Rowan International Membership

 

Rowan International Membership

Friends passed along a great tip which I’m sharing with all of you Rowan lovers out there. Rowan offers an International Membership  for 25 UK pounds (given the current exchange rates is about US $35.00!).

This membership gives you two copies of their semi-annual magazine which is more of a book than a magazine and a knitting project (where I’m told you get to choose the color of the yarn!) These magazines cost about $20.00-$25.00 in your local yarn store. So if you’re a Rowan fan, I recommend that you check it out.

BTW, I saw this issue of Rowan at one of my LYS. I thought that it had some great patterns including a wonderful circular shawl with sleeves and a lace sweater that got me wanting to buy some yarn and start knitting! 

Submitted by Knitted Yarns Editor-in-Chief

Thermal Scoop Neck Sweater Front Done

My  Thermal Scoop Neck Sweater is making progress. Stitch by stitch it keeps growing. One of the changes that I made to Laura Chau’s Thermal Sweater on Knitty is eliminating the button tab on the Scoop Neck. Since I’m knitting the sweater in two pieces rather than the round, I also  needed to modify the neckline. 

Here’s what the neckline looks like. I left the stitches around the neck live to help me when I add on the finishing. I plan to use 6 rows of garter stitch which makesa great border since it lays flat. Also, it matches the bottom and cuffs. 

This neck is more open than many  necklines that I have made. The idea is to allow a lacy camisole to stick out against the soft  white alpaca thermal sweater.  Inspired by lingerie, this feminine look can be adapted to either day time or evening wear.

PS – The front of the sweater is longer than it appears since I photographed it on a chair.

Submitted by Knitted Yarns Editor-in-Chief

Swallowtail Shawl “Do Over” – aka Frogging

Rip it, rip it

Remember when you were a kid playing a game and you didn’t do as well as you wanted to so you shouted “Do Over!” Well, after completing 7 repeats of the second chart on the Swallowtail Shawl, I’ve decided that the finished garment may fall short of the desired size. Therefore, I declaring it a “Do Over!”  

Before taking this heroic step now that I’ve completed half of the requisite 14 repeats (or 42 rows of lace knitting), I consulted with Alyssa the manager of The Point. She thought that the lace would expand once blocked but she agreed that, given that I was knitting lace, larger needles would be a good idea. So I’m frogging this shawl and starting over using size 6 needles.

Photo source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vikavalter/2108507020/

Submitted by: Knitted Yarns Editor-in-Chief

Amigurumi-Science of Little Crocheted Animals

 

Amigurumi French Style

Amigurumi are small crocheted animals. Making these small creatures is a fad that has made it’s way across the Pacific. Not all of the animals have real counterparts.  

This month, their presence keeps expanding at my favorite knitting store, The Point.  Many of the creators tend to be young girls who pick lush colored yarn to make their own variations. Here are some of the latest additions which have taken up residence on the shelves of the store.

Amigurumi Mexican Style

 

Baby whale amigurumi

 

Saturday afternoon project

Since I haven’t been bitten by the crocheting bug, none of these creatures are mine. I just think that they’re cute!

Submitted by Knitted Yarns Editor-in-Chief

Valentine’s Day Stash Enhancement-Ella Rae Lace Merino

Ella Rae Lace Merino in Teal from The Point

For Valentine’s Day, I took advantage of The Point’s President’s Day Sale and treated myself to a hank of Ella Rae Lace Merino in their teal color way. I had been eying the yarn which is 100% Italian merino and dyed wonderful shades of blues and greens which seem to be popping up in the stores along Fifth Avenue as they migrate towards spring. 

Maybe it’s the desire for something new as spring peaks through the dull winter weather that’s attracting me to these colors that I don’t often wear.

Or maybe it’s dreams of the Carribean waters that we haven’t visited this winter…

Island dreaming - Nevis in Winter

Whatever the impulse, I bought the last teal hank. I hoped that it would be enough for a tank top but alas the hank has 460 yards which is fine for a smaller project, it’s not enough to try a cami given the fine weight of the yarn. 

Therefore, I decided to make a small shawl that I can wear through the changing seasons that can give my wardrobe a boost. I am using the Swallowtail Lace Shawl which I have been thinking about making for a while. Evelyn Clark designed the pattern and having made her Shetland Triangle, I know that she’s a great lace designer!

Evelyn Clark's Swallowtail Lace Shawl Using Ella Rae Lace Merino in Teal

This pattern incorporates the Lily of the Valley pattern at the border so that it involves nupps but at this point, I’m experienced so that doesn’t seem like it will be a challenge.

Submitted by Knitted Yarns Editor-in-Chief

Happy Valentine’s Day

 

St. Valentine's Day Roses

Valentine’s Day brings out the red-filled joy in all of us.  Roses are a standby for many men and here are the wonderful buds that the manager of The Point received. We were lucky that she left them out for everyone to enjoy.

The Point dress its window with Valentine’s frivolity.  The focal point was a large pink elephant crocheted by Megan, one of the shop’s instructors. The elephant with its wavy lashes,  frilly skirt and knitting is totally huggable. 

 

Crocheted pink elephant with monkey

To show it’s love, The Point offered patrons a special 20% discount on yarn! I treated myself to a hank of Ella Rae’s Lace Merino in blues and greens. 

Thermal Scoop Neck Pullover Progresses

 

 

Thermal Scoop Neck Pullover Back Finished

The back of the Thermal Scoop Neck Pullover is finished! I am one third of the way done with the knitting (excluding finishing.) This sweater is taking waaaay longer to knit than I anticipated.  

Every time I start a sweater, I go through a process of swatching and knitting to get the  size and shape to fit.  Since this sweater is knit with thin alpaca yarn on number 2 needles, there’s more rows of knitting per piece. 

As usual, I made significant modifications to the Knitty Thermal pattern. In reality, the initial pattern may only be considered inspiration. Among my modifications are:

1. Knitted the back and front of the sweater in two parts rather than one piece on circular needles. I did this to get more shaping than the original design. It helps that  I don’t mind sewing sweaters together.
2. Changed the pattern stitch since I  followed the instructions for circular knitting when knitting the garment flat. I like the way that the stitch has the little ridges that long underwear has.
3. Made  decreases and increases for side shaping to enhance the pattern rather than rely on the give in the knitted material. (I tracked the rows to ensure that it’s consistent on the front and back of the garment.)  

Since I am concerned that the sweater may not be wide enough, I am adding two stitch repeats to the front of the garment. I’ve done this before and it can be a good way to adjust the size of the garment in process. Given the choice, I prefer to make the front slightly larger than the back.  For this pattern, it should work well with the scoop neck.

C is for Cotton

Jaeger Sienna Cotton in Beige from Webs

 

C is for cotton, a wonderful fiber for knitting. (While an ABC along should only have one entry per letter  I couldn’t resist.) For me, knitting with cotton symbolizes the beginning of summer and the rich vibrant colors that accompany it.

Like any fiber, cotton has its pros and cons. From my perspective, they are:

Pros:

1. It’s a natural fiber.
2. It’s relatively inexpensive.
3. It’s light weight and good for spring and summer knitting (although I’ve found that it can absorb humidity when knitting on the beach.) 
4. It has good stitch definition which is great for patterned stitches.
5. It tends to be hypo-allergenic so that most people can wear it (unlike many types of wool.)

Cons:

1. It stretches downward so that garments grow out of shape.
2. It doesn’t have a lot of give which can be an issue for some knitters. 

Cotton and cotton blends, which use wool or another fiber to overcome some of the negative effects of knitting with cotton, are a mainstay of my summer knitting. In particular, I like Egyptian cotton since it has a wonderful sheen.  It’s great for all sorts of garments and makes a great beach knitting.

 

Pink cotton sweater & Periwinkle Cotton After Dark Nightie on Fire Island Beach

Last year, my cotton knitting included the Woodstock Sweater (as a sleeveless top), the Saffron Tunic,  a Heartbreakingly Cute Baby Kimono and a warshrag.  

C is for Color

Color is a critical component of any knitting project. It’s what attracts us as knitters. It’s part of the inspiration and joy. Walk into any yarn store and the first thing that strikes you is the colors of the yarn despite the fact that most stores are organized by fiber type and brand. Tess’ Designs in Portland, ME is one of the few shops that’s organized by color, At Sheep and Wool Festivals, it’s the colors that pull us from one stall to another. 

Color is at the center of the eye candy that draws us to a specific yarn. Here’s a selection of colors from The Point in New York City.

Green, blue and purple hanks

Orange, yellow & red hanks

 

Multi-colored twisted hanks of yarn

Pink, berry & purple yarn

 

Light green & light blue yarn

Valentine's pink & red yarn

Manos in light blue, purple & mixed colors

Manos yarn in oranges and brick red

 

Each knitter has colors that attract her. I tend to be attracted to reds and pinks family . I have to push myself to buy a variety of yarn from other parts of the color spectrum. I find that I can knit with the most wonderful yarn but if the project’s a color that I don’t like, I find it difficult to push myself to finish the item. 

How does color effect your ability to knit?

Submitted by Knitted Yarns Editor-in-Chief

Planning Knitted Valentine Joy – NYC Yarn Sale at Annie & Co

One way to put the love back into Valentine’s Day is to make something special for your sweetie.

The first Valentine’s Day that I spent with my husband we had agreed not to exchange gifts. We had planned a quiet dinner at home since I was teaching that night.

Packing to leave for class, I got nervous. What if he had gotten me a gift despite our agreement? By this point, the lines at Godiva were out the door and the green grocer’s roses were twice the price that they had been the day before. What was I going to do?

Looking around my apartment, a cone of periwinkle blue silk and wool yarn caught my eye. As I wrapped it, I decided that I would make my boyfriend a sweater. (He already had a sweater that I had made him so I didn’t have to worry about the  boyfriend curse.) To complement my unmade gift, I picked up some orchids which were less expensive than roses.

As it turned, my boyfriend had a surprise for me and I had a surprise for him…a promise of a new handmade sweater.

BTW, to help you those of you who live in New York to spread the love this year, Annie’s is having a 14% off sale from February 8th through 14th on any yarn that is red or pink in honor of Valentine’s Day.

Photo source: Old fashioned valentine by Amber E on Flickr (2198146164_30138f57ea.jpg)

Submitted by Editor-in-Chief Knitted Yarns