Three years ago, I handspun 1800 yards of yarn(that perfectly matched the hazel in my husband's eyes)for a surprise sweater for my husband. As I knit a square to determine the gauge, I showed him the fabric and asked what he thought of it. "Nice color! Not something that I would wear, though...too busy."

(sob)

I put the yarn away for a few years while I pondered what to do with it.

This past summer my son dropped by while I was sorting projects ideas and remarked at the great knitted swatch (I had kept it...). Voila! Even though my son does not have my husband's eyes, he loves to wear earthy colors. So his Christmas gift was determined.

How do you go about turning yarn into a sweater without a pattern? Years ago, Elizabeth Zimmermann and others made a simple formula out of this, as explained on my free seamless circular knit pattern Betsi's Raglan Sweater.

Having made my son sweaters for years, I see how he wears them and I always build in extra short rows to accommodate his shoulder slouch. I end up knitting in about 2" of extra back length to make up for the unbalanced sit on his shoulders, and the sweaters looks strange after I block them, but FABULOUS once on. I have knit 6 extra half rows into the back so far, and will knit another 2 before I reach the underarms. Then I will add in another 6 at the back of the neck. That should do it.

At 3 sts=1", ths sweater is moving right along. I hope to have it done in a week if all goes well.

Posted by countrywool at 11:29 AM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (1) | Permalink

Needles ready?

I've listed ALL the details for two headbands to get some of you started knitting.

Besides spending today writing the patterns up for the web, I've contacted three newspapers, my charity knitting group, and everyone on my COUNTRYWOOL NEWSLETTER list.

And we're off...

Posted by countrywool at 2:58 PM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

In this very fluid situation, our Southern Pilgrims will arrive in many different spots. The Cape Cod plan has been put on hold for now, and Syracuse will host 150 families who will be resettled into apartments.

The planning continues, and our knitting will keep pace.

In the works is an adult knit vest pattern, along the lines of the Children In Common Vest Pattern I wrote years ago for that continuing worthy cause. But to start things off, we will make headbands and fingerless mitts out of the warmest stuff we have on hand.

Posted by countrywool at 7:52 AM EDT

Updated: Thursday, 8 September 2005 2:59 PM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Word has just come in that 2500 folks displaced by Hurricane Katrina will be arriving at Camp Edwards in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Our thinner blood southern neighbors will be mighty cold once the New England wind starts blowing.

It is supposed that some of them will decide to settle in Massachusetts, and won't it be fun to show them all how warm wool can be? What a nice welcome a box of warm handknits would be for someone starting a new life here, eh?

This Monday the Neighborhood Knitters meet for the first time this Fall, and I am SURE they will be raring to fill up boxes with hand knit socks, gloves, shawls, scarves and hats as fast as they can. I invite all Internet Knitters to join this effort. I will post updates on items needed as information from the Air Base comes in. There are other knit bloggers who are scrambling to help. I would love to connect with someone near the base who can meet with the folks who will be living there. I'll be glad to supply yarns, needles and patterns if anyone can get there to teach/help/support them with knitting.

There is mailing info on the Neighborhood Knitters website, and if you get your things to me, I will send them on. I will have a collection box at the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival at Rhinebeck, NY, in October.

Watch this space.

Posted by countrywool at 3:42 PM EDT

Updated: Thursday, 8 September 2005 3:00 PM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

On BareHare I was singing the praises of the lowly headband as an excellent vehicle for using up handspun yarn oddities (and you always have a few yards left over from plying/skeining, etc). Cyndy asked what my favorite pattern was. I have two that I use. One is garter stitch (shown above) and is worked horizontally, with buttons added for closure and interest. Measure your head around and over the ears, estimate a stitch gauge (or work a small swatch) and multiply the two together. With a pair of straight needles, cast on that number and knit FLAT until the rectangle is 4 or more inches. Bind off. Overlap the short ends and adjust to fit the head. Sew down neatly on both sides, then sew on 3 buttons as shown. The other is shown on this BareHare link. This is the most useful one in severely cold weather as I get the tightest fit. Knit vertically with a 16" circular needle, work up a small gauge swatch in 1x1 ribbing and measure it S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D. Then measure your head and do the math. Cast on (you need an even number) and JOIN the stitches. Work the headband until it is 4 or more inches and cast off SO LOOSELY that it looks sloppy. Happy knitting :)

Posted by countrywool at 6:05 AM EDT

Updated: Saturday, 20 August 2005 6:09 AM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (2) | Permalink

Sooner or later, I knew I would design a Christmas Stocking pattern. I stayed away from cutesy and went for woodsy, with the "dark" colors of Christmas. And you can't beat Lamb's Pride Worsted for a folky look.

This was actually fun to knit for it went REALLY fast, and the heel was a rip and re-do thing that kept me entertained for some time. I settled on a half short row heel(framed in garter stitch to match the ridges in the leg) that allowed the sock to hang straight.

This pattern will be the basis for the September and October Knitting Workshop classes that I teach, for they have voted on learning two handed, stranded knitting and sock structure. Anyone interested in the pattern or the kit can scoot over here

Posted by countrywool at 5:44 AM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

I am always looking for short cuts when I knit and I LOVE knitting gadgets. Trying to keep a piece of paper and a pencil beside me while I work means the dog cannot snuggle with me while I knit, so I try to knit by the seat of my pants whenever possible for Penny is a most welcome companion.

To this end, I was faced with 25 sets of paired decreases, every 3 rounds, for the sleeve I am making on the Handspun Sweater featured on BareHare, my angora rabbit blog.

There are countless ways to do this, but I pulled out my coiless safety pins...both plastic (Clover brand) and metal (Countrywool brand). I have a hard time counting rows as-I-go while watching TV and petting the pup, so the pins are fabulous. I count them out and clip them all to the front of the sweater before I start so I cannot lose them before I need them. I used 9 metal ones placed every time I made a decrease round with the plastic one marking the tenth decrease round. Then I worked by pulling out the first metal one I used to mark the 11th round, then so on, until I reached the plastic one, which got moved to the 20th decrease round, and then five more metal ones were placed as needed and voila..I am done with the sleeve decreases and have arrived at the cuff length...EXACTLY!

Posted by countrywool at 11:39 AM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (3) | Permalink

FINALLY...I have the week clear to work on another pattern. It seems that as soon as I arrange time for pattern work, all sorts of family/rabbit stuff pops up. I am already behind schedule on my pattern editing!

This Sailor's Rib Cable pattern has been a long time favorite of mine. Worked in ECCO merino superwash wool from Zitron, I like the stitch definition and softness of the fabric it is making. I started this vest last Fall when my Dad underwent knee surgery, and it was my faithful companion while I sat through the hours waiting. I used a similar pattern years ago for my first Aran sweater and have never lost my fondness for it.

This vest will have a reverse stockinette stitch roll edge. I have becomed attached to this "no edge edge" finish after seeing it in Deborah Newton's book
DESIGNING KNITWEAR which is THE hands down classic, in my opinion.

Posted by countrywool at 11:54 AM EDT

Updated: Tuesday, 26 July 2005 12:02 PM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (2) | Permalink

I am totally immersed in writing pattern details. I fought with EXCEL all afternoon and have the pattern for the
Meandering Cable Vest all figured out...just have to organize the details into into the final format, which should take another hour and then I'll be done...with that one. This pattern has 8 sizes, from a finished chest of 34" through 62" and EXCEL makes it possible to get the math right the first time.

Then...10 more to go before the end of August.

Posted by countrywool at 5:11 PM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

I am on the home stretch. The neck hem got knit last night, and all that is left to do is hand sew it down, and then

weave the underarm stitches together for a seamless finish.

I had an easier job with the hems this time. Since I was using two strands of Baby Ull for the sweater itself, it was a simple matter to use just a single strand for the hems. And, being thinner, once sewn down they were almost invisible. Being thinner, they are not as good looking, but their functionality far outweighs aesthetics in this case.

Tomorrow I will post the final picture of the sweater. It still needs blocking, so I'll get to that this afternoon.

Posted by countrywool at 6:57 AM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (2) | Permalink