Appalachia and Diary of a Diary

Appalachian Mountains at 3722ft.

I've always felt that the Appalachian Mountains are in my blood. No matter where I go, they go with me. But still, I have to admit I had forgotten some of their beauty. Even this time of year, when it's mostly brown and dull, the view of the mountains are the same lovely blue.

I spent a few days down south with family and had a great time getting stuck in a snow storm, eating southern bbq, seeing family, and visiting old familiar haunts.

My mom's knitting is improving and we started her on a new beginner project and visited the local yarn shops. I picked up a beautiful skein of Dream Smooshy in a color that reminds of my mountains.

Dream Smooshy 70% Superwash Merino, 20% Cashmere, 10% Nylon in Dark Current

There was actually time for lots of knitting by the fire, and a little snow to set the mood.

First morning, fresh snow.

I took the beginnings of ANKESTRICK's Diary with me for travel knitting.

This is one of the most interestingly constructed garments I've come across. It is seamless, as per her usual, and uses the contiguous set-in sleeve method as developed by Susie Myers.

It begins with a provisional cast on at the back of the collar. The collar is worked in both directions for a few inches, then stitches are picked up along one side for the back neck. From here on the piece is worked flat from the top down. The collar- shaped by super easy German short rows, shoulders, back are all worked simultaneously for several inches, then increases are added to create the sleeves. 

Diary's Contiguous Set-in Sleeve

Once the sleeves are put on waste yarn, the design becomes a more typical top-down sweater.... provided that you make it that far.

This is not a pattern for knitting in front of the telly (or during take-off and landing, I could add). There is a lot going on in that yoke, and it's easy to over look something- a short row, a set of increases... To add to the confusion, the pattern has an overwhelming amount of information, and could use some serious editing for the sake of simplification.  It was difficult at times to tell if what you were reading was an instruction, or just guidance. There were, however, a handful of very helpful diagrams and photos and a video link explaining the German short rows to help you out.

Progress

Overall, I am very impressed with what is an ingenious design. The way the collar flips on a pair of knit stitches, the beautiful way the shoulder line falls, the substantial icord edging along the collar edge, the german short row shaping... all make for a truly sculptural piece.

Pattern: Diary by ANKESTRICK
Yarn: Lisa Souza 83% Polwarth, 15% Silk in Pumpkin Bold 6-26-13
Needle: 4.0mm, 3.5mm

Life is like a Pile of Swatches

Actually, no. But right now my life IS a pile of swatches, so I thought now might be a good time to share some of my musing about these lovely, frustrating, unpredictable, beautiful, fantastic, miniature works of art.

Something that I did not fully appreciate until recently- is that there are different types of swatches.  In my world, they boil down to Pattern, Design, and Gauge.

Pattern Swatches
I have found that pattern swatches can be the one of the most inspiring tools in my designing. Most of the time I find myself making these when I have that creatively frustrated feeling when I'm stuck in one project, but don't have the materials or time to start a new project, but I really want to knit SOMETHING. So I pull out one of my stitch dictionaries and flip through until I find something that makes me curious. Then I grab a lonely skein of yarn from my stash, and go to work. I find that typically I can knit up a good 5x5" swatch in about an hour or so (or one tv episode).

I have gotten really fond of making these. I find that the process of learning a new stitch and seeing what kind of fabric it makes almost always gets the gears turning. By the time I'm done, I usually have a few ideas for how the stitch can be used. For example- I may decide that it would be too busy for a sweater, but would be great on a cowl.

Once they are blocked and labeled I add them to the Swatch Collection. Then when I want to design something, I already have a pile of real-life fabrics to consider.

Swatches that I find particularly inspiring go on The Board. Where I admire them and dream about what they will be one day.

Design Swatches
These swatches are miniature representations of design elements within a larger design. Perhaps I'm working out a raglan decrease, or a seamless set-in sleeve, or wondering how the armhole shaping will work with the stitch pattern. I think the best example of this is what I call The Triangle. It's a swatch for a sweater which starts with the rib, then the main stitch pattern, and then decreases or armhole shaping up one side. It gives you all of the basic structure in one swatch.

The Contrarian Knitter's beautiful example of a design swatch of Barbara Walker's simultaneous set-in sleeves.

Gauge Swatches
The gauge swatch is probably the first thing people think of when they think of swatches, but for me, this is the last swatch that I consider in the design process. I don't think I have to tell you all how extremely important gauge swatches are, and how you simply MUST make one AND wash and block it. But I can tell you how I learned to love the gauge swatch. Mostly because I make my gauge swatches pull double duty. Once they give me correct gauge, I use them as a fabric swatch for that yarn. This works well for me because I tend to have my favorite yarns that I use over and over. So when I am considering using that yarn for a different project, I can pull out the fabric/gauge swatch (even if I have gifted the final object) and reacquaint myself with it's feel, texture, weight, and OH LOOK- I already have a gauge swatch. Brilliant.

Now, that we've talked about the different types of swatches, it's time for the
RULES OF SWATCHING

1. Learn to love swatching.
If you do not love and respect the swatch, knitting will be much more unpleasant for you. If you think of swatches as miniature projects and a path to immediate gratification... you'll be alright.

2. Never judge a swatch until blocked.
When wool hits water, all bets are off. For better or worse, soaking and blocking changes the fabric. If you've ever seen a cushy rib fall flat or lace work open up and show it's beauty, you know this is true. Just wait. Give it a chance to show you what it's really made of. 

3. Swatches need labels. 
Pattern name, yarn brand, name, colorway, needle, gauge, where the pattern came from "Book Title, p 17" or "My own".  I write out the label as I'm casting on. That way I won't forget to do it, and it gives me motivation to finish it, even if I'm unimpressed.

Swatches are fun! And believe me- once you convince yourself that it is fun and not a chore, life gets easier and knitting becomes more enjoyable.

Do you have swatching techniques or rules that you follow? Do you only make gauge swatches or do you make pattern ones as well? What do you do with your swatches after making them? I'm curious how other knitters tackle these little squares.

Inspire Me: Bohus Stickning

More information on the photos in this series can be found here.

Procrastination Station

Deadlines are LOOMING, my friends! Which means sketching, swatching, and boatloads of math, that I have to do twice, because I never trust myself to get it right the first time. It also means that the things I am MOST excited about, I can't share yet.

But that's okay, their day will come, and in the meantime, other things are happening....

Like... LOOK WHAT CAME IN THE MAIL!

"AAAAAAA!"

My Addi Clicks! Good thing I was home by myself when these arrived, because I spent the whole afternoon making the choirs-of-angels noise and serenading them with "Getting to Know You" from the Sound of Music. I basically tried to knit four swatches with four different sets of needles simultaneously so I could get a feel for my new toys.

First impression- these are no doubt some smooth needles. But they are a little bit blunter than the needles I'm used to working with, which slows me down a bit, especially on garter, for some reason. There is a small bump where the needle is joined to the cable that at times will get your work caught up on the left hand needle. I found this particularly vexing while trying some lace work. But I'm very pleased with how the needles shuttle along rough yarn. Will keep experimenting...

Also, there was more snow. I've stopped measuring, but if I had to guess, I'd say we still had about 22". To be honest, I could do this for another two months. I want days full of white skies and snow. Every day all day. Who knows, at this rate, I might get my wish.

Yesterday I took a break to go play with my neighbors in the snow and got a chance to romp around with this darling girl: Bella, a 9 week old Bernese Mountain Dog.

Ridiculously cute, this one. Knitting and snow AND puppies... what an awesome day.

And! Since I'm basically just procrastinating, here's some music I've been majorly digging lately: London Grammar. Enjoy!

Nor'easter and a Modern Wrapper

Love walking through town in the snow.

I won't even try to hide it, I LOVE SNOW. The more the better. And it has been quite a winter for snow lovers here in the northeast. We've had at least one snowfall every week since mid-December. This last nor'easter, though, really brought it. We had a good 8-10" left-over from the big snow just last week, and now we have... god knows how much.

In this photo: a patio table, four deck chairs, a grill

 There's so much snow, I couldn't even get it all in one frame. Stephen had to literally shovel us out of the house this morning. Pretty awesome. And we're getting a few more inches tomorrow!

Winchester in his favorite spot

In other news.... Modern Wrapper is complete!

I really wanted to like this cardigan, but here's the truth- it's a tent. A very expensive tent. I have to challenge the claim that this piece is universally flattering. If you happen to be an armless 36" dressform, this is the cardigan for you! But for a woman of my stature it does NO favors. I don't need to look slender, but I do need to look like I have some shape, to which end this cardigan fails big time.

Amy Herzog said something the other day in her blog, which is so true: because handknit fabric is typically more substantial than the fine machine knits that you might find in a store, your body takes the shape of the sweater, not the other way around.  Even in this case where we have a very light fabric with a decent drape.. it will never take the silhouette of your body if the silhouette of the piece is a giant rectangle.

It will make a very luxurious housecoat, but I don't see myself wearing this out any time soon, unless I can figure out a tactful way to belt it. As much as I love Churchmouse, and can appreciate the construction of this piece, I think I will stick with more shapely pieces in the future.

Modern Wrapper

Ice on the Hudson

It's been REALLY cold.

Even though things are busy and deadlines loom, I just couldn't resist casting on a sweater.  I have been wanting something casually and light to throw on over a long sleeve t-shirt to wear in my chilly studio... when by chance I saw Michelle Wang's stunning version of the Modern Wrapper by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas. So lovely! So chic!

But could I pull it off?

I'm always a little unsure of how these drappy cardigans suit me.  Will it look casually elegant? Or sad and dowdy? Hard to say...

To add to that, the Modern Wrapper eats major yardage in two yarns; a fingering weight tweed and a lace weight mohair/silk blend, held together throughout. If you were to purchase the yarn kits from Churchmouse, this project could easily cost you between $172-209.
It just so happened that I had enough Brooklyn Tweed Loft in Fossil in my stash to convince myself that I would just be buying yarn for half a sweater, and that's worth a gamble. Now I just had to find a suitable lace weight!

I'm not crazy about Mohair, so I chose something that was similar, but with less of a halo (and closer to hand at my LYS) Jill Draper Makes Stuff Nimbus, a 70% Angora, 30% Silk blend which runs for about $30 for 50g/435 yds.The colorway is Mourning Dove- a silvery blue which tempers the yellow undertones of Brooklyn Tweed's Targhee-Columbia wool. 
I took the plunge and bought 3 skeins.

I demonstrated my commitment to this project by winding the two yarns into one cake.

The wrapper is knit on 6.0mm (US10) needles, so despite working what is essentially a sport weight, it goes rather quickly. It was obvious from the start that Loft was going to be perfect for this project. Because of the large gauge you need a yarn that is going to puff up or fill in all that empty space with fiber. A sock yarn simply would not cut it. The halo from the mohair (or angora, in my case) goes a long way to fill in some of that space, and the silk gives a slight cool slippery feel to the fabric.

So, confession, I did bollock-up the hem a bit. I think I got the RS and WS confused when working the two rows of garter stitch at the bottom. It should create a purl ridge that theoretically prevents the edge from curling, but having done it right on the front pieces, I am still getting an edge that curls. It might just be doomed to curl. I would find this disappointing of Churchmouse - who have a reputation for their carefully considered designs, but then again, it is quite long... I suppose a little curl won't hurt anything. If it won't stay put after blocking, I might be asking for advice on how to change out a hem....

The right front, seaming and blocking remain on this baby blanket sized wrapper. I'm hoping to have it finished by next weekend, and I will finally know the answer to the question of whether this will make me look like a chic artist or a frumpy housewife. Fingers crossed!

Brooklyn Botanical Garden: Knit, Purl, Sow Exhibit

Tiger Lily, a photo by Brooklyn Botanic Garden on Flickr.

One of the great things about living close to a major metropolis- even for someone who is admittedly, NOT a city girl- is that there is so much inspiration to be had, if you only make the effort to go find it. Case in point- Brooklyn is well on the other side of Manhattan from myself, and a bit of a bother to get in and out of, but for this exhibit we were going to have to make the effort.

Brooklyn Botanical Garden was hosting Knit, Purl, Sow- an exhibit of larger than life knitted pieces representing botanical elements worked by Tatyana Yanishevsky, Ruth Marshall, and Santiago Venegas.

A giant tiger lily hangs suspended from the ceiling. Hidden wires give structure to the fabric petals with cables and bobbles, textured stamen protrude through a chorus of halos stretched with openwork. Water lilies opened with blocking pins cascade across a wall panel and a five foot peace lily gives pause to the idea that 'fun fur' might actually be a legit fiber.

Although the exhibit was only two dozen pieces or so, it was inspiring to see such sculptural knitting. I know a lot of times we designers say we are 'inspired by nature'... this exhibit takes that idea to a whole new level.

Tomorrow, Jan 22nd is the last day of the exhibit, so take note if you are in the area!

Lotus, a photo by Brooklyn Botanic Garden on Flickr.

HUDSON Hand-Dyed Mini-Skeins

HUDSON is 85% US Wool, 15% Nylon, dyed here in the Hudson Valley with certified organic dyes.

Each mini-skein is 25grams / 103 yards, or enough for a baby hat, two pairs of booties, a pair of toddler mittens, or can be used for stranded colorwork, details, or embellishments where you want another color, but don't want to purchase a 400 yard skein!

HUDSON is available for $9/skein at Clay Wood & Cotton in Beacon NY.

The Colorways

Orchid

Foxglove

Antique Rose

Raspberry Sorbet

Dusty Rose

Rosewood

Spice

Rust

Goldenrod

Spring

Frasier

Selkie

Heathered Bluebell

Dinan Blue

Provence

Pewter

Mushroom

Alchemy in the New Year

Natural dyeing. (l-r) Fustic heartwood gave the pale golds, Madder root gave the spice colors in the center, and the purples are Logwood heartwood. Fustic and Madder are 50/50 Merino Silk, and the Logwood are superwash merino sport.

 From Corporate America to Working From Home: Part I, by Michelle Wang

 From Corporate America to Working From Home: Part II, by Michelle Wang

 From Corporate America to Working From Home, Part III, by Michelle Wang

Through the miracle of the internet, I found these fantastic blog posts from designer Michelle Wang on what it was like for her to quit her corporate job and work from home designing (extraordinary) knitwear. It's a very honest, personal look at what it took to make the transitions and the lessons she learned en route.

Fortuitous. Earlier this week I was at a doctor's appointment when the nurse taking my blood pressure asked if I worked...
"...I work from home" I said without thinking. It was the first time that the thought had actually materialized in my head, much less articulated itself to a stranger, even though now that I think about it, I have been 'working from home' non-stop since early September.

Being a military spouse, there are often times just after a move or when living abroad that employment is just not possible.  One of the reasons I became a librarian was that there are libraries everywhere- but unfortunately there are not always job openings for my experience level at the right time. I have managed to cobble together some truly exceptional library experiences- notably at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston, and the Providence Athenaeum in Rhode Island- but these experiences are always limited. I enjoy a few months, maybe a year or so at a library then we move. It's what we do in the military. We are lucky that it has suited us well thus far. We enjoy moving to new places and meeting new people. Every move is like an adventure.
But it does make it difficult on one's career.

Now I find myself in the beautiful Hudson Valley, NY.
Seemingly from the moment I got here doors have been opening for me and opportunities have been landing in my lap. It's actually kinda ridiculous. Thanks in most part to Kristy of Clay Wood & Cotton in Beacon, NY, who has introduced me to most of the town and made me see the numerous entrepreneurial opportunities out there in the knitting and fiber world.

Over the past five months I have published a few patterns including a sweater pattern that has made me VERY keen to continue with that line of work, been commissioned to design a sweater for Stitch Seekers out of New Zealand, learned to dye yarn and started selling my yarn at a local yarn shop, started a blog, and etsy shop, ravelry group, and helped out at the LYS over the holidays- which has seriously strengthened my knowledge of fiber and how to select appropriate fiber for your project...  knitted and sold hats, cowls, and infinity scarves, worked my first craft fair, and developed quite the inspiring network of of techniques, blogs, designers, dyers, and farms that inspire me daily. I even have even been able to carve out a studio space in our sunroom. My desk is there, a few overflowing tubs of yarn, and a bathroom with a bathtub- which has been extremely useful in keeping the bulk of the dyeing process out of the kitchen.

So now what? I admit it, I work from home, and I'm pretty happy about it. But I'm still quite new at it. In the army they have this notion of 'the idea fairy'. The idea fairy is when someone in your unit, who typically out ranks you, who comes up with a REALLY GOOD IDEA! and everyone MUST START DOING IT RIGHT NOW! It's only after everyone has gotten up to their eyeballs in it that they realise this was actually a stupid idea and wasn't well thought out and now it has wasted everyone's time. This is the idea fairy. It gives you bad good ideas.
I am trying to avoid the idea fairy. But man... it's tempting to get drawn into different directions. I have so many ideas that they wake me up at night and I have to write them down in a notebook. I still don't know how to process all that creativity when there are so few hours in the day!
Something I will have to work on.

Anyway, if you are interested in my work, and read this blog, there are going to be some changes as I figure out what direction I want to take and what, in reality, my work load will be like. I am usually not this verbose, and would much rather express what I'm doing visually. So I imagine that future updates will be more images and less words. Hope that's alright with everyone.

If you have made it this far, and are still reading... I am very interested in what you are doing and what inspires you. Add me as a friend of ravelry so I can keep up with what you are working on. You are a constant source of inspiration and I would love to keep in touch :)

Happy New Year, everyone... may it be an adventure for all of us!