The Berkshire Eagle ran a story about knitting today, and Countrywool got some play. Nice article about shop owners and their take on the industry and knitters in our area.
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The Berkshire Eagle ran a story about knitting today, and Countrywool got some play. Nice article about shop owners and their take on the industry and knitters in our area.
You never know what will happen at a Knitting Retreat.
Oh, we have the requisite yarn tricks and "aha!" moments, and it's all good. But, the icing is the unplanned stuff that tends to crop up whenever knitters get together.
Enter Dolly and Jousting Peeps.
Apparently Dolly (far right) makes the rounds with the Kids From Camp (Martie, Sue, Jud and Janet were the bunch that made it to the retreat) and she brought with her Peeps for Jousting. So, when we had covered the class topic on Saturday morning (can we all sing "HEMS!") and there was a fragment of a lull in the conversation, the topic turned to the annual Peep games first espoused by the KNITLIST in the 1990's. Of course, the Kids from Camp had come prepared for a match, so the microwave, toothpicks, paper plates and two yellow marshmallow Peeps came out to entertain the group.
I must say...I have not seen a retreat dissolve in helpless laughter quite like this one.
I was gifted with the lovely Stuffed Peep, shown at center above with a (double pointed needle)spear in her wing, lolling on the deck railing with Dolly and a handy skein of Bearfoot, as a memento of our time together.
This one's for Elizabeth, my fellow Children In Common knitfriend. She's the organizer of the CIC LIST that coordinates donated knit/crocheted/woven clothing for the thousands of kids in orphanages in the former Soviet Union. She's a sock knitting fiend, also.
The reindeer chart got tweaked a little in anticipation of multiple sock sizes ahead, and I am not happy with the color placement on the border charts, but a New Idea came to me last night and I'll work on it later this evening. (Pattern is on its way, E).
And, I finished another colorway for the Nordic Knitting Retreats. I like dark sweaters, and using black as a licing color gets me there while allowing for a real color as the base.
Dark sweaters are very practical to wear everyday, and HEILO is the best wearing 100% wool yarn I've ever knitted with. I plan to make my everyday sweaters and socks out of it from now on.
Done, ends woven in, washed, blocked, worn twice and now photographed for the pattern.
I opted to make this tunic length, for I live in leggings and BIG handknit socks all winter.
I just need some reindeer socks to go with it.
(Pat...the duck above is for you, and will be included in the optional chart patterns for the Nordic Knitting Retreats at Cape Ann and The Catskills).
I was chatting in the shop yesterday about writing patterns. I LOVE to write patterns! I look forward to that part of any knitting project. It does take a fair amount of time, and I am constantly challenged by making stupid mistakes, but using all my computer skills and workhorse software is enormously helpful. And satisfying.
I rely on my digital camera for shots of difficult parts in the pattern (one picture is truly worth a thousand words) as well as a final all-over photo; Microsoft EXCEL to work out all the math as I carve out the sizes I want to include (and many thanks to Dee who helped me understand how to use it!), Microsoft WORD to write and format the pattern; EXCEL to create the charts (it works easily and beautifully!) and my humble calculator when there is so much going on in EXCEL that I can't see the forest for the trees.
Literally.
For instance, the pattern for the LUSKOFTE IN THE WOODS (or Lice in The Woods Sweater...which title do you prefer?) has a lovely ring of pine trees at the base of the yoke. The chart stitch repeat is 15. There are 12 adult sizes from 38 through 60". That's 12 sets of numbers that have to be decreased around equally and logically so that the pine trees fit where they should AND so they look good arranged on the sweater AND so the decreases do not cause bunching, etc. This is a job for EXCEL to keep track of, but for me and my little calculator to consider from size to size, pondering as we go.
Math is an amazing companion in tracking a sweater's changes, and I am grateful for its power and predictability. I am even more grateful for the work of Elizabeth Zimmermann and Meg Swansen, who opened designing doors for me in the 70's. With one piece of paper, a gauge swatch, sweater measurements and a percentage concept of clothing a body, anyone can knit a sweater that fits. This is the legacy we knitters come from, for back in the fishing villages where knitting thrived in centuries past, there were no patterns, yet, everyone wore sweaters.
It is always a shame a circularly knit stranded sweater cannot look as good as it will be while it is still on the needles. But, I am nearing the end and wanted to share. I have taken my time knitting this (although I do have a deadline which looms over me) in order to protect my hands/wrists/arms/back. So I do only a few inches a day. I am on round 42 of the 63 round yoke, and with all the decreasing, I may finish it tonight.
I snuck in some short rows between chart changes, and all told there will be almost a 2" higher back when I hit the top. This pleases me enormously, as the fit will be that much better.
I am thinking a stand up collar would be a snappy finish, to match the hem style at the cuffs/bottom edge.
Stay tuned.
While I am working on this sweater, the next one is dancing in my head.
So many good sweater ideas, so little time....
Knitting blogland is alive with news and plans for the Knitting Olympics. Embroiled in my own deadlines, I cannot participate, but I am enjoying chatter about the event.
Beadlizard has summarized the most incredibly helpful information about protecting your muscles while production knitting and I highly recommend her advice.
Sleeping with your arms in the right position will do much to help your muscles relax. It takes some work to achieve this, but it is well worth it in the long run.
So, here is the hat the Cape Ann and Rip Van Winkle Nordic Knitting Retreats will be making as a gauge swatch for their sweaters. It will also be the topic of the March 11 KNITTING LAB at Countrywool, where we will concentrate on the two-handed color knitting technique that makes this sort of project knit faster and with less muss and fuss.
The pattern and a Pattern/Yarn pack is also available at Countrywool. The pattern comes in 6 sizes from toddler through men's extra large, and the kit includes Heilo Norwegian wool yarn in the colors of your choice.