It’s Beginning. . .

Two things, actually.

First:  I looked out my window, and guess what I saw along the edges of the leaves on one (only one, so far) of our aspen trees. 

And amongst the sumac leaves. . . 

Yellow! 

 

September and autumn approach!

 

 

The other thing that’s beginning:

Designing for Sock Madness 3!  (More stealth knitting.)

I *can* show you some balling of tentative yarn, with the “help” of my feline companion, Chloe. 

She has actually been showing much more restraint when it comes to the swift.  Of course, once the yarn is balled up — if you look away — she swipes it!

When I learned that the deadline for SockMadness pattern submissions was nearer than I’d realized, I put Lord Scott’s kilt hose on hold and dove in to my stash of ideas and sock yarns.  Currently the “front burner” idea involves . . . 

 

 

 

– wait for it  –

 

 

 

 

 

. . . BEADS!

But, of course, I can’t show you much in the way of photos.  [sigh]

Here is how far I’d gotten on Lord Scott’s socks, when he tried them on and I saw where I need to make alterations (after I finish the SM3 design). 

Need to taper the toe and widen the instep.  Yep, that means ripping — from both ends!  But he likes them, and that’s good news.  Haven’t made a final decision on the cuff pattern yet.

My own (prototype) hose are just into the calf-shaping. 

I’m increasing on either side of a central k3 rib, that itself arose from a k1.  We shall see!

If I like it, I may shape more pairs similarly, but I’ll probably shape Scott’s in a more “tradtitional” way with no “spacer” between increases.  Not sure yet.  That’s why I’m working these first — to learn and try.

More to Scotland than Pipers?!

I do realize that there’s more to Scotland-linked knitting than pipers’ hose.  (I know, I know — hush, you in the back there!)  And I do have more knitting going on, eventhough I have been intensely concentrating on Lord Scott’s socks for the last 2 weeks or so — more on that later in this post.

Half-way between Scotland and Norway is the group of islands called Shetland or the Shetlands.  One of my favorite knitting styles finds its home on one of these North Sea isles:  Fair Isle.  Officially part of Scotland these days, it has also sometimes “belonged” to Norway, and its culture reflects aspects of both “parent” nations.  The local language includes words from both, says Fiona Ritchie of NPR’s “Thistle and Shamrock“.  Nordic influence can also be found in the geometric shapes common to both knitting traditions.  But while the knitters of Norway and Sweden, the Selbu region in particular, favor using only 2 colors in a garment or mitten,  the crafters of Fair Isle use many many colors in each project– although, only 2 at one time.

Here’s the progress I’ve made on my Fair Isle sampler scarf, having completed the first major motif and one peerie band from Betts Lampers’ “Autumn Color Fair Isle” cardigan pattern (the sourcebook for this and many other delightful patterns, Sweaters from Camp, is, sadly, going out of print.  But you can find other wonderful books with charts and/or patterns at Schoolhouse Press – NAYY).

photo 1 

photo 2 

 

Well, I can’t write a post today without bringing you all up to date on Lord Scott’s kilt hose!  I’ve turned the heel on foot #1 and commenced the ankle pattern, slowly adding in ribs around the sides and back, as I did in my Godmother’s Socks.  (G’sSox pattern available on Ravelry as a PDF download.) 

Lord Scott's hose

(I think I’ll end up redoing the toe.  We’ll see after he tries it on next weekend — Lord willing!)

And, I’ve bought yarn for Robert Watt’s hose.  These are Satakieli’s 3 greens — nice worsted-spun, sock-weight, wool yarn from Finland.  Robert has asked for a near match to his current favorite hose, so I’m going with the far-right yellow-green.  A pretty good match, don’t you think? 

More “Scotland in Arizona”

Continuing on the Scottish theme. . .

I collected this from a neighbor up the street.

Lots of kilt hose knitting still going on.  Mine, in DK, are almost halfway up the calf.   (i.e., photo plus about 2″ more)

And, since these are going well and my Aug. 16th try-on deadline approaches, I’ve begun the hose for Lord Scott, in fingering weight. 

Lots of Kilt Hose goin’ on

Master Knitter-ing has been supplanted (temporarily) by kilt hose knitting, mostly due to all the bagpiping going on around here lately! — see previous post. 

I’ve been determined to improve upon my previous prototype (the green with blue) by adding all-over ribbing.  Being a bit impatient to know how they’ll turn out, I’m using DK-weight yarn and working a variation of my thoroughly-tested Godmother’s Socks pattern.  (Ravelry download available here.)  When I got to the heel, I decided to re-think the turn:  a short-row heel a la Godmother, or a flap/gusset arrangement.  I checked several designers’ versions of toe-up heels and decided to try something new-for-me that I didn’t see in any of my collected patterns:  a regular flap, but on the bottom of the foot instead of behind the heel (’cus that’s where *I* wear out my socks and these are for me).  I added in wooly nylon and worked Eye of Partridge on the flap and around the turn — all the back-and-forth parts. 

I was particularly pleased by how the gusset decreases lined up with the purls to continue the knit3 rib along the side. 

Since these photos were taken, I’ve progressed a few more inches up the ankle and should soon begin increasing for the calf.

Once I finish these, I plan to cast on for Lord Scott’s pair, in fingering-weight merino/nylon.  Those will take longer, but I hope to have at least the foot portion done in time for him to try them on in mid-August.  That’s when the We Make History folks come up to Flagstaff for the Highland Ball and picnic, including the traditional Football in Kilts.  (Hoo-hah, what fun!)

After *that* pair, I get to start work on a replacement pair for these: 

This is piper Robert Watt, he of the Flying Fingers!, from Londonderry, Northern Ireland, playing the “small pipes” and wearing his favorite handmade hose.   I don’t know who knitted them, but they’re quite an act to follow, having lasted 10 years in regular use.  My mind is abuzz with sock-possibilities!  These will need sturdier yarn than I’m using for mine and for Lord Scott’s, and I want them to fit well and be wonderful.

One sock-related trend I spotted at this year’s Celtic Festival is that of topping plain (even store-bought) knee socks with a sewn-on decorative cuff.  I didn’t get a photo [bad blogger!] of Wicked Tinker Warren’s interesting pair: purple and black entrelac cuff over plain yellow/gold sock-body [sounds wild, but matches his kilt nicely].   Dixie Ingram [no link, and also no photo ] and his whole band wear white socks with a white-white rayon cuff in Trinity stitch, or something similar.

I did, however, get a shot of an anonymous leg in a sock during the parade. 

Witness the flashes (ribbons hanging from elastic garter under the cuff, to help hold up the hose) and laces which continue up the ankle (a knitter better not add much texture there).  All things to take into account when designing kilt hose!

*Then*, after/among all these socks, . . . . Designing for Sock Madness 3 !!!

It’s Piping Time Again. . . .

So much excitement around here this past week.  Teen-genius called it “bagpipe immersion week”!  First was a week of eavesdropping at the Bagpiping School.  International instructors taught classes, including some which were open for us non-students to listen to — what fun!  Followed by the Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Society’s Highland Games/Celtic Festival, with parade, vendors, kilted athletes, dancers, and more piping, including The Wicked Tinkers.  Here are some (tiny) photos of the activities.  (First one can link to a larger image.)  Knitting content will have to wait until next post — 2 kilt hose at a time on one 60″ circular.

Instructors: Bruce Hitchings, Robert Watt, Iain Macey, Aaron Shaw, Dixie Ingram

 

Iain Macey plays Piobaireachd

Robert and Bruce play lowland pipes

Kilt Hose and piping students

Parade with massed bands

Parade and massed bands, contd.

 

Small sword dancer

Highland Fling

 

Robert Watt

 

Wicked Tinkers

Master Knitter — Cables and Holes

Some cable swatches, for your perusal.  I made 4, picked 3 to submit.

Wave Cable

 

Close-up of Wave Cable

 

Open Cable

OXOX Cable "Hugs & Kisses"

 

Gull Stitch, w/ compensation for cable flare

 

[Captions are a new feature -- I like it!]

Now that I’ve done three cable swatches, it’s on to . . . buttonholes!

Horizontal, vertical, and others (like eyelet).  I pulled out several resource books and tried 31 different styles.  

32 Buttonholes!

    The “tubular buttonhole” I tried twice.  

Tubular Buttonholes

  Next, I plan to focus on just a few — the ones that looked best to me in the LONG sample — to hone my technique.  Then, a swatch for submission with the best of each kind.

While the Master Knitter compels me strongest lately, I have also cast on for a pair of kilt hose in KnitPicks cotton-blend Risata.  I *hope* (at least feebly) to finish these before July 19th, the start of our Celtic Heritage Festival. 

Risata kilt hose - the beginnings of a cuff

Nice words and Master Knitter Lace work

Gracious fellow sock-designer, ruth “the Yarnarian”, wrote some very nice things about me and my Godmother’s Sock pattern today.  Won’t you go and check out her blog:  http://theyarnarian.blogspot.com/  And this woman knows sock designs!  Need corroboration?  Here’s Celtic Memory Jo’s blog post where she praises Ruth’s “utterly glorious Leafy Green Socks” (scroll down toward bottom, after small-town-Ireland St. Patrick’s Day parade photos).  http://celticmemoryyarns.blogspot.com/2008/03/easter-treading-on-heels-of-st-patrick.html   The Ravelry pattern for those socks is here:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/leafy-green-socks

In my last post, I predicted Master Knitter lace photos, and here they are.

Tilted Block or Tilting Trellis. 

Arrowhead Lace.

Openwork Diamonds.    

 

Anyone reading this who has more expertise than I in knitting lace — I’d appreciate some constructive feedback.  The judges will be looking for even tension, consistent hole-size, smooth decreases, and proper blocking.  Blocking the first one was especially challenging, due to the wavy nature of the biasing stitch-pattern.  I used a smaller needle on the third one, since it had so much stockinette and I wanted it to be very even.  But perhaps that was just my lace-insecurity!  I should probably re-block the 3rd swatch’s bind off row — it looks like it pulls in just a bit. . . .

More progress on the Fair Isle sampler “Autumn Colors” band.  Three quarters of the way through the first of three motifs. 

Pretty bright, eh?!  Especially compared with the Feitelson band just beneath.  I’m considering knitting another band in this sampler with the same motifs (love the 3-rhythm!) but different colors — perhaps a Noro sock yarn for one color. . . .   Also comtemplating Meg Swansen’s “Russian Prime” pullover, which has a comparable 1-3-5 rhythm that might feel similarly “right”  [Image of sweater about 1/3 down this page of SHP videos].  This scarf is becoming quite a bag-ful:  (Hi, Chloe!)

Our Honey Locust tree is done leafing out and looks grand!  Love the multi greens!

Prediction for next post:  Cable swatches and Sock-tops.

WWKIP Day

I hosted an event for World Wide Knit in Public Day here in Flagstaff last Saturday, 14 June, 2008.  We were a small group. 

But we had fun in the shade in Wheeler Park downtown.  One gal even brought her Shih Tzu, Romeo. 

Esther (in blue) came all the way from Showlow and worked on a prayer shawl.  Marilyn from Tuscon (in white) came into town from her Munds Park summer home and worked on a Baby Surprise Jacket in Trekking sock yarn.  My elder daughter, on the bench next to Esther, continued her 3-Color Spiral Cap in Lion Brand Glitterspun.  And I worked on 2 sock projects:  Nancy Bush’s “Madder Ribbed Socks” in navy for my mother, and a sideways braided cuff for my kilt hose sock-top sampler.  Here’s a current photo of that bit: 

If you look closely, you may notice a slight difference in puffiness between the first few crossings and the latter few.  I’m trying to decide which I prefer.  The two “sizes” are produced by working different numbers of short rows in the braided segments.  Keeping in mind that this is only the cuff part of a full length knee-high sock (potentially), which texture do *you* prefer?

Coming Soon:  more lace swatches for Master Knitter level 2.

Quick Caps and Slow Scarf, plus Socks

Sorry, folks.  My computer’s been “sick”.  It’s still not all better, but I’m eager to post.

As usual, I’ve been working on several projects at once.  A few I finished up quickly. . . except for the ends. 

Stash busting!  Two are Chenille Thick&Quick, variations on my (free) pattern “2 Chenille Caps” — see sidebar or Ravelry.  And one is WoolEase Thick&Quick in a basic top-down patternless cap with rolled brim.  That empties one whole storage bin — hurray!!!  (Now it can hold my yarn “blanks”, which I’m saving to dye up later.)  Here, the girls model the caps. 

 

I also finished the Feitelson band of my Fair Isle sampler scarf . . .     

. . . and began the next — from “Autumn Colors Cardigan” in Sweaters from Camp.

And (!!) cast on some socks for my mother who’s in the hospital in Houston — far, far away.

These are “Madder Ribbed Socks” from Nancy Bush’s book, Knitting Vintage Socks.  Trying 2 different methods of keeping track of the uneven ribbing-rhythm: 2 - 1 - 6 - 1. . . .

Explorations

I’ve done more work on my Fair Isle sampler this weekend — small and quiet, but beauty-making, and thus delightful. 

I’ve just changed the background color — can you see?  Left needle: blue-grey; right: blue-violet.  This motif has a nice balance between interesting diagonals and steady verticals.  Makes for pleasing knitting and nice tension-balance in the fabric.

One of the things I like best about Ann Feitelson’s Fair Isle patterns (many other designers do this as well, but not all) is that she changes the MC and CC colors on *different* rows/rounds.  Thus the shading is much more sublte, less visually jarring.  This close-up labelled progress shot may show you what I mean: 

Lots of overlap.  Ann Feitelson, I admire you!  (I have some thick-thin issues with this yarn, unfortunately.  Otherwise, wonderful stuff!)

I hope to write, in another post, about centering the motif.  (Yes, more arithmetic!)  But not today.

Another topic buzzing in my brain just now is the conversion of flat patterns for use in the round — a knitting buddy of mine asked me about this yesterday.  I’m considering writing a series of posts on it, starting with basic concepts and simplest stitches, then continuing into shaping equivalents and texture-patterning.  There would be swatches and photos, of course . . . .  Ambitious perhaps?  What topics would *you* like to see me address along this line?  Leave suggestions in the Comments, if you please.

More recent explorations:  sockitecture a la Cat Bordhi. 

2 learning socks:  top-down “Little Sky” (above) and toe-up “Little Coriolis” (below).