novamade

the fifth day of novakkah (2013)

To celebrate the birth days (the real actual days of birth) of both of my kids, my mom took it upon herself to observe a Korean tradition of folding 1000 paper cranes.  My mother and I had some pretty hilarious conversations about these cranes. 

Me:  you folded 1000 paper cranes?!  That's crazy.

My mother:  you spend your time knitting things.

Me:  Yeah, that's funtional.  You know all the baby sweaters I knit?  The baby can wear those!

My Mother:  The cranes will bring the baby luck.

Me:  Of course they will. You can't wear a paper crane!

Clearly, I don't buy into this the way my mother does.  But I keep the cranes, because...well, my  mother spent a few months folding them so keeping them seems appropriate somehow.  Mostly, I forget they are there.  When the kids get older, the cranes will be their problem.  In any case (and here, witness, quite possibly, the worst segue in the history of segues), let's talk about yarn...or lace...or lace knit with yarn...  I know. 

So I was working in my studio recently and found a stack of knits either needing to be blocked or blocked but needing ends woven in.  I have about three shawls that are done for knitting, they are just wanting to be finished; and, that made me think of knitting another lace shawl, mostly because summer is on the horizon and I prefer knitting lace in summer to knitting anything else, really.  I assume others feel the same.  In any case, today gift is some lace weight yarn.  For your consideration: 630 yards of JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk in Ruby (brand new). 

I have used this yarn for a few shawls, and I kind of love it to distraction.  Should you want some for your very own, please tell me: what is the craziest birthday gift you have ever given someone? I'm not sure where on the scale of crazy 1,000 folded cranes on one's entrance into the world is; but, I think it's kind of nuts.  What say you?

I will take comments for this post, and all Novakkah posts, until 11:59 EST (or 2359, should you prefer that), Sunday, May 12th (also, Mother's Day!).  Please leave your responses on the appropriate post.  One entry per post/person.  I will show you what I have to gift each day and let you know what you need to tell me to try to get it.  Giftees will be selected on the 13th and gifts sent out shortly thereafter.

on reading and projects from the past

 
While I had all sorts of goals for summertime craftiness, I rang the death knell on all creative productivity without assistance from anyone else.  I was well-intentioned, to be sure; but, the next time I decide to register for two classes (during a truncated session, no less), I will endeavor to ensure that neither of them is text heavy.  I spent a lot of time reading over the past few months (there was also all that other stuff that I do, you know: the wife-ing, the mothering, the librarining/archiving...yes, all of that).  I was photographing as well, but there was a lot of reading.  Which is fine, considering the day job, I guess.

 
When I wasn't reading about photography and its history, I was reading about canning.  I have moved past the obsession stage to sickness, it's true.

 
I have been working on things too (crafty things, not the sugary or salty canned things), lots of things actually.  It recently occurred to me that I have a tendency to start things (many things) when I have no time to do anything at all.  Funny how that works out.  Let me pull together my notes (read: organize myself), and then I can start telling you about the crafty doings around these parts.

 
In lieu of anything recent, how about something forgotten? 

 
 As I was going through some old photos, I realized that I made something last year that never made it to the blog.  It was a re-knit for me (this doesn't happen often), but it was a fun experience all the same.

Swallowtail Shawl knit in Zephyr wool/silk.   Its the first shawl I ever knit.  When I knit it the first time, there were a few flaws.  So I knew I would knit it again one day.  So last fall I knit the pattern again after my friend, Lorelei, asked me to make her a shawl after she saw the Percy shawl I knit for myself.  Not like I was going to knit that again.

 
So, yes.  A forgotten knit, posted.  It occurs to me that I never put a gallery up for 2010 or 2011 on this blog either--which, I have to tell you, has made re-visiting my past endeavors sort of difficult, I will get around to fixing that eventually (really, I will).  Okay, back to organizing...

it's fall y'all

When I was growing up in a part of Florida that is included in the charmingly referred to"Redneck Riviera" (though I prefer the Emerald Coast, myself), people would often joke around about the passing of seasons.  Usually, we had to remind each other that fall was supposedly in the air because the seasons could basically be descibed as, "kinda cold" and "really hot."  I don't remember there being a lot of in-betweens, weather-wise. 

But now that I am a Yankee (that's what my friend Alanna calls me now, it's kind of funny), I have the opportunity to experience the passage of seasons and all the trappings that go with the seasonal changes as they happen in New England.

Aside from being the most colorful and, and in my opinion, the prettiest season, fall is also transitional.  You may not need a huge bulky scarf; but a lacey shawl or scarf made with a touch of wool is nice. 

That's why I like knitting shawls in the summer, I can be wardrobe ready in the fall.  The newest addition to my shawl collection is Percy.  The pattern is a freebie on ravely as well as on the author's blog.   I have no idea why she might it available for free other than kindness, because I would (and I am sure others) would gladly pay for a pattern that produces something so pretty.

I won't say the pattern was easy.  There are people on ravely who have said this, I think they are lying.  The pattern isn't overtly difficult; but, it is not what I would call a piece of cake.  I would not reccomend this to a new lace knitter (if I had chosen this as my first lace projects, I can say with a great degree of certainty that I would have never picked up a lace pattern ever again), there are way easier patterns out there to cut your lace teeth on (Lace Leaf Shawl, Flower Basket Shawl, and of course Ishbel, to name just a few).  The intricate pattern detail requires you to pay attention on the right and the wrong side of the shawl.  Both sides are charted for most of the shawl.  There are a great many nupps to contend with.  You could, I am sure, knit the shawl without the nupps, but I think the nupps really add a lot to this shawl (there was a time I thought nupps were kind of frivolous, but now, I sort of like them).

This shawl is something of a show stopper.  Every time I wear it (and I wear it quite a bit), I am asked (if the person is a knitter) where the pattern can be acquired or (if the person is not a knitter) where I bought the shawl/scarf.  Just this morning someone asked if I would make one for her, because she loved it so much.  And you guys know how I am about good friends asking me to make them things. Sigh. Clearly, I need to start walking around with my fall crafting list upon my person (just as soon as I finish the leftover crafts from the summer, of course).

Specifics on the rav and in the gallery.  Happy fall!

blue fabulous

It occurred to me, when I threw my shawl on, that I never posted info about my Ishbel here.  I knit this a month ago, and it was, without a doubt, the quickest lace knit ever.  And it's so pretty!!

I used Socks that Rock lightweight in the Blue Moonstone colorway, I had enough yardage to make the small shawl as written (there was maybe 60 yards left when all was said and done). 

I have taken on a new challenge that my friend Ruth started in January, "no twine in "o"-nine.  I started in March after I purchased yarn I pretty much already had for a project; but, more on that later. 

 

My challenge is to use the yarn I already have in my possession (there's a lot of it).  To that end, I am trying to come up with new things to use sock yarn for, because I knit socks at a rate equivalent to maple sap dripping in the winter.  That would be very slowly, so that means knitting shawls.  I am probably going  to weave some of it up too, that goes by pretty quickly.  But shawls are a pretty good option too, don't you think?

knitting for a special someone

 I have so many things to tell you; but, since I don't want to overwhelm you all, let's just talk about this scarf that I knit.  I will get to the rest later this week, which means I will be blogging more than once this week (actually, more than once this month, whoa.  I know.).

 

This scarf has been done for a while now; but, my mom just got it so now I can talk about it.  I could have talked about it before; but, you know, surpirse ruination=sadness.  In any case.  I started knitting this scarf in March while on spring break.  My mom saw it in my knitting bag and not so coyly volunteered herself to be the recipient.  For your edification, this was the conversation:

novamade mom: [unabashedly sifts through knitting bag, pulls out scarf project]  Oh, what is this?

nova: a scarf

novamade mom: It's so pretty.

nova: I think so, the yarn is a wool and cashmere blend, there is nylon in it too, it's supposedly sock yarn; but, I'd rather have cashmere on my neck rather than on my feet, I think.

novamade mom: Oh, me too.

nova:  Great minds, I guess.

novamade mom: You know, this is my color.

nova: It's mine too.

novamade mom: If you haven't gotten me anything for Mother's Day or my birthday, this will do.

nova:  [unbelievingly] Seriously?

novamade mom: I am being very serious.

nova: [petulantly] Okay.

It's sort of difficult to begrudge one's own mother anything, isn't it?  Also, it's unlikely that I will deny anyone in my family a knitted good if they actually ask for it.  But since I was knitting this scarf for myself and you guys know how I feel about knitting scarves in general, I was a wee perturbed about finishing it, so I missed the Mother's Day deadline.  But I finished in plenty of time for her birthday, so, Happy Birthday, Mom! 

I am sure you will like the scarf, as it is your color...and you, basically, told me to give it to you.  I hope it keeps your neck warm and cozy when the Georgia air brings a chill. 

 

This is the Montego Bay scarf from the Summer 2007 issue of Interweave Knits.  It is a really easy lace project for those interested in trying lace on something easy and doable.  I modified a bit because I had this great yarn from the Knittery that I got myself for my birthday either last year or the year before, I can't remember.   More notes will be put in the gallery and on ravelry, FYI.

on tiny shawls and tiny women

So I made a shawl.  I am much like Heather when it comes to shawls and butching it up with the yarn weight.  Feminine shawls knit with laceweight (especially if it is cobweb like yarn, bleh) is, decidedly, not my thing.  I much prefer my shawls be knit with fingering weight yarn or dk.  But this shawl was not knit for myself, so I wanted to appeal to the personal preference of the giftee as much as possible.

So my boss is retiring at the end of the year.  I have worked with her for almost 5 years, she has been at our fine institution for 25 years (to me, that sounds crazy, but it's true).  One thing that I have noticed about my boss, let's call her "L," is that she likes to wear shawls.  As a knitter, you will understand that this is something that I can appreciate in a person.  She knows a little about knitting too.  She knit back in the day, but never got into it so the passion didn't develop, I don't get it either, but let's just let that go.  In any case, when she announced her retirement, I knew I was going to knit her a shawl.  The Mrs. Lazypants in me was going to wait to start the shawl; but, then I realized, that life with a toddler and a newborn as well as healing from a surgical delivery, around the time of the winter holidays no less, probably would not lend itself to success in my deadline knitting (the best kind, in my opinion), so I figured starting sooner rather than later was the way to go. 

I knew I would need to knit her something feminine and very lacy, she seems to like that sort of thing.  But I also wanted to knit something for her that would be interesting for me to knit (you know, something that hasn't been knit by 5,345 people according to ravelry, etc.).  It also had to be knit in a versatile color suitable for a woman who does not consider bright colors appropriate for everyday (and ever occasion wear).

   

So I started searching for a pattern and just happened to come across Piecework Magazine this summer.  There was a preview of Nancy Bush's new Knitted Lace of Estonia book   coming out next month (yes family, this would be an appropriate gift for me around holiday gift-giving time, should you be so inclined).  I took a look at the preview online, I think there are a lot of really great shawl patterns in the book, and the Estonian Summer Triangular Shawl to Knit was a nice sneak peek (even if the name is long and unwieldy; but, there you are).  The pattern seemed to meet all my criteria, and it seemed doable, there were a lot of nupps, but how bad could it be?

Nupps aren't so bad to knit, once you get into the rythym of doing them.  I ended up switching to a smaller needle to do the 7-stitch nupps; but, I suppose one could easily just knit the nupps looser.  When I knit the swallowtail shawl, I was still fairly new to knitting and didn't  really know what I was doing, so I thought the nupp was sort of evil and unnecessary; but, my views, they have changed.  There is a time and place for nupps, and really, they aren't so bad and can be good for breaking up the knitting monotony.  I counted the number of nupps in this shawl, but now I can not remember the number, let's just say that there are a lot.  I think a good portion of the shawls in the new book will feature lots of nuppage, I am not sure if it's Nancy or the Estonians, but someone really likes nupps.

I knit the shawl in an off-white shade, because that seemed versatile and appropriate...though I thought is would look pretty fantastic in orange or yellow too (just me?  probably) ...

 

My one misgiving about this shawl is its size.  It is pretty tiny.  When blocked, it was tinier than the finished size reported in the pattern (which is tiny), but not my much.  It is a small shawl.  Luckily for me, my boss is a  tiny woman.  I am not trying to be rude or anything here, she is a small-framed woman.  She is, however, taller than my mom (but that is not saying much since my mom is 4' 11" and there are many ten year olds that are taller).

I am not a woman that one would ever describe as tiny (even when I am not in the zaftig state of pregnancy which I currently find myself in).  So me modeling this shawl would have looked kind of ridiculous.  So I asked my tiny friend M to do some modeling for me (seriously, the things people will do for a free lunch and the promise of cookies).  M and L are roughly the same in height and build, so I think the shawl will work out fine.  But then I started thinking about how the tiny women of the world are sort of fortunate, especially if they are knitters...that means they need less yarn to do projects--seriously, this yarn for this shawl didn't even make a dent in the 1,400 yards of yarn in the original skein.  But I digress...  Details for the shawl are in the gallery and on ravelry.

just peachy

Lest you all think I am lazing about chomping on bon bons, let me assure you that I have been hard at work.  I have been so busy with the knitting lately, I haven't had the time, energy or wherewithall to blog about it (being pregnant probably contributed to the general feeling of lethargy; but, it sounds so industrious to say that I have been busy, so let's go with that). 

For the past couple of weeks, I have been consumed with the knitting of a shawl.  Some of you have heard about the shawl, aka my nemesis.  I finished it tonight, so there will be a finished object post shortly, I have a lot to say about this very tiny shawl.  But while it was soaking up some Kookabura wool wash, I was thinking about other projects.

Like mittens.  I like knitting mittens.  But for some reason, I got stalled on these Aran mittens.  They went in a project bag and there they sat (for a year?).  I liked the pattern, but for some reason, I just didn't finish them.

But the pattern is pretty great, and I think a friend of mine would like the pattern too...so I am going to knit these mittens.  But in a different yarn I think.

Tweed, maybe?

I think it was the white yarn that had me meh about the whole project.  I knew I wasn't going to finish them in the original color, "cloud" (which is Knit Picks' fancy way of saying "white")...

Much better.  Peachy, even.

You didn't think I would let Pushing Daisies premiere with no pie, did you?

Fresh peach pie with a flaky pastry crust, recipe from Joy of Cooking, 1972 reprint.

The pie baker is back (even if her photo editor is not-- please pretent thse pictures are better lit).

i, pomatomus

They are complete.

I am not sure why it took so long to finish these socks.  No, actually I do know, I got tired of the pattern after the first sock (it doesn't make for good television knitting).  But you can't just wear one, not really.  So with Phase I of the Christmas crafty done (yay for blocking!) I thought I would take an opportunity to finish some of my own knitting.

I like the way they came out; but, mostly, I like that they are done.  I love that they are made in Koigu, though I think one sock is a smidge darker than the other.  It's not really noticeable when the socks are worn though.  Such is the art of working with Koigu (or handpainted yarn in general, I suppose).

Just before the snow/sleet storm.  Goodbye fall.

I will get a good amount of wear from these socks, I am sure.  But they are a lot lacier than I would like.  I had to go up to size 2s to knit the socks because I would have run out of yarn on size 1s.  Because Koigu is the yarn of so leetle yardage...

Not even enough for one baby sock, much less a pair.

But it's good to be able to cross off another knit-in-in progress from the list (of oh-so-many) as well as add another pair of handknit socks to the sock collection.

Pomatomus

Pattern: from knitty by the uber-fabulous Cookie A.

Yarn: Koigu, 2 skeins of  KPPM in colorway P859 B (yellows, oranges, hints of green and brown)

Needles: US 2 dpns (grumble)

Mods: Needles and yarn, followed the pattern as written

For all the lag time involved (6 months!!) with this pair of socks, I do like them.  I don't have occasion to wear yellow often, but I will find ways to sneak them into my wardrobe. 

I have already marveled at the genius that is Cookie A. so I won't go there, there isn't much to say abaout the pattern that hasn't already been said (thorough,well written, easy to understand, etc.), these socks have been knit by many before me and many will knit it after (come on Stacey, how 'bout it?).

Okay, back to work.  The Christmas Crafty is calling me, can you hear it?

koo koo for koigu

Last month was all about celebration, this month is going to be all about knitting--which really is its own sort of celebration, kind of.  Maybe a little spinning with a drop spindle will be thrown in too; but yes, back to the knitting.

Do you remember this Koigu?

I decided to use it for Pomatomus socks.  I have always liked the pattern and, though I am not usually wild about yellow, I love this yarn.  There is some serious Koigu factor going on here.

So I cast on for the first sock, got through the first repeat and thought, "I am not going to have enough yarn."  Ripped. 

Cast on, got through the first repeat by starting in the middle of the first repeat nad thought, "huh, the pattern says subtle yarnovers, my yarnovers are not so subtle."  Ripped. 

I Cast on again and thought, "surely, the not-so-subtle yarnovers are because I skipped the set up row and thus did not make a foundation for the stitch pattern."  No, not so much.  Here is the thing.  When you knit Koigu with size 2 needles, you are going to get fabric that is a little loosey-goosey (well, if you are me you will, I suppose I can't really speak for others).  Now, I could have gone with a size 1 needle, but I liked the fit of the sock knit on size 2s (what can I say, my calves and feet are shapely and not so dainty).  So loose yarnovers it is. 

After stalling obsessing pondering the pattern a bit, I just started knitting and then realized that it was 3 in the morning.  That is the power of Koigu (are you Kookoo for Koigu too?).  In order to maintain a sense of sanity, I had to put it away for awhile. (And I still don't know if I will have enough yarn...I am living on the wild side here...and the power of Koigu compels me.)

And because actually finishing garments is a useful thing, I went back to Little Sir's sweater, because as Diana pointed out, it's been a while since we saw the kid in handknits (of his own--Chevron scarves don't count).

It's thisclose to being done.

This post would be a Project Spectrum parade...if it weren't the first day of June.

I hope you all have fabulous weekends!

monkey business

Lest you all think I am a one trick pony, what with all the Chevron scarf obsession, I am posting a finished something.  I finally finished the Monkey socks that I decided to knit in March (which really wasn't all that long ago when you consider that it's only the first day of May--oh, happy May Day).

So these socks actually knit up a great deal faster than my knitting skills seem to demonstrate.  I actually left the second sock unknit for a long time (because I was a little occupied with the scarf of many colors).  In any case, the second sock took maybe two or three nights of knitting, it's a pretty speedy sock since the pattern is pretty easy to memorize and execute. 

As with most lace socks, or I guess any socks with fine stitch detail (okay, really anything you knit), the yarn you select is going to make a huge difference in what the finished product looks like.  I have seen quite a few pairs of these socks in the blogosphere and on flickr, and I have to say that I am partial to the ones in a solid, semi-solid or slightly variegated yarn.  I think the stitch detail of this sock is gorgeous.  I think yarn that is too busy would totally detract from the genius of the patterning; but, that's just me.

I knit the socks out of Socks that Rock medium weight yarn (a Rhinebeck purchase; yes, I was one of those people that waited in that line), so they are pretty substantial socks, so substantial that I probably won't be sporting these socks until the fall and winter, they are super warm.  For whatever reason, I didn't think that the medium weight yarn would make all that much of a difference, well sometimes I can be ridiculous.  Obviously the weight of the fingering weight yarn makes a difference; but, a nice one, it makes for a warmer sock.

I really enjoyed working with the Socks that Rock yarn, I like the different shades of blue and how the variation in hues highlights the stitch detail.  I like Cookie A's designs and I think she is a sock design genius.  Clearly, I am not alone in my way of thinking.  I now want to knit every single one of her patterns.  Even the knee-his, which I would probably look kind of ridiculous in.

Monkey
Pattern: Monkey from knitty by Cookie A.
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Socks That Rock Medium-weight in Midsummers Night (one of the shaded solids, love)
Needles: US 2 bamboo and US 1 aluminum dpn's
Modifications: Yarn sub, and switched to size 1 dpn's for the last leg repeat and rest of the sock (which really didn't make that much of a difference given the weight of the yarn)

These socks were fun to knit and pretty easy.  After finishing up the grafting of the second sock I got excited about knitting more socks.  Unlike this pair (that I actually knit for myself and am actually planning on keeping and wearing and extracting every bit of knitted goodness out of...yes, I know--I will wait while you recuperate from the shock of my knitting for myself), the next pair will be for Sockapalooza, which I am really excited about.  Do you Sockapalooza?