E-book Review: the Sock Report

June 6, 2012June 5, 2012remilyknits 2 Comments

Thanks to a recommendation from a fellow knitter on Ravelry, I found my way to the inaugural issue of the Sock Report. Go ahead, go take a look …. I’ll still be here when you get done drooling.

Pretty fantastic, no? I broke down about halfway through and bought the e-book. At $16 for 16 exceptional patterns, it was a deal too good to refuse. It’s rare for a book to have so many patterns I just HAVE to make, and I definitely want to reward Janel Laidman and company for putting together such a great collection. Ten of the sixteen patterns are in my queue — including three actual sock patterns.

But, to me, the glory of the Sock Report is the use of sock yarn in not-sock items. I have already order Stroll Tonal in the new Pacific colorway to make a stormy-sea version of SusannaIC‘s Marigold. I’ll buy beads after I have the yarn in hand…

I also have a mad plan to make a pair of little wedding-themed beavers for my friends Chris & Dana, who are getting married this weekend. See how charming the beaver is? It’s second from the right of the Pocket Pals (by Chris deLongpre). Don’t know that I’ll get them done before the actual wedding though …

Cast-on Monday: Blue Boxes

June 4, 2012June 3, 2012remilyknits 6 Comments

Way back in March, I brought some lovely Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere — two skeins in this gorgeous blue:

I didn’t have any plans for it, but it was just too pretty (and too soft) to languish, alone, at the yarn shop.

Then, later on, I queued Bigger on the Inside (by Kate Atherly). I mean, Dr. Who, right? Who doesn’t want a TARDIS shawlette? I even made a note in my queue that I should knit it “in TARDIS blue, obviously.” This week I connected yarn and pattern — voila!

I know lace doesn’t look like much until it’s blocked — so don’t be too judgey about it’s somewhat lumpish appearance. I promise you it is verra pretty when I stretch it out and admire the pattern.

FO Friday: Deep Water Echo

June 1, 2012May 6, 2012remilyknits 5 Comments

I made a pretty pretty shawl! I think I’m in love with Estonian-style lace patterns.

Project: Deep Water Echo

Pattern: Echo Flower Shawl

Designer: Jenny Johnson Johnen

Available: FREE! on Ravelry

Yarn: Knit Picks Shadow Tonal in Deep Waters

I made the larger version of this pattern, which I only regretted when doing the umpteenth repeat of the 3-into-9 body pattern. I love the nupps, the stars, everything! High marks to this first-time designer for a beautiful and well-written pattern!

Knit Picks Shadow Tonal is a joy to work with — springy and just enough color variation for beauty, without distracting from the lace. I did find Deep Waters a bit dark for night-time knitting: I had to wait for good light.

Kudzu Inspiration

May 30, 2012May 29, 2012remilyknits 1 Comment

Of all the patterns I’ve released to date, the most popular by far is the Kudzu Shawlette. As of this writing, it has 207 finished projects in Ravelry — a order of magnitude more than any of my other patterns. I wish I knew what helped it make such a splash — surely being published in CEY’s web-letter helped a lot, as did being chosen for several lace KAL’s. I really have enjoyed seeing the variations people have made, such as this beaded Kudzu and this extra-deep Kudzu.

Recently two designers asked my blessing for their patterns, which were inspired by Kudzu but definitely and distinctly their own design. Adeline Too designed a girl’s summer top with Kudzu leaves as the body. I think her Kudzu Top is charming!

Of course not everyone has an adorable little girl to knit for, but as long as you have hands, you can make yourself some Kudzu-inspired mittens. Rahymah Bintmichael used the ribbing and leaf motif for her Mittens with Leaves. I think they are very pretty!

Cast-on Monday: Foxglove Cloche and Poodle for Hire

May 28, 2012May 27, 2012remilyknits Leave a comment

My Monday knitting group took a field trip to Another Yarn in Winchester, MA. They had some of the new Madelinetosh colors, and I found that Foxglove (in Tosh DK) just had to come home with me.

I’ve already turned it into this adorable hat — which still needs a ribbon and a button to be finished:

I also (finally) cast on for the poodle I owe to the winner of the Jasper raffle — I made a leg, then frogged it, because it was HUGE. I ended up un-plying the Pipsqueak I’m using into three individual plies, and using just one ply to made the leg again. It worked, I’m happy with the results: “just” three more legs, two sides of the body, the head, and the tail to go. 🙂

Pipsqueak:

FO Friday: Knit Jasper

May 25, 2012May 6, 2012remilyknits 3 Comments

Please say hi to Knit Jasper!

Project: Knit Jasper

Pattern: Siberian Husky, highly modified

Designer: Joanna Osborne and Sally Muir

Available: in Knit Your Own Dog

Yarn: Palette

A friend of mine from agility lost her dog Jasper to a sudden accident. Before he died, she incurred some serious vet bills, and the agility community held some raffles to raise money to help her out. I donated a “custom knit mini dog” for the raffle. Someone mentioned that they hoped the winner would give the prize to Kathy … so I decided to make her a Jasper up front, so the winner wouldn’t have to give up their prize. (The winner, by the way, has a mini poodle — look for that project soon!)

It was hard to get started on Knit Jasper, because I wanted so badly for it to be as close to perfect as possible. This was extra hard, because the original Jasper is not any particular breed — so there wasn’t a pattern in Knit Your Own Dog that was exactly right. Eventually I decided that the Siberian Husky was closest in shape, especially the ears and head.

I charted out the written pattern for the Husky, and colored in Jasper’s signature tri-color markings. I made the legs and body just a smidge shorter to better match Jasper’s sturdy frame. Slowly he came together … I couldn’t figure out how to put a ruff around his neck without making it look like a lion’s mane, but overall I am satisfied with the doppelganger. After I took photos, I decided to tip the right ear — I soaked it in water, pinched it in a chip clip, and let it dry overnight. The tipped ear really helps the look!

Here’s another pair of knit vs. original photos — it’s important to get rears right too!

So long Jasper, happy trails to you.

Cast-On Monday: What are YOU working on?

May 21, 2012February 5, 2013remilyknits 2 Comments

Guess how many new projects I cast on in the last few weeks? Other than my little pink pig, zero.

I have a good excuse though! I’ve been working hard the last week or so on getting proposals ready for two different calls for submission. For Classic Elite’s Spring 2013 call, I’m submitting a cute little cardigan in Provence, and a classic triangular shawl in Soft Linen. Meanwhile, Knit Picks put out a call for their very first IDP collection for Late Winter/Spring 2013. For that call, I’m submitting a lacy short-sleeved top in Cotlin, and a short-row crescent lace shawl in Alpaca Cloud. Of course I would be Super Excited if my submissions are picked up, but I’m also aware that the deadlines will be all on top of each other. In the unlikely event that all four proposals are accepted, I will need my needles clear and ready to go.

So, here’s my question to you, dear reader:

What have YOU cast on in the last two weeks or so? What new and fabulous projects are rocking your needles?

FO Friday: Very Orange Hoodie

May 18, 2012May 6, 2012remilyknits 3 Comments

I finished the big orange hoodie!!

Project: Very Orange Hoodie

Pattern: Hooded Guernsey, highly modified

Designer: Debbie Bliss

Available: in Family Knits, among other sources

Yarn: CEY Duchess

Astute readers may recognize this hoodie as one of my “Finish It or Frog It” projects from January. See the orange bit in the upper left? Now it’s a sweater, yay!

I bought two bags of unlabelled Duchess from the back wall at Hub Mills — a great yarn shop (yes, I work them and am justifiably biased) that often has great finds along the back wall. Off-label and discontinued CEY yarns can often be had for a song! And let’s be honest kids — I wouldn’t normally make a kid’s hoodie out of a cashmere blend yarn, right?

Let’s get on to the mods …

First of all, the pattern calls for DK yarn and only goes up to size 4. I actually made the size 4 for Eli a few years ago, following the pattern more or less exactly. When he asked for a new sweater, he wanted the same one, only in orange. Since bright orange can be tricky to find, I bought the bulky-weight Duchess anyway, knowing I’d have to alter the pattern.

I did a bunch of math to figure out how big the finished size 10-ish sweater should be, and how many stitches I’d need with the Duchess (I got 7 sts/2 in), and went to work. One major change I made was to work the body and sleeves in the round. I also worked the inside of the kangaroo pocket from picked-up stitches, to avoid sewing later on. I did use 3-needle bind-off for the shoulders, to give it a bit of structure. I worked the hood from a “Judy’s magic cast on” center, again to avoid a seam.

To prove that even seasoned knitters can make dorky mistakes, I carefully sewed in the hood …. facing backwards. Ugh. Picked it out and sewed it in correctly and was finally done! Eli is pleased, but considers it a bit TOO large — I made a classic mom error and knit with next fall in mind. But, at least I have a good chance of having it fit him in the next cold season.

CO Monday: Pig Sans Wings

May 14, 2012May 13, 2012remilyknits 1 Comment

Some “friends” of mine showed me this adorable FREE pattern, and I just couldn’t resist! I cast on right away for my very own version of Oink (by Susan B. Anderson of Spud & Chloe).

I used leftover yarn bits — Wool of the Andes for the body, Shine Worsted for the nose tip & ear-insides, and Gloss for the black embroidery.

Now we shall pause to admire pink pigs adorable curly tail!

I was in too much of a rush to use a pink bouncy ball, but it is an awesome idea.

The wings on the pattern are awesome too! The omission on my pig is primarily due to the fact that I knit too late at night, and tried two very different techniques for making the wings. I, uh, tried to make the 2nd one i-cord style, after being annoyed with knitting the first one in the round. The two wings came out radically different sizes, and I just couldn’t stay up and make a third wing. Plus I couldn’t decide where/how to put them. Plus my pig was so cute already!

FO Friday: Yar

May 11, 2012May 6, 2012remilyknits Leave a comment

I made something fun for the shop!

Project: Yar

Pattern: Starboard

Designer: Susan Mills

Available: $6 on Ravelry, in CE #9168 (Harbor) for $10

Yarn: CEY Seedling Handpaint in #4567

“Starboard” is a quick and fun knit, using just two hanks of soft and colorful Seedling Handpaint. I was asked to make a store sample for the shop, and I was pleased to do so! The cast-on edge of 135 elongated picots was … sorry to say … a bit tedious. But, I knew that once the edge was done, the rest would be quickly completed. I played a board game with friends while making the picots, and two hours later, I was at work on the short-row ribbed body. I finished the next day.

Thanks to my model Eli for showing off Yar for me! 🙂