Iris G Knits

Jellyfish Shrug Pattern

2009-04-06T05:31:00.000-07:00

I apologize heartly to all my visitors and friends, for I have been away from this knitting blog in the past 20 months. I had taken a long and eventful journey in the wide world. How have you been?

And I've finally found time to write up the Jellyfish shrug pattern again. The original one got lost when my last hard drive died out appoximately 18 months ago, so even myself could not find a copy of it. Anyway, Jellyfish now gets back to life and here it is, on Etsy and here.

Standard-fitting short-sleeved shrug with lacy sleeves and a lacy ribbing border.

Jellyfish is an excellent project to move beyond scarves, or to show off your favourite lace pattern. The body is worked in one flat piece from one sleeve edge to the other. Then the sleeve seams are sewn and stitches are picked up along the edges for a lacy ribbing border, which provides just enough textural contrast. Worked on big needles, Jellyfish requires merely one or two balls of worsted weight mohair yarn, plus approximately 100 yards of DK weight yarn for ribbing – a truly good stash-reducing project!

Finished measurements
Cross back width 18 (19, 20)”/46 (48, 51) cm
Back length 16 (18, 20)”/40 (46, 51) cm
Width from sleeve to sleeve 34 (35, 36)”/86 (89, 91) cm
Sleeve opening circumference 18 (19, 20)”/46 (48, 51) cm
Cuff circumference 16 (17, 18)”/40 (43, 46) cm

Materials
For woman’s size S (M, L):
Approximately 220 (260, 300) yds/200 (240, 270) m of worsted weight mohair yarn.
Approximately 60 (80, 100) yds/50 (70, 90) m of DK weight yarn.
A size US 10 (6 mm) circular needle, 32” or 36” (80 or 90 cm) in length
A size US 8 (4.5 mm) circular needle, 36” or 40” (90 or 100 cm) in length
Stitch markers
Tapestry needle

Skills needed
Cast on, bind off, knit in the round, knit and purl stitches, increases, decreases, pick up stitches.

Price
$6 -- The pattern will be sent to you as a .pdf file (240 kb,5 pages).

Or you can buy it here--a link will be sent to you for downloading the .pdf file:

Thank you,

Iris

A New Sketch

2007-08-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

Whew, another long and tiring day... ;-)

Fall is coming and I want to get myself ready--in a warm and trendy jacket maybe?

I searched over my stash and found quite a few balls of Tahki Santa Fe, a discontinued merino boucle yarn. I even found a swatch:

A little voice in my head kept telling me that it was not a good idea to knit an entire jacket out of this wild yarn, so I made a few quick sketches. Then I colored them liberally--a wild yarn like this deserves a wildly colored sketch, doesn't it ;-)? [Click to view a large picture and you'll see what I mean.]

The last sketch (No.6), as you can see, was for a pullover instead of a jacket. The idea just came up and I liked it. But I really want to make a jacket with a gigantic lapel this time--like those from Burberry Prorsum and Burda Magazine. To me, fall is the perfect season for drama.

The parts in Tiffany blue, if applicable, will be knitted in Jaeger Chamonix, a long discontinued favorite. I didn't know if sketch No.4 would be too bold, so I used Chamonix as a buffer in sketches No.1-3, and No.5. By the way, Jeager yarns are completely discontinued now.

Now, which one do you like best? I could not decide at all; Leopard voted for No.1 and No.3, but I'm never too sure about his choices. Folks, what do you think?

1 2
3 4
5 6

Mulberry Mitten

2007-08-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

There's not much knitting going on here--I can only show you one finished mitten. The second one is still on the needles ;-).

The WIP:

Following Luni and Maud's suggestions, I ripped the UFO back to the cuff and continued working on it. Some modifications on the original chart have also been made--adding a few stitches for a more comfortable fit, refining the shapes of some leaves and buds, etc. By the way, everything's done using Microsoft EXCEL. I like how straightforward and flexible the program is, and I draw most of my charts--color work, lace, or cable charts with it. Final touch-ups are usually done with Adobe Photoshop.

Like some of my previous FOs, the mitten has a story behind it. The original pattern was extracted from a bronze pot, dating back to the Warring States Period of ancient China (475 B.C. to 221 B.C.). When I saw the semi-abstract carved figures, I was deeply moved. Here is a section:

You can immediately see how different the style is from those of ancient Greek and Roman decorative pictures. A human figure is presented in a same way that a tree, a bird, or a beast is depicted. Furthermore, even though several irrelevant activities are presented in one picture, they are all parallel and harmonious.

Now coming back to the design: you must have already found my motif from the picture--a girl sitting on a mulberry tree, picking leaves. Frankly, I was very surprised when seeing it. The ancient poems and essays never said that a girl had to climb up a tree to collect mulberry leaves!

Another UFO!

2007-08-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

Because the colors just won't work together.

The three yarns used here--
Gems Pearl
Jaeger Matchmaker merino 4 ply
Hand Jive Knits Nature's Palette fingering
--are all buttery soft and easy to work with, maybe that's why I didn't realize how sharp the contrast is until the pattern was nearly done!

Now the palm side looks funny to me ;-).

Well, a post shall never be depressing! Let me show you a couple of swatches I made sometime last week. I played with the original pattern a bit--it has become a habit now.

This is the original pattern (from one of the four treasuries), short and sweet.

Together with its mirror image, it becomes a larger pattern:

In the last two or three repeats, the left side of the pattern was shifted by a half vertical repeat, however the pattern repeat is too small to reflect the difference. I think I'll leave the last variation out.

Lotus Purse Pattern

2007-08-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

A drawstring pouch with lotus blossom shaped cables and knotted tassels.

The original inspiration comes from the lotus purse, a traditional Chinese pouch. It is usually attached to the belt as a coin purse or a cosmetics bag. Hand stitched, embroidered, and tasseled, it showcases a woman’s needlework skills and reflects her personality. It is therefore a popular keepsake gift between family members and betrothed ones as a token of love.

Finished Size
4”/10 cm X 6”/15 cm, without tassels

Materials
• Approximately 150 yds/135 m of 4-ply/fingering yarn. Shown in Filatura Di Crosa Dolce Amore (cotton, 198 yds/180 m per 50 g ball), #7 lavender, 1 ball
• A set of size US#4 (3.5 mm) double pointed needles (dpns); or a size 4 (3.5 mm) circular needle, 24” or 32” (60 or 80 cm) in length
• Cable needle
• Stitch marker
• Tapestry needle

Skills needed
Cast on, bind off, knit and purl stitches, cable stitches, decreases, increases, knit in the round, pick up stitches.

Price
$5.25 - you will be sent a link to download the pattern as a .pdf file (290 kb).

Thank you for looking and have a great day :-)!

-Iris

Lotus Purse

2007-08-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

Now you see a sleeve...

But what are these cords for?

The answer is: for knotted tassels.

A traditional Chinese dress had no pockets, hence a girl had to attach a purse to her belt like this:

It was called a lotus purse and was usually embroidered and tasseled by the wearer herself, showcasing her needlework skills and, at the same time, reflecting her personality. Therefore, a painstakingly embroidered lotus purse was usually presented to a family member, or a betrothed one, as a keepsake gift. It was a symbol of love.

Lotus

2007-08-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

A beautiful water plant, lotus quite naturally symbolized important ideas in ancient civilizations.

For instance, one of the Egyptian creation myths featured a huge lotus which rose from the infinite ocean of inert water and marked the beginning of time. The sun then rose from inside the lotus. Later, when the Egyptians discovered that lotus flowers open at dawn and close at dusk on a daily basis, they made it a symbol of rebirth in addition to creation and sun.

In ancient India, the lotus flower represented spiritual enlightenment--a blessed state in which the individual transcends desire and suffering and attains Nirvana.

In ancient China...not a single myth involved a lotus. Not even any (documented) folk lore. It only appeared sparsely in ancient folk songs (before 476 B.C.), usually in the introductory lines. For example, there is a song named Lakeside which begins with:

Close to the lakeshore
In the marsh
Cattails and lotus flourish

The author then moved away from the water plants and described how deeply he or she missed a beautiful person--the universal and eternal theme of folk songs.

In Han Dynasty (202 B.C. to 220 A.D.), the central government of China established the Department of Music (I almost typed Magic!) to collect and compile folk songs. Selected songs were then rehearsed so that they could be played, sometimes alone, but mostly with dancers, in front of the court. Although most of the scores got lost over the following two thousand years, most lyrics (poems) have survived to this day. Many earliest acquisitions were unbelievably simple; so simple that they could not have been selected in later years. A most famous one depicts a lively summer scene:

Lotus pods are gathered in the South
Where the round leaves spread and thrive
With fish playing underneath them
Fish are playing to the east of a leaf
Fish are playing to the west of a leaf
Fish are playing to the south of a leaf
Fish are playing to the north of a leaf

The last four lines must have been a chorus, and dancers might have to throw their long sleeves to the four directions accordingly.

I should stop talking about the cultural values of a lotus plant before it gets too long. By the way, the Lotophagi, or the lotus eaters in Odyssey must have been eating something different. The lotus seeds that I am familiar with are neither gathered from a tree, nor are they narcotic. When taken freshly from the pod, they are actually sweet and juicy with a touch of a uniquely clean fragrance.

Coming back to knitting--last time I showed you this WIP in a lavender shaded 4-ply cotton yarn. I actually had a lotus plant in mind when casting on. Not just a flower, mind you, but flowers, leaves, and seeds. And I had set a restriction to myself: I would do it with cables and ribbing only. The knitting process has been painful, which is very rare for me. I kept on ripping out rows and the yarn became splitty. Finally everything worked out, in my mind first, then on the needles. The seeds are not here yet, but can you see the flower(s) and the (single) leaf?

It may look like another fingerless glove but it is not ;-). Alas, I had planned to finish it this afternoon, yet translating the simple poem had taken me so long.

The text beneath the WIP has nothing to do with the poem; it's just a book that I have been reading--for more than 10 years now, oh my!
-------------------------------------------------------
These beautiful lines were sent to me by Shui Kuen:

From mud-
Lotus flower emerges:
Clean and fragrant.

I feel extremely honored, thank you SK!

Swatches

2007-08-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

I guess it's just a matter of time that a knitter who started with chubby yarns finds herself increasingly attracted to slim and wispy yarns--thread thin in the end. Many of you must know what I'm talking about...Poor me, I've just realized that I can no longer walk into a yarn store and end up buying anything over DK weight! Soon I'll be knitting away with spider silk, I suppose?

You can see for yourself--here are some recent additions to my stash--end of summer sales, you know ;-).

Brilla is a cheerful DK yarn, and the generous helping of rayon makes it look and feel like a plastic string. Got the hang of it after some practice. It's pretty in Stockinette stitches and OK in simple cables.

However it's Dolce Amore that I fell for. Soft and sweet 4-ply cotton which lends itself to a variety of stitch patterns.

If you are curious about the cabled knots, well it is a stitch pattern from Elsebeth Lavold's Viking Patterns for Knitting. I'm not a fan of designs with allover cables, simply because they eat up a lot more yarn and appear bulky. Lavold's style is exactly my cup of tea: simple cut, with just enough cables and knots.

Freya (below) currently tops my to do list, though I haven't decided which yarn to use. The pattern has no schematics so I'll have to draw one according to the instructions, then maybe make some changes. I covet bell-shaped sleeves these days!

Finally, have you seen the knitters' responses to Knitting Daily's little sizing survey? Well worth reading, especially for designers--some great suggestions and comments there, such as providing an icon with a pattern to show what kinds of body shapes a design flatters. I am really eager to see IK's response...is it ever possible to make everyone happy?

On the other hand, VK has just started a column by Lily Chin on sizing up (or down) and modifying patterns; I have found the first of the series informative and candid. BTW, my favorite articles from the fall VK are:

1. Vogue Knitting, cover to cover. It's sort of similar to Vogue's Contributors, which I find unpretentious and friendly.

2. Meg's list, A to Z, for it makes a great check list for any knitters who consider themselves experienced.

3. A chat with Barbara Walker. It makes me smile.

An Award and a Meme

2007-08-05T10:43:00.000-07:00

One of my fellow bloggers, the very talented Octopus Knits, sent me a pink badge:

Thanks, dear! Oh and please say Hi to Moana and Bug for me!

And I would like to pass this award on to these Rockin' Girl KnitBloggers (in alphabetical order):

Connie
Edna
Erin
Fleegle
Jane
Lucy
Ruby

Don't worry folks, this is not a Meme! I guess you can just grab the badge and proudly display it ;-) on your wonderful blogs; you deserve it.

Then it's the Meme--I was tagged by Connie, who also kindly suggested that I start the random facts with my favorite food.

1. My favorite dessert has to be creme brulee; when buying coffee I'd always ask for whipped cream ("as much as possible please"); never used vegetable oil when baking a cake--Now, is it clear that I love cream?

2. In high school, I kept a monkey and a wild bat as my pets. Both were astonishingly affectionate little creatures, especially the monkey, who would never go to sleep without holding my fingers in her little hands.

3. I learned quite a few bird songs from my father when I was little. After all these years, I still enjoying talking to birds--such as cardinals--and irritating them. A typical dispute goes something like this:

Cardinal: Singing beautifully.
Me: Mimicking.
Cardinal(sees me): Who are you?
Me: This is my territory!
Cardinal: No it's mine!
Me: Mine! Mine!
Cardinal: Go away!
Me: Mine! Go away!

Then, in most cases, the angry bird flies away.

4. On most mornings, I wake up without remembering where I am or who I am.

5. Like Remy in Ratatouille, I have a very good sense of smell (and taste). For instance, I usually can tell which spices have been used in a dish by smelling it. If I am allowed to try a little, a reproduction will later appear in my little kitchen. Many of my friends can attest to this.

6. My favorite flowers: lotus in summer and plum flowers in winter.

7. I plan to establish a foundation (many years from now of course) to collect and compile folk songs.

8. I made a few buttons using grosgrain ribbons yesterday--do you think they'd go with Indigo Flowers, or shall I use a ribbon closure?

Here's a pair:

Ribbon closure:

What do you say?
------------------
An answer to Fleegle's question:

I saved the baby bat from a (slowly) coming car and took him home, made a nest for him and fed him with milk. He tried to bite everybody but me. Later when he had grown up, he chose to stay with us (going out in the evening, coming back in the morning, like a tomcat;-)).
------------------
Maryse, I'm sorry that I have no answer--I myself had been wondering about that over the years.

Indigo Flowers V

2007-08-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

Click to read about Indigo Flowers I, II, III, 3.5, and IV.

My dear friends and guests, welcome to the show! Here, I give you Indigo Flowers , undergoing metamorphosis (blocking, that is):

Can you see how joyful the lace is, relaxing in a basin of tepid water?

A dollop of rose-scented conditioner leaves a lingering sweet scent on the vest. I know, I should have used orchid or lavender to match the mood of the vest, but I always find rose irresistible.

As you can see, the neckline is finished with a few rows of garter stitches and THE bind-off method. Initially I also worked two rounds of seed stitches at the sleeve openings, but Calmer had its own mind (elastic cotton, what can you do), so I ripped them out in the end.

Here are a couple of peeks:

Ah and I must show you the asymmetrical element I incorporated into the vest. Look at the left side, and ignore the marker thread please:

It's been so long since I first conceived the design--two and a half months to be accurate. Like many others, I changed quite a few design elements on the way, so I am more than pleased to see that the original idea has come through (has it ;-)?) in the finished garment. Invaluable suggestions and opinions from friends and readers have helped me out of several critical problems, and your encouragements and reminders(!) have kept Indigo Flowers alive ;-). Thank you!

--Iris

Indigo Flowers IV

2007-07-28T15:37:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, I dug Indigo Flowers (not yet forgotten!) out of my stash and resumed the work. What really surprised me was that the flowers literally flew off the needles--must have been due to the training that I got from the complicated laces!

Here's the back--aren't the ripples and wavelets lovely? And, is it quite different from what you have expected? Not so wild, not so bold…

I actually stopped at six rows before the bind-off row so I still have a chance to tweak the neckline a bit. Once again there's a dilemma. On one hand, the wavy neckline should get fixed. On the other hand, a fancy collar won't work since the vest is supposed to have a simple cut. The fact that it will be paired up with a shirt/blouse should be considered as well. What do you think? Shall I finish the vest with a few lines of garter stitches along the back and the front neckline and let them fall back leisurely, or shall I do an I-cord bind-off?

With Indigo Flowers sitting quietly aside, I picked up my tiny little lace needles--oh how am I obsessed--to cast on a few stitches with my new favorite yarn (THE silk). Yup I am trying a new design, no I have not figured it out completely yet, but that's why we like knitting and designing so much ;-), correct?

Finally, having seen how beautiful this (Non-)Pencil Sketch had turned out to be, I thought it might be a good idea to modify the pattern and expand the size range--just give me a little more time!

Diving Into Lace

2007-07-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

I can't help it. It's summer--how natural it is to pick up a pair of sleek and cool lace needles and a cone of equally sleek and cool thread and embark on a swatching session?

See what I've got:

The pattern's A Harebell Fichu, from Jane Sowerby's Victorian Lace Today. I found a few super fantastic finished ones here. Well, if you haven't recognized it right away, it's probably because I used a super fine yarn--ColourMart 2/28 silk. The photo upstairs was taken when the swatch was still wet.

As it dries, the yarn starts to shine:

The Sl1-K4tog-PSSOs were quite fun to do, and the resulting nubs look so pretty to me! I would modify the pattern a bit and add some more of these. Another modification I have in mind is to make the picots larger. What we have here--they are at the left edge--are formed with CO 2 sts, BO 2 sts. I'd go with more than 2 sts.

Right after I finished the swatch, Fleegle tempted all lace knitters again (!) by posting outrageously attractive lacy designs by Lene Holme Samsøe. Unfortunately I cannot justify the >$40 shipping rate for now. To compensate, I played with my lace needles and Zephyr to make a lacy tree.

The other half of the inspiration came from Norah Gaughan's Knitting Nature. Remember her Phyllotaxis-themed designs?

Oh and I went to Vogue Knitting's website last night--they've just updated it (Fall 07 is VK's 25th anniversary issue) and there are many free patterns to download! I love the colors! And once again Norah showed us what she can do--amazing. I'll definitely go pick up a copy.

The Needles Excellency

2007-07-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

Readers beware: "the Needles" contains no custom-made praise for our beloved dpns or circulars.

The Needles Excellency is a funny little book first published in 1631. The first one third of the 42 pages carried a long poem titled The Praise of the Needle, written by John Taylor (1580-1653).

The first page looks like this:

See how boring it is already? After a long list of fiber sources, Taylor used a little imagination and described how miserable our life would be without needles--so many types of clothing and home accessories would disappear (gasp!):

And thus without the Needle we may see

We should without our Bibs and Biggins bee

No Shirts or Smockes, our nakednesse to hide

No garments gay, to make us magnifide

No Shadowes, Shapparoones, Caules, Bands, Ruffs, Kuffs

No Kerchiefes, Quayses, Chin-clouts, or Marry-Muffes

No Crof-cloaths, Apron, Hand-kerchiefes, or Falls

No Table-cloathes for Parlours or for Halls

No Sheets, no Towels, Napkins, Pillow-beares

Not any Garment man or woman weares

The impressive list was then followed by many pages of general descriptions of the importance and the glory of needleworks...until Taylor turned to the ladies of the English court and specifically described their virtue, which had supposedly been exemplified by their fine needlework.

The poem for Catherine of Aragon:

and Queen Elizabeth I:

Whether his intention was to persuade women to pick up needles or to identify with the ladies, these poems turned out to be rather irrelevant...

Anyway, what I really liked were the printed patterns that followed the lines. Maybe a woman would not fancy the poem, but would pay for the charts?

Here are a few familiar patterns. Further study is certainly required, but I suppose that these embroidery/lace patterns were later borrowed by knitters? Please correct me if I'm wrong ;-).

My favorite from the book:

I thought this one's got full potential to become a beautiful border on a fine-gauge sweater, so I played with it a bit:

What do you say? The effects are quite different--Norwegian vs Fair Isle?

Historical Knitting, Part I

2007-07-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

It all started from a free pattern for a stunning (and simple!) stole. If, like me, you visit Elann often, then you certainly would agree that Shui Kuen Kozinski is a master of lace. Most of her exquisite patterns begin with a few lines of poem, as lovely as the patterns. This time, however, Shui Kuen started her Voyager Lace Stole with a quote, taken from a book published 150 years ago.

The lace pattern for the stole, like some of her previous designs, was adapted from another historical pattern extracted from a book named Home Work, A Choice Collection of Useful Designs for Crochet and Knitting Needle. Out of curiosity, I looked for the book online and found it in no time.

Home Work was an impressive collection of crocheting and knitting patterns--well over 300 pages. As if these were not enough to persuade a frugal woman of nineteenth century to purchase it, the author/editor generously threw in a chapter of formulas for home-made skincare and makeup products: face powders, glycerin cream, rose cold cream, hair wash, etc. This "favorite of Marie Antoinette" caught my attention:

...a wash distilled from half a dozen lemons cut small, a handful of white lily leaves and southernwood infused in two quarts of milk with an ounce and a half of white sugar and an ounce of rock alum...
...the face at night was to be bathed with this water, which gave a beautiful purity and liveliness to the complexion.

Let us take a scientific look at the recipe: Lemon, lily leaves and southernwood are good sources of vitamin C, a natural brightener; they work as antiseptics as well--no acnes or pimples! Milk proteins work to tone and plump up the skin; and rock alum had historically been used as a topical astringent and styptic. Judging from the proportion of the ingredients, the wash should be mildly acidic--exactly what human skin wants. Really, this night toner should work wonders!

Now back to the needlework contents. I have yet to try crocheting so I cannot comment on a larger part of the book. A closer look through the knitting pages surprised me--I realized that many of the stitch patterns had been made available online before, and that I have fondly tried out several of them with good results.

So you may ask, can we use Home Work directly for our knitting? Probably not.

First of all, only written instructions were given for the patterns. There were not schematics or charts, and illustrations were sparse and not of the highest quality. Given that the author/editor focused largely on lace panels, inserts, and edgings, the lack of charts or clear illustrations, needless to say, could easily dampen a modern knitter's eagerness(1).

Even if you are feeling lucky, there is another problem. Precise descriptions and symbols that we use today had not appeared then. For instance, in the book, right-slanting and left-slanting decreases were indistinguishable--Ssks and k2togs were both referred to as "narrow"(2).

Although I would not knit directly from Home Work, this book is full of historical interest. It reflected how knitting, as a traditional craft, had developed during the past century. Why can't we see any serious Fair Isle or Aran knitting in the book(3)? Because these two branches joined the mainstream only after the turn of the century. A comparison of this book to any knitting book of today can show us how knitting charts, diagrams, symbols, abbreviations, formats, etc, have been standardized over the last hundred years. Not only can we flip through pages full of clear illustrations and beautiful photographs, but we can click the mouse for inspirations and resources. And not to mention the cornucopia of commercial yarns, needles, and gadgets!

Looking back, I have to hold the author, and the knitters of her time, in great reverence. And once again, I was reminded that I am a tiny part of a great traditional craft that's called knitting.

The preface of Home Work takes only a minute to read and I highly recommend it(page 1 and page 2):

...Home Work is a useful book. It is published with the hope that it will provide a pleasure and a help in very many homes...

Usefulness and pleasure--could anyone have summarized it better?

------------------------------------------------

(1) Do you remember to whom Victorian Lace Today was dedicated?
...to the pioneering Victorian women who wrote the first knitting books and to the more adventurous women who knit from them.

(2) According to Jane Sowerby, the word "narrow" in early knitting instructions was equivalent to "k2tog". "ssk", or left-slanting decrease, came much later.

(3) Some simple Aran stitch patterns did appear in Home Work, such as the Raspberry stitch (or Trinity stitch).

Huron in the Sun

2007-07-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

The past Sunday was Huron Park Day in our little town. I have never seen so many people in the park, or so many boats on the river! The wild geese population seemed to feel the same. Nonetheless, we managed to take a quiet walk through the woods and by the beautiful river.

All the white dots are water lilies--aren't they beautiful? Totally different from Monet's sentimental ponds, this one is full of sunshine, almost tropical.

The wooden bridge led to a hiking path into the woods. Anyone knows what fruits are these? Are they edible? Semi-transparent and plump, they looked like polished coral beads.

Another shot:

We got a tiny piece of prairie as well:

Ah I almost forgot to show you this--it's a good one.

Looking out of my window, there are trees and shrubs, and a vegetable garden kept by our neighbors. Cardinals and cats frequent the tomato vines and the herbs in the evening; they always bring a smile to my face. Squirrels check me out from time to time--see that cute buddy?

A Glove and a Swatch

2007-07-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

Nope, the vest hasn't become a FO yet! The good news is that I'm half way through the back, and the bad news is that I don't have a picture of the WIP. You know, a lacy piece has to be blocked to look smart ;-).

I received my first order from ColourMart last week. I'll just say that all the good things I've heard about them are true; it took less than a week for my cone to arrive, and the yarn is gorgeous.

I got 150 grams of 2/28 silk in a crisp and clean color named Sky.

The funny thing is that I don't know what to make with it so I just played with it a bit. To my satisfaction, it didn't pill or snag at all even after several rounds of knitting and frogging.
Here's a tiny piece, knitted on size 3 needles and blocked. The purple yarn is Zephyr--you can see how thin the silk is.

Here's another(!) fingerless glove. I'm making a pair for a non-knitting friend, and I'm sure she's not reading my blog ;-).

Because I used size 3 needles and a fingering yarn--it's Elann Baby Silk, the lace doesn't look as lacy . No problem, I'll cover the lace with glass beads!

What I liked most about this glove is the new bind-off method I used. You just have to check it out here. Thank you Fleegle! The finished cuff looks relaxed and sort of nubby (like picots), and the method, as Fleegle has suggested, is easy to remember--it's a combination of K2tog through back loop and K through back loop.

And have you seen this beautiful Pencil Sketch WIP? Mine was merely a stash-busting project, and this one is a beautiful piece of art!

Finally, thank you my friends and readers--your comments always make me smile or blush ;-)!

Two Free Patterns

2007-07-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of April I decided to document my knitting and designing life. What a decision it was! Through this blog I have received warm encouragements and informative feedbacks, and interactions and friendships have been established. I just want to let all of you know that I feel extremely grateful--I know how lucky I am, and will always do my best.

I had planned to put together something for the three-month-birthday of the blog. However I caught a cold a couple of days ago and didn't find time to do this. I didn't even finish Indigo Flowers Vest. Fortunately, Connie told me that two of my patterns, Birdie and Jellyfish, just appeared on MagKnits. So here they are!

Birdie is roomy enough for a book and a bunch of pencils. I used Filatura di Crosa Millefili Fine, a silky smooth 4-ply/light DK weight yarn for the bag. For a chubby bird, I used a worsted weight yarn (Reynolds Saucy). In case you are wondering, the book is Someday, a moving essay with unique illustrations.

Jellyfish is made from one skein of Lana Grossa Baby Kid and bordered with Knit Picks Andean Treasure. The shrug is now my favorite piece to wear to garden parties and weddings. To my disappointment, no one asked if I've made it myself :(

Finally, thank you for all these thoughtful suggestions on Indigo Flowers, I appreciate your help, and will get back to it soon.

Have a great day!

Indigo Flowers Sketches

2007-06-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

I suddenly remembered that I haven't done a pen-and-ink sketch for Indigo Flowers Vest yet. How can a design be a design without a line sketch? So here it is: a one minute sketch.

You see, I have finished the front pieces, but haven't started the back yet. Once again I face a dilemma. This time it's about the ratio between lace and solid Stockinette stitches.

As typed on the sketch, the dark hatches represent Calmer and the wavy lines Zephyr.

Which one do you like ;-)?

Indigo Flowers III

2007-06-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

Click to read about Indigo Flowers and Indigo Flowers II.

These flowers have been on and off needles for sometime now, and when they are on my needles, I love how they grow (albeit slowly). Both yarns (Calmer and Zephyr) are smooth and soft, and I have yet to get tired of the cool colors. Good signs! I surely hope that this vest would become a wardrobe staple for me. Well, although there were a few moments that I had to pause and double-check my decreases and see on which row I was at, it took me less time to finish the second half front piece.

Now both front pieces are waiting for three-needle bind-off ;-):

Looking at the neckline, I frowned a bit and decided that some finishing touches might be necessary. I did not expect to get this irregular neckline, but hey, it's lace and lace is supposed to be wavy!

Now this problem directly leads me to another one: the back neckline would be wavy, too--vertical ripples will appear. My current plan is to finish it with a few rows of garter stitches. Or maybe I can add a ton of beads along the neckline?

Oh and I almost forgot to say that the two lace panels are not mirror-imaged. I thought about that before casting on the second half. Then I decided to make them identical, because:
1. It is easier to keep track of the shaping.
2. When sewing with a print fabric which has a very small pattern repeat (6 X 6 sts here), few people would try to match the pattern precisely. It's simply unnoticeable.

On Saturday I made a few delicious pom-poms with Belle. My first time for such decadent pom-poms and my hands were (almost) shaking when cutting the wrapped yarn apart. Since then I could not keep my hands off them ;-). Silk pom-poms are supposed to be delicious, aren't they?

That's all for now. Maybe my next post will be the last for Indigo Flowers--stay tuned and have a great day!

Iris

Back to Blog

2007-06-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

I just discovered that I have not written anything here for almost three weeks! Shame on you, Iris! Well I may protest and say that I actually did do some designs which I cannot post for now. But alas, the Indigo Flowers vest is still miles away from finishing, although 20 hrs was the projected knitting time and still is.

The good thing is that I cleaned up a small room on the first floor and started to call it my studio. Beautiful tall trees covered with dark green vines aren't bad to look at, and to watch red squirrels running back and forth on wires is surely entertaining.

Do you want to see what color palette I am into this week?
Baby Kid, my favorite aran weight mohair, silky and warm.

They do shed though. Leopard and I went to a friend's wedding recently and I was wearing a shrug made with this yarn to cover my bare shoulders. Two hours later, Leopard looked like a silver fox!

Three balls of Belle, a 100% silk DK weight:

Well, are these really a proper winter palette? Personally, I can pull it off only with some shocking red accessories. Otherwise I'd get frozen just by looking at them!

Oh I almost forgot to mention that my Malabrigo gloves appeared on CRAFT magazine blog earlier this month. Guess I don't need to say that I'm a little thrilled? I frequent their blog to see their newly added cool pattern links. These people have an eye for fresh and whimsical ideas!

Indigo Flowers II

2007-06-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

It's the weather. High temperature and high humidity had successfully prevented me from knitting anything for the past ten days. Instead, I spent my leisure time drawing, sewing, and reading art history books. When I finally picked up the smooth bamboo needles (last night), it was refreshing. The result, my friends, was this piece of Indigo Flowers.

The schematic sketch was done a while ago. Shown here is the sketch for the sample. There is a bit of waist shaping, and the V-neck starts 2" (5 cm) below the sleeve openings.

There are several things to say about the design. Firstly it is done on two straight needles. I prefer knitting in the round, but when I am not 100% sure about the results--in this case it's the look and shape of the large lace panels--I work on straight needles to save time. Secondly, I started with a front piece instead of the back piece, for I have to see how the lace works at the shoulder, then decide how wide the back lace panel should be. Finally, the back neck shaping is undecided at the moment (see the question mark?); again it is because we are dealing with lace here, we just have to wait and see.

This vest has been sized up to 45" chest circumference, as I consider it a flattering piece for most women. Now that I have a large enough piece, I can see that the lace panel actually provides a lot of ease, and follows the curves smoothly. It seems unnecessary to change the shaping for larger sizes--it suits me well, I'm lazy ;-).

So far it has been smooth and easy, and my projection of the knitting time is surprisingly short (~20 hours). I guess it's because of the needle size (US7, 4.5 mm) used. The very simple, 6 X 6 lace pattern has helped too. Only after I bound off the stitches for sleeve opening did I start to spend time thinking about how to distribute the decreases. After some sketching, I decided to decrease over the Calmer part until there are 6 stitches left, then decrease over the garter stitch border of the lace panel. Finally the outer most lace repeat will lose a few stitches--we'll be at the shoulder by then.

All right, that's all for now. I'll keep you updated ;-).

Iris

Meerkats

2007-05-22T14:39:00.000-07:00

[Meerkat, colored pencil on textured paper, Iris G 2007]

The first real Meerkat (Timon doesn't count) I saw was from a National Geographic magazine, which I grabbed and paid even without checking out other articles. They are unbelievably cute and, according to the researchers at Kalahari Desert in southern Africa, highly socialized and very smart. For example, there are groups of youngsters who run the kindergartens/schools, where they look after the little babies and teach them various hunting skills. The lessons are even personalized; it takes less time for a smart baby meerkat to graduate from the school.

I spent the Sunday afternoon and evening sewing my meerkat, then some more time on Monday to do the fine embroidery for his eyes and nose. His name is Mango.

That's a tree seedling in the pouch he's holding. No, Mango is not a tree-hugger; he is a tree-planter instead. When he rests, he dreams that one day the desert will be all covered with trees and flowers.

Initially I wanted to practice my paper-folding skills and let him hold a huge silk daisy or calla lily. Then suddenly this tree seedling idea came to me, and I could not resist it... One of my friends once said that art is all about individual expression and it is "me", but sometimes I think art (and craft) can be more than that. And I have never been a fan of dark arts. On the contrary, I am a believer of sunshine, trees, birds and cats, and all other warm and beautiful things in life.

I'm thinking about auctioning Mango the hand-sewn meerkat and donate a portion to a tree planting organization. A little more research should be done and I need to find a way to do it efficiently. If you have any good suggestions, please leave me a message or email me at irisknits@yahoo.com. If you are interested in adopting Mango, please check back in a few days for more information, or contact me. Thank you!

Casual Saturday II

2007-05-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

I went shopping today, and guess what did I find?

Chocolates and Marzipan with super cute packaging! The Godiva dark chocolate "pearls" are already half-gone; I can't stop playing with the little tin. It's too short (3") to be a needle holder, but I'll find a job for it soon.

When I was little, my mother had to bribe me with KitKats so I'd agree to see a dentist. Chocolates still make me smile; go get some, and you'll be smiling too ;-).

Indigo Flowers

2007-05-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

All right, I confess that no modification has been made on the alpaca mitts yet, I have been very busy this week! However, I'm grateful for all the suggestions, and will try lacy/eyelet rib and twisted rib sometime this weekend and report back ;-).

Somehow I did find time to disassemble the Calmer bolero...pure pleasure. That's for my first project at the CAL, where you have to use one of the listed yarns... I won't say that I prefer to design with any limitation, it's just that I happen to have some Calmer (and KSH) in my stash, and people at the CAL are really cool.

Now the detailed design process begins. [This is what I like, you document the process and try to verbalize it for others, then ask and answer questions and see how it goes.]

Currently I am into the concept of Contrast. Simplicity versus Extravagance. Casual versus Formal. Night versus Day. And the seemingly opposite elements must be united in one wearable design.

My first inspiration came from the Hermès SS07 collection. Below are some pieces that I particularly liked.

[The photos do not belong to me, and here they are used only for commenting reasons. And why do they look soooo depressed in such beautiful dresses?]

The first two handkerchief dresses are reminiscent of their SS05 collection As the river flows, an out-worldly ethereal collection featuring porcelain white chiffon dresses with fine indigo print.

Porcelain white and indigo: that's the second inspiration.

Fine china, my true love. Such intricate and beautiful tonal effects are achieved with a single color. Another example can be seen here; they are basically the same.

The original name for the white porcelain with indigo paintings is Indigo Flowers. By the way, for some unknown reason the formal translation is Blue and White Porcelain, or White and Blue Porcelain. What unimaginative names...

Anyway, that's how I decided to make a long flowy vest with a simple cut. [Look at the third shot from Hermès, my cut should be as clean. And the length should be shorter than the one in the fourth shot...not too long.] The Indigo Flowers porcelain will be interpreted by using a dusty indigo colored DK yarn (Calmer, that is) as the bones, or the background of the vest, and a silver/pewter colored lace yarn (Zephyr, in this case) to fill in as the flowers. The reason why I did not pick true indigo/cobalt blue and pure white is that I want the vest to be casual yet ladylike.

The idea of combining yarns of different weight is doable if the two can be worked on a same needle size. And I guess you've already got the solution: work the light one in a lace pattern. In this case, this is a perfect solution, for lace is what I want: light and cool to wear, elegant, stretchy. And a good lace pattern can mimic the filigree flowers on a porcelain vase.

The fifth Hermès shot echoes my idea; wispy lace looks lovely with a solid colored vest...as if it gets protected?

[Click to see a larger picture. Hey that's not me, I do not look like her!]

You see, I love the color combination--one can still see the reference to porcelain, but it's quite subtle and misty now.

The back is not shown in the sketch above; I plan to use a large area of lace. The vest can then be worn with everything backless or strappy, thus making a day-to-night transition smooth easy. I'll see if I can get that shawl effect.

That's all I have for now. Feedback, please! You see, I am supposed to answer questions regarding this design ;-).

Two UFOs

2007-05-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

I just realized that it's been a while since I talked about the UFOs in the house. There are actually quite a few, but, like Macavity, they tend to be very mysterious--

But I tell you once and once again,
Macavity's not there!

[Macavity is my all time favorite from the famous book. I've always wanted to sew one for myself. Someday it shall be done.]

The truth is, I have a huge grey tank and several dark-colored boxes hidden in my attic...where the UFOs live undisturbed. But, alas, every time I visit my LYSs, or go online shopping, I sense their presence and wrath and can't help feeling a bit uneasy.

The first UFO should have become a bolero, had my fervor not burned out before all the seams were sewn.

The yarn used were Rowan Calmer and Classic Elite Patina. Like everyone else, I adore Calmer. Patina, on the other hand, is a so-so summer yarn which splits.

Now that I become a brand-new member of Create Along, I have a good reason to resurrect this beautiful yarn. I can enjoy the tactile pleasure of knitting with Calmer once again.

Sketches and progress will be posted both here and at the CAL, so stay tuned ;-)!

The other UFO is merely two days old. I once bought a ball of Lenox from WEBS, when it first came out. It's baby alpaca soft, but I cannot say I am a big fan of alpaca. Then a couple of days ago, I picked it up for a quick bedtime project, thinking that maybe I should design a pair of beginner mittens, knitted on two straight needles with minimum skill requirements.

My plan was to start with a lacy edging which then becomes a rib pattern. And the two mitts should be identical, like EZ's Norwegian Mitts. I even named them Latte. [Is this crazy? I name most of my knits!]

It did not work out...

Help please, I really need some help. Now it doesn't look right to me, with all these ribs going up and looking bulky--not in a cozy way. What changes do you think could rescue it?

Thank you in advance--I appreciate your help, or just any opinions on this UFO.

Iris

Pencil Sketch camisole pattern, size S for now

2007-05-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

Whew! It has been more complex than I thought--all those shapings. After looking up the guideline compiled by Craft Yarn Council of America, I decided that Pencil Sketch should be called an Experienced pattern.

If you wonder what the guideline looks like, here's a sample.

I need more time tweaking the instructions for larger sizes, so please bear with me if you feel somewhat disappointed. Please check back later and I'll do my best. [The truth is, I am allergic to many kinds of pollen and a field trip on Saturday made me uncomfortable.] Coming back to our topic--if you happen to wear a size S, or feel comfortable modifying/resizing patterns, or just want to get the flavor of the basic pattern, please help yourself and download it here. I, as always, will be happy to answer your questions ;-).

This is the hyperlink to the .pdf pattern downloading page:
http://www.savefile.com/files/721251

I wish to thank all of you who had encouraged me to write up a pattern for the tank.
The dandelion says: Have a great day!

Casual Saturday

2007-05-12T13:08:00.000-07:00

I don't have much to say about knitting today, for I am working on the Pencil Sketch pattern. And there are some "secret projects" that cannot be talked about at the moment. So I thought for a while about what to post, then decided to show you some prints of paintings that I LOVE. These are all done by one artist about three hundred years ago. I do not even dream about creating beauties like these or anything close, but then, he lived a simple life and expressed all his feelings through painting (and some calligraphy, too), a lifestyle that I know I can never practice.

By the way, these paintings of flowers make unique mother's day e-cards.

The exaggeration and humor in the painting below really captured me.

Have you noticed that little bird?

Knitting for men; Sky Scarf Pattern

2007-05-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

[Sky is the blue/cream one on the right.]
It's no secret that men are hard to please when it comes to handknits. As far as I know, there are several books on this topic, such as Men in Knits: Sweaters to Knit That He Will Wear and Never Knit Your Man a Sweater(Unless You've Got the Ring). Both books are very cleverly written, and most of the featured patterns are classic and practical.

If I summarize what I have learned over the years, there are a few basic, foolproof points.

1. Always ask before starting to knit. Most men do not wear a hand knitted tie.

2. Make him specify what he likes in great detail.

3. Use soft, basic, machine-washable yarn in safe/classic/boring colors that match his wardrobe.

4. Take measurements and modify the pattern for a tailored fit.

5. Get him to try the WIP at every stage.

That's all... and welcome, my friends, to add more to the list!

Men and women are from different planets, and the way we look at clothes and accessories reflect the differences. Women's fashion is composed of many elements--original ideas, ever-changing color palettes, fancy textures and shapes, decorative details, etc, etc. Men's fashion, on the contrary, is all about quality fabrics and fine tailoring.

How many sweaters, cardigans, and camisoles do I have? I don't know, I just keep buying more. And I always ruefully recollect the ones that I did not buy. How many sweaters and vests does Leopard have? Less than ten. And he always says no when I beg him to try a new one. But even Leopard likes a well tailored, hand knitted vest which he wears to work. Of course it took much longer than any of my sweaters to knit. But for me, it's rewarding to see him wearing it, knowing that it will accompany him for many years.

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Sky Scarf Pattern

You can download the free pattern here, in .pdf format, for personal and/or non-profitable use.

This is the hyperlink to the pattern downloading page:
http://www.savefile.com/files/708204

As usual, if you prefer copying and editing, just help yourself here:

SKY SCARF PATTERN

Iris G
The name of this scarf, as you may have guessed, comes from the colors. Knitted from three skeins of an Aran weight, easy-care yarn in a rib pattern, Sky makes an excellent guy’s scarf. [This one has seen 4 long winters already.] Use serious colors such as grey, black, and/or navy to make a dressy scarf, or pick some fun color for a playful one.

Skill Level
Easy

Finished Size
Length: 50 inches (127 cm)
Width: 6.5 inches (16 cm), unstretched

Materials
• Approximately 150 yards (135 m) of Aran weight yarn in color A; 77 yards (70 m) of aran weight yarn in color B. Shown in Filatura Di Crosa Zara Plus (wool, 77 yd/70m per 1.75oz/50g ball), 2 balls in #02 off-white, 1 ball in #04 light blue
• One pair size 8 (5 mm) needles, or size to obtain gauge

Gauge/Tension
14 stitches and 20 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) over Stockinette stitches

Abbreviations
k, p – knit, purl
st, sts – stitch, stitches
RS, WS – right side, wrong side

Scarf
With color A, cast on 30 sts.
Row 1 (RS): P2, k3, p2, k4, p2, k4, p2, k4, p2, k3, p2.
Row 2 (WS): K2, p3, k2, p4, k2, p4, k2, p4, k2, p3, k2.
Repeat the two rows for rib pattern throughout.
Work until piece measures 15 inches (38 cm) or until there are a few yards of A left, end with a WS row.
Join color B, work two rows with B.
Change to A and work two rows.
Repeat the above four rows twice more. Cut off A and work with B for 15 inches (38 cm), end with a WS row.
Join another ball of color A, work two rows with A.
Change to B and work two rows.
Repeat the above four rows twice more. Cut off B and work with A for 15 inches (38 cm).
Bind off in rib pattern.

Finishing
Weave in ends. Block lightly if desired.

Diagram

© Iris G 2007 – All rights reserved
Visit Iris at http://irisgknits.blogspot.com/ for more designs and discussions.

Water Lilies Gloves Pattern

2007-05-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

A pair of beaded fingerless gloves with knitted picot edging. The lace pattern resembles the beautiful flower, and the crystal beads shimmer like little drops of dew. Knitted in a lace weight silk/merino yarn on size 4 needles, Water Lily is quick to knit and comfortable to wear.

Finished Size

To fit average sized woman’s hand (size 6 to 7)

Palm circumference: 6 inches (15 cm)

Length: 5.5 inches (14 cm)

The overall lace pattern makes the gloves stretchy.

Materials

• Approximately 100 yards (90 m) of lace weight yarn. Shown in JaggerSpun Zephyr 2/18 lace weight (wool/silk, 630 yd/570 m per 2 oz/60g skein), 1 skein in violet
• One set of size 4 (3.5 mm) double pointed needles
• Stitch marker
• Tapestry needle
• Small amount of waste yarn
• Approximately 100 glass/crystal beads in lilac, azure blue, and lime green or colors of your choice
• Beading needle

Skills needed

Cast on, bind off, knit in the round, knit stitches, decreases, pick up stitches.

Price

$4.75 - you will be sent a link to download the pattern as a .pdf file (160 kb).

Thank you,

Iris

Water Lilies (2007)

2007-05-06T13:35:00.000-07:00

Water lilies, beads on silk/merino, 2007, is in full bloom after blocking. Unfortunately, as I said before, it is quite impossible to capture the dance of the sunlight on those crystal beads.

Frankly, I can't be more pleased with this design. The length and the fit are just right, and I like the contrast between color and texture of yarn and beads. The very subtle picot edging brings both decoration and elasticity to the cast off edges.

To my disappointment, my mother does not want another pair of indoor gloves. Maybe it's because she hasn't seen them yet? Water lily is one of her favorite flowers, and she always likes silk. I hope she'd change her mind when she opens the gift box next Sunday.

We went to a friend's place for dinner yesterday, and as a result, I did not finish the pattern for the gloves. The mysterious WIP cannot be called a FO, either. I can't believe no one of you have replied... all right, I'll show it next time, and the blog contest stays open for another two days. The winner gets to pick a pattern, be it Aegean or Water Lilies. Hi there, give it a try!

I'll just call it a day

2007-05-04T21:11:00.000-07:00

Now all that I want is another shot of espresso...

The new design is not completely done yet, although I have been working on it for the entire evening; approximately 5 hours. Look at this huge mess! it's my signature behavior to cover my work area with materials and notions. Apart from what you can see, there are skeins and balls on the floor, and several huge reference books lying around. Sometimes I myself find it hard to believe ;-).

Now I got an idea. The work-in-progress can be seen in the photo, it's the blue/brown thing with buttons on it. Can you guess what it is?

The first one who provide the correct, or close enough answer will get the octopus bag pattern (in pdf format, via email) for free. Because the pattern for Water Lilies has been written and only needs proofreading and formatting, you can pick that one, too. Water Lilies gloves are also on the table, I'll have to block them tomorrow.

The correct answer will be given on Sunday. By then the WIP should have been finished, and I'll post photos of the FO, so you can check back!

Going to my moka pot! By the way, my favorite is Arabian Mocha Sanani. What kind of coffee do you like?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 07 Update:

On Knitter's Review Forums, Kim posted her little girl's answer: Peter Rabbit.

My friends, I give you Peter! He is actually a crayon and stationery box, I'm lining him now with calico fabric. I wish to say Thank You to all of you who had played, it's so much fun! Please come back to see Peter as a FO soon ;-).

Have a great day!

Iris

Feeling Crafty

2007-05-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed that I finally have an avatar? A kingfisher, that is. Entirely hand sewn. By me!

I believe it's the weather. Spring has finally arrived in my little town, the air infused with sweet, sweet acacia scent. Birds are singing everywhere, and look like they are taking their time enjoying the breeze and the sunshine. Daytime gets longer-- a bit more time for me to knit and sew. Lovely.

Kingfisher is among my favorite bird species. Joyful, swift, smart, and look at their shiny colorful outfits! What I particularly like is that they decorate the interior of their nests with fish bones selected from their dinner table; they must be so proud of themselves.

Here, K is resting himself in the shade of the needle holder.

Birds' talk:

The Lord of the Eagles: "What is finer than flying?"

K: "Why, fishing!"

Beware my friends, more sewing-related stuff, especially FOs, might be coming!

Now back to knitting. Now and then I take a look at the number of downloads of my Malabrigo gloves pattern. Although I haven't received any feedback yet, I'm glad to see the number rising. Recently I also have done a design for Hand Jive Knits, in Darlene's beautiful merino fingering yarn.

So, in the mood for designing and knitting gloves, I started this:

This is one of those knits that have a name far before they are finished. Water Lily for one, and Water Lilies for a pair. Petals, color, crystal beads. Mood.

I used to think that there is no such thing as "the photo doesn't do it justice"; now I have to buy it. Well over thirty shots, and the glistening crystals are all laughing at me... I give up, Water Lily!

Natural knitting

2007-05-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

If you have been here before, you'd know that I love natural fibers and textures. My hands can tell the differences, and there is a very close and intimate feeling which had grown from my childhood days.

Therefore it is needless to say how happy I am to see the return of eco-friendly processed yarns and fabrics this year. Most fashion and craft magazines even featured "go green" themes. [Take a look at this and this.] Like other newly developed products, their price tags are generally high, and their color selection, styles and inventories often limited. Nevertheless, the growing market demand should help reducing cost in near future.

Last Saturday I talked about plans to swatch sample skeins from Sarah. The first one I picked up was this naturally processed, coffee-dyed lace linen from Punta del Este Yarns. My hands liked the texture so much that soon a supposed-to-be-simple swatch became this:

The color and strength of the linen allured me into making a crate/box that can stand on its own. I thought, if it wouldn't stand up straight, I could dip it in starch solution to get it right. And since I love lace, a lace panel went in there.

Then it came to the point when the box needed a strong rectangular base. Paper folding helped me get a doable solution. I made a flap from one side, then did some three-needle bind off all around--voila!

I always smile at this shot. Sleeping peacefully is a mini skein of silk.

And that was a warm and lazy April afternoon...

Memoir #1: Silkworms from my childhood

2007-04-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

Have you ever raised a silkworm in your life? I have. Here is my story.

When I was a second grader, like most other kids in the class, in the spring semester I kept several silkworms as pets. Hey, they are cute little animals, really! Cool, shy, and unbelievably silky, they constantly engage themselves in munching mulberry leaves.

In early spring, we put a few silk seeds (aka eggs) in a padded matchbox, and tucked it under our sweaters to hatch the babies. We checked our matchboxes so frequently that our teachers had to stop us. In a couple of days, tiny black silkworm babies appeared, and they were immediately provided with freshly picked mulberry leaves, sweet and juicy. Their diapers got frequently changed, too--seriously. (No unpleasant smells, I assure you.) Each week they got moved into a new house, for they were growing FAST!

In four or five weeks they were already fully grown, ready to wrap themselves with fine silk. The silk gland had always been there--when they accidentally fell out of the box, like spiders they hang on a lifeline. But now, they have finished their last meal ever, become semi-transparent, angrily running around to pick a nice corner. Sometimes two would fight for one ideal corner, then you have to move one to a new box! Once settled, a silkworm would start a few trial runs and carefully attach its silk thread to the three surfaces. If satisfied, it would start the real work.

[Traditionally, the silkworms are provided with bundled rice stalks. That's easier for them to use than corners of a paper box, and the aeration is superb.]

They were diligent workers, busy wrapping themselves without rest. Within a few hours I bid them goodbye. Then the beautiful cocoons stopped moving and all of us waited patiently.

[In that year, every cocoon I had were in bright lemon yellow color. They turned out to be all girls, so I ended up borrowing a guy from a friend. Lucky guy...]

Silkworms are different from other moths, there is no mouth so they can not eat--reproduction is the only mission. After completing their job, My silky girls only lived for a day. I buried them under my mulberry tree, and their babies were kept for the next spring.

Years later when I was in university, we had a professor in cell biology class who studied fluorescent proteins. He had a box of beautiful neon-colored cocoons, produced by silkworms carrying different types of fluorescent protein gene tags. They were so stunning that the whole class turned green with envy. Such beautiful things can never be forgotten, and I hope one day I can see the naturally colored silk again--in my local yarn shops.

New yarns, new tests

2007-04-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

Today I jumped and hopped to my mailbox to get these:

Zephyr lace weight, clockwise from the top: Mushroom, Lilac, Pewter, and Violet. I love the soft pastel hues--Lilac and Violet, always chic for spring and summer. Although there is a deceivingly cool tone in this shot, there are actually two warm colors and two cool ones here.

And sweet Sarah included these sample skeins in the package:

Clockwise from the top: lace weight naturally dyed linen, kid mohair silk, spun silk. The little one perching on the top is cashmere/silk 2 ply. Must find time to swatch them...

No, the Zephyr skeins are not for shawls. Somehow I am not into shawl knitting, and have only made a couple as gifts for family members. Nevertheless, I enjoy gasping at how beautiful and intricate other knitters' shawls are. Well I did make a lacy scarf in Zephyr a while ago and Kerrie accepted it for the now canceled April '07 issue. Don't know when it will come out ;-).

Coming back to Zephyr. I want to try them on big needles for draping tests. If you have looked at the spring/summer runways, you'd know what I'm talking about. So many romantic pieces that it almost broke my heart. Look at the palettes from LV , all soft pastels and lovely neutrals. Oh and did you see Rowan Studio 4? They are pursuing the drapy look too, in neutral colors. Their Iras has an attractive back (which I sketched, see the photo below), but the front is way too boring...

Zephyr has a fuzzy surface (due to the short length of Tussah silk fibers) and pills, but that's OK. The slightly worn look will give an "airbrushed" effect. The finished fabric won't look like chiffon or linen, but there is no plan to copy the texture in the first place. I want the color, I want the drape.

I'm satisfied with the trial run.

Many more trial runs await me, but for now I'm going to the park to play with the swans, wild geese and ducks. What a beautiful day!

I'm about to make a free pattern for Pencil Sketch. Since this a close-fit knit, there is a lot of calculation and proof-reading and will take a while. If you are interested, please tell me what size range you want to see, plus any modifications that you fancy. I thank you for your input sincerely.

Aegean the Octopus Bag Pattern

2007-04-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

Aegean is an adorable and practical bag with drawstring closure. Large enough to hold a small purse, a cell phone, keys, and a lipstick. You can be creative and give it funny expressions, or follow the pattern to make a weeping octopus. It is also a good idea for gift giving, especially to the little ones in your life.
You can read more about Aegean here. And don't forget to take a look at my free patterns ;-).

Finished size
Head circumference: 12.5 inches (32 cm)
Depth: 6 inches (15 cm)
Length of tentacle: 1.5 inches (4 cm) and/or 1.8 inches (5 cm)

Materials
• Approximately 100 yards of DK weight yarn. Shown in Elann Esprit (cotton/elastic, 100 yd/90 m relaxed; 186 yd/170m stretched per 1.75 oz/50 g ball), 1 ball in 3085 (pink pearl)
• One size 5 (3.75 mm) circular needle, 32" (80 cm) or 40" (100 cm) in length, or a set of size 5 (3.75 mm) double pointed needles
• Tapestry needle
• Stitch marker
• Small amount of black or deep blue DK weight yarn
• One to two yards of smooth and strong worsted weight yarn for drawstring
• Sewing needle, fine thread, and a blue glass bead (all optional)

Skills needed
Cast on, bind off, knit in the round, knit stitches, increases, decreases, three-needle bind-off, and I-cord

Instruction on how to make the knotted flowers is given in the pattern.

Price
$4.95 - you will be sent a link to download the pattern as a .pdf file (170 kb)

Thank you,

Iris

Meet the Weeping Octopus

2007-04-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

Something cute this way comes! An octopus, she is, with large polka dots on her face. Can you see the two knotted flowers?

She is sleeping on my design sketch above. After watching a fantastic documentary on Discovery Channel, I have been haunted by these beautiful and intelligent cephalopods...so absorbed that I knitted my octopus in one evening ;-). Changes were made, as usual; her eyes are closed with a blue crystal teardrop dangling. Somehow I recalled that in Homer's Iliad, there was a scene in which Helen appeared before the wise men of Troy. After lines of abstract praises on her beauty, it ended with "...a teardrop on her face". So be it.

I wanted it to be both fun and practical, so I chose a cotton/elastic yarn that produces a soft machine-washable fabric which stretches and does not need to be lined. It is large enough for my cell phone, purse, and keys.

Her tentacles are not fully functional yet, for now there is no beads in fitting colors around the house. Somehow I like how she looks already, without the suction cups. What do you think?

Belt Fish the design challenge

2007-04-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

It's been three weeks now since I decided to blog about my knitting life, and I'm so happy that I did! I have made new friends, and your kind words always make me smile. Thank you.

On the knitting side, I swatched Zodiac. Many knitters have talked about how strange this thing is, and strange it is. It did not split or snag much, for I took the advice to trim my nails (and I usually remember to put lotion on my hands). However, what does this swatch look like?

Belt Fish! Thick and stiff, covered with tiny shiny silver scales.

I can not make a summer cardigan with it.

It then became a challenge--to find a good design to showcase Zodiac. I searched over the internet and decided to do a fall/winter coat. The 2007 F/W trend is quite clear in terms of coats; many are bell-shaped with dramatic collars. By the way, there are numerous dramatic cowls around; including some over-the-top ones. Maybe I should make myself a nice cowl this fall. To analyze fashion trends by oneself is fun, especially if one do not cheat by visiting Women's Wear Daily.

There are two problems now. Color, and texture.

Most coats on the runway are seriously dark, with a few exceptions, say, Balenciaga and Chanel. However, white/silver/beige is nowhere to be seen.

Then comes the structure. What interests me most is that the runway coats simply can not be called A-lined. They are three-dimensional on their own, extremely hard to capture with knitting.

I finally found two designs for further study. They are Kaffe Fassett's China Clouds from a Rowan magazine, and Tiggy by Anna, whose talent I greatly admire. But who knows, maybe I will turn to Balenciaga's lean jackets in the end. That's the fun of doing your own design, right?

Now guess: what are these?

Answer: a new design, full of fun. Hopefully I will finish it soon. Happy Knitting!

Pencil Sketch; Knitting Tip No.1

2007-04-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

There has not been much knitting going on recently, except that Pencil Sketch is now finished. To my satisfaction, this lovely cami washes well and dries quickly.

Very random picots (BOn, picot; n = 1, 2, 3,...) decorate the neckline, and the sleeve openings are trimmed with plain stockinette stitches. To reduce curling, I bound them off in K1,P1 ribbing.
The yarn used for trimming is Adrienne Vittadini Celia, a woven silk tape purchased from one of my LYSs, and this very pale blue compliments the tones and the mood of the cami. And it fits...

I can see myself in it for the whole summer!

No.1 How do you count your rows? Except for using a row counter?

When the yarn is smooth and the stitch definition is clear, no problem.

When knitting with novelty yarns, I turn the piece over and count the purl bumps.

Now my favorite method: count the shaping stitches.

It goes something like this: say I am knitting a sweater(bottom up). After the ribbing, I work a rows of plain stockinette stitches. Then I start shaping as follows: decrease 1 st on each side of the piece every b rows c times. The K2tog and SSK stitches are easy to find, and I always rely on them to see which row I am at. If I see 3 K2togs below plus 2 rows above the latest K2tog, I know that now I have worked (a+3b)+2 rows.

When increasing for chest, I often use the "knit from the horizontal thread" method to create a tiny hole intentionally, because this kind of shaping stitch is easy to see and count. Since they are always symmetrical, they look decorative, too.
Do you have similar tips to share?

Book Review: Runway Knits

2007-04-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

Runway Knits by Berta Karapetyan

Reviewed by Iris G, April 19, 2007

The name Berta Karapetyan belongs to the short list of extremely accomplished high-end knitwear designer. Over the past twenty years, in addition to her work for top American fashion houses, her own house brand Karabella has become synonymous to luxury yarns of fashion forward colors and textures, supported by sophisticated and feminine patterns. It is somewhat astonishing that she had not published any knitting book until April 2007.

Runway Knits, Berta's new book, is a hit in every sense. The thirty patterns cater to different tastes, yet they are consistent enough to fit in one woman’s wardrobe. This consistency lies in several aspects: style, construction, and detail.

The overall style of the book reminds me of fashion magazines. The color and layout are bold and clean-cut like Vogue and Elle; the photographs are in the line of Vogue Knitting and Karabella patterns, which means that the knits are modeled by young slim models in clean indoor settings and that the details are clear. Now comes the best part: the pattern pages have the (our old favorite) Interweave Knits layout. Love that.

The book has four sections, namely spirited, playful, demure, and driven. To me, the lines between the sections are subtle. The major differences I noticed are the color and size options. Spirited and playful are full of fun colors such as hot pink and vivid green, and are written for bust sizes range from approximately 89 cm to slightly over 100 cm (knitted), or XS to L. Most pieces are body conscious yet with enough ease. Demure and driven are absolutely classic and slightly understated, wear-to-work pieces, in neutral tones, and size from XS to XL. For instance, there is a beautiful tweedy/boucle A-line jacket that sizes up to 117 cm (knitted).

Great taste simply exudes from the designs. Most knits, in my opinion, are so uniquely beautiful and so well tailored that they can only be found from the best design houses. The fine details and smart shaping are amazing.

The patterns are written in Berta’s usual style which she is obviously proud of. The sweaters are done in flat front and back pieces, and clear charts are given for the lace works (needless to say, there are many of them). The patterns are of the line-by-line style, which are often found in British knitting books.

As you would have guessed, the yarns used in the book, from lace weight mohair to the beautiful aurora merinos, from mercerized cottons to cashmere blends are all from Karabella. Brief suggestions are given to yarn substitutions at the end of the book.

I almost forgot to mention that there are several accessory sets in the book; all are unique and functional. I particularly admire the Russian style hat and scarf set, made with cashmere and fur. There is also a lovely hat and scarf set with cables and laces, done in white Aurora bulky.

There is no chapter of knitting basics; and Berta suggested that the readers try and learn new techniques from the book, be it a stitch pattern or a beautiful and functional construction. Most designs require intermediate knitting skills.

In short, this book is a rare breed: a well-planned high-end designer knitting book. I would love to knit most of the pieces, and in doing so, I would become a better knitter and designer.

Brava Berta! I salute to you.

Pencil Sketch the Lacy Cami; the design process

2007-04-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I'd come across a yarn with some unique personality. Jaeger Trinity, the yarn I used for my Pencil Sketch Camisole, surely is one of them. The yarn looked and felt so rugged that at first I simply wanted to toss it. Fortunately I didn't. Working on my cami, I realized that Trinity is not merino and it'll never be, it's fiercely inelastic and nubby, but if you listen to it then you get something worth to be seen. The finished fabric has a good drape, authentic tweedy surface, and feels like old cotton jersey.

Now comes the design process, I hope you'd find it interesting or useful (it can't be both, I know) ;-)

(another sketch showing the possibilities)

After reading all the comments (here and at KR, thank you all!), I decided on designing a hybrid neckline. Before that, I needed to finish the back. The advantages are:
1. There is always less shaping for the back neckline, so I can focus on shaping the sleeve openings.
2. In the end I can get the number of rows to reach 7" (in this case), and plan the front neckline decreases accordingly.
Now the back is all knitted up:

The bind off stitches at the neck opening were worked in two directions, so that the edge will not get stretched towards one side. The joining at the center can be seen if you click on the photo.

Here's the plan for the front, I just scanned my actual scribbles. You can click for a larger picture; the finished neckline will look like a hybrid between V and scoop, with a tiny "wrap" at the center, over the lace stitches.

The center lace stitches (17 in total) are picked up twice to form the mini wrap. I worked the right front first, knitting through the 17 sts and the rest 26 sts on the right. After the right shoulder has been finished, I turned back to the center 17 sts, pick them up through the back "purl bumps" and purled through the remaining 26 sts on the left.
Although a proper edging awaits to be done, the body of the cami is ready for pictures!

The back looks neat too:

By the way, it fits me perfectly and I love it, I promise to give you modeled pictures next time ;-).

Now that I have made friends with Trinity, I have my eyes on another yarn with personality, which is Zodiac from Berroco:

Not Wren, no plan yet. Maybe I should get myself familiar with them first...

Buridan's Lacy Cami

2007-04-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

Last night I picked up my Pencil Sketch project-in-progress, and decided that it would become a camisole for hot summer days.

Then I had to design a neck opening. Which one looks the best, the scoop, the wrap, or the halter style?

Hard choice isn't it? Wait, we are not finished yet:

Which finishing (around the neck) is better, a simple eyelet lace stitch, or a picot edging?

Hmm... I feel like Buridan's donkey facing more than two stacks of hay! Please tell me what you think ;-) and Thank you!

Malabrigo Gloves: a free pattern

2007-04-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

Do you remember me? I am that single crocus in Iris's yard-- I have survived!

Let me begin today's post with a big Thank You to all my visitors-- Thank you for stopping by! I have a little gift for you. A Malabrigo Gloves Pattern--You can download the free pattern here, in pdf format, for personal use, and I hope you enjoy the soft-as-cloud gloves like I do!

This is the hyperlink to the pattern downloading page: http://www.savefile.com/files/633657

If you prefer to copy directly and do some editing, then here it is. Discussions on the pattern are welcomed and appreciated! You can post your opinions here at any time (commenting is enabled and I read all comments), or drop me a line here.

Malabrigo Gloves

SIZE
To fit average sized woman’s hand (size 6 to 7)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Hand circumference: 7.5 inches
Wrist circumference: 6.5 inches

YARN
Malabrigo merino worsted, 215 yards per 100g skein, 1 hank each in color A, B, and C
(Photographed in Tuscan Sky, Orchid, and Natural)
Any worsted yarn can be used for this pattern.
Small amount of waste yarn

NEEDLES
1 set of US #5 double pointed needles, a couple of extra needles may come in handy

GAUGE/TENSION
20 sts and 32 rows to 4 inches (10 cm) measured over stockinette stitch

PATTERN NOTES
• For the right glove, work the palm with the first and second needles, the back of the hand with the third and fourth needles. Reverse this for the left glove.
• You may want to try the glove on when knitting the fingers to ensure a perfect fit.
• When working on the fingers, you can always put the remaining sts on waste yarn/ holder/extra needles before working on them.

RIGHT GLOVE
Cast on 30 sts loosely with A and divide the stitches evenly over the 4 needles, 7 or 8 sts per needle. Work the cuff in stockinette stitch as follows:
With A, Knit 1 row.
Change to B, K 7 rows.
Change to C, K 1 row.
Change to B, K 1 row.
Change to C, K 1 row.
Change to B, K 1 row.
Change to C, K 4 rows.
Change to B, K6, increase 1 st by knitting twisted out of the horizontal thread (M1), K to within 2 sts before the end of the row, M1, end K2 (32 sts in total).
Change to C, K 2 rows.
Change to A, K 1 row.
Change to C, K 3 rows.
Change to A, K 4 rows, increase another 2 sts in the fourth row as follows: K7, M1, K to within 3 sts before the end of the row, M1, end K3 (34 sts in total).
Change to C, K 2 rows.
Change to A, K 1 row.
Change to C, K 3 rows. Now the glove measures 4 inches (33 rows).

Thumb Stitches
Change to A, K1; using waste yarn, K6; slip the 6 sts back to left needle and knit them again with A; K through the row.
Change to C, K 8 rows.

Pinkie Finger
Work to within 4 sts before the end of the second needle. Work the 4 sts and the first 4 sts on the third needle, and cast on 2 sts from the back of the glove to the palm (for fourchette). Divide these 10 sts among 3 needles, work in the round for 18 rounds, or 2.2 inches. K2tog 5 times; cut off the yarn and draw the 5 sts together with the yarn.
Start with a new piece of yarn, K2 from the fourchette, then work 1 round over all the sts to the ring finger.

Ring Finger
Work to within 4 sts before the end of the second needle. Knit the 4 sts, the 2 sts of the fourchette, and the first 4 sts on the third needle, then cast on 2 sts as the next fourchette. Divide these 12 sts among 3 needles, work in the round for 22 rounds, or 2.7 inches. K2tog 6 times; cut off the yarn and draw the 6 sts together with the yarn.

Middle Finger
Put the first 5 sts on the first needle and the last 5 sts on the fourth needle on waste yarn for the forefinger.
Start from the back side, with a new piece of yarn, K4, K2 from the fourchette, K4, and then cast on 2 sts as the next fourchette. Divide these 12 sts among 3 needles, work in the round for 24 rounds, or 3 inches. K2tog 6 times; cut off the yarn and draw the 6 sts together with the yarn.

Forefinger
With a new piece of yarn, K2 from the fourchette, K10 from waste yarn. Divide these 12 sts among 3 needles, work in the round for 22 rounds, or 2.7 inches. K2tog 6 times; cut off the yarn and draw the 6 sts together with the yarn.

Thumb
With a new piece of yarn, K6 from waste yarn, M1, K6, M1. Divide these 14 sts among 3 needles, work in the round for 18 rounds, or 2.2 inches. K2tog 7 times; cut off the yarn and draw the 7 sts together with the yarn.

LEFT GLOVE
Since all the fingers are worked symmetrically, only the position of the thumb has to be changed; the rest are worked in the same way. A detailed instruction is as follows:

Cast on 30 sts with A loosely and divide the stitches evenly among the 4 needles, 7 or 8 sts per needle. Work the cuff in stockinette stitch as follows:
With A, Knit 1 row.
Change to B, K 7 rows.
Change to C, K 1 row.
Change to B, K 1 row.
Change to C, K 1 row.
Change to B, K 1 row.
Change to C, K 4 rows.
Change to B, K2, M1, K to within 6 sts before the end of the row, M1, end K6 (32 sts in total).
Change to C, K 2 rows.
Change to A, K 1 row.
Change to C, K 3 rows.
Change to A, K 4 rows, increase another 2 sts in the fourth row as follows: K3, M1, K to within 7 sts before the end of the row, M1, end K7 (34 sts in total).
Change to C, K 2 rows.
Change to A, K 1 row.
Change to C, K 3 rows.

Thumb Stitches
Change to A, K to within 7 sts before the end of the row; using waste yarn, K6; slip the 6 sts back to left needle and knit them again with A; end K1.
Change to C, K 8 rows.
Work the fingers as for the right hand.

FINISHING
Weave in ends; block lightly if desired. Enjoy!

Pattern & image © 2007 Iris G. All rights reserved.
http://irisgknits.blogspot.com/

Now the non-knitting part...
We had only one single Spring day this week, and I did not miss the chance to go playing in a park:

Proudly modeling my new sweater:

Like before, there were many wild geese and ducks in the park. Also like before, I forgot to bring them any bread crumbs, so they walked away and never looked back!

I promise to bring you some little treats next time, Mr. Duck!

Silkroad Sweater

2007-04-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

As promised, here comes my finished new sweater!

Yarn
Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran, Empire (137), 7 balls. Ribs are done in Zephyr wool-silk DK, which is actually a worsted weight.

Design
My own, a plain vanilla v-neck with hourglass shaping.

Comments
I LOVE this yarn. Jo Sharp yarn collection is always fabulous in both texture and color. Next time I will try her dk tweeds for a cabled cardigan, or a vest.
The sweater is a completely seamless one, which means that the body is knit on circulars; the shoulders are finished with short rows and the three needle bind-off; and I used the top-down method for the sleeves for the first time. It must have taken a big genius to invent this (sleeve knitting) method! Did BW say anything in her top-down sweater book?

Wearing
Ever since I washed (no bleeding) and blocked my new v-neck, I have been lounging in it merrily. This baby is next-to-the-skin soft and so cozy, and it pairs well with both jeans and pants. Zephyr is not as sturdy as Silkroad, which can be explained by its fiber content. I happen to like the worn effect of the cuffs, so that's not a problem but a bonus :-).

History (yes it has a history...)
The yarn was originally purchased for a scarf and hat set, at least four years ago. Then I changed my mind and worked it into a heavily cabled vest. It has never been worn, for I did not like the fit. Then last winter I found it in my stash. After some frogging, I started to modify it into a cabled sweater. Still didn't like it. Finally I frogged the whole sweater and started from scratch two weeks ago.

You see, sometimes a knitter can be very stubborn, and very patient!

During the weekend I have made some progress on the lacy shrug. A shrug is a perfect project right after scarf-knitting: no huge commitment, easy shaping, and simple sewing.

There is another work-in-progress. It's a tank top, or a T-shirt, haven't decided yet. I was trying to use up my two skeins of Jaeger Trinity. Regretted the moment I opened my mail. Everyone who have seen the swatch could not help but telling me how much it looked like a rag. "Are you really gonna wear something like this?" Obviously a wrong choice of color...

To rescue it, I threw in some soft merino in a darker grey. At least there are tonal effects now. Perhaps this piece can be named A Pencil Sketch?

Swatches, failures, and new plans

2007-04-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

I just started to make This. There is a ball of Babykid sleeping in my stash, and it gets fondled a lot, what a cute yarn. I've been wondering what "one ball wonder" I could do with it until I saw this airy shrug from Garnstudio. Their patterns are so beautiful, and who doesn't like free patterns? The pattern calls for two balls of a similar yarn, so my version will have shorter sleeves.

I picked Vine lace pattern from A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, a beautifully simple one and started working on size 10 Brittany. So far so good:

The cold weather has definitely promoted knitting! I've just finished a warm sweater. Pictures will come later.

Also swatched is this extremely squishy merino, Santa Fe, it feels like a nylon stocking on needles, really. Great yardage, too. Tahki (and FDC and SCC) is a great yarn company, imho. I enjoyed working with every yarn I tried from them.

I am not sure what to make with Santa Fe yet, I have seen a couple of vests but was unimpressed. One interesting thing about bulky yarns is that they have to be made into closely fitted clothes, or huge accessories. A fitted bulky sweater can be very attractive, while a baggy one may look horrible. Exaggerated accessories have been "in" for several years, and they are still everywhere.

Speaking of bulky yarn, I have some Rowan Big wool fusion for a jacket. This yarn is very soft, but clearly different from those extrafine merinos. I like this cool color. At first it was a cabled one, here is the debris:

It was frogged because when I tried it on, it was too baggy. Then it became this:

Can you see the second one was an unfinished, slightly modified Twinkle design?
This time it was a bit tight, for my gauge changed in the process!

Three is a charm, and I will probably make this jacket:

or this pretty pretty pullover:

Which one do you like better?

On glove knitting

2007-04-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

This week has been a cold one, it almost feels like winter. The single crocus flower in my yard has just been killed...sigh. Let's talk about something warm and cozy!

I love knitting gloves, fingerless ones especially, for they are truly functional. Teva Durham says in her famous Loop-d-loop that there was something "ironical" about knitting gloves, that one's hands were making coverings for themselves. To me this is not ironical at all, just fun. The only boring part is when one gets to the fingers-- neither dpns nor magic loop can make it fast, and one has to stop and count the rows all the time. I always hope that some company would make extremely short and tiny circulars for glove knitters... hey maybe I should do that myself?

One has to make several decisions when planning a pair of gloves. Would you make it flat on two straight needles, or on circulars/dpns? How do you like the ribbing? Which method to use for the thumb?

I only made one pair of flat mittens, and sewing took longer time than the actual knitting. Rowan patterns and some other English patterns are always done on straight needles. Well I must admit that I absolutely lack the patience to sew the seams for ten fingers. That's why my gloves are always done on dpns/circulars.

To my knowledge, there are two major ways to place the thumb.

One can be found in EZ's books: you use a piece of waste yarn and knit half number of stitches for the thumb at the right place, then knit these stitches with the working yarn and go through. In the end, you pick up the upper and lower stitches of the waste yarn and voila! You have a thumb opening instantly. A thumb done in this way looks feminine, as it stays on the palm side. But if you use a bulky yarn, this is what happens:

The thumb protrudes and never look right when I slip on the glove. However, a thinner yarn won't give you this trouble. For instance, the very popular Fetching looks great.

The second way is my favorite as the thumb fits snuggly. In this method, the thumb stitches are gradually added as you work up the palm. When all the stitches are there, you place them on a piece of waste yarn, and cast on several stitches for the gusset, and knit through. In the next rows, stitches are decreased over the gusset stitches until only one stitch remains.

That's how you get a triangular piece between the thumb and the palm, and it adds flexibility.

You also need to decide how to increase for the thumb stitches. You can either use one stitch as a base, and add one stitch both before and after this stitch (see below), or you can add stitch before and after the whole thumb piece.

To close today's topic, I proudly present some 2006 and 2007 FOs.

This pair is done in Malabrigo worsted merino on size 5 dpns. They pilled crazily, but oh how soft and warm!

Perfect indoor fingerless mitts, in beautiful Jaggerspun Zephyr on lace needles. The right one is beaded. The lace pattern is from a Barbara Walker's treasury.

And these are done in Koigu and a white sock yarn on size 2 and 4 dpns. The fact that Koigu is actually a light sport yarn is quite obvious here. I like the subtle textural effect of the central cable:

Don't you think they look like two cute sea anemone?

My favorite, not shown here, are a custom-made pair for my father. The reason why I started glove knitting was simple: I wanted to make a warm and handsome pair for dear Dad. I remembered that when I was a kid, he used to wear a pair in a navy color, and after many years they were beyond darning. Although he had other pairs, those were his favorites. So I started learning and practising. It took me several years, and finally I gave him a pair of fine gauge navy colored gloves in some best yarns, as '07 new year's present. "Great job, I'll be wearing them all the time", he said, and I, of course, was grinning like a happy fool.

Something about me and my knitting

2007-04-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

This is my first post, and this blog would be mainly about my hobby: knitting!

Well, some random stuff might creep in here now and then, let's wait and see.

Like most other knitters, I picked up needles when I was little, learned how to knit, turned away, did not come back until I started working. At first it was mainly for de-stressing and gift making, then it became a pleasure.

I started writing patterns quite recently, for sometimes there can be an urge to share with other knitters something beautiful to me. My designs are usually based on a theme, be it an ancient poem, a delicate flower, a fractal, or simply a pretty yarn. I always try to make it simple, comfortable, and elegant, but the results may vary...

Let's begin,

Iris

template elements

2005-05-13T11:58:00.000-07:00