Shawls are, as a friend once said, a "very knitterly thing." You don't really see shawls out in the public sphere, unless they are worn by knitters, or little old ladies from the Old Country. I actually didn't really see the appeal of shawls until I started knitting in earnest. But now... Oh, shawls, how I love you!
The great thing about a shawl is its versatility. I wear Dover Castle as my Winter scarf. It has more surface area than a typical scarf, so it can cover more of my neck. Plus, I love the way the little point of the shawl kicks out, even when I have it wrapped around my neck like a scarf. It's just a little touch of sass that makes me smile. And shawls don't have to be just for Winter. Knit up in a lighter weight yarn - like cotton, or Hempathy, or Rowan Lenpur Linen - they can be the perfect little shoulder cover for a breezy evening, or a super air conditioned office.
But I digress. The main point is that typically, shawls seem to be a decidedly feminine accessory. It's not hard to see why. Most of them are very lacy, and even when knit in a bold or "masculine" color, "lacy" does not evoke images of conquering mountains or chainsawing huge logs in half or whatever other manly imagery you can come up with. (Apparently, when I think "manly", I think "lumberjack".) However, and I don't know if this is a recent phenomenon or not, but there seem to be an increasing number of not-lacy shawls making the knitting rounds. Some of these are designed by men - Stephen West, for example - but not necessarily all of them. Enter the shawl-for-a-guy.
There are so many great things about shawls-for-men. First, there are myriad ways to make it a structurally and visually interesting shawl without lace. Second, there are millions of color possibilities to explore - even pink can be masculine in the right setting! Third, you get the size, coziness factor and fun of knitting a shawl without it being a feminine accessory. I recently made Clockwork (by Stephen West) for Allen and it is fabulous. He loves that he can wrap it around his neck a million times and cuddle down into it when the bitterly cold wind blows in his face during his morning commute, and I absolutely loved picking out colors and knitting this fabulous, uh, I mean manly, neck warmer.
So, if you are a knitter and you are looking for a manly scarf to make for your significant other, don't be afraid of shawls! You know how much fun they are to knit! I would recommend calling it a "scarf" around the house though. Just to keep up the manly facade.
25 January 2011
18 January 2011
KALs are the best.
My new favorite thing in the fiber world is the knit-along. Or maybe it's knit-a-long since the acronym is KAL? At any rate, there are so many great things about them.
1. They let you knit with a friend or a group, even if you can't be in physically the same place while knitting. It brings a sense of community back to your knitting when you can't get to your LYS for knit-night, or when you are traveling, or any time you find yourself with a stretch of lonely knitting.
2. If someone else is knitting the exact same thing, it's really easy for you to help each other out with sticky spots. Most patterns have one or two places where the instructions are vague, or you just aren't getting it. If you are knitting it with a friend, they can help explain funky spots to you - or vice versa.
3. They keep you on track and on target. Oh, startitis. You foul temptress. It's so easy to give in to your siren call. Unless you know you are going to have to compare progress on your KAL with someone else. Then, rather than be embarrassed by how little you have completed, you put down the skein of Sanguine Gryphon you were just fondling and pick up your knitting instead.
A few things to consider when contemplating a KAL...
A. It's better for everyone involved if you are close in skill level to your fellow KAL-ers. This is not to say everyone has to be a newb. If you have someone in the group who is more advanced, they can help point out pitfalls that the novices are likely to fall into. But if everyone is on approximately the same level, there is less embarrassment at pattern snafus or knitting speed. Also, if someone in your group is a crazy fast knitter (not mentioning names here... and no, it's not me), it's not much of a knit-a-long. It's more like a game of catch-up.
B. Pattern. Kind of obvious. But it should be something that everyone is interested in knitting. As a corollary, you might want to check out the pattern beforehand to make sure it's worth knitting. Everyone has had a moment where they bought a pattern, bought the yarn and cast on, only to find out the pattern is a hot mess and un-knit-able. Or un-crochet-able. Ask me how I know. Or read back in the archives.
C. How often will you be checking in? My friend and I sent each other email updates fairly frequently to check progress. If it's a short term project, like a cowl, maybe daily check-ins? Long term project, maybe weekly?
The beauty of the KAL is it's totally up to you! There are no rules and no deadlines, but I found that it definitely kept me on track and on task when I got to that "endless stockinette" portion of the pattern. I can't wait to do another one!
The fruits of our labor! (P.S. The KAL in question was Rosamund's Cardigan. Not too tough for beginners, but interesting enough to keep you occupied for not-beginners. Heart!)
1. They let you knit with a friend or a group, even if you can't be in physically the same place while knitting. It brings a sense of community back to your knitting when you can't get to your LYS for knit-night, or when you are traveling, or any time you find yourself with a stretch of lonely knitting.
2. If someone else is knitting the exact same thing, it's really easy for you to help each other out with sticky spots. Most patterns have one or two places where the instructions are vague, or you just aren't getting it. If you are knitting it with a friend, they can help explain funky spots to you - or vice versa.
3. They keep you on track and on target. Oh, startitis. You foul temptress. It's so easy to give in to your siren call. Unless you know you are going to have to compare progress on your KAL with someone else. Then, rather than be embarrassed by how little you have completed, you put down the skein of Sanguine Gryphon you were just fondling and pick up your knitting instead.
A few things to consider when contemplating a KAL...
A. It's better for everyone involved if you are close in skill level to your fellow KAL-ers. This is not to say everyone has to be a newb. If you have someone in the group who is more advanced, they can help point out pitfalls that the novices are likely to fall into. But if everyone is on approximately the same level, there is less embarrassment at pattern snafus or knitting speed. Also, if someone in your group is a crazy fast knitter (not mentioning names here... and no, it's not me), it's not much of a knit-a-long. It's more like a game of catch-up.
B. Pattern. Kind of obvious. But it should be something that everyone is interested in knitting. As a corollary, you might want to check out the pattern beforehand to make sure it's worth knitting. Everyone has had a moment where they bought a pattern, bought the yarn and cast on, only to find out the pattern is a hot mess and un-knit-able. Or un-crochet-able. Ask me how I know. Or read back in the archives.
C. How often will you be checking in? My friend and I sent each other email updates fairly frequently to check progress. If it's a short term project, like a cowl, maybe daily check-ins? Long term project, maybe weekly?
The beauty of the KAL is it's totally up to you! There are no rules and no deadlines, but I found that it definitely kept me on track and on task when I got to that "endless stockinette" portion of the pattern. I can't wait to do another one!
The fruits of our labor! (P.S. The KAL in question was Rosamund's Cardigan. Not too tough for beginners, but interesting enough to keep you occupied for not-beginners. Heart!)
03 January 2011
So sick I can't even knit.
How sad. What a terrible way to kick off the New Year! With the worst cold ever! (Well, the worst since I had this same cold last year...) I called out of work today, but even with uninterrupted couch time, I was too sick to knit more than a few rows of my Rosamund's Cardigan. I started this cardigan as a KAL (knit along) with a friend, and hers is now blocking while mine still needs 3 waist decreases and 2 sleeves. I am loving this sweater though. There's a ton of plain (reverse) stockinette, so it goes fast, but there's enough to keep track of with cables and shaping that it doesn't get boring. I'm knitting it in some gorgeous Sanguine Gryphon Free Range in the Indian Peafowl colorway. I bought the yarn at Rhinebeck in October and I love it so much, I ordered 2 more skeins to make Allen a Clockwork! If my nose stops running I may actually finish Rosamund this week.
My first cast-on of the new year will be a pair of convertible (flip top) mitts for Allen. Since my long-suffering husband has yet to receive any of my knitting handiwork, I figured it was time. He's actually getting a set: convertible mitts, a koolhaas and Clockwork. I'm trying to fly through the mitts and hat so I can get to clockwork before it warms up! My goal is to finish Allen's "commuting set" before February 1. Hurry up fingers! Knit faster!
The amigurumi that we knit for our nieces went over really well. I'm very pleased with how they turned out and how easy it was to modify the clothes for each. Allen's Hep Kitty is my absolute favorite, and our niece almost didn't get a Christmas gift from us as a result! So tempting to keep it for my own! Allen has promised to make me one though. And the Little Man Vest I made for our nephew came out adorable and fit him perfectly! Which, actually, is a bad thing since he's one and a half. He'll basically get to wear it this winter and that's it. Luckily, my sister (in-law) has another on the way so maybe it will get some more use!
Look at those adorable crafts! Uh, I mean kids! Happy New year and happy crafting!
My first cast-on of the new year will be a pair of convertible (flip top) mitts for Allen. Since my long-suffering husband has yet to receive any of my knitting handiwork, I figured it was time. He's actually getting a set: convertible mitts, a koolhaas and Clockwork. I'm trying to fly through the mitts and hat so I can get to clockwork before it warms up! My goal is to finish Allen's "commuting set" before February 1. Hurry up fingers! Knit faster!
The amigurumi that we knit for our nieces went over really well. I'm very pleased with how they turned out and how easy it was to modify the clothes for each. Allen's Hep Kitty is my absolute favorite, and our niece almost didn't get a Christmas gift from us as a result! So tempting to keep it for my own! Allen has promised to make me one though. And the Little Man Vest I made for our nephew came out adorable and fit him perfectly! Which, actually, is a bad thing since he's one and a half. He'll basically get to wear it this winter and that's it. Luckily, my sister (in-law) has another on the way so maybe it will get some more use!
Look at those adorable crafts! Uh, I mean kids! Happy New year and happy crafting!
02 January 2011
Resolutions.
1. Knitting project bigamy. No more then 2 projects on needles at any given time!
2. Blog more. And include photos.
3. Run.
4. Be thankful, be positive, look forward.
2. Blog more. And include photos.
3. Run.
4. Be thankful, be positive, look forward.
06 December 2010
Amigurumi!!
I have a serious crush on all things Japanese. Well, maybe not all, but I love the design aesthetic in general, and the cutesy, cutesy in specific. Enter amigurumi.
Amigurumi are dolls that are either knitted or crocheted, usually with oversized heads, that are anthropomorphic, but generally feature animal elements - like bunny ears or a tail - or are animals with anthropomorphic features. You get the picture. The bottom line? They are cute. Like super cute. Makes you squee and scream a little cute.
They are also a pain in the ass to make. I am speaking from experience here. Like any project, the devil's in the details. Amigurumi are endlessly customizable, but also require so many little touches to make - like embroidered eyebrows, or a fun fur wig. And anyone who has ever even looked at fun fur knows, it ain't actually all that fun. Poorly executed amigurumi look downright creepy, though, to be fair, some of them are intended to be creepy. And because amigurumi are so customizable, they can easily be re-purposed into the counterculture crafting category. (Go alliteration!) One of my favorite examples of this is Strawbeary from Beth Doherty's "Amigurumi: Super Happy Crochet Cute!". Someone re-imagined this sweet little girl/bear as a bad-ass punk chick (Ravelry link), complete with hot pink mohawk. I. Love. It. There are endless variations, from Captain Jack Sparrow (seriously?! so cute! I wonder if Johnny Depp would return my phone calls if I sent him one of these?) to Star Wars characters and ZOMG Futurama! (She also has Lord of the Rings characters. I heart her.)
Having recently completed a Strawbeary of my own, I can appreciate that anyone can make a cute amigurumi, but it takes some special attention to detail to make it "super happy crochet cute". My fun fur wig, for example, sits just a bit too high and forward. It should, ideally speaking, cover the top of the head form and come down to the back of the neck. I should have stretched it around a bit more, or been less lazy about repositioning it. But once I got that monstrosity on there, I really wasn't up to pulling out the stitches and trying again. It falls into the "not perfect but good enough" category.
Now that I have some experience with it, I'm thinking about re-imagining some of the designs in the book - the Punk Bunny, for example, as a girl with leggings and tunic. (Keeping the skull, natch!) I'm also imagining Hep Cat as a girl. She wears black and patchouli perfume and she is bored with your affectations of culture. I'm pretty excited about making her. In fact, the beret looks so good, I think I'll make some for my actual cats. They like stuff on their heads, right?
Amigurumi are dolls that are either knitted or crocheted, usually with oversized heads, that are anthropomorphic, but generally feature animal elements - like bunny ears or a tail - or are animals with anthropomorphic features. You get the picture. The bottom line? They are cute. Like super cute. Makes you squee and scream a little cute.
They are also a pain in the ass to make. I am speaking from experience here. Like any project, the devil's in the details. Amigurumi are endlessly customizable, but also require so many little touches to make - like embroidered eyebrows, or a fun fur wig. And anyone who has ever even looked at fun fur knows, it ain't actually all that fun. Poorly executed amigurumi look downright creepy, though, to be fair, some of them are intended to be creepy. And because amigurumi are so customizable, they can easily be re-purposed into the counterculture crafting category. (Go alliteration!) One of my favorite examples of this is Strawbeary from Beth Doherty's "Amigurumi: Super Happy Crochet Cute!". Someone re-imagined this sweet little girl/bear as a bad-ass punk chick (Ravelry link), complete with hot pink mohawk. I. Love. It. There are endless variations, from Captain Jack Sparrow (seriously?! so cute! I wonder if Johnny Depp would return my phone calls if I sent him one of these?) to Star Wars characters and ZOMG Futurama! (She also has Lord of the Rings characters. I heart her.)
Having recently completed a Strawbeary of my own, I can appreciate that anyone can make a cute amigurumi, but it takes some special attention to detail to make it "super happy crochet cute". My fun fur wig, for example, sits just a bit too high and forward. It should, ideally speaking, cover the top of the head form and come down to the back of the neck. I should have stretched it around a bit more, or been less lazy about repositioning it. But once I got that monstrosity on there, I really wasn't up to pulling out the stitches and trying again. It falls into the "not perfect but good enough" category.
Now that I have some experience with it, I'm thinking about re-imagining some of the designs in the book - the Punk Bunny, for example, as a girl with leggings and tunic. (Keeping the skull, natch!) I'm also imagining Hep Cat as a girl. She wears black and patchouli perfume and she is bored with your affectations of culture. I'm pretty excited about making her. In fact, the beret looks so good, I think I'll make some for my actual cats. They like stuff on their heads, right?
22 November 2010
Baby clothes.
And now for something completely different...
My husband and I recently made a huge decision. We are ready, really ready, to start a family. I don't want to get in to too many personal details - this isn't that kind of blog - but the short version is: we've decided to start adoption paperwork. We discussed adoption as a way to grow our family long before we got to the point where it was a viable option, and adoption was always a part of our family plan. We assumed we'd have some kind of blended family, and so far, that's still the "plan". Well, as much as anything like this can actually be planned. I'm sure any parent will tell you that once your child enters your life, all your carefully made "plans" fly right out the window. I can't wait!
So, we decided to jump in with both feet and start the adoption process. It takes a long time, and we're at the very beginning, but since it's something we always wanted to do, why not start now? There are myriad details left to work out. Private adoption vs. agency, International vs. domestic. Once we choose an agency and start the home study process, I think we'll have a more concrete plan about the wherefores and how-tos, and presumably, the social worker assigned to our case will help us figure those things out.
The crafter in me is already brainstorming themes for a child's room. Will it be elves and dwarves and dragons? Will it be Steampunk? Will it be wizards and witches and magic wands? So many options! In general, I love craft projects that revolve around kids - they are usually faster projects, though they can get really involved. But you can also explore a whole range of themes that is usually left out of adult projects - except maybe on Halloween.
It will likely be a year, or longer, before we bring home the new addition to our family, but you will start seeing a lot more craft projects geared towards children in the coming months. I'm trying to balance my unbridled enthusiasm and excitement with the reality check that this is a waiting game. But I am so excited to start this new chapter of our lives, and I wanted to tell the whole world. So, I figured I'd start with my little corner of the Internet. If anyone has been through the process or has some tips or advice to share, please feel free to contact me! I'd love to hear your story!
My husband and I recently made a huge decision. We are ready, really ready, to start a family. I don't want to get in to too many personal details - this isn't that kind of blog - but the short version is: we've decided to start adoption paperwork. We discussed adoption as a way to grow our family long before we got to the point where it was a viable option, and adoption was always a part of our family plan. We assumed we'd have some kind of blended family, and so far, that's still the "plan". Well, as much as anything like this can actually be planned. I'm sure any parent will tell you that once your child enters your life, all your carefully made "plans" fly right out the window. I can't wait!
So, we decided to jump in with both feet and start the adoption process. It takes a long time, and we're at the very beginning, but since it's something we always wanted to do, why not start now? There are myriad details left to work out. Private adoption vs. agency, International vs. domestic. Once we choose an agency and start the home study process, I think we'll have a more concrete plan about the wherefores and how-tos, and presumably, the social worker assigned to our case will help us figure those things out.
The crafter in me is already brainstorming themes for a child's room. Will it be elves and dwarves and dragons? Will it be Steampunk? Will it be wizards and witches and magic wands? So many options! In general, I love craft projects that revolve around kids - they are usually faster projects, though they can get really involved. But you can also explore a whole range of themes that is usually left out of adult projects - except maybe on Halloween.
It will likely be a year, or longer, before we bring home the new addition to our family, but you will start seeing a lot more craft projects geared towards children in the coming months. I'm trying to balance my unbridled enthusiasm and excitement with the reality check that this is a waiting game. But I am so excited to start this new chapter of our lives, and I wanted to tell the whole world. So, I figured I'd start with my little corner of the Internet. If anyone has been through the process or has some tips or advice to share, please feel free to contact me! I'd love to hear your story!
15 November 2010
To quilt or not to quilt...
As you may know, I love quilting. As you may also know, I have an ancient sewing machine. I guess, technically speaking, it's not "antique" ancient, but it's from the 70's. And while it's a perfectly serviceable sewing machine in most respects, there are some things that I find extremely difficult to accomplish with said machine. Like quilting.
Sewing fabric together, in general, is a task my machine can handle. But once you get more than two pieces of fabric in there, you really have to muscle it around to get it to sew properly. And starting at the edge of the fabric usually results in bunching and occasionally some tearing. It's not a pretty sight.
So, like I said, I can sew quilt tops together pretty easily. Some of the more complicated blocks get, well, complicated to sew because of the bunching problem, but all in all, it's a fairly manageable task. Actually quilting the thing is another story altogether... Quilting involves layering the top, the batting and the backing together like a quilt sandwich and basting to hold them roughly in place while you sew through all 3 layers. Quilt bats come in a variety of materials and thicknesses, but I tend to favor fairly thin, organic cotton bats. When I get all three layers together under the needle, I have to grip and pull pretty hard to get the fabric to move through together. Usually, a walking foot is all that is needed to accomplish this task. A walking foot will help keep the bottom fabric moving along with the top fabric. I have a walking foot, but that doesn't seem to solve the problem. I think the main issue is that my machine was designed to darn socks and sew clothes, but not to quilt. The short answer to the problem is that I need a new machine.
Which brings me to my main issue for the day: I have a quilt top that I sewed and love, and gave as a gift to my husband on our second anniversary - well, our second dating anniversary. So I've had this quilt top finished and waiting to be made into a beautiful bed cover for 4 years now, but I was afraid that if I quilted it myself, I'd ruin it. I've quilted on that machine before, but I get little areas where the fabric hasn't move along the way it should and bunches up. I did not want that to happen with this top, so I took it to my local quilt shop to have it professionally quilted with a long arm quilting machine. I've seem this woman's work before and I know the top will come out beautiful, but I'm still feeling a bit of guilt over it. I mean, I picked out the fabric, I sewed the top together, I cut the binding strips and sewed them together, and I picked out the batting and backing fabric. She is going to put it all together, quilt and bind it. So can I still say that I made the quilt? I always feel like I need a bunch of caveats - like "I made the top, but I had it professionally quilted."
On the one hand I feel like it's cheating a bit to have it professionally quilted, but on the other hand I know that a) it's going to be beautiful, b) the actual quilting step is difficult and requires both time and skill, and c) many quilters send most or all of their tops to be professionally quilted. Particularly for quilts entered in contests and such. So maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself for sending my top to be professionally done. I don't have to do every single bit of the project in order for it to be "mine". I'm not growing the cotton, or dying it, after all. And, if nothing else, I'm supporting a small business, right?
Anyone else want to weigh in?
Sewing fabric together, in general, is a task my machine can handle. But once you get more than two pieces of fabric in there, you really have to muscle it around to get it to sew properly. And starting at the edge of the fabric usually results in bunching and occasionally some tearing. It's not a pretty sight.
So, like I said, I can sew quilt tops together pretty easily. Some of the more complicated blocks get, well, complicated to sew because of the bunching problem, but all in all, it's a fairly manageable task. Actually quilting the thing is another story altogether... Quilting involves layering the top, the batting and the backing together like a quilt sandwich and basting to hold them roughly in place while you sew through all 3 layers. Quilt bats come in a variety of materials and thicknesses, but I tend to favor fairly thin, organic cotton bats. When I get all three layers together under the needle, I have to grip and pull pretty hard to get the fabric to move through together. Usually, a walking foot is all that is needed to accomplish this task. A walking foot will help keep the bottom fabric moving along with the top fabric. I have a walking foot, but that doesn't seem to solve the problem. I think the main issue is that my machine was designed to darn socks and sew clothes, but not to quilt. The short answer to the problem is that I need a new machine.
On the one hand I feel like it's cheating a bit to have it professionally quilted, but on the other hand I know that a) it's going to be beautiful, b) the actual quilting step is difficult and requires both time and skill, and c) many quilters send most or all of their tops to be professionally quilted. Particularly for quilts entered in contests and such. So maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself for sending my top to be professionally done. I don't have to do every single bit of the project in order for it to be "mine". I'm not growing the cotton, or dying it, after all. And, if nothing else, I'm supporting a small business, right?
Anyone else want to weigh in?
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