Sample Knitting - City and Guilds Module 3 begun!

I am starting my New Year's resolutions a little early, as today I started cracking on with my sample knitting for Module 3 of the City and Guilds Distance Knitting/Hand Knitted Textiles course I have been doing, on and off, for about the last 6 years. I managed to get Modules 1 and 2 complete in Washington last year, but have been dragging my heels on making a proper start on Module 3, until today, when I completed 4 samples! One of the ways I am enticing myself to knit multiple samples is to use yarn I want to work up to something - that way it feels a bit like getting a tension swatch out of the way. All my lovely single skeins from America, which are just waiting to be turned into hats and socks could be tried out this way - I feel an afternoon of winding coming on! I usually hand wind off the back of a chair while watching TV - but I have a lot to do, so perhaps a new years treat to myself might be a swift and ball winder.

My plan is knit samples on my train journey to and from work through January, and the husband's stocking stitch sweater in the evenings, when I'm usually too tired to cope with any kind of detail at all.

A very happy new year to all my readers as well - we are off to cut some rug on the dancefloor tonight; wishing you well however you are spending this new year's eve.

Simplicity 9139

Simplicity 9139, a pair of elasticated waist "lounge" pants, is complete. They took me a couple of days on and off, and whilst I certainly wouldn't win any prizes for workmanship, they are wearable, and very comfortable. In fact I am wearing them today, with a slim fitting black merino wool jumper and black ballet flats (somewhat inspired by the mini-series on Bobby Kennedy we are currently watching)! A couple of views below, apologies for the poor shots in front of a mirror, in dull northern light!

The fabric is some kind of poyester mock-wool type thing, picked up from a local charity shop. When I get better at sewing, I will start to buy better fabric! The pattern is really designed to make lightweight summer pants, and I will try that too later in the year, and next time I will cut a small size - this one is medium, and is a little too baggy in the thighs really.

I learnt some good things from making these - the importance of tacking before sewing, and some of the different ways to make elasticated/drawstring waists, which I reviewed on Youtube before I went with casing and thick elastic. I am also hoping to get to the point sometime soon when I can "read" sewing pieces like I can knitting - identifiying fronts and backs of trousers easily for example.

On knitting: working on the husband's 4 ply Cashsoft forest green jumper in front of the TV in the evenings - about a third of the way through the body, which I am working in the round.

Surface is Complete

Finished last night, wearing it today! A little wonky around the collar/top button, so I probably need to re-sew that button. A well written pattern - my main modification was making the blister pattern edgings shallower due to using up a different dye lot on these (see agonised blog entries below as I discover the mismatching dye lots issue when nearly finished!).

Boxing Day musings

Another Christmas is now passing, and this year I did not do any handknitted presents, although I bought yarn for a future sweater and some kind of accessory for my husband, and am sending Julia a random gift of the Nolita Lace Hat and matching shawl after her visit here. Like most other knitters I have learnt to only give handknitted gifts to peope who appreciate them, usually people who craft themselves.

So I have resisted the single skein urge, and have continued on with Surface over the break, and am now in the closing stages of the final sleeve - all going well I will complete it in the next few days. That will leave me with my husbands 1940s sweater, and the Great American Afghan on the needles - so maybe there will be an opportunity for a single skein project (I have been thinking of adding a corsage to the front of Surface to ramp up the vintage look a bit - that would be a good single skein project before I go back to work).

I have spent a lot of today clearing and sorting, prompted by our plan to go for a bike ride on xmas day morning. The plan was foiled at the last minute by our inability to locate the bike lock keys (the bikes were locked up in the back yard), and so we went for country ramble instead. While just as nice, it does point to the fact that there are still things we can't find after our moves last year. Clearing is therapeutic, and I have enjoyed pottering around sorting stuff out (although completely failed to find the bike lock keys), and creating a kind of to-do list to deal with the things I found. One of them (or perhaps I should say three of them) are jumpers to frog and rework. One is for Linda (of which there is a picture below - she dislikes how this turned out so I agreed to rework it for her), and two are old ones of my husbands, made by (gasp) ex-girlfriends. (He has a history of dating knitters). These have been languishing in the loft, but we have less room and less disposable income now, so I suggested to him that I rip and re-knit them and he was keen on the idea, although it brings new meanings to the "sweater curse" I guess! I've been waiting for a snow day to do this ripping, but alas the weather remains mild and damp, so I will just need to get on with it, particularly as I promised Linda a reworked sweater this winter!

The Nolita Lace Cap Gives Me a Single Skein Bug

The Nolita Lace Cap proved a super-fast and diverting knit, and gave me a bit of a one-skein bug. I do, after all, have a lot of single skeins as during my year in America I bought a skein of pretty, local yarn almost every time we went anywhere (and we visited 27 states)!

Nolita Lace Cap

Julia visited this weekend just gone, and she borrowed from my pile of knitted hats as the weather was cold and icy here. She loved the Battleboro hat, but knitting a pattern twice bores me so today I cast on the Nolita Lace Hat, from Andrea Tung's Hats, Mittens and Scarves. Julia actually bought me this cute box of pattern cards as a gift a few years ago, so it only seems right that she should benefit from it! I am using stash of course - King Cole Inspire - left over from a shawl some time ago. Julia wore the shawl while here and admired the colour. Here is the Nolita Lace Cap, so far:

We have two films lined up to watch tonight (a movie marathon), so might even finish it, as the lace is drop stitch and it is already growing quickly.

On The Frustration of Mismatched Dye Lots

After being stop-start for a few weeks now, Surface has come grinding to a complete halt due to my last two balls being mismatched dye lots. I have realised this too late (a result of my free and easy, non measuring non planning ways with knitting) and had to rethink how I was going to do the sleeves in order to make the mismatched balls look intentional rather than accidental (as they do now). The only solution I can think of is to do both the sleeve welts in the darker dye lot, as I have already done the banding and collar in this dye lot. Then I can do the plain part of the sleeve in the lighter dye lot. BUT it means ripping out one sleeve, and half of the other, and starting them again. Really, this is not such a big deal - they are half sleeves after all. However, it is a psychological barrier, and so I cast on instead....

I cast on a jumper for the husband, in the 4 ply Cashsoft I bought at Liberty last week (colour "Forest" - nice!). Due to it being 4 ply, and him wanting something classic and plain, I used my 1940s pattern books for inspiration and am knitting a sort of hybrid of two sweaters - one to get the gauge correct, and one to get the style he is after.

I've broken up now for my Christmas break, so am planning Item 2 in my sewing project (all my vintage sewing patterns), and next in line is Simplicity 9139, donated by Julia when she was having a clear out. It dates I would guess from the early 1990s, and I plan to do View D, the long drawstring waist trousers in some dark khaki cotton blend I picked up from a local charity shop. If I don't have enough material I will do View E (capri length).

Great charity shop pick-up today; found a pair of MaxMara black trousers for a tenner. They will be fantastic for work in the new year, and I can look forward to going back and wearing them!

Freeform-Style Scarf, from Vera Moda Yarn.

Not the greatest picture (taken on the bus while listening to my ipod!) - and all I know about this yarn is that it is the Vera Moda brand, bought at Spotlight Australia (a craft superstore). It is warm and surprisingly luxurious.

Slogging on with Surface

This week I have been bored, bored, bored with Surface, and with only a sleeve (and a half one at that!) to do. So instead of taking it on my commute I took a book instead and some days did no knitting at all!  The book was The Secret Scripture - so good I nearly missed my stop a couple of times.

And maybe the break worked, because I have returned to the last of Surface with renewed vigour this weekend, and flew through the textured "blister patterned" sleeve border on my train journeys to and from London, where I was to spend Saturday with an old friend.

With my friend, I went to Liberty's, and since they were having a 10% off sale (one good thing about a declining economy I guess), and the husband has asked for a fine knit, forest green jumper that he would be able to wear out to restaurants etc, I bought a sweater's worth of Rowan 4 ply Cashsoft in "Forest", and I guess I will get started on that after I sew up Surface.  Now I need more yarn about as much as I need a hole in the head, but I didn't have much in forest green, and certainly not enough for a man's sweater.

Meanwhile, it has turned pretty chilly here in the UK, so I wore a scarf I'd knitted way back in May, when I was staying at my parent's house in Australia. My mother had bought me the freeform-style yarn as a gift, and I knitted it up while there. In shades of greens, with some blues/purples/pinks thrown in, it looks good against my black winter coat. A picture will follow, and some more information about the yarn, which I'll need to do some research on.

Arriving back home, I started to plan what I was going to wear to my works Christmas party this week, and wondered if it is finally time to edge that black wrap cardigan I have been ignoring since September!

Bella in the Garden, Late on a Winter Afternoon

As promised!
Had a setback on Surface today, when I discovered I had a) knit the patterned cuff in 3.25mm needles rather than 4mm and b)picked up the one ball of yarn that is in a different dyelot to knit it with! Rather elementary errors for someone who has been knitting nearly her whole life! Can't face redoing the sleeve right now. Might work on a different bit of it, or succumb to the siren call of the cast on....

A Little More on Surface

Hey do you see what I'm doing here? Blogging every day! I do actually keep a written knitting journal, so am trying to use this format more for that - and prevent those long weeks of no blogging.

Bear with me, I am trying to get my picture of Bella up, but Blogger and my computer don't want to play. It will happen, and in fact is up on my Rav page now.

So yesterday I spent a lot of the day staring at a screen at work (finishing off documents), and was brain-exhausted by the end of the day. Did not knit at all on my commute, but I did listen to the latest Stash and Burn (Episode 112). After I got home, had dinner and unwound a bit I did half a pattern repeat on the second Surface sleeve, and in doing that finished the patterned section - onto plain stocking stitch again, which lends itself much better to evenings after work.

And of course I daydreamed about things I would like to cast on - yesterday it was the Oasis Wrap from the Sept 2010 edition of Yarn Forward. I have some Lornas Laces in Clay from a long-ago yarn swap (thanks Jane!) that might just work....

Bella - Number One in the Rowan Project.

A while ago, Susan (over at Damn, Knit and Blast It) gave me an idea - to knit one thing from each one of my old Rowan Magazines, and I blogged briefly about this at the time. Unfortunately, she gave me this idea about a month before I upped sticks to DC for a year (and I wasn't about to lug a bunch of Rowan Magazines over there!). But before I went, I started the project, and now I'm back and have unpacked, I plan to continue.

I started by reknitting the first Rowan pattern I ever did - Bella, a mid-1990s Kim Hargreaves pattern. It used a then-available Rowan Chenille yarn which must have been quite fine in weight as the needle size is small. I remember buying the magazine, yarn and needles from Liberty, totally blown away by how beautiful the magazine was. Coming from Australia, and in that pre-internet age, I had never seen Rowan products before, and in the knitting slump of the 1990s hadn't been doing much knitting anyway. I had done a lot as a teenager in the 1980s, with youthful knitting-mad aunties to spur me on!

I knitted the original Bella on the long flight home one Christmas (probably my second trip home after settling in the UK), and remember having difficulty with the lacy openwork pattern, and not wearing it much after I made it.

This time I used some handpainted Aracunia chenille in stash (picked up for next to nothing at All the Fun of the Fair in London), knitted it up in no time on much larger needles (5.5 mm I think) and love the result, even though the colours are a bit too earthy for me really. In fact I thought I had gifted it before I left for DC, but found it in my box of accessories when I unpacked recently, so started wearing it with both a tan mac and my black coat.

I popped out into the garden yesterday to take some arty pics of Bella, so will post one with this. Time to choose the next project, from another 90s era Rowan Magazine!

Simplicity 9078, a Surface pic and the Importance of Lists.

Today a little more information on my newly-sewn-for-Christmas gold top (pic in previous post). The pattern is Simplicity 9078, and as I said yesterday I would date it as early 1980s. I attach a pic of the cover:

I picked this pattern up at Oxfam for the princely sum of 49p, and in fact have already tried it out once - that attempt was doomed as I used a patterned jersey knit fabric which I found I couldn't sew easily on my then crappy machine (before I got the trusty treadle running). I did however manage to centre the fabric, and ended up mostly sticking it together with hemming tape. It fell apart the first time I washed it, but I did get compliments on it that one time! My intention this time is that it will last longer, so I took the pattern's advice and used a silk-type (viscose) fabric, and actually sewed the seams.

Yesterday I was feeling rather flipperty-gibbet about my craft projects, so I sat down after blogging and wrote out a list of what I am working on. The list went like this (in no particular order):

1. Fair Isle Hand Warmers
2. Surface
3. Great American Afghan
4. Mending (I have a pile to do!)
5. Skirt refashion
6. T-shirt quilt
7. Next sewing project: elastic waist trousers

I have left the list where I do my crafting - on the sofa in the lounge, in front of the TV/radio, and so after it got dark yesterday (about 3.30pm!) I found an old mini-series on CBS Drama (The Thorn Birds - fantastic stuff) and finished the hand warmers before I had to make dinner. They are now ticked off the list (very satisfying) and in fact I am wearing them right now.  Keeping up the good work, this morning after I had finished various chores and outings I sat down to Desert Islands Discs at 11am and worked on Surface (the second sleeve) for an hour. Here is a pic of the first, finished, sleeve:

I am hoping this rich berry coloured cashmere-blend (RYC cashsoft) cardigan will become a weekend staple, particularly as I am feeling short of comfy, cozy-yet-stylish weekend clothes at the moment.

Fair isle hand warmers

A long overdue update - the winter season; fair isle and gold!

So I have been knitting, and sewing, a little. Surface is more than half done, and to entertain myself as I always get bored about 2/3 through a project, I am knitting some fair isle hand warmers. I have come to like the concept of hand warmers, and wanted to practice my colourwork. These (in the associated picture) are from a free Rav pattern. They are quick and fun to do, and I've used left over sock yarn. The GAA has been languising, I'm afraid...

But I have been sewing - I got my Jones CS Family treadle going, with a little help from a few internet sources and youtube, and sewed a vintage (circa 1980s) top out of some gold fabric I picked up at a charity shop. I am pretty happy with the result, and it is my first step towards my aim of sewing all my vintage patterns. Pic below:

The treadle sews beautifully, smoothly and at the pace I want (I dislike electric machines), and the rhythmic nature of treadling is soothing, like knitting, only the results are quicker!

Wrap pencil skirt

Shorts for lounging and sleeping in

Surface, Unpacking, and Sewing Goals for 2012

A few weeks on and I am near half way through Surface - hours of stocking stitch, with occasional waist shaping are perfect for no-brain-required post-work knitting. I have just unpacked three boxes of yarn and knitting books (which has made me realise I need no more yarn and no more books on knitting!). Only a little more has been done on the Afghan (entrelac with cables at the moment - not as demanding as it sounds, but certainly not for weeknights), and I ashamed to say, no more samples either. BUT I plan to post a couple of sewing pics from my time in DC - shorts, and a wrap pencil-style skirt, both made from thrift store material and sewed by hand in my DC apartment, during the spring and summer of 2010. The shorts are great for lounge and sleepwear, and the skirt has been worn to work, but it does have closure issues which makes me anxious when I wear it (ie that it will fall off!). I also unpacked a bunch of sewing patterns I have stashed over the years today, most are vintage, circa 80s and 90s and either picked up from thrift stores or given to me by friends having clearouts, but I do have a couple of Amy Butler bag patterns as well. My goal for 2012? Sew all of these patterns! Let's see if I can do it...

Knitting for Every Mood

While the Yoga Wrap sits unworn on the cane armchair in my bedroom, waiting for an edging, I have been working on the Great American Afghan. Last night I started my ninth square - three squares completed this month, a record. Of course this is only because as the decorators have moved in, ALL my yarn has been boxed up and is hard to get to. But boredom is setting in, and I did manage to climb over some boxes yesterday, and, in desperation place my hands on the RYC cashsoft I had planned on doing something with. First I had thought another 3 hour sweater. Then I thought the Glengarrie and Yorkshire 2 hour sweater. (You can see where I'm going here can't you?)

BUT then I did a Ravelry search and found two Norah Gaughan patterns - Surface (from Knitty Winter 2008 - top picture below), and a free Berrocco pattern, Wishbone (lower picture below). Surface will be perfect for the cashsoft.
So my plan is to have the GAA on the go, plus Surface for times went I want to knit clothing, rather than a blanket, AND of course my samples for Module 3 of the City and Guilds in Textile Design (train knitting). 3 things OTN - something for every mood.

Working from Deep Stash

One of the (few) benefits to an international move is that all of my new American yarn is currently securely boxed up, thanks to the US postal service, but my old stash yarn is in an open box, waiting for a place in our new house to live. So, despite being behind my target of one square a month on the Great American Afghan (should be about to start my 10th sqaure, instead I'm starting my 6th), I have been dipping into Deep Stash to knit useful things for my new commute and job.

First up - some ancient black Cygnet DK 100% merino I bought years ago at John Lewis Oxford St, with plans to knit a sleeveless vest. I then promptly bought exactly such a vest from Laura Ashley and so never felt the need to knit one up. The amount of yarn wasn't quite enough to be useful for anything else, and so it languished. However - mornings and evenings are cold in North Yorkshire, so I feel the need for cardigans and wraps to pull over the lighter clothes I wear at work (where the buildings are usually too warm). Black is a useful, argueably neutral, colour, so I pulled the yarn out and started Lisa Gentry's Yoga Wrap Sweater (making good use of Sobahime's alterations on Ravelry). I knitted top down, and have now completed it, except for edging. What to do about edging? I have no yarn left, so could edge in a contrast colour (makes it harder to work as a throw-over-anything wrap though), OR I could leave it unedged, which doesn't look too bad, kind of Japanese in style, and use a shawl pin to secure it if wanted. I am planning to give this a go - I can always go back and edge it if I feel I want to later.

Further projects planned from Deep Stash: either the 3 hour, or 2 hour Yorkshire and Glengarry Sweater using the old dark burgandy RYC Cashsoft I've had in stash seemingly forever. As its short sleeved this would make a good work sweater I think, to be worn with flowing black trousers (my basic work "uniform" - soft black trousers and pretty tops). Also, another go at the Central Park Hoodie in some rather glam gold aran wool/acrylic blend by Patons I picked up on ebay years ago, for some unknown reason. It's escaped several stash clearouts, because I rather like it - I also like the thought of using the gold yarn for a casual sweater.

The longer I can keep my new yarn boxed up the better maybe...

Great american afghan

Now on block 6 - more pics soon!

2 needle socks in progress

A fathers day gift for my dad. Yarn is jarol sweet briar.

It Might Make a Good Tea Cosy...

When I'm not knitting (which is hardly ever), I sometimes sew, as detailed in this blog, and I sometimes even crochet. Now, I was taught to knit the traditional way - as a child, at my grandmother's knee - but as no one in my immediate family crocheted, I didn't learn how. Perhaps it's due to being a child in the 1970s, but I've always liked crochet, and was very excited as a much younger woman when it made a spectacular return in the early 1990s. However, I've always struggled with it. I follow how-to books when crocheting, and it really is no replacement for having someone show you how. I frequently get lost in patterns, and get very confused when increasing or decreasing, and sometimes have difficulty working out which is the right side of my work - I am used to being able to "read" my knitting easily, and staring at a piece of crochet wondering what is going wrong makes me feel very helpless!

I am slowly working my way through a basic book of crocheted patterns (Lena Maikon's Knitter's Lib) and recently tried my hand at a hat, with mixed results. I finished it, and got through the pattern, but it came out too big, and with rather obvious (and wobbly) joins at the beginning of each round. I haven't worn it.

However, in a pre-move clearout today I hesitated before putting it in a bag destined for donation. Maybe I can use it as a tea cosy....

On Wearing Shawls in Summer

The more shawls I knit, the more I realize how incredibly useful they are. Yesterday I spent the day in Baltimore, Maryland - a grittily industrial but still beautiful harbour city, full of amazing architcture and historic ships, including the famous Balitmore clippers. I took advantage of the many free offerings at the Visitor's Centre, including an afternoon walking tour of the city. Afternoons in Maryland in late June are pretty warm, and although I had a hat I wanted something to protect my shoulders and chest area as my tee shirt had a sweetheart neckline. My Really Simple Shawlette (search Ravelry for the pattern) was perfect, knitted in Noro Silk Garden Sock it kept me cool during the hot walk, and at the end of the day - no sunburn. It also drew many admiring comments from passers-by. A real success, so many thanks to the talented designer!

On wearing shawls in summer

The civil war era

Halcyon yarns

In My Queue: A Civil War Era Shawl

Yesterday as I was passing the historic Willard Hotel in downtown Washington, I passed two ladies dressed in civil war era garb - no mean feat in the heat and humidity of the Washington summer, and indeed they were fanning themselves! One had a lace shawl draped across her arms, and it reminded me how beautiful shawls look.

A little while ago, I was surfing for vintage patterns and found a lovely website from the South Carolina Ladies Auxiliary (http://csa-scla.org/index/htm). From it, I plan to knit the Civil War Era Shawl, in the originally suggested colours of violet, black and gold. But what yarn to use?

While in Bath, Maine, on our recent New England trip, I visited the wonderful and amazing Halcyon Yarns (halcyonyarn.com) and was in heaven. Rows and rows of ceiling high wooden shelving stocking their own brand of beautiful yarns, plus a range of other quality yarns, and with notions, books, weaving and spinning supplies as well - looking at the examples of woven scarves made me want to buy a starter kit then and there! I left with a bag of pure silk yarn ends in varying colours (violet, black, gold among them) and some Victorian Brushed Mohair in violet - serendipity.

The insignia shawl

So far.

Our plans for a weekend at the Great Lakes went awry, thanks to airline delays, so instead we made lemonade out of lemons, hired a car and set off through the Appalachian Mountains to West Virginia. That meant I needed some in-car knitting, so I cast on for the Insignia Shawl by Cecily Glowik Macdonald in this summer's Knitscene. I used some vintage cotton bought from a thrift shop in cobalt blue - a cotton shawl will be perfect for over-airconditioned inside spaces here in DC. And it's all garter stitch, perfect for the car.

However, I didn't have the required 4.5 mm circular with me, so talked my husband into a stop for coffee in the pretty town of Cumberland, Maryland, deep in the mountains and with a yarn shop (Millicents Yarns and More, http://millicentsyarns.com/). They were happy to help me out with a needle, and I was set for the weekend.

The "dreaming spires" of Cumberland, Maryland.

The Insignia Shawl

Shibui ankle socks

Waiting for a block and maybe a picot edge.

New England, Part One (Portsmouth)

Last week saw us travelling around New England, visiting historical towns, beautiful beaches, and mountain landscapes. It was a wonderful trip, and of course I also found time to drop in to a number of yarn stores - New England is yarn store heaven!

Our first stop was Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where I visited the Yarn Basket and bought 2 skeins of New England Shetland in the colourway "Peacock" (a shawl perhaps), and picked up an old Jo Sharp knitting magazine on a heavy discount.

While there I finished the Shibui ankle socks, which are in my knitting bag waiting to be blocked.

Harrisville New England Shetland in "Peacock"

The beautiful town of Portsmouth

The Yarn Basket

Shorts, Completed.

Well, who was to know elastic would be so hard to find in downtown Washington DC? My usual supplier of basic sewing tools (CVS!) didn't stock it, and it is just to hot to walk the streets looking for it, so I substituted a long shoelace as a drawstring in the shorts, and am very happy with the result, although the husband says they look too boyish.

I am getting into this sewing thing, so this morning will sort out the fastenings on a wrap skirt I have been working on, on and off, as that's all I need to do to finish it, and tonight maybe start a patchwork bag from all my leftover scraps from these two projects - something like this perhaps (from http://sewingtime.blogspot.com/2009/09/pink-penguin-patchwork-drawstring-bag.html)

As my shoulder improves, I have been able to work more on Frost Flowers, but am thinking about knitting the back plain - it will be easier on my shoulder (and that means I might get it done in time to wear it this summer), and I have a road trip coming up next week and need in-car knitting. For me, this can only be plain or purl knitting - I can't look down at my work in the car or I feel sick. I will probably throw the Shibui socks into my knitting bag too, to finish them off. Breaks are good knitting time for me, and usually good times to finish off projects.

When I'm done with those, that will leave me with only a design I am working on, and this:

It's a little too hot in DC to want to knit a wool afghan right now; I am nearly through the first strip though, so this one will be travelling back to to chilly North Yorkshire with me in August, for finishing over the autumn/winter.

Adventures in Sewing

In order to give my sore shoulder a break from knitting I have been dabbling in sewing lately, and last night after work settled down to make a pair of shorts for the sweltering DC weather, using Sky Turtle's suggestions at:
http://skyturtle.net/2009/05//26/how-to-make-an-easy-peasy-pair-of-shorts/

Sky Turtle's beautiful shorts

I used some cotton fabric I'd picked up at a thrift store, dark red with small white stars all over it, and drew around my pyjama pants to make the pattern. I don't have a sewing machine here in DC so leisurely spent the evening hand sewing the seams (using backstitch). I will finish them tonight, just need to get some elastic for the waistband - they have turned out pretty well.

I managed to squeeze in some knitting as well - picked up and knit the gussets on the second Shibui sock (while sitting in the shade on the Mall at lunchtime watching people jog by under the hot DC sun!), and did 5 rows on Frost Flowers before bed.

All in all, a pretty productive day!

Travels around America

Almost at the end of my year in America, I suddenly thought I should be blogging about my travels here! Yesterday saw us travelling back from beautiful and sleepy (at this time of year!) Cape Cod, where we spent the weekend, and where I visited the impressively well-stocked Black Purls Yarn store in East Sandwich. I bought two skeins of "Sugar Rush" in white there. Wonderfully soft, I had never seen this sugar-derived yarn before. Normally I buy local yarns on my travels, but if I can't find any I look for something unusual, and this fit the bill.

At the airport and on the flight home I worked on a pair of summer ankle "sports" style socks in Shibui Sock (bought from one of my current LYSs, Stitch DC), using my usual sock pattern, the Vogue Universal Sock Calculator and adapting it to make ankle socks. The Shibui is very pretty, not quite a solid, but a little unforgiving to work with - and I am using Kollage square needles which should be giving me a more even knitting texture than usual (thanks for the needles, Janie!).

At home in the evening I managed four rows of the Frost Flowers top before my shoulder starting aching and I had to stop, sadly.

Our next trip is Maine, stay tuned...

Cape Cod - Dexter's Grist Mill

Black Purls Yarn

Shibui Sock

Frost Flowers Top (available as a free download on Ravelry)

No Idle Hands

For the past few weeks, I have been reading Anne McDonald's No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting.

Although I knew of the existance of this book, I had never been compelled to read it, probably becuase it describes itself as a history of American knitting, and until recently I did not live in America, nor knew that much of life here. However, it is much more universal from that and has been an extremely enjoyable read - I would recommend it to anyone, anywhere in the world.

It covers knitting from the American Revolution until the 1980s - a huge span of time which saw sweeping changes in society and culture, and hence in knitting. People knit less for necessity now, but knitting still has the same properties; relaxation, something to do in odd moments, something to do with one's hands, and the pleasure of hand made items.

I was astounded by the work of one early knitter, completely blind, who knit intricate mittens with poetry and verse included, using fair isle techniques. In fact it was striking how many early knitters note that knitting, unlike sewing, is something that can be done in the dark! Used to electric light available all the time, I hadn't even considered this.

The output of earlier knitters is also pretty amazing; one knitter regularly turned out 10 sweaters in 7 days, achieved through a routine of knitting from 9am until 2am the following morning, broken only by meals, occasional trips to market, and an afternoon rest.

Much time is given to sock knitting, both in wartime and in peace, and this has inspired me to once again pick up my sock needles and start the perfect portable, pick-up, put-down and ultimately most useful of projects - even in this day and age, hand knit socks are much, much nicer than shop bought ones. The knitters in the book knit socks at every available moment, and so many times in the past few weeks as I've been reading this book I've thought - if only I had a sock to work on now...

5 th ave infinity scarf

Drops design sweater

It has been too long as usual between my last blog and now. I had thought that a year not working would mean much more regular blogging, but it is not so.
So - what have I actually completed these past months here in DC?
- The Feather and Fan Shrug in alpaca/silk laceweight, and drew oohs and aahs when I wore it recently over a black turtleneck.
- A cowl from the Knit Two Together book, which came in useful recently during a cold snap (although the Louisa Harding mohair/silk blend was perhaps not a good idea as although pretty it's fine fibres found their way into my nose and mouth!
- Two hats: the Besselborough hat from New England Knits in Malabrigio and Jared Flood's Quincey in some handspun from an alpaca farm in Virginia. Both have been worn, but Qunicy is super-warm and has been worn to death.
- The Lotus Leaf Scarf/Neckwarmer in Frog Tree Melange (so soft and warm!). Worn to death as it tucks neatly under a coat, and looks pretty when the coat comes off.
- The Bulky Lace Vest from New England Knits in reclaimed yarn.
- A Drops Design sweater for the husband, in Rowan Purelife British Breeds Blue Faced Leicester. Came out a little snug, but he wears it.

Currently OTK:
- a baby sweater for a friend's child in Regia Softy.
- a variation on a design theme in some treasured alpaca from rural Argentina, bought some years ago. Got sick of it sitting in the yarn cupboard waiting for some special pattern or idea, so got it out and started knitting it. It will be a cardigan/vest type thing.

Currently planned:
- an infinity cowl in some Jade Sapphire cashmere (picked up in NYC - but more about that later!)

So it's not a bad list. A knitting friend recently asked me how my knitting resolutions were going - and had I met last years (no!). Last year's resoution was cast on (a pair of fair isle gloves) but not completed. This resolution carries over to this year, along with one to start knitting more of my own designs.

Watch and wait...