I recently posted to my personal blog Owlknits about the projects I am actually working on now.  When I stood back and looked at what I had posted, it occurred to me that what I was working on was very much related to my on-going desire for a learning curve.  Knitting, for me, is not about static repetition of the same pattern, it is about the joy and excitement of trying something new.

Whenever I start a new project or try something new, I have the automatic expectation that I will restart whatever it is at least three times, if I’m lucky.  Sandi Wiseman of Knitting Daily recently wrote about fearless knitting, and in “Knitting Rules!: The Yarn Harlot’s Bag of Knitting Tricks, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee also ends with the comforting thought that making a mistake in your knitting never killed or injured anyone.

An important step for me was learning to look at my knitting: learning to recognize where the stitches went and what they should look like.  This was incredibly important when I started to knit lace last year as a ‘Slow Bee’ in the Mystery Shawl 3 (now Swan Lake Shawl) Knit-along.  Because now I am knitting a lot of lace: Ice Queen from Knitty; the Melon Shawl from Victorian Lace Today” for display at Fabric Place in Woburn, MA; Long Rectangular Shawl, also from VLT, for me; and Lucy Neatby’s Faroese Shawl for a friend, which was supposed to be a Christmas present but is still OTN.

Knitting lace requires undivided attention and concentration, which may be why some knitters have problems with lace – there are too many distractions in our lives. 

Then there is the Aran sweater, which I designed and which has gone through several design adjustments.  I’ve finished the back and half of both front panels.  The first sweater that I remember finishing was a fisherman’s sweater for my brother.  I still remember the sense of satisfaction that I got when I finally worked out how to handle the different stitch patterns involved.

Years later, I still find the flow and challenge of cables very satisfying.

I am definitely a process knitter, I enjoy knitting.  It doesn’t matter what I’m knitting, I like doing it.

Most projects are not finished as soon as you’d like them to be.  I have come to realize that most knitting projects take time, usually more time than I think they are going to take.  This, I believe, is related to the inherent optimism that allows us to be knitters.  If we didn’t think we could finish something, why would we start it?  This optimism does become a problem around the holidays, when our gift list of knitted objects exceeds the time available to complete them all. 

I also love the finished object.  I feel an immense sense of pride and accomplishment when I have beaten the odds and complete something, especially since I have more unfinished objects than I care to admit (on Ravelry, check out the True Confessions Group).

I do need an occasional quick fix of “completion satisfaction,” which is one reason why I really like knitting dishcloths.  They are quick.  They are nice to use, and make good gifts, especially if paired with a nice bar or two of handmade soap.

So, care to share about your feelings about how or what you knit?

So remember, “There’s more to knitting then what’s on the needles.”

Laying Down Color

A big part of the interview with Jeannie Duncan at Fiesta Yarns was what Jeannie had to say about color.  One comment that I internalized was when she told how she would knit up a new yarn to see ‘how the color lay down together.” She was talking about “wearability” – the appearance of the yarn once it was knit up – how putting two colors next to each other changed the values of both of them.

I decided to give the “lay down” factor a try.  I bought 7 skeins of Nature Spun Sportweight, and worked out a simple pattern for a pair of fingerless gloves (mitts) I was going to knit for a swap:

8 row repeating pattern:  a 5 row ‘outline’ pattern and a 3 row ‘transition’ pattern.
Three base colors in the purple range – dark, medium, light.
Four outline colors; scarlet, pink, light green, turquoise.

Outline pattern:
Row 1- outline color
Row 2- base color
Row 3 – stranded colorwork: 2 st base, 1 st outline
Row 4 – base color
Row 5 – outline color
Transition pattern:
Row 1 – base color
Row 2 – stranded colorwork: 1 st current base color, 1 st next base color
Row 3 – base color.

Here’s how they turned out:

I kept the pattern for the base color bands:  dark, light, medium, light; but I changed the outline color when I repeated the base color bands.

It was fascinating to see how the colors affected one another.  The dark band looks more purple with the scarlet outline, while it looks browner against the light green.  And the light green isn’t as bright when it’s paired with the light band, and is much more intense on the dark band.  The same thing can be seen with the turquoise, it appears more intense against the darker base.

There’s more, but I think you get the idea.  This concept is making me examine how I use color in a whole new way.  I am also expanding my swatching to color testing.  I’ve got a few more ideas to try out, but that will have to be a follow-up post.

Life is good.  We’re in Albuquerque, NM. 

Soon we will be inundated with family, but yesterday we went to Fiesta Yarns to tape a podcast.  Fiesta Yarns is known for their beautiful, high quality yarns, and the 4 hours we spent with Jeannie Duncan (owner & president) revealed why.  Melissa and AJ had met with her previously and returned with rave reviews. They were right. By the time we finished taping, I was euphoric.  Jeannie was great to interview, kept providing really interesting information, and has a great sense of humor.

Jeannie told us, “Fiesta Yarns is all about color.” She showed us how she develops new colorways - starting with choosing colors, combining yarns for texture, and then knitting up test swatches to see how the color ‘lays down together.’
Once she started pulling open skeins of yarn and showing us knit up swatches, we could see how her focus on color paid off.

An interesting tidbit was that only 10% of the yarns tested make it to market - that is a very selective process!

I fell in love with everything!  Every time I turned around there was more beautiful yarn - La Boheme, Ballet, Boomerang, Baby Boom - those are the names I remember.  I almost ran out of ‘wows.’

This was a unique opportunity to see how the yarn was produced.  Because the dyeing process is proprietary, we couldn’t watch the actual process, but once it was dyed, we saw what was then done.

We taped yarns being skeined up and being balled up - an interesting back view of the manufacturing process. 

All this, and more will be in the video podcast which will be posted in January.

As someone who has dabbled in dyeing my own yarn, I had an ‘ah-ha’ moment when Jeannie was explaining about making sure their yarn was wearable - that it would knit up and look good, not just be pretty colors in a skein.  That takes the dyeing process up to a whole new level of expertise and quality control.

I got some Baby Boom in Poppies (reds) for socks.  It is sitting and calling to me as I steadily knit my way through family presents for Christmas.  It’s like waving a carrot in front of me.

That’s it for now, I have to go knit.

I found a great meme on Redshirt Knitting Blog that I signed up for, and I’m passing along.  Here it is:

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange.  I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise!  The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

So leave a comment and three people will get a hand knit gift before next Christmas.

We’re off to Albuquerque for the Holidays and to film some podcasts.  I’ll tell you all about it when we get back.

Have a great Holiday!

Am I the only one for whom the revelation that Christmas is only 13 days away came as a huge wake-up call? 

What seemed possible in November (a shawl, two sweaters, felted slippers for four adults, and several pairs of socks), would kill me if I tried to do it all by Dec. 25.  Why do we seriously underestimate the time it takes to produce a finished object?  And we all acknowledge that this is not just a seasonal phenomenon (how did your last birthday gift go?).

So I have shifted to Plan B:  mittens with a a simple accessory for the kids, wrist-warmers for the adults, and ballband washcloths with a nice bar of soap for anyone not covered by the previous list.  Here’s what I’ve done so far:

Almost done mittens for one niece (two more pairs to go):

Mittens and a 1X1 rib scarf (still OTN) for my nephew…

First pair of wrist warmers..

At least one washcloth that’s almost done…

These are all very portable projects, which raises the odds that they will be finished on time.  The big question is how sleep deprived will I be by Dec. 25?  Any estimates?  And do you have a Plan B that you’ve had to put into operation?  How successful was it?

There have been a lot of hours dedicated to our Rhinebeck footage, and podcasts are emerging.  Today we were finalizing three of the interviews we taped with authors Clara Parkes, Kristin Nicholas, and Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne.  Since I’ve met these women and had a chance to talk with them (and get them to sign my copies of their books), I feel like I now have a stronger connection to them; their names seem to jump off a page at me. I was excited to see that Clara Parkes and Kristin Nicholas are featured in Winter 2007 Interweave Knits! 

As you listen to their podcasts, I hope you will recognize a common theme that all four women expressed: a real desire to see how knitters took their patterns or ideas and reinterpreted them and an appreciation of this creative process.  I’ve also been seeing this as I cruise through blogs - a knitter will post about a pattern and include a description of the modifications that she made.

Now, for a quick change of subject, to one that hits closer to home, please go back and read my last post.  I really need some help and input when it comes to getting my stash and supplies into some coherent form.  Please!

I keep wondering where my Susan Bates needle check is.  I have several, but they continually go into hiding.  I know that I have size 4 needles, but I can’t find them.  I consistently severely underestimate the amount of time it will take me to knit up a new project.  These are a few of the issues I’ve been facing recently.  It didn’t help that I bought several great yarns, a felting project, and a Rakestraw Spinner and four different batts of wool to spin at Rhinebeck.

The need to reestablish some semblance of order in my craft room (It used to be my bedroom, but I moved my bed into a smaller room.) has become pressing.  I’ve started the process by identifying the areas that need work:  1) paper (patterns, books, magazines, KAL and swap info); 2) WIPs (the projects in the works that actually have pending deadlines); 3) UFOs (projects I want to finish in the not-to-distant future); 4) Dead UFOs (projects in which I have no further interest, which should be frogged): 5) yarn (probably to be organized by type or if it is targeted for a specific project); 6) needles (double-pointed, straight, circular); 7) accessories (crochet hooks, tapestry needles, scissors, sticky notes, highlighter tape, stitch markers, measuring tapes & rulers, etc.).

Next, I have to figure out how to set up my space so that everything will have a place and I can a) find it easily; b) have room for more (because we all know that despite my best intentions, there will be more).  Of course, I’m on an extremely tight budget.

I need help (not the mental health kind, but the ideas-interior decorating kind).  Please tell me ideas that have worked for you.  They don’t have to be all-inclusive - a good way to organize one type of thing would be greatly appreciated.  If I use your idea, you’ll not only get a public thank you, but I’ll reward you with something nice.

Who would have thought that reading about yarn could be a transforming experience?  But that’s what happened to me.

I just finished Clara Parkes new book “the Knitter’s Book of Yarn. The Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Using, and Enjoying Yarn.” I read it from beginning to end, and as I read I felt my whole relationship to yarn and knitting shifting to a higher plane. I’ve been reading Clara’s online e-zine “The Knitters’ Review” for years, so I knew that her book would be, at the very least, informative. It was, but it was also interesting and illuminating. My understanding of why different types of yarn do, or don’t do, what they do when knit up has expanded. 

I finished this book and knew three things for sure:  I could now choose a yarn for a project with more assurance and more confidence that the outcome would be what I was hoping for; swatching is an important and creative learning experience that should not be missed; and I wanted to knit every one of the projects in the book, if only to experience all the different types of yarn that were used (not to mention that they are all great things to knit!).

I’ve got the book, I think everyone should get it.

Suzanne

We are up and running, in more ways than one. We’ve been putting together PodCasts, upgrading this site, and...we just got back from Rhinebeck!  What a trip!!  Officially known as the New York State Sheep and Wool Family Festival, Rhinebeck is a mecca for east coast and Canadian knitters. Almost anything and everything a fiber fanatic would want was at Rhinebeck—beautiful hand-painted yarns, rare fibers, natural fibers, organic fibers, fibers to spin, spinning wheels, spindles, needles, kits, hand knits, felted items, and much more.

And there were animals (very exciting for an urban person such as myself).  I got up close and personal with alpacas, patted an angora goat (did you know that female goats also have horns?  I didn’t), saw many different breeds of sheep (who are really a shy animal), and was amazed that so many animals together didn’t smell bad (It might have been all the hay).

I also interviewed several popular authors who were there signing their books...it was so much fun to talk to articulate, creative people, (stay tuned for PodCasts). 

The whole crew was involved with our “Shout Out” table.  People came over to show off their hand knits or to tell us their favorite “fondling experience” (with yarn at Rhinebeck).

This means that in the coming weeks we will be sharing our Rhinebeck experiences with you, so keep visiting us.  All I can say at this point is that I’ve already started to save up for next year—you didn’t think that all I did was filming, did you?

I’ve also been planning for November, when our focus will be on destashing, decluttering and organizing your yarn, something I also have a personal interest in.  If you have a solution that worked for you, please share it (click on Comments, below).  Some of us need all the help we can get.

Thanks!

Suzanne

We’re going to Rhinebeck! 

The Knit-A-Yarn crew has been planning, working out schedules, making lists of what equipment we need, and trying to identify who and what we want to film. There is so much going on - aside from the great shopping. There will be animals - goats, sheep, alpaca, llamas, angora rabbits, and even border collies. There’s a Sheep-to-Shawl competition, a demonstration of a sock knitting machine, not to mention canine frisbee competitions, cooking demos, and Meet the Authors on Sunday (I’ve been making a pile of books to bring to be signed).

I was also reminded, in no uncertain terms, that I was going to be there to work, not shop (yeah, sure...there are several skeins of yarn that I can hear calling to me already, not to mention ...).

I’ll be arriving Friday, as an advanced scout to check out the vendors, locations we want to film, and setting up the Knit-A-Yarn table.  This way I’ll have a chance to talk to people as they set up and are less distracted by people trying to buy stuff.

On Saturday afternoon, from 2 to 4 PM and on Sunday morning, we’re having a “Shout Out.” There will be a camera set up at our location, and we want people to stop by and tell us what the highlight of their day was, or show us their favorite purchase, or just to wave and say, “Hi, mom!” or, since these are knitters, “Hi, kitty!” Actually, stop by at any time to shout out, chat, or just say hello.

Our goal is to give knitters who couldn’t make it to the Festival a good sense of what it’s like to be there, and a glimpse of all the great yarn being sold.  We also will be filming future PodCasts, including interviews with several of the authors.  I love being able to put a face and a voice to an author whose works I enjoy.

I’m planning to post to this blog while we’re there, so check back over the weekend for updates and pictures.

I ‘unvented’ an acronym - WILT, which stands for “weaving in loose threads.” - a line that appears in all patterns under Finishing.  What I plan to do with this blog is provide some behind-the-scenes commentary and information about Knit-A-Yarn - the video shoots, the information gathering, the overall process.  I was persuaded NOT to call the blog WILT because the word “wilt” had negative connotations, but I liked “Loose Threads,” as long as you don’t take it to mean that I’m going crazy or becoming unravelled.

When I heard that Stephanie Pearl-McPhee was coming to the Boston area, I told AJ and Melissa that we (Realization Pictures/Knit-A-Yarn) should be there.  Melissa got the okay from Borders and AJ pulled together a film crew in under a week (need I say how impressed I was?) When Stephanie arrived, we had a quick discussion about our experiences with Mystery Stole 3, then Stephanie got miked, took out her knitting and the interview started.  We talked for about 30 minutes.  I was more nervous than she was.  At the end of the interview, Stephanie graciously agreed to two sock pictures and took out the special green, traveling sock.  I took out TWO socks - one for my Hogwarts Sock Swap pal, and one for my Sockapalooza4 Sock Swap pal.  They both might have been sent off late, but they had Yarn Harlot mojo going with them.  I admit to being a fan of the Yarn Harlot.  I drove out to Northampton when she ‘launched’ out there, and was able to reserve a seat downstairs for her talk that day, one of the first things I did when I arrived, Check the Aug.3 entry on Stephanie’s blog - there is some benefit to getting to an event very early).