UWS Knitters Birthday Celebration

The UWS Knitters Group celebrated its 6th birthday and list mom Judy brought cake. Despite the less than optimal lighting for knitting, we camp out at the Starbucks on 86th Street and Columbus Avenue on Wednesday afternoons after 6.00pm.  The anniversary celebration brings out knitters who are no longer regulars or lurkers on the list. Being New York City, there are a number of members who are knitting rock stars and designers.

 

 

What I love about this group is its diversity and its acceptance of fellow knitters (of course, one must be able to at least do the knit stitch). Our oldest member is 91! Within the group, there is a lot of collective knowledge about the art of knitting and members provide a great sounding board for which fibers to use and how to interpret various patterns.

Let them eat cake… and eat they did! (At least, I got a shot of the flowers!)

Silk Ribbed Lace Corset

With the new year, I started swatching new projects, in particular, Annie Modesitt’s Silk Ribbed Lace Corset,  I feel like I’m in swatching hell since I don’t have a project that I’m involved with. (Note to self: Remember to start swatching the next project before you finish everything in your knitting basket!) 

I found the Silk Ribbed Lace Corset while perusing Ravelry. There was a photo of one that a fellow knitter used for her wedding dress and I decided to follow suit.

Due to the importance of the garment, I have 10 balls of Jaeger 100% silk that I got at Webs last summer in an ivory which will be perfect for the occassion! In addition, I ordered some white silk that is similar to ArtYarns from Sarah’s Yarns. Since this is for the wedding and I have more silk than I need, I’m trying a variety of swatches.

I bought the pattern as a download but it has a very strange configuration. Fortunately, I figured out how to copy it into another document so that the order makes sense!  As a result, the pattern appears more difficult that it really is.

In Praise of Ravelry

I heard about Ravelry when I signed up for a Knitted Lingerie KAL last September. While I haven’t become a power user nor have I uploaded my stash and projects, I find it a great resource  as a knitter. 

Ravelry has functionality to track your stash, needles and  knitting projects. Further, there is an abundance of  active bulletin boards, where there’s something of interest for every knitter.

In my opinion, its strength is that it shows and rates various published patterns. Before purchasing a book, you can see many, if not all of the patterns. If the book has been out for a while, it shows the pattern, the materials needed and users’ projects with photos, details of yarn, etc. and ratings of the project and difficulty. This is particularly useful if you’re like me and want to use a pattern with a different yarn.

When I visited Loopy in Chicago, the manager and I pursued Ravelry to see how others had used the hemp that I wanted to purchase. (Hint: yarn stores get a computer and a Ravelry ID so your customers can use this functionality to purchase your array of fiber!) Seeing other people’s work has inspired me to try patterns that I might have thought beyond my skill level!

While trolling around Ravelry, I’ve decided to knit the top to my wedding dress. (More on that to follow!)

Sarah’s Yarns-Another NYC Yarn Haven

Lace Style’s Lily of the Valley by Nancy Bush calls for Jaggerspun merino. When I showed this pattern to one of my knitting buddies, she recommended using Jaggerspun’s zephyr instead. It is a wonderful merino and silk combination which has a nice sheen to it.

Further she informed me that it could be purchased through Sarah’s Yarn which sells it in cones. When I first called and explained that I was planning to make a shawl related to my wedding, Sarah’s was out of white. Persistently, I followed up until they got a new shipment.

Since it’s a 1/2 hour trip from Manhattan, I trekked out to get the yarn without waiting for it to arrive in the mail. What I discovered was a very helpful woman who poured through books helping me to find the optimal shawl for my wedding. She printed out a pattern for a wedding veil (although on better inspection, I think that it is beyond my talents.)

She was also a good sales person since she persuaded me to buy some additional silk for the wedding dress top. Because her prices were so reasonable (and it was for my wedding, a great excuse for spending money), added the silk to my order.  Since it was past closing time, she asked if she could send me the yarn. So much for wanting to leave with my purchases! 

The package arrived and I couldn’t wait to start my project. Of course that has translated to more swatching.

Knitty City’s Second Birthday – NYC Yarn Store

For their second anniversary, Knitty City had a store-wide sale and a large cake! For its loyal knitting fans, everything was 10% off! For those of you who aren’t familiar with Knitty City, it’s a great addition to the New York City yarn stores. It’s a small treasure nestled on 79th Street between Amsterdam and Broadway. Pearl, the owner, stocks a wide range of fibers in terms of content and price!

The place was packed and it looked like the entire family had pitched in to help. Despite this, there was a line that was practically out the door.

 I used the opportunity to stock up on some smaller size circular needles to help my new lace habit. My big purchase was Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby in hard cover–the photograhs are amazing. It’s been difficult to get since it’s out of print and there’s a paperback version on its way. I rationalized (as knitters are apt to do) that I needed it for additional direction on making my wedding shawl.

As a bonus, every buyer received a Knitty City tote!

The Essential Tank Top (aka Honeymoon Top in Pink)

I’m starting the New Year with new knitting projects and challenges. To start, I’m swatching The Essential Tank Top from Pam Allen and Ann Budd’s Lace Style. It’s a pattern by Laura Zukaite and only requires a front and back with limited finishing. The book is chock full of lace projects that are doable and not just another shawl.

I’m using the bubble gum pink 85% silk/ 15% cashmere that I purchased in December at Silk City Fibers. Given the fiber content, I figure that I’ll be able to use it all year round after the honeymoon! Since lace tends to blossom (fancy word for expand), I’m swatching it on various size needles.

While the pattern looks intimidating, if you read the graph, you’ll find that two rows of the pattern repeat six times! Plus, it’s knitted lace so the wrong side is just purl.

I’ve really got religon about swatching and washing on this project. I started with size 6 needles and I’m down to size 3.

Lace Petal Swatch in Pink 15%Cashmere/85%Silk

BTW, I recommend adding about 4-6 rows of garter stitch to the bottom of the top since the lace tends to curl. If you look closely, you’ll see this in the photo.

Knitting Resolutions for the New Year

Starting 2008 with a mere two UFOs (a lace shawl/scarf in navy mohair and my Souvenir socks in bamboo and cotton), I’m turning my focus to what I call my wedding knitting. These are items that I’m making for my upcoming wedding and honeymoon. I have promised to limit myself to a few select items in an attempt to reduce stress. Therefore between now and the end of May, I plan to knit the following:

• The Essential Tank Top by Laura Zukaite (Lace Style) in 85% silk/15% cashmere in bubble gum pink. This top is a challenge since it consists  entirely of lace with a 36 row pattern.
• Annie Modesitt’s Silk Ribbed Lace Corset in 100% silk. This will become the top of my wedding dress. (Yes, he’s already seen it. Also, I’m allowing enough time so that I can buy a dress if I don’t like how it turns out.)
• Lily of the Valley Shawl by Nancy Bush (Lace Style). This will be used for a wedding-related ceremony.

While I expect to knit fewer pieces, I am looking to take my knitting to the next level in terms of skills and finished products. Even my mother is getting bragging rights over the fact that I’m planning to knit the top for the wedding.

Also, I plan to make the kipot for the wedding ceremony with the help of friends and family. This will require improved crocheting skills. I’m reaching back into my deep memory since I did quite a bit of the hooked art when I was a teenager. 

In particular, this year, I pushing myself in terms of lace although after the wedding I plan to make a more elaborate cable sweater for the man with some chunky merino from Silk City Fibers.

As always, I hope to make sufficient room in my stash to allow for new fiber ventures including the Maryland and Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festivals.