Eleven Stitches

A Perfect Cowl

Merry Belated Christmas!  I hope that you had a wonderful holiday, if you are one who celebrates it.  Yesterday, I spent some time making a cowl for another co-worker.

Pattern: Darkside Cowl (Rav link) by Sarah Fama
Yarn: Berroco Peruvia Quick in boysenberry, 1 skein (almost exactly)
Needles: US 13 circulars
Time to Knit: Dec 24 - 25
Modifications: Since my gauge was different, I only cast on 64 stitches for this pattern.

I love how all of this came together!  The yarn is very squooshy and it's a blend of several beautiful colors.  I don't often knit with super bulky yarn, but it's perfect for a cowl. And it knits up so quickly!

The cowl is a great size.  It fits and has enough body to cover my neck and keep me warm. My co-worker loves purple, and I think this will suit her well.

I ordered two skeins of the yarn because I wasn't sure if one skein would do.  Since I used almost exactly one skein for this cowl, I can make a second one! 

3 Years Later: Silk Sweater

I hear there was some type of snow event on the East Coast?  Well, this is what it was like yesterday in San Francisco :)

 

Actually, I was very aware of the predicted snow storm last weekend.  We flew out of Newark on Saturday morning, and I felt like the blizzard was right on our heels! But back to the lovely sweater in the photo above.....

I bought the yarn for this sweater at Art Fibers almost exactly three years ago.  I was a newish knitter, and I didn't know how to make my own pattern up for a sweater.  They wrote a pattern for me, based on this bloused dress they had on display in the store.  I got started on it right away, I believe, and I even talk about the sweater in my third post of my blog. 

The Art Fibers pattern started out pretty well. I didn't have circulars of the correct size to start the collar, so I knit it flat and joined to work in the round after a couple of inches.  This worked out well in the end.  I just added a button and a loop to the top and voila, the sweater has a keyhole opening in the back. 

As I was knitting the body of the sweater I realized that the blousing effect from the pattern would not work. The silk was too heavy, and it wouldn't have enough memory to do the ribbing to pull it in at the bottom.  This is, I believe, when the sweater went unknit for over a year.

Eventually I came back to it, and I finished the sweater with the same lacy ribbing that I had used at the collar. Then the sweater sat, armless, for another very long time.  

In November, I came across the sweater again and tried it on.  It fit.  I liked the color.  I liked the way it felt.  Why the heck did I never finish it?  After a few evenings, it was all finished up. I made the sleeves 3/4 length, and I finished them off with some deep lacy ribbing like you see in the rest of the sweater.  Since I hadn't knit that lace pattern in over a year, I had to re-construct it.  It's a good thing it was pretty simple!

It's so nice to have finished something that long in the making!

Pattern: Started out as an Art Fibers custom pattern, but then it became my own custom pattern
Yarn: Art Fibers Hana, 5 skeins
Needles: US 1.5 for the ribbing, US 3 for the stockinette
Time to Knit: January 2007 - November 2009

Breathe Deep

I have to say that I love the name of these mittens that I just finished. Several years ago, I had an anxiety condition where I would hold my breath.  That's a thing of the past now, but the words "breathe deep" make me instantly do so, and even now it calms me down.

Pattern: Breathe Deep by Through the Loops
Yarn: Brooks Farm Solana in 31
Needles: US 4
Modifications: None
Sizing: I used smaller needles and made the larger size. They seem to fit well this way.

I made these mittens for a co-worker.  She is often cold, and part of our job is being outside even in the cold weather! She also loves the color red.  She has told me that her entire house is decorated with little pops of red.

I find making holiday gifts for my co-workers stressful.  (They must be done by Friday!) But I do love finding just the right pattern, yarn, and color for a preson I know well.  I hope that she likes them!

PS. I decided to frog Betty.  It is a cardigan pattern already, so I don't think adding button bands would give me enough width for it to fit.  Also, the sleeves are too tight. It needs to become something else!

Intrinsic V. Extrinsic

At a recent teacher meeting, we were discussing intrinsic versus extrinsic rewards.  Ideally, at a Montessori school, our students are intrinsically motivated.  They enjoy working in the classroom because of the value they find in themselves.  We don't hand out gold stars, put stickers on papers, or have smiley face stamps.  I'm retraining myself to not say "Great job!", but instead say "Look at all the work you did! How do you feel?"

I am not a child of Montessori education, and I have to admit that outside praise feels pretty darn good sometimes. I would have to think that most people who have blogs are, at least in part, looking for some affirmation from others. But sometimes, I just knit things for my own satisfaction.

 

Here are some simple stockinette socks.  They have a garter cuff, and then they are plain vanilla all the way through the heel flap and the standard toe. Totally boring.

I love them.

When I wore them to work, I didn't show off my socks.  I didn't even make my husband look at them after I kitchenered the second toe. But they are soft, they are a delicious brown, and my feet feel good wearing them.

I knit these socks because I enjoyed knitting them. I wear them because I enjoy wearing them.  And if nobody ever notices them and throws me a compliment?  That's OK.

I know that my motivations for knitting are mixed.  Of course I want my knitting to be noticed and admired.  But if it wasn't, I can't imagine that I'd give up knitting. Instead, I think I might say to myself: Look at these socks I made.  I feel great.

Something Complicated

I did have something a little more complicated standing by when I was knitting my simple socks.  A Selbu Modern for me!

Pattern: Selbu Modern by Kate Gagnon Osborn
Yarn: Blue Moon Socks that Rock in Tanzanite and Tess Supersock & Baby in Lime
Needles: US1 and US 4

I made a version of this hat for my sister last Christmas, and I have always meant to make one for myself as well.  I used the same yarn for this hat that I used for my fingerless gloves, so they go together (to some degree) now.

Since I have already knit this once before, I had an easy time with it.  The pattern is complicated enough, though, that I didn't get bored the second time around.

It really hasn't been cold enough here to wear hats yet. (This is not a complaint.) But when the weather gets colder, I'll have something new to wear!

I still have a fair amount of the green and a little bit of the purple left.  Myabe I can stretch it and make a coordinating cowl?  We'll see!

Marilinda

This is the first pair of socks I've finished in a long time, and the first pair of interesting (non-stockinette) socks I've finished this year.

 

Pattern: Marilinda, by Cookie A.
Yarn: Shelridge Farm Soft Touch Sock in Marigold
Needles: US 1 DPNs

I'm not sure if it was all the people getting ready for Socktober or just the coming of the cooler weather, but I was suddenly itching to start some socks about a month ago. And I thought I'd finish up a pair so I could actually wear them!

I got this yarn at Rhinebeck in 2008.  At the time, I was obsessed with this color.  Since then I've knit a sweater in this color, sewn a dress in this color, and I've bought a jacket, tank top, and handbag in this color.  I think I'm pretty much satisfied, but if you see any (comfortable) shoes in this color, please do let me know.

The socks were fun to knit, and I could knit without the chart after a couple of repeats.  I like the little seam of stitches that go down the back of the sock, and the charted heels are also a nice touch.

In case you're worried that there are now not enough single socks at my house, I hope this sets your mind to rest. I don't think I'll ever run out of single socks!

Brand New Bag

Let me show you my new handbag, which I think is my favorite handbag ever.

 

Pattern: Upsized Buttercup Bag, by Made by Rae
Fabric: Scrap bundle from A Stitch in Dye, similar to this one for sale, and brown corduroy with a blue background, from JoAnn Fabrics a few years ago
Modifications: I lengthened the bag by about 2 inches, I added a zipper to the top and inside pocket, and I added a front pocket

This pattern was easy to use, and I love the bag that I have!  I've made (and used) enough handbags to know exactly what I want now.  In addition to an attractive bag with nice fabrics, I want a front pocket for my cell phone, an inside pocket, and a way to find my keys easily.  For the keys, I added these.

 

Two ribbons (or bias binding, to be exact) attached to mini-carabiners, and sewn on the inside of my bag close to the opening. I clip in my keys, and they're easy to find when I need them!

I couldn't find my fusible interfacing, so I fused some canvas to the lining to give the bag a little support. The lining is a pink and orange batik that's been in my stash for awhile.

 

The fabrics from A Stitch in Dye are just as beautiful in person as they are in her photos.  I think this bag was a great way to showcase them! Her book is on my wishlist, and I'm looking forward to its release date.

 

Oh, I love this bag!

Things From Holland

I made a few purchases while in Holland that I thought you might like to see.  First of all this painting, because it is beautiful.

 

We bought it from the artist herself, who had her wares spread out on the sidewalk. I love buying art this way.

There was also a fabric market in Amsterdam on Monday mornings.  (I might have squealed when I first read about this.) I dragged David along with me.  I picked up what I thought was four expensive fat quarters, but it turns out that they're each a half meter of fabric.

 

Two have traditional Holland motifs, and two I just like.

I also bought enough knit fabric to make a dress.  There was a vendor selling a lot of printed knits, and David picked out this particular pattern.  I can't show the fabric to you though, because I already made a dress out of it!

 

Pattern: Simplicity 3775, View D
Time to Sew: Today!
Modifications:  I made my sleeves in the same manner that Amanda suggested when she made this dress.  I didn't bother with a bottom hem.  I also had to re-draft the front bodice piece because it seems that I have lost it.  I must have been pretty close because I didn't have any problems at all putting this dress together.

I didn't start out the day expecting to finish a dress, but that's how the day went.  It's a nice way to end my summer vacation.  Teacher work week starts tomorrow.

I really love this dress.  The fabric feels so nice (I wish I had bought more), and the print is fun and casual.  The dress is comfortable, and it has just the casual feeling I was hoping for when I started.

I'm expecting to be working a lot this week as I get my classroom ready for the new school year, so I might not be back on the blog for the next couple of days.  I'll check in when I can.

Featherweight in Amsterdam

We had a great time in Amsterdam.

 

This was such an easy place to visit!  There was a lot to see and do, but it was a manageable amount, not overwhelming.  Everyone there spoke English.  And when we got tired (or footsore), we could just stop at a place along the nearest canal and get some food and a beer.

I don't have any photos of two of my favorite destinations, the Anne Frank House and the Van Gogh Museum, because cameras were not permitted.  The Van Gogh museum had a lot of really recognizable paintings, and many others as well.  There was one still life painting of some flowers in a vase, and right next to it was the actual vase. I thought that was especially interesting to see.  The Anne Frank House was very moving.  We got to tour inside the apartment where she stayed in hiding. Amazing.

We went to Leiden for the day, and we rented bikes there to visit Maria Montessori's grave in a town about 9K away.  I had a lot of ideas for the pictures I would take along the way of the countryside and of us riding our bikes.  But in actuality, it was raining on our way up there and the trip took longer than we thought, so I only had a few minutes at the cemetery before we had to turn back.

 

I was glad I was able to visit.  I wish I had brought flowers.

I'm pretty certain that there are more bicycles than cars in Amsterdam. There are dedicated bike lanes on all of the streets, and WATCH OUT before you cross them! 

 

Amsterdam also had a lot of cats.  This one, whom our bartender called Vodka, came in and had a seat at the counter.

 

Another cat (I didn't catch her name) jumped up on my lap when I sat down on a bench.  She didn't even mind that I handed my camera to David to take a picture.

 

I finished knitting my Featherweight cardigan right before our trip.  It's so lightweight that it was easy to keep in my bag just in case I got chilly.

 

Pattern: Featherweight Cardigan by Hannah Fettig
Yarn: JaggerSpun Zephyr
Needles: US 5s
Modifications: I knitted the collar and edgings in garter stitch instead of ribbing, mainly because I was tired of purling.

 

David and I realized on the last night that we didn't get any pictures of us together. We took this one on the way to the train station.

 

It was a great trip, and I'm glad to be back home.

Happy Day, Happy Dress

I came home today and realized I had been running errands all afternoon and I didn't feel tired.  I think that perhaps the last lingering effects of the swine flu have been finally melting away. Just in time for our imminent trip to Amsterdam!  (Oh, didn't I tell you about that?  We're leaving this weekend for a 5 day trip.) The reclaimed energy along with a new haircut, a finished exam, and a new lip gloss make me a happy girl.  So I thought I'd show you this happy dress.

 

Pattern: Butterick 5315, View C, but shorter and without the sash

The only modification I made was to put in a pocket on the non-zipper side. I love the Peter Pan collar on this dress.

 

The fabric is from JoAnn's and it's a true purple.  I think purple fabrics are a little difficult to find, so I was excited to find this one.  And I thought it was a great fit for the retro-styled pattern. 

It's a little difficult to see, but I made my own bias binding to line the neck out of some bright green fabric.  I also used bright green buttons down the front!

 

The only problem I have with this dress is that the sleeves restrict my arm movements a little bit.  I might try view B's sleeves next time.  It looks like they have more gathers in them, which should allow for a freer movement.

It's quite likely I'll make this pattern again.  It's a yay in my book.