Laser Sweater WIP

There is a charming little store on the main street of Caledonia called Henny's Yarn Shop (http://www.hennysyarnshop.com/). The proprieter, Henny Stauffer, had talked me into knitting up something masculine for her to display at the shop. I was more than happy to do it, both to show off my knitting prowess and to get the yarns at a discount.
I've decided to design and knit a sweater of an unusual construction. Some parts of it would be a challenge, but I think I can pull it off. I will be charting my progress on this blog along with some technical ideas or hints in case someone gets stuck on the pattern
The sweater will be first knitted from sleeve to sleeve in the flat. This piece will then be lightly blocked to even out the edges for easier seaming. A neckhole will be cut into the piece using a pair of scissors, the stitches picked up and a neckband knitted from that. The sleeves would then be seamed to the underarms, stitches picked up around the chest and back, and the rest of the sweater knitted in the round to the waist. I have heard or read of a sweater made this way before, but can't remember where I got this in formation. So, I will be making everything up as a knit along.
I casted on using a tubular cast-on method. This gives a sharp, professional looking and elastic edge, especially if 1x1 ribbing is involved. I chose this cast-on because it matches with the tubular bind-off. So, both sleeves will have tubular edges.

The tubular cast-on and knitting is exceptionally loose. For one row, only the knit stitches are knitted while the purl stitches are slipped, so it takes 2 rows of tubular knitting to come up with one row of 1x1 rib. For this reason I always do tubular 3 needle size smaller than what the rest of the sweater requires. The tubular portion of the cuff was knitted in US size 4 needles, and I switched to US size 7's for normal 1x1 ribbing. As you can see, the stitches are the same size and everything looks sharp.
The increase between the cuff and sleeve was done in the ribbing portion. Increases were evenly spaced (more or less) using the k1f&b method on the knit stitches. This way the bar to the left would be hidden int he purl gutters of the 1x1 ribbing.
The sleeve, obviously, is heavily cabled. These cable patterns I got from Barbara Walker's treasuries. There aren't any official meanings assigned to the patterns, but I picked them out out because they meant something to me. The four cables reminds me of the sheets and lines in the Laser sailboat, of which there are plenty. Here's hoping that they stay tidy and organized, not all in a tangled mess. The waves or ripples are the waters the Laser sails on and the wind it harnesses. The central gullwing pattern looks to me like the wake made by a speedy Laser. If these pattern don't appeal to you, you can choose your own.
The yarn for the sleeve is a Cascade 220 in light grey. With textural work I favor solid and light colors. Veregations or yarns with colorways would not work since the horizontal color bands would detract from the vertical cables. You can probably get away with yarn that is lightly heathered, and that's about it. Dark colors should be discouraged since it absorbs light and makes it hard to see the cable patterns.
Smooth yarns of 3 or more plies are excellent for cabling work. Save your novelty yarns for a different project where the texture of the cable patterns are not critical. If you want your cables to lie a bit flatter, then use a 2-ply yarn.
There will be more to discuss later as the project progresses. If you have any questions, let me know. I'll try to answer them on my next post.
Keep on knitting.

Home Sweet Homestead

I spent a good part of last Saturday making newspaper pots, filling them with seed-starter mix, and sticking seeds into them. With Spring on the way it was time to get into gear on getting the garden ready. So far I have eggplants, peppers and tomato germinating by a sunny window. I obviously will do more as we draw closer to Memorial weekend. I've also moved all my knitting stuff to the homestead. I don't have a whole lot of free wallspace for storage in the city, but the homestead does. I am pleased that I now can keep all my knitting stuff in one place instead of having them scattered all over the house.

I've finished the shawl I've been working on. The yarn was a natural wool/cashmere blend, very soft and very warm. The pattern was striking with the central rose motif and the 'Olde Shale' pattern radiating from it.

My current knitting projects are bath-puffies (very easy) knitted with "yarn" made from aloo, and a pair of lacy woman's socks of superwash merino yarn. I am knitting the socks in my typical way ~ I just cast on and start knitting the toe and lower foot without worrying too much about gauge. I just stop increasing the toe when I think the sock is at the perfect width and knit the lower foot straight. After I've finished a couple of inches, I then measure gauge and calculate where I would have to begin the instep increases. It is a nutty way to knit socks, but it suits me since I am a nutty person.

Musings

I've finished the third and last level of TKGA's Master Hand Knitting program. I have not yet heard back from the committee on whether I have passed or not. Needless to say, I am sitting on pins and needles around here. It would be nice to get this over with so that I can move on to other projects.
The gansey I was working on IS done! I finished it it before Thanksgiving of last year and it fits like a dream. It was an instant hit at the holiday gatherings. People have been calling it the 'sailing sweater' since it has my boat's logo and number stitched into the back. I love it and I wear it as often as I can.

My knitting project for now is a simple lace shawl using yarn of a wool/cashmere blend. It is a little something to keep me occupied and my mind off of my level III submissions.

I am also taking a writing course. For my next assignment I have to write a short fiction. I already have a good idea of what I am going to write about, which I won't reveal here. What I would like to say is that the story will take place on Beaver Island. It has been ages since I've been to Beaver Island, yet that magical place has constantly been on my mind. I still remember the waves crashing onto a beach full of smooth pebbles. I still remember that dew-covered spider web glistening in the morning sun. And I still remember the circles of stones that predates European arrival to the island. I have a sneaking suspicion that those stones were put up by the original natives in worship of storms.
On my last trip to Beaver Island I found a cairn, and as I added a stone to it I offered up a prayer for a sign that the island is aware and has blessed me. Later that evening a young buck came to within three feet of me, stomping and snorting, in the soft rain. I had to laugh at the incongruity of the situation, which scared the buck off. At that moment the rain stopped and a perfect rainbow appeared in the sky. That buck and the rainbow was the sign I prayed for. That moment I felt I was home.
It has been three years, and yet the island still tugs at my heartstrings. There's something about the landscape that is both beautiful and ethereal. And there is something about the people with their warmth and beliefs in unseen powers.
I've been thinking about all this this lately and how much I would like to design and knit a sweater to commemorate Beaver Island. It would be an Aran sweater, of course, made from a heathered undyed tan wool with bits of blue, green and violet. The patterns would tell a story of the island ~ the ropes of the fishing trade in the 1800's, living in close ties with nature, the otherworldlyness of the island, and so much more. The idea is a bit vague and misty, and I will have to do some experimenting with Aran patterns to find what I am searching for.

Gansey WIP and more....

Whoops! I did it again! I dropped off the radar after promising I would do better in keeping up with the blog postings. Life got a little too hectic as usual. I guess we all need to take comfort in the fact that I do come back ~ eventually.

So, what's new with me? Well, a lot of things:

~ I finally finished my TKGA Level III submission and shipped it off to the comittee for review. Let's all take a deep sigh of relief. It has been over a month and I've not heard back from them, and I am not too worried about that. I've already been warned it will take the committee a couple months or so to go over my materials. here's hoping that I pass and will be certified as a Master Knitter.

~I've acquired a second home with access to a lake. That is where I am keeping my Butterfly sailboat for sailing whenever the wind is good. The house itself needs work - there is old carpet to rip out and over 1400 square feet of laminate flooring (Venetian Walnut) to put down. I'll be busy for awhile since I am doing the labor myself. Anybody out there want to help a guy out?

~ I am still working two jobs. I need it since I have two houses to support along with putting money aside for a new sailboat in the Spring. I'll be keeping the Butterfly where it is, but will join the yacht club in Grand Rapids along with buying a Laser sailboat to race with. An expensive plan, but it should be cheaper after the first year (no new boat and club stock to purchase).

~ I am still knitting in spite of my crazy life. Usually it would just be an hour of knitting before bed each night. It is a good way to unwind and drop all the cares from the day.

Right now I am knitting myself a Gansey. The color is a dark teal, and it has my initials ("RO") on the front, along with the Butterfly logo and my sailboat's number (613) on the back. The knit-purl patterns along with the initials I got from a book. the logo and number is a design of my own creation.

The construction of the Gansey will be folksy and primitive. I knitted it in the round to under the arms, and am now knitting back-and-forth the front and back separately. The plan is to knit shoulder straps, pick up stitches around the armholes, and finish off the sleeves in the round. So far, it is looking pretty good.

~ I signed up for a writing course with Long Ridge Writer's Group. People have commented that i am a good writer, but I guess I am not satisfied with that. I would like to learn how to write consistently, and in developing my skills in working with words. There is so much I would like to write and yet become overwhelmed by the thought of expressing myself through language. I had figured I need the help of a mentor to develop a structured practice.

I am a bit late with my second writing assignment. I am hoping to get it typed up tonight, edited, printed out and sent on its way. I am embarrassed to admit the reason for not keeping up was lack of focus. I had a garden to work on, vegetables to put away for Winter, work, classes to teach at the community college and three houses to take care of (my parents are in Spain, so it is their house along with my two). What I really need is an assistant to help me out! Or simplify my life (Ha!). Are there any ideas or volunteers?

This is all for now. Winter is coming, so keep on knitting.

Fire & Ice

I finally finished the sweater I designed for my TKGA submission! The one thing I'll tell ya' about knitting an Aran sweater from the neck down: the sweater just seem to grow organically from the needle with each pattern working itself out just perfectly.
My mum will be getting the sweater after the committee reviews it. In my written pattern for it, I named it "Fire and Ice" and the following is the description as I've written:
I designed this sweater for my mother, who usually wears cool colors (especially blues) to temper her complexion (she is a red-head). The name of the sweater came from the idea that you can mix fire (my mom along with the 'burning love' pattern on the sleeves) with ice (the color of the yarn used).
The traditionally masculine style of this sweater has been tweaked to give it a feminine look, and the Aran patterns were chosen and designed to reflect my mother's story. The central lattice pattern shows the importance of community, and mom's willingness to separate her large property into plots for her neighbors and friends to plant gardens and to grow food (organically, of course). The three cables on each side of the lattice, along with the plait, represent her three sons. The diamond pattern represents the things she values: moss for earth, bobbles for life, and basket-weave for honest intentions. The honeycomb pattern is for hard work and its sweet rewards. And 'burning love' to represent mom's passionate nature.

Yesterday I went to the farmer's market to pick up some 'staples'. Farmer Michael of Trillium Haven Farm pulled out this cart of curly green masses and my heart just literally jumped up to my throat! Could it be? No, it can't be! Is it? GASP!

IT IS GARLIC SCAPES!!!!!!!! It took all the self control I had not to jump into Farmer Michael's arms to plant him a big, wet and sloppy one (that, and his wife wouldn't approve). I haven't had garlic scapes in two years, and this was a real treat for me

In case you don't know what garlic scapes are, they are the flowering tops of hard-neck garlic. In order to encourage bulb development, you just lop off these tops around May and June. In most places the tops would be thrown into the compost, but it is a delicacy in the Pacific Northwest (trust me, I've seen housewives tussle for these things at the grocery stores in Seattle).

So, I rushed my scapes home and decided that I would put them in an omellette with some mushrooms and cheese. Nothing too complicated to drown out the scapes' flavor. But first I would need to gently cook those scapes down a bit in oil and better (and save the scape flavored oil for cooking the omellette). As I was chopping these spiral-shaped vegetables, they would flip up and brush a nipple ~ gee, who would have thought a veggie could be so sensuous before you eat it!

And the omellette was spectacular! The muchrooms, the blue cheese, and the scape which tasted a bit like asparagus with mild garlic undertones. So if you haven't tried Garlic Scapes, do give it go. It just may become your favorite Spring treat along with the asparagus and ruebarb.

Frogging

Finally got hooked up.
Being able to hear is a very strange experience. I am hearing a lot, and some of the things I am hearing I have a hard time recognizing what it is. Ahhhh, it takes practice. But, I do know that I absolutely hate the sound of crinkling plastic bags ~ the next check-out clerk that cracks out the plastic bags for my groceries will get a pen stabbed into her jugular.

I've started the sweater for my TKGA MastKnitter certification. Actually, I started it twice. The first time I got to the mid-rif and realized I hated the look of the increase technique suggested by Barbara Walker. Even the cast-on was blah. So I ripped the whole thing out (it was good therapy), and started over using different cast-on and increasing methods. So far I like the results the second time around, so I'll keep at it.

And excuse me for not posting pictures of the sweater in progress. I am designing an Aran sweater for me mum, and the patterns that have been chosen and created tells a bit of her story. I will post pictures of it after the sweater is complete, and the pattern submitted to TKGA (copyright protection).

Until the next post.

Scar

Had my stitches removed this morning and it ain't pretty. There is still some swelling from the surgery.
Most of the pain has abated, but the dizziness has not lessened since the surgery. If I am still dizzy by Monday, I may have to go to physical therapy to help retrain my eyes and ears to work together in maintaining my balance. In the meantime, I am just taking it easy and not putting myself in situations where I could fall or be in an accident (meaning just stay home and no driving or operating heavy machinery).

No, I haven't been sitting around eating bon-bons and watching the soaps. The antibiotics I am on makes everything taste sooo off, so my appetite hasn't been all that great. And, I detest soaps (how banal can they get?!?). I did manage to knit a pair of socks for a friend, even though it was quite an adventure to get the needles through the correct loops when the room is spinning. I finished my report on Aran and Fair Isle Knitting Traditions, and am now doing research for my fiber report. I even wrote and drew down some ideas for my hat and sweater submissions to TKGA. Yea, I am one of those people who can't sit around and do nothing, and being engaged takes my mind off the discomfort on the right side of my head.

This is it for now. Will keep you posted.