Knitionary

I think this cape is aptly named: Teacup! I feel like I'm wearing either a teacup or a cupcake! While I love it so much, at first I was a little shy about wearing it as I thought it was a little showy or too young, or something--but my husband loves it, really loves it. He told me I was crazy to be shy in it, so now I wear it happily and it does get smiles and comments.

The pattern is from Martin Storey from the Big Accessories book that came out this fall from Rowan. I took one look at Teacup and knew it would have to be mine! The Rowan Fur is new this year, and not like any of the old fur yarns, and certainly nothing like an eyelash yarn. I've never seen anything like it. It's 100% soft merino wool and while I think it's tailor made for cuffs, collars and trims, I'd love to see a coat made from this. It's very easy to knit and feels like velvet in your fingers. Both garter stitch and stockinette, either side, have the identical furry look. Fur is perhaps my favorite of the new yarns this season only because it's so very fun and different. The brown yarn is from my stash and is two strands held together; one of Cascade Ecological Wool and one strand of a Jamieson fingering weight yarn of the same shade that I used to beef up the gauge of the EW. The Cascade EW was fantastic and imagine I'll use it again. It had a very lovely spongey/springy feel that I loved. By the way, the pattern called for Thick N' Thin which I would have preferred to use, but I lean towards my stash if I find something that will work. You can guess it was a fast knit--two nights, maybe three.

I'm visiting my daughter and teenage granddaughter right now. At first packing sweet little Teacup was there in the suitcase, but at the last minute I took it out as I was afraid one of them would like it and I would give it to them! I know--so stingy, that's not usually my style, but I do want to wear this a few more times before I give it away! You understand, don't you?

I've been a knitting maniac the last few days to make up for having to take a little time off to take care of Christmasy things. I have so many finished knits to photograph and one is a coat! I'm also trying to get some pictures of my house as it's nicely decorated and deserves a post. That will be next week. The day after I get home from this visit we are having my husband's golf buddies and their wives over for a chili party. We'll serve two kinds: I made my chicken chili before I left and put it in the freezer and while I'm away I put my hubs in charge of making traditional beef chili. He feels kind of important! Oh, and sorry about the headless shots, I really hate doing that, but something about my smile that day--very off. Trust me, it was for the best. Bye for now and stay calm and knit on!

Here's the links:

My Ravelry page for Teacup with a few mods for fit

Rowan Big Accessories

Rowan Fur

Cascade Ecological Wool

Here are pictures of my house decked out for a Christmas party.

First is the front hall and next is the entry.

Next is the living room and dining room where we have the tree, candles and tiny white lights, the knitted tiny tree garland, mercury glass filled with our very early blooming camellias and paperwhites, my family nativity I played with as a child, and the Wendt and Kuhn angel orchestra.

Our family's Italian chalkware nativity from the 50s.

On to the little tree in my son's former bedroom, now my "sewing lounge", lol, hung with ornaments I've made over the years. My husband really fought with me over this tree as he just absolutely did not want two trees. I'm so glad I persevered as I have enjoyed this little tree so much!

The guest bath below.

More Wendt and Kuhn figures with tiny vintage glitter houses in our bedroom.

I put a little bit of Christmas in almost every room as I like to go a little over the top when I know we will be hosting parties. Two weeks ago I had a Christmas tea for all the women, young and old, from our church. It turned out to be the day we had the rain storm of the decade--a huge drought busting gully-washer if there ever was one but that didn't stop anyone from coming!

This weekend we had such a fun party. We invited my husband's golf buddies and their wives over for a chili party. We had 26 people and set up an open help-yourself bar with a few appetizers passed around to start. I hire a woman who has helped me dozens of times and knows my house and my style. She'll assemble and pass appetizers, refill wine glasses, scoop up dirty dishes and generally keep things tidy. She is a treasure. If you've never used a party helper before, I highly recommend that little treat to yourself.

We set out two home-made chilies in the kitchen, one chicken and the other the more traditional beef (plus all the fixins like chopped onion, grated cheese, etc.), plus a spicyish cornbread then asked our guests to serve themselves. With a mug of chili in one hand and a drink in the other, guests were able to find a place to perch and eat. This means every seat in the house is taken and the house is crowded, but I think a crowded party is fun! The only picture I managed was this platter of cookies!

I wish you a Merry Christmas with all my heart.
xoxo, Kristen

If you know any little girls, I'm sure you've noticed that American Girl Dolls are all the rage! A few of my friend's grandchildren were getting American Girl Dolls for Christmas, and you all know how I love to knit little sweaters! I set to work right away on creating a cute ensemble, and this is what I came up with. I offer the sewing patterns and knitting pattern for free. Your Christmas knitting is probably over, but save this for next year or the next time you need a quick little gift for a special little girl. While I intended this to be an adult project, an older child with some experience using the sewing machine will be able to make the skirt easily on her own. However, be aware that she may need some help with the hat. The purple sweater is my own design and is easy even for a beginner knitter. The pattern has been tested many times; use a row counter and follow my instructions to a T and your sweater will be perfect! The light blue sweater is also a free pattern called Boxy Cardigan by Emily Ivey. Snickerdoodle, the purple sweater, is knit in one piece and is top down. Emily's long-sleeved cardigan is knit in pieces and seamed. My mods for that are on my Ravelry project page. All links are at the end of the post.

I've put the patterns for the sweater, tam and skirt on a PDF file that you can download here. I don't have the pictures below on the PDF file as I hate long patterns that I have to print out and imagine you feel the same way. If you are a beginner at sewing you may need to come back to this tutorial post to see all the pictures. Beginner or not, your doll should be wearing her skirt and hat within the hour! You can make the tam and skirt with 3/8 yard fabric.

Let's begin with the hat!

For the tam, cut out two circles 6 1/2" diameter.
On one circle cut out a center circle to leave a 1 1/2" wide circle for the underside of the hat.
Discard center circle. For brim, cut out a 14" by 2" strip.

With right sides together, seam outer circle with a 1/4" seam. Turn right side out and press.

With right sides together, machine sew brim to inner circle opening, overlapping brim ends.

This is what it looks like now. For ease, clip seam every inch up to but not into stitches.

To finish brim: fold a 1/4" hem then fold brim in half and pin to seam.

Top stitch brim close to the seam. Press. Sew optional pom pom or button to center of tam.

Now let's make the skirt!

Cut out a piece of fabric 10 1/2 " by 30". Fold in half lengthwise with right sides facing and stitch 1/4" along raw edge. Turn right side out and press. This stitched side will be your bottom hem.

To make the gathered waistband: at opposite end of hem, stitch 1/2" down from fold along length. Cut a 12" piece of elastic, draw through waistband and firmly secure at both ends.

To finish: with right sides together sew 1/2"seam, finish with a zig zag stitch if desired and trim. Finished!

Awww, she looks awfully cute doesn't she? Party perfect!

The sweater is my own design, Snickerdoodle, link below.

I was lucky and had these decorative buttons in my button box.

I found this fabric with buttons to match at JoAnn's.

Download the free PDF pattern here.
My Ravelry project posts for Snickerdoodle here and here.
The daisy cardi Ravelry project page is here.
Boxy Cardigan by Emily Ivey.

My patterns are intended for home use.
You may certainly use them for charity and bazaar sales,
but do give the Knitionary blog credit! Thank you.

Good bye for now! xo Kristen

I loved knitting this so much, and love wearing it too. I've been wanting a knitted coat for ever and when I saw this pattern I knew it would have to be mine! The pattern is by Kim Hargreaves from her new book, Still and knit in the smallest size, so this runs a little large. But that's good for a coat because I can wear a bulky sweater under it and it fits well. The yarn is Rowan Brushed Fleece and is new for this fall/winter season. It is the best bulky I've ever knit and also ranks as one of the nicest yarns I've ever knit. It's very elastic and lofty, lightweight, billowy, almost like it has been jet-puffed. I'm searching for descriptive words here because I can't compare it to any other yarn I've ever used or seen before. The best thing might be that it is so extrememely soft, next-to-the-skin-soft; jammies would be heaven it this, but I might never get out of bed. This yarn has turned me into a bulky fan! I am in love with this coat and have been wearing it every day.

Brushed Fleece comes in a 50 gr. ball, has excellent yardage for a bulky at 115 yds. and is a blend of extra fine merino wool and baby alpaca. It's divine, so divine that I'd like you to try it so I'm giving away a skein in the navy Cavern, and a copy of the companion book, Brushed Fleece by Martin Storey. There are some gorgeous designs with cables, some cardigans, pullovers and capes, sixteen stunning designs in all for women and men. I know you will have fun playing with the yarn and love the beautiful designs in the book. To enter be a follower of Knitionary by either FB, Bloglovin, Feedly, by email, etc.--I know there's lots of ways--and leave your comment here. But most important, make sure I know your contact info! If you want to leave me with your email address, that's good, but your Rav ID is good too. For a second chance you can leave a comment on my Facebook page under the post that shows the above picture. Next week I'll announce the winner. This giveaway is open internationally. If you are reading this post in an email you can leave a comment here. Good luck!

I'll leave you with some gorgeous images from the book, but you can view all of them here and learn more about Brushed Fleece here. My Ravelry page for Darkness is here.

Love the neckline and the gorgeous cables.

So classic.

I love this one and may have to make it. I'd love having it next to my skin!

Knitionary

I love everything about this sweater:

the Downton Abbeyesque teal color of Trance,

(Lady Mary would look divine in this color!)

the lucious fabric of Rowan Kidsilk Haze knit double,

(oh, sigh!)

the split hem that's shorter in the front,

(it's nice, right?)

and the awesome slash neckline that's so easy yet so effective and flattering,

(and is my new favorite neckline.)

Wearing Jamie is like wearing a big teddy bear hug. KSH knit double is so fantastic to knit, and wearing it is just as nice. It's light and warm, yet somehow it's rarely too warm. Perhaps the silk content helps it to breathe? I don't have to tell you that KSH is my go-to desert island yarn, I've praised it often enough on this blog, and the minute I cast off for this I started another project from the same book using using KSH double again. I always have to have at least one KSH project going at all times, I miss it too much if I don't. With all the knitting I've done over the years I couldn't possibly need another sweater, but I knit for the experience; the touch of something so soft, the cadence of the needles softly clicking, the lovely zen of it all, and this sweater was all that. You've probably guessed that many of my sweaters very often find homes in other closets, and that makes me happy. But this one? This one is staying with me! My husband keeps saying how it's a pretty color on me, but added, "It's a little baggy, isn't it, hon?" Then I had to explain how this sweater has positive ease and what that meant, and how it was the look. (He also alerted me to the fact that it was longer in the back.) The pattern is by Sarah Hatton from the awesome new book, Rowan Loves. It has a dozen or so patterns that can be knit with different options including yarn choices. It's a fantastic book that I'll be using several times over the next year or two.

I just discovered Shameless that airs on Showtime. Does anyone else watch that? Tell the truth. That family! At first I was horrified but a friend told me to stick it out and I would get addicted, and it's true! I worry about them and cheer them on to do the right thing, but they rarely do, still I love them. I think season 5 starts this month, so I have some catching up to do as I'm only half way through season one. After hectic December it's been heaven having some time to veg and knit with the TV as company. However, I got a Fitbit for Christmas and that little thing is keeping me honest. I check it about 4PM and scream, "Waaah, only 3,500 steps?". I immediately hop up for the mandatory hour-long walk. Without a walk this knitter would never ever hit 10,000 steps. I love that when I'm heading home I get a little buzz on my wrist to tell me I've met my goal, then I come home to a congratulatory email! Today we had a busy day and didn't get home until after dark, so no walk. I was dreading the last sync of the night but just now checked it, and hey, not so bad, 8,154 steps with no walk, just moving around, but only 2 active minutes! Ugh! Does anyone use a Fitbit? Do you use it for anything else besides counting steps?

I rarely make new year resolutions, but do have something I am committed to: Finish up those UFOs (unfinished objects) and wear the lovely things! I have two that I have sitting out right in front of me that stare at me as if to say, what is your problem? It will be a quick finish for both, just necklines and the sewing up, not a big deal, so quit procrastinating Kristen! As a Raveler and a blogger I am committed to taking a picture of EVERYTHING I do. (I can barely thread a needle these days without documenting it with a picture and a tutorial.) And it's that picture taking that my photographer and I dread. Why didn't you tell me I was slouching? Couldn't you see that my hem was crooked? I hate my smile! Now we have to take a hundred more! I actually had jeans on but changed into a skirt, because I think I'm modeling (I say that tongue in cheek) too often in jeans, but it's what I mostly wear. My husband said, "Why bother changing? Do you think anyone really looks at your pictures?" Seriously honey, how insulting!

the links

Rowan Loves book by Sarah Hatton
my book review is here

Rowan Kidsilk Haze

Jamie Ravelry project page

Hello! Thank you all for entering my last giveaway. For the record, I enter every single giveaway I can possibly enter. Sometimes I win! I figure someone has to win and it might as well be me! The winner of the Brushed Fleece skein and companion book is Katinka (Rav. ID). I've just contacted Katinka via Ravelry and as soon as I have an address I will put them in the mail. I have at least 3 more awesome giveaways in the works, including another awesome Tower of YARN, plus my favorite de-piller and some more surprises. Also, I'll be sharing some spring/summer previews. In the meantime, have a peek inside in my work basket:

This is the one that has my atttention at this moment (although that is as changeable as the wind), Gemma by Sarah Hatton from the Rowan Loves book. I'm knitting it with a strand each of a subtle KSH Stripe with a neutral KSH and it's creating the most luminous fabric. Totally in love with this. The picture doesn't give the fabric or color justice.

My LYS had KSH Glamour half off, it's the one with the sequins, and so bought enough to make Jamie again. Honestly, I've barely been able to take it off, I love it so much. This time around I'm knitting it single. I think it will be pretty for my Easter sweater. I've had a tradition of knitting something special for Easter Sunday for many years now. This blue is heavenly, in fact, Heavenly is the name, so that seems appropriate for an Easter sweater! Too bad you can't see the little sequins in the photo but they are there and they are subtle and sweet. The yarn has been discontinued and is lovely, so if you can find it on sale, grab it. I also bought some in white.

I always have a grab and go travel project, one that does not require my attention or my eyes. This garter stitch baby sits in a bag by the front door ready to go anywhere, anytime! I'm using the lovely Alchemy Temple, super soft superwash wool for a simple striped lap blanket. This has only been to two movies and look how much is done! We saw "Into the Woods", don't bother. Yesterday we saw "Big Hero", pretty cute.

Alrighty, how would you like a wee sneaky peeky? There is an absolutely gorgeous yarn coming your way (mid January for the European market, or the beginning of February for North America) One of the three new Rowan spring/summer yarns is this 100% cotton fingering weight called Summerlite 4-Ply. It is by far, the softest and most well behaved cotton I have ever knit with. It is 100% Giza cotton, and for those of you who love tiny needles and are looking for the perfect summer yarn, here 'tis. I'll tell you more about this and Martin Storey's beautiful companion book in a future post.

Here is another pattern from Martin's new book. I love the dainty cables sandwiched between eyelets. I have this gorgeous mid blue Fine Art in my stash and think it will be beautiful. Martin is some kind of genius, the designs in this book are breathtaking.

When I was in Quebec in September I purchased this lovely local wool with a great story behind it's development and manufacturing. I'll share that story in another post. I love to bring home wool souveniers, don't you? I've always wanted to make Antler, and glad I have the perfect yarn for it.

Spreaking of that trip to Quebec, we flew to Boston, rented a car and traveled for 10 days through Maine ending in Quebec. We were blessed with an especially beautiful trip as we hit the fall leaves perfectly. This was my knitting project for that trip, a large EZ Pi Shawl knit with Rowan Yorkshire Tweed 4 Ply. A very easy knit for the back seat, uncomplicated enough so I could still visit with my fellow passengers and look out the window at the pretty scenery. I haven't looked at it since I got home, but I am on a mission to finish some of my UFOs and hope this will be one that gets finished!

And here is yet another one that needs to be finished, Rhyme from the Essentials section of Rowan Mag 56. I could almost knit every single item from that section and in fact have sticky notes all over the book. I can't believe Mag 57 will be out soon and I'll be sharing my favorites from that in a future post. But in the meantime, this needs some attention!

An FO! This is lovely Goldie from Kim Hargreave's Honey book. It's so much prettier in person, unfortunately my iPhone picture cannot show the glow of the yarn. It's knit with one strand of KSH Eclipse (the one shot with a skinny strand of sparkle) and one strand of Fine Lace held together. I will make an appointment with my photographer soon and post it modeled.

I wish I could say that was it for my on-going projects, but that wouldn't be true. I make no apologies for my excess of projects, heck, you should see my stash, then you would realize I'm showing restraint. There are at least 3 others that I know are needing attention, but sometimes I shove things so far out of sight, it's like they don't exist anymore. Then one day, out of the blue, I WANT IT and go tearing through my closet to find the precious precious. Then I'll get cracking on it and it's done. I really don't understand the caprice that rules my knitting hours, I just go along with it.

My heart is aching over the tragedy that occured in France today. Heartbreaking, hideous, shocking. To my readers in France, I hardly know how to offer condolences. I'm sure you already know that the entire free world is mourning with you, and feeling angry.

I'm honored and humbled over the small acclaim my knitting blog has received over the last few years. Thank you so much for your readership and your comments, it has meant so much to me. I love connecting with like minded people (you!) from all over the world, and without this blog, I don't know how that could have ever happened. This blog has helped me to grow in more ways than I could have ever imagined, and I have to admit, it's been an awful lot of fun. Knitionary is celebrating a few milestones this week. I had my largest ever views last week as I had a few of my free patterns go viral, plus I hit 5,000 likes on my Facebook page. I'm thrilled. As a thank you for your support, I'm offering another awesome TOWER of YARN giveaway! Go ahead and enter, it's easy! (For the record, I enter every imaginable giveaway I possibly can, and hey, sometimes I win!) To enter, be a follower of my blog and make a commment on this post. For a second chance, go to the Knitionary Facebook page and leave a comment under the post that has the picture below. Please make sure I know how to get a hold of you if you win. Your email address or Rav. ID will work. I'll announce the winner at the end of the week. Good luck! This is open to international readers.

First let me tell you a little about this yarn:

It's all Rowan, because that's the brand I love and trust the most.

I love fine fiber that is well priced, and they do that the best.

It's all currently available; and three out of five are new realeases for Fall/Winter 2014/2015.

These are all yarns I've used and loved, and imagine you'll love them as much as I do.

Sitting at the bottom and holding up the tower is a big, fat skein of Big Wool Colour. Colour is the newest member of the popular Big Wool family, a new release for 2014/15. Shown in the jazzy Carousel, it knits up as a super bulky.

Brushed Fleece comes next and is also a new release for 2014/15. Knitting with this is bliss and wearing it is bliss. It's a super soft blend of fine merino wool and baby alpaca. Even if you don't think you care for chunky weights, I can't imagine anyone not loving this. I knit a coat with it and I swear, it's beyond gorgeous. Shown in the dark blue, Cavern.

It's funny to call such an elegant yarn a basic, but I think Kid Classic would qualify as one of Rowan's basic yarns. It's been around for many years and remains one of their most popular yarns. It has excellent yardage, wears like iron, almost refuses to pill, and has a lot of pattern support. If you have tension problems, this yarns eliminates that look of uneven tension that can spoil the look of stockinette. I love it for outer wear and have used it countless times. I still have the first sweater I knit with it and it must be 10 years old, worn hundreds of times and it looks new. Really. Kid Classic is a blend of lambswool and kid mohair and is shown in the gray/blue Nightly. I recently knit Poetry with KC.

Resting on top of KC is the feather light, lace weight Fine Lace. Many people use Fine Lace to knit lightweight lacy shawls. Check out this amazing shawl my friend Konrad knit for me! I am still in shock over the generosity of this gorgeous gift. You'll also find many patterns that teams Fine Lace with another fine yarn. I've knit it combined with a strand of Kidsilk Haze and it was a beautiful knitting experience, plus made a lovely fabric. Fine Lace is a blend of baby alpaca and fine merino wool and feels like a cloud.

Floating on the top is a little bit of magic aptly named Rowan Finest. Now THIS is why I love Rowan so much: they blend luxurious fibers together and give us knitters a bit of heaven to work with. Finest is a blend of extra fine merino wool, royal alpaca (the finest and rarest of all alpaca grades) and cashmere. It's easy to knit, makes a lovely matt fabric that is next to the skin soft and is very well priced. Newly released for 2014/2015, Finest is fingering weight and is shown here in the mid blue Star.

I hope you enter.

The winner will have tons of fun playing with this tower for sure!

I've got an appointment with my in-house photographer tomorrow.

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

I know you understand.

Knitionary

First, let's start with the pattern: this is Brisk from Kim Hargreaves book, North. I made quite a few modifications for fit such as adding length and waist shaping. I made the smallest size and it really is more fitted than the photo lets on. I know I've said this before, but I used to make sweaters that show off my crazy mad knitting skills, but I am over that. I now just want sweaters that are complimentary and easy to wear and are made with yarn that feels great to knit with and makes beautiful fabric. I also tend to go for the simple shapes, nothing too fussy. I love this neckline very much and think it's pretty trendy and flattering too. I've seen a few of these necklines lately and see that Kim has used this neckline in her last few books.

But this sweater isn't all about fit, it's also about the fabric. I used the new Rowan Mohair Haze, a fingering weight blend of extra fine merino wool and super kid mohair. (When you see words such as extra and fine and merino in front of wool, or super and kid in front of mohair then you are purchasing some of the softest and finest fiber available.) Mohair Haze is floaty and downy soft. The fabric is fuzzy, cushy, lightweight, next-to-the-skin soft and cozy warm. The stitches neatly palsy walsy next to each other and surround themselves with a little halo of mohair fuzz. I found it very easy to knit, and could easily "touch knit", in fact I could go for rows and rows with nary a glance. But as the fabric grows, you'll want to stop and admire it, cuddle it, caress it. It's that pretty. The fabric has a very slight sheen, just enough to make it look fresh and dewy. Can knitted fabric look young and fresh and dewy? Yes, I think so! I did find it to knit a bit "fast" and used Clover Bamboos to slow it down a bit, see below.

I know I always carry on about how lovely a yarn is, and I know a lot of that yarn I carry on about is Rowan, but I have to say, over the many years I've been knitting, yarn manufacturers have really raised the bar. They've gone out of their way to seek out the finest fibers and create blends that are supreme. Yarn companies are proud of their new offerings and they should be, so many of the new yarns I try are simply fantastic. I do my due diligence of course; I know my fibers and I read the labels. I rely on my local yarn store to steer me in the right direction and also read reviews when I can find them. Ravelry and knitting blogs are a good source for up-to-date reviews. I know that reviews, like this one, are often more anecdotal than scientific, but if a knitter can tell me why she does or doesn't like a yarn, it does give me a clue whether I'll want to knit with it. Because knitting is such a popular hobby these days (and it doesn't look like it's slowing down), yarn companies are popping up all over and want to make us knitters happy. Lucky us. I very often get my hands on yarn before consumers and I always try to review them here and spread the word. Bottom line, Mohair Haze is fantastic.

Educate yourself! If you would like to learn more about fiber and yarn, I highly recommend Clara Parkes books, The Knitter's Book of Wool and The Knitter's Book of Yarn. If you want to hear her reviews of the latest yarn I would recommend following her excellent blog, The Knitters Review. The more you educate yourself about yarn, the less mistakes you'll make with your purchases and the less mistakes you'll make with matching pattern to yarn.

So you all know I am fiber fussy, but if I am fiber fussy I am also needle fussy. Sometimes you may dislike a yarn, but it really may not be the yarn's fault, sometimes you can blame the needle you are using! Change it! If you find a yarn is knitting too fast (slipping off your needles) or too slow (sticking and dragging across your needles), it's time to switch needles. If the yarn is new to me I always cast on with the most perfect all around needle and the one I recommend most often, KnitPicks Caspian or Rainbow. Both are exactly the same needle, just different colors and both come in circulars, straights and dpns. They are heavenly, with a nice point, a warm touch, and excellent joins on the circulars. If after a few rows my knitting feels too fast or slippy, I'll switch to the basic Clover Bamboos. They have a bit of stick and will slow the yarn down a bit. They also come in circulars, straights and dpns. (I have noticed that the cords on the circular will coil up on you a bit.) But if I feel that the knitting is too slow going and draggy, I'll use the super slick and speedy Addi Lace needles (love the lace tip). They only come in circulars which have a nice flexible cord and a smooth join. If after all that and you're still hating the knitting experience, do what I do: donate it or sell it! Your trash may be someone else's treasure.

Now on to the great tip I learned from Sarah Hatton when I took a class from her last year. In the picture below you can see my original sleeve had ribbing and a little band of pink. After pinning it together and trying it on I decided the pink stripe was too much, and also, the ribbing was a bit much too. I wanted something more simple, like a rolled stockinette hem for my sleeve. So I set about to change it. If this sweater was knit top down it would have been easy to rip the ribbing back, catch the live stitches and finish with a hem that suited me. But this was knit from the cuff up so that option was not open for me. Here's what you can do: Decide what row you want to rip back to, then pick up the row of stitches just above that row. Get out your scissors and cut below that row being careful not to cut into the soon-to-be live stitches on the needle. After cutting, you will have to pick away a few straggling pieces of wool. Now re-attach your yarn and knit down the hem or cuff you want. This is also the way you could lengthen a sweater that was knit bottom up.

In this case I didn't want a rib after all. I caught a row of stitches, cut off the cuff, re-attached the yarn and knit down.

Have you entered my latest giveaway?
Go here to enter the TOWER giveaway!
I'll announce the winner on Thursday or Friday.

You could win all this, yippee!

Goodbye for now from sunny California but please don't envy our sunshine too much. The west is sufffering from a terrible years-long drought and our sunny skies are a constant reminder of the water restrictions we face. It's hard enough for private homes and businesses but devastating for our farmers. We are the nation's top agricutlture state and without rain we are in big trouble. Pray for rain!

Knitionary

Before I announce the winner of the Tower of Yarn, I thought I'd show you one of the swans I made for the New Year's Eve party we attended. We were invited to a swank sit down dinner for 12 and I offered to bring dessert. I knew it needed to be special, and was thinking since I make a pretty mean Buche de Noel, maybe I'll make one decorated with a winter forest theme. But my girlfriend whispered in my ear, "psst, swans, make the swans!" So swans it was! Swans are not as difficult as they look. For each swan you'll pipe a pate a choux eclair shape for the body, and an S shape for the head and neck. After baking, you'll cut the top layer off the eclair and cut that top in half lengthwise to use for the wings. Fill the bottom cavity with chatilly cream and stick the neck and wings into the cream. The swan needs to swim in a pool of either chocolate or caramel sauce, or in this case, ollalieberry sauce. It made quite a showy show on New Year's Eve and seemed to be just the right ending for a big meal. You can read my original post about swans here and how and why I began to make them, also the how-to.

Now, on to the winner of the lovely tower: Congratulations to Kristie from Cultus Lake in BC, Canada! I've had quite a few Canadian winners for past giveaways so I think Canadians must be lucky! I've contacted Kristie and as soon as she sends me her address I'll pop the tower in the mail. Thank you all for entering, and if you didn't win this time, don't give up! I have 2 other giveaways scheduled for February and another in March. I love giveaways, love to enter them and love to have them on my blog. Also coming up, another free pattern that is in the works. I really appreciate and value your readership. Cheers to knitting!

Knitionary

Hello dear readers! I have 5 pairs of tickets to give away to 5 lucky readers for theSpring Knitting & Stitching Show held at the Olympia Central, London, March 5th - 8th, 2015. The Spring Knitting & Stitching Show is one of the most highly regarded textiles and craft events in the UK and it's your opportunity to share your love of textiles with others. Whatever your craft passion it is the perfect place to find inspiration, learn new skills and shop for all your essential supplies. Sounds like my kind of place--I wish I could meet you there! If you live in or near London, or will be visiting the London area during the show days, leave a comment below and I'll select five winners, then mail the tickets to you in plenty of time to invite a friend! When you comment, you must leave either your email address or Rav ID or I won't be able to get a hold of you! Good luck! Please note the tickets are not valid on Saturday.

Take note of the Knitted Farm Competition! The link will take you to the entry page and also the free pattern downloads for a knitted cow, lamb, pig and sheep. Adorable!

Knitionary

This dolly ensemble came out of necessity. I simply had to find a use for the leftover bits from the Martin Storey Afghan KAL and the Kaffe Fassett KAL. Both afghans used the new Rowan Pure Wool Worsted which is not only sturdy enough for afghans but sturdy enough and soft enough for children's clothing and their dolls. The Huckleberry Friend PDF is free (see below) and contains the pattern for the hat, cardigan, and pleated skirt. The entire ensemble is knit on two needles, but I've included directions to knit the hat and skirt in the round if you prefer. The sweater is knit top down, and can be knit with stripes or in a solid color. You can knit all three pieces with less than one skein of Rowan Pure Wool Worsted plus small amounts of the contrasting four colors for the stripes. I think it would be fun to make this in school colors. Your little girl will be able to keep her dolly warm and colorful when she dresses her in Huckleberry Friend! Sized for an 18" doll. All the links are at the end of the post.

Why the name? When I was in high school, an older, popular boy took to calling me Huckleberry. As in, "Hey, how ya doin' today, Huckleberry?", or with a wink, "You look pretty cute today, Huckleberry". I would blush crimson at the attention. Occasionally between class, he would come up from behind, swoop up my books and say, "Where are ya goin' Huckleberry? I'll walk you to class." Seriously? Not only was I flabbergasted at him even noticing me but I couldn't get over how kind he was. Was I in the presence of the rarest of gems--the teenage gentleman? He was pure California boy from tip to toe: turquoise eyes, shaggy, sun bleached hair with a beautiful smile, plus athletic, funny, and friendly, and was the heartthrob of the entire female high school population. I was thrilled to be singled out by him but admit to spending endless hours puzzling over why he called me Huckleberry. OK, so it was certain he didn't know my name, but I finally decided that I was happy with any attention, Huckleberry or not.

I really don't remember seeing him very often; we attended a big Los Angeles county high school filled with baby boomers and we were in the thousands. I don't remember where he sat at lunch and I never had a class with him. As the semesters passed and my self-confidence grew a teensy bit, I finally summoned the nerve to ask him why he called me Huckleberry. He said, "Oh I don't know, I like the name. My mom is always singing that song, 'Moon River', so I guess it comes from that. But it's OK, right?" He had a look of concern on his face, but yes, I assured him, it was a nice name, because deep down I think I always knew he meant it as an endearment.

So why am I telling you this story? I often think about him, certainly when I hear Moon River. It was so long ago, yet to this day the memory can make me smile. When I became the mother of a teenage boy I used to imagine my old school mate singing that song with his mom; oh my gosh, how tender, how sweet! I can almost hear his mother encouraging her teenage son to pay attention to a shy girl; perhaps carry her books or give her a compliment. I too encouraged my son to be kind. He was naturally outgoing and friendly, and I told him how even something as small as a smile and a hello could make someone feel special. And we don't know what little old thing may turn into a lifelong memory, do we? Because in the end, it's the small things that are the big things, right?

After high school I lost track of that great guy but a while ago through Facebook I heard he died some years back. I was grief-sticken, as in my mind he was a smiling, beautiful young teenager who could never get sick and die. Heart breaking to this day. I'm certain he had grown into the kind of man who would appreciate knowing how much his attention meant to me. I'm also certain he would get a kick out of having a little doll outfit named after his mother's favorite song and one of my favorite memories. RIP Jimmy.

Moon River, wider than a mile,

I'm crossing you in style some day.

Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,

wherever you're going I'm going your way.

Two drifters off to see the world.

There's such a lot of world to see.

We're after the same rainbow's end--

waiting 'round the bend,

my huckleberry friend,

Moon River and me.

Now we must get back to knitting.
The free Huckleberry Friend PDF is here.
You can queue it on Ravelry!
Machine washable Rowan Pure Wool Worsted link here.
Moon River was sung by Audrey Hepburn in the movie,
Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Andy Williams recorded it in 1961.
Have a listen to this beautiful performance. Made me cry.

Even writing a pattern as simple as this take a village.

I had awesome test knitters who helped me so much, thanks guys!

If you will be in or near London March 5-8
and would like to win tickets for the
Knitting and Stitching Show,
visit this post, as I have five pairs to give away

Knitionary

The Knitting and Stitching Show has a fun competition this year. I lifted this from their site:

Twistedthread invites you to enter The Knitted Farm Competition in conjunction with 'Knit Your Own Farm' by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne, published by Pavilion. Four knitting patterns from the book (cow, pig, sheep and lamb) are available to download by scrolling down and clicking on the links below. But we do welcome all additional farm animals too, all we ask is that they fit with the scale of the four animals below. For advice on scale please call 020 7688 6830.

Buy your copy of 'Knit Your Own Farm' for onyl £10 including free P&P (RRP: £12.99). Order from store.pavilionbooks.com and enter discount code FARM2015 at the checkout.

Prizes will be offered for the most innovative and best executed knitted item. Judging will take place on Wednesday 4th March 2015. Fabulous prizes are provided by Black Sheep Wools.

Prizes are:
1st prize:£200 in vouchers to spend with Black Sheep Wools*.
2nd prize:£100 in vouchers to spend with Black Sheep Wools*.
3rd prize:£50 in vouchers to spend with Black Sheep Wools*.

The farm animal pattern downloads are free! Take this link and scroll down to the "Patterns to Download" section.

The winners for the pairs of tickets to The Knitting and Stitching Show are: deborahbanham, CablingKaren, warbler01, Fab79, and sbellingham. Congratulations! I'm contacting you either with an email or through Rav, and if you could send me your address I'll have the tickets mailed to you. I wish I could go with you!

Knitionary

deborahbanham

deborahbanham@gmail.com

My daughter loves dogs, always has a dog, but has never had a puppy. She rescues senior dogs. Like older children, older dogs are among the last to be adopted, if at all. Choosing a senior dog to adopt can be a bit of a challenge. You almost never know their back story or any of their history as very often they are strays. The vet can look at their teeth to get a good idea of their age, but that and their gender are about the only things you'll really know about them. It's almost like their lives before the rescue shelter doesn't exist. They do, however, come with a mixed bag of peculiarities that come from that unknown past and every one has to adjust. One thing that is amazing though, once surrounded by love, these dogs seem to take no time at all to adapting to their new homes. God certainly loves these little creatures.

Gertie is part black lab and is about 11 years old. We think. She has been with the family for 5 years and is the perfect dog: polite, patient and loving; an old soul who is completely content and comfy with her family. Paris, who looks like she has a bit of terrier in her, is the newest family member. She is three. We think. She has been with her family for one week and is trying to find her place. She is very quiet, undemanding and prefers to stay out of the way. It will be interesting to see her personality emerge as she feels more comfortable in her new surroundings.

Gertie has been up to visit her grandparents many times and is very at ease with us, our house, and garden and makes herself at home right away. She's funny--she knows she's on vacation and plans on having a good old time! With Paris, it's been a little different. We are just two more strangers to get used to, plus another strange house to navigate. She has been laying low pretty much, observing more and not getting into the action. Enter grammy's hand knitted bread basket. When I knew she was coming I fished it out and put it on the floor and she immediately curled up inside. It's a safe place to snuggle down into and watch the activity around you and not have to be part of it, but I'm predicting it won't be long before she starts to strut around.

The bread basket pattern comes from Simple Projects for Cozy Homes by Sarah Hatton. It's one of those books where you'll want to make every project, for yourself and as gifts. The photography is beautiful and the projects are simple and fast. Below are my favorites. I knit my bread basket/dog bed with Rowan Big Wool in the color Linen. I have more yarn so I can let Paris take her bed home and I'll make a new one for me. Both the book and the yarn are widely available at your Rowan stockist and online.

By the way, I had the flu last week and it completely kicked me on my keester. I don't remember ever being that sick. I ended up getting pneumonia on top of it, and this is even though I religiously get the flu shot every year and I've had the pneumonia vaccination. Apparently the flu shot this time missed the mark, and the pneumonia shot I got does not cover this kind of pneumonia. I have spent the entire week feeling bad bad bad and sleeping sleeping sleeping. I'm getting better, but this recovery business is so slow going. I wish I could say I was knitting a lot, but before today I couldn't concentrate enough for simple garter stitch. Anyway, the good news is that I am on the mend! xo Kristen

I have a new pattern for you, Sugarfoot, a summer top with a baby-doll flared skirt for the 18" doll. It's knit top down in one piece in DK weight yarn and is a beginner pattern.

I started with one skein of Rowan's new summer yarn, Tetra Cotton, in my hand. It's 100% cotton with a chain construction and feels very soft and cool in the skein. I knit a small swatch and realized it's beautiful drape and silky feel would be perfect for the flare skirted top I had sketched out in my knitting notebook. Usually with one sample skein, I can try out a new yarn and at the same time make up a new pattern for the popular 18" doll. Win-win for me and my doll, (and you too because I wrote it out and giving it to you for free.)

Tetra Cotton is lightweight and very cool, and I can imagine would be weightless for a summer top. Yarns like this with chain construction take a plain and simple needle so pull out your dull tipped bamboos for this. Too pointy and you risk a snag, too slick and the yarn will knit too fast and be slippy. But the right needle, I used Clovers, will have you sailing through the knitting.

Many knitters of doll clothes are beginners and I'm confident a beginner will have success with this pattern. Just follow the directions, step by step, and you'll be fine. If you are not sure about a stitch, head to the internet but PM me with any questions if you get stuck. If you are subbing yarn for this pattern, it's best if you use something that has a bit of drape so the flares will flow gently from the bodice. I had enough leftover yarn that I could have made this long sleeved, or could have added length and made a dress. I can't wait to see what you do with this pattern! All links are at the end.

I took a design workshop from Marie Wallin at the Rowan Mill. Everything starts out with a sketch, then you work your way through the process of choosing the yarn, the stitches, and the construction. After knitting the garment, and that includes ripping out quite a lot and taking notes throughout, I write up the pattern and send it to test knitters. Their eagle eyes find my mistakes, big and small, and voila! Doll pattern is all ready for ya! Did I make it sound easy? I didn't mean too. It's not for me and doll clothes are about all I can manage right now!

Sugarfoot, free pattern download on Ravelry

Rowan Tetra Cotton

Clover Needles, I used the 16" circulars

Why the name? My husband is a whistler, and it's my job to guess what he's whistling. Then I'm supposed to sing along, (no way can I whistle along.) Very often we're jammin' away to old TV series themes from the 50s (consider yourself lucky you're not around us during these times.) We grew up on westerns like Rawhide, Rifleman, Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, and Cheyenne. I know I'm missing dozens more like Bonanza (Hoss and his family lived behind our house when I was growing up), Maverick, and Have Gun Will Travel. What else? You're probably not old enough to remember any of them, but they were GREAT. It's funny that decades later, my husband and I can still remember the tunes, even if not so much the lyrics. So, I make up lyrics. Sugarfoot, Sugarfoot, sassy talkin', fancy walkin' Sugarfoot. My husband frowns at me, "Are you sure those are the lyrics?" Oh yes, I'm positive! I looked them up and here are the real lyrics:

Sugarfoot, Sugarfoot, easy lopin', cattle ropin' Sugarfoot,

Carefree as the tumbleweeds, ajoggin' along with a heart full of song
And a rifle and a volume of the law.

Sugarfoot, Sugarfoot, never underestimate a Sugarfoot,
Once you got his dander up, ain't no one who's quicker on the draw.

You'll find him on the side of law and order,
From the Mexicali border, to the rolling hills of Arkansaw

Sugarfoot, Sugarfoot, easy lopin', cattle ropin' Sugarfoot,
Ridin' down to cattle town, a-joggin' a-long with a heart full of song
And a rifle and a volume of the law.

Will Hutchins was "Sugarfoot". You can SING ALONG!

Knitionary

So what is the best travel project ever? I'm pretty much an expert on this subject and while I know many of you are shouting "socks" or "Citron" or "Easy Folded Poncho"; and I do agree that they are all great for travel knitting...I did, however, find a project that bested them all by far: Elizabeth Zimmerman's Pi Shawl. In her book she tells you why she also thinks it's the best, and I agree on all points: 1. It takes lightweight fingering weight wool so takes precious little luggage space. 2. It takes forever to knit, so it doesn't matter how long your vacation is, you needn't worry about running out of knitting. 3. It's purely mindless knitting in the round so you can chat with friends, read a map, etc., unless you want to add fancy lace, and I didn't as I really truly needed it to be mindless. I did, however, add a few inches of gull lace before the bind off. 4. Because it's mindless, it picks up and puts down quickly and easily; you'll never have to figure out where you are. 5. Lastly, it folds up into itself with the yarn inside like a hobo's bindle, and off we go together, into the plane, the train and the automobile. Carefreeeee, tra la la.

I had 14 skeins (1680 yds.) of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed 4 ply in Lime and knit until I had one skein left, then started the gull lace edging (also in the book) leaving a bit for the bind-off. This yarn has been in my stash for years and it's one of those old Rowan discontinued classics that I'd been saving/hoarding for the perfect project. When we recovered our living room wing chairs in this fabric with it's inky gray/navy and limey/pucey green medallion, I thought, hmmm, don't I have yarn in this color? Of course I do! It makes a nice afghan.

I think you can find Elizabeth Zimmerman's Pi Shawl formula in several of her publications, but I got the pattern/recipe/formula from her little book, The Knitter's Almanac. It's quite old, but it's still in print and a must for every knitter's library. It's got some classics in it, plus her style of writing is so endearing, it reads as a bedtime book. Sweet dreams!

Knitionary

I started this last year, finished it some time ago and have been wearing it a lot! I know I always tell you that I love my latest sweater, but I do, I do, I do love this! I always knit with yarn I LOVE and take great pains to make sure I like the fit. Goldie is meant to be oversized and blousy, but I wanted to reign in that feature a bit. I made my dolmans smaller, in fact made the entire sweater smaller by casting on less stitches. Please don't ask me exactly how, my notes are terrible, they always are. But, the sweater is one inch narrower than the smallest size and a has about 3 inches less in the dolman area. I then had to pick up less stitches when I did the ribbing on the sleeves. I did however keep the low wide V. I love that feature. My friend made Goldie and warned, "Don't freak out when you are almost done with only the neck ribbing to finish. You'll try it on and the V will be practically down to your navel!" She advised, "Just pick up the stitches like the pattern says and the ribbing will bring it in to a less exposed and more lady-like V!" So true! Also, because I'm always changing things up a bit here and there, when I pick up stitches, I rarely pay attention to how many stitches the pattern tells me I should pick up. I pick up 2 stitches for every 3, or sometimes 3 for every 4. I play around with this as every pattern and yarn and stitch you use will determine which ratio looks best. Ripping out is part of knitting after all, so don't hesitate to r i p - i t, because in the end we want it to look great!

The fabric is MAGNIFICENT--two lace weights held together: Rowan's Kidsilk Eclipse and Fine Lace. You know I'm all about using fine fiber as I just cannot see spending time knitting with anything less than wonderful. These two stranded together make a dense, fuzzy, slightly sparkly, and heavenly dk weight fabric. Plus it was easy to knit and I don't remember it being needle fussy. I've seen quite a few patterns using these two together; Kim Hargreaves especially likes this combo. The fabric is a bit warm and the low V and the shorter sleeves keep me from getting too warm here in California. It's quite elegant to wear out in the evening with my faux leather pencil skirt, pearls, and spike heels (it was smashing!), but is great with jeans too. Very versatile! I love this pattern so much and ever since it was finished I'd been thinking about how I could make this for summer. My LYS had a sale so I purchased 8 skeins of bright pink Rowan Panama (man, I love that stuff) and have cast on. You may know Panama as a fingering weight yarn, but for me, it knits more as a sport weight. When subbing yarn in patterns, it's important to know how the yarn knits up for YOU and the way YOU knit. Panama has a lot of drape and I thought it would be perfect for this pattern, and I'm able to get gauge. Since I want my summer sweater to fit similarly to this one, I occasionally lay one on top of the other to make sure I'm making the same size (since I didn't take any notes, ugh!)

The links!

The pattern is Goldie from Kim Hargreaves Honey Book

Rowan Kidsilk Haze Eclipse

Rowan Fine Lace

My Rav project page has all the details

I have some fun news to share; there are some nice giveaways coming to Knitionary in March! First, there is a book giveaway--you will swoon--it's so sweet and dear--I cannot wait to show it to you. Also: the best, by far, most useful, by far, sweater de-piller EVER invented. I've been using mine for years. And I have three to give away. Yep. Stay tuned. xo

If you follow my Knitionary Facebook page, you know I try to share a free pattern a day.

But if you're not on FB, here are 35 projects for the Easter basket, and they're all free!

The pattern links are in each caption.

Enjoy!

Bobble Sheep Pillow from Purl Bee

Baby Bunny and Bunting from Churchmouse Yarns

Henry's Bunny by Sara Elizabeth Kellner

Chick Egg Cosies by Derya Davenport

Peter Rabbit from Joyful Toys

Bunny Nuggets by Rebecca Danger

Bunny Hop Thrummed Bunny Slippers by Nikol Lohr

Big Bunny from Purl Bee

Spring Kerchief by Iko Uemura

Beautiful Spring Scarf from Purl Bee

Robin's Nest by Purl Bee

Sugarfoot by Kristen Rettig

Snickerdoodle by Kristen Rettig

Chevron Baby Blanket from Purl Bee

Cascade by Raya Budrevich

Bunny Beanie by Noe Knit

Cherie by Martin Storey

Chick by Martin Storey

Easter Bunnies by Vicki Sedgwick

Jill by Martin Storey. I made this, so adorable!

Fluffy Bunny and Elly, both by Martin Storey

Saartje's Booties

Fuzzy Mitten Lamb by Barbara Prime

Granny Squares from Purl Bee

Easter Chicks and Eggs from Purl Bee

Edmund the Easter Bunny by Jem Weston

Bunny Hats for Eggs by Tatyana Korobkova

Spring Fingerless Gloves by Anniki Leppik

Tete d'oeuf by Kristen Rettig

Lambing Mitts by Veronika Jobe

Bunny Cardigan by Martin Storey

Easter Bunny Eggwarmer by Garnstudio

Easter Socks by Garnstudio

Easter Bunny from Lion Brand

OK, so I'm a knitter, but I'm also a baseball fan. Baseball season is coming up and for us knitters, it means hours of blissful baseball watchin' knittin'. And yes, I do take my knitting to AT&T Park, always!

I've been wanting to make a team scarf for a few years now, and finally got my act together pre season with my pattern and yarn ready! Mother and I are going to make scarves using San Francisco Giants baseball team colors, orange and black, with white and grey thrown in for good measure, knitting a stripe for each game played. This would work for any team, just pick 4 colors, one for home wins, one for home losses, one for away wins, one for away losses. You knit a stripe for each game, and by the end of the season, you'll have a randomly striped scarf that shows the season. JOIN US! Our scarves will be ready to wear post-season, which for the Giants, ahem, is usually not until mid October! (We have won three World Series in the last 5 years which means the season is lengthened through October.) With 162 games (not counting post season games, wink wink). I'd love you to join us. Choose the colors closest to your team colors and start on opening day. I don't care what team you root for, even Dodger's fans can join this knitalong! I'd be so happy if you did, just show your team spirit!

Go to this link for the Ravelry Giants Group. There's already a few people signing up this year. I'll bet your team has a Rav group too.

Here's the link for the free pattern, and these words from the designer about her pattern:

A conceptual knitting design for baseball fans. (It can work for other sports, too!)

Knit your team’s season into an infinity scarf to wear for the postseason! Using whatever yarn and needles you prefer, in your team’s colors, you’ll make an infinity scarf that reflects your team’s wins and losses at home and on the road.

Free worksheet includes a place for you to fill in your color key (coded to wins, losses, home games, away games) and a chart for determining your cast-on and estimated length. This is a completely customizable concept, and I look forward to seeing your interpretation.

Play ball!

I've chosen Rowan's Wool/Cotton in DK weight and mother is using All Season's Cotton which is a light aran weight. Both yarns are easy to knit and will be soft around the neck and are machine washable. We're starting out with one skein each and may have to purchase another one or two as the season progresses, we'll see.

On the left, mother is using Rowan All Season's Cotton:
Home win, Burnt Orange 262
Away win, Inky 497
Home loss, Organic 178
Home loss, Turf 232

On the right I'll be using Rowan Wool Cotton DK:
Home win, Cafe 985
Away win, Inky 908
Home loss, Antique 900
Away loss, Misty 903

Two more great choices would be Rowan's Softknit Cotton in Burnt Orange 577, White 588, Noir 589 and Silver 586 or Handknit Cotton in Florence 350, Black 252, Ecru 251 or Bleached 263 and Slate 347. I've knit with the above four yarns and they are all high quality, soft, and easy to knit yarn. If your local yarn store doesn't carry them, check out the internet. For Giant's fans in the bay area, Rowan stockists are Uncommon Threads in Los Altos, Imagiknit in San Francisco and Jimmy Beans in Reno has an awesome online shopping site.

For Wool/Cotton DK weight I am using size 5 needles and casting on 28ish stitches and knitting garter stitch (knit each stitch) or maybe the linen stitch. For the heavier All Season's Cotton mother will use size 9 needle and cast on 20.

A reader wanted to see an example, so here's one in Giant's colors I pulled from Rav. It's just random stripes denoting your team's wins and losses, so they all look different, but pretty! This one is knit in the round in stockinette as a cowl. Both my mom and I are going to knit scarves, not cowls. Mom will knit the simplest garter stitch, which is knit each stitch and it will be beautiful. I am going to do the linen stitch just because I want to give that a try. The pattern gives a good explanation of how to start.

If you are not a Giants fan, you are released from this page, you'll be bored with the rest of this! But if you are a Giants fan, read on! My son and I went to spring training in Scottsdale last week and saw two games at Scottsdale Stadium. We had a blast and I am planning on doing it every year. We got to see Matt Cain pitch two innings, his first time in over a year so it was nice to see him back. Will Clark signed my hat, he was so funny and friendly with the fans. Hunter Stickland, seriously handsome, came out and signed a lot and also quite a few of the minor leaguers who were invited to spring training came out to sign too. They were all so polite and friendly, if not a little shy. After Sunday's game, at a nearby park the Giants hosted a "hit with the big leaguers" day for little leaguers. Joe Panik and Andrew Susac were the stars and interacted so well with the kids. Honestly, these young men are just so polite and humble, just gotta love those Giants, they know how to pick 'em. And good looking. Holy cow. When Joe Panik smiled, which was often, all the ladies just about fell over.

If you are planning on going, I recommend staying at The Saguaro. It was great, just a quick cab ride from the airport. Once there, you just walk to the ballpark, it's a block away, and in the evening, old town is just steps away. It was a perfect trip.

We're used to ATT Park being sold out, but even the spring training games are completely sold out! Crazy, but it's still a small enough park to feel friendly and homey. They have a packed lawn seating too.

Joe Panik

Will the Thrill

Just recently I made 3 Baby Surprise Jackets in rapid succession. I took a class to make my first, only because I am that knitter who, before commencing knitting a new pattern, reads through it to get a basic understanding of the construction. I found out that this does not work for every pattern. For those of you familiar with the BSJ, you'll know that true comprehension is impossible until after you have knit it. It is knit in one piece, but knit like no other one-piece ever. Reading the instructions for a clear understanding of the construction will, I think, not happen for anyone. So don't be like me and assume you have to understand this before starting; read on and you'll see why.

Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket has been in print in several different publications for the last 50 years. She writes the pattern more as a folksy letter to her knitting buddies. You can read them if you like, and I know many people have been able to knit the BSJ from them, but not me. For those of us just making our first BSJ, thank heavens there's an updated pattern available. (Certainly, after you've knit one, go back and read her original directions for fun; her writing style is charming.) But, if you are serious about knitting one of these, head over to Schoolhouse Press and purchase the booklet that Elizabeth's daughter has re-written and where you'll be guided row by row. They (and I) recommend knitting the baby size first; you'll know why after you've knit your first one. Then, after you've knit your beautiful baby jacket, sit back and marvel at the sheer genius of Elizabeth Zimmerman and the magic of how her mind works. As our beloved knitting Einstein, she was the one who also gave us the knitted i-cord, the i-cord bind off, the pi shawl, the sewn cast off, and was an early advocate of knitting in the round on circular needles, top down knitting and steeking. As a pioneer knitter/writer, she encouraged (and still encourages) young and old knitters alike, much like Julia Child encouraged young brides in the 60s and 70s to fearlessly master a souffle.

I took a class, and as competent as my teacher was, I still walked away scratching my head. An hour later at home I plunged forward. I was not going to let not understanding get in my way. And here's what I found out: one-third the way though it will all begin to make sense. You'll say, AHA! Then, half-way though it will begin to not make sense again, (the flap part). Do not get discouraged, just keep knitting and do exactly what the pattern says. Don't ask questions, don't second guess, just do it. Suddenly, when you are 9/10ths through, it will dawn on you that you have got it right. You'll be shocked I imagine. I was. You'll soon bind off, sew up the shoulder seams and put on the buttons, and then here is where you'll marvel at the magical mind of EZ. Enjoy, and then get ready to make your second!

For each of my BSJs, I cast on 160 stitches.

The size changes will happen with your gauge.
FYI, the pattern below has children's and adult sizes as well.

For baby clothes, always use machine washable and dryable yarn.

The first one is knit with Rowan's Pure Wool Worsted

in Umber, Moonstone and Hazel. Worsted weight makes size 12 mos.
This has a purl bind off all around, and a picked up 2-stitch i-cord bind off at the neck.
Rav link here.

The second one is knit in Rowan's Pure Wool DK in Black

and one skein of Tanis Fiber Arts Yellow Label DK in Copper Penny.

DK weight yarn makes a 6-9 mos. size.
This one has a 3 stitch i-cord bind off all around.
Rav link here.

The last one uses one skein of self striping Zitron Unisono.

Fingering weight makes a newborn size.
This one also has a 3 stitch i-cord bind off all around.
Rav link here.

After reading the comments here and on my FB page, I want to add that the only
difficult BSJ will be your first one. I promise. It's hard to do something that makes no sense,
but go to a quiet corner and just stick it out. You'll be glad you did.

The Schoolhouse Press web site needs a serious revamping/update, FYI.
Get the pattern that looks like the one below.
If you use this pattern, I doubt you'll need a class or the DVD
but if you do, dive into a class or get the DVD.
I've seen the DVD at my library, and going to go there today and see if I can check it out.
Get the pattern here and scroll down, it's there.
The pattern also has the sizing for children and adults.

The last BSJ I knit used just one skein of self striping yarn, and it, being my third BSJ, made a great travel knit. Still, I needed a true, mindless travel knit and for the best project for that, head again to EZ and knit her pi shawl. This is one I recently started with Handmaiden Casbah in fingering weight. I won't work on this at home, but keep it strictly as a travel knit with no hurry and no deadline to finish. I've heard some people say they love to knit pi shawls but don't know how to wear them. It's a big circle which I fold in half, then wrap and wrap around my neck and shoulders. It looks beautiful and it's warm. It also makes a great afghan!

This was started while on a quick weekend getaway with my daughter at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa. Wow, what a place!

We were there during the quick 3 week period when Ojai Pixie tangerines are in season.
We attended a cooking demonstration and had a wonderful dinner.

I came home late Sunday night and almost the first words from my husband's mouth were, "You won't believe what the roses have done while you were away!" Me: "But I've only been gone since Friday!"

The next morning I walked around and he was right. Even with our drought, there were thousands of rose buds that seemed to appear overnight, quite a few blooms even, and there were peonies! Peonies, faithful every year, still manage to surprise me; so tutu frilly and fancy pink and impossibly gorgeous!

The garden is all shades of green with fat buds on every bush and orange blossom fragrance, but you can't help but notice the thirsty soil. We're sad that this year will not be a gardening year for us. This year will be about keeping what we have alive and not planting much in the way of annuals or vegetables. My greenhouse this time of year would normally be filled with seedlings, but with the drought and the almost certain water restrictions, it's foolish to even think about that sort of thing.

In the meantime, it seems that the drought can't take away the roses this spring. It's going to be a doozy of a rose season.

Teacup by Martin Storey

good cheer

A gift for dolly: tam, skirt and sweater pattern, yours for free!

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Jamie

high hopes

The TOWER giveaway!

an FO, more words on yarn and needles, plus a tip!

did you win?

free tickets for the Spring Knitting & Stitching Show

Huckleberry Friend, free pattern

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Sugarfoot, free pattern

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my smokey goldie

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Take me out to the ballgame and I'll knit!

Baby Surprises

this morning