On a quest

Does anyone have a copy of Interweave Knits Summer 2004 and be kind to share a pattern from it with me? This issue is discontinued and can't even be found on EBay... :-( There is one pattern in it that I'd love to give a try... I give a skein of sock yarn to my hero!

Odd question

Just a odd question out of the blue...

When you find a pattern you like but turn out to be crochet and you don't crochet at all, it is "portable" to a knitting one easily? Is it even feasible? Or do I have to learn to crochet?

The Emergency Shawl story!

So much knitting occurred as well as knitting events! It won't be contained solely in this post, but that it just to make it suspenseful!

Andean Treasure Shawl
Originally uploaded by diluvienne.

All right, back in September, I woke up at some point (read too late), awoken by connecting the dots that me going to a wedding in Lake Louise at end September and there being around 5C at that time of the year, as well as me wearing a fancy dress that doesn't really cover that much the shoulders should lead to the logical answer being that I need a shawl. Basically, I ordered my yarn 3 weeks before the flight (at the epiphany moment, basically), which took 2 eternal weeks to show up at my door step and left me with 1 week to produce a shawl.

I call it the Wedding Emergency Shawl.

I wanted something easy to do and to remember, given I have no previous experience in lacing and that I have no time and interest in that, given the circumstances. I went for KnitPicks' Feather and Fan pattern. Here it is:

Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: K1, *[k2tog] 3 times, [yo, k1] 6 times, [k2tog] 3 times; repeat from * to last st, k1.
Row 4: Knit

I used a total of 10 balls of Andean Silk, colorway cranberry, because I wanted it rather long and wrapping.

View from the 2nd hole
Originally uploaded by diluvienne.

Now, this shawl has a lot to tell. It had to be knitted in a week (at the time, I was considering using only 8 balls of yarn), which lead me to have go through a ball a day. Even during working days.

I knitted and I knitted. On the bus, walking to the bus, in the metro. On the plane.

Poppy
Originally uploaded by diluvienne.

When we arrived in Lake Louise, the day before the wedding, we went to Golden (BC), for golfing. I don't golf, but I was offered to be my boyfriend's chauffeur (never drove those before and it is fun, fun, fun!!) and that gave me the opportunity to take gorgeous pictures like there is no tomorrow. But, sometimes, between two holes and after taking all that inspired me, I would knit a couple of rows in my cart (especially when there was a shower of rain). There I was, on the golf course, driving and knitting, sometimes both at the same time!

I figured that finishing it in time for the wedding was a tad utopian, but I wanted to do the most I can so I can take it off the needles, wear it at the wedding (hopefully it'll cover my shoulders!) and then I would finish it completely when I come back on, by placing it back on the needles. And so I did.

I blocked it last week. Yeah!

A hope for warmth!

Wool of the Andes Bulky
Originally uploaded by diluvienne.

My friend, FuzzyMitten came home recently to help me figure out how to produce a mitten. With her generous help, I have been able to achieve a pair within 24 hours! Woohoo!

I wanted a basic and easy way to knit mittens and she popped a pattern out of her hat, as we went! So, for those who are interested, here is how I did them.

Basic Mittens
Originally uploaded by diluvienne.

Basic Mittens

Yarn: Wool of the Andes Bulky Hand Dye, from KnitPicks
6.0mm needles.
RedWood Forest colourway.

Cuff (15cm circumference)

(Wrist circumference - 2 cm) x (number of sts per cm) rounded up to the nearest even number.

(15 - 2) x 1.7 sts/cm = 13 x 1.7 = 22 sts

CO 22 sts.

K2P2 for about 2 in.

Palm (18 cm circumference)

(18 cm x 1.7 sts/cm = 30 sts.)

Round 1: K around
Round 2: *K3 M1L, repeat from *, then finish with M1L. (30 sts)
Round 3: K around
Round 4: K2, PM, [M1L, K1, M1L]*, PM, then K until the end. *thumb formation. 3sts
Round 5: K around
Round 6: K2, [M1L, K3, M1L], K the rest. Thumb has now 5 sts
Round 7: K around
Round 8: K2, [M1L, K5, M1L], K the rest. Thumb has now 7 sts.
Round 9: K around
Round 10: K2, [M1L, K7, M1L], K the rest. Thumb has now 9sts, which is enough.

(Hand - palm = thumb)
(22 cm - 18 cm = 4 cm)
(4 cm x 1.7 sts/cm = 7sts. But 7 sts would have been too small, so we opted for 9 sts.)

Subsequent rows: K around until the work reaches the base of the thumb. Finish after knitting the thumbs stitches and place them on scrap yarn for further use.

Finish the round.

K1, M1L (because the palm lost a st for the making of the thumb), K2tog (using a st on each side of the thumb to join them together), M1L (to compensate for the loss by the K2tog), K until the end of the row.

K around until the reaching of the little finger.

Decrease rows:
- *K3, K2tog, repeat from * until end of row.
- K around
- *K2, K2tog, repeat from * until end of row.
- K around
- *K1, K2tog, repeat from * until end of row.
- K around
- *K2tog, repeat from * until end of row.

Break off yarn and darn the end.

Thumb

Put the 9 sts back on needles (3 sts on 3 needles).

Make 3 sts in the gap between thumb and palm leaving a long end inside the mitten, K around. (12 sts)

K2tog to join with the gap, K around, K2tog to join with the gap (10 sts)

K around until end of thumb.

- *K2tog, repeat from * until end of row. (5 sts)

Break off yarn and darn the end. Use the thumb long end of yarn to close any holes or to insulate better the gap between thumb and palm.

Enjoy!

Now, I need to make a pair using Malabrigo yarn!!!

A finished project!

Penelope
Originally uploaded by diluvienne.

Last July, I bought Perl Grey's Penelope pencil skirt kit, which includes the pattern and Handmaiden's Ottawa yarn, in beet colourway.

I had to start over 3 times. because I am bad at gauging properly my tension and I am a tight knitter in transition towards looser. Yes, I made a swatch, but they are always misleading!

The first attempt was way too small (I am not 27 inches around the hips!!), the second way too big (jumped up to 40in). You know what they say, third time is the charm. Well, apparently so. :-) So, I started for real in August, left it on ice for the most part of September and October, only to really finish it just now. In total, it must have taken slightly more than a month to execute.

My first (major) piece of clothing!

Knitting puzzle

I have been meditating about a design I want to make and for which I ordered some gorgeous for. One little problem is that I can't figure out one detail in order to achieve what I have in mind. I have been struggling over this for days now, trying little tests/prototypes with scrap yarn, meditating some more, consulting the stitch libraries I have, but to no success.

What I want to do is so very simple, but puzzling. I bugs me to not be able to solve something so simple! (Yet complicated , I guess...)

I want to be able to find a stitch that will generate a bump on the knit side. In other words, something like "Kn P1 Kn", but the reason why this latter stitch pattern fails is that the bump is inward as opposed to outward (the inside, or Purl side displays what I am looking for).

I know that going for "Pn K1 Pn" would make my life easier, but I want a K-based pattern!

The whole goal behind the bump I want to create is to, after many rows, have a vertical line... It doesn't have to be of a specific shape. Something different than a P-looking or a K-looking stitch would actually be a bonus!

Any ideas?

Another project (like I need more...) ;-)

I would need new slippers and given that I am a knitter, I think that I should make them myself. The only problem is that I can't seem to find a free pattern for cool slippers. I don't want the traditional grand-ma style of slippers or sock-style type of slippers. I would be willing to pay for a pattern, if it is for that pattern only (so, it is affordable and I don't need to buy a book, just for that project). Does anyone have suggestions? Or, if you are from Montréal, do you have a printed copy of a pattern/ patterns magazine/ patterns book you could lend me?

Thank you!

New!

I know. Long time no post. It is certainly not because I have not knitted or have nothing to say! No, see, it is more due to the scary long lists of projects (socks, scarf, skirt and an emergency shawl!) and traveling to Lake Louise (during which, yes, I did knit!). Since I have 4 ongoing projects at the moment, I found the energy to focus on finishing some of them. The first one is a quick one: a pair of socks!

Yarn

Sea Wool
Originally uploaded by diluvienne.

Fleece Artist's Sea Wool
(70% Merino, 30% Seacell)
Colorway: mermaid (hand dyed)

Pattern

The pattern is from the Knitting up a Storm blog and adapted by me (with the help of my sweetie at times) for a women size 7 foot.

Joe's Office sock
Originally uploaded by diluvienne.

The verdict

They are so comfy! The pattern makes them stretchy, for a better fit (I hate stiff socks). And I enjoy the nice diamond-shaped pattern!

Yay!

Patterns!
Originally uploaded by diluvienne.

Look what just arrived in the mail today! And I have a (first of three) shipment of yarn at the post office for me to pick tomorrow!

On the road to yarn/pattern experimentation...

Watching ejchang's blog and photos, I couldn't help to notice some really gorgeous yarn she was knitting with. After inquiring with her, I finally discovered Fleece Artist's yarn. "Not too late!", you might say, but I was completely unaware of their existence and I instantly fell in love with their yarn.

Sea Wool
Originally uploaded by diluvienne.

I had my first physical, sensorial, actual encounter with Fleece Artist's products when I had my first visit at Effiloché (mandatory visit for any serious knitter in Montreal, in my opinion!). I caved for a skein of Sea Wool (70% Merino, 30% Seacell) and of Merino yarn.

I started playing with the Sea Wool yarn, using the Bordello Sock pattern. However, after a few inches, I started to realize that this pattern has a basic flaw for socks that bothers me a lot: they are not stretchy (mind you, I knit on the tight end).

I ended up ripping it off (hence the lack of photo of my own), and started again with a different pattern (another post!)

For obvious reasons, I cannot divulge the pattern online. However, I am inclined to give it to anyone who asks for it! Any takers?

post-Toronto knitting vigor

Sock yarn heaven
Originally uploaded by diluvienne.

Last June, while I was in Toronto, I visited what I heard afterwards to be the biggest yarn store in North America. Really cool store. It is called Romni and while I was there, I started a really strong yarn envy. I always wanted to try cotton and since it was in the middle of Summer, I felt that knitting cotton made sense, so I went a little crazy and bought a big bunch of cotton skeins.

Spiral sock
Originally uploaded by diluvienne.

While I visited Toronto, we were staying at a friend's parents' house. One of our generous hosts was a knitter too and she gave me a copy of an easy sock pattern. I felt that there couldn't any better usage of one of my cotton skeins!

The pattern is taken from a knitting book from the 50's. Very easy to do, no heel to execute, but entertaining and interesting spiral. It has no name, so I'll call it "Spirally"!

Spirally

Gauge: 12 rounds = 1 inch.

Cuff: Cast on 56 sts loosely; divide on 3 3mm needles; join. Work K2, P2 ribbing for 1 1/2 inch (or less, like I did).

Leg:
Round 1 *K4, P4; repeat from * to end; mark end of round. Repeat last round 3 times.
^At beginning of next round K5, *P4, K4; repeat from *, end round P3;
P1 st from next round and mark for end of round; then K4, P4 for 3 more rounds.
Repeat from ^ shifting end of round pattern, 1 st to the left every 4th round until desired length. At this point, try sock on to determine exact length require before toe.

Toe:
K1 round plain.
1st dec. round: *K6; k2tog; repeat from * to end of round; 49 sts. K3 rounds even.
2nd dec. round: *K5, k2tog; repeat from * to end of round; 42 sts. K3 rounds even.
3rd dec. round: *K4, k2tog; repeat from * to end of round; 35 sts. K3 rounds even.
4th dec. round: *K3, k2tog; repeat from * to end of round; 28 sts. K3 rounds even.
5th dec. round: K2tog 14 times; 14 sts. K1 round.

Break off, leaving an end. Draw end through all sts twice, tighten and darn in end.

The Sock is Done
Originally uploaded by dcoombs.

The yarn is Mandarin Petit (color 5200), a Norwegian cotton yarn. Very soft! I like it!

I realized with wonder and happiness as I was knitting it that the yarn I chose was equally spiraling, but in opposite direction than the stitch spiral. Very interesting!

I have instructions for children and men size as well, if anyone is interested. Feel free to ask any questions!

My second (completed) pair of socks!