anatinae (noun). a dabbling bird. a grey teal.

While touring around the Gibsons’ Fibre Festival a couple of weeks ago, I found 1218 meters of Bluefaced Leicester, hand-dyed by Knitopia’s owner, Lynne. With subtle greys, teal and black through-out the yarn, I knew it was destined to come home with me. It’s a heavy sport weight, almost DK but not quite. I have managed to wind 2 balls off the 454 gram hank. Each has been about 150 grams thus far.

I was going to stick to my same-old same-old and knit a cardigan – long, flowing … something like the Audrey Coat. But then I had a stroke of genius: I have always wanted a wool dress. Yup. Always. So the swatching, sketching and designing started …

A couple of my friends always tease me because swatching is my most favourite part of a project. There’s anticipation, excitement to be working with a new yarn, and the needles clicking away patiently as you muddle through figuring out what is going to work. And yes, I am a total nerd, I label my swatches – but you know, before you laugh, I now have a drawer full of various yarns and gauges and I can now pull out alpaca, cotton, acrylic, wool, blends, etc. and show you how the yarn will act at different gauges. It’s really quite helpful! and a good learning tool.

So with the designing going along as I knit, I cast on, said a prayer and started to knit!

I have tacked on buttons to get an idea of what they might look like and I think they are great with this since they pick up the teal. I will put them on properly soon.

The dress starts with a 4.5 inch band that sits immediately below the bust. The bust stitches were then picked up off one of the long sides of the band, then increases were done over the first 3 right side rows which leaves a slightly gathered look in front. I then picked up the garter bands and knit the button holes. I left the stitches live along what would have been the cast off edge and did an i-cord bind off all the way around, along the front bust and back down the other side.

I am now working on the short row sleeves and the skirt, which increases from 28 inches at the top, where the stitches are picked up on the opposite side of the band, to 70 inches for a full, flirty skirt that will swish (yup, swish!) around my knees. I am so excited about this knit. To ensure I was heading in the right direction, I placed everything on scrap yarn and tried it on – it fits! Whoot!

Here’s to continuing to push push push my comfort zone – I hope you are too :)

alpakka love.

I can’t believe it’s finished: Manu by Kate Davies is finished. I started this in March 2010 and have been working on it steadily since over the spring and summer. I even started bargaining with myself to knit an inch on the body after I worked a 50g ball on Kerrera. That meant I had 9 inches knit on the body by the time I finished – which also meant I was finished the body (I had previously knit 10inches)!

The yarn. Oh, the yarn. 11 balls of 50g Sandes Garn Alpakka in colour 6765 (teal). I have to admit, Sandes Garn is one of my favourite yarn companies – there is variety in the types of yarn; they produce tons of sport, DK and fingering weights (in lots of gorgeous colours); and they are real workhorse yarns. The yardage is generally very good so it results in affordable yarn because you don’t have to buy tons. I highly recommend this alpakka yarn – it washes well, it’s soft, and the colour. Wow. I was able to obtain gauge with 3mm. And the i-cord was knit on 4mm.

  

The sweater. Wow again.

The details are what make the sweater so pleasing - 

The i-cord around every edge which gives it such a professional finish.

The i-cord bound-off button band.

The garter edges finishing off the edges prior to the i-cord.

The buttons. Yes, I took the pearls off – these worked so much better.

The pleats. Oh, they are so perfect. I changed direction halfway through as others have done.

The pockets. Instead of the K1, M1 across to double the stitches, I knit K1, M1, * K2, M1, rpt from *, K1.

The short rows: Pure. Genius.

I used this link to learn about Japanese Short Rows:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd-H081fq4w

Lastly, while I am pleased that this project is finished, I am sad since it was the most challenging project thus far and very enjoyable. I am looking forward to choosing some more projects that push my comfort zone. I hope you are pushing your comfort zone too :)

seamless pockets.

Finishing the pockets on Manu left me thinking that possibly seamless pockets weren’t something that people commonly do. I was taught by my Aunt Yvonne prior to her dying a couple of years ago (the blog is named after her home in England). She was working on a baby jacket and I just filed the knowledge away until I needed it – and funnily enough, I have knit 2 things in a row with pockets (Kerrera was the other recent pocketed-knit)!

Here are Yvonne’s Seamless Pockets:

These instructions start at the first row of the pocket but I took the photos halfway up so that you could really see what I was doing – you continue to pick up the left edge of the stitch in the corresponding row (every 2nd row, as you would have picked up the odd row on the other side) as you continue up the pocket. These also work by not slipping the first stitch of every row but I like the finished look.

1. Purl across, when you reach the last stitch in the row, slip the stitch purlwise (photo A). With right needle, pick up left edge of stitch that will be directly below the pocket if you were seaming (Photo B). Work these two stitches together in a P2tog (Photo C). Turn work and slip first stitch (this is the stitch you just worked as a P2tog), continue knitting across row.

Photo A.

Photo B.

Photo C.

2. Knit across after slipping first stitch purlwise. When you reach the last stitch, knit into the stitch as if to knit but don’t (Photo A). Reach right hand needle into left edge of stitch that will be directly below the pocket if you were seaming (Photo B). Work these two stitches together in a K2tog (Photo C). Turn work and slip first stitch (this is the stitch you just worked as a K2tog), continue purlinging across row.

Photo A.

Photo B.

Photo C.

I hope these are helpful – I love finishing something and the seaming is already done. Good luck and just ask if you have questions :) I use row markers (and continually move them up) so that I know exactly which row I need to be picking up on. I find this keeps the edge straight (no wobbles!) – especially with puckered pockets like Manu.

So, as Manu is drying on the dining room table and waiting for a model shoot, I will show you how the pearls turned out:

Charlie and I were exhausted when I finally finished – so we cuddled up for a sleep:

Hope you are cuddling with your loved ones too :)

pearls for Manu. and other inspirations.

Manu was un-zipped this morning. Although I kept a cool exterior while I was doing it, I was internally freaking out the whole way. I always worry when I am un-zipping a provisional cast-on that things are not going to go as planned. Of course, I worried for nothing and she is now being applied i-corded. Yippee!

I am hoping that I can get her pearls on this afternoon but the i-cord takes a while so we’ll see. Yes, she is getting pearls for buttons – she deserves it. I have been working on Kate Davies’ Manu since March 2010 – a very enjoyable but enduring knit. It was definitely a marathon (and she’s not even done yet) but that’s why I decided she needed pearls. They are a symbol of time, care and love, and a product of enduring creation. And they are lovely. Just lovely.

Also, thank you for all your feedback about Twin Leaves. I really appreciate it! I realized yesterday at Gibsons’ Fibre Festival that I have so many projects I would like to cast on for (3 sweaters and 1 half finished to be exact) that I am going to continue on with my other crafting and continue to mull over my ideas. Speaking of the Fibre Festival (which was awesome and I got to spend a whole day with my great friend, Plae), these absolutely beautiful BC-inspired Norwegian mittens were a part of the Juried Exhibit. The workmanship of these hand-dyed, hand-knitted garments is exquisite. Have a look:

The label (I know it’s small):

Hansa Mittens

Louise Todhunter

Garden Bay, BC

Acid kettle-dyed, blue is long colour repeat,

both yarns are merino wool

Dyeing and knitting

“Blending coastal colours with old world patterns.”

    

These mittens are why I love fibre festivals so much: They are utterly inspiring. I want to go dye and weave and spin and knit until I can’t anymore!

twin leaves cardigan.

I showed you this cardigan as it was drying a couple of months ago. I haven’t done a photo shoot yet because I just didn’t know about it and I wasn’t sure what to say.

This is my own design – the inspiration came from a woman walking past me on 4th Avenue wearing something similar but there were some differences, which has had me thinking about some possible changes (which I am quite excited about).

This is my Twin Leaves Cardigan. Knit on 4.5mm circulars out of Louet Gems Sport Weight 100% merino (colour #43 Pewter), this cardigan is meant to be light and airy, cropped and summery. I know the colour isn’t particularly “summery” but if you look back at the post from prior (linked above), you’ll understand why.

There are some things I love about this cardigan and there are some things I would like to change, which is why I am going to hold off on further sizing and design until I figure some of that out - although I have a few of you in mind for test-knitting. Eventually.

Things I love:

1. The mirrored Twin Lace pattern:

This mirrored pattern with the leaves pointing upwards on the outsides necessitates the cardigan to be knit from the bottom up, which I love because I think bottom-up cardigans fit beautifully.

2. Twisted rib button bands:

This actually finished the lace off perfectly, so despite my original scepticism, this will not change in the final design.

3. The look:

I quite like the look of the little cropped cardi – it’s cute and a little retro.

The things I would like to change about this cardigan, things I am working on, are few but significant:

1. It doesn’t button together well.

This is due to a design flaw – I shouldn’t have made it so skimpy in the waist. This took out too much fabric, and while cute when open, not so good when the wearer wants to close said cardigan! This cardigan almost doesn’t need a lot of waist shaping (being cropped) and I am tempted to take it out completely. For now, it will remain open.

2. The obvious yoke shaping.

This is partly the yarn, partly the knitter. I used K2tog for the yoke shaping 3 times through the yoke. Although it’s not super obvious in the front (below), it’s a little too obvious in the back (above). Would you mind having a look at both photos and let me know what you think – I would appreciate it! I like things to look seamless – I am a perfectionist in that way. So I am working on some different things (changing gauge for one) and we will see.

I may actually be being too picky at this point but it’s something for me to think about. Also, I think it’s the yarn, too. If this was alpaca, you wouldn’t see the yoke decreases – although you wouldn’t see the lace either, so there you go!

All-in-all I think when you are designing something it’s expected that things will need changing, fixing and re-arranging, so I am actually quite happy with this. The yarn slides on the needles beautifully – I’ve never worked in Louet before, let alone Gems. Sport and DK are my favourite weights to work in, so this was a pleasure. I will keep you posted!

Anything special happening in your knitting bag?

traveling again.

This is a gift for a family friend who my parents are going to visit later this month. I had promised Mom that it would be finished before they left so that she could gift it to Nancy before they came home (mailing it after having been there would have been a little tacky!). And … it’s finished!

 

I don’t want to give it away. Is that wrong? I held the Knit Picks Gloss Lace double on 4.5mm needles and love the results. It’s a lot like Ishbel so I need to remember that when I am giving it to Mom on Sunday … but still. Who would have thought that a grey shawlette was exactly what I wanted?

The mind amazes me sometimes! I made a Traveling Woman (by Liz Abinante) back in the Spring for Mom but this one is a little different: As you can see, I did the same thing as Ishbel, the middle increases (also known as yarn-overs) are M1L and M1R. I just love this type of increase. While it’s not completely invisible, the middle stitch just looks so … perfect sitting there in the centre. Looking all centre-stitch-like. Love.

Mom chose “Sterling” as the colourway because she knows that the recipient wears a lot of black. Also, unbenounced to me, grey goes with everything and you automatically love it and want one when you put it on! Again … I am just flabbergasted. Anything leave you flabbergasted at the moment?

And yes, the yarn actually looks like different colours in different light. It’s just gorgeous.

hooded. and adorable.

Finishing Kerrera (by Gudrun Johnston) was a bit of a marathon but well worth it! I heart this sweater although I was sweating through the photo shoot because it is so warm.

I started this on 5.5mm circs in size 36.5” bust but frogged and started over on 5.00mm circs in size 34.5” bust. I realized after washing and drying my swatch that the fabric would stretch quite a bit if I continued on the 5.5mm. I have to admit, it did stretch quite a bit as it is but in some ways, it’s appropriate since it’s more of a coat than a sweater.

In the end, my row gauge was still larger than the pattern, which led to significant changes in the yoke and armhole shaping. I had to re-calculate the armholes based on the pattern – which worked well because if I hadn’t changed anything, the sweater would have been enormous.

My row gauge was 4.5 rows per inch – the pattern is 6 rows per inch (just to give you an idea). That row and a half starts to really add up as you work the pattern which I learned making Audrey in Unst. The end result was 49 picked up stitches for each sleeve, so I didn’t do any decreases.

I also ran out of yarn for the long sleeves! The yarn I used is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Snickerdoodle. I love the colour – natural but not boring and no need to dye it. Since Knit Picks doesn’t seem to carry this particular colour anymore, I settled for the shorter sleeves but I actually like the shorter sleeves, especially since it doesn’t get that cold here in the winter and often we don’t need the heaviest sweaters – I think it worked out well.

The hood is slightly oversized since I didn’t make any changes based on the different gauge. I often wear toques in the winter and wanted to be able to fit the hood over top – I think it worked out well :)

Lastly, I added a fourth toggle button while I was weaving in the ends – I think it closes a little more nicely for me. I found them at Dressew in downtown Vancouver (I was also quite naughty and picked up some yarn but more about that later) and at 25 cents each, I am not complaining!

Overall, I am really happy with this sweater – it turned out very well. I am not completely happy with how the pockets sewed up – I really need to practice seaming. For my first pockets, though, I am pretty okay with them (washing and blocking helps a lot).

I am currently working on Manu – I am hoping to have it finished sometime this month. I have been working on it since March … I think it’s time it got some quality time and was finished! I hope you are finishing up projects that you are equally happy with!

-r.