Neats Knits

SEX (Stash Enhancement eXpedition)

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:54:48 GMT

On Friday, I went to the Yarn Boutique in Lafayette and acquired some new, squishy yarn. I wandered around the shop for about an hour, but I managed to limit myself to three skeins.

The first is Yukon by Pagewood Farm in the colorway "Bird of Paradise." This is a 70% merino/20% bamboo/10% nylon 3-ply sock yarn. Now, if you don't know me very well, you may not be aware that I, um, well, I don't wear socks. At least, I wear socks very rarely. I've made a couple pairs for other people, but I like to say that socks are tools of the devil. Yes, my feet do get cold sometimes, but they also sweat a lot in socks, and then they stink, and then nobody is happy. But I suspect that this yarn may be the solution to my problem. Wool wicks moisture, of course, but it's quite warm. The added bamboo, however, is both cool and antibacterial. I've heard great things about bamboo in sock yarn, and how it can help people with feet like mine.

So, in spite of my determination to finish my Christmas knitting first, I broke down and cast on for a new project. I won't be saying much about them now, because I'm thinking about submitting my design somewhere. And there will be no pictures until the pattern is either rejected or published. But I will say a few things. The yarn is quite nice to work with, but it is a little splitty. I have to be careful sometimes, especially with certain stitches, but it's not too bad. Because the yarn is hand-dyed, it has quite interesting pooling effects. Now, I am really not a variegated or multi-colored yarn type of person most of the time. I vastly prefer solids, although I am starting to become enamored of heathered and tweed yarns. However, the pooling of the shades of green in this yarn is quite appropriate for my design concept, and I like it a lot even though it's not particularly even or consistent. After half a day of knitting (and listening to a lot of podcasts), I have turned the heel and begun the cuff of the first sock.

The second yarn that I bought was two skeins of Mirasol Sulka in color 203, also known as Wine. This yarn is gorgeous and lovely and luscious and scrumptious and squishy and shiny and sooooooofffffffffffttttttt. It is so beautiful, and I'm constantly petting it and squeeing. Sulka is a 60% merino/20% alpaca/20% silk blend, and I think I'm in love with it. Sorry, Chris.

I think it is destined to be a Moebius cowl. I'm not totally set on it because I seem to be going through a burgundy phase at the moment, so I want to make sure to make items that can work together. I'm working on a sweater in Patons Classic Wool in the color Plum Heather, which is almost the exact same color as the Sulka. The only difference is that the heathering in 203 Wine is much more slight and subtle, while the heathering in Plum Heather is, as the name suggests, more obvious. Since I bought more yarn than I will need for the sweater, I'm thinking of double stranding the leftovers to make a calorimetry to go with the sweater. On the other hand, I could do a calorimetry with the Sulka instead. I don't think I will because the Sulka is sooooo soft that I want it touching as much skin as possible, and a calorimetry would only touch my ears. So another possibility is to make armwarmers. I did plan on getting yarn at the shop to finally make Brooke's Autumn Armwarmers, but I forgot. However, the Sulka yarn is really really warm, and my hands — like my feet — tend to get sweaty. So a cowl seems to be my best bet, but I'm still wavering a little. I might wait and see how the sweater turns out before I decide.

I'm content to just gaze at it and pet it longingly until I figure out what I'm going to do with it. Besides, I've got Christmas presents to knit!

Charcoal Jacket FO

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:15:47 GMT

This is the project that prompted me to try grafting.

The grafting was necessary for the collar. I originally did not do a long enough section of ribbing before I started the shoulders, so I knit an extension, unraveled the original cast-on, and grafted the new part of the collar.

The back has darts and a bit of a peplum to help compensate for the bulkiness.

The garter stitch button band has crocheted loops rather than buttonholes.

I made a matching cap with the leftover yarn and one extra button.

This sweater/jacket took me three days of almost continuous knitting, except for the second day. I could probably have finished it in two days if I had not had to graft the collar and if I had worked through the entire second day instead of just the evening. I'm not that fast a knitter, so it says something about the enormity of this yarn. It's the thickest yarn I've ever used, which makes for a very warm garment and a very fast project.

I'm thinking about calculating a couple other sizes and writing up the pattern for sale. What do y'all think?

Operation Graft

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:25:53 GMT

In celebration of my successful attempt at kitchener stitch last night, I have a new icon to display my knitting fearlessness.

Grafting 1x1 ribbing is both easier and harder than I suspected. Easier because I was able to get the rhythm of it pretty quickly, but harder because I could find absolutely no resources on using kitchener stitch with ribbing. Of course, there is a lot of information on grafting stockinette and garter stitch, including Math4Knitters as I posted earlier, but everything seems to suggest that you would be absolutely crazy to try grafting ribbing.

Well, I never said I was sane.

Because of the lack of pictures online illustrating kitchener on ribbing, I've decided to post my own. These are not wonderful pictures, because my lighting sucked and my project yarn is anything but smooth, but I hope this might help someone else who is "crazy" enough to graft ribbing in the future.

The first thing I discovered is that it's very difficult to do kitchener stitch when you can't see the stitches. The project yarn was too dark and fuzzy for me to see what I was doing, so I chose some white kitchen cotton and grafted with that first. Later on, when I was finished with the full row, I went over the cotton with my project yarn and then removed the cotton along with the red lifelines. You may find it helpful to choose a smooth, contrasting yarn to do the grafting, and then use duplicate stitch with your project yarn, if you're having trouble seeing the stitches clearly.

As you can see, the stitches are difficult to differentiate, even with the red cotton lifelines.

The first few stitches completed.

The top is the row of live stitches from the new section that I'm adding. The bottom is the first row of stitches from the old section with the original cast-on removed. These don't actually need a lifeline, because they will not unravel, but it makes it much easier to get through the stitches without splitting the yarn while I'm grafting.

Step one (this is the easiest step for me): Start on the bottom row with the loop that makes up the right side of a knit stitch. Insert the needle under the left side of this loop and under the right side of the loop to the left. Pull through, leaving the new stitch loose.

Step two: On the top row, start with the loop that makes a knit stitch. Insert the needle under the left side of this loop and over the right side of the next loop. Pull through, leaving the new stitch loose.

Step three (this is the most difficult step for me): On the bottom row, start with the last loop that you have already gone through once. From behind, insert the needle over the left side of this loop and over the right side of the next loop. Pull through, leaving the new stitch loose.

Step four: On the top row, start with the last loop that you have already gone through once. From behind, insert the needle over the left side of this loop and under the right side of the next loop. Pull through, leaving the new stitch loose.

Repeat steps one through four. Keep in mind, as you go through this process, that you will go through each loop twice. Be careful to keep the live stitches straight! Your lifeline will be helpful here, but I found that I had to twist stitches that had turned in the wrong direction, especially on step three. Depending on whether you have an even or odd number of stitches, and whether you begin with a knit or a purl stitch, you may need to begin and/or end at a different step than the one I started with. This will not change the process otherwise.

I hope some of you find these directions helpful!

Kitchener stitch

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 07:02:12 GMT

So, tomorrow I am planning to try kitchener stitch for the first time. The very few socks I have knitted have all been toe-up, so I have never had occasion to try grafting before, but I understand the concept. The trick is really to understand the structure of knitting stitches, and how they interlock with the row above and below. I almost always weave in my ends by doing duplicate stitch, which also requires that understanding of structure, so I should be okay with grafting.

But I'm still scared.

I don't think it's the actual grafting that scares me. It's really a combination of two things. One: I have to graft 1x1 ribbing, which is a little more complicated than stockinette. I've done duplicate stitch on ribbing before, and I find it a lot more difficult than stockinette, although it is by no means impossible. Two: I have to take out my original cast-on in order to graft the new piece on.

The problem is that I made the ribbed collar way too short on the top-down cardigan/jacket I'm working on, and I used a long-tail cast-on that is not quite as flexible and stretchy as I would prefer. So my plan is to knit the additional length that I need using the stretchier twisted German cast-on, unravel the original cast-on, and graft the new piece to the top of the collar.

The yarn I'm using, Wool-East Thick and Quick, is the most gigantic yarn I have ever knit with, so this should give me an advantage when it comes to seeing my stitches. On the other hand, it's a dark, heathered colorway, which reduces the visibility of the individual stitches. The yarn is also heavy, and I'll have the entire weight of the sweater to contend with when I'm grafting the new collar piece. I think I'll lay it out on my bed to work on it, and at least solve that problem.

Fortunately, I've had some inspiration and encouragement from Lara Neel of the Math4Knitters podcast. Three of her recent episodes have been on duplicate stitch, darning, and grafting/kitchener stitch, and she has some handy photographs on the blog to illustrate the techniques. Go check out the blog, and listen to episodes 38-40 of the podcast. Then go listen to the rest of the episodes, if you're not already a regular listener, because she's awesome.

Writer's Block: Top Dog

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 09:38:33 GMT

What kind of dog (counting mixes and mutts) gets your vote as the champion of dogs?

View 500 Answers

I don't normally answer these questions on my personal journal, but I knew that I had to answer this one.

I love lovelovelove Newfoundlands. Newfies are my absolute favorite dogs in the world, for many reasons. One of those reasons is that I have the privilege to know one of the sweetest dogs on the planet, Kodiak:

Kodi is my fiancé's dog, and she is a huge sweetie-pie. I love her to pieces. And, to relate this to my fiber obsession:

This is my first attempt at spinning Kodi's fur.

Navajo plied, it turned out as a bulky weight yarn, but not nearly as bulky at my first plying attempts. The yarn, creatively dubbed Kodiak, is simultaneously super soft and a little prickly because Kodi is double coated. The yarn turned out a much lighter brown than her fur normally looks on her due to the lighter undercoat. It has a lovely, fluffy halo.

My first project with Kodiak's yarn is this scarflet. I never actually attached the buttons, because I rather like it just tied at the neck (and I'm lazy).

I'm currently collecting more fur, a little bit at a time. Once I'm satisfied with the amount, I'll prep it to spin some more Kodi yarn. Even though Chris's mom thinks it's a little creepy. :-p

Crochet Snowflake Motif Pattern

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:30:47 GMT

This is my first original pattern for a crocheted snowflake that is approximately 3in or 7.5cm. It is now in the Ravelry pattern library.

Stiffen the finished snowflake with fabric stiffener or a mixture of glue and water for an ornament, or stitch many together to create a lacy winter scarf, shawl, or even tablecloth.

The version pictured was made with size 10 crochet cotton in white and a #3 steel hook, but the original prototype was done with light worsted weight yarn and an H hook. You can try different yarn weights and hook sizes for different effects, but I do recommend cotton thread and a small steel hook if you want to use this snowflake as a tree ornament.

Ch8. Join with slst to form a ring.

Rnd 1: 12sc in ring. Join with slst.

Rnd 2: Ch4. Lets first ch3 stand as 1dc. (Dc in next sc, ch1) 11 times. Join to top of first ch3 with slst.

Rnd 3: (Ch4, sc in next dc) 12 times.

Rnd 4: Ch3. Sc in next ch4 loop. (5dc in next ch4 loop, sc in next ch4 loop) 5 times. 4dc in next ch4 loop. Join to top of first ch3 with slst.

Rnd 5: Ch3. Dc in next dc. Ch1. Dc in next dc. Ch10. Slst in 8th ch from hook. Ch2. Skip 1dc. Dc in next dc. Ch1. (Dc in next dc, skip 1sc, dc in next dc, ch1, dc in next dc, ch10, slst in 8th ch from hook, ch2, skip 1dc, dc in next dc, ch1) 5 times. Join to top of first ch3 with slst.

Rnd 6: Ch3. Dc in next ch1. 3dc in next ch2 loop. (Dc, ch3, slst in 3rd ch from hook, dc) 4 times in next ch7 loop. 3dc in next ch2 loop. (DC in next ch1, skip 1sc, dc in next ch1, 3dc in next ch2 loop, [dc, ch3, slst in 3d ch from hook, dc] 4 times in next ch7 loop, 3dc in next ch2 loop) 5 times. Join to top of first ch3 with slst.

Tie off and weave in ends.

Old Entry: Birthday and first spinning

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:24:16 GMT

This is an old yarn-related post from my personal journal, to start things out. Originally posted in August 2008:

Friday was my birthday, and it was awesome. My birthday isn't that big a deal to me, but this one was pretty cool. My lovely fiancé made me chocolate cheesecake, for one thing. :-D We had a fairly quiet day, hanging out at my place, then going out to dinner with my family and coming home for chocolate cheesecake, ice cream, and presents.

I don't generally expect a lot of presents for my birthday, but this year was practically like Christmas. My parents gave me a memory foam mattress pad, which is awesome and helps me wake up not feeling quite so much like someone ran me over with a truck. It is good stuff, especially for my shoulders and arms. My brother gave me a foam head, which is technically for wigs but which I will use for taking pictures of my hats (because it's a bit tricky to take pictures of my own head). David also gave me a little toy goat, because I had been joking about wanting a goat for my birthday.

I have named him Chancellor Fluffybottom:

So, what's that strange mountain of fluff he's standing atop? Well, in the last few weeks I have started learning how to spin. The mountain of fluff is just one way that languidnights is enabling and feeding my new habit. With soft, luscious, squishable merino wool roving and a book on spinning with a top whorl drop spindle:

He also brought his parents' contribution of fur from their wonderful Newfoundland, Kodiak, for me to spin, as well as two slicker brushes to use for hand carding. I've washed Kodi's fur

and made an attempt at carding it:

It's very fluffy, and it should spin up quite nicely to make a very warm yarn. I want to experiment and find out how the dark brown/black fur takes dyes.

So what started this spinning obsession? Part of it is russia_moore's fault, for getting into it before I did and showing off her yarn. I've been wanting to try it forever, especially when I saw Brooke's spinning, but I didn't really get started until I went to an event at the Oakland Museum a few weeks ago, where a lady from a local spinning guild taught me how to get started on a drop spindle. She gave me some fiber and a spindle made from a dowel and a couple of CDs, and I went to town!

I only got about 7 yards out of it, which was just enough to make this little cuff:

Then I went crazy. I bought 8 ounces of colonial wool roving from The Flying Ewe, in three different colors:

I spun the three colors together

and then plied the singles to create Reginald, 139 yards of super bulky 2-ply yarn:

I've spent the last few days knitting Reginald into a Moebius Scarf:

I have about seven yards left over, so I'm considering making another cuff to go with the one I knitted from my very first handspun. :-D

Welcome!

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:03:33 GMT

Hiya y'all.

My name is Anita, aka Neats. Over on Ravelry I'm NyessaX, and on Etsy I'm NeatsyCraft, although I have yet to put anything up for sale at the time of this entry.

I've been knitting and crocheting off and on since I was a kid. I got seriously into crochet at some point in high school, and seriously into knitting about two years ago. I'm a beginning spinner (on my growing collection of hand spindles) and a very beginning dyer. I only started to really appreciate the beauty of natural fibers a few months ago, when I began learning how to spin from a lady from a local spinning guild, and now I'm mildly obsessed with exploring as many different fibers as I can get my hands on!

I tend to work without patterns when I knit and crochet, and have just started to write down my original designs. Some of them I will post here for free use, and I'll link to others as I begin selling sometime in the future.

I hope you'll join me as I chronicle my adventures in yarn!