Ooops I Knit it Again

Are you a fussy knitter? When you make a mistake do you always rip - or never rip? I've been pondering these questions lately. Mistakes - making them and fixing them have been top of mind for two reasons: because of a wonderful essay written by Meg Swanson in the new "The Best of Vogue Knitting Magazine 25" book (amazing book by the way) and because I messed up the front of my Bonsai Tunic.

In her essay "Fussy Knitting" Meg Swanson provides a few technical tips targeted to those little details that often bother fussy knitters while pointing out that if you want perfection, maybe a mass-produced or machine knit item would be the less stressful route to accomplish that objective. I know some knitters who would rather crawl over hot coals than rip and some who can't stand the thought of fudging it. I tend to be a ripper...gee, that didn't sound good...when it comes to my knitting.

I've also discovered why I prefer cabled or colour knitting over lace knitting. I love the look of lace but the stitches disappear and reappear as you work them and this means stitch count is variable. With colour or cables - the number of stitches is the number of stitches - no slight of hand. Here's the section on the tunic where I went off track. I had been knitting visually - simply working to one before the previous yarn over and creating the next yarn over. I didn't stop to check that I had the 7 stitches in each section needed. When I realized that in this section I had only 6 stitches, I knew it was one of three reasons:

I forgot a yarn over

I knit an extra k2together

I dropped a stitch

I checked the work and couldn't see a dropped stitch so, I decided to simply make one and carry on. Here's the section after I created a new stitch to get the number back on track. You can't really see the fudge but I was bothered by it. If it was a dropped stitch - the whole section could unzip after it was done - with my luck, right in the middle of a presentation to the Executive Team at work. I decided to put it down for a day and think about the right path to take.

I really had to examine how I felt about mistakes and what level of perfection I was demanding of myself. If I ripped out, I could easily be tossing several nights of work down the drain. Was that worth the comfort of knowing it was perfect? Why did I care?

In the end, I decided that I was the type of person who was OK with making a mistake but that I needed to at least know where I went wrong. If you don't know what the mistake is, how can you decide if you can live with it or not? I needed to know to deal.

I ripped back. It was about 8 rows worth before I found the problem. I had forgotten a yarn over. I needn't have worried about unraveling but that missing yarn over did mean the lace design was out of whack so, I was pleased that I did choose to rip. I'm now nearing completion of the lace panel on the bottom of the front and will start the waist ribbing soon. I'll spare you the photo because it's exactly like the back.

I've also finished the first sleeve of Maritime. Now here's a nice easy, breezy project which lends itself nicely to ripping out.

To rip or not to rip - that is the question. Knitting is one activity that does lend itself to Mulligan shots. Most things don't - if your screw up...a "do over" isn't even an option. It's actually a privilege to be able to rip. It may depend on the nature of the mistake and at what point of the project said mistake is discovered. The answer will however always teach you something about yourself.

Micro Managing


Knitting for children is quite the crap shoot. You may over shoot or under shoot the size or the child may grow out of it after the first wearing. It was actually a couple of hand knit baby Icelandic sweaters with matching caps that a family friend made for my identical twin boys when they were small that gave me the push to start knitting for my kids. Why mess around? If you're going to make your kids a sweater - make it a Starmore! Since I wasn't bright enough to get pictures of the boys wearing their Starmore Fair isles when they were small, I made them pose earlier tonight.





Meet Butch and Sundance.







Butch (right) is holding the first Starmore I ever made. It's called Sqaredance from Alice Starmore's book Stillwater. When the sweater was done - I couldn't believe how great it had turned out. He looked so cute in it (you'll have to take my word for it). That's the magic of a Starmore pattern. Just do what she says and you'll be fine.

Sundance (to the left) is holding a pullover version of Reef from the Starmore book "In the Hebrides". The original pattern was for a cardigan made for a much smaller child. I wanted something to fit a 9 or 10 year old so, I found a pullover pattern from the Starmore book "Celtic Collection" in the size I wanted to use as a schematic. Then, I simply dropped the pattern onto the schematic and followed the instructions for the pullover. Once again, the results made the small needles and fine yarn all worth while. I've made three other Starmore designs since then but nothing else for the boys. They're growing too fast these days and seem to have a propensity to lose things. A $90 pair of Nike runners gives me heart burn. Losing a hand knit Starmore design would make me commit Seppuku.











I'm probably reminiscing about kiddie knits so much because I'm going to be an auntie again at the end of October. There are so many great baby designs and this one, I had to have. It's the baby cardigan by Dream in Color yarns. I've ordered the kit from Lettuce Knit in Toronto. The Yarn Harlot is making one and this is one stunning little item. It's not a Starmore - those I reserve for children and probably someday grand kids.

I tell myself that I'm just being a good Aunt but let's be honest here; I just want to make the damn sweater. The fact that there happens to be a baby on the way is just a convenient bonus to make it look respectable. Will I stoop to anything to enhance my stash?

Testing one, two, three


I've come to truly appreciate the power of the swatch. I used to see swatching as the activity that came between me and finally diving in to a new project. Now, I see them as a sort of prelude or "fibre first date". Finishing a swatch is a bit of a milestone and if all the stars are in alignment, important clues to ensure a successful knitting project are there for the plucking.


I'm thinking that the Indigo Ripples skirt will be the perfect "take-along" vacation knitting. We're planning a road trip to Quebec to see my MIL at the end of June and it's 10 hours by car. Kat Coyle, the designer of this garment has a way with pretty skirts for sure. Her lovely skirt shown in Greetings from the Knit Cafe is stunning. Julia from Mind of Winter has made a lovely version of it. Kat Coyle has also designed the skirt in Lace Style. It didn't catch my eye at first but after seeing a denim version of it here, I realized the skirt was suffering from lousy styling. Honestly, that poor model should get hazard pay for having to wear two layers of mis-matched underpinnings tucked into a knit skirt!


My LYS is unfortunately going out of business because the owners are retiring up North. The good news is...everything is 40% off. I picked up some Twilley's Freedom Denim in the darkest blue for a song - a song I say! I'm told many of these denims are made at the same factory - I've never worked with denim before so, this is my first brand to handle. I'm planning to use Eunny's trick of using a slightly smaller needle to get a fabric that won't sag. I swatched on 3.5mm and got about a 20.5 stitch gauge pre washing and post blocking. I was a bit concerned by some twizzling of the yarn I noted while knitting. I was afraid the fabric might bias but once washed and pressed, all seems to be nice and square. My swatch shrunk the requisite 20% in length and down to 22 stitches per 4 inches gauge. I will also lengthen this skirt so the ruffles begin about 2 - 3 inches above the knee cap instead of mid thigh.




I'm also working on Maritime which is a very straight forward knit perfect for taking along. I love the indigo and white together - so summery! I often use sleeves as swatches if I'm using a straight forward yarn such as the Cotton Glace used here. I also adore the colour striping on the cuff - here's a close up of what can't be seen in Rowan 41.






I've also completed the back to the Bonsai tunic. Now onto the front and hopefully this will be an FO before long. My swatch for this one was a big fat liar but it worked out in the end.



Swatches and I have at last come to a place of mutual respect. This last exercise has taught me the importance of washing the swatch as well. I can't promise I'll always follow the "swatching protocol" to the letter but at least now I'll know what I'm missing.

Influential People

This past mother's day, I thought a lot about the people responsible for "leading" us to knitting. They aren't necessarily the same people who taught us how to make the stitches themselves. My paternal grandmother taught me to knit and purl when I was seven. I never continued to make things after that first sad garter stitch square. My mother sewed but I like to believe she understood how therapeutic it is to create something. When I was in 4th year University I came home during February mid term exams. Sick with a wicked cold and sleep-deprived from studying - I had a bad case of the February blahs. "You need a project" my mother announced and we visited our local craft store on the way home. Our mission- to pick up a project to save my mortal soul from the depths of melancholy. I found some beautiful yarn and a pattern that caught my eye. It was an intarsia mohair sweater. Gee, there's a great project for someone who's only knit a Lopi Icelandic sweater before! It was 1985 and sweaters were baggy and images were geometric. I still have a few of the balls left over, the brand name is Georges Picaud Tricheuse and I remember the project cost about $78 - a huge expense. Mom paid for it without commenting on my usual champagne tastes (some things never change). I cast on and picked away at the project over the course of my final year. Thursdays were for Knot's Landing and knitting! My room mates often asked if they were going to get to see it finished before we all graduated. Not a chance.

I worked on this sweater off and on over the next 10 years. I'd think about the project when I came across it from time to time but never picked it up again. During this time, my mother became ill and our last summer together we went to a cottage in Northern Ontario. The weather was incredibly horrid forcing us to stay inside and read those ancient Reader's Digest issues that seem to be a standard feature of every cottage. An article entitled "Mr. Knitting" caught my eye and for the first time I got to see some of Kaffe Fasset's designs. I was smitten.

When I got the call the following March that it was time to fly to Vancouver Island and be with my mother, I impulsively reached for the mohair sweater. Long hours sitting vigil in a quiet house and then a quiet hospital room were spent picking up where I'd left off ten years prior. The nurses would come in to check on mom and take a look at my work. It was a welcome "normal" conversation in the midst of craziness. After the funeral, I kept at the knitting until finally, it was done. I've never stopped casting on since. My assembly is very primitive (it's still not my forte) but it fits and it's an FO. I've never really worn it. Mostly because fashions have changed and this feels so "eighties". I'll never part with it though because it was such a key part of delivering me to this hobby ( no), pastime, (not quite), obsession (yes) called knitting. I'll also never part with it because there's a bit of my mom in every stitch.

Round Up

My creative energies are quite scattered right now. I jump from project to project, swatching here and there for good measure. I thought it would be appropriate for this post to provide a "snapshot" of the various creative impulses cavorting in my head. Some are currently manifesting and some will never be more than a gleam in my eye. Others...I'm holding up a clove of garlic and a crucifix to...like weaving.

I belong to our local spinning guild or should I say "Handweavers and Spinners Guild". These spinners are really weavers in disguise - they spin to get stuff to weave. I'm "the knitter"...no, really - they actually point at me and whisper "That's the knitter" in hushed tones. At guild meetings they usually have an activity, one that involves weaving. I have no desire to weave. No time and no extra 800 square foot room to house the big honkin loom that comes with this hobby. When they try to get me to weave at meetings I usually hiss"I don't weave! I knit." It's somewhat ironic that last guild meeting I won these handwoven tea towels in the raffle they have every meeting. They were woven by the guild "weaving maven". No siree Bob..not for me. They are pretty though, aren't they? I think the raffle was rigged to suck me in.

Speaking of spinning, the Ontario Handspinning Seminar comes to our local university this weekend. I'll be taking a seminar with Harriet Boone with whom I had the pleasure of taking a seminar from last year. She rocks and the topic will be "tender toes - spinning sock yarn". I'll report in after the weekend.

Speaking of socks - I'm chugging away at my Monsoon sock from the Feb. Rockin Sock Club shipment. Those ribs up the foot don't go so fast but I'm very pleased that I'm getting some cool stripes. I can't wait to get to the cabled part. The new STR shipment arrived a few weeks ago with the new "Silkie" sock yarn. It's 81% superwash merino and 19% silk. The silk takes the dye a bit differently so, there's a cool Barber pole effect. This stuff is heaven and I can't wait to make the pattern that came with it which is a lace sock with a seam up the back. I ordered a second skein to do the knee high version.

My Bonsai Tunic had to be ripped back again. One of my "fan" sections had one too many stitches and the mistake wasn't caught until I'd knitted about 6 inches of incorrect stitch count. I was just about to give up but decided to keep at it. I'm at the waist ribbing and I'm loving this project.

Speaking of great Interweave Knits designs - my Summer 07 issue of IK arrived this week. I have them sent to me from Gemini Fibers and if you live in Ontario, I highly recommend this method. Cheryl just charges your card as the new issues come in and sends it to you. I get mine weeks before they show up in the stores. I really love this issue (as I did the Spring issue) and the designs that I'm attracted to include the Bella Blouse which I conveniently have the exact yarn in stash. Aqua shades of Berroco Cotton Twist and Touche.

I also really love the Origami Cardigan. What clever construction! Of course these are both Norah Gaughan designs. I think she'll be the new patron saint of this blog.

Oh, and the Oriel Blouse by Shirley Padon is wonderful! Has anyone knitted with Alchemy Silken Straw?

Speaking of the Spring Interweave Knits issue, I'm taking a second look at that lovely Indigo Ripples skirt by Kat Coyle. Eunny Jang and Eileen from Ei Knits have both made it in dark denim and lengthened it so it's less "flirty" and more elegant and tulip-like. They are stunning and I have the dark denim in stash to make this. I'm sketching my plan out for this one. I like the way Eunny used a smaller needle to get a tighter gauge which made it more fitted.

All of this jumping around calls for a wine that jumps too. If you're in the Ontario region or know someone who lives here - see if you can get a bottle of Ice Cuvee. It's a sparkling wine with a kiss of ice wine. Absolute heaven!

Carpe Skein!

Last week was one of those weeks where events conspire to remind you just how short life is. If I follow this logic through to it's rightful conclusion then I should have realized I'll never get through my stash and then proceeded to destash. Instead, I did what I always do to remind myself that this is a beautiful world...I buy more yarn.

Last Saturday was the annual Downtown Knit Collective (Toronto Knitter's Guild) Spring Knitter's Frolic. And after getting a surprise bit of mad money - frolic I did.

I was thrilled to see that Lettuce Knit would have a booth there. I was even more thrilled to see the lovely yarn they were selling - a line called Dream in Color. The colours are dyed using a process that causes "veils of colour" almost like a colour wash. You get the interest without the pooling. The deal was sealed when I discovered that they had a shade called "In Vino Veritas". My current mantra is to try and knit with colours out of my usual scope. I've wanted to do more red and this red is a deep garnet with a rich violet wash. Here it is in the lovely Spring sunshine. Laura Chau of Cosmicpluto Knits designed and made the most divine jacket out of this exact yarn and shade. You can see it here - it's worth the trip! I tried the sample on and Steph took a picture of me but my lack of modeling ability coupled with poor lighting doesn't do the jacket justice - Laura's pictures show the stitches and colours perfectly.

I think I'll use my In Vino Veritas to make the beautiful Cabled Down Raglan sweater by Stephanie Japel. This yarn feels nice close to the skin. It's a good stash enhancer!

I also purchased the Belle Shrug pattern also by Laura Chau. It uses Blue Sky Alpaca which I have in stash and had planned to make the Blue Sky Alpaca Silk Shrug. I like Laura's better. The collar is so feminine. You can get this also at Lettuce Knit. Julie had a booth at the show as well and had many of the Blue Sky Alpaca samples on display. It was great to see them up close.

Also from Lettuce Knit I got this great little knitting pouch perfect for hooking over a belt loop or chair arm to hold the yarn while you knit. Some loop it around their wrists and stand or walk while knitting. This is called the Origami bag and I got a lovely vintage pink and red one. Made by Lettuce Knit, they're "sewn from vintage barkcloth, and trimmed with Mokuba twill tape. These little pouches feature an adjustable toggle closure. How they are folded prior to sewing means that they are fully lined and have little pockets on the front and back. A great little project bag for lace or sock knitting". I've used it so much already to knit on the go with simple one or two ball projects. There are pockets in the front too. Here you see the progress on my Socks that Rock Club sock. It's coming...slowly.

At Gemini Fibres I picked up the Harrisville Cashmere and Wool to make the Norah Gaughan Architectural Rib Sweater. It's a fall project but Cheryl at Gemini had just the right shade and it was on sale!

The show was at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in Toronto. How nice to have fresh fruit and sushi at lunch with green tea instead of a ham and cheese sandwich chased down with a soda. It was great to touch base with other knitters and show off our FOs and UFOs. I was almost to the waist ribbing on the Bonsai Tunic when I showed it to Stephannie on Saturday. After finally getting some knitting on the needles, I discovered that my gauge was off and it was 2" larger than the intended size. I sucked it up and ripped back Saturday night. I'm glad I did - it's much better as the smallest size. Boy that hurts though to rip out days worth of work.

I have made some progress on Rheingold. Here's a sunshine shot of it as I head towards the armholes.

So in the end, I my visit to the Knitter's Frolic was as close to a perfect day as I could imagine. Maybe it's not so strange that those of us who knit love yarn so much. After all, it carries with it so many possibilities, dreams and potential. What could be more life-affirming than this?

Going, GOING, Gaughan!

I really lurve, luff, love Norah Gaughan designs. This is somewhat of a recent development most likely precipitated by her design evolution intersecting my evolution in taste. I was aware of her before but recently I find I want to knit most everything she designs. Now I should state up front that my tastes tend to skew funkier and younger than I actually am. My personal philosophy on what I want to knit eliminates two categories of design:

1. Those designs that I can purchase at Walmart for $9.95. Usually, sleeveless, stockinette and cream.


2. Those designs that look like I'm auditioning for a lead role in the stage version of Driving Miss Daisy.

Ms. Gaughan's designs look to be fun to knit and for the most part...wearable. The recent controversy around her "Capecho" (notice the root word "cape" here - hello, first clue) on the cover of a recent Vogue Knitting certainly isn't her fault. Some rogue stylist at the photo shoot no doubt got the brilliant idea to clip the back of the garment to make it fit closer to the body. This only came to light after many innocent knitters spent many hours making this design only to find that it fit...well...like a cape - not a shrug. Vogue Knitting Magazine did print a "clarification" stating that the design was not "close fitting". Not quite an apology though that would have been nice. I guess that makes it a "Youa Culpa".

Another of her patterns that has made knitters nervous is the Roundabout Leaf Tank from her book "Knitting Nature" last year. I agree that showing garments on rail-thin models can make us mere mortals wonder if it would look ok on us but I saw a few brave Internet bloggers make this one and when the proper yarn is used and proper size achieved, it looks great. I decided to make mine in a colour I rarely knit with or wear - red. This is the Berroco Denim Silk (now discontinued) in a shade called Paprika. I'm knitting it on Lantern Moon Ebony needles. It was started on vacation to B.C. last summer and then abandoned in the Fall. I recently pulled it over my head and held it up around my hips to see if it would hang properly. I became smitten again and thus another UFO is resurrected.

I wasn't going to rush out and get the new Lace Style book by Interweave until I caught a glimpse of the Norah Gaughan design in this collection. It's called the Lacy Waves top. I can't even see the whole thing but "You had me at the yoke". I'll be getting the book this Saturday.

Her Bonsai Tunic in the Spring 2007 Interweave Knits also called to me. IK was kind enough to show front and back shots (Look Mom - no clips!). I battled my dislike for ribbon yarns and cast on to make this lovely design. Here's my progress thus far and the knitting has been delightful. Even ripping back hasn't been as traumatic as I'd thought.

When Natural Knitter (not to be confused with Knitting Nature) was published last month it was this amazing sweater that seduced me. I happen to have sourced the exact yarn needed for this as well. Classic and very feminine. I bet it feels great on.

So when I'm eating cat food as an old lady because I drained my life savings to make Norah Gaughan designs I can take solace in one truth. At least I had a hell of a fun time planning and knitting those garments. Maybe they'll be fetching enough to catch me a meal ticket in my old age?

Foreign Objects

Other spinners warned me that once I got my first wheel it would be a slippery slope towards acquiring more wheels after that. I didn't believe them. After all, I'd settled on a Schacht wheel which is one of the most versatile wheels on the market. What else could I want??? Weellll - portability. The Schacht is a bit of a brute. That's what makes it such a work horse. I hadn't factored in that my spinning guild would be so active in terms of displays and spin days. It wasn't long before I started eyeing up the new folding wheels.

I'd spun on a Lendrum for a few months and it is a very nice wheel - no doubt about it. It did fold down a bit but was still substantial to transport (13 lbs). I was quite taken with the Louet Victoria wheel which clocks in at around 7.75 lbs and comes in a nice carrying case. A friend of mine got one for Christmas and I had a chance to spin on it over the holidays. It treadled beautifully and spun nicely but was a bit tinier than I needed. My friend and her family go North camping quite a bit and she wanted something to take back and forth every weekend. I wanted something between the Lendrum and the Louet Victoria. When I saw the specs on the Kromski Sonata, I sensed I was getting close. Weighing around 11.5lbs, the Sonata is made of Birch and Alder (I recall reading somewhere but I'm trying to verify that) and is made by the Kromski family in Poland. Their wheels tend to be more ornate and "old world" but the Sonata had a nice touch of that ornate design without being too gingerbread. It's a true double treadle meaning there are two treadles with two footmen each attached to the wheel crank. It's a reasonably priced wheel and the reviews from people who'd purchased from the first December shipment were glowing. I contacted Wildrose Fibres in Alberta and put my name on the list. I asked Colleen about the Walnut stain which was marketed as an introductory limited edition offering. Since the first shipment sold so quickly, I assumed these were long gone. When Colleen sent me an e mail indicating there was a rumor of more walnut stained Sonatas in the next shipment, I was thrilled. I think of the Schacht as the classic blond American and the Kromski as the dark sultry brunette European. I simply wanted something different from my Schacht for variety. I ordered the bag especially designed to carry these wheels as well. A four day Easter weekend and a two day business trip kept my Sonata and I apart much longer than necessary but last Wednesday I came home and had a chance to see it up close.

Here's the wheel folded up. There is a hole in the wheel and the frame that match up allowing you to place a screw through both holes to anchor the wheel shut. The wheel folds open quickly and easily (19" x 22" folded) and comes with a total of 3 matching bobbins and a lazy kate that folds out from the foot of the frame. There's a bottle of oil too to get everything lubed and good to go.

Here's the wheel set up before its first run. I chose some Lisa Souza Blue Faced Leicester roving in the buttery Jonquil colourway to futz around and get the wheel to a point where I was spinning consistent yarn. I'd planned on a day or two of adjustments before I was happy with the results. I was shocked to discover that with 3 little tweaks, the Sonata was spinning beautiful, consistent yarn. The take up was perfect and the treadling smooth as silk. The wheel is nice a quiet and will be perfect for seminars and demonstrations. It felt solid and stable and I had lots of space on the treadles. I took the wheel apart and packed it in the bag to take it out again this past weekend. Once again, after a brief set up, a couple of adjustments had me on my way. I'm extremely pleased with my choice and this will be a great complement to my Schacht. I do miss my Woolee Winder though but hopefully, they will make one for the Sonata soon.

It's been postulated that spinning's growth in popularity has come from knitters turned spinners. As The Yarn Harlot puts it "Cool! Another way to get yarn." Knitters like knitting largely because it's portable and therefore this explosion in folding/portable wheels is an off-shoot of that expectation.

If you're wavering between a Louet Victoria and a Kromski Sonata I would suggest that the degree of portability you need be your guide. If you're like my friend and travel to a cottage, camp or travel on business a lot - I would recommend the Victoria. It takes up little room and delivers a nice spinning punch pound for pound. If you have a closet or two to store a slightly larger bag and want a wheel that will feel like a full sized wheel but be more portable - the Kromski Sonata is a great solution. Louet = traveling wheel, Kromski = portable wheel.

My Sonata and I have much beautiful yarn to make. I'm looking forward to taking it to my upcoming seminar on how to spin yarn to make socks in May. There's just something extra mysterious about an import.

The Shell Game

So what's up with us having a green Christmas and a white Easter? This past weekend was cold, damp, snowy and overall, great for knitting. I have an idea as to what my summer projects will be but since it was still cold, I decided to resurrect Rheingold and get back at it. I always make my own charts when I'm making a Fair Isle sweater. I use stitch and motif maker and make a nice big colour chart. I love this pattern. It caught my eye from the start because I find that the Starmores tend more towards the jewel tones than the softer earth tones, pinks and lilacs I tend to favour. The greens, golds and coppers are right up my alley. I'm about 2/3 to the armhole steeks so I did "book it" a bit on the weekend. The Hebridean 2 ply is another of my desert island yarns. Each stitch is so wonderful. I find that projects using this yarn tend to become finished objects which is a big plus in its favour. I've enjoyed watching the older cherished patterns find new life in the Hebridean yarns. The colour pallet is much smaller than the yarns used when Alice Stamore was designing earlier yet the new interpretations are still stunning.

One classic Stamore pattern I've been jonesing to make forever is Luskentyre. Here is Luskentytre as it appeared in the rare and much sought after Scottish Collection. My buddy Hope actually knit that sweater for the photo in the book. I think it took her 47 minutes or something ridiculous. She lets me sit next to her at lunch some times and tells me again all about knitting it (after I beg her to tell me one more time). This also appealed to me because it was a design in delicate pastel shades - a departure from other colourways.

About 2 years ago, I heard from Virtual Yarns that they were planning to re work Luskentyre as a cardigan with a square neckline. Since Rheingold is a pullover and I prefer cardigans - I thought this would be right up my alley. The kit was posted recently and I fell hard. A surprise assignment for some freelance writing funded my purchase and the kit was soon winging its way to me from the Isle of Lewis. My Scottish grandmother who taught me how to knit is smiling from heaven for sure.

The picture doesn't really do the design justice. I believe it's a bit big for the model (Jade Starmore) and the sleeves look quite baggy. The sleeve picks up roughly the same number of stitches as other designs they produce but does not narrow down quite as much so is a bit fuller than normal but not quite as much as it appears to in the picture. The design itself is named after Luskentyre Beach in Scotland where the shells lie opened on the beach. The middle design is of this shell and gives quite an Art Nouveau sort of feel. I love Art Deco and Art Nouveau so this is probably a large part of the draw for me. I had a hard time imagining the colours used - the photos don't really show them off.

I had some left overs from other projects that matched the colours for Luskie and so, I swatched to get a sense of how it will actually look. I'm REALLY excited about this one. I think Alice Starmore has honoured the original design with a very elegant twist. I still love the original sweater and will most likely make it in the original yarns...some day.

To finish with a bit of a teaser...the Kromski Sonata arrived yesterday while I was away on business. I set it up tonight when I got home and spun on it a bit.

It rocks.

Full details after I've finished bonding with it.

Blue on Blue

I didn't even know Blue Face Leicester existed as a breed of fibre until this past year. I encountered it first as a spinner using Lisa Souza's lovely roving. I learned that the fibres are long and luscious and that I needed to allow more twist to enter the wool before winding it on the bobbin. Otherwise, it would shred because it was under spun. Since I like to have a rapport with the breeds I knit and spin with - I decided to see what they looked like. Pretty cute.

The references I found on the Internet called it the "poor man's cashmere". Extremely soft yet resistant to pilling and able to show off the stitch definition beautifully. I had been so pleased with my BFL hand spun that when I saw the Fleece Artist BFL in aran weight at Red Bird Knits, I suspected that I'd found the perfect yarn to make Ariann. Fleece Artist is to yarn what Godiva is to chocolate. Their colourways are breathtaking and range from bright to subtle. I rarely work with yarn that hasn't got some colour variation (unless I'm knitting Fair isle or Intarsia) because I really love how a yarn with a bit of variation (such as a tweed) dances with the cables or lacework to shift everything around. When it works, it really works. I had swatched in Berrocco Ultra Alpace and Lisa Souza merino angora but neither seemed to be the perfect yarn for Ariann. I decided to give the Fleece Artist BFL a try since it was the perfect gauge. As for colour...I chose blue of course and bought 3 skeins in the colourway Lagoon.

I worried a bit when I received the yarn that the colour changes would be a bit too dramatic to not overshadow the lace work in this pattern. I swatched and liked what I saw but the final proof would be in the larger sweater. I must say that I am absolutely in love with both this design and the yarn. The yarn is soft like butter with the perfect amount of spring. When I had a few inches on the needles I was able to see that the design and the shading of the yarn complemented each other perfectly. One did not over-shadow the other. In fact, it looks a bit like gentle waves lapping on to the beach of the lagoon- no?

This is turning into one of those projects that just has it all going on. I'm lovin big ole blue and given that this yarn has amazing yardage and comes in colours that are to die for, I think I may just have to go back for more. Not for a while though...summer knitting is up next.

I am quite excited because I finally decided on a second smaller wheel for travel. I love my Schacht, especially with the Woolee Winder but it is a brute to take to guild meetings etc. My friend has a Louet Victoria and she recently took it to Florida where she spun by the pool all week. I spun on it in December and loved it but wanted something a tad bigger. Enter the Kromski Sonata. I've ordered it from Wild Rose Fibres in Alberta and according to Colleen who owns the operation, the wheel shipped this past Monday. This is the second shipment (the first sold out in December very quickly). I had expressed an interest in one of the limited edition walnut stained wheels and lucked out when I got one!! I guess they decided to do a few more. I've ordered the bag as well. I had hoped that it would arrive by yesterday since Tuesday will be our next delivery but alas - my wheel is probably sitting in some Canada Post warehouse as we speak. Next post, I'll hopefully have some pictures of the new baby and a review of the wheel. I'm also hoping that Nathan Lee creates a Woolee Winder soon for the Sonata. Do you think he accepts bribes?