A Hundred Ravens can be found at the Wayland Winter Farmers’ Market most Saturdays! Snugged in amongst the plants and, um, garden decorations you will find a wide variety of delicious local food and other neat stuff. Kate sells hard copies of many of my patterns, and has lovely samples worked up in her yarn. The butter-yellow Levade in Llyr is one of my favorites.
But.
It’s even better on a dinosaur.
(The raptor is a yard ornament. That you can buy. To put in your yard. And terrify people.)
So I have this pretty-pretty yarn from Blue Moon Fiber Arts — Socks That Rock Lightweight, from the Nov 2012 shipment of the Rockin’ Sock Club.
I’ve wanted to make something with it for AGES — I’ve assigned it to patterns, then changed my mind, etc.
Then, last week, I saw a call for submission from BMFA — for their upcoming sock club, no less! I loved the yarn and patterns I received as a sock club member, and it would be SO COOL to have one of my patterns go out to club members, so of course I started brainstorming right away.
I can’t reveal details, naturally, but I think I can tell you I’m submitting something for the “not a sock” pattern, and that it has nifty construction and a sweet stitch pattern. If BMFA doesn’t take the pattern, rest assured I will definitely be self-publishing this one.
Check it out, gradient handspun!
Project: MadLamina
Pattern: Lamina
Designer: Karen S. Lauger
Available: FREE! on Ravelry or on Knitty
Yarn: my handspun Mad Color
This was the perfect little pattern for my gradient handspun. I worked reeeealllly hard at getting the yarn to come out right, and I’m very pleased! The roving (from Mad Color Fiber Arts) had a high-contrast and interesting color progression, and I feel like I preserved that in the finished scarf.
I did get a tiny bit nervous as I neared the end of my knitting … that tiny bow of black yarn is the sum total of my leftover yarn. Whew!
There’s a question I get asked on a regular basis … it has several forms, but in essence it is this: knitter wants to make one of my patterns, which calls for certain weight yarn. They want to use a different weight of yarn. How many yards will they need?
This turns out to be a more complicated question to answer than you might think!
Let’s get concrete here, and take a specific shawl as an example — say, Levade. The pattern-as-written calls for 450-500 yards of fingering-weight yarn. Like many lace shawls, the pattern suggests a needle size (#7) that is several sizes up from what is listed on the yarn label. This is intentional — the goal is to create an open, airy fabric that blocks and drapes beautifully.
Using a Thicker Yarn
Jane Knitter doesn’t have enough fingering-weight yarn in her stash to make this shawl, but she does have some DK and worsted-weight yarn in large enough quantities to make the shawl … or does she? If she uses a #7 needle with a thicker yarn, the fabric won’t have the right characteristics. The thicker the yarn she substitutes, the more firm and dense the fabric will be. If she tries to make the shawl with a #7 needle and 500 yards of worsted-weight yarn, she won’t run out of yarn … but she may create a “shawl” that is much more stiff than she wanted. Try it with a bulky yarn and the shawl may stand up all by itself!
The solution to the too-thick fabric problem is to use a needle that is appropriate for the yarn she has — for DK, I’d go up to a #9, and for worsted-weight, a #10 or even higher. She’ll need to swatch, too, to make sure she likes the fabric she’s getting. Once she’s settled with a needle, she has a new problem … if she makes the shawl as written with a larger needle and thicker yarn, the shawl will be bigger (perhaps MUCH bigger) than the original — and it will use a lot more yarn. There’s no simple way to calculate how much, though a swatch and very accurate scale can help her get an estimate.
If she doesn’t want a bigger shawl, she’ll need to modify the pattern — do fewer rows, somehow. This will use less yarn than making as written … though how much less is (again) difficult to know in advance.
Using a Thinner Yarn
Jack Knitter, on the other hand, has piles of laceweight in his stash — more than he knows what to do with. He’d like to make Levade with some laceweight instead of fingering weight yarn. The good news is, he can probably get away with using laceweight and #7 needles — the resulting fabric will be ephemeral and gauzy, but the shawl will be about the same size as the original and use about the same amount of yarn.
Jack swatches like a good little knitter, but finds he doesn’t like the fabric he’s getting on #7 needles with his laceweight. He has to go down to a #4 before he’s happy. What does this mean for his shawl? If he works the pattern as written with #4’s, he’ll get a tiny little shawl and use up less yarn. This isn’t what he’s going for! The solution is to add rows (often there’s a good place to repeat a portion of a pattern) until it’s the size he wants. Again, the amount of yarn he’ll need is highly variable at this point.
So What Is A Knitter To Do?
If you don’t have the weight yarn that’s called for in a pattern, don’t despair … but don’t expect an easy answer, either! You’ll need to swatch and do some math and maybe alter a pattern to get results you’ll be happy with. Tame that knitting, make it yours!
I’m very excited about my latest design project! I hardly dare say it (because jinx), but it’s coming together so effortlessly, and I looooove it so much! Here’s a bit of the first motif:
One of the joys of being and indie designer is that I can share photos whenever I like! So there.
My new collection of shawls is called “Clockwork.” Each shawl will feature different fingering-weight yarn from A Hundred Ravens. I’m using the yet-to-be-released spring/summer colors, and each two-skein shawl will feature two different colorways. I’ve seen some preview skeins, and they are unspeakably lovely, so I hope you are all super jealous 🙂 :).
I swatched madly and then cast on for the first shawl, Flywheel, this week, using Llyr, a silk/wool blend with all the drape and shine you’d expect. I’m using two semi-solid colorways, and some really interesting and fun stitch patterns. This design will probably be my mystery KAL pattern for the collection. (Interested? Make sure to sign up for my email list to be notified first about mystery KAL updates.)
I have a new favorite FO!
Project: Sleepy Molly
Pattern: Molly
Designer: Susan Mills
Available: $6 on Ravelry (also available in several CEY booklets)
Yarn: my handspun Sleepy Hollow!
This was, simply put, the perfect pattern for this yarn. The long color repeats are highlighted by Molly’s short rows, and the rib/ruffle design was forgiving of handspun irregularities. It was a delightful knit, very fun and rewarding every step of the way.
I used needles appropriate to the yarn, but kept the stitch counts the same, so my Molly is a bit wider than the original. I hoped that I would have enough yarn to make a long enough scarf for a loop to work — both as a single-loop long cowl, and doubled up. I had juuuust enough yarn to accomplish this goal — it is super cozy doubled up, without strangling me :).
This holiday season saw the arrival of not one but TWO different yarn buddies! Welcome, my friends. Welcome!
The first comes to me from friends-of-a-friend who listened to me moan (and moan) about how sad I was that I couldn’t find a single yarn buddy at Stitches East. They sent this to me, as a total surprise! I love it! Even if my knitting group (you know who you are!) keep making jokes about the, um, slightly phallic appearance. It has no moving parts, which is a great plus. I suspect a drop of spinning wheel oil will make it spin freely, but for now I’m keeping it “dry” — the slight friction allows me to pull without risking a yarn tilt-a-whirl.
In the mean time, I had asked (pretty please!) for a yarn buddy for Christmas from my Mother-in-Law. She bought this ball-bearing model from The Woolery. It’s fantastic! It’s one piece, so I can bring it in my knitting bag without worrying about parts going places. The ball bearings provide smooth, musical turning. I personally appreciate the less-phallic shape, so as to avoid ribbing by the knitting gang. The clear non-slip feet are nice too — it doesn’t slide across smooth cafe tables when I pull.
Oh dear, oh dear … how has January slipped away from me?
Actually, I know the answer to that question. It has multiple parts. Part the first: I committed to finished two large/long projects for Classic Elite for their fall(ish) pattern books. I knit a big crescent shawl/wrap and a cardigan, both on size 4 needles, using about 1100 and about 1250 yards of fingering-weight yarn, respectively. That’s a lot of stitches! 🙂 I finished both samples by the contracted deadline, but it was a near thing with the cardi. I’m really glad I finished on time, but there was a couple weeks there where I was really head-down on design — so no new projects at all the first two weeks of January.
Part the second: unrelated to knitting, I was competing in agility trials with Clewe and Gromit four weekends in a row. It was awesome and fun, but also exhausting. Often I come home Sunday evening after a trial, and just fall down. My usual Sunday post-writing doesn’t happen. When I have my act together, I write posts for the upcoming week BEFORE leaving for the trial, say on Friday for instance, but again — the knitting. The busy. The holiday hangover….
ANYway, excuses aside, here I am — with any luck, back to my regular schedule of Cast-On Monday, Finished Object Friday, and Something Else on Wednesday.
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I started lots of new projects in January. I made it even easier to cast on (as if I needed help) by tagging all my “haveyarn” patterns in my Ravelry Queue with the size needle I plan to use when I make the project. This means that when I finish something, thus freeing up my (say) #4 Signature needles, I can narrow down my choices to patterns that I both “have yarn” for and want to use a #4 for.
Speaking of freeing up my #4s, check out these delightfully purple mittens! I’m nearly done with my Sssstarter Mittens in Aesir (“Bacchante”):
Moving on into gorgeous pinks, I cast on for a new design project. This one is for Dream in Color, and uses both Wisp and DIC Classy-with-Cashmere:
Next up: Miss Winkle in Iachos (“Frances and the Leaping Fairy”)
I started two new hats: Jean’s Irish Hat in Jill Draper Makes Stuff Hudson (“Stormy Aegean”) and Lutine Cap in BMFA LW (“Mustang Sally”)
Last but not least, a new design project — a variation on my Wibbly Wobbly Cowl that is designed to be worn as a head kerchief. No name yet, but you had better bet “Timey Wimey” is in the running :).
I’ve already frogged five projects this year — mostly situations where the yarn and the pattern just weren’t cooperating. That decision is fairly easy for me to make. What I struggle with is the project that looks just great, fine really, but I don’t love it anymore. It’s been two years since my last Finish It or Frog It, and it seemed like a good time to have another round.
I pulled out all my current WIPs, including my hexipuffs and the Ongoing Forever Sock Yarn Blanket. Aside from those two projects, I’m pleased to say that everything else was cast on in 2013 — which to me means that I’m doing a good job of finishing/frogging in general.
Let’s discuss those two old WIPs first …
Design WIPs:
My WIPs (starting in the middle row, left to right):
So, as it turns out, I’m only giving up on two projects:
All the rest are officially on the “finish it” list!
It’s officially New Year’s Eve! In the spirit of tidying up loose ends, here are all the projects that I’ve finished in the last few weeks. Because there are so many, I’ll keep my comments pithy — click through to Ravelry for pattern and yarn details.
Great pattern! Had some trouble with the yarn hemorrhaging dye during the pre-block soak, but managed to control it with help from Kate.
This M-KAL was great fun! The finished shawl is HUGE and heavy from all the beads — totally fabulous.
I’m sorry to say the purple yarn bled dye and now I have purple socks with PINK faux fringe. I’m glad I have one good picture beforehand! Note to self: take your own advice re: dye fast testing when combining saturated colors with white yarn. Sigh.
I finished this Christmas gift in plenty of time. My MIL wrapped it around her neck immediately, and wore it home.
High-contrast yarn needs just the right pattern — I’m pleased with how this came out.
Finished this cup-cozy today! Love how the overall twisted-stitch pattern makes a plush fabric from my silky-merino handspun yarn.
This was a toy M-KAL — the finishing left to the knitter’s imagination. I went for a “Dorothy from Oz” look, with some success. I couldn’t get the gingham to work, however, so I’m not 100% satisfied.
Remily Knits 