 Comment »

Carson's Tomten Sweater

Yeah! I finally got the buttons on the Tomten hoodie, a Elizabeth Zimmerman classic design, for Carson….wrapped the present….popped it in the mail along with bracelet presents for Carson’s three sisters aka my nieces. How much fun to receive an instant message from my sister today….thought I’d saved it….but no! In the package was LaBerta’s Rudolph the Raindeer golden book from when she was a wee one her self, a baby sweater for Carson, and bracelets for Isabella, Jade, and Abygail.

The instant message…..

  • I’ve just gotten home and there is a package on my door step….
  • oh…there is a book for me….now I’ll open Carson’s package
  • oh auntie it is lovely and I love it….thank you
  • thank you xoxox Sis
  • the girls will be home from school soon and they can open their presents.

This sequence of messages made me smile…..and made me really happy that I’d knit the sweater….thanks to my knitting friend Cathy for crocheting the beaded bracelets for the girls.

The children!

As I was thinking about this post tonight, I googled “Tomten Jacket” and got many links. It was fascinating to see how many different ways that this modular sweater has been knit. I think Elizabeth must be looking down upon us and thinking “What a joy to see such creativity from my simple design.” Many different edges have been used to finish the garment…Elizabeth’s vision was I-cord…and I used that on Carson’s sweater. I then crocheted loops for the buttonholes and added the buttons on the opposite front. I even made an effort to have the buttons on the “man’s side”. Mothers tell me if this helpful or an annoyance. Some of the other choices for bands that I saw were: garter band with button holes, zipper, a rufffled edge, a crocheted edge…and as always the possibilities are endless. My choice for Carson had to do with wanting to work an I-cord edge for this garment….and then I fussed about the edging for the button holes. I knit this sweater jacket in Brown Sheep’s Cotton Fleece trimmed with Brown Sheep’s Superwash Lamb’s Pride…..both of these being two of my favorite yarns.

Tomten Sweater Jacket - the buttons!

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How to Twist Stitches – A Berroco “How To” Video

Posted in knitting, knitting techniques, tagged , , , , , on April 16, 2010| Leave a Comment »

For those of you who may not be receiving email info from Berroco, I would like to share this morning’s “How To Video“. It’s a good video on how to work right and left twisted stitches. The method has been updated to include Barbara Walker’s method from Barbara Walker’s 2nd Treasury, it is quite tidy and is one of Norah Gaughan’s favorites. The video shows the results of the stitches being worked in a slant line. This particular twisted stitch is one of my favorite in column form. We used it recently to create darts in Shari’s sweater.

Thank you Berroco for this video.

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The Flashback Shell

Posted in knitting, tagged , , on April 15, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Anyone looking for a shell that has lots to offer….great style, classy, sexy, unique! Well, recently Katie modeled the knit shell that her mother Sara has just completed for a friend. The work, the design, and the fiber were stunning. Details follow photos. (And if you didn’t want to be quite so revealing, you could always make the seam longer!)

The design, The Flashback Shell by Roxane Seabright, can be found at Art Fibers Pattern Store. The yarn used, TANTRA tussah silk, is available from Art Fibers. Great design Rox!

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Memory Lane

Posted in knitting, tagged , , on April 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Penny

Penny has been knitting since high school

A few weeks ago an old friend (from high school) and I reconnected through that amazing social network – Facebook. After inquiring about where we both live, etc. Penny says, “your knitting thing made me think that it was you that taught me how to knit.” And I think I did!

She also said, “I don’t do a lot of knitting but some. I have been making  hooded sweaters for babies that I give away. I will send pictures and the pattern if you would like it. The sweaters that I make are for people that don’t have anything or girls whose families won’t help them.” 

I asked Penny if she had a specific charity that she gives to. ” Yes they go to the hospital in the area.” She lives in Nebraska.

I, of course, am thrilled that my love of knitting has led me to teach many to knit and share in the creativity and pleasure of this craft.

Penny did share the pattern…complimentary for charity work…and she will send photos soon of her recent creations.

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The baby gift!

Posted in knitting, tagged on March 24, 2010| 1 Comment »

It wasn’t that long ago that Shari was working her way through what seemed to be the never-ending seed stitch (also often referred to as Moss Stitch) baby blanket. Would it ever be done?!

It’ done! Here’s the knitting journey to the baby.

You can read more about the making of this baby blanket at an earlier post.

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Part 3 – The final of the Stitches journey

Posted in knitting, tagged , , , , on March 18, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Isager Yarn

Sofia by CocoKnits

Sofia by CocoKnits

A correction to the Part 2 post of Stitches…..Connie is actually knitting the pattern Sofia from CocoKnits. Here is a photo of that garment…the yarn is the same as earlier reported – Elsbeth Lavold’s Silky Flamme.

Another of Karen’s purchases was Isager wool…..she will embark on a stole – Dawn- from the book The Fine Line by Grace Anna Farrow!

Dawn - The Stole that Karen will knit!

Karen’s selection of colors – black, gray, and blue – will make her stole a classic. She is one of those folks who looks smashing in stoles and it will be fun to see her wrapped in this one…..both in the knitting and the wearing!

We stopped at many booths and one of them was Koliage Yarns. This booth had unusual yarns…..I knit with Milky Whey – truly has milk protein in the yarn – 50% soy and 50% milk (protein). Isn’t it amazing what fiber combinations we are so fortunate to experience. This yarn was beautiful and a pleasure to knit. I used the square needles that so many of you rave about and I was quite pleased with the feel of the needles. Who knew?!

When I was younger I was not a fan of the garter stitch by itself…and now with such wonderful fibers and pattern designs I find myself drawn to it often…. I’ve knit a lot of garter in the last couple of years….Moderne Baby Blanket, Stoles, and am now finishing up a Tomten jacket for my newly born nephew. (The mother is too busy to take time read this and learn about the gift.) At Stitches I as inspired by a vest – Chanel style – that had very simple elegant lines created by garter stitch being knit in several directions. When I woke in the middle of the night recently I began planning the yarn that I will use. Stay tuned!

Well….it’s time to wrap up this journey. It’s a lovely experience to spend the day amongst fiber and friends.

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It’s a small world!

Posted in knitting, tagged , , , on March 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I received this message from Maurie…….you’ll see in a moment what a small world this can be!

“I had to send you this. 
I took the day off and went to the orchid show at Ft. Mason with a couple of friends from my old job.  I was walking around knitting.  Some ladies couldn’t believe that I could look at orchids and knit and another lady wanted to know how I could look at anything but the orchids.  I also got an invitation to join the knitting guild in San Leandro.  She gave me the phone number of the vice president.  She had a “potato chip” scarf on that she had made.
There was a young woman pushing a buggy-thing with a baby in it.  The baby’s name was Ian.  His grandmom was there taking pictures with a fancy looking camera, pictures of him flirting with me.  There was a blanket in that buggy that I recognized, turquoise squares and multicolored blocks with hearts kintted in.  Ian’s mom said that Terry Bloomberg knitted it.  She said it’s his favorite blanket.  She was pretty pleased with it.  Isn’t that fun?  Maurie”

Another creation from Terry

Terry and Maurie both attend the Skein Lane Saturday morning knitting workshop.
=

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“The Hapsaalu Shawl” book by Nancy Bush

Posted in knitting, tagged , on March 4, 2010| Leave a Comment »

News in from Kimberly – “K2Tog has just received “The Hapsaalu Shawl” book that Nancy Bush was talking about. It is in English and is GORGEOUS. Full of history, pictures and charts. We had three copies and are now down to two.” While I haven’t seen the book…I will over the weekend. I am a huge fan of Nancy Bush .. her attention to historical detail is always right on!

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Part 2 – Stitches Journery – CocoKnits

Posted in knitting, tagged , , , , , on March 3, 2010| 2 Comments »

Karen had been to Stitches on Friday…and she purchased a dynamite pattern Liesel  from CocoKnits. This vendor/designer had models to try on of the patterns that she has designed….lovely…lovely…lovely! Karen was so excited with the design and she found the yarn specificed in the pattern,  Euro Flax Linen.  Not only is Karen H excited but so was Karen K from our Skein Lane knittng circle as well as  myself. I tried Liesel on and I felt quite trendy! I have some Euro Flax Linen in my Skein Lane inventory…it’s red and I think it will be stunning. I will embark upon it as soon as I finish the Tomten sweater jacket, a design by Elizabeth Zimmerman, for my newly born nephew, Carson Louis…..Louis is our dad’s name! Brings a tear or two!

I am pointing you to Meg Swansen’s site to learn more about the Tomten Sweater Jacket and Elizabeth Zimmerman – Meg’s mother.

Liesl

During our 4-hr sprint Karen took Connie and me to the CocoKnits booth…and we both fell in the designs…just as Karen had. Connie tried on Carlie, seen below, and she then went shopping for the yarn – Elsbeth Lavold’s Silky Flame. Her color choice was a red-orange. It’s beautiful and Connie will look terrific in it.

Carli

More to come in the next post!

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Part 1 of the 4-hr Stitches journey

Posted in knitting, tagged , , , on March 2, 2010| Leave a Comment »

We – Karen, Connie, and I –  had been at Stitches all of about 5 minutes when we stopped in our tracks at the first booth we came to –  The Mannings. This vendor had many beautiful garments and our eyes fell upon their multi-colored shawl. The best part of this shawl is a clever adaption from an Oat Couture’s circular baby pattern. 
The shawl…….

The Oat Couture Baby Coverlet turned Shawl

The pattern……

Oat Couture BB210 - Curlicue Coverlet

Connie is knitting her version with a lovely blue-green choice and Karen is knitting hers in Autumn colors. Both yarns are the fingering weight Mini-Mochie from Crystal Palace. This fun design from The Mannings can be assembled right here in our area.  The yarn is available at K2TOG and the pattern is available from Skein Lane Studio.
Another Skein Laner was also shopping in that booth…more from our Fire person Terry when I see her next and get the details of her purchase. It’s just so fun to be inspired by all that we knitters create.

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