Knitting with laceweight yarn

A few years back, like most inexperienced knitters, I preferred thicker yarn and larger needles.  Now that I have practiced the craft, I have no problem knitting with laceweight yarn.  I don't prefer it, but I can do it.  That's why I ordered a lot of laceweight when I first saw a sweater pattern that recommended it. 

It was the Tissue Cardigan, by Deborah Newton, in the Spring 2010 issue of Interweave Knits, simultaneously with a sale on the recommended yarn, Misti Alpaca Lace, that sparked my impulse to buy laceweight--a lot of it.  By the time my buying frenzy was done, I had a lot of yarn and pattern ideas on hand.

I'm about halfway through this laceweight-sweater-and-shawl knitting phase now, progressing from heavier, lace-like yarns to very thin ones and from small shawls to complete sweaters.  I can handle knitting with the stuff and see some advantages.

First is versatility.  Laceweight yarns can be combined to produce a combination of colors or fibers that knits like a fingering weight yarn. 
Second is comfort.  A lighter yarn produces a lighter garment.  Depending on fiber content, it can be as warm as a heavier weight garment.
Third is economy.  More yardage per ball of yarn, more stitches per row, more time to knit. 

Basically, I am spending less on yarn because it lasts longer.  Since I have a lot of sweaters, shawls and accessories and don't really need more, I want projects that fill up knitting time.  I have lots of knitting time, as proven by my latest project:

It is a square shawl, literally two triangular shawls worth of knitting time.  The pattern is Vixen, by Tori Gurbisz, available online from Ravelry or Knitpicks.  Though I used two laceweight yarns held together (the darker Misti Alpaca left over from my last sweater and some Malabrigo Lace), I think it would be nice in a single strand of laceweight yarn. 

One advantage to using a lighter yarn is the result when the shawl is folded in half. 

Folding produces a triangular shawl, making this two shawls in one, one that is destined to see a lot of use in the cool Colorado summer mornings and evenings.

A final note:  I loved the colors in the Malabrigo but hated the pooling.   Double stranding it with the brown alpaca subdued it just enough.  In case others just might have a difficult variegated yarn to tame :), they should see my project page for construction details.  I did make some changes to adapt the pattern to the lighter weight yarn.

Knitting without patterns

A year ago, I almost posted that I would knit the entire year in patterns of my own devising.  While a pledge to abandon following patterns written by others seemed like a good way to improve my skills, I quickly realized its limitations.  Not only would I limit my resources, I would set a bad example.  After all, I like knitters to use my patterns and wouldn't want to imply that there are any negatives to following patterns.  In truth, I rarely knit without following a pattern.  Although I might modify a pattern so much that it doesn't resemble the original, I usually find a pre-written patterns excellent starting points for both basic design and inspiration.

Today I have two newly completed projects that I would consider very nearly my own--but not completely.

 

I began this cardigan with color inspiration from one pattern, cast-on numbers from another, followed shaping tips from a knitting manual and finished with details of my own devising.  I engaged in a little experimentation along the way and a lot of swatching beforehand.  I chose the Bell-Sleeved Cardi pattern from Glam Knits by Stephanie Japel as a starting point simply because the gauge, and thus the cast-on numbers, matched my swatches.  I also liked the raglan shaping and wide neckline in this pattern.  Although I modified the neckline with a two-color ribbing, a tubular cast-on and back neck shaping, I then followed the pattern until I divided for the sleeves. 

 

There, inspired originally by a sweater sold by Anthropologie, the Hulda Striped Pullover from Northern Knits and various ombre-style patterns for color, I began the wide stripes and ended with ribbing and a two-color tubular bind-off.  Since this Misti Alpaca lace yarn is thread-thin, I double-knit the left button band to give the buttons a good backing.  For the right side, I used a i-cord, leaving openings for button holes. 

 

Altogether, it is a simple, practical sweater, lightweight and warm.  Here's some Ravelry links for more info:  my project page, Hulda, ombre patterns, and, risking copying complaints, the inspiring  Fading Stitch pullover itself since the image isn't available at Anthropologie anymore.

 

 While not quite as time-consuming as a lace-weight cardigan, my other project was a rather demanding for its type.  During our unusually cold winter, it became obvious that knee socks are a good thing.  If so, why not stranded knee socks?

 

 

  These began toe-up, following no particular pattern, followed a bit of a border chart in Alice Starmore's recently republished Book of Fair Isle Knitting, incorporated some corrugated ribbing after the ankle and finished with a good bit of 2x2 ribbing.  Four rounds of plain stockinette in the red Posh cashmere at the top made a little cuff.  The yarn is mostly Colinette Jitterbug, with the blue the heavier weight.  Using it last produced some natural shaping, as did changing needle sizes. The strading is done with a dk-weight merino in lavender, so light that it looks white.

 

I like the stranding in the foot.  It is warm and padded under the sole.  However, I was afraid to add any above the ankle--my stranding was quite tight before blocking.  I will need to increase the stitch count for charts in the leg of socks, or I won't be able to get them over my high arches.  I also need to remember that this red Posh yarn bleeds a lot.  I thought it would ruin the colors when I blocked the socks.  Thankfully, as with most things, it all washed out in the end.

 

There's another photo of the socks in my Ravelry project.

Handknit beaded lace shawl for next year

The lightness of the fabric is apparent in this photo.  The pairing of the possum/merino blend yarn (Zelana Kia Ora Rimu fingering weight) with beads is perfect.  The piece can use a little extra weight.  The yarn is expensive in the U.S.  If one could find a bargain price, either here, or in its native (possum-loaded) country, it would be worth buying for the novelty alone. 

When I found the pattern in last Winter's Vogue Knitting, I decided it would be both a fun knit and a reasonable match for the hat I'd knit from an earlier issue of VK.

The hat pattern, from the Fall 2009 issue, is by a different designer but uses the same yarn.  My version mixed two patterns from this issue to make the knitting a bit more interesting.  Details on it and the shawl are logged on my Ravelry project pages, Possum Shawl and Merger hat. 

There's a year between these two projects, and likely another one to go before I wear them somewhere together.  That's knitting--it makes you plan ahead!

Framing hand-knitted wedding veil

A couple of years ago, I knitted a wedding or bridal veil. I posted about it at the time, and provided photos of it in the wedding. However, as much as my memory dims with time, I hardly expect a casual blog reader to remember it well. I'll begin with a refresher, a photo of the finished veil worn by the bride.

To add to the background information, I have included links to the earlier posts and to my Ravelry project page after the next photo. They will answer most questions about the intricacies of knitting a wedding veil.  If, however, you can imagine the effort and anxiety that went into the knitting of this veil, you won't be surprised to hear that after it was completed, worn, and being packed away, K said to me: "You should frame it."

I passed his suggestion on to the bride once she began showing me the wedding photos. I envisioned using the veil as a background for a photo or two. Since she liked the suggestion, I decided the first step would be to bring the veil to her so that she could take it and some photos to a frame shop.  The distance between us and the question of whether it was wise to trust the veil to shipping led me to postpone this step until last July when I brought the veil to her.  We took it to a frame shop and selected the mat and frame. Then we went through the wedding photos and picked out several likely ones to include in the piece. The end result is below, followed by an explanation of why it took six months to achieve it.

I like it well enough, but it has diverged from my original vision, altered by the input of  the bride and groom, the frame shop, and the veil itself.  First, the couple wanted to include several small photos instead of a few larger ones.  Second, the employees of the frame shop simply refused to frame it as I originally imagined.  Finally, the the shape of the veil didn't adapt to the rectangle of the frame.  These incidents combined in a complex process that ended with the veil being much more the object of attention than the photos.

It is what they wanted--the veil, preserved as an art object and a memento of their wedding.  It is a lot bigger and more complicated than I thought it would be, as was the entire project.  What follows is a detailed account of the problems I encountered.  I hope they will help someone else who might consider taking on the task of framing knitting that wasn't knit to be framed.

For those who are just interested in the veil, click here: my original post and my Ravelry project page.

Once I had delivered the veil and spent an hour and a half in the frame shop discussing the process with the framer, I returned home and left it to them.  Pessimist that I am, I really wasn't surprised to hear that weeks later, nothing had been accomplished.  My experience with frame shops has taught me that the framing always takes longer than I think it should.  Often, I suspect that no work is done on anything I've left to be framed at various shops until I call and insist that they complete it.  Then, it appears that whoever is responsible drops their other projects and takes an hour or two to complete mine.  It is usually done the next day after I call, whether they have had it ordered for days, weeks or months.  This one was no different.  After the bride complained, the shop produced this:

Upon seeing this cell phone photo, my first question was about all the excess mat visible around the veil. I was told it was going to be trimmed. Since I could see that the veil was unevenly placed, I assumed that it would be stretched out in a less casual fashion and opened up similar to the way I had laid it out when I visited the shop a couple of months before.  What a bad assumption that was.  I was ignoring the fact that my original visit was so long ago that the framer could not remember anything I said. At least, that is the most generous explanation I can give for the next photo I received.

This is where things took a turn from bad to worse. The bride knew it looked wrong, but she didn't know enough about knitting to be sure it was wrong. She paid for it, then told me she didn't like it, couldn't get it in her car, and had left it at the shop. I agreed that it didn't look right but that I needed to see it to figure out what was wrong with it, other than the odd shape. Since I wouldn't be in the area for several weeks, I called the frame shop and told them to hold it until I could see it. Although I was hoping that I would like it better when I saw it, I came prepared, packing my blocking wires, board and pins. I was afraid I'd have to reblock the veil to restore its original shape. When I arrived at the shop, fingers crossed, ready to be stunned by loveliness, it only took me 5 seconds to see the problem. The darn thing was wrong side out!

The veil was placed sideways on the rectangular mat and folded over to fit, exposing the wrong side of the knitting.  At this point, I realized I was working with a framer who knew very little about knitting, one who couldn't tell the purl side from the knit side.  The bride knew it "looked strange" but the framer didn't see the problem.  I told her that even though it was arranged in an attractive fashion, I couldn't leave it as it was.  I explained that the knit side must be the most visible side and that they would have to take it apart and reframe it.

I offered to take the veil and reblock it to fit the mat and cover more of the blank area.  They agreed to this, but cautioned me that any additional work would incur additional charges since the bride had accepted it as it was.  The veil was sewn to the mat, and had to be cut away.  I had to leave it at the shop and return several days later for it.  When I picked it up, it was sandwiched between two 32" x 40" foam-core boards.  I took a couple of days to wet block the veil, trying to stretch it out to to the dimensions of the foam-core boards.  It was close, but didn't quite cover the 32" vertically.  Horizontally, it was wider than 40". 

 Once I had it pinned to one of the foam-core boards, I took it back to the shop and transferred it to the mat.  It was a better fit, but still did not come near to covering the larger mat vertically.  Since the veil was now wider than the mat, I asked the framers to fold the excess on each side to the back.  They refused.  Either it was physically impossible in some way or they were worried about damaging the fabric, I'm not sure which.  Also, they insisted that nothing touch the edges of the mat, explaining that they needed at least a half-inch of bare mat on which to place the spacers that would elevate the glass above the mat, leaving an air space above the photos and the veil.  Since it had been difficult to convince them that they did not need to leave three inches of mat exposed on all four sides, I took the half-inch as a victory.  I left the veil there with instructions to place it evenly on the mat and call me when they had it ready.

Several days and many phone calls later, they called me to approve the position of the veil on the mat before it was sewn back down.  When I arrived at the shop, I saw the veil was on the mat unevenly with a lot of mat exposed at the top and bottom.  I tried to adjust it, but eventually became so frustrated with the process that I gave up. 

It was at that point that I asked the framer to trim the mat board.  It was 8-10" too long vertically, one reason that the size of the frame was too large for the bride's car.  Reluctantly, he trimmed 6" off, making it the same size as the foam-core boards.  His reluctance had two sources:  first, once smaller, it couldn't be made larger if I changed my mind, and second, making it smaller would force him to trim the frame.  The shop owner told me trimming the frame was not a problem, but the employee that actually had to trim it didn't agree. 

Once the mat was trimmed, I took the mat and both foam core boards back to pin the veil in place on the mat.  I reasoned that the only way to get the veil centered was to place it directly on the mat myself.  That was when I realized the mat board would not hold the pins.  They slipped out.  Worse yet, the mat board was flexible and bent easily.  I had to place one foam core board underneath to support it.  Then I placed the veil on the mat and secured it by putting the second foam-core board on top and taping all three boards together across the edges, making a sandwich that held the veil in place.

I transported the sandwich to the shop and told them to sew the veil onto the mat as it was.  I won't go into the time this took, since I expected the framer to sew it immediately.  I didn't want to risk the veil being put aside where it would slip out of place.  It took weeks for our schedules to mesh.  Even once we were both there, the sewing didn't happen immediately.  In the end, it took a couple of weeks.

The project was finally completed in late November, costing only a little more than originally quoted.  At one point, they had lowered the price by 10 percent as a concession to the time it was taking to complete it.  The additional cost was a little over this 10 percent discount. In spite of the time it took and the struggle I had with the project, I can't say the price wasn't fair.

The one lesson I can take away from this experience is that these framers don't understand knitting.  And, to be fair, I don't understand framing.  Actually, they used the recommended method for framing lace.  The fault was in the way they applied this method to this project.  Besides not being able to tell which side should be exposed, they didn't use enough stitches when they sewed the veil to the mat.  You can see the way the veil has stretched away from the few points of stitching at the top.  It will likely stretch more over time as the piece hangs.  Also, not every point at the bottom edge of the veil was stitched down, even though we suggested it. As a result, the points stand up away from the mat the way they fell when the piece was turned upside down for the frame to be hammered together.

Is there another way to fix the veil in place?  If the entire piece was smaller and the veil the background, it would be laid across the mat and wrapped around to the back.  The wrapping would have held it in place.  Failing that, I can only recommended a lot of stitches or some sort of glue. 

And, now, you know (not that should have been any doubt) that I am a very picky person.  I'll bet this pickiness somehow enhances my enjoyment of knitting. 

Knitting the end of '12

Sometime mid-December I decided to finish off some lingering projects, like these socks I started in November:

Although I know by now that often the yarn in the ball doesn't deliver on its promises, I had hoped this one would be a little different. Apparently, it is radically different. Once it was obvious that the spots were pooling into wavy lines, I was glad I had bought the dark brown tweed to break it up a bit.  I reasoned that the Regia Tweed, being a 6-ply, would make a thicker, more durable heel.  I ignored the pooling in the first sock, wasn't surprised that it changed after the gusset, but can't explain why it suddenly stopped in the leg of the second sock (the one in front).  I didn't change the stitch count or needle size.  Maybe all my wishing it away worked? 

Regardless of the off-on pooling, the yarn is quite soft and made very comfortable socks.  Thank goodness, since there is enough of the Ty-Dy Socks Dots left to make another pair. 

Another lingering project was a pair of Hot Waves socks from the Joy of Sox.  This is a nice pattern, apart from the afterthought heel (which leaves holes at the corners) and the misshapen toe.

I wouldn't hesitate to knit the pattern again, even though toe-up is not my favorite sock method. It would be worth it just for the fun stripes and the bit of fair-isle, not so much it slows one down, just enough to keep it interesting. It would be simple enough to begin the toe with something other than that rectangle. The after-thought heel would have to be repeated--it makes such a nice striped pattern. I managed this pair out of stash yarn, a hand-dyed main color supplemented with some solid Kroy and a nameless white I picked up for contrast.

Finally, I finished an Icarus using Elsa woolen-spun natural fingering weight Cormo.  Gosh, this is lovely yarn and a beautifully simple design.  I have been wearing so obsessively that I hated to take it off to photograph it.

I should have modeled it, but I was too lazy to bother to set up the tripod and the remote. Besides, the afternoon light was fading rapidly. It is best to spread it out, anyway, to show how huge it is.

At 36" deep and over 80" wide, this must be the largest shawl I've ever knit. In spite of its size, it is easy to wear, due to the lightness of the woolen-spun laceweight.

I'm glad to end this year on a positive knitting note. There's been much to distract me from knitting that I'm looking forward to next year.  In case I don't get to post my knitting resolutions, I hope everyone enjoys a Happy New Year!

More project info on my Ravelry page.

Knitting rugs

Although I have owned a book containing patterns for hand-knitted rugs for several years, I've never knitted one until now.  This admission isn't surprising.  What is surprising is that I'd consider knitting a rug, much less knit one in about a week.  I wouldn't have considered it, but it wasn't my idea.  Even K commented that a hand-knitted rug didn't seem very practical, too stretchy, to likely to slip around, not very durable.

However, when I was asked to crochet a rug for the baby's room, my initial thought was of the book of rug patterns.  I prefer knitting to crochet now and find it easier on my hands.  After leafing through the book, I realized that I had rug materials already--churro wool, the staple of Navajo rugs--lots of it in several natural-dyed colors.  I'd bought this yarn in Taos years ago, when all I knew was crochet.  I wanted this unusal wool that came from the sheep I'd seen on the Indian reservation.  Making my best guess in selecting a pattern, I crocheted a bunch of squares, planning an afghan.  As I learned more about different types of wool,  I realized that churro wool was too rough for an afghan.  I'd abandoned the project and kept the squares for a pillow cover.  A quick count assured me that I had enough squares for both the pillow cover and the border of a rug.  All that remained was to knit the center with the extra yarn.

A little fussy joining of squares, a quick knit of the center--garter stitch on large needles--and poof! there was a hand-knitted rug.  I picked up stitches on the sides of the squares and joined the edges with a 3-needle bind off.  The center was knitted following the pattern for the Bright Stripes Throw in the book, Closely Knit.  The squares are from a pillow pattern in an old granny square magazine I've had for decades.  Sorry I can't give a better reference, but I'm sure it is no longer readily available.  After it was all joined, I added a small border to even the edges, steamed it flat and it was done.

By coincidence, the colors are similar to the ones I used for the baby blanket.  It's nice that they are plant-based, giving a quasi-organic blessing to the rug.  I hope it will be well-received when I bring it to them next week.  I've walked on it and find it the perfect combination, both soft and sturdy feeling.

All that leads me to view hand-knit rugs more favorably now.  They knit up quite quickly and are comfortable underfoot.  Not that I'll be knitting another anytime soon.

There's that pillow cover I need to finish.

Knitting Lull

Yesterday, as I inspected a small knitting project I had just washed and folded, I had a quick impression that it was the first project I had finished since my recent sweater.  As usual with me, my first take was not the true one.  There hasn't been as much of a lull in my knitting as there has been in my photographing and posting.  What follows is the start of a little catch-up, in reverse order, until I get tired or the dryer load finishes.

This towel and dishcloth set is wrapped and ready to be mailed. I found knitting with Hobby Lobby's I Love This Cotton more rewarding than plain dishcloth cotton ever since I first used it for the baby blanket. The leftovers from that big project have produced several cloths and towels. This set is to be posted as a gift to our hostess for our recent trip to the northeast US. It was a pleasant time to visit the Mid-Atlantic and New England states. The leaves were turning,

the sailboats were crossing Chesapeake Bay, and

the walk to the lighthouse was fine.

The long drives gave me a chance to finish the second of my pair of Tsunami socks.

Sadly, I have to stop this positive report to confess that I didn't the blue-faced leicester wool. I'd heard so much about it that I was willing to pay a premium price for this hand-dyed silk and bfl blend sock yarn. I knew it might be a bit harsh to knit, but understood that the resulting socks would be worth the difficulty. So far, I'm not impressed. This pair feels quite rough compared to my usual merino socks, with none of the silkiness I'd expected. Perhaps they will wear better? If so, I'll correct this criticism later. I liked the Tsunami pattern, though.

The trip also gave me the chance to secure a second ball of yarn for the baby kimono I'd started before we left. Here is is, modeled by the recipient of those baby blankets--

Her gratitude for being swaddled in hand knit items is not reflected in her modeling cooperation. Maybe the little hat made her nervous? It could have reminded her of the ones they put on her in the hospital.  It will need to be ripped out and reknit larger when I see her next.  I'm afraid the real truth is that she doesn't like turquoise as much as her mother does. Never mind, I made her a green sweater for when she is a bit bigger.

This one is from the first One Skein book and uses the recommended yarn, Blue Sky Organic Cotton. It was so cute, I made her a red one as well. Maybe I can get a modeled shot of it soon, since I didn't get a very good photo of it before I gave it to her. After reviewing this, I can only conclude that this series of little knits made me think I hadn't been knitting. They must be like party eating, a little here, a little there, you never knew you ate, but the scale says you did!

I've got one bigger project to show, but since the dryer is buzzing (actually, K is calling me), I'll save it for later.