Knitopolis

Gossamer Stars

There was a somewhat primitive look about Gossamer Stars that appealed to me when I first saw it.  Turns out that it may have been due to the wrong side being featured in Interweave Knits, according to the designer, Kat Coyle.

No matter.  I still like it.  I needed something easy to take on my commute and I need some silky scarves to help sheild myself from the sun this summer (Knitspot Anne has a ton of great lacy scarves I've been considering).

To compliment this primitive look, I chose a color that is completely out of character for me--a tea-stained looking color of Tilli Tomas "Fil de la Mer" called "Parchment".

This is my first time with the heavier weight version of the silk/seacell blends.   I don't especially care for the construction of the this particular yarn.   Because I could not resist the color, I picked up a couple of skeins of Tilli Tomas "Soie de la Mer" in "Caribbean." 

I like it better--it's spun rather than plied.

Sheesh.  I can't believe I'm taking more stash pics.  I really need to let up on the lace yarn purchases--the stash is growing out of control while I continue my usual slow pace of knitting. 

Clapotis 2

Pattern:  Clapotis

Needle:  US8

Yarn:  Katia Jamaica (discontinued), a little more than 3 skeins.  Color:  4002

Pattern Variation:  I did one extra repeat in the main section.

I was a bit skeptical as I was knitting this, my second, Clapotis.  Somehow it just seemed so plain jane on the needles with it's simple stitches and cotton yarn (perhaps because my WIP Honeybee Stole of lovely Sea Silk was lurking around within sight most of the time).  But now that it's complete, I've grown to love it.  There's no mystery why this pattern has been so popular over the years, it just feels great to wrap around oneself.  The bias design give it a wonderful flow, both physically and visually.  It seems to come alive.

I think this will be a summer favorite. 

I think you can still find a bit of Jamaica around, eBay and such.  It's an incredibly soft, cool, comfy cotton yarn and the striping works well to counter the diagonal stitching.

I have enough of color 4003 to make another someday, but that probably won't be anytime soon.

ps:

The new SKIF pattern "Martha" arrived.

 

pss:

Look what else arrived (at long last).

 

 

I love this:

Increments

It's fun to post about beginnings and endings.  The "in-between" states, not so much.  Of course, that's where we spend most of our knitting time and that's pretty much where I am right now.  I can show you increments.

A few more rows of a Honeybee Stole:

A few more inches of a Clapotis:

A few inches of the left side of a Fluttersleeve:

I'm off to the beach for a few days.  Perhaps I'll have more to show.

Goodbye Seed Stitch

I really didn't like the seed stitch edging on the Fluttersleeve cardi I've been working on.  Normally, I don't have a problem with the stitch, but with the nubby yarn I was using, it just looked lumpy and messy.  Unfortunately, I didn't decide it was untenable until I had nearly finished the back.  I hated to rip it all out, because I was liking the piece otherwise, and knowing me, I would have never gotten around to restarting it.

So, away the seed stitch went:

I reknitted the bottom edge in a K2P1 rib and grafted it onto the bottom.

And, voilà!

A new ribbed edge.  Much better.

OK, what I'm not showing you is that I knitted the band about 8 stitches short (yet another dumb mistake), so I guess I'll have to knit another little section and graft and seam it in.  Sheesh.

Where the *%$@ have I been!!!

My last post was on January 30.  Yikes!

Winter is gone and it's Virginia bluebell season.

The sad thing is that I don't have too much to show for all the time that has passed.  I'm loathe to admit it, but just a little of the magic has gone out of knitting for me.  At least for the time being.  I'm not sure what happened.  Knitting just seems kind of tedious.  My stash, which isn't even that huge, feels like a burden.

I started and stopped a dozen projects in the past couple of months.  Nothing seems to satisfy, but I, also, I was making too many not-paying-attention types of mistakes.

So, what have I been up to?

For a couple of years I've wanted to knit a Clapotis from Katia Jamaica (discontinued), here are a couple of very nice examples.  I've had the yarn forever--for two different colors, no less--but I just never got around to starting it. 

I was hoping this would be something I could just pick up and put down and it would not require much effort (I've even done a few rows on the train/bus).  Plus, it would use stash yarn.  So, I don't love it, but it'll do (I think I'll really like the end product, though).  I'm just getting to the point of where I indulge in the perverse pleasure of deliberately dropping the stitches.

I started the Snap Cardigan with Blue Sky Cotton.  I bought this yarn last summer. 

It's a little tough knitting this worsted weight yarn with US6 needles, but I like the result so far.

I'm working on the Flutter Sleeve Cardigan from the current IK.

 

I'm not sure the nubby stash yarn I'm using was such a great idea--the seed stitching looks pretty bad, and, yet, I keep knitting. 

Fugly--no?  I wouldn't be surprised if this one ends up ripped. 

I finished one Transitions mitt (well, except for weaving in the ends). 

The part with two colors on US3 needles was fun, the end with ribbing done on US1 was hellish.  I think this contributed greatly to my knitting funk.  It just seemed to go on forever.  Mitt 2 will have to wait for cold weather to roll around again.  Love the Shibui yarn, though.

I finished the shawl from "Scottish Inspirations.

I like it, but the season is over.  Couldn't get a good action shot, but this photo shows the color better:

On the stash acquisition front, my malaise has lessened my enthusiasm for yarn, too (oh noes!).  However, how bummed out would you have to be to ignore this gorgeous Handmaiden Sea Silk in Dandelion?  I just need to decide what to make with it.

A very sweet reader of this blog (and fellow Blythe fan), Bobbe (no bloggy?), sent me this gorgeous shawl pin.

 

I'm looking forward to using it with the above mentioned Sea silk and all my other lace shawls.

Speaking of readers, another reader, Dana, was asking about my Placed Cable (Dana, I tried to email a response, but the message kept bouncing).  Alas, the Placed Cable, another victim of my funk, sits abandoned until cool weather roles around again.

Oh, and, look:  Fabric stash!  One of these days I may get around to doing something with these.

I scored a Lotta Jansdotter remnant bag:

And a bunch of pretty Denyse Schmidt prints:

So, that's the update.  I do think things are getting better--actually, just bringing everything out and blogging it seems to have helped.  Hopefully, I'll be back to more-or-less regular posting.

I can't go without one more bluebell pic.

I hope all of you are enjoying the seasons, wherever you are!

Quick Gift Knitting

Herringbone Neck Warmer using Malabrigo worsted (in "Rose Vivacity") and Bainbridge Scarf in Rowan Wool Cotton (in "Moonstone")

Need something fast?  These patterns are great.

I swiped a ball or so of Wool Cotton from the two sweater's worth I got on sale at Richesse when they were getting rid of their Rowan yarn awhile back (sadly, they seem to be no longer around).  I likes Wool Cotton.  I likes it a lot.  Gotta think about what to do with my haul.

Oh, and Neptune it is.  Definitely, Neptune.

New and Old Yarn Loves

My new yarn love is Shibui.  It is delightful--gorgeous color and texture.  I have three skeins of sock yarn (Peony, Chinese Red, and Pagoda, l to r) and one skein of Silk Cloud (Chinese Red).  I've been looking forward to starting and pair of Transition Gloves, but was delayed a bit because I was sent a skein of Pagoda rather than the Peony which I ordered.  The folks at Knit/Purl offered to make a very convenient and reasonable swap, but when there was a slight shipping delay on their part, they told me to keep both skeins!  Knitting peoples are good peoples.

I still loves me some Rowan Cork, though.  This is the aforementioned "Pete" from the Cork Collection in "Plunge"--a gorgeous deep navy blue with flecks of ultramarine.  There were several lots of Cork on eBay recently.  I resisted the urge, but instead of being proud of myself, I'm feeling regretful!  Need.  More.  Cork!

 

That's a lot o' pink...

While I decide which SKIF to knit next, I started a "Placed Cable Aran" from the Fall 2007 Interweave Knits using some Misti Baby Alpaca Worsted (Raspberry Sorbet) that I actually had intended to use for something else.  However, it's such a soft and cozy looking pullover and the alpaca seemed perfectly suited to it, so it was reassigned.

 

I was actually relieved that I only saw one item in the current IK that I would be inclined to knit.  There were just too many  great pieces in in the Fall issue.  I have the yarn for both "Tilted Duster" and "Tangled Yoke", but I'm not betting that get to both of them anytime soon.

And, Anne at Knitspot is killing me!  Her newest shawl (which will also be available in a stole version soon) is amazing.  I haven't even gotten around to "Bee Fields" yet!  The new pattern, Irtfa'a, is paired with Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn.  They have a new line of colors, Raven Clan, that is beckoning me.  I fear them due to bad pooling experiences with their "Socks That Rock" yarn, but I may have to give them another whirl.

If all this weren't enough, I received my copy of Kim Hargreaves new book.  There are so many great projects.  Oh, and Yahaira's book--Transparencies--oh, yeah.   Can't have too many excuses to knit with Habu silk/mohair.

Not a very good pic, but I've started a swatch using the Habu silk/mohair, merino laceweight, and shosenshi paper.

 

The Journey of a Lifetime...

...begins with casting on just two stitches.

I've finally settled on a project for the beautiful Pureknits Bamboo Lace--Sarcelle.  Sure, the results look a bit sloppy--I'm considering this a swatch.  A fresh start is called for because I've beaten this poor bit of yarn senseless.

It was touch and go for awhile, I had to rip and restart several times and I've had to unknit/reknit quite a lot.  This is my first experience knitting lace where there is action on every row, rather than having a nice restful purl-only row between.  Although I know how to read a chart, I just couldn't seem to get the hang of reading the wrong side rows from left to right--I kept forgetting--it's seems counterintuitive.  After all the misfires, though, I think I've learned the stitch pattern well enough that I'm not hanging constantly on the chart anyway.

The US2 needles seem to be a good size for working with the very fine yarn and I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have the Addi Lace circular.  Actually, it isn't quite sharp enough for purling two stitches from the back (is there anything pointier?), but it's a marked improvement over regular needles for everything else.

My only remaining reservation is that I fear this project is going to take a loooooooooooooooong time and once I can do that stitch pattern with my eyes closed, it's going to be dreadfully tedious.  Still, I think it will be worth the effort when I have a beautiful shimmering gossamer shawl in my favorite shade of green.

While I'm on the subject of working on something for a long time, I want to give an update on Shippo.  I've been working on this for well over a year, not that I have anything against it.  In fact, I like it, but it just never seems to be a priority.  Nora was waxing poetic about working with Habu stainless steel and I mentioned this project to her.  Shippo is knit with a strand each of Silk Stainless Steel and Shosenshi Paper into a very long isosceles triangle.  It's not stiff, but the fabric has a lot of memory.

I should just finish it, already.  Ugh.

Knitting, yes; blogging, not so much...

 

I've had an array of connection/camera/computer problems for the past several weeks, plus I was off on my annual pre-Memorial Day beach trip, and, oh, yeah, we bought a house (yikes!).  Let's say I've been a bit distracted.  Still,  I've managed to keep up with some knitting.  I worked on Tuscany at the beach and finished all but the cast-off which I completed the first night back.   Here it is all blocked and finished.

Tuscany is from "No Sheep for You" and knitted with Handmaiden Sea Silk in "Peridot".  Perfect springtime mid-Atlantic beachy colors.

No sooner did I finish that I cast on another shawl, a Shetland Triangle from Wrap Style.

This is my second Shetland Triangle.  I finished one a year ago as a wedding present for a friend.  This one is for myself and I'm knitting it with Tilli Tomas Voile de la Mer (color:  "Atmosphere"), similar to Sea Silk, but a tad weightier and the silk/seacell split is 60/40 rather than 70/30.

There's not much to show so far, so I won't bother, but I'm still trying to figure out what to knit with my Pureknits Bamboo Lace.   Sarcelle is the latest candidate (I've ran through a few already).  Maybe I'll have something to show next week.  Unlike Voile de la Mer and Sea Silk, this stuff is very, very fine and therein lays my problem.   My experiments with Sarcelle, thus far, have suggested that the key to being able to knit with such a fine yarn is to use a small needle.  It's much easier to knit with a US2 than a US4.

Finally,  aren't these beeyootiful?  These were a very nice surprise from Kris as a thank you for helping her out with some Kid Silk Haze a little while back which resulted in one of the most gorgeous cardis ever seen on the Internets.