February Elann Sample Skeins

After being extremely pleased* with two sweater projects knit in Elann Peruvian Highland Wool (FLAK and Peerie Brocade), one of my knitting resolutions for 2008 is to try more of the Elann yarns.

In January I signed up for Elann's Sample Skeins. Each Tuesday Elann features a new closeout or special purchase yarn. Each month a Sample Skein subscriber gets a package containing a 10 yard sample skein for each Tuesday and corresponding color snips.

The cost is $52, a dollar a week, all credited back at the rate of $2.50 for each $25.00 spent. No time limit on the rebate.

Yesterday the February package arrived. This is what it contained:




4 - 10 Yard Sample Skeins (on left)

• Superwash Wool Worsted.
  It feels more "wooly" than Knitpicks Swish. I'm looking forward to knitting up the little skein and seeing how it handles the wash. No superwash projects in mind now.
  
  
• Superwash Bamboo Worsted.
  65% superwash wool, 35% bamboo. Interesting yarn with a sheen. I never would have considered bamboo for a project until seeing this yarn. I need to read about Bamboo in the Book of Yarn. Does it act like silk?
  
  
• Esprit Sport Weight.
  Sport weight cotton with 1.7% elastic. I don't think I like this yarn, but I'm going to knit up the little skein and see what happens.
  
  
• Peruvian Pure Alpaca Worsted.
  Yep, the little alpaca skein is missing. It jumped right on my needles and is now the swatch at center bottom of the picture.
  
  Knitting it created serious yarn lust. There will be a sweater! I have until February 26 to decide on a color.
  
  The sample skein swatch measures 5 x 2 inches knit on #5 needles in sand stitch.

Color snips of all four yarns (center top)

• There are snips on both sides of the card. The side with the Esprit and alpaca snips is facing up.

Color flyer for all four yarns with release dates, prices, and how to order.
This is the same flyer that comes via email for those on the Elann mailing list.

This is going to be such fun!

Meanwhile I've been notified that my Cascade 220 has been shipped and is due to arrive next Monday. I think I'll knit one more CIC sweater.

* Why am I extremely pleased with Peruvian Highland Wool?

• Gets softer after each washing
  
• Holds shape well
  
• Almost no pilling
  
• Great stitch definition
  
• Mind boggling color selection of attractive oolors
  

Windy Wednesday

Imagine a blizzard without much snow accumulation and that's our weather today.

When I went to bed last night the temperature was above freezing and it was pouring rain. During the night a very cold wind blew in single digit temperatures (without considering wind chill) and snow. The temperature dropped over 30 degrees during the night.

Today there have been constant winds about 30 MPH, drifting snow, awful road conditions, and wind chills of below zero. Right now, about 3 pm, we're hitting our high for the day of 10 degrees.

Thanks to everyone who has mentioned they enjoy seeing the bird pictures. Isn't it amazing that those little things can survive in weather like this?


This male Downy Woodpecker is enjoying some peanuts.

The bag gets totally soggy when it rains. A decent, wire peanut feeder is on my list of things to buy on my next trip to Oak Ridge Feed in Oshtemo.


We're "the South" for the Slate-Colored Junco.

These little sparrow size birds arrive in SW Michigan in the late fall from their nesting territory in Northern Michigan and Canada. I always notice when they arrive. It's a sure sign winter is about to settle in soon.

After spending the winter here, they head back north in late April, early May.

Blue Gansey Finished

Done! Met my goal of four ganseys in January for the current CIC challenge.

At 3 stitches/inch the knitting was quick. I used the schematic measurements from Jerod's Gansey pattern and calculated the stitch counts as I knit using the concepts from Beth Brown-Reinsel's Knitting Ganseys book.


Pattern: A piece here and a piece there from Knitting Ganseys by Beth Brown-Reinsel

Yarn: Lamb's Pride Bulky, 85% wool, 15% mohair

Color: Brite Blue (their spelling)

Needles: Addi Turbo 10.5

Gauge: 3 stitches/inch, 4.5 rows/inch in stockinette

Now would be a great time for my Cascade 220 to arrive at the yarn store in Kalamazoo. The roads are not slippery and I'm ready to start a new project.

It was 40 degrees F when I went to the grocery store late this morning. Michiganders were walking around enjoying the balmy weather with their coats hanging open. Me included.

Socks and a Dove

Son John picked this yarn out for his birthday socks at Harmony Yarn Studio in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. It got shipped here to SW Michigan and will soon be heading back to Idaho as his 2008 birthday socks.

He's been a Washington Redskin fan ever since he was a young lad in SW Michigan. Last year I knit him Redskin red socks, and this year is another variation on the Redskin maroon and gold.


Pattern: Basic 64 stitch sock with k7p1 wide ribbing on cuff and instep

Yarn: Cascade Sassy Stripes, 75% wool, 25% nylon

Color: 718

Needles: Options #1, 2.5mm

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch

Mourning Dove hunkers down to stay warm after a nutritious meal at the feeders.

Oops! and Still Snowing

First, the link correction . . .

Son John was nice enough to let me know yesterday's link to Alwen's amusing post The Skinny Person's Guide to Staying Warm didn't work.

Sorry. It's been corrected and tested. Yesterday's link works now, and so does this one: The Skinny Person's Guide to Staying Warm, as well as the one in the previous paragraph.

Note to self: Take a minute to test the links you insert in your posts.

---

No new snow overnight, but this afternoon the heavens are dumping white stuff again.

The forecast, rarely accurate, is for 2 to 4 new inches today, 3 to 5 new inches tonight, and 1 to 3 new inches tomorrow. Lows in the single digits.


Some bird experts say that feeding the birds doesn't help them survive the winter.

Common sense would argue with that theory. (Feel free to disagree. I'd love to hear your reasoning.)

We feed hundreds of pounds of seed and suet during the severe winter weather. So do most of the neighbors. Where are the birds going to find that much food when the world is snow covered and frozen? And so much of the natural areas have been bulldozed and developed?

Yes, there is a little more exposure to disease and window collisions. Still, I believe the benefit to the bird population greatly exceeds the slight risk.

The picture shows a Chickadee on the left and a Redpoll on the right. We have dozens of both chowing down at the feeders today.

It's Snowing in SW Michigan

The National Weather Service forecast for today was 80% chance of snow with 1 to 3 inches possible.

When I woke up this morning there was heavy snow, little visibility, and the sky was heavy and dark with clouds. We ended up with about eight inches of new stuff(conservative guess).

We have "exceeded expectations", a favorite management phrase from my days in corporate America.

Sometimes when Lake Effect Snow starts, it doesn’t know to stop when weather forecast goals are met.

Fortunately I have no place I need to go - no yarn to pick up in Kalamazoo, cupboards are filled with people food and dog food, there is 50 pounds of sunflower seeds out in my trunk. As long as the power stays on and we stay healthy, all is well and cozy.


This weather pretty much guarantees peace and solitude.

The snowplow went by and piled up snow along the side of the road and we haven't done a bit of shoveling yet. I don't think they're going to be able to deliver the mail today.

Wonder how we're staying warm? Check out Alwen's post The Skinny Person's Guide to Staying Warm. She lives and blogs somewhere not too far from me and calls it "SW Outer Nowhere, Michigan, United States". Her post applies to everyone, not just skinny people.

I endorse everything she suggests except for the mittens. I use thick lined gloves with a nylon outer shell. They're still clumsy, but I like the finger independence of gloves better than mittens.


Pappy is happy to have his fluffy winter coat. (There is a thin dog under all that fluff.) It's fun to hop through the snow.

Still, when the snow is higher than his one remaining private part, he enjoys coming in and guarding the knitting.

Jerod's Gansey Finished and Cascade Status

Right out of the washing machine and onto the blocking table this morning.

Three toddler sweaters for CIC are done. One more to go to meet my personal goal of four, but first I'm going to work in a pair of birthday socks for John.


Pattern: Jerod's Gansey from Knitting Ganseys by Beth Brown-Reinsel. Normal caston instead of multistrand caston.

Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes, bulky weight, 100% wool for ribbing and stockinette. Knitpicks Sierra, bulky weight, 70% wool 30% Alpaca, for the main part.

Color: Grape and grape. Yes, both colors are called Grape. The yarn on the bottom is actually a much darker shade of the yarn used for the pattern area. It is not the reddish light color in the picture

Needles: #5 and #7.

Gauge: 4.5 stitches/inch, 6 rows/inch. Sweater is 26" at chest, toddler size 4.

---

Dani asked . . .

Any word on your cascade yarn order yet??

Debi asked . . .

Can you still be waiting on the purple yarn you ordered??

What? Are they waiting for spring to shear the sheep for you?

Since the roads are brutal and I didn't feel like driving to Kalamazoo just to find out there's nothing there, I emailed the yarn shop today to ask for a status.

This is the reply . . .

Thanks for your email. I hope you're staying warm today!

We're so sorry about the delay in your 220. It should have arrived here at the beginning of January! I totally understand what it's like to anxiously await yarn for a project! I understand that you stopped by last week hoping that it was in, and I believe at that time our news from Cascade was that it would be two more weeks.

I did just contact them again to make sure that that date was still their best estimate, and they said that it could possibly be in late this week, but early next week was their best guess. I apologize for the inconvenience that this is causing you! We will let you know as soon as the box arrives on our door!

So I guess I'll have time to knit one more little sweater before it arrives. I have red yarn and blue yarn. Which will it be?

Saturday Bird Babble

It's January in Michigan, 11 F/-12 C at 11 am. There's a bone chilling wind blowing. Wind chill is -3 F/-13 C. No sun and it's lightly snowing with occasional heavy snow.

Dog walks are very short. Even Pappy with his endless fur knows that his feet are freezing and he just wants to get his business done and get back into the heated, giant dog house where he lives with his people.


Peggy asked if that is an old mesh laundry bag we are using for a feeder.

It's a Kaytee Finch Station I bought last week at my bird supply store.

This is the ad picture, not mine.

The green top screws open for easy filling. Just pour the seed in and it falls down into the sock. The dome holds extra seed which continues to fill the sock as the birds eat.


Back to my pictures.

The thistle seed eating birds, mostly gold finches and redpolls at my house, like to cling on the mesh sock. There's plenty of room for over a dozen birds at a time.

I think, but have no way to know for sure, the birds enjoy hanging on the mesh much more than they enjoy the hard, solid plastic tube thistle feeders.


The holes in the feeder bag are way smaller than laundry bag holes.

Thistle/niger seed is very small. It would fall right out of a laundry bag.

But Peggy has the right idea. On the other side of the house I am using an old laundry bag to hang suet out. It's perfect.


Alwen asked . . . Aren't the redpolls pretty though!

Not a real question. There's no question mark and we all know the answer.

But, it is a good excuse to post another redpoll picture.

Second Gansey Done, Working on Third

Another quick, fun knit for CIC.

Now I'm half way to my goal of four toddler sweaters for the current challenge.


Pattern: Chelsea's Gansey from Knitting Ganseys by Beth Brown-Reinsel. Split, overlapped garter welt on bottom replaced with ribbing and an extra inch of stockinette inserted to lengthen the sweater for warmer coverage.

Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes, worsted weight 100% wool.

Color: Firecracker heather (left over from Autumn Song)

Needles: #2 and #4.

Gauge: 6 stitches/inch, 8 rows/inch in pattern





Pattern: Jerod's Gansey from Knitting Ganseys by Beth Brown-Reinsel. Normal caston instead of multistrand caston.

Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes, bulky weight, 100% wool for ribbing and stockinette. Knitpicks Sierra, bulky weight, 70% wool 30% Alpaca, for the main part.

Color: Grape and grape. Yes, both colors are called Grape. The yarn on the bottom is actually a much darker shade of the yarn used for the pattern area. It is not the reddish light color in the picture

Needles: #5 and #7.

Gauge: 4.5 stitches/inch, 6 rows/inch. (I must admit I haven't measured the gauge and suspect that the sweater is not exactly on spec. I'm eyeballing it into human proportions, however, and it will fit some child when it's done.)

For those of you who are getting ready to comment on how fast I'm churning these out, please remember . . .

• It's the middle of winter in SW Michigan. The weather is cold, the days are short, and it's perfect knitting weather.
  
• These little sweaters knit up fast. They're only about 24 inches around the chest and there's no seaming.
  
• I'm not knitting on any other projects right now.

Red Sweater, Redpolls, and Red's Mate

The second sweater for Children in Common (CIC) is almost completed.

The sleeves are being finished with frogged yarn from Autumn Song swatches. Then the firecracker red heather yarn is gone. Much as I love red, I'm ready to knit another color for a while.


Pattern: Chelsea's Gansey from Knitting Ganseys by Beth Brown-Reinsel. Split, overlapped garter welt on bottom replaced with ribbing and an extra inch of stockinette inserted to lengthen the sweater for warmer coverage.

Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes, 100% wool.

Color: Firecracker heather (left over from Autumn Song)

Needles: #2 and #4.

Gauge: 6 stitches/inch, 8 rows/inch in pattern

The Redpolls are coming to the thistle feeder in flocks of several dozen.

This is the first year I've splurged on thistle seed, thinking it to be more expensive than sunflower seed. Turns out, a feeder full lasts for days, even with activity like this. It's the tiny birds that like it. Even if the larger birds wanted some, they don't want to hang from this feeder to get it.


Snow brings out the beauty of a female cardinal.

Monday Morning Babble with Digression on Gas

It's Monday morning.

When I woke up at 7:45 it was dark and all the dogs were still sleeping. Getting up so late meant that the first dog walk would need to be done immediately - without coffee. Sure enough, the minute I stirred all three dogs went into their "I gotta go out now!" routine. So I threw on some warm clothing and off we went.

The sky was solid with dark snow clouds. The dogs were happy with a short trip around the back field, and back into the warm house we went. Before I could finish my coffee, it was snowing. It's still snowing.

It's not a pretty snow with big lacy snowflakes floating down to make the earth look pure and white. The wind is blowing an ugly, slightly dingy, fine snow sideways through the air.

I just ate some oatmeal and am now trying to gather enough energy to go get groceries. It could wait, but after looking at the weather forecast for more of the same, there isn't much point in waiting. It will feel better to just get it done.

Dang! I just remembered I need to stop and pump gas.

Digression to Procrastinate Leaving the House
I remember driving in the 60's. Gas was cheap. But even better than that, I could pull into my favorite gas station, roll down the window and tell a cute guy to "Fill it up, please." I got to roll the window back up, sit in the warm car and watch.

Cute guy checked my oil, put a quart in if needed, and washed my windshield and back window. He would check and replenish the air in my tires if I asked.

He took my money into the cash register and brought back my change. Does this sound like a fairy tale? It's all true. That was standard gas station operating procedure back in the 60s. Most of the pump jockeys were easy to behold. I had my favorites.

Now all drivers, including little old ladies like myself, have to pump their own gas. Even in the cold wind, snow, sleet, and whatever. Oil and air? All for us to figure out. Worst of all, no cute guy to wash the windshield, peek in and smile.

The station where I usually pump gas has this sign duct taped to all the pumps.

I'm afraid to ask what the plan is to damage the nonpaying customer's car. And how do you suppose they plan to catch it?

Whatever it means, it has my attention. I ALWAYS pay for my gas before pumping.


In case you can't read the sign, this is what it says:

Please Pay First

If You Press key "PAY INSIDE", come inside the store and Pay inside, else you will be taken as Drive off.

For Drive Off, Store is not responsible for the Damage to your Vehicle.

I'm guessing the guy they send after a Drive Off isn't cute.

Snakes and Ladders Finished

This sweater is for the January, February, March CIC toddler sweater and vest challenge.

We're knitting sizes 2 (24") and 4 (26") with a challenge goal of 200 sweaters/vests for the Eastern European orphan homes.

My personal goal is four sweaters. This is the first of the four.

It's not washed and blocked yet, but it's done.

I still have red wool left, maybe enough for another little gansey, so I'll wait and wash them together.


Pattern: Pattern: Snakes and Ladders Gansey from Knitting Ganseys by Beth Brown-Reinsel. Rolled neckline replaced by ribbed neckline. An extra inch of stockinette at the bottom to lengthen the sweater for warmer coverage.

Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes, 100% wool.

Color: Firecracker heather (left over from Autumn Song)

Needles: #2 and #4.

Gauge: 6 stitches/inch, 8 rows/inch in pattern

Dorothy and I are planning to knit the Set-in Sleeve Aran in Janet's Szabo's book Aran Sweater Design starting in April. Anyone like to join us?

I do have to give this sweater a better name. Set-in Sleeve Aran is too uninspiring, even for me.





This Knitpicks Wool of the Andes worsted swatch for the Set-in Sleeve Aran was knit last month. The color is Blue Ice Heather, needle size #5.

Gauge is almost perfect, but I've decided I want to find a softer yarn since this sweater will be worn next to my skin.

Pilling Babble

Several readers have asked my thoughts on pilling. I'm not a yarn expert and especially not a piling expert, so this is just my opinion and not necessarily factual or even helpful.

• All wool and alpaca is likely to have some pilling.
  
  
• Yarn quality is not directly related to price.
  
  
• I've read that if the pills are removed with a shaver or sweater stone, eventually the pilling will stop. I don't have enough experience with pills to say if this is true or not.
  
  
• I have never had a serious pilling problem. This may be because I like my yarn knit at a tighter gauge than most. For example, I'm currently knitting a sport weight pattern (6 stitches/inch) with Knitpicks worsted weight Wool of the Andes. On size 4 needles I get 6 stitches/inch and what I consider a nice fabric without it being too firm.
  
  If I were to knit this yarn on the size 7 to 9 needles recommended on the label, it would result in what I consider a sloppy, baggy garment and much dissatisfaction and pilling.
  
  
• Both of the pilling questions on my comments mentioned Wool of the Andes. I've knit two often worn and much loved sweaters with a similar inexpensive yarn, Elann's Peruvian Highland Wool. I find Elann wool a bit softer next to my skin than Wool of the Andes. And there are about a hundred colors to pick from. Color selection is almost too overwhelming to bear.
  
  One of my informal resolutions for 2008, not written down but rattling around in my brain, is to look at Elann first when I need to buy yarn.
  
  
• When I do have pills, I pick them off or snip them off with a sissors. I'm sure someday I will be very sorry about the sissors technique. Now that I've confessed, I must stop doing that.
  
  
• I was lucky enough to get Clara Park's The Book of Yarn for Christmas. It fully explains the nature of pilling and how to guess if a yarn is going to pill by looking at how the fibers are spun. It's an excellent reference book for yarn topics not covered in other knitting books.

Wishing For Some Purple Yarn and Still Knitting Red

December 8 I ordered purple Cascade 220 from a local yarn store (20 miles away) to knit the She Said Aran and was told it would be in the week of January 7. Since I was in Kalamazoo today, I stopped by to see if, by any chance, it was sitting in the yarn store waiting for me.

Dream on, Marguerite! The store owner told me it would be two more weeks, making a grand total of over six weeks waiting for this yarn.

As I've said before, I do have sympathy for yarn store owners who can't compete with the internet yarn stores. They need to offer something the internet yarn stores can't provide.

In the case of my purple yarn, the store offered the opportunity to pick the exact purple I wanted from real yarn samples. Once I got the color number, it would have been rude to come home and order it online at a cheaper price and much quicker delivery. I just didn't feel right about doing that, so I didn't.

I'm sure the store owner needs a certain minimum order to get a discount and make a profit on the yarn she buys. Still, it's asking a lot for a knitter to wait six weeks for yarn.

I plan to fill the two weeks of waiting with sock knitting and CIC sweater knitting.

The January/February/March CIC challenge is for size 2 and 4 toddler vests and sweaters.

I love the little ganseys in Knitting Ganseys by Beth Brown-Reinsel. They're a fun knit and there's no sewing when the knitting is done.

When I knit a wool sweater, I normally estimate the amount of yarn needed very generously because I know I can use the leftover for CIC knitting. There was enough red wool left over from Autumn Song for a size 4 gansey.


Pattern: Pattern: Snakes and Ladders Gansey from Knitting Ganseys by Beth Brown-Reinsel. Rolled neckline replaced by ribbed neckline. An extra inch of stockinette at the bottom to lengthen the sweater for warmer coverage.

Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes, 100% wool.

Color: Firecracker heather (left over from Autumn Song)

Needles: #2 and #4.

Gauge: 6 stitches/inch, 8 rows/inch in pattern

Anne's Step Socks Done and Sock Sizing

Anne's second pair of birthday socks knit with the yarn she picked out are ready for mailing.


Pattern: Basic sock with k3,p1 ribbing on cuff and instep

Yarn: Austermann Step with Aloe Vera and Jojoba Oil

Color: Gray, purple, and tan

Needles: Options 2.5mm 24" circulars

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch

Yesterday I received a nice email from Karen in Maine who asked . . .

I enjoy knitting socks for myself and I'm interested in knitting them for others as you do. How do you go about making them to fit? What measurements do you ask the person to give you and how do you relate that to the sock as you knit. I know the circumference is easy, but I've always tried on my socks to get the length correct which can't be done when giving a gift to someone.

I ask the person for their shoe size and use the Brannock Shoe Size Chart Chart.

I know my shoe size is 6, my sock row gauge is 10 rows/inch, and I require 60 rows from the gusset pickup to the start of the toe decrease for a good fit. That's my starting point to calculate how many rows to knit for someone else.

Example:
Anne wears a size 9 shoe. From the chart, I see that a size 9 is one inch longer than my size 6, so I add 10 more rows to the 60 rows I would knit for myself. (1 inch X 10 rows per inch) Anne's socks are 70 rows from the gusset pickup to the beginning of the toe decreases.

Another Example:
Mom wears a size 7 shoe. From the chart I see that a size 7 is .3 inches longer than my size 6, so I add 3 rows to the 60 rows I would knit for myself. (.3 inch X 10 rows per inch) Mom's socks are 63 rows from the gusset pickup to the beginning of the toe decreases.

The chart also converts men's sizes to women's sizes and has kid sizes, UK sizes, and European sizes. Click on the "Printer Friendly Version" for a larger, clearer chart.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone.

Here's wishing you a 2008 where your yarn never tangles and your stitches are always right on gauge.

We're having winter in a big way here in SW Michigan. We have about a foot of snow this afternoon and the sky is still dumping. The forecast calls for five more inches tonight and five more inches tomorrow.

Those are very approximate estimates. Sometimes when the Lake Effect Snow starts falling, it doesn't know when to stop.


Glory was delighted when we went out for our morning walk. She loves romping through the snow.

The snow was coming down thick and heavy. I took my old camera out with us, but mostly kept it dry in my pocket.


As I was taking bird pictures out the window, this fat fellow popped up wanting to get his picture taken.


Sunny wishes she was a southern dog.

Her idea of the best way to spend a snowy day is to sit by the radiator or snuggle down in a fleece blanket.