mayflower

Help! I can't seem to emerge from the boring-black-blahness that is Wool Ease. After spending so much time in Noro-land, completely mesmerized with the subtle shifts of colors and organic textures, knitting with such an average, humdrum yarn is such a chore. Am I forever spoiled?

I would have gone with a more comparable yarn, but I knew this thing would be HOT...hello, fair-isleing in worsted weight?  Something cooler with a higher synthetic content seemed fitting. Plus, I have an abundance of Wool-Ease from my earlier knitting days.

I picked up stitches along the neckline and back...

...then knitted about a 1 inch neckband in a 1x1 rib.

Oh, and my thoughts on the Clover mini-circs? It does feel a little awkward at first to knit with a circular that short, and my fingers, hands, and even forearms started to tense up. I found the angle at which you hold the two ends really matters. Since it is so short, holding them at more of an angle really eases things up a lot. Ribbing, or just purling for that matter, was quite awkward even with the slight change in angle/ technique. I would never consider using these for anything beyond a simple rib. But with the occasional reminder to relax your hands, it's great for a plain stockinette!

While the sleeves sat abandoned for over almost two weeks, I cooked!

When I was in early elementary school, it became apparent that two of my primary interests in life were art (and craft) and food. As a third or fourth grader I remember drawing in my journal, crocheting neon pink and black granny squares, and cycling to the specialty baking store in my neighborhood to spend my allowance money on cool ingredients, like a tin of Lyle's golden syrup.  Fifteen years later I have an art degree, I knit, and spend a ridiculous amount of time thinking about/ reading about/ making food. The  spices above were used in a red lentil dhal I made last night. They were toasted, sent for a quick spin through the food processor, then blended into a fine powder the old fashioned way using a mortar and pestle. It was a long and tedious process, but the result was an aromatic, sensitively spiced dhal with an amazing depth of flavor. Mmm....

Until next time, happy knitting (and eating!)

In the time that has passed since my last post, I knit the entire back and seamed it to the front, and am almost done with one sleeve! I am still very pleased with how my spur of the moment, sudden inspiration driven, Silk Garden baby is turning out.

The angle of this photograph makes the raglan shaping look a little shorter/ shallower than it really is. In my first post about Silk Garden, I commented on how I desire a clean, calculated shift in colors that match on both sides, whether it is in the sleeves, or in the front and back panels. So obviously both sides of the V-neck had to match, not just in color, but also in its duration.  Short 1 1/2 inch- 2 inch gradations in the body followed by long 4" ones in the neck shaping  would really bother me (haha, I feel so anal!). To get the colors to match, I cut the Silk Garden when I reached the neck shaping, and spliced it to the other side. Yes, this is many rows worth of splicing...but hey, no ends to weave in! Splicing is one of the coolest knitting tricks ever, more on it later.

To achieve a consistent gradation in the V-neck area, I removed long segments of each color. Look what cute bundles they make!

mmm, I adore Silk Garden!

Here is a shot of the reverse side, where I mattress stitched both sides together. Has anyone ever seen a pattern or garment where fair isle's "wrong side" is showcased? The backs of fair isle panels are so interesting, and is almost always posted in blogs along with the fronts.  Why not create a design that stars the always neglected reverse side? hmmm...

I've become accustomed to calling Justin "Hospital Boy"! HB is now walking BY HIMSELF!! I know...what?! After the doctors surveyed the damage on the day of the accident, they announced that it would be six long months before he would walk. It hasn't even been three months! Ah the miracle of a positive attitude and youth (being 25  has helped immensely) He is going to PT/OT twice a week to regain full range of motion in his wrist and ankle, and is still home from work. He has a slight zombie-esque walk from the boot on his right ankle, bringing to mind this scene from Shaun of the Dead..

Remember this scene? Haha...hilarious!!

Oh, and the 7 random things? I'm thinking! :)

The Silk Garden Fair Isle has been the most addictive knit yet! The shifts in colors, textures, and thicknesses of the Silk Garden paired with the beautiful and interesting chart work have been utterly mesmerizing. Overall I'm pleased with the way the colors have played out. You never quite know how a skein translates into a knitted fabric!

I do find that band of bright lilac in the middle slightly irritating. After that point, I started editing less-than-pleasing colors as I came to them. I cut out a section of the same bright lilac, some near-black, and about five yards of BRIGHT yellow  (Have you noticed I have never knit with, nor do I own, a skein of yellow yarn?) I'm about an inch or two into the raglan/ neckline shaping. Much more on the construction later.

As for the chart, it's actually the body chart for Venezia, Eunny's creation in a recent Interweave Knits. I'm not calling mine Venezia, because the only similarity is the actual chart. It's a completely different knit. I xeroxed the chart page, then highlighted the area that would be knit with the Silk Garden.   

After knitting and reading the chart simultaneously with little luck, I made marks on each row with a pink marker to help me visually. I would read the row until the first pink mark, knit, then look back at the chart and read from the first to the second pink marks, then knit it, etc. After a few rows, I realized I was just looking at the chart, then saying the numbers out loud

"black, 2, 1, 2, 2" or "starting with black, knit 2, knit 1 in color, knit 2 in black, knit 2 in color". 

I decided it would be easier to just write the numbers out for the entire row and chart. For most of the body, I knit directly from the written version. Much, much faster. Strange, since you'd think I'd be more visual...yaknow, with a studio art degree and all ;) How do you all Fair Isle?

Clover mini circs! I saw a pair over at pieKnits and literally squealed! They're 8.25 inches and perfect for sleeves. Brilliant! She sent me this link and I bought the three sizes they have. I'll report back after they've gotten some use.

Hospital Boy is Hospital Boy no more! After my last post, the surgeon gave the ok to start putting weight on his left arm and left leg. In a show of utmost determination and strength, he went from being bed ridden, to WALKING (or hobbling) on a modified walker in just one week!WAY ahead of schedule! He shocked everyone, including me, and was allowed to go home within a few days of his first steps. 8 weeks and 1 day. Amazing. His right wrist and ankle are still healing, and because of the severity of the damage, will take awhile to fully regain motion and mobility.

Kicking back, enjoying a couple cold Mexican brews on Cinco de Mayo!

I've taken a lot of pictures of his progress over these past two months, and have posted them in an online album. After I receive the okay from him, I might post the link. I'm continuing to document and photograph his progress, because this journey is definitely not over yet.

Have a wonderful week!

 

 

One of last month's purchases was a bag of Silk Garden color #247. I've always been intrigued by this yarn, but could never bring myself to pay $11 for 109 yards for any yarn, Noro or not! But when it went on sale at littleknits.com (beware yarn hos with no self control!!) at over 50% off, I jumped at my chance to FINALLY experience Silk Garden. Yes, I do believe Silk Garden, and Noro in general, is an experience quite unlike any other yarn out there. (Heck, you don't even have to knit with it to appreciate it!) I've heard mixed reviews on Silk Garden, and after working with it, I definitely fall in the "LOVE IT!" camp.

My only qualm working with Silk Garden is the difficulty of matching up the color transitions in sleeves/cardigan fronts/backs. Each skein seems to cut off at different points of the colorway. Considering my personality and the fact that I've become quite enamored with this yarn, it does surprise me that I desire a more consistent, clean, and calculated look in the overall final knit product.

The funny thing is that Silk Garden is definitely not a clean, calculated type of yarn. I LOVE its more rustic, organic, and subtle nature. The uneven spin with thick and thin areas seem to work well with the composition and color shifts of the yarn, and the random bits of veg matter don't bother me.

After knitting a plain swatch with it late one night, I had a sudden burst of inspiration, and HAD to start a fair-isle project. Crazy, I know, to do stranded knitting with WORSTED weight wool blend yarn, especially when summer is just around the corner!

In my very inspired, excited mind, The front panel will be fair-isled, the 3/4 raglan sleeves and back will be in complete black, and a V-neck will top it off. I do realize it sounds a little strange, and is completely untraditional. It could turn out to be a complete disaster, but I'm too revved up about it to care! We'll see what happens.

The yellow yarn across the swatch marks where I switched the Silk Garden from the main color to the background. I like the original with the black background much better. Even though the Silk Garden hovers around worsted weight,  the many thicker areas seem to really help design pop.

This thicker nature as you can see in the above picture, along with being conscious of yarn dominance will really showcase the lovely colors and design (anyone recognize it?). More on all this later.

Hospital boy is in his 8th week at the hospital, and is progressing very well!! His arm splints were taken off last week, and the 5 metal pins yanked out from his wrists with pliers (seriously...ouch!!) After a VERY painful couple days, his range of motion in his wrists are slowly returning with daily physical therapy, and the pain is finally subsiding.   

empty splints!

His orthopedic surgeon is pleased with recent x-rays, and said his left arm can start weight bearing therapy. His left femur seems to be healed up, and may join the left arm in bearing weight too, a MONTH sooner than anticipated!!! This is FABULOUS because as soon as he can transfer himself from bed to wheelchair, he can FINALLY go home!!! Two months is a terribly long time for a young, active, independent fellow to be cooped up in a hospital bed. Can you tell by the preponderance of exclamation points that I'm VERY excited that his hospital time is drawing to a close?!

Yippee!!! :D

Have a safe and wonderful weekend!