FO: Textured Yoke Cardigan With a Long Undescriptive Name

The brown blob / devil's tower is now a brown cardigan!



Pattern: 113-17 jacket with raglan sleeve and pattern on yoke etc etc etc by DROPS design

Yarn: Rowan Pure Wool Aran

Mods:
-Cast on 11 fewer stitches and omitted garter stitch button bands
-Picked up 98 stitches each side for 2x2 rib button bands afterwards
-Replaced seed stitch edges, neckline, and cuffs with 2x2 ribbing
-Replaced p3tog section in the yoke with seed stitch
-Added some length in the torso
-Did 3-needle-bind-off to join live underarm stitches, rather than seaming
-Changed the top lace motif to be stockinette instead of garter stitch

Notes:
I ran out of yarn as I neared the top of the yoke. Alas, the new yarn I bought was a different dye lot. I alternated skeins for the rest of the yoke, but the button bands are done entirely in the new dye-lot, and it is noticeable if you look closely. (But not so in the photos.) I don't really mind, though.



This pattern rewards determination. Basically, I love the finished product, but I didn't enjoy deciphering the instructions. This was my first attempt at a DROPS pattern, so that may be why I had some difficulty. Lots of people on ravelry have mentioned this pattern's idiosyncracies in their notes, so I was sort of prepared for it, but I'm glad the lazy side of me didn't win.

The chart makes sense in its own crazy way, but it wasn't written following the chart standards I'm familiar with. Since I am pretty used to reading charts by this point, I had a hard time wrapping my head around this one at the beginning. That makes me sound really set in my ways and a slave to the knitting establishment! Oops. What have I become?? Maybe I should be congratulating DROPS on their innovative approach to chart design. Anyway. There are also some weird terminology/translation issues, but with some thinking and trial-and-error it all worked out. In a way, it's good that this pattern made me think. I need to knit more things that require my brain!



This would probably look better with waist or maybe back shaping. I suspect it's rumply in the back because there isn't any. Since I can't see myself from the back, I don't really mind - it fits really well otherwise.

There was a button mishap. I made the mistake of not watching when the clerk at the store counted out ten buttons for me. One of them was cracked and splitting, which I found out when I got home. Frustrated as I was, I considered taking them back, but laziness triumphed. I got over it by deciding I only needed nine buttons instead of ten. Problem solved.



More FOs at Tami's Amis

You asked...

So I'm answering more of your questions from last time, even though I have a sneaking suspicion nobody really cares. But hey, it's a blog - I get to talk about myself sometimes. ;)

What's your favorite thing to blog about?
FOs! I enjoy compiling all my thoughts and notes about a project into one post. Since I’m a bit of a slow knitter, some of my projects take ages to finish, and after I’ve done one or maybe two posts about the WIP stage, I don’t feel like blogging about the project more until it’s done.

If you were to be able to own (not necessarily knit yourself) a life-size animal of yarn, which animal would you choose. One thing to consider: you must imagine that you will have to keep this yarn animal model in your house/flat, so though you may happily choose an elephant/giraffe, what size animal d you think you would like to look at most and also be able to traverse on your way to the bathroom/front door, etc.
I already have a life-sized knitted mouse named Horatio Nelson that lives on the bookshelf! He is small and sneaky enough, I think.


Mousie

How do you like living in the UK and how would you compare it to living in Canada?
I like it here! I’m not sure how to make a comparison, really. Lots of things are strangely different, and lots of things are mostly the same; just when I think I’ve got things figured out, something comes up that I’ve never heard of, ever. Keeps me on my toes, I guess.

What inspired you to resume blogging?
That 2002 post in the archives is the only one I did before forgetting this blog existed, so I wouldn’t say I was a blogger at all back then. I used to use livejournal a lot, though, and I made the switch to blogger in 2008 (thereby rediscovering the blog I’d signed up for ages ago) because livejournal was making some changes I didn’t agree with, and I wanted to try something new. Because I mostly interacted with friends I knew in real life on livejournal, the switch to blogger necessitated a change in style/subject matter and it quickly became mostly about my main hobbies, rather than my personal life.



What knitwear designs do you have in the works?
Haha. Other than the Danube Cowl (now up for testing), I hesitate to say I really have anything in the works, unless you count things floating around in my brain. I’m kind of obsessed with infinity scarf/cowl things at the moment, though, so even though the weather is getting warmer I might start working on some more of those.

What is your favorite type of fiber to knit with and why?
Right now I am really into wool-silk blends because they are so soft and shiny. Generally I love wool by itself, though.

Which knit/crochet designer do you find most inspiring?
Oh man. Jared Flood, Norah Gaughan, Snowden Becker, Hannah Fettig, Mari Muinonen, Cookie A... I can’t pick just one.

We have a winner!

Thanks to everyone who commented on my blogiversary post. The random number generator came up with lucky number 13.

That is Hege! Congratulations. I am sending the zauberball your way!



Now onto some questions you asked in the comments.

What is your favorite part about blogging?
I like writing, in my rambly way. Blogging gives me an outlet for informal writing that I particularly appreciated while in university spending all my time writing essays. Now that I’m out of school, blogging gives me an opportunity to write regularly full stop.

What is your favorite FO and why?
Probably my Vivian.



This was a major challenge for me in 2009, and I love the result. I haven’t made something quite so ambitious since, so I think I’m due for another challenging, complex project.

What's your favourite colour?
My favourite colours rotate between greens, blues, and purples. Right now, GREEN. Bright, deep shades like the ones I can’t ever capture in photos, re: the zauberball. Does anyone have any tips for photo accurate greens? I do also love teal, even though all my photos of green things look teal by mistake...

Do you have a favorite online yarn store?
Not yet! I don’t buy that much yarn online, so I haven’t found a favourite online yarn shop so far. I often drool over hand-dyed yarn on etsy shops, though.

Which knitting blog do you most enjoy reading?
There are loads, as shown by my full blogroll sidebar. Here are a few I really enjoy consistently:
Needled – Not only beautiful knitwear designs, but fascinating investigations into textile history, exploring beautiful places, and personal recovery stories.
Brooklyn Tweed – this almost goes without saying, but Jared Flood’s photos and his design work is inspiring.
Mooncalf Makes – She always has something fun on the go: knitting, sewing, cross-stitch…

What advice can you offer someone new to blogging?
Er. Stick with it? Proofread! (Maybe this is a bit hypocritical of me since I am no stranger to typos, and I frequently use sentence fragments but… yeah, proofreading.) Engage with the blogging community. I'm pretty sure nobody read this thing until last year's Knitting and Crochet Blog Week. By the way, this year's KCBW is coming up soon, hint hint.

I'll be back with more of your questions tomorrow!

Blogiversary!

Let's knock that ranty-pants post out of sight, shall we?

Today is my 3rd Blogiversary. Huzzah! I don't think I will ever get over the awkwardness of that word, but anyway. Blogiversary. Technically, I started this blog in 2002 (it was called crudmonkey back then), but I didn't get any further than that, and let it languish for years until I regained interest in 2008. And the rest is history?

It is customary to do something fun on one's blogiversary, so I'm having my first give-away. Win a beautiful green Zauberball in the colourway "summer meadow."


A green Zauberball

Incidently, remember how I said my new spring mitts from last week aren't teal? This yarn isn't teal either, even though most of the photos turned out looking that way. Apparently I'm lousy at capturing emerald/forest greens. There's no sun today, which may have something to do with it. So don't be disappointed if you win and receive some decidedly not-teal yarn!


With some photoshopping... still not quite the right colours

To enter, leave a comment with a question for me and some way I can contact you (ravelry ID, email address, etc). Give-away closes at 11:59 pm (GMT) on March 21st. Good luck!

Rethinking rejection

I got a phone call a while back that made me really hopeful my job search was coming to an end and that I'd soon have a 5-month contract working in my field. I sent off passport photocopies to prove my eligibility to work in this country, and I ticked boxes and signed forms. That seemed like a good sign. No other job I've applied for has made it to that stage. Alas, after waiting for over a week, I contacted the agency and was told they wanted someone with more experience. Fair enough. I'm in that between stage after being copiously over-educated but before starting a career where I'm not experienced enough to get jobs that will give me experience in my field so I can get jobs in my field. Unfortunately, I'm also apparently not experienced enough to get shitty temp work not in my field so I can make a little money and get health coverage while I'm at it. Whoever said that temping was a good way to get into the work force lied, or didn't have to deal with postings for data entry operators requiring 2-3 years experience in a similar role.

I am well aware that this is a shitty economy, and that lots of people are stuck in my situation, but I'm still pretty disappointed. Each rejection I get makes me rethink my approach, and I'm becoming convinced that I am going about it all wrong, although I'm not exactly sure how to fix it. I've got volunteer work, but I can't fill all my time with unpaid work if I want time for paid work...

Although the time for funemployment is long past, I need to start taking advantage of my free time and start having fun again between job applications. Preferably in the cheapest ways possible, since I don't have any income. With that, I pledge to go to more museums, wander around discovering more parts of the city I haven't seen yet, take lots of photos, go cycling, undertake epic baking experiments, put more knitting design ideas to paper, and generally spend less time feeling sorry for myself. Despite myself I've bought into the idea that I'm useless as long as I'm unemployed, and as I watch my savings dwindle, it's easy to feel that I'm inferior to others with more spending power. But that way lies madness, and if I continue with these thoughts the capitalists have won.

Did I say spring?

Cue the snow.

This morning we had a visitor. Please excuse blurry out-the-window shot.


Our neighbour? I've seen more foxes since moving to Edinburgh than in my whole life.

 

By the time I made it out to take this picture, the snow had turned to rain, but there were some good fluffy flakes going for a while.

Not much to say but spring

Crocuses in the neighbourhood make me happy.

WIP: mitts for spring

A glimpse of something new.



I started some Calculation mitts with yarn leftover from my Herbivore scarf. Although the pattern calls for 50 g of fingering weight, and I only have 42 g, I'm cautiously hopeful I'll have enough. 42 is a pretty auspicious number after all.

This is the first time I've tried two-at-a-time for something that isn't socks, but I think it will be okay. The yarn is Sweet Paprika Messa di Voce in Emerald City: not actually teal, but more bright semi-solid forest green.

See more WIPs at Tami's blog

cultural differences, or snack food education

When I first lived in the UK a few years ago, I didn't experience too much culture shock, but I expect everyone around me got tired of hearing about the little differences there were. Now that I live with an English dude, I often find out about little differences that I didn't stumble upon on my own before. This seems to happen most often with food.

For example, this evening I read Smitten Kitchen's blog post about home made goldfish crackers. Remembering these cheerful snacks fondly, I exclaimed something to the effect of, "This blogger has a recipe for goldfish crackers! That's awesome!"



The outburst was met by a blank look from my fiancé.

"You know, goldfish crackers. They are cheesey and shaped like fish? Did you never have those as a kid?"

"No. Are they like Wotsits?"

"What are Wotsits?"

etc.

In a similar way, I've learned about eggy soldiers, Twiglets, jelly and ice cream, (ew, seriously, ew) and a host of other foodstuffs I can't call to mind right now. Likewise, I introduced him to poutine, beaver tails, and whatever rubbishy snacks I had as a kid. He put up with my moaning about the lack of readily available good peanut butter, until I found a suitably virtuous (no added salt, no added sugar) version at the health food store. Peanut butter is serious business. Anyway.

We're both a bit puzzled by some of the traditional Scottish things that show up on menus, though. Cullen Skink anyone?

(Not that there is anything puzzling about the soup in itself - it's the name that puzzled me!)

On chocolate

First, I want to thank everyone for their encouraging comments on my first maybe-pattern last week. I've put it up for testing on the Free Pattern Testers group on ravelry, tentatively called the Danube cowl. If you're interested in testing, go check it out there!

But what I really want to talk about today is chocolate. (So what else is new).

I may not have mentioned here, but February was a chocolate-free month for me. While I'm sure I've gone a month without chocolate before in my life, this was sort of a big deal because in February there's Valentine's day and my birthday, and a proliferation of chocolate eating opportunities. Needless to say, I enjoy chocolate, and might be a bit of a chocoholic. It's my "sweet" of choice, though it's even better when it isn't sweet. I could do without milk chocolate most of the time, to be honest. Give me the dark stuff.


The dramatic-looking chocolate that broke my fast today. It wasn't even very good.

I decided to quit chocolate in solidarity with my dear who gave up cheese for a while, but also because I wanted chocolate to be a special thing again. I was eating too much of it, and it no longer seemed like a treat. And you know, it's not actually good for you - whatever the chocolatiers say about its healthful properties, I'm fairly sure the saturated fat isn't brilliant in excessive quantities.

Anyway. I did it. I made it through a month without chocolate. Psychologically, I think my mission to do without brought on more cravings at first. After a while it wasn't even that difficult, though. I did receive a thoughtful gift of some chocolate about two weeks ago that I had to hide in the closet out of view...

Today I ate one of those gift chocolates, and it was kind of disappointing. Maybe that's a good thing, though. Oh yeah, chocolate. It's just a food, nothing more. A sometimes-food.

Interview with a Designer: Ashley Knowlton

Grand Duchess hat, by Ashley Knowlton

Today, I'm excited to share my first interview with a designer. Ashley Knowlton, aka Wonk on ravelry, is a young knitwear designer who has self-published upwards of 25 patterns, including the ebook Gwynedd. Several of her designs have also appeared in Yarn Forward Magazine. From ornate cabled hats to intricate lace shawls, her work covers an array of techniques. She agreed to an interview through the magic of the internet, so here it is.

All photos copyright Ashley Knowlton; used with permission.

Butterfly Forest Shawl

In your Ravelry bio you describe yourself as “A wonderfully misplaced…American” - as a misplaced Canadian myself, I’m always interested in expat stories. How did you end up in Wales?
In my teen years, I saved up my money so that I could spend a year studying in the UK. This was realized in my second year of university, when I said goodbye to my parents, got on a plane, and landed in England. A few weeks later, I met a young man on a bus, where he smiled, introduced himself, and sat down next to me, thinking that I, like most people on the bus full of international students, was Scandinavian. I drew my home state of Washington for him, but it was still a few weeks later when he realized I didn’t come from Washington, D.C. We fell in love very quickly, he came to my hometown in the US for a year, and we got married in a park in my home county a year and a half after we met. After that we moved back to the UK - we decided it was the right place for us to be.

According to your rav bio, you’re also a novelist. Could you tell us a bit about this?
I’m a bit of a lapsed novelist, unfortunately! I’m suffering from the longest bout of writer’s block I’ve ever had, plus I haven’t had time to commit to it with a demanding schedule of tech editing and design. I’m hoping to get back into it when time allows.

Menai Tank

How did you get your start designing knitwear?
I’ve knitted (in various degrees of quality) since I was five, but really got into it when I discovered Vogue Knitting and how hand-made knits can actually be flattering and fashionable. I re-taught myself from there, started adapting my own knits, then started from scratch with design. I found stitch dictionaries and design books - checked out from my wonderful local library in the US - to be extremely helpful in this process.

Describe your design process.
I usually sketch it out first, maybe a few times. I sometimes have a stitch that I’ve based the piece on, and decide where to feature it - in a detail at the neck, or an all-over pattern on a hat. After that, I’m usually in a hurry to start, so I swatch, write the rough draft of the pattern, and cast on in the same day. I go back and grade the pattern later, since I’ve usually made changes to the pattern during knitting and it’s much easier to edit a pattern for one size than it would be if it were fully graded.

Minerva hat

Do you have a current favourite yarn?
Ooh, I like so many of them! I’ve always been a big fan of Handmaiden, and I love the British Indie Dyers I’ve tried like Posh and Fyberspates. I’m not sure I can choose a particular yarn as they all suit such different purposes.

Are there any fibres that you particularly like to use?
Good ol’ merino. It’s so versatile, and I love how it holds its shape. I also love a touch of silk in my garments and accessories.

Where do your design ideas come from?
It depends on how inspired I’m feeling. Sometimes I have to leaf through magazines, books, and online clothing catalogs before I find inspiration, while sometimes it just comes to me from details in buildings or a landscape.

Neolithic shawl

The pattern collection Gwynedd contains 12 patterns for a wide range of accessories – do you have a favourite item from this collection?
I think I might have to say Neolithic. It’s quite a unique piece, and I felt so proud of myself when I came up with it and worked out the techniques that would allow the shawl to work without being too cumbersome or downright impossible. It was also my first colorwork design piece, so holds a special place in my heart.

What are your favourite knitting techniques?
I suppose my favorite technique (though I'm not sure if I can call it that, as it’s more placement of stitches than anything else!) is accentuated waist shaping - it’s something that I like to use in sweaters for myself as my waist is very small in proportion to the rest of my body, and it calls attention to that fact. I find that using particular proportions on where to create this shaping is particularly useful for it.

Are there any techniques you would like to explore in future designs that you haven’t used much so far?
I’d love to do more colorwork. I’d also love to learn how to steek! But first I need to overcome my fear of my sewing machine (and get it to work properly). I also find the task of choosing different colors to go together in a colorwork project quite daunting.

Stonemason socks

Currently 10% of your pattern sales go to support the RSPCA – what made you decide to donate a portion of your pattern sales to charity?
My husband and I are big proponents of charitable causes, and I thought it would be a great way to promote some of my favorite charities. I have had some wonderful suggestions from knitters for charities to feature in the future, and am always on the lookout for lesser-known ones to support.

Tell us about your upcoming Spring/Summer collection.
I’m so excited for it! I have about five designs going on at once, right now, as I try to finish everything in time. It’s going to be a little of everything this time - shawls, cardigans, tanks, and a few other things. Lace will be a particular feature. Everything will be in lighter weight yarns (lace or fingering), but with larger-than-expected needles so the projects won’t be at all maddening to knit - which is an important feature when I’m making the samples!

Thank you for sharing, and I look forward to seeing what comes next!

You can keep up with Ashley on her designer page, ravelry group Ashley Knowlton Designs, or her blog Ashley Knits.

FO: wibbly manos cowl scarf thing

Inspired by the spate of circular/infinity scarf/cowls appearing lately, I made up my own using some wavy wavy cables. I do love cables.


Ravelry project page

Manos Del Uruguay Silk Blend is so soft and drapey and wonderful. I love knitting with it, and I think it is perfect for cowl and scarves. This cowl took one 100 g skein in the Danube colourway.


Not colour accurate


T-shirt from The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage. Let's fight crime with maths!

I wrote up my notes for this project, thinking I'd try to publish it as a free pattern, but I've been hit by some knitting stagefright. What if it isn't original enough? I'm not entirely happy with how it hangs, maybe it's the wrong length, it's not perfect. I'm coming into conflict with my own unperfectionism. Help! Haha. Just let me get over myself and it will be fine.



Anyway, it's too warm to wear it today - 12 degrees! In February! I can't believe it. Yesterday was my birthday, and at a high of 14 degrees Celsius I think it was the warmest birthday I've ever had. Wow.

More FOs at Tami's Amis

WIP Wednesday: Close encounters?

The brown blob I showed off last week now has the beginning of a sleeve. It's not actually capable of standing up on its own; I put an upside-down water glass inside.

And then I thought it looked a bit like Devil's Tower writ small. And I was amused. And then I got the theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind stuck in my head. And I decided to share my amusement with the internet, and a blog post was born. What do you think, denizens of the internet?

Photo by Andrew Yool

See more WIPs at Tami's Blog

Dispatches from the unphotogenic kitchen

After seeing some gorgeous soft pretzels on This Boy Knits, I was struck by a desire to make my own. So I did. Except mine turned out more like un-pretzels.


A selection of mangled pretzels

Once I had formed the pretzels, they stuck so badly to the baking sheet that most of them got mangled as I tried to poach them. Next time I try this, I'll have to find a solution to this stickiness. Maybe my dough was too moist.



The ones that didn't fall apart completely swelled to become vaguely pretzel-y buns without holes. I suspect they didn't rise enough in the first rise? Maybe?

Anyway, they are very tasty despite their blobbiness!

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen.

further inspiration fodder

I received two sock books for Christmas. Fittingly, I'd knitted both of the givers socks for Christmas, but they couldn't have known that when they bought these books for me! I joked that now I have no choice but to become a hardcore sock knitter. While I'm not ready to cast on any more socks at the moment, I do find poring over these books very inspiring. 2010 was my year of committed sock knitting - maybe in 2011 I'll become hardcore? We'll see.

Think Outside the Sox is full of crazy. I mean that in a good way, but wheee. There are lots of patterns ranging from fairly standard to insane in terms of construction, techniques, and colours. At the risk of seeming dull, I'm currently more drawn to the fairly standard ones than the wild ones, although I love browsing and considering the insane ones. I'm most likely to knit the Interlochen Cables socks by Angela Sivers. Not sure why I like them so much, but the simple cables appeal to me. I also love Drip Candles by Kirsten Hall, which looks like a great pattern for using up leftovers.



I'd been eyeing Sock Innovation online for some time, so I was excited to look through the book. Some of the patterns are daunting, and I look forward to the challenge - I kind of want to make them all, but I'm not sure where to start. Currently Devon, Cauchy, and Rick are vying for top of the queue.

Also, in awkward fangirlishness... I got the book signed when Cookie A was in Edinburgh a few weeks ago.

omgsuchafangirlomg

Celebrity knitters, you guys. I can't remember the last time I got a book signed by its author, but there you go. The opportunity presented itself and I felt compelled. (Obviously, she was super nice. And while we're at it, I also chatted a bit with Anne Hanson, who is also super nice. Whahey.)

pretty world

I feel lucky to witness such beautiful sunsets from my living room.

Generosity and inspiration

I'm in a bit of a rut knittingwise and otherwise right now, but at least on the knitting front I have some exciting things to bring me out of it.

Today I received a very generous gift as a "random act of kindness" from a raveler in the UK RAK group.



Alpaca yarn, destined to become several pairs of colourwork mittens over the next few months.



So soft and lovely. The mixture of neutrals and colours is perfect. I can't wait to cast-on.



I borrowed some stitch dictionaries from the library. I love browsing stitch patterns, even if I don't have any reason to use them. They are inspiring and engage my imagination.



How do you get your enthusiasm back?

WIP Wednesday - blobs

Not much to show for myself these days. I have two works in progress at the blob stage of knitting, so they'll have to do for today.



This brownish blob will eventually be the inspiringly named 113-17 jacket with raglan sleeve and pattern on yoke in ”Silke Alpaca” from DROPS design. Oddly enough, it doesn't have raglan sleeves, so I have no idea why it is called that. But never mind. I am rising to the challenge, since the pattern has some idiosyncracies and a wacky wacky chart... Also I'm doing a few mods that other ravelers have done as well, so it may not end up resembling the original. Whee!

Watch while I attempt to be artistic with the brown blob.


Blog blob blobby blob

Next up: blue blob.



This is an experiment in Manos Silk Blend that I hope will turn into my first written pattern. It's a circle-scarf / cowl thing, or will be eventually. I love this yarn, and kind of want everything I wrap around my neck to be silk blend. Heh.



It's not really this colour. I did some colour correction so it no longer looks turquoise, but the real colour is darker and deeper.

That's me done. Off to apply to more jobs I won't get! Okay, no more whining. (But seriously, Universe? Get someone to hire me. I swear I'm talented and awesome.)

See more WIPS at Tami's Blog!

Last of the Christmas FOs

I can finally show you the Podster Mitts I made for my brother for Christmas. He carries around an mp3 player all the time, so I thought he'd appreciate the clever "ipod thumb" flaps.



Pattern: Podster Gloves by Glenna C.

Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed DK



Notes:

I wanted to make this man-sized and warm, so I used a DK yarn instead of fingering weight. Thing is, felted tweed isn't a true DK - I later learned that its recommended gauge is DK to allow for drapiness, etc. Nevermind. I actually like how the fabric turned out at this non-drapy gauge. My gauge was about the same as the pattern called for, but I increased the length as I was going. They seem to fit, since my brother's hands are narrow but long.



The pattern is awesome, but quite fiddly. It has to be fiddly because flip mitts are constructed in a fiddly way no matter how you look at it. I definitely want a pair of these for myself, but it will be a while before I can face doing all those fingers again. (Thank goodness I didn't do the full glove option).

I finished these at the beginning of December but forgot to take photos before I sent them off, and it took a while to get photos of them, since people with lives understandably don't think blog photos are a top priority! Heh.

See more FOs at Tami's blog!