A Few Of My Favorite Things - Part 2

My last post was about some of my favorite tools that I keep in my pencil case - I thought I'd show you the case - it is clear which lets me see what is in there so I can find things quickly.  Here are the front and back views:

You can see a highlighter (great for printed out patterns but more on that later as I've gone digital), some needle sizers, a Chibi case of assorted needles, Eucerin for my hands and a few balls of scrap yarn.  I always have that in my case as you never know when you need to put your stitches on waste yarn.  I always tell people when they ask if they can take needles on a plane to have waste yarn and a tapestry needle just in case someone hasn't gotten the memo about needles being okay on a plane.  This way you may lose your needles but you won't lose your knitting!

This view shows from left to right a tape measure, a holder for post it notes (my sister gave me this a while back it is made by Lantern Moon and I love it) and try it on tubing which I spoke about in the last post.

I also found these wonderful stacking tubes at the Container Store - I have all my stitch markers in them.  Like the pencil case, it is clear so I can see exactly which section I need to access.  I  sort them by size and on the very bottom I have locking stitch markers.

Speaking of locking stitch markers, they are a must for knitting.  I use them to mark the right side of a project - especially at the beginning when you aren't sure if it is the right or wrong side which happens in garter or some other stitch patterns.  I also use them when I am knitting two sleeves or two cardigan fronts at the same time - by connecting the two with a stitch marker you won't be tempted to turn your work before completing the work on the second sleeve or front ending up with lopsided work.

My most recent valuable tool is on my iPad.  Goodreader is an app that allows you to download your knitting patterns.  You can then annotate the pattern to highlight the size you are working on (hence no need for my old highlighter).  You can also type notes on the pattern, mark it up with drawings and notes.  I LOVE this app and have stored many patterns this way - you can save your annotated patterns with all the notes in case you want to knit another item using all the info.  I love it so much I've taught several classes at my LYS on how to use it and I must admit I am constantly finding new ways to use it (just like Ravelry).

I am sure there are many more tools I could talk about but would love to hear from you if you feel I've left anything out or if you want to share your favorite tool.  We knitters have to stick together and by sharing our tools we help each other out.

A Few of My Favorite Things - Part 1

When I am knitting or teaching a class, I always have my zippered pencil case with all my helpful tools with me.  Over time some things in it have proved helpful and some have proved invaluable.

Recently I had a woman take my class because she was having problems with some quilt blocks which are basically knit and purl patterns.  I quickly shared two of my favorite tools and it changed her life - a row counter and post it notes.  I showed her how the row counter will keep her honest and by using a post it note on the pattern she can guide her eye to the row she is working on very easily.  From the look on her face you would have thought I was the Einstein of knitting...a total "aha" moment for her.

So this prompted me to share with you a few of my favorite tools I use daily:

Clover Row Counter - also known as the Mini Kacha Kacha.  I prefer this one to the red one as it has a lock on it (little fingers and even teenage fingers like to play with these things).  It also has a little hole where you can thread through a string and attach it to your project or even better if you have several floating around you run some of the yarn that is for the project it is used for and it will let you know which one goes with which project.

Susan Bates Handi Tool - this one is a newer addition to my bag of tricks.  If I encounter a stitch I've dropped just the row before, I don't use this tool as it is an easy fix.  BUT if I have to drop down several rows (and do something wild like rework a 4 stitch cable), then this tool is a lifesaver.

Chibi Needles are a must - I have all of them but recently purchased this set and find they are the ones I reach for the most.  The bent tips let you grab stitches and really are helpful when doing the mattress stitch.  I have also been using them while weaving - they are great for hemstitching!

Try It On Tubing - I've talked about this stuff before...it rocks when you are doing a seamless knit and want to try it on.  I've also used it for hats that I'm knitting on a 16" circular and want to try on.  It is available here.  Don't get the 1 yard - go for the 2 yard and get both sizes.

Clover Triangle Stitch Markers - For years I used the round stitch markers and when I started working at my LYS I discovered these triangle shaped ones.  They are wonderful!  They come in all sizes but I mostly have the pink and green ones for size 6-8 needles.  Stitch markers not only mark the beginning of a round but I also use them as reminders for my fingers that I need to do something different. For example when I was making my son's blanket, I had one at each section so I could remind myself to look down and do what stitch was necessary.  I also put them where increases need to happen on a shawl center stitch or if I have a border stitch section they are used there.

I have more tools I want to share with you - stay tuned!

Field Trip

When I finished my placemats, I asked Debbie (the owner of the LYS where I work) where she gets her cotton for weaving.  She told me about Pasa Yarns in Uxbridge.  She gave me fair warning their hours are not regular so I should call and ask first.

I called Pasa Yarns and asked the man who answered the phone what the hours were for Thursday (yesterday).  His answer was "our hours are when I am here".  I laughed and he said around 9-4 or 5 but he runs out for the mail around 10am.

So yesterday I printed out directions (I have a not so smart phone and my GPS is from the previous century I think) and headed to Uxbridge.  I drove through the town of Milford which had some charming buildings - I loved their town hall.  The sun was glistening off the dome - here are some pictures I found of it.

Then after a bit I hit Uxbridge and had to guess at a few turns as the streets were not marked.  I came across the Pasa Yarns building which is in an old mill.

When Debbie told me it was a yarn store I expected a traditional yarn store with the addition of cones of cotton available.  As I walked up the creaky old stairs of a building (I asked and learned was rebuilt after a fire in 1844), I began to suspect this was not what I expected.  Here's what I saw when I entered.  Nope,  this was not your average yarn shopping expedition.

There was a woman working in the back of the room - she was operating this skein winding matching.  I was totally fascinated.  Poor thing had rough, raw hands from the particular fiber she was winding that day - we decided it was the metallic thread running through it.

After rummaging around and consulting with the owner on the correct weight for my placemats, I picked out 6 cones.  The cost was $3/lb...I had 7lbs...I paid $21.75 for all this yarn!  What a productive field trip!

I can't wait to warp my loom!

Sometimes I Feel So Clever

My loom was sitting in the corner calling to me so I pulled it out and warped it with some Classic Elite Seedling I had intended for placemats.  I put in some stripes on the warp which I then also did on the weft.

I purchased a rotary cutter so the fringe would be even and straight (40% off at JoAnn Fabrics too!).

Here they are in their glory - I am feeling very clever and so proud of my new skill of hemstitching.  I need to make more of these.  This set is for my parents who are treating me to a trip to visit them next month.

One of the Perks

When you work in a yarn store, there are certain perks...working with fibery goodness, seeing yarns as they come out, etc.  This month's perk has been on my calendar for ages - Norah Gaughan is doing a farewell tour with her 16th Berroco book and sweater samples.  I was asked if I would like to work the night she was visiting my LYS - silly question, of course I would (and I had marked the date on my calendar ages ago).

It was a fun evening and we had a chance to chat before the doors opened to customers (and fans).  On my way to the store I called my knitting sister and told her she was the only one in our family who would understand the import of the evening...she got it.  I considered going all "fan girl" and bringing in my Norah Gaughan Volumes 1 and 3 (3 is the best!) and Knitting Nature but held back and decided to just enjoy meeting her.

Norah was talking about how her Kaari pattern that was free for a limited time went viral (even though it was from Volume 1 and had been out for ages).  This lead to my telling her about my Boxing Day Mittens experiment.

I had the chance to peruse the Vol 16 collection which was in a range of blues.  One of the items I thought was a capelet - turns out it was a skirt.  Another woman thought the same thing and put it on that way - guess what?  It is an amazing capelet and creative minds were flying on what yarns to use, how to make it a bit bigger, etc.  I'm now thinking I need to design a capelet.

A few photos from the night - the one of the two ladies smiling for the camera is Andra Asars (our Berroco rep) with Norah.  Andra is amazing - she is full of energy, creativity and a passion for her job.

Bellini Cowl

After a bit of working (and ripping out), I finished the cowl that uses both Classic Elite Sanibel and Santorini.  I went through my usual name struggle and was giving it the working name of Two Sans Cowl (SANibel and SANtorini).  Then I called it the SanSan Cowl for two minutes.  Finally, I focused on the end of each name SaniBEL and SantorINI and named it Bellini Cowl.

This photo isn't the greatest (iPad) but it gives you an idea of how it looks with the solid and variegated yarns.  I decided since it was a collaboration and adaptation that I wouldn't put it for sale on Ravelry.  Instead, it is at my LYS as a pattern you get when you purchase the yarn.

Yesterday I cast on a new design for the Greater Boston Yarn Crawl - I've been asked to do a shawl for the crawl.  I'm using Malabrigo Sock and having a wonderful time.

New Yarn - New Ideas

This past Tuesday while I was working at my LYS, a box of Classic Elite yarns came into the store.  In it was a new yarn called Santorini.  It's basically a variegated version of Sanibel.  One of the more popular patterns at the store is a free one using 2 skeins of Sanibel.

So the LYS owner, Debbie, and I got to thinking of how to use this new yarn and Sanibel to create another cowl.

We picked these colors and I went home and started knitting.

I have a finished product I'm calling Two Sans Cowl (SANibel and SANtorini).  I have to run it by Debbie and we'll discuss if it is a free pattern or not.  I love new yarns leading to new ideas.

It's Magic!

A while back I posted about the Magic Cake technique of using up your odds and ends of yarn.  The LYS where I work had a few people ask about it so we offered up a few one day workshops.  I had my first workshop yesterday with one of my Wednesday afternoon students who is new to knitting.  She didn't have a lot of her own yarn but as you might recall I have a HUGE bag of yarn.

My sole student (this was a test drive for the future workshops) wanted a shawlette to go with a brown sweater she owns.  So I dug into the bag and came up with these colors.

And after working the Double Knot technique and with the ball winder look what we did!  Isn't it beautiful!??

Big and Bulky

I'm sorry I've been quiet lately - my knitting mojo is off (a tangent of me being off and struggling right now but I'll get through it).

When my knitting mojo is off, I need fast projects.  I knit a lot of items for sale in my LYS - hats, baby items, cowls, etc.  I try to use stash or on sale yarn as we all know no matter what you don't get paid for what your time is worth when you sell hand knits.

Recently, my LYS put Bergere de France Recyclaine on sale.  Quite frankly I'm surprised this yarn didn't sell well as it is big and bulky and perfect for fast projects.  I got a few skeins and decided to whip up some hats - Bohemian and Really Warm Hat.

I have been struggling with a new design with a new yarn from Berroco called Indigo - love the yarn, have an idea in my head, having great trouble translating it to needles.  I've already ripped it out twice.  It is in a time out.

I think I might need to do some weaving for a little while...

With Time to Spare

Thanks to the ton of snow and snow days we've been having, I was able to hunker down and finish my son's sweater.  I had set a deadline of last Sunday as we were going to visit him to take him out for an early birthday lunch (his bday is 2/10).  It was done by Friday.

Well, the weather may have helped my knitting but it didn't help our travel plans.  My husband and daughter ended up on the road on Saturday and I stayed home as I was teaching a workshop.  It was not easy being left behind and not seeing our son to celebrate his birthday.

The sweater was wrapped up and among his gifts and I left our daughter with specific directions to take a photo of him wearing it NO MATTER WHAT.  As I was teaching class, this photo arrived via email.  It warmed my heart - it fits him perfectly.  Had I been there I would have straightened out the right sleeve, adjusted the neckline and perhaps had a better background setting...but beggars can't be choosers.  Someday I'll get a better photo...also had to share one of him when he was two.

Towards the end of my class, my cell phone rang and I quickly answered it...he called to thank me for his sweater.  Makes a mom's heart sing.

I Think I Can, I Think I Can

Our son has finally acquiesced and allowed me to knit him a sweater.  He came to the LYS when they had their year end sale and picked out Berroco Vintage as he loves his blanket made with the same yarn.  He then selected Hugo by Veronik Avery after I showed him other versions with a crew neck.

I must say I love this pattern - I have it memorized and have been plugging away at it thanks to a snowstorm!

Now the question is will I have it done by February 8th - no pressure but we will be seeing our son for his birthday (the 10th) that day.  Wouldn't it be amazing if I could have it done by then?  No pressure.

I know it looks tiny but I know from the blanket it will block beautifully.

Cabled Foot Cozies

The other day while working at my LYS, I had an idea to rework a pattern I had done last year.  I was looking at the lovely bins of yarn and the Berroco Vintage Chunky was calling out to me to whip up this pattern and release it.  I picked a light color in a fun springy green (called Kiwi) so the cables would show up when I photographed it.

Presenting Cabled Foot Cozies - they are knit flat and work up very quickly.  As my daughter tried them on she commented "Oh, these are nice!".  That always lets me know I've done well.

I have another design (or two) brewing in my head - Berroco has a new yarn called Indigo.  I just had to work with it.  Stay tuned!

It Finally Has A Name

Thank you to those who put in names - I also put it on a group I'm in on Ravelry and they threw their hats into the ring (pardon the pun).  Sadly, most of the names have been taken.  I always search names on Ravelry as it can cause problems if two patterns have the same name.  I learned this with my Boxing Day Mittens which I had originally planned on calling Merry Mittens.  There are other Merry Mittens - it turned out okay as I prefer Boxing Day Mittens after all

So, when in doubt I go to Italian words - the Italian word for hat is "cappello".  So this hat is called Cappello.  It uses one skein of Berroco Inca Tweed and has a broken slipped stitch pattern that flows from the ribbing - it has a bit of slouch and it is very warm.

This pattern has been ready for weeks - it just needed a name and a decent photo shoot with my "model" who was not happy reshooting a few times (the Boxing Day Mittens were also part of the reshoot).

I Need Your Help

So, I designed this hat a few weeks ago...it has been languishing on my kitchen table in limbo.  There are two reasons for this - my first photo shoot with the model wasn't doing the hat any justice.  I have to reshoot it and hope to do so today.

The other problem is I don't have a name.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I look to several things for inspiration in naming my patterns.  As I was thinking of names, I researched Incan words (this hat is made with Berroco Inca Tweed), I looked at names with the word "tweed", I thought about where I live and what landmarks are around, etc.  I've come up empty handed.

So, I'm asking for your help - any suggestions on a name for this hat?  The pattern is ready and once I photograph it again I'm ready to go...just needing inspiration for a name.

Learning Curve

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I fell down the rabbit hole and got a table loom.

No sooner than I got it, it was warped and I was weaving.  In a few days I had my first FO, a scarf.  I learned a lot with this scarf - most importantly I don't need to beat the hell out of it as it will be far too tight and stiff.

I had fun with the striping and I like how it looks - it just is too stiff.

So, I took another skein of Cascade 220 I had in deep stash and went to my LYS and picked out 2 skeins of Noro Silk Garden.  I used the same color way but ran two shuttles so it would have a sort of striped effect.  I didn't beat it as hard and let the colors do their thing.  It kind of was like potato chip knitting - I kept weaving to see what the colors would do next. 

Here's my setup - amazing what tools you use when you need them - Rolling Rock kept the light table from moving under the tension of the warping.

From the very beginning, I could see the difference in how a gentle beat gave the wonderful fabric I needed.

Here it is finished - it is a long scarf and I gave it a shorter fringe than my first one.  I think it looks fantastic!