Flat Stanley: Pattern you will tire of but nonetheless love

Stripe study indeed: you best be prepared to study and study those stripes because you will be spending a lot of quality time together. In fact you'll have a blooming PhD in stripes by the time you're done. However I am not going to disparage this pattern too much because when all is said and done you are left with a stunning and impressive shawl of the highest order, but what I will say is this: you will be completely emotionally done with this project way, way before you are actually indeed done with it. You dig?

The Specs:

Pattern: Stripe Study Shawl by Veera Välimäki

Yarn: madelinetosh madtosh sock in 'Tart' and 'Winter Wheat'. One skein each, no leftovers!

Needles: Size 6

Mods: Do you call stopping after 11 stripes because there is no way in hell you're winding another skein for one stripe a mod? If so, then yeah. That.

I all honesty the project was a rollicking good time for the first 6 stripes or so. It is quite fun to see the assymetricality of the stripes take shape as the short rows do their magic. The pattern is very easy once you fully get the logic of it all.

My love affair with all things madelinetosh continues, my friends. This sock yarn is a dream. And does anyone do colors the way madelinetosh? Please clue me in of you have a cheeky answer to that question, because I am all ears.

I'm going to call this pattern the Flat Stanley of WIPs because I took this pattern everywhere:

-to class when my students were taking a test:

-to a Sea Shanty party (if that's your bag you might want to join this group on Ravelry. I don't even...):

-to work to randomly knit on while waiting for advisees to show up. I got a lot done this way if you know what I mean:

-on my porch, during the 15 minutes minutes in which it's actually been pleasant to be outside:

Yeah, this project was my constant companion for about a month. And if you can believe it, I am thinking of casting on for another go-round as I need a good travel project. More on that in the next post...

Pattern you will never tire of!

Well the Shetland Triangle is the stuff of legends for a very good reason: it just WORKS, you know? It is supremely wearable and quite easily memorized. You always know exactly where you are at all times and it is done at precisely the moment you are about to be completely over it. WIN WIN WIN DING DING DING.

The Specs:

Pattern: Shetland Triangle Lace Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark

Yarn: Rowan Kid Classic in color #847. I have a lot to say about this yarn, so don't go anywhere.

Needles: Size 6

Mods: Insert NONE here

Oh Rowan Kid Classic...you are the perfect combination of 70% wool, 26% mohair and 4% nylon! You might know that I'm not a huge mohair fan as I feel it frequently is somehow in my mouth when I knit with it, to the point where I have phantom mohair mouth when I'm knitting with it. However the clever chemists at Rowan have figured out the perfect formula for mohair: keep it under 26%! Yes, at that percentage it is kept in its place (out of your mouth) because the wool is keeping it in check. And that 4% nylon seriously puts the whole operation into awesome overdrive and maybe keeps the mohair trapped somehow? Such a science-y analysis, I know. And this red is the definition of cherry red, which is one of my favorite reds. I love this yarn and see no reason to not keep hoarding it.

Shawls are really quite a gas to make and especially to give away. I made this for my friend Meredith's birthday, and being the mohair lover and hand made enthusiast that she is, she was very happy with it. I hope to see her wearing at work someday as for a knitter random, chance sightings as you well know are the very best!

Do you like my Minnesota English in the title? Nice dangling preposition, I know. I'm sure I'll be hearing about it from my mom who is a perpetual state of aghastness at the state of my locution. Eh! At least I'm not writing 'Do you wanna come with'. That REALLY sets her off...

Herbivore

I was very tempted to title this blog post something like 'That's a Wrap!' in the great tradition of American Corniness, but instead I'm going with the straight up title of the pattern: Herbivore. Learn this name because at some point you WILL be knitting this pattern, ok?

The Specs:
Pattern: Herbivore by Stephen West
Size: Medium-ish?
Yarn: The Sanguine Gryphon 'Bugga', 1 skein in 'Charlotte'.
Needles: Size 6 Kollage square needles, firm cable because the soft cable ones are dead to me.
Mods: None

This is my first time knitting with the Sanguine Gryphon and Oh My GAH is it nice. Ultra-soft and the color is complex like whoa. HELLO are you checking those yellow flecks in the most gorgeous pale brown ever? I mean, who even thought of that? Wow.

Now on to the pattern itself. Verdict: the most winningest pattern that ever winned. Stephen West loves his twisted stitches, does he not? There is a simplicity in the combination of the twisted stitches and the stockinette that is so satisfying both from a visual and knitting standpoint. The shape is unexpected and makes for a truly versatile garment. Is it a shawl, a wrap, a scarf, or something else entirely? Size-wise you can absolutely monkey around and get the size you like. I made a medium-ish size and am so happy with the results.

I have to say that I was initially prepared to be cheesed-off that there wasn't a chart with this pattern but OMG STEPHEN PLEASE DON'T BE MAD AT ME I WAS WRONG. There is no need for a chart. Pfft--unnecessary. No need whatsoever!

After this and Windschief, I am on a complete roll and have decided to cast on for Clockwork because it has fabulous written all over it. I can't stop! And luckily the guy seems to be churning these patterns out like it's his job (oh wait...) so I am set for the next 24-36 months!

All this is to say that I basically have a new Internet knitting boyfriend and his name is Stephen West. And please don't try to break us up because I will throw some serious hard-core knitting realness back at you...

Two More Hats

Frankly I don't understand how I could have not blogged about these two hat patterns earlier. Ideally it would have been before the freight train known as Daylight Savings Time flattened me and turned me into the walking wounded. I fail to see how a one hour time shift can make a person feel so utterly ill, but there you have it. So. LAME.

The Specs

Hat #1

Pattern: November Leaves by Melissa LaBarre

Yarn: One skein of Shelter in 'Hayloft'.

Size: Large

Needles: size 6 and 7

Mods: None, I did as I was told.

Melissa is the queen of the jaunty hat pattern that once you see it for the first time, you are and bound and determined to drop everything and make it immediately! I love this pattern SO MUCH. The pattern comes in either a tam or beanie version, and I opted for the latter given that it only needed one skein.

Shelter is the perfect yarn for the occasion here. There is a reason this yarn is so hyped at the moment! It is versatile like nobody's business as I have seen many ultra-enticing projects, none more so than Chawne's unbelievable blanket.

The intrepid among you who have downloaded this pattern or seen it elsewhere will notice that I knit the hat not only out of the yarn called for but also the exact color featured in the pattern. Yes, I am that person. Hi!

And just in case you think I am not aware of the eye brow situation here, I am. I have hectored the person in question mercilessly about it but to no avail. Let us never speak of it again.

Hat#2

Pattern: Windschief by Steven West

Yarn: Madeline Tosh Vintage in 'Golden Hickory'

Size: Large

Needles: size 6 and 7

Mods: I did the crown decreases an inch before the pattern indicated per many recommendations on teh Rav and the hat turned out perfectly.

This is a truly clever pattern. Steven West loves his twisted stitches, that's for sure, and watching them migrate and twist on this hat is quite a lot of fun. Seriously! This hat has turned out to be my gateway drug to other Steven West patterns, as since finishing it I've finished another one and even cast on for a third. Which is to stay WATCH THIS SPACE for more twisted stitches.

And now a word about the yarn: madelinetosh Vintage. madelinetosh you are my new thing. You are like Malabrigo was for me in 2005. Or Wollmeise back in 2007. Which is to say that I never want to have to deal with any other yarn ever again, because your colors are eye-popping and your legendary softness is the stuff of dreams. And with names like 'Warm Maize' and 'Ink' you have hopelessly seduced me...

Something to Crow About

Back at the tail end of 2010, I signed up for a super sweet lil neckware swap over on Flickr. Moments later that good ol' trusty companion SELF-DOUBT arrived right on schedule. That train is never late! You see, I am terrified of disappointing others. What if I flake and never actually complete the item, get trapped into a self-created negative spiral in which I avoid knitting the object out of some sense of misplaced resentment and overwhelming sense of anxiety about the task at hand, let it go on for far too long and am then subjected to scorn and ridicule? What if I mail it, am too chintzy to get delivery confirmation, it gets lost in the mail, the recipient has justifiable righteous indignation, runs me out of Knitsville on a rail with the villagers and their pitchforks and I am then subjected to scorn and ridicule? Worst of all, what if I carefully knit said item, the recipient receives it with great anticipation and then throws it down in disgust due to its overall shoddy execution and poor choice of materials? Do you now see how of a sweet lil neckware swap can be a one-way trip to hell?

Luckily that was not the case here. Whew!

The Specs:
Pattern: Crow by Larissa Brown
Yarn: Malabrigo Chunky in 'Sapphire Green', 1 skein.
Needles: size 10.5
Mods: None. It's a cowl.

This is a great pattern from one of my fave designers and gray hair style icons, Larissa Brown. I am in the process of letting my hair go 100% its natural shade of salt and pepper, and clicking on the pattern for Crow just serve to remind me what a stone cold fox she is. AND the pattern is up to her usual standards of beautiful, portable and jolly-making.

My recipient, the delightful Maryse was pleased with my cowl. I was so glad to send it off to her as she's one of my favorite KnitPals ever. In honor of her mighty Frenchitude, I had another Gallic Hot Mami, Sandrine do me the modeling honors here. More proof that I am a terrible friend: I had her model this for me mere moments before a series of high stakes exams. It's all about me and my sunlight needs, people! She was her usual gracious and obliging self. I mean, come to think of it, nipping outside in the fresh air probably took her mind off the event...I am so thoughtful.


An interesting flipside to the above-mentioned swap induced foolish nonsense: I have never once received an item in a swap I didn't 100% completely love. You knit this for me? Really? I LOVE IT! This swap was no different, but more on that next time.

Striped Beanie w/ modifications

Knitting with my beloved Felted Tweed is time well spent indeed. Any respectable inventory of this fair yarn's qualities would have to include mention of the unbelievable array of colors from which to choose, the springy-sproinginess of its hand, and of course, the felt-in-your-hand workability of it. If it were a sailboat, Katharine Hepburn would certainly describe it like this:

Yar. Yes indeed.

The Specs:

Pattern: Striped Beanie by Martin Storey

Yarn: Felted Tweed: 'Rage', 'Avocado' and 'Treacle', bits and bobs of the first two, about a third of a skein of the latter.

Needles: size 3 and 5

Mods: So many that they are included in several paragraphs below. A departure! Usually I'm a go-with-the-flow-it's-all-good type of knitter, but there were many ways to make this pattern work better.

First off, knitting this hat in the round was absolutely essential. Back and forth and then seaming this mother up? Martin, please. So not happening around this joint. Doing it in the round just made much better sense to me and made for an all-around pleasant knitting experience, which is how I like my hobbies.

My next modification involved the jogless seam technique à la Brooklyn Tweed's Turn-a-Square, which if we're going to get real for a moment, should be acknowledged as the all-time most clever way to ever deal with the Stripe Problem. No jog. Problem fixed. Next.

Since we are cannibalizing BT's Turn-a-Square, we might as well also borrow with super awesome crown decreases, because let's face it, they just work. Please note: I am not the first person on Ravelry to come up with these ideas by any means, many other more intrepid knitters then me have done them to great effect. Just go and check the gallery and you will see the magic all in one place.

A word about the book in which this pattern is published: Knitting for Him: 27 Classic Patterns to Keep Him Warm. Now, given the title, it could have easily been one of those odious books that trots out the tired clichés about fickle men and the needy women that risk relationship stability by knitting them sweaters. But I am very relieved to say that but it isn't. It doesn't press any of my major gender buttons and that's a good thing! The projects are super-stylish and worn by semi-hot English fly fishermen and country gents. At least in my fantasy they are...

Well friends, I have ridden this hat wave just about as far as she'll take me. I might have one or two in the pipeline for 2010-2011, but we are gradually transitioning over to something more seasonally appropriate: shawls. Stay tuned!

Good Golly

Several weeks ago, before I became a virtuous knitter who made do with her (quite abundant) stash, I was a slovenly, undisciplined knitter who bought many random skeins of Madeline Tosh yarn with no particular project in mind at all. And boy am I glad that I did! Because now that I've made a deal not to buy yarn without much discernment and a solemn sense of gravitas , I am so glad that this is the yarn that I chose to buy. MadTosh has colors to beat the band! Just ask Babs, she patiently stood by while I spent what must have felt like an eternity dithering as I made my choices [wait...do you like Terrarium or Ginger better? What about Faubourg?]. Of course in the end I bought all of the colors I wanted. I'm sure she's wishing she could get that half hour back....but luckily she is a lifer like me, so she played along. *Take it away, Dionne*

The Specs
Pattern: Molly by Erin Ruth
Yarn: Madeline Tosh DK in 'Glazed Pecan', .75 of a skein
Needles: size 3 and size 6
Mods: Because the cable and stitch pattern rows don't match up, you are keeping track of two things at once, and I have decided that I no longer willing to do that. Nope. Life's too short, knitters! So I made the cable row match up with the pattern row. And no one died.

I am extremely happy with this pattern. I was a bit dubious at first because a busy stitch pattern combined with cables has the potential to be quite loud and even maybe a little vomit inducing, does it not? I mean, the potential for this to go way off the rails is indeed quite high. We're talking Shetland Triangle-in-Koigu off the rails. Luckily that didn't happen here and everything comes together in a way that I find quite pleasing.

This yarn is truly everything it's made out to be. Not only gorgeous but ultra-sproingy! It's the perfect yarn for a slouchy hat. My pal Carolyn joked that I am a hat machine. What can I say? It's my perfect project. It's small. It will probably fit. You can put it in your purse. And if you muff it up, who cares? It's just a hat!

Strago Mittens

About 17 seconds after first seeing this pattern I had not only downloaded the pattern but also sent my young one up to the 3rd floor to retrieve the yarn which was at the bottom of a tupperware container desperately screaming STRAGO! STRAGO! Babs and I both bought this yarn, Jamieson & Smith Natural Shetland, at Rhinebeck 09 for a colorwork project such as this. Hip hip hooray for pre-buying!

The Specs:

Pattern: Strago mittens by Jared Flood

Yarn: Jamieson & Smith Shetland Supreme, 2-ply Jumper Weight, 'Yuglet' & 'Katmollet'

Needles: size 3, Magic Loop

Size: L

Mods: None

This is an exceedingly satisfying color work project in that after a few rows you completely get the logic of the pattern and can visually predict what is supposed to be happening. If you haven't tried stranded knitting, this might be a very nice first project.

Although I truly loved this project, knitting these mittens gave me a little insight into why I might have such a pronounced aversion to socks. Simply put: there are two of them. Somehow my addled-1980s-teenage-former-stoner brain can't deal with the second _______ (sock, mitten,what-have-you) as it just feels like a do-over. Don't make me make that again, I've already made that and I want to make something else now! So you can see that I require a good deal of mental gymnastics to be able to finish a project like this as I just lose steam. Where is the knitting equivalent of a fluffer when I need one? Viggo, are you available?

Several people asked me about the whole knitting-iPad intersection. WOW is it a game changer. It is the perfect pattern keeper! If you use the Goodreader app you can also annotate the pattern and mark your place, leave notes, as well as connect directly to your Ravelry pattern library. No more emailing the pattern to Gary at work asking him to print it out on his color printer and subsequent withholding of affection when he forgets the pattern in his office. So economical! I'm saving so much money!

Baltic

After all the pay-attention-to-your-chart color work knitting that's been happening around here, I've been in serious need of a plain jane zone-out knit. This is a first of a series of unimpressive yet satisfying plain knits that you'll be seeing up in here over the next several days. You'll be forgiven if you're not bowled over by them and wonder to yourself "...is that what knitblogging has come to?". Why yes, yes it has.

The Specs:

Pattern: The Big Easy by Vivian Aubrey

Yarn: Tosh Vintage in 'Baltic', .75 of a skein

Needles: size 7 & 9

Mods: None. I'm all about following the rules.

Sometimes, like when you're watching hockey or have blown out your adrenals playing Angry Birds for three+ hours, you just need a pattern that you can knit and knit on without checking your new iPad(!!) to see which row you're on, you know?

I have been longing to use the MadTosh color 'Baltic' for a very, very long time. I am not even a blue person but wow I love this color. It has a touch of silver and edges in different directions toward teal and green at the same. In other words, you can stare at it a long time and it will mesmerize you...

I am a huge fan of this pattern, mainly because of the fact that the end result is a plain hat with an interesting shape. There's a slouchiness here that seems a tad old fashioned yet still modern. The proof? The model you see pictured here didn't throw the hat at me in disgust after our bathroom photo shoot. She is in fact-sshhh-still wearing it...