Category Archives: Knitting

Workshop W-02: Gusset-heel Gansey Sock

14 Wednesday Apr 2010

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, Sock Workshop, teaching classes

≈ 3 Comments

The web of our life is of a mingled yarn,
good and ill together.
[William Shakespeare]

Look familiar? One of the classes I’m facilitating at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival lasts two days. We will produce the sock that is featured in the sock workshop on this blog. I recently knit another sock just to make sure we could actually finish one in the two-day class (Thursday and Friday, 9:00-4:00 pm.) All of the Gansey sweater features are included in this sock—a welt, mock seam, textured pattern and gusset. The handout includes the pattern. This LINK gives more information.

Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

12 Monday Apr 2010

Posted by in Knitting, Sock Workshop, teaching classes, Thoughts

≈ 2 Comments

Modern invention has banished the spinning wheel,
and the same law of progress makes the woman of today
a different woman from her grandmother.
[Susan B. Anthony]

Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

If I could speak to Susan B., I’d say, “Ms. Anthony, women have so gained confidence in their worth and effectiveness that they dredged out those banished spinning wheels, dusted them off, fixed them up and have taken to spinning again.” There is a big difference between having to do something out of dire necessity, and doing the same thing simply for the joy of it. I knit simply for the joy of it, and am blessed that I’ve been invited to share my knowledge with other knitters at the 37th Annual Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival (Saturday May 1 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Sunday 2, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, 2010). Here is a quote from their website:

The Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival is sponsored by the Maryland Sheep Breeders Association, Inc., a non-profit organization. The Festival’s purpose is to educate the public about sheep and wool. The Festival is organized and conducted by volunteers from the sheep breeding and fiber arts communities.

In the next few posts, I plan to show photos from the workshop projects I’ve prepared for my classes:

  • A-4: Non-Stop Heel
  • A-8: Replaceable or Peasant Heel
  • W-02: Gusset-heel Gansey Sock
  • W-05: Child-sized Stranded Hat with Steek

Olympic Sweaters

12 Friday Feb 2010

Posted by in Knitting

≈ 7 Comments

Most other competitions are individual achievements,
but the Olympic Games is something that belongs to everybody.
[Scott Hamilton]

The Winter Olympics fascinate me on several levels even though sports aren’t a particular interest of mine. One level includes ski sweaters. I knit several Dale of Norway (the company who designs ski team sweaters) ski sweater patterns over the years then, during one Winter Olympics, I knit a design of my own—the sweater in the photo (closeup in the new masthead).

This seamless sweater starts with a yoke that also forms the sleeves. There is a buttoned placket and narrow, stand up collar. I picked up the body stitches between the sleeves of the yoke, and knit down to the lower edge. The bottom is finished with a hem that contains a draw string. The yarn is a DK weight wool/mohair blend.

Knitted Hats

15 Tuesday Dec 2009

Posted by in Knitting

≈ 3 Comments

A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in.
[Frederick The Great]

Knitting a hat affords the opportunity to work out a pattern idea without embarking upon a lifetime project. The two-color stitch pattern in the hat above was designed by Ellen Roberts (Shepherd’s Moon). I knit this using a DK weight wool and US size #6 or #7 needles.

The tam below was inspired by information in the book, Knitted Tams by Mary Rowe. It is fascinating to watch the changes in a stitch pattern caused by decreasing to form the circle. This hat was knit using fingering weight wool.

Nadolig Hapus 2009

12 Saturday Dec 2009

Posted by in Favorite Things, Knitting, Thoughts

≈ 12 Comments

Even as an adult I find it difficult to sleep on Christmas Eve.
Yuletide excitement is a potent caffeine,
no matter your age.
[Carrie Latet]

HOT OFF THE NEEDLES—This Christmas stocking is heading to Wales and my grandson Owain. The dragon on the green and white background is inspired by the Welsh flag. I embroidered him onto the background using duplicate stitch. The surrounding pattern is edited to fit the stitch count from Alice Starmore’s book, Charts for Colour Knitting. The yarn is Kraemer Sterling Silk & Silver. It is Merino wool, silk, nylon and sterling silver (sparkles) fine sock yarn. This is the fourth Christmas stocking I’ve knit for grandsons.

I love using this yarn for Christmas stockings. Not only does the silver sparkle in a festive manner but the company (Kraemer Yarns) has been working for more than 100 years in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

Christmas Stocking

07 Monday Dec 2009

Posted by in Favorite Things, Knitting

≈ 5 Comments

Christmas is a time when you get homesick
even when you’re home.
[Carol Nelson]

Cole's StockingHOT OFF THE NEEDLES—When this stocking is dry (it is currently being blocked) and the jingle bells are sewn on, it will go into the mail to Cole in Wilmington, NC.

My mother made countless Christmas stockings during her 95 years—all children, grand children, spouses and several friends have one. Now that she is gone, I’ve been knitting the Christmas stockings. This one is for my grandson Cole. I have one more to knit—grandson Owain will get the next one.

This yarn is Kraemer Sterling Silk & Silver. It is Merino wool, silk, nylon and sterling silver (sparkles) fine sock yarn. The pattern is on my …and a time to knit stockings CD.

Portuguese Style Knitting

25 Wednesday Nov 2009

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, Ongoing Projects

≈ 1 Comment

We may have all come on different ships,
but we’re in the same boat now.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

One thing I like about being an American is living in the midst of variety. I feel like I have dibs on a little bit of everybody’s culture. So here’s a chance to participate in something new to many knitters between the North Atlantic and Pacific. Andrea Wong has a new DVD on the market and is offering a special on two DVDs until December 15th. Check out this LINK if you are interested in learning Portuguese style knitting. The DVDs, pins and patterns also come individually packaged.

Andrea is one of my graphic design clients. I help her with her website, and lay out her print advertising. Currently, I am helping her with a knitting book layout, and I’m so thrilled about it. It not only has a number of Portuguese-inspired patterns, but it also has lovely travel photos, technique explanations, and history. The book is scheduled to go to print next spring.

Land of Counterpane

19 Thursday Nov 2009

Posted by in Knitting, Thoughts

≈ 1 Comment

When I was sick and lay a-bed,
I had two pillows at my head,
And all my toys beside me lay
To keep me happy all the day.

And sometimes for an hour or so
I watched my leaden soldiers go,
With different uniforms and drills,
Among the bed-clothes, through the hills;

And sometimes sent my ships in fleets
 All up and down among the sheets;
 Or brought my trees and houses out,
 And planted cities all about.

I was the giant great and still
 That sits upon the pillow-hill,
 And sees before him, dale and plain,
 The pleasant land of counterpane.

[Robert Louis Stevenson]

A counterpane is a bedspread. Heirloom versions were sometimes knit using white cotton thread and looked quite elegant. I’m in the process of designing a colorful, woolen version. The image above is really one block duplicated three times and arranged to show how the finished counterpane will look. This is for a class being offered at Sarah Jane’s Yarn Shoppe after the first of the year.

Love Blanket finished

15 Sunday Nov 2009

Posted by in Knitting, Thoughts

≈ 6 Comments

Every gift from a friend is a wish for your happiness.
[Richard Bach]

love_blanket

HOT OFF THE NEEDLES—(many needles) Fifteen friends knit the blocks for this love blanket as a thank you gift for Gloria who invites us to the annual New Harmony knitting retreat. The center block is a mosaic-style design that is a square version of the labyrinth  in New Harmony. I set the blocks together and plan to give the blanket to Gloria on Monday at the Dayton Knitting Guild meeting.

This is similar to knitting a prayer shawl. My mother knit small blankets for people and called them Love Blankets. Thanks to all who helped.

This week’s fun

02 Monday Nov 2009

Posted by in Favorite Things, Knitting, Ongoing Projects, Thoughts

≈ 3 Comments

When you are asked if you can do a job, tell ’em, ‘Certainly I can!’
Then get busy and find out how to do it.
[Theodore Roosevelt]
week_projects

The leaves and the year might be almost gone, but there is still time to have fun. My calendar for this week is full of fun stuff.

1. Beginning Blogging: This is the last week for the 8-week course that I teach on the internet under the auspices of the Story Circle Network. I enjoy this so much that I’m writing a proposal for the winter session that starts after Christmas. My course covers the technical aspects of setting up and managing a blog.

2. Birthdays: We are gathering at the Texas Roadhouse tonight to celebrate two family birthdays—mother and daughter who were born the same day but 25 years apart. That makes it easy to remember. Gifts are wrapped.

3. Curves: I am maintaining a decent weight but need to go exercise more (at least 3 times this week). It gives me energy and keeps me agile.

4. Knitting classes: Tomorrow is the last class for the vest, Wednesday is the last class for the stranded sock class, and Saturday is the first class for another group knitting stranded socks. I offer these classes at Sarah Jane’s Yarn Shoppe. I have a variety of sock patterns so each class member may choose the one she likes best.

3. Portuguese Style Knitting: My day job is as a graphic artist. One facet of that is preparing books for publication. I’m so excited about my current job—assembling a book on Portuguese-style knitting for Andrea Wong. She attended Cat Bordhi’s Visionary Retreat, and is working on getting her book ready to self publish.

4. Lifewriting Online: Blogging for the Faint of Heart: I’m composing a presentation to use as a skeleton for the 90-minute workshop I’m planning to facilitate at the Story Circle Network’s Fifth National Women’s Memoir Conference in Austin, Texas next February. This is an ongoing job for me but it is such fun and I’m making progress.

NOTE: The new masthead (now retired to masthead page) is the same view as the last one but later in the fall—the field is golden and the light has changed. When I retire a masthead, I put it on the Masthead page in the tab above.