Chat Back for November 27

Responding to comments left since the last time I did Chat Back.

Gail asked . . .

You can go 6 weeks between cuttings?!!!!

In a past life when I worked as a cosmetologist, I learned that the average head of hair grows about a half inch a month.

Usually I go five weeks between haircuts, but that time interval put the haircut on December 23. I like to stay away from the busy shopping centers just before Christmas, so I scheduled my next haircut for the following week, the week after Christmas. It will be in serious need of a cut by then, so I hope the road conditions cooperate.

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Papiokc asked . . .

On a different note, how is Pappy doing? Hope all is well.

All is well. Pappy is old but in good health for his age.

This past week we celebrated his eighth year with us. I hope by now his little doggy brain only remembers the good part of his life after he was rescued.

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Dorothy said . . .

At least there are not deer hunters in our yard! EEK!

To my knowledge we've never had a deer hunter come onto our property, but it could easily happen if a hunter was tracking a wounded deer or spotted one of the many deer that have been coming into the yard to eat acorns.

If a hunter is not on our property but shooting into our property, how far would a bullet go? I'm not sure I want to know the answer to that question. I do know I want the hunters to know I'm human and not fair game, so during firearm deer hunting season I sing loudly on dog walks.

Only three more days and firearm hunting season is over.

Deer picture taken out the kitchen window yesterday morning.

Dave's Socks Done, Gail's Cuffs Done

My Christmas sock knitting is ahead of schedule and under control.



I have no sock blockers for Brother Dave's shoe size 14.

It's important to really really like the yarn I use for his socks, because I'm going to be knitting on it a long long time. It takes almost twice the amount of yarn I use for pair of socks for myself. So, I'm celebrating having these socks done in November.

Pattern: Basic top down socks with a k5p1 ribbing on the cuff and instep.

Yarn: Opal Rainforest 6, Color 4005, Baronesse Bambalina.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch in stockinette.



Last pair of Christmas socks are for doggy school teacher Gail. They may get done by the end of November as well.

Pattern: Basic cuff down sock pattern on 64 stitches. k3p1 ribbing on cuff and instep.

Yarn: Regia.

Color: Kaffe Fassett 4255.

Needles: Options #1, 2.5mm

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch

Giving Thanks Today

Tuesday This and That

Yesterday morning when the dogs and I stepped outside about 7:30 am, it was 60 degrees. Didn't even need a jacket until it started raining.

Later in the morning we were having a nice, gentle rain. Without warning a white light filled the house accompanied by an ear-splitting boom. My brain said, "propane explosion" and I was surprised to be alive a second later. It was some strange lightening that didn't seem to hit anywhere.

Glory, the big dog, shook with fear and Sunny ran under the bed. The power stayed on, our computers and appliances didn't fry, and the rain continued to gently fall. Very weird.

This morning when the dogs and I stepped outside for the first time, it was 35 degrees, the wind was blowing, and the temperature was falling. We're still waiting (but not impatiently) for the first snowfall. There are weather prediction rumors that it's going to happen on Thanksgiving Day.

Firearm deer hunting season started on the 15th. Gun shots could be heard during morning walks and evening walks. When I take the dogs out, I wear red and sing. I figure the singing will run any nearby deer away and keep the hunters from shooting me. So far it's working.

Sunday morning the 21st the yard was full of deer eating acorns when I looked out the window at the beginning of sunrise. While I hate to think of any of those beautiful deer getting shot, I have to admit the herd needs to be thinned and there aren't enough local hunters to do it. Or maybe, considering all the gunshots, there are just too many deer.

I've been knitting on the size 14 feet of Brother Dave's Christmas Socks. 94 rows from the gusset to the start of the toe decreases. Round and round and round we go.

Just because it doesn't seem right to have a post without a picture, here's another picture of non-productive snowclouds on a gray November day. . .

Chat Back for November 20

Responding to comments left since the last time I did Chat Back.

NMjewel asked . . .

Question about the side seam or non-seam. Have you included a purl stitch as a mock seam? Nice!!

Thanks.

There is a double purl stitch as a mock seam. It splits to two single purls at the sides of the gusset.

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NMjewel asked . . .

I don't really want to share and spoil the gifts... What to do?

Great question. For knitters who want to keep their gift knitting secret, that's a problem. I don't have an answer.

Secrecy is not a big deal in our family. For hand made gifts we tend to consult the intended recipient to the point where there's not much reason to keep anything secret.

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Judy S. asked . . .

Good knitting/sewing weather, eh?

It's great knitting weather.

The weather report has mentioned snow a few times, but so far all we've had are some ominous looking snow clouds.

When I got my haircut last week, it was a shock to count out six weeks and find it landed my next appointment AFTER Christmas. The holidays are creeping up on me and I'm pretending it's still autumn because we haven't had any snow yet.

Starmore Eye Candy

Even though I own the "old" hardcover version, I had to buy the Aran Knitting: New and Expanded Edition by Alice Starmore when it was 40% off last month.



Although reading the preface to the new addition where Ms Starmore insults almost everyone in the knitting world was entertaining, I bought the book for the eye candy and the patterns.

Many of the patterns have additional, smaller sizes. Pictures from the old edition have been joined by new pictures.



Irish Moss is one example. In the old book it is shown as a man's sweater. The smallest size is 44.5 inches.

In the new book, the smallest size is 39.5 inches. Just right. I want to knit it someday, but even if I never do I'll get years of pleasure just looking at the picture.

Red Cotlin Gansey Progress

I had fun browsing through stitch pattern books for the next two patterns in the Red X Gansey.



The trees are a classic gansey stitch pattern. The stars in the top row are from The New Knitting Stitch Library: Over 300 Traditional and Innovative Stitch Patterns Illustrated in Color and Explained with Easy-to-Follow Charts.



I've reached the point where the circular knitting ends.

The back is still on the needle, the front is on a heavy cotton yarn. I can't knit anymore until I figure out what stitch patterns will be on the top front and top back.

The entire sweater is constructed by picking up stitches. No seams except the three needle bind off on the shoulders.



The gussets are half knit. The gusset stitches are on hold until the sleeve stitches are picked up. Then the decrease half of the gusset will be knit as part of the sleeve.

Pattern: Winging it for now. Unofficially naming it the Red X Sweater.

Yarn: Knitpicks Cotlin. 70% Tanguis Cotton, 30% Linen. DK weight.

Color: Moroccan Red.

Needles: Options #3.

Gauge: 6 stitches/inch, 8.5 rows/inch in pattern.

November Babble

After posting every day in October, I still have the urge to post every day in November. Problem is that there is little to post about.

In October the change of seasons happened quickly and colorfully.



November is colorless and without weather interest unless there's an ice storm or snow storm. So far that hasn't happened.

Even the bird feeders have been uninteresting. Many of the birds are still hanging out elsewhere. They won't gather around the feeders until the snow covers the seeds available in the wild.

Last week we had an amazing week of warm weather and sunshine. I was able to give the lawn one last mowing of the season and get a few other outdoor things tidied.

Tonight the forecast calls for a little snow, but it's all going to melt tomorrow. If I didn't have dogs to walk first thing in the morning I could leave the curtains closed until mid-morning and pretend the snow didn't happen.

BFF Socks Done, Dave's Socks Started

One pair of Christmas socks done. Two pairs to go.

The picture has been lightened up just a little so the cables show.


In a previous post there's a picture of the slick way Cookie increases between two knit stitches in the ribbing and four stitches in the cable.

Here is a picture of decreasing back to two stitches when the cable ends. Those two tricks are one reason why I admire this pattern.

Pattern:BFF by Cookie A. 64 stitch size.

Yarn: Stalwart Sock from Slackford Studio. 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon 4 Ply Fingering Weight Sock Yarn.

Color: After Midnight.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch in stockinette.


Knitting socks for Brother Dave is a long term commitment. He is tall and he has long feet.

The cuffs are done and I'm ready to start the three inch heel flap.

Pattern: Basic top down socks with a k5p1 ribbing on the cuff and instep.

Yarn: Opal Rainforest 6, Color 4005, Baronesse Bambalina.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch in stockinette.

Chat Back for November 13

Responding to comments left since the last time I did Chat Back.

Judy S. asked . . .

So would you knit the last sweater in a softer/lighter wt. yarn? I've had my eye on that pattern (Vines and Leaves from the May issue of Creative Knitting) and am curious.

It's a lovely pattern and I take total responsibility for my failure with it. At the time I started it, I was distracted with life's challenges and didn't take proper care with planning and taking notes on my changes.

Looking at the picture, I see two gottchas for inexperienced or distracted knitters in a hurry to cast on.

The bottom edge of the sweater is going to end up in a wave. In order for it to fall naturally without puckering the cast on needs to be way looser than normal.

Giving the designer the benefit of the doubt, the neckline was intended to have the three clasps in order for it to lay nice. To wear the sweater without the clasps, it's probably going to be necessary to redesign the neck opening.

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Shirley asked . . .

Too bad your brother wants a different color. What will you do with the Midnight Blue socks?

Sorry my post was not clear about this.

I bought two skeins of After Midnight yarn thinking I'd make a pair for brother Dave and a pair for his SO Karen. The socks on the needles are for Karen. She always asks for dark socks and dark they are!

Dave wears mostly black and likes bright socks for leisure wear, so I wasn't surprised when he requested something more colorful. I have no immediate plans for the leftover After Midnight, but I'm not sorry to have it in my stash.

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Kathy C. asked . . .

Could you give me your opinions of Cotlin, Comfy, and Shine lines of yarn.

Comfy, Worsted weight. 75% Pima cotton, 25% acrylic.



June 2008 I finished a sweater knit with Comfy. Details here.

October 2008, after the sweater had been washed three times, I wrote a favorable yarn review:

I just washed this sweater for the third time in a regular warm machine load and threw it in the dryer with all its washer mates. It's looking great.

At the end of a dryer cycle, it is still damp while everything else is totally dry. I grab it up and spread it flat to finish drying, being careful not to let it sit and wrinkle in the dryer.

There is no pilling, no stretching, and no shrinking.

One word (or maybe more) of warning: Other knitters have reported Comfy pilling and/or stretching. I attribute my results to knitting at 5.5 stitches/inch in stockinette, a nice firm fabric for this worsted weight yarn.

Also, don't pick a pattern where elasticity is important. Comfy is 75% cotton and acts like a cotton yarn except it's lighter in weight, softer, and easier on the hands while knitting.

That was the last nice thing I said about this yarn.



Knitting tight may have postponed the pilling and fuzzing, but it didn't prevent it. I would never use this yarn again for anything, especially baby and children's wear that needs to be washed vigorously and often.

Cotlin, 70% Tanguis Cotton, 30% Linen. DK weight.



Cotlin is my favorite cotton blend yarn of all time.

I've been wearing and washing the Lighthouse Gansey (more pictures and info here) for a year now. It's comfortable to wear, washes great, no pilling, no shrinking, no growing.

Like all cotton blends, it's a bit hard on the hands to knit. I limited my knitting to not more than two inches an evening to avoid finger/wrist/shoulder fatigue.

The yarn is heavy and I've been disappointed with how it seams. A skilled seamer maybe could do better? The Lighthouse Gansey has no seams, just picked up stitches.

Shine, 60% pima cotton, 40% model



Almost five years ago I knit this sweater with Shine. (Details here.)

What I remember is that I knit a large swatch and the after washing row gauge was different from the before washing gauge. I thought I allowed for this difference in the sweater, but it still turned out a bit shorter than I like so I hardly ever wear it.

It's in good shape. No pilling or fuzzing. The fabric is a bit drapy like one might expect with 40% model. Great for something loose and lacy. I wouldn't use it for a stockinette or knit/purl project.

Sweater Judgement Day

Today, finally, I pulled out three sweaters that have been sitting in time out, considered their potential, and passed judgement.

Sweater #1, the Hedonist Redo Sweater.
Named Hedonist Redo because it is being knit with Hedonist yarn that was frogged from a previous knitting disappointment.



The sweater body was knit in the round. This is the back.

The body is done, the shoulder seams are knit, all that's needed is two sleeves.

I procrastinated knitting the sleeves because it was summertime and sleeves aren't my favorite thing to knit. But knit them I will. This one's a keeper and I'm almost looking forward to finishing it.

Pattern: A basic pullover. The border across the top of the back and front is Pattern #177 from The New Knitting Stitch Library by Leslie Stanfield.

Yarn: Hedonist Sock from Slackford Studio, 80% Superwash Merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon, 4 Ply Fingering Weight

Color: Cote d'Azur

Needles: US #4, 3.5mm

Gauge: 6 stitches/inch, 9 rows/inch in stockinette.

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Sweater #2, the Red X Sweater.
Named Red X sweater because the yarn is red, the stitch pattern has an X in it, and I didn't know what the rest of the sweater was going to look like so I named it after what I knew.





When I started this sweater the plan was to knit a gansey with some intricate stitch patterns on the top part. I selected this knit/purl pattern as the background filler pattern, started knitting, and then did several skeins of swatching to find something for the top that looked nice with the knit/purl pattern and the deep red yarn.

I was unable to find anything that stood out as just the right thing. The knit/purl background pattern is a little to busy to play well with others at this gauge.

At nine inches I tossed the sweater aside for lack of a plan to finish, and it's been sitting in a basket for over a year. Good grief.

I like the yarn, I like the knit/purl pattern, I want to finish the sweater. I'm going to draw up a plan and finish the sweater mostly with the knit/purl background stitch. There may be a few accent places knit in a variation of the knit/purl stitch. I'm looking forward to having it done and wearing it.

Pattern: Winging it for now. Unofficially naming it the Red X Sweater.

Yarn: Knitpicks Cotlin. 70% Tanguis Cotton, 30% Linen. DK weight.

Color: Moroccan Red.

Needles: Options #3.

Gauge: 6 stitches/inch, 8.5 rows/inch in pattern.

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Sweater #3, Vines and Leaves.



Last time I saw this sweater I had knit the sleeves and the sleeves didn't fit in the sweater body. This was my fault, not the pattern. I had modified the arm hole when knitting the body and forgot to alter the sleeves.

As pretty as it is/was, I decided I was never going to enjoy this sweater. I have one other Cotlin sweater with sewn in sleeves, and the seam is very thick and nasty looking. I'm done knitting heavy cotton blend sweaters with set in sleeves.

There are other parts of the pattern that suggest they may not hang nice once the sweater is finished.

The sweater is gone. It has been eliminated from my knitting life with no regrets. Please don't ask what I did with it. Some things I'd rather not confess in writing.

Pattern: Vines and Leaves cardigan from the May issue of Creative Knitting.

Yarn: Knitpicks Cotlin and I'm getting exact stitch gauge and row gauge with US 5 needles.

Color: Planetarium. (Navy)

Needles: Options #5.

BFF Revisited and New Sock Yarn

These socks deserved better than yesterdays inadequate picture taken with the flash. The picture above was taken in daylight and shows the true richness of the yarn color. It's still difficult to see the cables because of the dark color.



This close up picture was lightened so you can see the beautiful way Cookie A. transitions between the cuff ribbing and stitch pattern. A k2 in the ribbing is crossed and double knit to create four stitches for the start of the cable.

The decrease back to two stitches where the cable ends is just as ingenious, but I'm not there yet.

Pattern:BFF by Cookie A. 64 stitch size.

Yarn: Stalwart Sock from Slackford Studio. 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon 4 Ply Fingering Weight Sock Yarn.

Color: After Midnight.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch in stockinette.



I bought two skeins of the After Midnight thinking I'd use it for Brother Dave's socks. Then he called a few nights ago and asked for multicolored socks with "violet". That meant I had to buy more sock yarn. Darn.

This is Opal Rainforest 6, Color 4005, Baronesse Bambalina.



Someone always asks where I buy Opal. Simply Socks Yarn Company

Trekking Socks Done, BFF Started

These are for me. I wore them to church on Sunday with gray slacks, a gray turtleneck, and my barn red Hanover Jacket.

Pattern: Basic sock on 60 stitches with a k3p1 ribbing on cuffs and instep.

Yarn: Trekking 176.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch in stockinette.



I'm still adjusting to being off Daylight Savings Time. The late afternoon when I'm in the habit of taking knitting pictures isn't going to work anymore, so I had to use the flash.

I tried to edit the picture, but nothing helped to make it clearer. The picture is almost useless except to prove that I've been knitting some sock cuffs. I promise a better shot when the socks are done.

The BFF pattern is perfect for gift socks because it's based on a ribbing pattern so size doesn't have to be perfect for the socks to fit.

The pattern has three sizes, 56 stitches, 64 stitches, and 72 stitches. I have a pair knit with 56 stitches that fit my narrow feet perfectly. Or maybe it's just the illusion of perfect because of the ribbing.

These socks are for Karen with normal width feet, so I'm using the 64 stitch pattern.

Pattern:BFF by Cookie A.

Yarn: Stalwart Sock from Slackford Studio. 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon 4 Ply Fingering Weight Sock Yarn.

Color: After Midnight.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.

Gauge: 8 stitches/inch, 10 rows/inch in stockinette.

Chat Back for November 6

Responding to comments left since the last time I did Chat Back.

Kristieinbc asked . . .

I have a question about knitting with alpaca. I love its softness and warmth, but tend to stay away from using it because I have heard it does not hold its shape very well. Can you knit something like a basic hat with a ribbed edge and have the ribbing hold up, or will it eventually stretch out big enough to fit a giant?

Ribbing is useless when knitting with alpaca. Alpaca ribbing has no elasticity and flattens out to the same gauge it would have been if it were stockinette.

Alpaca stitch definition is subtle. Care must be taken when knitting a pattern with cables. A large washed swatch is necessary to avoid disappointment in sizing as the cables will also flatten out and make the garment wider than cabled wool.

The key to knitting with alpaca is to pick your patterns with "flatten out" in mind and plan accordingly.

I would not knit a 100% alpaca hat. An alpaca scarf worn next to the tender skin of the neck would be heavenly and warm.

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Carrie asked . . .

I read that Shirley Jackson book (We Have Always Lived in the Castle) many years ago...worth reading again? I don't remember anything about it other than it was eerie.

Not unless you like reading books with no actual plot except to document two crazy women who kill people.

It is very well written. There is probably some artistic and/or literary value to this book that I am too left-brained to appreciate.

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Jean asked . . .

What wondrous photos, that bird is so sweet looking, what are it's characteristics?

Junco are sparrow sized seed eaters who hang out under feeders and eat the scattered seed off the ground. They come down from Northern Michigan and Canada to spend the winter with us in SW Michigan, October through May. Nesting is done in their northern home.

I love what Katherine wrote about Juncos in her comment:

My son, now 25, first saw Juncos at the feeders when he was around 3 yrs. old. He forgot their exact name, and called them the garbage birds. When I told him again I remember he said that garbage worked too because they were always on the ground eating the seed that the other birds had tossed off.

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Sherilan asked . . .

I have a repair question...My daughter wore her brand new socks one day and snagged them - broken stitch. I have yarn to match - what is the best way to fix this hole? Thanks.

I have no repair skills. I've never seen a repair done well enough to inspire me to learn.

If this were my problem and I wanted to fix the broken stitch, I would frog the sock back to the hole, join the yarn together and reknit.

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Judy S. asked . . .

I had no idea you had salmon in MI! Where do they spawn?

The Great Lakes are full of various kinds of salmon and they spawn in the rivers and creeks.

Just in case that's not enough, and it isn't, we have state run fish hatcheries to keep the game fish plentiful. One is about a mile from where I live.

That about covers my fish knowledge. I can't tell one species from another. I just know that in the autumn there are big fish swimming upstream through our property. Some of them look totally beat up and occasionally one will throw itself up on the muddy bank to die. If I'm lucky I'll find it before a dog rolls in it.

Knitpicks Box Arrived

Yesterday a box arrived from Knitpicks full of woolly goodness and temptations to cast on a new project.


There's enough Andean Treasure Baby Alpaca for a sweater which I will not start until I've finished the three sweaters I have in time out. I will not, I will not!

Didn't I say I was going to bring those sweaters out this week and declare their fate? It's Friday. Only one more day in the week to do it. I'm sure once the job gets done I'll wonder why it took so long to get started.

The new yarn's color is Mystery Heather. Not very exciting but very practical.


Andean Treasure in Hot Red Heather was on sale so I ordered two skeins to see if I loved the color. It's OK, but I'm not in love. The two skeins will become a scarf and Knitpicks can discontinue the color with my blessing.


Mom asked for a hat like My Red Hat. I know she likes her knits washable, so I bought two skeins of Swish Worsted, a superwash wool.


Because wool hat weather is here now in SW Michigan, I knit the hat last night. It's all ready to keep Mom's head warm this winter.

After Midnight Sock Yarn

Three pairs of Chirstmas gift socks need to be knit before Christmas - Brother Dave, Brother Dave's SO Karen, and Doggy School Teacher Gail.


Karen likes dark socks. Her yarn arrived today. Stalwart Sock Yarn from Slackford Studio. The color is After Midnight.


Not sure what stitch pattern I'm going to use. Karen is one of the few people who actually looks at and admires the patterns in the stitches, so I want to pick something interesting for her.

Juncos and Salmon, Two Signs of Late Autumn

The Juncos arrived the middle of October.

They migrate from way way up north to the winter in the milder climate of SW Michigan. Their common name is Snowbird because normally it snows about the same time we see them at the feeders.

This year we were blessed with a snowless October. It was great. I'd love a snowless November as well.


The salmon are swimming up the creek.

We've been promised a "chance of snow showers" the next few days, but the day temperatures are going to be above freezing so it isn't going to stick.

Simple Woman's Daybook for November 2

These writing prompts are available from Simple Woman's Daybook where each Tuesday we're invited to join in celebrating the beauty of everyday moments around us.

FOR TODAY November 2, 2010...

Outside my window...


This squirrel wants me to know it's time to put out more sunflower seeds.

I am thinking...
That we may have missed some important political phone calls when the phone was out of service yesterday evening. (If you're a first time reader, this is sarcasm.)

I am thankful for...
Being old enough to vote absentee ballot.

From the kitchen...
I'm looking forward to eating some left over pizza for lunch.

I am wearing...
Bluejeans, a purple poet shirt, and purple hand knit socks. When I get home from Bible study, I'll change into grunge clothes to rake and burn leaves and sticks. When I'm done whatever I'm wearing will smell like smoke. And, so will I.

I am creating...


Another pair of very basic wool socks with some left over Trekking. I'm hoping I have enough yarn to finish them. If not, they will have gray toes.

I am going...
To Aqua Arthritis class in the heated pool tomorrow morning. After two days of yard cleaning, I'm really looking forward to stretching out my body and relaxing my joints.

I am reading...
Just finished listening to "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" by Shirley Jackson.

Yikes!! Some of the scenes in this book are straight out of my bad dreams.

I am hoping...


Now that we've had several nights of hard frost, temperatures in the mid-twenties F, that allergy season is officially over.

Picture is heavy frost on the goldenrod seeds.

I am hearing...
People say that the water in Lake Michigan is sixty degrees, warmer than normal because of our hot summer. And that as the cold air hits the warm lake we're going to be buried in Lake Effect Snow this winter.

Michiganders like to predict weather horror scenarios. Way too often they come true.

Around the house...
Everything is pretty much the same.

One of my favorite things...
Is knitting with alpaca. A package of alpaca will be arriving in a few days and I'm looking forward to getting it on the needles.

A few plans for the rest of the week:
This morning, Tuesday, is Bible Study Fellowship. When I get home I'll pick up more sticks from last weeks wind storm, start a fire, and burn some leaves. A man is coming to clean out eave troughs.

Wednesday is exercise class and grocery shopping. Will rake more if weather permits. We're supposed to see the first snow flakes by the end of the week.

Sometime this week I plan on pulling out the three sweaters that are in knitting time out and deliver a verdict on their fate. The decision may be heavily influenced by the new yarn I have coming. I'm hoping it's here by week end.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...


A frosty early morning.