The Cardigan Continues

If you saw my last post, you’ll know I’m in the middle of a binge of sweater knitting. A cardigan is on its way into my life, piece by piece.

Yep, piece by piece – I’m not knitting it in one piece. I hate sewing things up, but I’m sure it will be worth it because this cardigan is going to be glued to me for the whole of autumn and probably a large portion of the winter.

So far I’ve made only two mistakes, though they were big ones.

1. I made the back about two inches too small. I don’t know how I managed that. I’m going back in a few days to rip out the top bit and add a couple of inches. Not ideal, but I will pull through.
2. When decreasing the right front of the cardigan I started doing both the neck and the shoulder on the same side of the section, which apparently is not how human bodies work.

Both of these problems could have been solved by printing off the pattern and actually reading it as I go along instead of skimming it in the morning and making it up, because you know, that’s a sensible way to do it. (Though this time I’m not just making it up completely as I would on a less important project; I do write down some small notes. Just… not enough.)

After work today I decided to go to the library to print off the pattern but alas, they’d changed how the system worked and I messed it up and then there were no computers so I was outta luck, buddy. Maybe I’ll try again tomorrow. Or maybe not.

Maybe I’ll just keep making it up and see what happens.

(By the way the pattern is Cushing Isle by Amy Herzog, though I’m using the Custom Fit generator for it. More on that stroke of genius when the sweater is done!)

Suddenly, a cardigan appears

Over the last week I have finished a few projects  (on their way to the blocking mat) and frogged one fairly major project (story coming later this week). Since everything on the needles is giving me attitude, I decided to start a project I’ve been excited about for a while.

Plus it was my birthday Sunday. What better excuse to cast on a cardigan?

I only started this yesterday and it’s already ten inches deep. It’s a welcome break from troublesome projects!

The magical sock pattern

Spoiler: a friend and owner of my local yarn store wrote the pattern I’m speaking about here, so I’m entirely biased on its merits.

That doesn’t mean the pattern isn’t awesome though.

Recently it seems everyone I know is writing amazing patterns and I have to keep knitting them. No, it’s not out of a sense of obligation; I won’t knit something that I don’t like in general, because life’s too short for that. Nope, turns out the talented folks I know write damn good patterns.

Martina Munroe published Camber Twist Socks around the same time as Vickie Hartog published the Grandifolia Shawl (which I’ve finished and you shall see soon). Another friend asked me to knit her some Camber Twists and I began, and as soon as I memorised the pattern I was hooked.

The yarn I’m using is Cascade Heritage Wave (I would recommend not googling ‘Cascade Wave’ as I just did, as it turns out it is something very different). It’s red plied with shades of grey, and it is SO SQUISHY I have since bought a skein for myself. I’m adapting the pattern to be knee-high socks for a friend, hence the little stitch markers and the odd shape.

See, these are excellent socks. The pattern looks quite plain on the needles but when you put it on it turns magic. My coworkers watched me knit and when I showed them what it would look like stretched around the leg, their minds were blown.

This is why:

Look how cute that is!

Not only is it cute, but it’s a great idea for a sock stitch. It’s less boring to knit than plain ribbing but will be snug and comfortable against the leg despite that. I have a problem with skinny ankles that means a lot of socks don’t fit well but these would be super versatile for anyone.

And yes, that is my pinky sticking out at the top of the sock.  My legs were too far away.

I know I spoke about knitting for Christmas last week but these are the exception. I have, however, started a pair of fingerless gloves in the same stitch as above. Apparently I dig it enough to have multiple projects on the go with it.

The best thing about Camber Twist? It’s still free until the end of August. Go get it now!

Do you love alpaca yarn too?

If you saw my last post about Nuevo Norte Alpacas and my trip into a little world full of alpaca-based happiness, you will know that I one day intend to keep alpacas.

Why? Well, the first time I felt alpaca yarn my mind was blown. I knew on a vague level that alpacas were a thing, but alpaca turned into my gateway drug into the world of fancy, soft, fluffy, amazing fibre. One small skein of pale blue baby alpaca/silk and I was sold on the world of fibre.

That project was one of the early documented ones on the blog, back in December 2011. I had been knitting for about a year and a friend send me the yarn. I found a nice pattern for fingerless mitts, something I’d never needed so badly before I knitted, and spent some of the worst weeks of my life knitting them. I was sick, I was in pain, and I’d had to postpone my year in Canada due to all of the above. (The picture to the side is from when I was bed-bound for a few weeks, and the featured cat is Disney who hated almost everyone but loved me so, so much. Especially when I didn’t move for a while.)

By December I was better and ready to go, but there’s a reason I called them ‘Escapism Mitts’. They gave me the space to enjoy texture and colour and the process of knitting instead of dwelling on the difficulties at the time.

I still have and use the mitts and they still look fabulous.

Since then I would have to say alpaca has remained close to my top spot in terms of my favourite fibre. I knit with wool more often as I knit socks pretty much constantly, but when I have an excuse for alpaca I don’t often resist.

How does that translate into wanting to keep alpacas myself?

My girlfriend and I are animal lovers. We surround ourselves with them, her even more than me (at her work). One day we plan to have a small farm – one they call here a ‘hobby farm’ – and keep a few choice animals. We’ll have alpacas (because I’m deadly serious about it), goats, chickens, horses. Maybe a few cows one day.

I mean, ideally I’d like to have an enormous herd of merino sheep but as I would spend all day running around hugging those giant puffballs, I’ll stick to alpacas.

Just look at this fluffy asshole. – Merino, Glen Orkney, Awatere, Marlborough, New Zealand, CC BY 2.0.

Wait, alpacas are also giant puffballs. Maybe I should reconsider. (I won’t.)

Do you like alpacas? Would you ever like to keep animals for their fibre? If you do already, how do you find it?

 

Knit in Public Day 2016

You know what I love even more than knitting?

Knitters.

On Saturday 18th June I got to spend a few hours in the sun (well, the shade) with a bunch of clever, interesting people, all of whom happened to be either knitting or crocheting. We rocked up to the Whitby library courtyard, rearranged things a bit, and had a jolly good time knitting in public.

World Wide Knit in Public Day is an international thing. A lot of people (mostly non-knitters) have asked me recently where it comes from and why it’s a thing so of course I had to look into it.

The beady-eyed among you might spot a reflection of a person in a pink and grey dress – that would be yours truly.

Turns out a knitter called Danielle Landes started it in 2005 as a way to bring knitters together. Not surprising, as knitting’s reputation as a solitary sport is slowly dying.

It also helps people realise that knitting is NOT a dying art form and that people of all ages participate and come together because of it. I couldn’t imagine not knitting now that I’m a part of the community (even though I am super angry at my current project).

However, I like that the focus is on other knitters(/crocheters), because community is important. It’s the perfect way for people with social anxiety to get out of the house, because knitting gives you something to do while you socialise and comes with a built-in conversation starter: “Oh my goodness, what yarn/pattern/stitch is that?!” for example.

Some of my favourite people in the world are in this photo.

I love my fellow knitters. Knit in Public Day gives me an excuse to share time and conversation and laughs with them in the sunshine instead of my local yarn store.

I didn’t set it on fire

…And that’s about as much as I can say about my recent knitting incident. I’m proud that the matches remain in the junk drawer, because it was a close thing.

I’m knitting a thing for someone (shhh) and it’s a lot of fun. It’s pretty, it’s beaded, it’s geeky. It’s something that one day I’ll be very proud I knitted, and I’m sure a lot of you are going to appreciate it when I can share pictures. For now let’s just call it THE THING OF DOOM, because it suits the damn situation.

So. THE THING OF DOOM has been on the needles for about two or three weeks and I’ve been knitting it a lot, mostly at home because I’m in a new position at work and can’t concentrate on fancy lace and such things. If THE THING OF DOOM has those attributes, of course. Which it might not. (It does.)

I’m about halfway through the last half of THE THING OF DOOM when I look at it, really look at it, and realise it’s wrong. Not just ‘I have a yarn over in the wrong place’ wrong, but ‘did you even read the pattern you big old fluff-for-brains’ wrong. Irredeemably wrong. Now, I checked a few times and inspected project photos over and over because I’ve been known to frog things only to realise it was fine the first time, but no. THE THING OF DOOM had to be ripped back about halfway.

Maybe I should be pleased I didn’t have to rip back to the beginning but that is not much of a consolation right now, shut up.

It’s really hard not to think about how many stitches I had to rip out last night. With over three hundred per row and about three inches of knitting, that’s… that’s a lot. That’s thousands. That’s… ugh.

Thankfully it was not the fancy lace part so it was easy to frog. I sat at knitting night and glowered at the world as I ripped it back, then picked up the stitches without incident and began knitting again, pleased that I only put it on down-time for four days or so.

Then I realised I hadn’t restrung the beads.

THE THING OF DOOM is back in its bag and though I need to finish it soon, right now I’m just trying to keep the matches out of sight.

Why do I think knitting is fun again?

A comfy knitted neck-thing

My friend Jen is a good person. She’s the kind of friend who stays in a hotel overnight at the airport so she can meet you off the plane. She’s the kind of person who enjoys treks to yarn stores (hence our visit to Loop when we were in London). She’s the kind of person who deserves a nice knitted gift here and there.

This is, coincidentally, the first knitted object I’ve made that I did entirely in Continental. It was an easy choice. It’s basically a long knitted tube, so I had no purling and no complicated lace. My stitches weren’t as even as they are with English/throwing, but my gauge was consistent and a little blocked got rid of the worst of it.

I might write up this pattern, simple as it is.

A note on the yarn: it is a thing of wonderment. It is called ‘Ayni’ from Amano Yarns and it is a beautiful, fine, luxurious blend of baby alpaca and silk. It’s gentle on the skin and comes in some gorgeous colours. I picked a deep purple for Jen.

I cast on enough to make the size I needed, then knitted for two solid weeks while teaching a new hire class at work. Once it was twice as long as I needed I folded it inside out and kitchener-stitched the whole thing up into a tube.

This was the result.

And this is what it looks like on the intended recipient as we sat drinking posh drinks in Costa. Oh, how I missed Costa.

She says it’s going to be great for when she’s watching football as scarves usually fall off. I’m glad it’ll have a practical use, though it looks so great on her that I don’t really mind either way.

It’s lovely to knit something for someone that’s knitworthy, isn’t it?

Five Follow-up Thoughts on Continental

1. It really is faster after a while.
2. Having such a radically different gauge is going to throw off my default sock pattern (i.e. making it up as I go).
3. People seem REAL interested in Portuguese knitting in the comments of my last post on this matter. Must investigate.
4. Knitting 150g of light fingering in plain stockinette is even less fun that I expected, but at least I’m getting the hang of Continental.
5. I hope I don’t end up twisting my purls for another two years.

Bookish Knits: Agatha Christie Edition

I was 10% through my collection of Agatha Christies rescued from various secondhand stores when my friend came to me and offered a full collection. Yep. That’s right. The full set in matching editions. I gasped and jumped at the chance and, while they’re currently in England because heavy to ship, they are one of my favourite things.

Agatha Christie always kept you guessing. Sometimes I even forget the bad guy in books I’ve already read. In honour of one of my favourite authors (and definitely my favourite mystery author), please enjoy a collection of patterns inspired by her greatness.

The Big Four

by Maureen Foulds

Picture credit at pattern link

Spoiler: I know Maureen in real life so I am biased, but her patterns are gorgeous and very fun. I knit these socks and the pattern is enchanting and, even better, they make very comfortable and stylish additions to my sock drawer.

Agatha C.

by Emma Grundy Haigh

Picture credit at pattern source

Agatha Christie was a classy lady, so why not emulate her with some classy socks? The complicated twists in the pattern even mirror her expert plots.

Mo’ Sister

by Kate Quinn

Picture credit at pattern source

Though you will never knit a mustache as perfect as Poirot’s, you can certainly give it a go.

Miss Marple Scarf

by SusanneS-vV

Picture credit at pattern source

Considering she is the patron saint of knitters, Miss Marple should have her place in every wardrobe. This scarf is stylish and echoes many of the items in her imaginary wardrobe. Just be careful you don’t accidentally solve a murder while you’re wearing it.

 

Featured Blog/Shop: Kniterary (this is my LYS!)

Okay, I’m going to admit to a TINY bit of bias here: Kniterary is my LYS (local yarn store) and I love it. It is run by my yarn dealer, Martina, who has become a good friend over the years of me turning up to fondle her wares. So to speak.

Martina has an online shop which you should check out. You can find it here.
With a whole bunch of different excellent yarns on sale there, you can also pop by the store yourself if you live in the Greater Toronto Area/Durham Region. It’s in downtown Whitby. To explain what an excellent store it is, let me tell you this: I lived in Whitby for six weeks, maximum, back in 2012. Yet I still go there. When I was stuck in the UK before my permanent residency came through I visited Ontario for two weeks and made special time to go to the yarn group on the Thursday night, even taking a few hours away from seeing my girlfriend. That’s how good it is.

The thing is with yarn stores is that they can have the best yarns in the world but without the community and the friendliness you’re not getting anywhere. Kniterary has everything you want in a LYS.

I promise to stop gushing if you go visit the store/online store. Go. Off with you. Shoo.