Pictures and Projects

Good Afternoon!

Hot and humid, yeah I know, everyone is feeling it except maybe Siberia.

Late start today, so much to share. First I would like to add some pictures.

 This is the French Beret that I completed after taking Mariepaule's class.  She is an incredible fiber artist. Spinning, dying, picking and cleaning fleeces, designer, and knitter just to name a few of her talents.  She resides in the Mid Hudson Valley and you can read more about her and her fiber artist husband, Arturo, at her Etsy shop,
http://www.etsy.com/shop/cheltenhamcottage.

This is the Pashmina Scribble Lace Cowl that  I finished knitting and then blocked yesterday.  I thought it was soft while knitting it, but after washing and blocking, I couldn't believe how much sofer it became.

This is a little trio of Mother Earth Washcloths.  They are knit from 100% cotton and the colors represent the sun (yellow), the lush greenery (green) and also water, because they have to be wet to use them.  They are amazing to use.  My favorite is with handmade soap. 

So, now for the reason I am so late in getting this out to you.  I have spent the last couple of days setting up the loom.  I weave with a Riggid Heddle from Ashford.  The loom itself I have used before, but I purchased a loom stand awile back and just finished building it up yesterday.  My sweetheart, Emerson, is going to retrofit it with a box on the back to hold my  heddles and shuttles. 

Well, when I got home from work this morning, it just started singing to me.  So I pulled out the fiber, filled out the worksheet, used to determine how much warp (lengthwise) and weft (crosswise) I would need to begin weaving.  Once I had the loom warped, I just couldn't just walk away, I had to sit down and I wove til noon.

I also have some silk fiber that I want to use, but first I have to spin it.  Too much fiber and not enough hours in the day.  Do you ever feel like that?

I will appologize for tooting a horn here, but my daughter Ashley, made the Dean's list at Ulster County Community College.  She is taking an accelerated Calculus course.  What a brainiac!
Congratulations Ashley!  Love You!

Have a great weekend everyone.  Stay cool, hydrated and bring on the fiber.

Scribble Lace Pashmina Cowl

Good Morning!

Hot and humid day today as across most of the USA. 

I just finished a Pashmina Cashmere Cowl.  It was knit in a free form lace style that I found in the Interweave Knits Magazine, Summer, 2011.  The sweater is titled, Coral Cardigan by Nancy Eiseman (page 26).  I love this sweater, but was a bit unsure of the lace.  I read the pattern just to study the lace construction before attempting the sweater. 

What captured my attention was the free form type of stitch, you can make it your very own and use the pattern for the shaping and the rest of the schematic numbers.  However, I would, as a knitting teacher, advise to swatch carefully to aquire your gauge. (My students really don't like to hear me harp on gauge, but....I do anyway).

The "lace" is formed by stringing together increases, decreases, and  plain knit stitches every other row/round.  For my cowl, I used some graph paper and charted out the stitches.  Once complete, I added a total of 14 rounds.  I wanted to use a repeat instead of charting out the entire round for the cowl.  It worked perfectly when I swatched.  I really wasn't worried about gauge at this point, but needle size.  What needle size would really make this work? 

I did tweek the chart some just to make the "lace" meander just a little bit more, but all in all, most of it remained as I originally charted.  So, I cast on and began.  I did an edging the first few rounds, expecting some type of curl to happen.  Then I began the "lace".  Every other round was plain knit for the 14 round total.

I knit until I reached eight inches in width and then bound off, using a very stretchy bind off so that it would be slightly wider than the cast on.  The wider side would now lay more smoothly at the shoulder line. 

I am going to get my Cowl from the sink, it's soaking right now, and lay it out to dry.  I can't wait to see it pinned out and dry.  If anyone is interested, will be posting it on Etsy.  Drop a comment in the box below or email me at dee@youandmeknit.com.  The first 10 people to respond will get the pattern FREE as soon as it is printed. 

Have a great day and stay cool.  Turn up the A/C and knit away!

Knitting Books and Magazines

Good Morning!

Another beautiful day in New York, sunny and in the 80's.

When I get a new knitting book or magazine, I can't help but to sit down with a cup of coffee and post it notes and a note book.  I don't know about you, but the first thing I do is to go page by page salivating over the wonderful new designs.  I stick post it notes on the the favorites and jot down some notes in my note book.  I used to think that I would remember things, but have come to discover it just doesn't happen that way.  So, I have a notebook and pen or pencil nearby to write some ideas in, prioritize knitting projects or just to remember a design feature that I might use in my own knitting projects.  Of course, these are lettered or  numbered to correspond with the post it notes.  It is only then that I go back and read all the articles, marking some of them as well.

Looking back at past magazines, these notes and noted places in my magazines might be called my dream board for lack of something better.  I am always thinking about the next piece that I want to knit and what fiber might not only be suitable but one that will be simply delicious to wear, but usually what comes off the needles goes to someone else. 

I am always on the lookout for some unusual stitch, pattern, or color combination.  There are always designs that just scream knit me.  How can you refuse, or ignore such a demand?  I know that I can't, not for very long anyway.  Even though my days become filled, that noted page still beckons with that voice.  You know the one.  Knit me, Knit me, Knit me. 

It doesn't take much more persuasion to find oneself in the LYS hunting for just the right fiber in just the right color so you might begin on that gauge swatch, and then the real knitting.  The voice that was so relentless before now is still and content. 

Now the question.   How many of those little voices fill you're mind at one time?  And, when there are multiples of Knit me, which one do you choose to knit first.  Like many knitters, I have multiple projects in progress at all times.  But what if you find yourself to be one of the knitters that only work on one at a time. I am envious in a way, wondering how this is done, because there are the projects that are just right for traveling, shopping, sitting at home, ball games, etc.  Don't forget the movies, concerts and school board meetings.  All things knit have a particular niche where they like to be worked on.

So, mark the pages, take the notes, and line up those projects.  Have a great day and Happy Knitting!

Thrumming?

Good Morning!


It's a chilly day, cloudy with a few patches of sun.  Quite a change from last week's near 100 degrees.

This Saturday, I will be teaching a basic mitten class at yarnandteashop.com.  This class will be geared toward beginning knitters with little experience with double point needles.  Students will learn how to size mittens and then the cast on and join. 

Joining circular knitting can be problematic for some, but my feeling is that it is more scary than anything else.  So, my strategy for teaching is to wait until there are a couple of rows ribbed before joining.  That way the join becomes more visible and twisting less likely to happen.  Just remember to leave a slightly longer cast on tail to weave those couple of rows not knit in the round.

The rest of the mitten is a pretty simple undertaking.  First is the thumb gusset and then on to the mitten top decreases.  Lastly comes finishing the thumb, closing the cast on beginning and then weaving in the ends.

The second class, the following week, we will knit mittens again but this time adding thrumms.  Thrumms you say? Yes, thrumms. A thrumm is a piece of unspun roving folded and inserted in the knitting along with the stitch.  This creates a thick, fluffy, warm lining to your mitten that over time will "full" the more you wear it. That means that it will begin to felt.

This technique can be used not only for mittens, but also for hats, slippers, socks, and anything else you would like some extra warmth added to.

I will be posting some pictures from class on YouTube as well as the preparation process of the thrums.  In the mean time, I wish you all a wonderful day.

If you would like to take a class on basic mittens or thrummed mittens and you are too far away to attend one of my classes, I can Skyp or FaceTime a class with you.  Email me at dee@youandmeknit.com to set up an appointment.  Fee schedule is on my website, youandmeknit.com.

Happy knitting and happy thrumming.

Kitchener Stitch Revisited

Good Morning!

Cloudy and rainy here in NY again...with Hurricane Deb pounding up the coast.  I hope she calms down a bit by the time she reaches New York.  We will just have to wait and see.

I had a great class on Saturday.  It is a drop in class that Mary, the shop owner of yarnandteashop.com, calls my Drop-In Knit Fix class.  Two students came who needed help with Kitchener Stitch for their socks.  Both had attempted to work Kitchener on their own and became lost, with the toes of their socks looking rather sad. 

With a darning needle, I picked apart all the stitches that had been worked.  This was a somewhat lengthy process as the yarn tails had been worked in already.  Once the yarn was unraveled and the stitches released, I placed them on double point needles.  My student and I spent some time making sure the stitches were straight and not twisted and then carefully checked  to see that there were no dropped stitches.

Using a new piece of wool, the yarn tail there was pretty worn, we began to stitch.  There is a mantra that I teach my students that makes it really easy to execute the Kitchener Stitch:

Front Needle: Slip the first stitch as if to knit, take it off (the needle)
                       Slip the second stitch as if to purl, and leave it on (the needle)

Back Needle: Slip the first stitch as if to purl, take it off (the needle)
                       Slip the second stitch as if to knit and leave it on (the needle)

I worked the first sock and my student the other and she was amazed that with just a quick instruction on how to move back and forth between the front and back needles, she was able to complete the second sock. 

Kitchener Stitch has so many uses besides weaving sock toes.  There are sweater/vest shoulders, hats, sock feet to legs (as in my daughter's knee socks.) just to name a couple.  In the case of my daughter's
knee socks she wanted to knit, she had a deadline for them to be finished.  However, she had never knit socks before.  So I designed the top of her socks, ankle up, and I knit the feet.  When all the knitting was finished, I Kitchenered the feet to the legs...no one would ever be able to tell, after all, the join was at her ankles.

If you area still having some difficulty, please go to my website, youandmeknit.com, and click on the YouTube button.  It will take you directly to my videos (one so far) the first one being on Kitchener Stitch.  Leave a comment below or click on the ball of yarn on my Home Page and send me an email and let me know how the instructions worked for you.

Have a great day and Happy Knitting!

Patrick Sandusky's Reply to Knitters and the Ravelry Community

Good Morning!

The last day of classes for three of my grandchildren was yesterday and they all moved up to Middle School!  It brings them excitement and apprehension of the unknown, but by the time school starts in September, and they are in class for a week, it will be like they were always there.  Kids have such a great ability to adapt.

I wanted to use my space to repost a reply by Patrick Sandusky.

Jun 21, 2012, 12:07 PM ET

Statement Update:

"As a follow-up to our previous statement on this subject, we would again like to apologize to the members of the Ravelry community. While we stand by our obligation to protect the marks and terms associated with the Olympic and Paralympic Movements in the United States, we sincerely regret the use of insensitive terms in relation to the actions of a group that was clearly not intending to denigrate or disrespect the Olympic Movement. We hope you’ll accept this apology and continue to support the Olympic Games."

Statement from USOC Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer Patrick Sandusky:

“Thanks to all of you who have posted, tweeted, emailed and called regarding the letter sent to the organizers of the Ravelympics.
Like you, we are extremely passionate about what we do. And, as you may know, the United States Olympic Committee is a non-profit entity, and our Olympic team receives no government funding. We are totally dependent on our sponsors, who pay for the right to associate with the Olympic Movement, as well as our generous donors to bring Team USA to the Games.
The letter sent to the organizers of the Ravelympics was a standard-form cease and desist letter that explained why we need to protect our trademarks in legal terms. Rest assured, as an organization that has many passionate knitters, we never intended to make this a personal attack on the knitting community or to suggest that knitters are not supportive of Team USA.
We apologize for any insult and appreciate your support. We embrace hand-crafted American goods as we currently have the Annin Flagmakers of New Jersey stitching a custom-made American flag to accompany our team to the Olympic Games in London. To show our support of the Ravelry community, we would welcome any handmade items that you would like to create to travel with, and motivate, our team at the 2012 Games.”

This letter proves that we do have a voice.  We can change things.  All we have to do is gather together toward a common goal.  Maby we should start brainstorming about other injustices that need attention.

Wishing you all a great weekend and Happy Knitting.

Calling All New Sock Knitters

Good Morning!

Hot and steamy again, with heat advisory precautions on the news.  Here is a perfect way to stay hydrated:  knit a row/round, take a drink of water.  Knit a row/round, take a drink of water.  The hydration question is now covered.

Kidding aside, thought I would talk about socks.  If you have never worn hand knit socks, please give it a try.  The heels and toes are not as scary as you would think.  If you break those areas down round by round, and only focus on that round, it just isn't over whelming

I started knitting my own socks when my toes became sensitive to those machine stitched seams that would cause blisters.  For awhile, I wore the socks inside out with the seam away from my skin.  That did work, but when I took a sock class I haven't worn ready made socks since. 

My favorites in the warm weather are sport socks, you know, the ones that the cuff comes just below the ankle and then a short row heel.  I have made so many, that when I need new ones, I just cast on and go.  My needle preference is for a 12" long circular needle, available from Addi Turbo.  I have used all the methods, and like this one the best.  Try all of them, double points, two socks at a time, two circular needles or one long, long circular needle.

The other thing that has to be decided is cuff down or toe up.  Each has its particular advantages.  Try them both.  Then there is the heel choices:  heel flap, short rows, after thought and more.  Decisions, decisions.  But with all the choices, you are able to make a perfectly customized sock just for you.  Oh, don't forget the tops or cuffs if you want a longer cuff.  They come in plain ribs, twisted ribs, cables, lace, knee high, mid calf, ankle...you name it! 

When teaching a sock class, I like top or cuff down.  The students make both cuffs and then we go into the heel shaping on both socks.  That way there is more concentrated practice than doing one complete sock at a time.  Then they knit merrily on down to the toe shaping on both socks before working the decreases.  Again, this is so they are done together, increasing proficiency.  Lastly, there is the Kitchener Stitch closing of the toe.  No seams here to cause blisters or discomfort. 

What a great project for the warm weather months.  There is no hot pile of knitting on your lap, and the yarn is usually a fingering weight, so it is easy to manage.  Check out a sock class at your LYS today or if you are accomplished "book learner"  there are so many great books out there to choose from.

Here's a secret that I will share with you.  Most all socks are based on the cast on number of stitches.  The heel is worked over one half of the total cast on, so place your marker and keep it on the needle with its placement at either the toe or heel which ever way you choose to start.  I like to designate this placement as the bottom of the foot.  If it remains a constant in that place, you will always know your parts of the whole; heel, foot, and toe.

Grab your needles, yarn and get started today!  Happy Knitting!

Leave a comment if you need some assistance, I would love to help you get started.

Steamy Weather Perfect for Knitting

Good Morning!  Happy Summer Solstice!

We are currently under a heat advisory in the Northeast and for most of the East Coast.  So the hatches have been battened down, the AC is running and kids are playing inside.  This heat will seem to go on and on since this is the longest day of the year.  The boys will have a short splash in the pool before nap time, an Ahhhh moment I'm sure.

For many knitters, the summer brings many outdoor activities, gardening, boating, hiking, etc.  Some outdoor activities are not really conducive for knitting due to the heat and humidity.  But, on a day such as today and tomorrow, also to be a scorcher, there is AC.  We will all be inside to beat the heat.  Knitting now becomes the perfect indoor activity.

This is especially true if you are knitting small projects like socks, baby things, and light weight shawls. Take your knitting to the movies, those inches of plain knitting is a perfect opportunity to get caught up and it really isn't much different from being home watching TV. 

I always seem to have something to knit wherever I go.  Even the grocery store is a perfect venue especially when that line seems to drag on endlessly.  Those few items in the carts in front of yours suddenly take on a whole new perspective when the line stalls and you are there "forever".  When you have your knitting to distract the ticking clock, noisy kids, and the loud speaker you can leave the food store calmer and more stress free.

When my kids were young, I would take them to the pool at the campsite and my Mom and I would sit with our cocktails, she crocheting and I would be knitting.  What a great afternoon we would have.  The kids were happy until adult swim time, and then they got to sit out while Mom and I would spend our "adult time" cooling off.  We always packed snacks for them to have while they sat out and  it was more bearable for them.

I will sometimes knit or use my drop spindle when I go for a walk.  When I'm at the park along the river, even though it is hot, there is usually a great breeze coming from the water to you cool off. 

On a rainy Saturday...check out your LYS for a great summer class to take.  Now is a great time to get started on those Holiday gifts.  You can start a sweater now and and finish up the bulk of the knitting when the weather breaks and it gets cooler. 

I have a few minutes to knit before Mason wakes from his nap.  Stay cool and Happy Knitting!

UFO Solutions

Good Morning!

How many UFO's do you have in the closet, under the bed, or maybe in the attic?  Come on, be honest now.  Most knitters have them lurking somewhere and I am not immune to this phenomenon either.

There are many reasons for UFOs.  Loss of interest is a big one right up there with ran out of yarn.  Maybe the project turned into something more complicated than you expected.  Having worked in a yarn shop for a number of years, another reason is the finishing that needed to be done.  The knitter either hated finishing, in which case I introduced them to circular knitting, or they just didn't do it well. 

How about going real green here and unearth that project and take it apart, then re-dress the yarn.  What I mean about re-dress is, after pulling the knitting apart, wind the yarn into a hank.  It will be very curly from being locked in a stitch pattern for so long, but that can be fixed.  Once the yarn is hanked, tie the hank in several places, similar to a new purchased hank, but I like to err on the side of caution and add a few more. 

Once everything is hanked and tied, now it is time to wash.  Treat the yarn as wool, and that way you won't have to worry what the fiber content is just in case you don't have the label any more.  Immerse the yarn in a solution of warm water and wool wash (not Woolite) or any mild soap, my personal favorite is the original blue Dawn because it is ph neutral. 

Let the yarn soak for about half an hour and squeeze the water through the fiber a couple of times.  By allowing for the soak time, the fiber will be well saturated and it will relax.  Then rinse fiber in a similar water temperature as you washed it, warm.  Do not use extremes as fiber could felt depending on the type of wool you are working with. 

Once rinsed, gently squeeze excess water from the fiber and press between towels.  I like to hang the hanks on panty hose (doesn't cause a crease) and suspend them over a tub, outside or somewhere the water drips won't harm your flooring.  Let it thoroughly dry.  No more curly cues.  Your yarn is now ready to wind into a ball, ready for a new project. 

Now the problem becomes, how much yarn to I have?  What can I do with it?  Well, if you did by chance save the label, you can weigh it and get an idea how much you have.  If your hanks were nice and even, you can measure and get a rough idea how many yards you might have.  Or, take a swatch to your LYS and coordinate it with another color (contrasting collar, cuffs, bottom ribbing, button bands, etc)  and get creative.

If you really want to finish that UFO, and need some assistance, take it to your LYS.  They will probably be able to point you in the right direction by suggesting someone to help.  If you do not live near a shop, and do not know someone, please feel free to contact me.  Many knitters have been referred to me for help.  Please don't take  my word for it, I can supply references if you ask.  I have many very satisfied repeat customers.  EMail: dee@youandmeknit.com.

Happy Knitting! 

Learn, Knit, Read, Learn

Good Morning and Happy Monday

A little cloudy today and maybe some rain.  JT is having his snack of cheese crackers and water. He likes to self serve the water from the bubbler.  He's getting so big!

I would like to share today the importance of classes and reading.  As you know, I am a long time knitter and teach classes, both drop in and project.  When class schedules come up either in my LYS (yarnandteashop.com) or on line or maybe even at another location, I seem to have conflicts.  Working, family, etc., etc,.  All are legitimate reasons NOT to take a class.   BUT, look at what we are missing out on:

• Making new friends.
• Learning a new technique
• Experiencing a new fiber that you might not have been familiar with.

Even as an instructor, I was amazed, at my recent attendance in class, new or different ways of doing the same things I have done for years.  I signed up for a French Beret class at yarnandteashop.com, taught by a local designer, spinner and dyer, Mariepaule Rossier. (www.etsy.com/shop/cheltenhamcottage). Instructor, Mariepaule, will also be teaching at the NY State Sheep and Wool Festival in October on the 20th and 21st, sheepandwool.com. She will also be participating in a local Sheep to Shawl Competition, I will update with location and time.  Her contribution is the spinning of the warp, which is the length wise fiber on the loom.  There are several teams that participate.  A weaver, spinners, carders, all working together to complete the finished shawl project which is also designed, by someone from the team, for this competition.  If you have never seen one, and are at a fair or festival, please stop by the wool room for times.  It's quite an experience!

As you can see, the conversation is not limited to just the project at hand, but also the wealth of information to file away for later use.  I have also signed up for a couple of classes and a knit along at www.craftsy.com.  There is a treasure trove of information out there, it's just a matter of inserting your questions in your favorite browser, asking at your LYS or share your question on your favorite social media site.  Someone who knows someone who knows someone will have many suggestions for where you will find an answer.  You area always free to contact me at youandmeknit.com as well.  If I do not have a ready answer, I will find it for you and help in any way I can.

The other medium is always books.  Your local library is a great source of information in  hard cover or in a magazine.  My favorite author, is Elizabeth Zimmerman, who I feel is the Grandmother of Knitting.  Her books and those of her daughter, Meg Swanson, are informational as well as entertaining.  Not only do you learn how, but you also get an insight into the family as well.  In my opinion, these books are a must read for every knitter.  Then check out the other designers.  There are so many new ideas and designs and new twists on past ideas and designs. 

Take a class, read a book or magazine,  the learning is limitless!  Happy Knitting and Learning!

Creative Changes

Good Morning!

Another fabulously sunny day, an incredibly delightful change from the many days of clouds and rain. My little buddy is having his AM snack of
crackers and a glass of water...no top on it! He is getting so grown up!

I was watching a video earlier this morning. Knitting Daily TV Episode 813 with host Eunny Jang and expert Kristin Omdahl for effective ways to add details and charm to you knitting and crochet.(http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/kdtv_series_800/archive/2012/01/13/episode-813-quite-effective.aspxt) this episode reminded me of classes that I taught a few years back.

I love using "Pure and Simple" patterns by Diane Sousy, to teach beginning sweater classes. They feature circular knitting, raglan sleeves, a variety of sizes and styles as well a different gauges. One of the best and my favorite attributes of this company is that the designs i have knit so far, have been without an error. There are corrections for a few of the designs and they are available here http://knittingpureandsimple.com/corrections/

I have coached my students to follow the pattern exactly, respect all the punctuation and just trust. Once they get going, they really see how simple it is.

Now for the fun part. The advanced beginners are now ready to embark on adding details. (The video I mentioned earlier jogged my memory of these classes.) With a little planning you can add some really gorgeous details to any plain hand knit pattern from cables to seed stitch and back again. Or maybe add some color instead or both!

Change it up! Make it interesting! By adding some of these easy design elements, the plain design becomes a WOW design. You can do it! Challenge yourself and your imagination to create something that is purely you. When asked where you got that incredible sweater, you can say proudly "I knit it myself".

If you need some help to begin, leave a comment or email me at dee@youandmeknit.com. I would love to chat with you on how to get started.

Have a great weekend and Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful guys out there!

Yarn Joins

Good Morning!

JT and I are on the porch on this beautiful sunny day, he mowing and me writing.  I have recently found out that I will be a Great Aunt, and it looks like he/she will be a winter baby.  What a great time to knit warm baby clothes!

When I first started out with my needles and yarn, the one thing that always caused me some discomfort was joining a new ball.  The information that I had at the time was to tie the ends together and keep on knitting.  That did do the job of joining the ends, but almost certainly, that ugly knot would migrate to the front of my work no matter how many times I would pull it to the back and anchor the ends.

Since then I have learned many more techniques, but in some cases it depends on the project, the type of yarn you are using and whether you are at the end/beginning of a row or in the middle somewhere. The type of join also depends on your dye lot as well.  If it is the same, no problem.  If it is different, then there is a slight adjustment to make.  I will explain this one a little farther on.

My preferred method in flat knitting is to join at the edge where the ends can easily be woven in totally unnoticed.  When you are getting close to the end of the ball, check to see if you have at least three times the width of your knitting to get you back across to the other edge. If not, stop now and join in the new ball.

Adding in a new ball in the middle or in the case of circular knitting now depends on the yarn you are using.  If you are using an acrylic or something similar to cabled or ribbon, you can put the ends together thus,<-------- = end of the first ball and ---------> = end of the new ball.  Hold them parallel and knit a couple of stitches with the doubled yarn and then drop the yarn tail of the old ball and begin knitting with the new ball and in the case of a plied yarn use the Russian Technique below. 

If you are working with 100% wool, fulling the ends together works well.  Hold the ends as in the illustration above and wet the yarn.  When I have been without a water bottle or a sink, have used, pardon the expression, spit.  You are going to wash and block your piece when done, so this doesn't pose a problem.  Briskly rub your hands together and the yarn will begin to full together....new yarn join.

If you are using something that won't felt as in a super wash, I like the Russian Join.  Break the end of the old yarn, do not cut.  Thread a tapestry needle and run the tail up through the center  of the strand within the plys for about two inches.  Leave a small loop at the end.  Then with a broken tail on the new ball thread the tapestry needle and pull through the loop at the end of the old ball and weave the new tail up through the plys of the new ball.  This is really easy to do and not easily noticed.

Now for bulky wools.  I like to taper the ends of the old and new for about 2 inches or so.  Then holding the strands parallel as above and full them together.  It is important to place this join in an inconspicuous spot just due to its sheer bulk.

In the case of working with two different dye lots, you will use one of the methods above, but leave enough of the old ball to knit several rows.  You will want to alternate the old and new dye lot thereby tricking the eye to not see a tell tale sign of color variance.  Work this method for a few inches or so knitting a couple of rows of each dye lot before switching to the other.

Now, change up those yarn balls fearlessly!  Have a great day!

Playing With Lace

Good Morning!

The day is now sunny and the breeze is blowing away the rain clouds of yesterday and last night.  My buddy JT is having a morning snack of crackers while sitting with me at the table.  He has his hands over his ears complaining that the train whistle is too loud.  Poor boy!

Because of the time of year, lace is in the forefront of many knitters' to do list, the perfect summer knitting.  I must say, I'm in the same boat.  I have always used a commercial lace pattern to knit from mostly due to my thinking that lace is to difficult to chart.  I do prefer charts to the written word. 

I was reading a craftsy.com class schedule and found a class advertised as Lace Shawl Design with Miriam Felton.  After watching the class preview, I think that this will take away my hesitation. Now I can pick up my needles and start swatching with the yarn I just purchased just for this purpose from Craftsy as well.  It is a beautiful single ply 50% Merino and 50% Silk in a simply luscious Raspberry color.  It was an incredible bargain too!  The deal was two skeins of this beautiful lace weight for $18.40 and shipping is free!  I just got it yesterday and it is definitely Yummy!

The project on the needles is lace but this one is a free form lace.  It was in my Summer 2001 Interweave Knits Magazine.  I don't know about you, but I will put a sticky note a page that peaks my interest, and then due to so many projects on going, the magazine is set aside.  I came across it again on the knittingdaily.com web site galleries.  What splendid timing!

I had some "Pashmina Cashmere" that I received from a dear friend who was sharing her stash.  In this stash were a few balls of Pashmina left over from one of her projects.  Perfect!  So, I took the elements from this gorgeous sweater "Coral Cardigan" by Nancy Eiseman and charted up my own  "Scribble Lace." 

Out came the graph paper and I started charting some basic lace stitches.  No two rounds are the same and that is what gives it a "coral" look to it.  I took the needle size up a little bigger to make my stitches more open.  I am very happy with the outcome. 

So put your Brave on, click on the links above and try your hand at some lace stitches.  You will be surprised at how easy it really is.  The trick is marking your place and graph paper and counting your stitches to make sure you have the correct number.  Have fun with this, I certainly am.

As a side note, my website is coming along.  Feel free to stop by for a look,  youandmeknit.com. 
Follow my blog on my site by clicking the Fiber Space button or go to knitnanny10@blogspot.com.

Happy Knitting!

To Knit or Un-Knit!

Good Morning!

It's another cloudy and soon to be rainy day here in New York. Our laws are lush with green and mushrooms.  Wish we could share the wealth with some of our drier states.

Yesterday I had mentioned that I had taken a class this past Saturday.  Always a fun thing to do if you can attend one, not only for the learning in the class, but all the great tips that you can glean from other knitters.

I have been knitting for a very long time and I picked up two knitting terms that just hit my funny bone. They are perfectly descriptive and relevant and whoever came up with them must have an extremely creative mind.

The first one involves ribbing.  SSHH!  If you know the answer to this please don't tell!  Anyway, there are so many ribbing styles:

• 1 X 1
• 2 X 2
• Twisted
• 3 X 3
• And on and on, almost as many as you can imagine

The word of the day was "Frogging." Yep!  "Frogging" ----> Ribbing ----> "Ribbit!  Ribbit!"  Okay, maybe it wasn't that funny, but my morning class had a good laugh.  Guess we were still tired.

The next one is relevant to ripping. I know that every one of us rips, some more than others, but just the same, we all do it. There is an up side to ripping that I must share because it sometimes helps to know that there is a positive result from the negative. If you look at ripping, or un-knitting, as a learning tool, especially as a newer knitter, it may take some of the frustration away.

I define ripping as taking your knitting off the needle, pulling out the offending rows and then picking up the live stitches again.  These are a few techniques one can learn from ripping:

• Above all, this teaches Bravery!
• You also learn how to pick up the loose stitches, and get them back on the needle.
• There might also be a few stitches that come un-done which will have to be worked back up again.
• And then there are the twisted stitches.  My main focus when picking up stitches is to get them on the needle.  That means that some of them are straight and some twisted.  Learning the difference between the two comes easily this way, believe it or not.

The other type of ripping, is un-knitting.  This method un-knits one stitch at a time, and is mostly used when you only have a few stitches to undo.  Sometimes it is also used when working a more complicated pattern and need to keep more careful track as you "back up."

What is knit backward?  TINK!  So...now when you have to rip or un-knit, you can use the term TINK!

Have fun with your Frogging and Tinking!

Knitting Tip

Good Morning!

I hope you all had a great weekend, I know I did.  I took a class at yarnandteashop.com which was fantastic.  I haven't taken a class for quite awhile, but I must say, if you haven't, find one and spend a great couple of hours.

What I find is that I may not really need the class for the learning per se, but it is all the "unadvertised" wonderful things that you learn that you can't put a price tag  on.  And then, there is the meeting of new friends who share your passion and usually on more than one level. 

What I mean by that is, there are all levels of knitters, even if the class is for, say, intermediate to advanced.  All of us have knowledge of our craft that is freely shared.  How awesome is that!  I used to work in the food industry, and one thing I found out is that information is not always enthusiastically shared.

Here is one tip that I learned and want to pass along.  Copy and paste this or take notes.  It is so simple I don't know why I haven't heard of it before.  Let me give you just a little background.  The project was a French Beret knit in fingering weight handspun, hand dyed yarn, which the instructor, Mariepaule, prepared for us (check out cheltenhamcottage on Etsy).  If you have ever cast on firmly using fingering weight yarn, getting the cast on over the join on a circular needle can be a major headache.

Cast your stitches on a double point needle the same size.  Then begin the first round transferring stitches to your circular needle. Make sure there are no twists in your knitting and join as usual.  I couldn't believe what a pleasure this was instead of struggling. 

Now you can pull out all your fingering weight projects, cast on and get knitting!. 

What's in a Hat? Another Hat!

Good Morning!

The photos you are seeing is an old design but a recent knit.  The hats are really one with two designs.  It is great for kids, seeing as how they love to change up their colors and designs depending on  what they are wearing.  I wish as an adult I had that same abandon....stripes with prints, plaids with paisley, two different socks; no thought at all about someone else's opinion.  Just when did we lose that anyway?

The hat was started with a crocheted provisional cast on, just above where the ribbing goes.  Knit your hat in the usual way, this one was done on circular needles.  Finish as normal and add whatever "topping" you would like.  In this case I used a pom pom, for the first one on the needles.

Then came the embellishment.  I love to use lazy daisies, they are so girlie.  No offense guys.  Now, pick up the stitches from the provisional cast on and knit the ribbing.  Then knit the other hat.  Once you decrease the top of the hat, you won't easily be able  to add embellishments, so I like to use this hat for interesting stitches and color work.  It does make for a great contrast between the two.  I finished this one with an I-Cord pig tail.  So much fun!

The pattern will be finished soon and will be available on my site.  Just click on the "Pattern" button.
Hats have been a special passion for me for many years.  My very first design while in Jr. High School, now called Middle School, was a hat knit without the benefit of a pattern.  It was a 2 X 2 rib and was able to figure out the decreases.  Hats are quick knits and great for using up bits of yarn in your stash to make room for more stash. 

I hope you all have a great weekend!  Pick up those needles and get knitting.  Remember!  Christmas is only six months away!  Did I say that!?!

Long Tail Cast On 'n Cats

Good Morning!

The last few weeks I have been knitting hats getting them ready to upload to my Etsy site, which isn't quite ready yet. During the process, I have been experimenting with the cast on. I have used mostly a "knitted on" cast on as well as the "cabled" cast on. But, let me back up just a bit, say about 45 years or so.

I was taught the "thumb" cast on by my Mom. My Great Aunt taught me to knit, but she always cast on for me. Mom eventually broke down and taught me how to do it by myself as she got tired of casting on all the time. I was a prolific knitter. I didn't have much for fiber, so would rip out and use the same yarn again and again. I even resorted to using butcher's cord and even tried baling twine, which I couldn't rip out because it was too hairy.

As my knitting progressed and I learned new techniques, my cast on changed as well. There were no knitting classes available at that time, but I read whatever I could to learn anything new about knitting. My "thumb" cast on evolved to a type of knitting on. Instead of just slipping the loop on my needle, I would insert the needle into the loop on my thumb then take the working end and wrap it on the needle as if I was knitting a stitch. This is similar to the "long tail" in that you had to have enough yarn to wrap the thumb each time. The edge of the cast on was bulky, and not very neat.


 The "knitted on" cast on was next one I tried and that worked very well. Then on to the "cabled" cast on, which I have used for years and still do today. In the mid 1990's, I was taking some classes locally, and learned the "long tail" cast on. I really loved that one, but trying to figure out how much yarn to allow to get the required number of stitches made me crazy, so I went back to my "cable" cast on.

A couple of years ago, while working at Amazing Threads, http://www.amazingthreads.com/ , I was talking to the owner, Susan DeRosa, about the "long tail" and my inability to come close to estimating the "tail."
She said to my astonishment, that you don't have to...just use both ends of the ball. Duh, no one was sharing this information before? What an incredibly simple solution.

That technique sat on the back shelf for a while until recently. Playing with some two color cast ons, the "long tail" became a perfect solution. Holding the M/C over my forefinger and the C/C color over my thumb,it was just what I was looking for. I had a single strand of color at the very bottom edge of the cast on. It certainly turned out to be a great edging.

Now, the correlation between the cat and the "long tail" cast on. When I was trying to figure out the right amount of yardage for the tail, it generally pooled on the floor next to me and as a long tailed cat does, gets under foot. BTW my cat would always seem to get it and by the time I tried to use it, the yarn ended up slightly frayed in some places. Cat tails and yarn tails, don't know which is more of a problem. They both are cuddly, like to be close, and, well, let's leave this for another post!

Knitting on Etsy



Good Afternoon!

I am so behind the eight ball today.  Here it is 1:30 Eastern Time, and I am only posting this now.  My morning has been so taken up with the boys and trying to combine it with my work....not always a good blend.  Mason is climbing so fearlessly, I believe that he thinks he has bungee cords attached to him.  That is, if he even knew what they are....wish he did have them, I would feel better.

Beyond that, I have been working on setting up my Etsy Shop on etsy.com.  First I spent most of the morning reading up on all of the procedure and policies, the where and wherefores and the whys and why nots.  Phew!  So much to digest all at once.  So I said to myself, just get to it. Get started. You don't have to finish it today. There is such a thing as a SAVE button.

I dove in and edited my profile and then on to the store itself.  I have learned to not answer any questions or give additional information if it is optional, at least right now anyway.  The reason being, is that you get side tracked, forget that you didn't save the latest information that was added and now you are starting again.  Dang. Side tracked is not good.  Staying focused and on task is so much better, but sometimes this gal just needs a set of blinders to keep that focus.  Keep your eye on the goal.  My short term goal is to get my Etsy shop finished. 

Time for me to get to my Nanny chores.  The dishes are calling me and then I will have some lunch and then back at my new Etsy store for some more data entry. BTW, the hat above will be in my Etsy store.   Hope everyone has a wonderful afternoon and Happy Knitting!

The "Wiggle" Hat

Good Morning!

It's another mostly cloudy day today with rain again this afternoon, perfect knitting weather.  I just love settling in with a good book on my iPad or a movie and my knitting.  It's those kinds of lazy-ish days that "mindless" knitting seems to imply.  Although, with the boys to keep me company, that usually won't happen until the afternoons when JT and Mason go down for their naps.  It's nap time right now for Mason, and snack time for JT and so a perfect few minutes to write. 

One of the first patterns that I did was the "Wiggle" Hat.  I had mentioned the hat in one of my  posts of last week and how it got it's name.  If you missed that post, JT named the hat.  I had made one for each of the boys and one afternoon when my daughter got home from work, she asked JT to get the "Wiggle" Hats.  I was surprised at that, since I didn't know that they had been named.

The sample hat that I had made for The Perfect Blend, yarnandteashop.com, was double sided.  I had embroidered a flower on one side and a frog on the other side.  By doing this I didn't have to knit two hats.  Anyway, it is a very simple hat to make, but the advantage to that is once it is knit, there is a perfect opportunity to teach the Kitchener Stitch. There are quite a few more stitches on the hat than on the toe of a sock or the shoulder seams of a sweater.  Therefore, more practice time gain an understanding and the ability to memorize the process.

My friend Carol Cypher, a beading teacher, used to teach her classes using mantras for learning.  I loved this method of teaching, and adapted a mantra for the Kitchener Stitch.  It is as follows:

Front Needle
Slip one (stitch) as if to knit, take it off
Slip one (stitch) as if to purl, leave it on
Back Needle
Slip one (stitch) as if to purl, take it off
Slip one (stitch) as if to knit, leave it on
And Repeat

Here is the link to view video on YouTube. 
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnQi2DrdG0jIxOZp1SeKebQ?feature=guide

It's Elmo time.  JT hasn't seen Elmo since last week and he has washed his hands and is already for me to get him set up.  Have a Great Day everyone!

You Have Permission to Change the Pattern

Good Morning!


The new week has started and here in New York it is a grey and drizzly day. All the better to knit my dears!
All of those daily chores can wait while we take some time to knit a few rows. Grab your beverage of choice, shut off the phone and computer and enjoy the silence. The only sounds heard is maybe the ticking of a mantel clock and the gentle "click" of needle tips as they touch one another.


I wanted to talk about making changes while knitting a comercial pattern. Yes, it is allowed and as a writer of patterns, I would encourage you to do so. There are many reasons why it is a good idea. First, it gives you the opportunity to make it yours. You also might know a better way of doing something that makes more sense to you.
There is also the learning aspect as well. What I mean by that is, maybe you need to have more or less shaping in that sweater you are knitting. This "need" might require you to do some research in order to execute these changes.


This is a good thing. Do what you fear and courageously pick up your yarn and needles and make the leap of faith. What have you got to loose? I don't know about you, but I find myself ripping out stitches or rows because the change I planned didn't work or maybe I didn't think it through enough. Whatever the reason, ripping is not a totally a bad thing.


Let me give you an example of a simple change. I recently finished a baby blanket for a co-worker who is expecting. It is a log cabin style blanket which is similar to a log cabin quilt. I'm sure most of you have seen one. I did purchase a pattern on line, so I didn't have to think, just knit. I also like to support other people who sell their things on line as well. Anyway, I didn't even read it, just went to the yarn shop The Perfect Blend, yarnandteashop.com and picked up some wool and jumped in.


The pattern was written to bind off stitches and then pick them up again. I chose not to do this because this method will create a bump or ridge that really doesn't need to be there. I gathered up some extra needles 24 inches and longer to hold the stitches that were to be bound off. That way when I came back around to them, I had only to knit them off their "holding" needles with no stitches to pick up.


The second change I made was to add a border all the way around the blanket. The resulting frame really looked like a quilt block. These were small subtle changes that made my work a little neater, but also, so much faster. Let's face it, binding off and picking up stitches is time consuming.

JT is getting ready to have his mid morning snack, toast with cream cheese. I put it in the toaster oven and he turns it on "by mines self!" Got to go, toast is ready!

Another Knitting Month Begins!

I'm always amazed at how fast the days pass into weeks and then months....we won't talk about the years. But in the brief moment that I said that, it's been over 45 knitting years for me! I can't really put a number on how many projects that adds up to. I can say that the unfinished project number is by far lower than the finished number. Do you have "UFO's" hiding somewhere that you would like to bring closure to? Next to teaching, I love to help knitters finish their unfinished projects.

From my own experience there are as many reasons to NOT finish a project as there are projects. Mine generally fall into a couple of categories: miscalculation of fiber, boring and loss of interest, just to name two. Whatever your knitting dilemma, a desire to fix a mistake, figure out where you left off, or maybe just an explanation of what to do next is needed.

I have a student of mine who has been known to break a window or two in frustration when the project was thrown. The needles it was on just happened to hit a fragile window, and, well, you get the idea. Within a few weeks after that, said project finds it's way to class.

My project class is almost ready to meet again to start double knitting the fingers on their fingerless gloves. At the Saturday morning "Knitting 911" drop in class, I'm never sure what anyone will bring, but one of the knitters always has at least three if not more projects in the works at a time. It certainly keeps me busy, but the time passes before I realize that class has been over for 1/2 hour!

It's Friday, and I have a long list of knitting that needs to be seen to. One is a baby blanket that I knit for a young woman in my office. Her baby is due this month and I have to get it blocked and ready to go to work on Monday. I will try to get a photo of it on Monday's blog.

JT is out on the porch "mowing" the lawn/carpet enjoying the nice weather and Mason is napping. I hope you all have a terrific weekend. Take some time and enjoy a bit of peace with yourselves and your families.