Blue Peninsula

That White Stuff

2012-01-22T20:13:00.003-05:00

Looks like somebody in my building was happy about the snow this weekend. We really haven't had much since the two feet on Halloween weekend. And I'm not complaining!

It was snowy, and it was cold ... zero F when I woke up this morning. But my head was nice and warm while I did the day's errands, thanks to this FO:

Pattern: Bosc Hat by Robin Ulrich
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool, natural mix
Needles: US5 and US7

Bosc is a roomy beret in two sizes. The pattern is clearly written and easy to follow. If you like the lace stitch pattern, you might be excited to know there's also a matching, really elegant scarf.

I was a busy bee this weekend knitting swatches for a couple of new spring designs (more on them another time). I also worked a little on Rebecca Ringquist's 2010 Stitch Dictionary sampler:

This one has some new-to-me stitches: couching, coral knots, Algerian Eye, bullion knots.

Let the white stuff fall. On my sampler, I'm dreaming of the bright colors of summer.

Organization Woman

2012-01-14T15:34:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, thanks to the WEBS gift card my sister Jenny gave me for my birthday, I treated myself to something I have needed for a very long time ... something I really, really needed. You can probably guess what by looking at this photo:

That's most, but not all, of my circular needle collection, which used to be crammed into a box, along with all my dpns. Even though I kept them in their packages and did try to keep them in some kind of order, somehow every time I looked for a particular needle, it was always the very last package I found in the box.

But no more! Check this out:

That's my new Knitter's Pride needle case. It's got spaces enough to hold the interchangeables, circs, and dpns I use the most (US 0-6), plus a couple of nifty zipper pockets for the interchangeable keys, etc. Folded and closed up, it looks like this:

Huge improvement! The larger dpns and circs that I don't use very often (US7-11) have gone into the Angela Adams bag that formerly held my interchangeables:

And my crochet hooks? They remain in the lovely case made by my sister Betsey:

I'm so happy to finally have my needles organized by size and type. No more fishing around in the catchall box, resorting to unladylike language when I cannot find that 16-inch US4 circular I know is in there.

OK, now how about some actual knitting? Here's a quick WIP report, as well as my first FO of 2012:

Pattern: Flukra, by Gudrun Johnston; photo shows the knitted-on edging in progress
Yarn: Fearless Fibers Laceweight Merino
Needle: US4 Hiya-Hiya

Pattern: Bosc Hat by Robin Ulrich
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool, in the Natural Mix colorway
Needles: US 5 circ for the ribbing, US 7 for body

Pattern: Through the Loops Mystery Sock KAL 2012 by Kirsten Kapur; photo shows sock midway through the second clue
Yarn: Fiberphile's 2-ply Squooshy Sock in the Mithril colorway
Needles: 2.00mm dpns

Another view of the sock, with a bit of the embroidery sampler I'm working on—the 2010 Stitch Dictionary Sampler by Rebecca Ringquist—and Snickers waiting patiently for the photo shoot to end, so we can resume playing with her favorite new toy, the cork ball by her right paw

And here's the FO, finished just in time for this week's cold snap:

Pattern: Rockywold by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Quince and Co. Finch in the Kumlien's Gull colorway
Needles: US 1-1/2 (2.50mm) dpns

I added length in both the wrist and hand for this pair, so they'd be extra warm for winter picture taking.

It's icy cold here in Massachusetts. Hope you're warm, wherever you are!

Let's Do the Twist

2012-01-09T10:06:00.001-05:00

I love twisted stitches, so when I saw that the design for Kirsten Kapur's 2012 Mystery Sock KAL would include cables and twisted stitches, I signed up right away. I've never done a mystery KAL before—have you?

The pattern calls for solid or semisolid yarn, so it seemed like a good match for the skein of light grey hand-dyed yarn from Fiberphile that I picked up at the Loopy Ewe last summer.

Spoiler alert! Photo of the cuff coming next ... if you're thinking of joining this KAL and you don't want to know in advance what the design looks like, stop reading now.

Pattern: Through the Loops Mystery Sock 2012, by Kirsten Kapur
Yarn: Fiberphile 2-ply Squooshy Sock in the Mithril colorway
Needles: US 0/2.00mm

I've been reading the Ravelry spoiler threads for each week eagerly, to see how people's socks are coming along (I don't mind knowing in advance). This week's clue includes a few bobbles, and already there are some great tips on Ravelry on ways to work them.

It's not too late to sign up for the Through the Loops 2012 Mystery Sock KAL (and the pattern is offered at discount through February 1).

Speaking of twisted stitches, there are are fair number in my Pomegranate pullover—they give both the lace panel and the neckband a lovely crisp look. This morning I was excited to see a really beautiful completed Pomegranate posted on Ravelry. Take a look at Katie's awesome Pomegranate:

Pattern: Pomegranate by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Quince and Co. Chickadee in Honey
Needles: US 3/3.25mm and US 5/3.75mm

Katie did a fantastic job with the lace panel, the short-row set-in sleeves, and the folded-over neckband:

The Honey colorway of Chickadee is just beautiful:

Doesn't she look happy? Katie modified the pattern by knitting the back in stockinette. This is a nice option if you want the sweater to go faster:

Congrats, Katie, on your expertly knit Pomegranate. Now that I've seen yours, I want one in the same Honey colorway!

I Dare Me

2012-01-06T11:15:00.002-05:00

Some time ago ... well, perhaps quite a while ago ... I began embroidering a table runner with a simple sashiko-style circle motif. Like all projects, it began with great joy. Golden circles for my table, how lovely that will be!

When I began it, I anticipated buying a new table to replace to the less-than-wonderful one I've had for so many years. But then ... that didn't happen due to other expenses ... so the table runner languished, half done, for most of last year.

This is silly, I finally decided last month. Finish it and use it, even if there is still no wonderful new table. Stop wanting everything to be perfect.

So I finished up the embroidery. And I cut the backing piece (the wavy red fabric). Progress!

But that's as far as I went. Of course, I've been busy with many other projects—publishing new designs, personal knitting, painting, embroidery—not to mention a full-time job. But really, how much time does sewing a few seams take?

As soon as I saw the Double Dog Dare over at the Squam blog, I thought of my poor unfinished table runner. So I took the dare: my golden circles will be smiling up at me from my tippy old table by the first Thursday of February.

Got something big or small you need a little push to do? Take the Double Dog Dare! As a back-care booklet a doctor once gave me says, "an action detained is a tension retained." Won't you feel great a month from now when you've finally done something you've been putting off?

Hello Goodbye

2011-12-31T18:37:00.001-05:00

Wishing you 365 joyful, fearlessly creative days in 2012. Oh wait--make that 366--it's a Leap Year!

Double Quick

2011-12-17T16:28:00.002-05:00

Two quick projects to share today ... one practical and one not.

Pattern: Dolan Beret by Leah B. Thibault
Yarn: Quince & Co. Osprey in the Bird's Egg colorway
Needle: US7/4.5mm 16-inch circ

What a fun knit ... all those knits and purls really pop in the Aran-weight Osprey. And the color is incredibly lovely. This beret's going to get lots of wear!

Here's something for that person on your gift list who has everything:

Pattern: Tiny Chicken, from Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi by Anna Hrachovec
Yarns: various leftover sock yarns
Needles: US 1/2.25mm dpns

If everyone you know already has a 1 1/2-inch tall knit chicken, no problem. Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi also has mermaids, fried eggs, baked potatoes, garden gnomes, aliens, and more.

The Cat Always Wins

2011-12-12T18:45:00.000-05:00

After two times through the washer and dryer, my wool dryer balls were sufficiently felted and ready for their second layer of yarn:

wool dryer balls (to be used in place of fabric softener; see this blog for details), shown atop my Seersucker afghan-in-progress

For the second layer, I'm using Lion Brand Alpine Wool, a chunky roving that's supposed to felt well:

Minutes after I sat down to wind the Alpine Wool around the three balls, I was interrupted:

A surprise lap takeover, deftly executed by Snickers! Much purring and petting ensued, and eventually I was allowed to resume my work.

I seem to be drawn toward this tealish-blue color lately. The dryer balls are almost the same color as a hat I cast on last week:

Pattern: Dolan Beret by Leah B. Thibault
Yarn: Quince and Co. Osprey in Bird's Egg
Needle: US7 16-inch circular

Worked at four stitches to the inch, this hat goes very quickly—it should be done and on my head soon.

Pattern Release: Deephaven Cowl and Rockywold Mitts

2011-12-05T18:49:00.001-05:00

I'm excited to share two new designs with you today. They're matching patterns that have a stitch pattern in common, and they're available both individually and as a set called Morning at Squam Lake. Find them on Ravelry and in my Etsy shop.

First up, Deephaven:

Pattern: Deephaven by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Quince & Co. Lark in the Chanterelle colorway
Needles: US 7/4.5 mm

Deephaven is an infinity cowl that's knit flat and seamed after blocking. It measures about 8.5 inches/22 cm wide by 52 inches/132 cm long. I've listed the yardage requirement as 500 yards, but mine used a bit less than that—about 480 yards.

It's a versatile piece that can be worn many different ways:

If you've never knit cables before, this is a good pattern to start with, because the cabling is done on only two of the stitch pattern's eight rows. The stitch pattern is given in both written form and a chart.

Next up, Rockywold:

Pattern: Rockywold by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Quince & Co. Tern in the Driftwood colorway
Needles: US 2/3.00m dpns or long circular for Magic Loop

A textured stitch pattern takes center stage in these unisex fingerless mitts knit in fingering weight yarn. The pattern gives directions for two sizes, S and M/L. You can easily expand the size range to an XS by using light fingering weight yarn and a smaller needle size, or to an XL by using sportweight or DK weight yarn and a larger needle size. The stitch pattern is provided in a chart and in written form.

Rockywold and Deephaven are named after the Rockywold-Deephaven Camps on Squam Lake in New Hampshire, where knitters and other crafters gather for the Squam Art Workshops in spring and fall. Mornings can be chilly at Squam Lake, which means breakfast in the dining hall is a veritable fashion show of scarves, cowls, mitts, hats, shawls, and sweaters. When I went to Squam last spring, I wasn’t really prepared for the cool mornings—but I will be next time I go!

Many thanks to Katherine for her expert tech editing, and to Betsey for modeling the mitts. And a shout-out also to Elizabeth, the mastermind behind Squam Art Workshops, and all the fantastic teachers there, as well as my cabin mates in Everest. I had a great time at Squam and can't wait to go back next year.

Crocus Bud Revisited

2011-11-28T17:50:00.000-05:00

Every morning for the last few months, I worked on the Crocus Bud Shawl while my coffee brewed. It became such a pleasant daily habit, I was actually a little sad last week when I realized the piece was about as long as it needed to be.

Pattern: Crocus Bud Shawl by Sharlene Boyce
Yarn: Madelinetosh Prairie in Winter Wheat
Hook: 3.5mm

The pattern is written as a rectangular scarf or shawl, but I made it an infinity cowl by slip-stitching the two edges together.

It seems really odd now, not seeing that beautiful golden color waiting for me on the kitchen counter each morning. I have about 250 yards of this gorgeous Madelinetosh Prairie left and feel like I've got to use it for something. Any ideas? (Doesn't have to be crochet.)

The Crocus Bud Shawl is one of those designs that's a joy to make more than once. A few years ago I made a wide, cozy version in Knit Picks Shadow:

Pattern: Crocus Bud Shawl, by Sharlene Boyce
Yarns: Knit Picks Shadow in Sunset and Oregon Coast overdyed gold
Hook: 4.5mm

It's entirely likely I'll make another Crocus Bud ... and if anyone I normally make gifts for would like one, for a 2012 birthday maybe, feel free to drop a hint! Be sure to tell me which colors of Prairie you like, because I would love to work with this yarn again. (Colorways of Madelinetosh Prairie here.)

Ballsy

2011-11-23T08:38:00.001-05:00

Can you guess what I'm up to on this rainy, gloomy morning?

Hint #1: My ball winder is not broken.

Hint #2: It involves destashing partial skeins of wool.

Hint #3: It involves laundry.

Answer here. I'll let you know how they work out.

P.S. There's still time to save on patterns in my Ravelry shop. The pre-Thanksgiving sale—$1 off all patterns—ends at midnight tonight.

Who Doesn't Love Rowan Felted Tweed?

2011-11-20T11:20:00.000-05:00

Handwashed handknits = happiness for my Buddha cat. Snickers especially loves when I wash Astor (knit with a double strand of Rowan Felted Tweed).

Such delicious sunshine we're having today. It's still hard to believe that only three weeks ago we had a freak snowstorm that knocked out power for days and brought down trees everywhere you looked. I'm glad we're back to normal, weatherwise.

Pre-Thanksgiving Sale

2011-11-18T09:32:00.001-05:00

Save on patterns! Today through Wednesday, November 23, all patterns in my Ravelry shop are discounted $1.00, including Restless ...

the ever-popular Squash Blossom Bookmark ...

Hunky Dory ...

Leaves of Three ...

Pomegranate, and more ...

Happy shopping, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Flukra

2011-11-09T10:12:00.004-05:00

Have you seen Gudrun Johnston's lovely new shawl pattern, Flukra? In Shetland, flukra means "snow falling gently in large flakes." (Follow the link on Gudrun's blog post to hear it pronounced.)

When I started Flukra in late September, I assumed snow would be far off--but instead we had a foot before Halloween! Of course, I'm not blaming the shawl ... it's too beautiful to hold accountable for our freak storm.

Pattern: Flukra, by Gudrun Johnston
Yarn: Fearless Fibers Laceweight Merino
Needle: US4 Hiya-Hiya

Flukra is a triangular shawl using the same Shetland construction that Gudrun used for her popular Aestlight design. It begins with a garter stitch triangle with yarn over loops along each edge. They're picked up and knit when you begin the lace portion.

I'm taking part in the Flukra KAL over on Ravelry. Come join us! It's not too late--some knitters have only just gotten started. The shawls already completed are so beautiful and inspiring: Izi's tawny Flukra takes my breath away; so does gingerknitting's. Hers, like mine, is knit in the springy and subtly dyed laceweight merino from Fearless Fibers.

In other news: I'm excited that Pomegranate has been garnering attention in the blogosphere. Last week, it was one of five new patterns featured in the "What's Hot on Ravelry" post at Falling Stitches. And it's today's pattern pick at KnitNook.

Looking at my blog stats, I noticed I've been getting traffic from Pinterest thanks to people pinning Pomegranate (this is starting to sound like a tongue twister, don't you think?). So I decided to dip my toe in the Pinterest waters and create an "all things pomegranate" board. It's a mix of everything from paintings to jewelry to cheesecake to jelly. I should warn you, it might make you hungry!

Are you using Pinterest? If you are, what are some of your favorite boards or people you're following?

Socktoberfest, Day 31

2011-10-31T15:03:00.001-04:00

Maybe the secret to finishing my Socktoberfest socks in October is to make anklets, and maybe also to make the socks for somebody else. Apparently, if socks are for me, I let them drag on forever, but if they're a gift I finish them quickly.

Pattern: Bamboo Lace Socks by Lara Teter
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Solemate in the Magnificent Mile colorway
Needles: US 1/2.25mm

I finished these up a few days ago, but this post was delayed thanks to the little matter of an October snowstorm. Who would believe that the day before Halloween I would be clearing about a foot of heavy, wet snow off my car, after a storm that took out power, heat, everything? Including a tree I loved ... here's the birch tree in my backyard just after the first flakes began falling:

And here's how it looked yesterday morning and afternoon:

The fields around me are still covered with white. I thought the snow would melt fast, but it still looks like January outside. Trees and power lines are down all over town. I'm one of the lucky 35 percent or so of Amherst residents who have power back.

Mom, I'll be sending your socks next week along with some washcloths and embroidered sachets for your church craft sale. Here are the washcloths in progress:

And now, back to stirring my pot of applesauce. I'm making it thick and chunky, just like the applesauce I remember having at Ann Sather's on Belmont in Chicago, back in the 70s when it was the only Ann Sather's and Ann still owned it. I had never had applesauce so good. Until then, I thought applesauce was nothing special, really kind of boring. Ann Sather's applesauce was a revelation!

Pattern Release: Pomegranate

2011-10-26T09:43:00.002-04:00

Pomegranate, a women's pullover knit in sportweight yarn, is now available on Ravelry and in my Etsy shop.

Pattern: Pomegranate by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Quince & Co. Chickadee in the Pomegranate colorway
Needles: US #5/3.75mm and US #3/3.25mm

Pomegranate features a wide lace panel on front and back and a crisp twisted ribbing on the sleeves and neckband. It is designed to be worn with 2-3 inches of positive ease.

Because it is knit in the round from the bottom to the armholes, the only seams are at the shoulders. The set-in sleeves are knit in the round from the top down, and the sleeve caps are shaped with short rows.

I would describe the level of difficulty as advanced beginner/intermediate. Experience with knitting lace, reading charts, and working in the round is helpful. The stitch patterns are given in chart form only. Techniques include working in the round on circulars and dpns, twisted and wrapped stitches, and short rows.

The yarn, Quince & Co.'s Chickadee, was a delight to work with. It produced a satisfying fabric that feels good against bare skin and it worked equally well in both stockinette and lace. I would use it again in a heartbeat!

Be sure to knit a substantial swatch, no matter what yarn you use. Many yarns behave differently once blocked. The Chickadee definitely relaxed after blocking; both the body ribbing and the lace opened up nicely after a soak in Eucalan. Before blocking, the fit was almost too snug; after blocking, it was just right.

Thanks to all of you who left comments for my yarn/pattern/beads giveaway. The Random Number Generator says the winner is ... roxyrana! Roxyrana, please let me know how to contact you to arrange shipment. I'm bluepeninsula on Ravelry.

Thanks also to Katherine for her expert technical editing, and to Jackie for getting up before sunrise to model the sweater on a chilly hilltop. The photo shoot was lots of fun, and we were fortunate to have excellent light and not a bit of wind. I also want to say thanks to everybody here on the blog and on Ravelry who are such enthusiastic fans of my designs. Your supportive and positive comments mean the world to me.

Coming Soon

2011-10-24T10:03:00.000-04:00

A few pictures from the Pomegranate photo shoot ...

Pattern: Pomegranate by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Quince & Co. Chickadee
Model: Jackie Churchill

Detail shot of the ribbing and lace pattern (which is on the back of the sweater as well):

One from the Ministry of Silly Walks portion of the shoot:

Thanks to all who left comments for the Periwinkle Sheep yarn and Restless scarf pattern giveaway. I'll announce the winner soon!

Socktoberfest, Day 22

2011-10-22T10:45:00.000-04:00

Mom's anklets are coming along. Here's sock number two, shown with some embroidery in progress (Rebecca Ringquist's 2010 Stitch Dictionary Sampler).

Pattern: Bamboo Lace Socks by Lara Teter
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Solemate in the Magnificent Mile colorway
Needles: US 1/2.25mm

Embroidery was my craft of choice this week while I had some new windows installed. It was easiest to "keep calm and carry on" with needle and thread than with knitting while all the drilling and hammering was going on. No place in a chart to keep track of, no stitches to drop.

I finished up this Day of the Dead project bag for a very kind friend at work who recently gave me Kristin Nicholas's Colorful Stitchery as well as some Sublime Stitching Day of the Dead designs.

She doesn't embroider but she knits lots of mitts and socks, so I thought a small project bag in her favorite colors (orange and green) would be a good thank-you gift.

Just a reminder: Today's the last day of the yarn/pattern/beads giveaway. Leave a comment by midnight tonight on this post for a chance to win.

Those of you who guessed Mount Pollux for the photo shoot were correct. The other mountain? It's Mount Norwottuck, the highest peak in the Holyoke Range.

Socktoberfest, Day 15, and a Pre-Pattern Release Giveaway

2011-10-15T19:05:00.003-04:00

I think I'm actually going to finish Mom's anklets by the end of the month. Socktoberfest is halfway over, and as of today, I'm a little more than halfway done:

Pattern: Bamboo Lace Socks by Lara Teter
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Solemate in the Magnificent Mile colorway
Needles: US 1/2.25mm

This makes me exceedingly happy. See how happy? (Hi Mom!)

Actually, I was exceedingly happy this morning at the Brookfield Farm because finally it wasn't raining. And because I decided on the location for the photo shoot for Pomegranate (more on that in a sec).

Speaking of Pomegranate, it's knit, it's blocked, it fits both me and the model perfectly. The pattern will be going to the tech editor on Monday or Tuesday, which means it should be ready to publish later this month. Here are a couple of detail shots:

To celebrate, I'm having a little giveaway. The prize includes this lovely skein of merino-silk fingering weight yarn (about 400 yards) from the Periwinkle Sheep, a copy of my Restless scarf pattern, and enough crystal beads to make the scarf.

To win just leave a comment on this post by midnight, Saturday, October 22. I'll choose a name at random and will announce the winner when I publish Pomegranate.

If you want, try guessing where I'm going to have the photo shoot for Pomegranate. Here are a few preliminary photos of the location:

I'll give you a hint: the name of the place where I took these photos begins with the word "Mount." Another hint: What is the brightest star in the constellation of Gemini?

Extra credit: There's a "Mount" of a different name visible in the last photo. What is it? (Sorry, I'm not giving a hint for that one. But even if you aren't local, a little Googling to answer the first question should turn up the answer for this one.) I see this particular Mount just about every day of my life here in western Massachusetts and I never tire of seeing it in all kinds of light, all kinds of weather.

Whether you can answer the questions or not, leave a comment by October 22 to have a shot at winning the yarn, scarf pattern, and beads!

Socktoberfest, Day 10

2011-10-10T10:59:00.000-04:00

Scenes from an October morning ...

Progress on the Socktoberfest anklets for my mom:

Pattern: Bamboo Lace Socks by Lara Teter
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Solemate in the Magnificent Mile colorway
Needles: US 1/2.25mm

And a walk down my road ...

Socktoberfest, Day Five

2011-10-05T15:16:00.002-04:00

Here's how Mom's anklets looked as of lunch hour today, at the Thirsty Mind in South Hadley:

Pattern: Bamboo Lace Socks by Lara Teter
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Solemate in the Magnificent Mile colorway
Needles: US 1/2.25mm

I thought it would be fun to take a photo of the socks every day, but with all the rain we've had lately I've abandoned that idea. Instead, I'll just do occasional status updates. So far, I'm getting gauge and quite happy with the pattern and the yarn.

Socktoberfest, Day One

2011-10-01T18:55:00.000-04:00

My mom, sisters, and a brother-in-law converged on the Loopy Ewe during our family reunion in Saint Louis back in August. We spent pretty much a whole morning there, happily lost in the astonishing array of hand-dyed sock and lace yarns. We were all knitters except my mom, but even she fell under the spell. I turned a corner at one point and saw her standing in front of the Lorna's Laces yarns with this skein in her hand. On her face was that look of enchantment that we knitters know so well.

"That's a pretty color," I remarked. "Yes," she said dreamily.

Into my basket went the skein. Back at the hotel, we looked at various pattern options on Ravelry. She wanted anklets, and when I showed her the Bamboo Lace Socks by Lara Teter her face lit up.

She gave me a pair of her anklets that fit just right, and I took measurements. I also happen to have an outline of her foot that I drew once when visiting her, in case I ever knit her some socks. So I'm reasonably sure that, even though she's in Florida and I'm in Massachusetts, I can knit socks that will fit her.

Pattern: Bamboo Lace Socks by Lara Teter
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Solemate, in the Magnificent Mile colorway
Needles: US1/2.25mm

Mom, I cast on your anklets today. And this year, I'm going to try my hardest to actually finish my Socktoberfest socks by the end of October. I have high hopes that I will succeed, because anklets are only about half the knitting of a regular pair of socks. That's not cheating, is it?

Wish me luck! (The scarf, by the way, is my Anita Caroline pattern, which is named after my mother.)

When All Those Colors Have Faded

2011-09-25T13:30:00.000-04:00

We are at that stage of early fall when summer's colors, poised to fade, seem more intense, more saturated than ever.

Yesterday I finished the scarf for Warm Hats, Warm Hearts. Hopefully it will cheer someone as well as keep them warm in the cold months ahead.

Pattern: Beaded Rib Scarf, by Jacqueline Fee
Yarn: Malabrigo worsted, color #123 Rhodesian
Needle: US7

I guessed that one skein of Malabrigo would yield about a 48-inch scarf. It turned out to be a good guess: the blocked size is 48.5 inches long x 6.25 inches wide.

All week, as I knit this scarf, I had both marigolds and pumpkin pie on my mind. It certainly is a delicious color.

Meanwhile, the set-in sleeves worked top down on Pomegranate are progressing nicely. I am on the home stretch ...

Warm Hats, Warm Hearts

2011-09-18T09:03:00.004-04:00

I've found a use for the free skein of gorgeous Malabrigo that I received from Happy Knits at Squam: a scarf for Warm Hats, Warm Hearts.

Pattern: Beaded Rib Scarf, by Jacqueline Fee
Yarn: Malabrigo worsted, color #123 Rhodesian
Needle: US7

I'm going back to my knitting roots with this project. It's in Jacqueline Fee's The Sweater Workshop, which is the book I used to teach myself to knit. I chose this pattern because it can work equally well for either a man or a woman—I don't know who will end up receiving the scarf. Another reason: the stitch pattern looks equally good on both sides.

Warm Hats, Warm Hearts is collecting handknits to send to the people of Vermont and New York who lost so much during Hurricane Irene. To contribute, look for the group on Ravelry or on Facebook, or see the flyer below.

Double Happiness

2011-09-12T18:09:00.000-04:00

Two summer projects are off the needles and the hoop ...

Pattern: Almondine, by Anne Hanson
Yarn: Cascade Heritage, color #5631, charcoal
Needles: US 1 - 2.25mm dpns

Almondine is one of 18 patterns in Interweave's new Sock Knitting Master Class, edited by Ann Budd. The book definitely lives up to the "master class" part of the title. It offers a wide range of construction options and sock styles, and provides the technical information you need to modify the designs or create your own.

These were a travel project to take along on my August vacation, and they worked out just fine for that. The stitch pattern is easy to work; after you've gotten through the chart once, it becomes pretty intuitive.

This is the second pair of socks I've made with Cascade Heritage. I give it five stars on Ravelry--it's got excellent stitch definition, isn't splitty at all, and washes and wears well.

Special thanks to Snickers for supervising the photo shoot:

And here's my completed sampler from Rebecca Ringquist's Stitch Dictionary embroidery class, which I took at Squam Art Workshops in June:

The ribbon on the right has special meaning: it was wrapped around the blank journal that was tucked into my Squam tote bag. I'm still using the journal to reflect on insights and intentions that took root while I was at Squam. Just holding it takes me back to that serene place.

I was really pleased that I was able to pull the whole thing together without buying anything. All of the fabrics and trims I already had on hand, left over from potholders, bags, and other gifts.

I backed it with cotton batting and used cotton twill to make tabs for hanging. I might think about other ways to hang it, but will probably leave that problem for the next one--yesterday I started work on Rebecca's 2010 Stitch Dictionary sampler.

OMG!

2011-09-09T17:55:00.000-04:00

I've finally finished stitching the letters on the Stitch Dictionary sampler I began in Rebecca Ringquist's class at Squam Art Workshops in June.

Naturally, this was the last letter I did:

I know I'm never going to win any prizes for most precise or most perfect embroidery, but that's OK. I had a lot of fun working on this sampler and I love it despite its clumsy parts. Next step: sewing on borders and devising a way to hang it.

Pattern Release: Leaves of Three

2011-09-02T07:24:00.001-04:00

I don’t like to think that summer is coming to a close, but the signs are all around: leaves are beginning to change color, evenings are getting shorter. Some recent mornings have been almost too chilly for having my breakfast outdoors.

Almost, but not quite. Fingerless mitts can help extend the “dining al fresco” season just a bit. And so I offer you my newest pattern: Leaves of Three, a pair of beaded lace fingerless mitts. It's now available on Ravelry and in my Etsy shop.

Pattern: Leaves of Three, by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Quince & Co. Tern (75% wool, 25% silk; 221yd/202m per 50g skein); color: Sea Grass
Needles: US #2/2.75mm

The rhyme about poison ivy (“Leaves of three / Let it be”) provided the inspiration for the pattern name. Aside from the leaves, the mitts have several threes or multiples of threes in them--12 ruffled bells at the cuff, three beads in each leaf, a knit one/ purl three ribbing … and probably something else that I’m forgetting!

I used a 16-inch circular needle to start and later switched to dpns (you cast on many stitches, then gradually decrease them away as you knit the cuff). However, you could also use Magic Loop or whichever method you prefer for working in the round. The beads are placed using the crochet hook method and instructions are provided, so don’t be put off if knitting with beads is new to you. The lace stitch patterns are provided in charted form.

Friends whose hands ranged from small to large tried these on, and the mitts fit them all quite well. The pattern provides instructions for one size knit in fingering weight yarn; it comfortably fits hand circumferences of 6 to 7.5 inches. You could tweak the fit by going down or up a needle size, using light fingering weight yarn, or using sportweight yarn.

For my sample, I used Quince & Co.’s Tern, a fingering weight wool/silk blend. The mitts are soft and warm, and have a subtle, distinctive sheen. Wearing them definitely makes you feel less sad about summer’s fading warmth.

Many thanks to Leslie and Betsey for modeling, and to Katherine for tech editing.

If you have a long weekend ahead, I hope it’s splendid!

Sketches before the Storm

2011-08-30T16:20:00.001-04:00

I prepared for Hurricane Irene by going to Kripalu for the day on Saturday. After Danny Arguetty's excellent workshop on twists, followed by a session with Heidi Spears on "yoga breaks" (mostly breathing techniques, or pranayama, that you can do in spare moments throughout your day), I felt truly relaxed and ready for whatever Sunday might bring. As it turned out, at my condo we were fortunate--less than an inch of water in the basement and a few fallen branches. We never lost our power.

While I was at Kripalu, the rain held off until late afternoon, so I was able to walk the beautiful labyrinth and sketch both indoors and out. It felt like the perfect bookend to the summer, which began with sketching at Squam Lake in New Hampshire.

If you were Irene's path, how did you fare? I feel incredibly lucky, compared to others here in New England. Today's post by Kristin Nicholas at Getting Stitched on the Farm has links to videos of flooding in Shelburne Falls and Brattleboro. My heart goes out to everyone in these towns, which have long been two of my favorite day-trip destinations.

OK, let's move on to happier topics! Number one, I'll be releasing a new pattern very soon. Details forthcoming in the next few days; for now, here's a little teaser:

Number two, work continues on both the sample knitting and pattern writing for Pomegranate, and all's going well. I keep expecting something to not work out, but so far, there have been no surprises or rip-backs at all:

Last, a few odds and ends:

***Rebecca is offering free shipping until Labor Day on her embroidery samplers and other good stuff, including the exuberantly colorful Paisley.

***Kristin's slowly but surely knitting up a most gorgeous fingering-weight blanket. And not a baby blanket, but a full-scale blanket big enough to cover a queen-size bed. I think I'll be sad when she's done, because there won't be any more great posts from her about it, such as this, this, and this.

***Plenty of artists are inspired by shells and stones found at the beach (me included). Something else caught the eye of New Zealander Paul Hutchinson. The resulting painting is absolutely perfect.

***My Squash Blossom Bookmark pattern is in another Etsy treasury today. Check out Sylvana Vintage Designs for details. The treasury includes some squash-colored hand-dyed yarns.

Coconut-Almond Granola

2011-08-26T09:11:00.002-04:00

For my friends on gluten-free diets, here's my granola recipe. Top it with sliced banana, pour on some almond milk, and enjoy a delicious gluten-free, dairy-free breakfast. Friends and family who aren't on a restricted diet will love it, too.

Coconut-Almond Granola
Makes about 4 cups

3 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1 cup unsalted almonds
1/4 cup teff or brown rice flour
1/4 cup lowfat unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
1 tbsp. almond extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch sea salt
3/4 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly oil a large rimmed baking sheet.

Mix all ingredients except the raisins in a large bowl, stirring well. Spread evenly on oiled baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 minutes, stirring a few times, until granola is browned to your liking. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Stir in the raisins. Allow to cool completely, then store in an air-tight container.

I would describe this granola as "medium sweet." It's lighter, overall, than most commercial granolas. If you like yours richer or sweeter, feel free to add more oil, more syrup, and/or more raisins.

I vary this recipe almost every time I make it. Dried cranberries work great in lieu of raisins. Vanilla extract can be used instead of almond. Coconut oil works just as well as canola. If I don't have shredded coconut on hand, I omit it. Cashews or hazelnuts can be used in addition to or instead of the almonds. Toss in some sunflower seeds, if you like. Go with what's in your pantry and get creative!

Pick. Feast. Love.

2011-08-20T18:39:00.001-04:00

I picked some marvelous things under sunny skies this morning . . .

Sungold Tomatoes

Calendula Blossoms

Today's lunch: romaine, radicchio, tomatoes, cucumber, calendula, all organic, all from the Brookfield Farm, the CSA in South Amherst I've belonged to for 15 years.

If you are what you eat, then I am the Brookfield Farm. Do you belong to a CSA or have a garden? What have you been picking and feasting on?

In other news: it's Snickers's adoption anniversary. She had her annual check-up today and was pronounced in excellent health and at an ideal weight. The vet and assistant cooed over her soft fur, her gentle manner, her beautiful eyes. None of this praise made her any happier to be there, though--she got back in her carrier as fast as she could the second the exam was over.

She is the most joyful, affectionate little cat I've ever known. It's been a wonderful year, and I hope we have many more together.

A Squash Blossom Treasury

2011-08-15T12:43:00.001-04:00

Love squash blossoms and/or zucchini? Check out this Squash Blossom Sunday treasury put together by Etsy seller Fae Fashion. It's a sweet compendium of squash-blossom-inspired artwork, jewelry, and other delights, including my Squash Blossom Bookmark knitting pattern.

H Is for Home

2011-08-09T19:01:00.001-04:00

I'm back--just back--from the Cahokia Mounds ...

the Gateway Arch ...

and meeting my great-nephew Alex for the first time ...

My brain is in a postvacation fried state and I'm really too tired to blog. But I have to share some exciting news: my Briza Tank is in Classic Elite's weekly Web-Letter! Today's issue features ten lovely knitting and crochet designs by indie designers.

Pattern: Briza, by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Classic Elite Classic Silk, DK weight, 50% Cotton, 30% Silk, 20% Nylon
Needles: US4 and US6

If you don't already subscribe to the CEY Web-letter, you can sign up at the CEY website or on Facebook.

And now--time for a gluten-free beer and a movie!

ABC in Reverse

2011-08-01T20:55:00.000-04:00

C is for Claudia Scarf and crochet ...

Pattern: Claudia Scarf, by Rebecca Jackson
Yarn: Classic Elite Summer Sox, 40/40/20 cotton/merino/nylon
Hook: 3.50mm

This isn't my first Claudia Scarf, and it may not be my last. It's pleasing to work, and the results are so pretty.

I used a sock yarn that's part merino, part cotton, to make it an all-seasons piece, and I aimed for a width that would allow it to function as either a wrap or a scarf. At 12 inches wide after blocking, it's just about right. I'm almost always cold on airplanes, so this will definitely be in my carry-on bag when I go on vacation this month.

B is for backstitch (not to mention Bonnie and Blue Peninsula) ...

Work continues, bit by bit, on my Stitch Dictionary sampler. At the end of a long day, it's fun to wind down with this little project.

A is for August ... I don't think I'll be blogging much (maybe not at all) during August. In addition to traveling, I'll be getting a new fingerless mitts pattern ready for publication. And I'll continue working on Pomegranate, under the watchful eye of Inspector Snickers ...

(more info about Pomegranate on Ravelry)

And A is for Arch--as in the Gateway Arch. I'll be up at the top of the Arch soon, enjoying the views. I haven't been there since I was a child and am looking forward to seeing it and other Saint Louis sights again. My family and I are gathering not far from Saint Louis for a reunion in Waterloo, Illinois, where my mom and dad grew up, met, and married. I can't wait to see everybody!

Adios, au revoir, auf Wiedersehen ...

Angry Knitters?

2011-07-26T20:59:00.001-04:00

Warning: Today's post contains controversial, disturbing content. The photograph that follows graphically portrays yarn in extremely troubling circumstances. Sensitive knitters and crocheters are urged to exercise caution.

My friend Clarity snapped this shocking photograph while traveling in Argentina. If you are a fiber person of tender sensibilities, you may wish to stop reading now ...

Caged yarn, yearning to be free!

My first thought on seeing it was, hey this could be the basis for a new game: Angry Knitters. Just like the bluebirds and redbirds and whatever those yellow birds are in Angry Birds, you could have a game where knitters hurl needles, ball winders, tape measures, sock blockers, etc. in an attempt to free caged cashmere.

And what if the knitters hurling the knitting paraphernalia were dead ringers for yarn world celebrities: the Yarn Harlot, Cookie A, Norah Gaughan, Jared Flood?

Imagine what fun you could have with the environments. One could be the WEBS warehouse. Another could be Rheinbeck. Another could be the Shetland Islands.

Every now and then, instead of getting a golden egg, you might collect free Signature Needles, or perhaps a set of Addi Lace interchangeables.

The possibilities are endless!

Cute Pattern, Cute Name

2011-07-20T18:09:00.000-04:00

I'm a sucker for pretty washcloths, whether knit or crocheted. This one went off in the morning's mail to surprise a very kind person ...

Pattern: Nubbie Scrubbie, by Angelee Marie, from Simple Sweet Yarns
Yarns: KnitPicks CotLin (linen); Berroco Pure Pima (teal)
Hook: 3.25mm/D

I also enclosed a bar of Lime and Black Pepper Daisy Lamont Soap. Vickie, the proprietress of Daisy Lamont, was one of my cabinmates at Squam Art Workshops in June and brought her soaps to the Squam Art Fair: Guinness and Honey, Hawaiian Ginger, Basil Pear, Orange Spice ... such delicious scents! Some scented soaps are overpowering, but I thought Vickie's were "just right." My favorite so far? Pink Lady, a delicate blend of geranium and bergamot.

This washcloth's got great texture thanks to treble crochet. If you aren't familiar with treble crochet yet, you will be expert at it by the time you're done! The pattern calls for one color and ends with a round of single crochet. I decided to gussy mine up by working two rounds of single crochet in a contrasting color, then improvising a "fancy" final round. (The "fancy" round consisted of: *3 dc in 1 sc, ch 1, skip 3 dc, rep from *. Right before and after the 3 dc on each corner, I only skipped 2 dc, to create better ease and prevent the corner from curling up.)

Changes Afoot

2011-07-18T18:35:00.000-04:00

The old blog's getting a facelift--starting with a new template and a banner similar to the one on my Etsy shop. Stand-alone pages that better organize things will be coming soon, too.

It's time for a change. You may have noticed I've been expanding the scope of the blog in recent months. I began this blog in pre-Ravelry days, for the purpose of sharing my knitting projects. Six years later ... a lot's changed!

Ravelry has become as essential a part of knitting as needles and yarn. You no longer need to Google a pattern and search for blog posts to find out what yarns people are substituting, or how the garment looks on a real person. (Not that models aren't real people. but you know what I mean!)

I don't mean to suggest that Ravelry has rendered knitting blogs obsolete--not at all. I still read knitting blogs and I still like blogging. But I don't feel Blue Peninsula needs to be quite so narrow in its focus anymore. In recent months I've watched to see if there is interest in posts about drawing, or embroidery, or visits to art exhibits. Much to my delight, it seems there is. So, I'm going to continue to let the blog be more "holistic," more true to myself and all that I do.

A couple of years ago, I gave myself permission to focus more of my free time on knitwear design. I needed to find out whether designing was something I wanted to get serious about. Turns out it is--in fact, I enjoy it immensely. I especially enjoy getting feedback from all of you who make my patterns. I love seeing your versions on Ravelry.

At about the same time, I stopped painting. I felt I had come to a dead end. For many years I had worked within a rather strict compositional format of square paintings divided into grids. Exploring the grid and its possibilities was a fruitful avenue for a long, long time. But then it wasn't anymore, and I couldn't see a way forward.

You can't force insight. You just have to wait and hope and pray it will return. (The waiting is not fun, believe me.)

I made some knitted artworks here and there. But to knit garments as well as art was asking a lot of my hands. I kept drawing, though, filling sketchbooks with views of nature--hills and clouds mostly. And finally, since last winter, I've been making paintings again--small improvisational abstractions that I think of as "pocket paintings." Maybe my studies of fluid, ever-changing clouds opened up a way back into painting? To draw a cloud you really have to work lightly and freely--it's moving fast, and you have to move with it!

They are small first steps toward a vision I've had in my head for a long time, of paintings embellished with embroidery. Organic, abstract images, inspired by nature, created in an improvisational process, with no sketches done beforehand, no blueprint. (Quite the opposite of knitting, no?)

For whatever reason--a combination perhaps of the fullness of nature in summer, coupled with taking Rebecca Ringquist's embroidery workshop at Squam--I've finally felt ready in recent weeks to give my "painting + embroidery" idea a go.

This is a prototype (and a work in progress, so please judge it tenderly). Due to the width of the stretcher bars, there isn't a lot of room for embroidery on this little prestretched canvas. But there will be plenty of room on larger canvases--I've got several stretched and ready for gesso.

I'm generally reluctant to share my artwork until I'm actually having a show "in real life." But, along with abandoning the grid and the square, I'm going to take the risk of blogging occasionally about artworks in progress. One lesson I've learned from knitwear design is not to get hung up on every pattern being a success. Some are hugely popular, some aren't--life goes on. I don't worry about it much. It's time to extend the same relaxed attitude to my artwork.

Wish me luck! I hope you won't mind the changes here at Blue Peninsula. Maybe every post won't be your cup of tea, but rest assured--there will still be a lot of knitting going on.

By the way, if you embroider, where do you get your thread? I've been using three weights: the very fine French thread I got from Purl Soho, DMC size 8 pearl cotton, and DMC size 5 (the heaviest of the three). I'm finding I use the DMC size 8 the most, but I don't have a source for it within driving distance. Joann's has a few neutral colors, but mostly they carry size 5. Do you have a favorite online source? So far I like Knitting Warehouse. They carry a wide range of colors, delivery's pretty quick, and their prices are reasonable.

Rrrrrrrrrrr

2011-07-15T06:55:00.007-04:00

R is for rojo, rouge, rot, red, rosso ...

These are the latest developments on my Stitch Dictionary embroidery sampler. (Y is for yellow, of course.)

R is for Rockywold Dining Hall, where we had all of our meals at Squam Art Workshops, and for Rockywold Socks, which is what I've decided to call these ...

Pattern: my own

Yarn: Liberty Fibers Merino Superwash Sock, purchased at the Squam Art Fair

Needles: 2.50mm and 2.25mm dpns

I'm going back and forth in my mind as to whether I should write up the pattern. What do you think?

Last but not least, R is for raspberries, fresh from the South Hadley Farmers Market ...

Happy Friday!

Brought to You by the Letter S

2011-07-09T20:45:00.000-04:00

S is for Squam Memories socks ...

Pattern: my own
Yarn: Liberty Fibers fingering weight merino/nylon, colorway Totem LE, purchased at the Squam Art Fair
Needles: 2.50mm for the cuff; 2.25mm for the leg

S is for sock yarn ...

String Theory Caper Sock, in the Sandy River colorway, a thank-you gift from my sister Jackie for TigerCare (looking after her cat Tiger while she was in Portland)

S is for seeding stitch and Stitch Dictionary Sampler ...

(the paired stitches in orange thread)

S is for swatch ...

Final swatch for a new sample of this pullover. Pattern writing has commenced. More info on Ravelry.

S is for scrubbie (for somebody special) ...

Pattern: Nubbie Scrubbies by Angelee Marie
Yarn: Knit Picks CotLin
Hook: D/3.25mm

S is for Santosha Secret Swap ...

The Canada Post strike delayed the arrival of the package from my Santosha Secret Swap partner for a little while, but it finally arrived the other day in perfect condition. I am just blown away by Ellysa's generosity and thoughtfulness! Tucked into the box were dark-chocolate ginger candies (so good!!!), teas, Louisa Harding yarn in a gorgeous brick red color, papers for using in collages, a hand knit lace washcloth, a cotton lace bag in yarn that's the colors of peonies, and photos and "small treasures" from a walk along the beach that Ellysa took to find santosha (contentment).

All of these things touched my heart. But the gift that brought tears to my eyes? A print of one of my photos from Squam Art Workshops, with the colors altered and intensified by Ellysa. Whatever she did, she made the image feel exactly the way Squam exists in my heart: beautiful, intense, exquisite, far off yet always near. I remembered I had a spare picture frame that was just right and put the photo in the frame immediately ...

S is for feeling so happy, and so blessed, by the gifts I've received this week.

Learning My ABCs

2011-06-29T18:46:00.000-04:00

A is for Apple; B is for Blanket Stitch

D is for Dice

F is for Fern Stitch

and French Knots

and Fly Stitch

N is for Needleweaving

S is for Snickers

Day at DeCordova

2011-06-26T09:50:00.000-04:00

Comet Cuff, crochet pattern by Betsey Sennott

My sister Betsey and I met up at the Decordova Sculpture Park and Museum yesterday, to celebrate her birthday. First we saw the indoor exhibitions--my favorites were the large-scale, rough-hewn cedar sculptures by Ursula von Rydingsvard and a small show of photographs and drawings that give you an idea of what to expect from Andy Goldsworthy's future Snow House project at the DeCordova.

Then we spent lots of time wandering the grounds. Here's a little photo tour of some of the artwork--some manmade, some made by nature.

Paul Matisse, The Musical Fence

John Wilson, Eternal Presence

Kitty Wales, Feral Goose

Last but not least: The winner of my Elegant Lace eBook contest was starfish15 (sorry, don't have a real name for her). Thanks to all of you who left comments and good luck with your lace projects this summer!

500 Favorites Giveaway

2011-06-23T12:21:00.001-04:00

As of today, my Restless scarf pattern has been favorited 500 times on Ravelry. That calls for a giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive a copy of Elegant Lace, an eBook collection of three of my lace designs--Restless, Anita Caroline, and Stony Brook.

To win, just leave a comment by midnight EST, Friday, June 24, answering this question: Are you working on any lace projects this summer? If yes, which ones?

I'll use a random number generator to pick the winner. Be sure your reply includes a way for me to contact you--such as your Ravelry username or your email addy.

Pattern Release: Briza

2011-06-21T17:47:00.001-04:00

Here comes the summer ...

To celebrate summer's arrival, I'm releasing a new knitting pattern, a tank top called Briza. It's available on Ravelry and in my Etsy shop.

Pattern: Briza, by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: DK weight cottons or cotton blends
Needles: US4 and US6

Briza features a crisp knit-purl stitch pattern set against a stockinette ground. It has a notched hem, and garter stitch edging on the neck and arms. The stitch pattern runs the entire length of the back, spicing up both the garment and the knitting process.

I knit the sample in Classic Elite's Classic Silk (50% cotton, 30% silk, 20% nylon; 135yd/123m per 50g skein; color #6967, Wave Break), but you could substitute your favorite DK weight cotton or cotton blend.

One of my favorite things about Briza is the notched hem. It's made by knitting two pieces flat, then joining them on a circular needle. The tank is then worked in the round to the armholes. Only the shoulders require seaming.

A big, big thanks to Katie for her cheerful modeling. I loved her blue nail polish and collection of sunglasses! She was lots of fun to work with and came up with some funny and creative ways to solve the perennial problem of "What do you do with your hands when you're modeling that won't obscure the knitwear?"

Thanks also to Katherine for her expert tech editing, and to my sisters Jenny, Jackie, and Betsey, who are all knitting their own Brizas and have given me much helpful feedback.

Happy Summer Solstice!

Breezy Sunday

2011-06-19T10:09:00.002-04:00

I came home from Squam Art Workshops two weeks ago, but in my heart, every day, I'm still there...

I'm working bit by bit on the Stitch Dictionary sampler . . . I think my backstitch and satin stitch are getting better. I confess I splurged on some delicate French embroidery thread from Purl Soho.

I do not regret the splurge--it's fine and lovely and a pleasure to work with.

Yesterday I frogged the Gully Socks that I began right before Squam. The pattern had numerous errors, including a chart that was entirely wrong. I notified the designer, who has issued a corrected PDF. But since I had to rip back quite a ways, and I wasn't loving the Valley Yarns Huntington yarn (splitty; too loosely plied), I stopped altogether. I'll try the pattern again some other time, with a different yarn.

I do want some new socks, though, so I cast on with yarn purchased at the Squam Art Fair:

Pattern: None--I'm improvising
Yarn: Liberty Fibers fingering weight merino/nylon, colorway Totem LE
Needles: 2.50mm for the cuff; 2.25mm for the leg

The difference in the happiness quotient between this new sock and the frogged sock is amazing. Lesson learned (once again): if it's not working, it's not working. Say good-bye and cut your losses!

Meanwhile, Briza--my new tank top design--is almost ready to release. It's with a tech editor, and I also need to do a photo shoot.

back detail

hem detail

Hope to announce the pattern release soon!

P Is for Pekinese

2011-06-10T10:24:00.004-04:00

The coolest, loopiest stitch I learned in Rebecca Ringquist's Stitch Dictionary class at Squam Art Workshops was Pekinese. It makes me so happy, I got carried away and embellished the letter "P" on my sampler with it.

Please don't look too closely at my outline stitch on that sampler! I just couldn't get it right at first and I was going to rip out what I'd done. But when I asked Rebecca to come look at it, she said, "Oh, that's pretty! I like it!" I looked down at my sampler in surprise. Pretty? Really? Rebecca advised me to just keep going. What a nice lesson about regarding your less-than-perfect efforts with patience and kindness.

When I finish this sampler, I'm going to do Rebecca's 2010 Stitch Dictionary sampler, which I got at the Squam Art Fair, prettily tied up in a green ribbon:

Queen Anne's lace done with French knots! How cool is that?

In knitting news: I'm almost done with the tank top I've been designing. The pattern is going to a tech editor next week and will be available soon. I had hoped to finish in time to wear it at Squam, but that wasn't really realistic. It was much too cool to wear it there, anyway. Here's a sneak peek at the top in progress:

If you live in the Pioneer Valley and are looking for something fun to do, check out the Northampton Camera Club show at River Valley Market. My Mount Holyoke friend and colleague MJ Maccardini, whose sense of humor and eye for the strangeness of even the most ordinary things never fail to delight, is in the show. It opens tonight with a reception from 5 to 8 pm and runs through June 30.

Defining Squam

2011-06-07T18:41:00.006-04:00

Squam is:

Five days living in a cabin steps from a beautiful lake in New Hampshire ...

Early-morning and evenings-round-the-fire conversations with funny, friendly, creative cabin mates ...

Mary and Madi

Shirley

Tierney and Vickie

More conversations (and plenty of ice cream!) in Rockywold Dining Hall ...

It's sock knitting in the dining hall ...

Pattern: Gully Socks, from the Chevron Collection by Miriam L. Felton
Yarn: Valley Yarns Huntington, Color #23, Sea Gull
Needles: 2.25mm dpns

Classes with inspiring fiber artists ...

Rebecca Ringquist (Stitch Dictionary)

Gudrun Johnston (Shapely Sleeves)

Yoga class in front of a crackling fire ...

And free Malabrigo from Happy Knits ...

It's fun events in the evenings--singer Jonatha Brooke, Yarn Harlot Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, artist Sarah Ahearn and photographer Thea Coughlin--and the Squam Art Fair ...

Lake ice candleholder

It's loons, mosquitoes, chipmunks, phoebes, ladyslippers. It's watching clouds roll in ...

And the moon rise ...

It's saying good-bye even though you don't really want to ...

More photos at the Squam Art Workshops June 2011 Flickr group

Squam Sketchbook

2011-06-06T17:14:00.006-04:00

I'm back from the Squam Art Workshops on Squam Lake in New Hampshire. Five days of sketching, knitting, crocheting, embroidering, learning, laughing, meeting new people from all over, hiking rocky trails, swatting mosquitoes.

Loon listening. Lake gazing.

Pics and impressions of Squam to come, after I've gotten settled.

Prepping for Squam

2011-05-31T10:45:00.002-04:00

Getting ready for Squam ... evenings are likely to be cool, so I'm bringing along Stony Brook. Gave her a fresh blocking in preparation ...

Pattern: Stony Brook, by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy #016
Needles: US4 and US6

Chose a journal (made last summer) for taking notes in my classes ...

Decided which projects to take along ... two simple ones that I have memorized, one that requires following an easy chart ...

Pattern: Seersucker, by Margery Winter, from the book Comfort Knitting and Crochet: Afghans
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash Wool; color: Summer Sky Heather
Needle: US5

Pattern: Claudia Scarf, by Rebecca Jackson
Yarn: Classic Elite Summer Sox, 40/40/20 cotton/merino/nylon
Hook: 3.50mm

Pattern: Gully Socks, from the Chevron Collection by Miriam L. Felton
Yarn: Valley Yarns Huntington, Color #23, Sea Gull
Needles: 2.25mm dpns

One day to go!

Love Is Love

2011-05-29T14:06:00.004-04:00

I spotted this yarn bombing near WEBS yesterday. June 11 is International Yarn Bombing Day. Are you participating? I don't have any concrete plans, but that could change.

I was at WEBS because 1) some kind souls gave me a gift certificate, and 2) Karin, the creative woman behind Periwinkle Sheep hand-dyed yarns, dropped me an email saying she was going to be at the Mass. Sheep and Woolcraft Fair in Cummington, and did I want to meet? I couldn't get to the fair, so we met up at WEBS and took advantage of the last days of the anniversary sale (yes, some Cascade 220 at the never-to-be-seen-again price of $4.95 came home with me).

It's just as much fun to spend time with Karin in person as it is to read her blog. From WEBS, we walked to Paul and Elizabeth's in downtown Northampton. Over dinner we talked about everything from teachers who've inspired us to how hard it can be to get colors just right in photos. I've knit several projects in Karin's yarns, including two Diamond Fantasy shawls (here and here). I love her colorways because they're so closely connected to nature. I brought along the shawl I knit in her beautiful Memories of Summer colorway, so she could see how well it knit up. You can see a teeny bit of it in this picture:

It was too, too hot to wear a shawl yesterday, not even a light, lacy one. But it was just the right weather for some hibiscus peppermint tea ...

Pretty, no? It tasted as good as it looked.

A few days ago, I hopped over to Karin's Etsy shop to get a skein of the Chai colorway of her merino silk. I've been eyeing it for some time and worried that somebody would snatch it up at the fair. I couldn't let that happen! Karin hand-delivered it, along with a second skein in a one-of-a-kind robin's egg blue:

I gasped when I saw the Chai--it's richer and more golden in person than it looked online. Just stunning! I can't wait to get it on the needles. And I've got a plan for the blue skein, too: since it came into my hands as a gift, it will leave them the same way. Every fall I donate a lace scarf or two for the annual craft sale in support of Access Arts in Columbia, Missouri, where my sister Jenny teaches weaving. This year, I think I'll make either Anita Caroline or Restless with Karin's blue merino silk. I'm not sure which one, though ... which do you think would be more likely to sell?

After the rainy, chilly spring we've had, coming on the heels of the snowiest winter in years, yesterday's warm sun made me almost giddy with delight. It was great to see people hanging around outside, soaking up the sun:

Snickers has been enjoying the sun, too. In fact, now that the warm weather's here, the balcony is her favorite hangout:

She's hasn't been shirking her knitting inspection duties, however. This morning she gave the homework for one of my Squam classes the once-over (and then it was back outside for her--no time to waste on a photo shoot):

Squam is almost here, and the weather forecast for New Hampshire is looking good! This is my first time going, and if it's half as great as people say, I think I'm in for a pretty perfect vacation. I'm taking a class taught by Gudrun Johnston on shaping set-in sleeves with short rows, as well as an all-day embroidery class, and also yoga.

I'm so excited about Squam that I made two new project bags, one for each class. I think project bags are even harder to get good pictures of than yarn, but I did my best ...

I've gotta run now - time to make a roasted potato and green bean salad (from this cookbook) for a potluck. It's a risky thing, making a new recipe for a potluck, but it sounds so good (olive oil! rosemary!), that I don't think it can possibly come out too badly.

If you're off tomorrow for Memorial Day, I hope you have fine weather!

Crochet: Express Train to FO Land

2011-05-14T13:21:00.002-04:00

Crochet may use up more yarn than knitting, but on the plus side, it's so much faster. I started a crochet shawl on April 29, and blocked it yesterday. I don't think I've ever come anywhere close to finishing a knit lace shawl in just a couple of weeks.

Pattern: My Blue Jeans Shawl, by Knottie by Nature
Yarn: Louet Gems Fingering Weight in terra cotta, about 1.5 skeins
Hook: 4.50mm

I was nervous about this stitch pattern at first, but it turned out to be not hard at all. It probably required more attention for me that it would for a more experienced crocheter. I did have to rip back several rows at one point, but since crochet goes so fast, I made up what I lost in a day's time.

This is one of the gifts I'm sending my partner in the Santosha Secret Swap, which is happening among the Namaste Knitters on Ravelry (a group for Ravelers who do yoga). For this particular swap, which celebrates being content with what you have, you're not supposed to buy anything--the only money spent should be for postage. The challenge is to creatively reuse, regift, recycle, clean out your stash, and--of course--get crafty and make things. Your swappee doesn't know who you are, and you can keep your identity a secret even after sending your package, if you like--which means I can post the shawl here, without giving anything away.

My swappee (who is not the same person who has me) doesn't have a blog, so I've had to glean hints about her by studying her projects and queue on Ravelry, as well as her answers to various questions in the swap thread. Since she lives in a hot place, I decided to make her a light, airy shawl to fend off cold air-conditioning without being uncomfortably warm. This pattern was written for worsted weight yarn, but I decided to crochet it very loosely in fingering weight yarn. I gave it a good long soak in Eucalan and then blocked it within an inch of its life.

At first I started a different project for her, but the more I considered her tastes, the less certain I was that she would like it. So I think this one might be for me ... I do love the color and the pattern:

Pattern: Claudia Scarf, by Rebecca Jackson
Yarn: Classic Elite Summer Sox, 40/40/20 cotton/merino/nylon
Hook: 3.50mm

In knitting news: A lovely package of Quince and Co. Chickadee yarn in the Pomegranate colorway arrived at my doorstep yesterday ...

This is the yarn and color I'll be using to knit a new sample and write the pattern for this pullover.

It's so beautiful! I can't wait to get started.

Rectangles of Various Sizes

2011-05-07T19:40:00.002-04:00

My knitting seems to be all about rectangles at the moment, in different colors and states of completion. There's the Hanging Garden Stole, which I work on a little bit here and there, in no particular hurry:

Pattern: Hanging Garden Stole, by Sivia Harding
Yarn: Skaska Designs Laceweight Yak and Silk
Needle: US 1/2.25mm

With five repeats out of 12 done, it's moving along, but won't be finished anytime soon!

Ditto for my Seersucker afghan. I've finished 24 of the 48 squares. I think I'm on target to finish it in time for next winter, which would be perfect.

Pattern: Seersucker, by Margery Winter, from the book Comfort Knitting and Crochet: Afghans
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash Wool; color: Summer Sky Heather
Needle: US5

Next step: seam the last 12 squares and join them to the strip of the first 12 squares. Then I'll have a lovely wool lap blanket ... just in time for summer!

I've been swatching and pondering and have finally settled on the yarn for a new sample of the lace pullover I made last summer, which so many people have asked me to write up. I'm going to use Quince and Co.'s lovely Chickadee yarn:

I won't be using this Goldfinch color, though. Pretty as it is, yellow just isn't a color I like to wear much--and I do intend to wear the new sample. I'm going with Pomegranate.

And this very long rectangle? It's my Falling Water scarf pattern, knit in a fine alpaca by Dustin Kahn. Dustin contacted me a while ago asking if it would be OK to knit the scarf for a fundraiser. Of course, I said yes, especially because the cause was so cool--creating a mill for locally produced fiber, along the lines of a CSA. Dustin emailed me the other day to share a blog post about the event. Looks like it was quite a success.

It's gratifying to know that my very first pattern is still out there in the world (1,330 projects on Ravelry, as I write this)--and not just being knit, but knit for a good cause. I've knit two Falling Waters--the first was a gift, and the second I donated to a fundraiser for the now-defunct Fiber Art Center in Amherst. I really ought to make another, so I can wear it myself ... but ... I don't know when that will happen. I can't justify casting on yet another rectangle until I finish one or two of the ones in progress. There's also a sleeveless top I'm knitting and designing, and a gift for a swap partner ...

As always, life is busy, but good!

Gash or Gold

2011-04-28T07:23:00.003-04:00

Here is a little sketch I made the other day of a maple twig:

It was a souvenir of my Easter Sunday walk. I love these flower buds when they are full and ripe, just before they unfurl. I'm glad I sat down and drew it immediately, because the "just about to bloom" moment has passed. By today, most of the maples are in flower.

This time of year always reminds me of one of my favorite poems by Gwendolyn Brooks:

Exhaust the little moment. Soon it dies.

And be it gash or gold it will not come

Again in this identical disguise.

Maybe this is why I like to draw clouds. They move and shift so quickly; you look down to make one small mark, you look up and the whole configuration above you has changed. Here are some wisps of rising fog I drew recently. The view is of the Pelham Hills, just east of my home in Amherst.

Scenes like this were the inspiration for my Rising Fog shawl. I feel so fortunate to be able to see those hills every day and draw them often.

For some really terrific "just about to bloom" photos, check out Anne Hanson's latest blog post at Knitspot. May apples, fiddle heads, field pussytoes! (The latter are not up yet around here--everything is late this year. I know a spot along Lower Lake at Mount Holyoke where they always appear and keep an eye out for them.)

Hot!

2011-04-22T09:41:00.001-04:00

I'm excited to learn that Ariane at Falling Stitches has listed my new Restless scarf as one of the hot new patterns on Ravelry.

Pattern: Restless, by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Kitchen Sink Dyeworks Blue Faced Lace [100 percent washable Blue Faced Leicester wool; 390yd/356m per skein]; color: Barefoot, 1 skein
Needles: US #4/3.5 mm

It's an honor to be in the company of Mags Kandis, Kitman Figueroa, Laura Chau, and other great designers. The post makes me want to splurge on some new patterns and immediately cast on. But to be honest ... I've gotta stay focused. I'm working on a design submission (a turtleneck pullover) while also knitting up the sample and writing the pattern for a sleeveless summer top. More on the summer top later ... this is all I can share at the moment ...

Happy Earth Day! If you celebrate Easter, I hope it's beautiful.

FO: Pacific Shawl

2011-04-15T14:39:00.000-04:00

Remember the Pacific Shawl I started a few weeks ago? She's done, and I'm thoroughly smitten:

Pattern: Pacific Shawl by Michele Bernstein
Yarn: Quince and Co. Tern (75 percent wool, 25 percent silk); colorway: Driftwood
Needle: US5 Addi Lace 24-inch circular

I went with the transparent smoky amethyst beads. They give it just the right touch of sparkle.

The pattern is well written and the shawl really knits up quickly, much faster than other triangular shawls I've made. For that reason, I think it would make a terrific holiday gift project. I did make a few modifications (such as working M1 increases rather than yarn overs at the center spine); for the nitty-gritty, see my Ravelry project page.

The Quince and Co. Tern, a fingering weight wool/silk blend, knit up beautifully. I loved it. For one thing, the color is soothing--it reminds me of hot cocoa. And the shawl has marvelous drape. On these cool spring days, it's perfect for wearing either indoors or out. Wrapped around the shoulders, it does an excellent job of hiding--or at least distracting from--the cat fur on my black wool coat:

I can't imagine where all the fur is coming from ...

Doesn't look the least bit guilty, does she?

In other news: My niece Anna, who I knit a few little things for, has delivered a baby boy. Both mother and baby are doing well. Welcome to the world, Alexander!

For the Birds

2011-04-11T17:16:00.004-04:00

Somewhere recently I saw a photo of a suet feeder filled with yarn and thought, "How cool!" I have no idea if birds will actually come get some yarn for their nests, but I decided it can't hurt to give it a try. Yet another reason to hang on to odds and ends of yarn--you never know how you might use it.

In other news ... I've published my first eBook on Ravelry. A collection of three of my lace designs--Restless, Anita Caroline, and Stony Brook--Elegant Lace offers a convenient and affordable way to build your pattern library.

Stitch pattern instructions are provided both in charts and in written form, and directions are included for special techniques, such as placing beads. For each pattern, the charts and symbol key appear on the same page (thus, no annoying flipping back and forth), and the charts are large enough to read easily without enlarging them. At least, I find them large enough--these days I'm never without my reading glasses!

Pattern Release: Restless

2011-04-06T07:17:00.005-04:00

Blowing in on April breezes ... for your spring wardrobe ... a new lace scarf pattern, now available on Ravelry and in my Etsy shop:

Pattern: Restless, by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Kitchen Sink Dyeworks Blue Faced Lace [100 percent washable Blue Faced Leicester wool; 390yd/356m per skein]; color: Barefoot, 1 skein
Needles: US #4/3.5 mm

Knit in light fingering weight or heavy laceweight yarn, Restless offers a knitter the pleasures of both lace knitting and beads. The scarf’s two edgings feature a distinctive diamond motif enlivened by beads, while its central panel is made up of columns of yarn overs. The placement of the decreases in relation to the yarn overs shifts back and forth, creating an impression of restless movement.

Restless is worked in two pieces. First, the lower edging and central panel are knit in one piece and set aside. Then a second edging is knit, and the two pieces are joined by garter stitch grafting. The stitch pattern in the central panel is easily memorized, making this part of the scarf a good candidate for a travel project or knit night.

Pattern instructions are provided in both written and charted forms. Directions for placing beads using the crochet hook method and for garter stitch grafting are included.

This was my first time using Blue Faced Lace from Kitchen Sink Dyeworks. When I went to Stitches East last October, I didn’t discover the Kitchen Sink Dyeworks booth until the very end of the day. I was more than a little fatigued by that point, but I revived quickly as I wandered among the fresh, delicate colors of the KSD yarns. But I made myself walk away, because I had already spent the cash I had budgeted for the market.

You know what happened . . . we’ve all been there. A little voice whispered in my ear, “You have your debit card with you!” Back I went to get the last skein of the Blue Faced Lace in this lovely colorway called Barefoot. I’m so glad I did! For the next few months I kept looking at it, wondering what it would be.

Once I started swatching, the design came together very quickly. When I blocked the first swatch, I was delighted with how beautifully the yarn relaxes and the lace opens. The fabric is quite soft after blocking and has a really lovely halo. The finished scarf measured 8 1/2 by 50 inches before blocking and 10 by 54 inches after blocking.

Special thanks to Jenny for her careful editing, and to Bertha (my new dress form) for her patient modeling.

Sneak Preview

2011-03-31T17:58:00.000-04:00

A little something I've been working on has gone from this:

To this:

My new lace scarf pattern ... coming soon!

Lights Out

2011-03-27T08:06:00.000-04:00

As I have for the past few years, I knit by candlelight during Earth Hour last night.

Two candles, a glass of wine, my Pacific Shawl: these were all I needed for a quiet, pleasant hour with computer, radio, and all lights off. This year, the purpose of Earth Hour was not just to turn off electronics but to commit to ways that you personally can make a difference in your day-to-day life.

I already do turn off lights when I'm not in a room; I don't own a TV or a microwave or most of the electronic gadgets that are the norm in American households. I've switched to using canvas bags when I shop, so that the number of plastic bags I get has dwindled. I've started reusing plastic containers for storing leftovers and other foods, so that I rarely use Ziplock bags (only for the freezer at this point). I recycle, and I try not to purchase products that have an excess of packaging.

I think my commitment this year is to continue what I've been doing. Buying a Prius is not an option at the moment, but I can try to drive less by consolidating errands. With gas prices rising, I'm definitely motivated to do that!

And I think I will continue knitting by candlelight now and again. It was relaxing to focus just on the stitches, with no radio or CD playing in the background. My eyes adjusted to the lower light levels very quickly, my mind's chatter gradually quieted down, and before long I found myself listening attentively to the ambient sounds in my condo building. The hour flew by.

If you observed Earth Hour, what did you do?

Knitting for a Cause: Pacific Shawl

2011-03-19T13:54:00.007-04:00

I've been a little stuck for blogging material lately, because most of my knitting time is currently devoted to a couple of design projects. One you'll see before too long, and the other later this year. Focus has been the name of the game at Chez Blue Peninsula, and it hasn't helped that the hints of spring weather we've had recently have given me a bad case of startitis. All I want to do is cast on new, fresh projects!

I promised myself I could start something new once I'd reached a certain stage with the design projects. Today I got there, so in celebration I wasted no time winding up a skein of yarn:

Pattern: Pacific Shawl by Michele Bernstein
Yarn: Quince & Co. Tern (75 percent wool, 25 percent silk) in the Driftwood colorway
Needle: US5 Addi lace

This lovely shawl pattern offers the option of using beads when you work the lace edging. I'm trying to decide if I want to use them, and whether any beads I already have on hand would work:

The clear beads on the left and at center look very much the same, but they're two different brands, and the center ones are slightly larger and sparklier. The ones at right are transparent smoky amethyst. It will be a while before I have to decide which, if any, to use. Which would you choose?

I've had this pattern in mind since I saw it last fall at PDXKnitterati. Michele's blog is one of my favorites. Her tales of the knitting community in and around Portland are always a good read, and it's fun to experience the Pacific Northwest landscape vicariously through her photographs.

The clincher for me was reading the other day that she's donating 100 percent of proceeds from sales of the Pacific Shawl pattern to the Red Cross for earthquake/tsunami relief in Japan. How could I not buy the pattern and cast on? It's the perfect project for the Quince & Co. Tern (a fingering weight wool/silk blend) in my stash. And since the first part is simply stockinette, it won't distract me (too much) from the design projects that require most of my attention.

All in all, it's a win-win situation. Thanks, Michele!

Green Day

2011-03-17T18:00:00.003-04:00

We're having a glorious Saint Patrick's Day in western Massachusetts. So gloriously bright I had to buy some new shades to shield my eyes:

The morning was chilly, so I dressed for the day in a green but knitterly way:

Pullover: Margot, by Linden Heflin
Yarn: Berroco Inca Gold; colorway Verde Oliva

Mitts: improvised crochet pattern by my sister Betsey
Yarn: Berroco Pure Merino DK

Scarf: Tudor Grace, by Anne Hanson
Yarn: Knit Picks Gloss Lace in Celery

Scarf slide: South 4th Woodcraft

By lunchtime, neither mitts nor even a coat were needed. Seems like everything burst into bloom today, cheering for the sun ...

including the lovely witch hazel trees (adorned by a martenitsa) behind the Ciruti Language Center at Mount Holyoke College. What a thrilling sight those yellow blossoms were, after our long, long winter.

Excitement! Jubilation! Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Baby Love

2011-03-09T09:57:00.020-05:00

I haven't had a reason to knit baby things in quite a while. That's all changed, though, thanks to my niece Anna. She's expecting a baby boy next month.

I suspect he will be a warm and always-cozy baby, since on our side of the family he has a grandmother and three aunts (grand-aunts? great-aunts?) who knit, crochet, and weave. Here's one ensemble the most stylish newborn in Chicago will be wearing this spring:

Hat Pattern: Cosset, by Jenny Raymond
Yarn: On-Line Supersocke 100, Vital Color, color #1206
Needles: 2.50mm and 2.25mm dpns

Bolero Pattern: Baby Bolero by Leigh Radford, from her book One Skein
Yarn: Berroco Remix in Buttercup
Needles: US6 and US5

Socks Pattern: improvised, based on Classic Socks for the Family by Melinda Goodfellow, Yankee Knitter Designs #29
Yarn: On-Line Supersocke 100, Vital Color, color #1206
Needles: 2.25mm dpns

I love wee baby socks! How quickly they knit up! The way they coordinate with the color of the bolero was really just a happy accident, because I bought the Remix long before I bought the sock yarn. I was browsing the closeout yarns in the WEBS warehouse and noticed this On-Line Supersocke color. The bits of butterscotch in it caught my eye and reminded me of the Remix. Into my basket it leapt.

This was my first time using Berroco's Remix yarn. It has a rustic look that struck me as a good match for the bolero's simple design, and its fiber content of cotton, acrylic, nylon, silk, and linen seemed just right for a spring garment. Another plus: it's machine washable.

I wouldn't be surprised if this baby gets his share of blue things, so I made him a second hat, with stripes of blue ...

Pattern: Lucia’s Organic Beanie, by Mel Clark, a free pattern from Slip Slip Knit
Yarn: Classic Elite Cotton Bamboo (white) and Louet Merlin (blue)
Needles: US3 and US4 dpns

This beanie is a quick and easy knit, and a great project for stash yarn. I knit most of it while while riding the stationary bike--it really only requires close attention when you are joining the new color for the stripes. I knit the beanie pretty much as written, except I made it a little smaller by casting on 66 stitches instead of 72.

For the bolero, I made quite a few modifications. If you're interested in the details, check out my Ravelry project page.

Off-topic news (off the topic of baby knits, not off the topic of knitting): Jared Flood has just begun what promises to be a really interesting series on how his Shelter yarn is made. As a painter, I was fascinated by today's post about color blending.

Scenes from a Rainy Sunday Afternoon

2011-03-06T12:39:00.004-05:00

Pattern: Baby Bolero by Leigh Radford, from her book One Skein
Yarn: Berroco Remix in Buttercup
Needles: US6

Lots of progress is happening on this rainy Sunday on the baby-bolero-in-progress for my niece (modeled here by Snickers). Still to do: Pick up stitches from the provisional cast-on and all around the fronts/neck, then knit a 2x2 ribbing.

Tips for New Knitters

2011-03-02T11:48:00.005-05:00

If you know a new knitter looking for easy, small projects that are good for practicing new skills, send them over to this post at Tipnut. Tipnut ("Your Online Guide to the Crafty and Clever") is chockful of useful tips for crafters and DIYers.

The Knitting for Beginners post includes a link to my Leftovers Headband, a free pattern. Knit in worsted weight yarn and featuring a very easy stitch pattern, it's a stress-free "intro to lace" project--as well as a great way to use up odds and ends of yarn. The sample shown below was knit in Berroco's Inca Gold, a worsted weight blend of merino wool and silk.

Spring Pattern Sale

2011-02-28T15:58:00.011-05:00

To celebrate the arrival of March (and soon, of spring), I'm having a sale in the Blue Peninsula shop on Ravelry.

All patterns are discounted 10 percent, including Anita Caroline (above) and Honeybunch (below).

Take advantage of this opportunity to stock up on patterns for spring projects. But hurry! The sale ends at midnight on Tuesday, March 1.

Sashiko Sunday

2011-02-20T10:00:00.008-05:00

Today I thought I'd switch gears and post about embroidery rather than knitting--sashiko embroidery, in particular. Sashiko, which means “little stabs,” is a traditional Japanese style of embroidery. It's now used for decorative purposes, but originally it was a way for farmers, fisherman, and other working people to reinforce worn fabric and extend its life.

I first learned about sashiko in the book Zakka Sewing, which has a pattern for a sashiko linen towel. I made that as a Christmas gift in December 2009 and liked doing sashiko so much I decided to make myself a table runner with the same overlapping circles motif:

I only work on this off and on, so it's not quite done. But--soon I hope!

People sometimes ask if knitting is meditative or calming, and my answer is, it depends what kind of knitting. Knitting ranges so widely, from easy and mindless garter stitch to complicated charted lace patterns that require the utmost concentration. But for me, sashiko embroidery, with its simple stitches, is very meditative and calming. I love doing it, and I love that many of the motifs are based on nature: rising steam, ocean waves, plovers, tortoiseshells.

For Christmas 2010, I made a few more sashiko projects, such as these two linen bags:

I also made a bunch of embroidered linen sachets filled with lavender blossoms for Christmas gifts. They were a great opportunity to try out different kinds of sashiko designs:

I'm now offering these sachets in my Etsy shop. They're made of natural, undyed linen and are embroidered with 100 percent cotton floss. At about four inches square, they're just the right size for tucking in your yarn stash or linen closet or woolens drawer--anywhere you want to keep moths away and/or enjoy the clean, fresh scent of lavender.

They make pretty yet practical gifts for the fiber enthusiasts in your life--not to mention a nice treat for yourself. I'm selling them both individually and as a set of two (which saves you a few dollars). You can choose which colors and motifs you want, or you can surprise yourself and let me choose. I hope you'll take a look!

A Sugary Wish

2011-02-14T07:48:00.009-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

I started the day in an extra sweet way by baking these Heart-Shaped Dried Cherry and Chocolate Chip Scones. To make them gluten-free, I substituted Pamela's Baking Mix for the flour and omitted the baking soda.

For your Valentine's Day entertainment, my favorite crooner, Nick Lowe. Young or old, he's the best:

May your day be filled with many sweet things.

I Saw Them with My Own Eyes

2011-02-13T09:01:00.005-05:00

I saw crocuses coming up the other day! Little green shoots, in front of the Mount Holyoke Botanic Garden. You usually can spot them this time of year, but with these seemingly permanent piles of snow everywhere, what are the chances of seeing crocuses? But I promise you, there are some to be seen. You have to climb up on top of the snow and look down at the base of the wall, where the heat of the building has melted the snow away.

Crocuses--living proof that this mile-high snow is not permanent and spring is on its way. Indoors, my mind is fixated on spring and I'm surrounding myself with spring colors and spring projects.

I have a niece who will be having a spring baby in April. I crocheted her this pink washcloth for spring and mailed that off with some "Momma Bar" soap the other day.

Pattern: Vanilla Grit, a free pattern from Lion Brand
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, Blossom
Hook: G/4.00mm

Yesterday I finished the first of the spring baby things. It's a sweet little ribbed hat knit in fingering weight yarn. It's quite stretchy, so it should fit him for some time, all the way through spring and into summer. I'm blocking it over a grapefuit perched on a cup:

Pattern: Cosset, by Jenny Raymond
Yarn: On-Line Supersocke 100, Vital Color, color #1206
Needles: 2.50mm and 2.25mm dpns

This was an easy and mindless pattern, great for working on at meetings or on the stationary bike. There's plenty of this sock yarn left, so I'll probably make a pair of matching spring booties. The next spring baby project, though, is going to be Leigh Radford's darling baby bolero, in her book One Skein. I'll be knitting that in the Buttercup colorway of Berroco's Remix.

I've got a new spring scarf design on the needles as well. Here are a few teaser photos ... details to come later, in spring.

Pattern: A new lace scarf design by Bonnie Sennott, to be released in spring 2011
Yarn: Blue Faced Lace, a heavy laceweight/light fingering weight yarn, from Kitchen Sink Dyeworks, in the Barefoot colorway

I picked up a skein of the Blue Faced Lace at Stitches East last fall and have only just got around to swatching with it, in anticipation of spring. My impression so far? It's really, really nice. The fabric has the most lovely fuzzy halo and when blocked develops a beautiful drape.

Last but not least, you can see my smiling mug in the spring 2011 issue of Interweave Knits. I haven't seen it yet, but the magazine must be arriving in mailboxes, as I started getting emails and messages on Ravelry yesterday. There's an article about the design-along that Shirley Paden led on Ravelry last summer; the pullover I made is one of the projects shown:

Design: my own
Yarn: Classic Elite Soft Linen, Color #2275 (Linen)
Needles: US3 for the ribbing, US4 for the body; US2 for the neckband

It's pretty exciting to be in IK. But seeing crocuses this week was even more exciting. Have you seen any signs of spring yet?

Finish Fest

2011-01-30T14:00:00.008-05:00

A couple of FOs today ... two projects off the needles, blocked, and seamed, thanks to a very motivating challenge by Kate Gilbert, editor of the Twist Collective.

First up, Norah Gaughan's Astor, from Berroco pattern book #299:

Pattern: Astor, by Norah Gaughan
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed, held double
Needle: US8

This cardi was designed for Berroco's Peruvia Quick, but when I saw the pattern and checked the yardage, I realized it might be just the thing for a bag of Rowan Felted Tweed that I'd gotten on sale for a ridiculously good price a year ago. Yes, Felted Tweed is a DK weight yarn, and Peruvia Quick is bulky - but what if I held the Felted Tweed double? Swatching showed me I could get stitch gauge (and almost get row gauge), and that the double Felted Tweed had a lovely drape.

I was a little worried about running out of yarn, especially because I wanted to make the sleeves a bit longer. So I shortened the body by an inch and a half. Even so, it came out a beautiful length. I'm very glad I worked the sleeves an extra two inches - they'd have been elbow length if I hadn't.

The Felted Tweed is yummy. The Wickerwork stitch pattern looks great and was fun to work. For me, two things keep this from being an absolutely perfect cardigan: my ribbing flairs a little in the back. That could probably be remedied by casting on fewer stitches and then working fewer decreases after the ribbing. And the sleeves, in addition to being short, haven't got much ease. They're snug, but not enough to make me want to knit them over. If you're making this cardigan, you might want to knit a size larger for the sleeves. Or maybe go up a needle size. Due to my row gauge being off slightly, I lengthened the sleeve cap by a few rows, but I could easily have added a few more rows. Though the cardigan has lots of positive ease everywhere else, in the sleeves it's extremely fitted.

The other FO? The Kushu Kushu scarf that I started last March after my sister Betsey and I went to Habu Textiles in New York:

Pattern: Kushu Kushu Scarf (also known as Kusha Kusha), by Setsuko Torii
Yarns: Habu Textiles wool/stainless steel and merino
Needles: US3 and US4

I began the scarf with a tan merino (which turned out to be ever-so-slightly variegated) and a silvery gray stainless steel/wool held double. After I got to the part where you work with just a single strand of the stainless steel/wool, I changed to a dark blue/brown stainless steel merino. The silvery gray was very fine and delicate, and when worked alone it kept breaking. I'm glad I had the extra cone of stainless steel/wool in my stash! I love the color change, so it all worked out for the best.

The scarf is lightly felted by hand in hot, soapy water. I swished it around in a big mixing bowl, dunking it every now and then in a separate bowl of ice water. Here's how it looked before felting:

Of course, time and one's knitting needles march on. Having finished these two projects, I cast on for another today:

Pattern: Cosset, a baby hat by Jenny Raymond
Yarn: On-Line Supersocke 100, Vital Color, color #1206
Needles: 2.50mm dpns

My lovely niece Anna is expecting her first baby in April. Time to start making baby things!

Take It

2011-01-21T10:11:00.003-05:00

We have just about another five inches of snow here in Amherst this morning, and it is still coming down. This is on top of 20-some inches a week ago, and then more, combined with sleet and rain, earlier this week.

See the words "Take It" on the yardstick? My sentiments exactly! If you need some extra snow, please come take ours. We've got way more than enough.

Lunch Hour Special

2011-01-19T12:22:00.022-05:00

Two years ago I made a scarf that at first I liked a lot, but later . . . not so much. The scarf began with two lovely colors--a pale green and a pale rose--that went together very well. About two-thirds of the way through, I added in a third color, a deep purple.

I thought the purple would give the scarf an interesting, unexpected punch. But, before long, I grew to dislike it. It was too extreme a contrast. On top of that, I knit the scarf too long--much too long.

Still, I loved the first part of the scarf. What to do? It took me a while to decide, but this month I finally found the answer. I ripped out the offending purple, located the leftover rose color in my stash, and knit a new, happier ending.

Pattern: Norah Gaughan's Almost Garter scarf, with an ending improvised by moi
Yarns: Rowan Felted Tweed in Melody and Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light in Fennel
Needles: US6 and US4

At first, I thought I'd simply work the new part of the scarf in garter stitch, but after a few inches that was just too tedious. I ripped back during my lunch hour and, not having any stitch dictionaries with me, I made up a stitch pattern on the fly. I had 36 stitches, so I needed a multiple that would work within that number. I came up with a reversible knit-purl pattern that was fun to work and also lies nice and flat.

The new length is 53 inches, just right. And now the scarf will be worn, rather than sit untouched at the bottom of the scarf pile.

Remembrance of Bunnies Past

2011-01-15T13:34:00.004-05:00

For my birthday, I treated myself to a day at Kripalu. A day of yoga, healthy and delicious vegetarian meals, a Reiki session, a long and restorative whirlpool session, napping, knitting, meditating, journaling ... and no electronics of any kind. Cell phone off. No laptop. No iPod, even.

It was well below zero when I left Amherst around 6:30 am, and it had only warmed up to the low teens by the time I got to the Berkshires. So I ditched plans for a brisk walk and stayed indoors all day. I'd brought a couple of pens and a new sketchbook along, and drew instead of taking photographs.

I sketched the surrounding hills four times, from a few different locations within the building. Looking at the sketches today, I notice they got simpler as the day went on. When you first work with a new subject, you try to get everything in. After a while, when you're better acquainted with it, you begin to discern what you can leave out. You realize you don't have to do everything in every drawing.

Sketch #1

Sketch #2

Sketch #3

Sketch #4

Drawing with ink is very freeing, because you cannot erase. If you didn't get the contour of a hill just right, you have to accept that and move on. There's no going backwards, only forward. Either leave the part you feel is "wrong" alone or maybe make a small adjustment to make it better. It's best not to try too hard. It is very easy to go too far with your "adjustments" and end up with a dense, overworked image.

In art as in life, it takes time to learn to leave well enough alone, to find that "sweet spot" of equilibrium.

One of the nicest things about being at Kripalu during warm weather is having meals outdoors at the picnic tables on the terrace. When I was there last August, lots of darling little bunnies hopped around among the tables.

I'm not sure where all the Kripalu bunnies are right now. I didn't see any sign of them by the picnic tables yesterday!

Snow Day FOs

2011-01-12T10:33:00.003-05:00

We've got about a foot out there, probably more, and more and more coming down fast. I don't have to go to work, so I took advantage of this snow day to finish up my Socktoberfest socks:

Pattern: Josephine Socks, by Carol J. Sulcoski
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy, Chinatown Apple
Needles: 2.50mm and 2.25mm

I was worried when I began that they weren't going to fit, as they are worked over 57 stitches, and I usually get a good fit from a 64-stitch sock. But as it turned out, the lace pattern is quite stretchy and they fit just right.

I kitchenered the second toe early this morning while watching buckets of snow whirl around. Just about everything in the Pioneer Valley, including Mount Holyoke, is closed today. The head of my department emailed everybody, "Live it up!" To which my coworker Clarity replied, "Excitement! Jubilation!"

I refrained from replying, "Kitchener!"

Another project came off the needles a couple of days ago, making it my first FO of 2011. It's coming in handy today for keeping my neck warm while also keeping the thermostat down:

Pattern: Buttermilk Sky Cowl by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Berroco Vintage, Color #5105, Oats
Needle: US 6 16-inch circular

This is the medium size of my Buttermilk Sky Cowl, knit with a worsted weight yarn--Vintage, by Berroco. I'm really pleased how the Vintage worked for this pattern. It's soft yet springy, with very nice stitch definition. This size took about 140 yards, making it a good candidate for those partially used skeins of worsted weight yarn we all have in our stash.

At first this morning the birds were rather quiet, but in the last hour or so they've begun visiting my feeder in greater numbers.

Which makes Snickers incredibly happy:

Excitement! Jubilation!

Surreal Sunday

2011-01-09T08:50:00.007-05:00

A totally random post while I do a couple of loads of laundry . . .

--To hear an Australian chair creaking, listen to this week's episode of Sticks and String.

--A little bit of email . . . some you and me mail . . . another kind of chair sound: The Geddup Noise. (Now that is just special.)

--StrongBad not your style? Maybe this is A Slightly Better Match for you.

--Prefer cats? Well, then ... here's Snickers!

What had her attention early this morning?

Turkeys!

Believe it or not, this is only about a quarter of the entire flock that visits my yard every morning. First they run down the hill, single file, to a neighbor's house (he must be feeding them). Then they mosey on over to my yard (yes, I'm feeding them). And eventually they wander off to the next dining station.

A couple of FOs will be shown here soon, I promise. In the meantime, here's how I complicated my knitting life this week:

Pattern: Norah Gaughan's Almost Garter scarf
Yarns: Rowan Felted Tweed in Melody (rose): Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light in Fennel

I finished this scarf in 2008 but then rarely wore it, because I didn't like the third color I added (a dark purple). It was just too garish. And, although I generally like long scarves, I knit this one much too long. It's mostly been banished to the bottom of the scarf pile.

So I've ripped out all the dark purple and am reworking the scarf with what's left of a skein of Rowan Felted Tweed (the pale rose color), using a reversible knit/purl stitch pattern. The scarf will still be asymmetrical, but hopefully I'll like it better.

Original version here.

Old, New, Onward

2010-12-31T14:03:00.003-05:00

I thought maybe I'd have my Socktoberfest socks finished up and ready to show you by today, but alas - no. After finishing Christmas gifts (quite a bit of sashiko embroidery--more on that in another post), I turned my attention to some design projects and paintings. (Yes! New paintings are happening!) But one sock is done past the heel, and I grafted the toe on the other today, so progress is definitely being made:

Pattern: Josephine Socks, by Carol J. Sulcoski
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy, Chinatown Apple
Needles: 2.50mm and 2.25mm

Such a lovely pattern. It's written for two circs but I've adapted it for dpns without any difficulties.

Actually, there's been plenty of knitting going on, just no FOs. I'm about halfway through the second front on Astor, and look forward to zipping through the plain stockinette sleeves:

Pattern: Astor, by Norah Gaughan
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed, held double
Needle: US8

Whenever I have a spare moment, I work on a square for my Seersucker afghan. I always have one with me, to knit while waiting in line, on the stationary bike, odd moments here and there. So far, I've completed 15 squares and have seamed 12. I'm already using it as a lap blanket on my couch and can tell it's going to be one cozy, warm bedcover ...

Pattern: Seersucker, by Margery Winter, from the book Comfort Knitting and Crochet: Afghans
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash Wool; color: Summer Sky Heather
Needle: US5

Despite not finishing the socks, and despite having plenty of projects going (some might say too many), I decided to cast on something new today. Crazy, I know! But to indulge in a cliche, it seemed like a nice way to ring out the old and ring in the new. A sleepy Snickers helped me model the beginnings of my new cowl:

Pattern: Buttermilk Sky Cowl by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Berroco Vintage, Color #5105, Oats
Needle: US 6 16-inch circular

When she's sleepy, she's really sleepy ... and when she's alert, she's really alert!

We are stocked up on new peacock feathers and other necessities for the New Year. And as always, I'll be making a vegetarian version of Hoppin' John (black eyed peas and rice), to bring good luck.

Wishing you abundant happiness in 2011!

Hunky Dory Sighting

2010-12-29T10:43:00.003-05:00

Jenny just finished up a Hunky Dory scarf, and it came out so beautifully, I have to share it. Seeing something so stunning produced from one of my patterns is really gratifying:

Pattern: Hunky Dory, by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Berroco Vintage Chunky in Dried Plum
Needle: US9 circular

I love the plum color she used, maybe even a little better than the black cherry I used for the pattern sample. The plum suits the pattern perfectly and is gorgeous to boot.

Jenny used an alternative method of working the p5togs (which create the "berries"). For me, this maneuver was most easily worked using needles that have pointy tips (Knit Picks Options). But since she didn't have any that fit the bill, she instead used a size C/2.50mm crochet hook. That didn't seem to slow her down at all, as she began swatching on December 18 and finished the scarf today (December 29).

As scarves go, this is one quick knit. I can't wait to see more Hunky Dorys. (Or should that be Dories?)

Soundless as Dots on a Disk of Snow

2010-12-21T13:58:00.003-05:00

Icy moments from my lunch hour walk at Mount Holyoke today ...

Happy Winter Solstice!

My Blue Shimmer Winter

2010-12-07T10:49:00.016-05:00

Now that I've finished my Blue Shimmer wrist cuffs, the question is: will I ever take them off? I just might be wearing them all winter long.

Pattern: Blue Shimmer Cuffs, designed by Solveig Gustafsson and translated by Susanna Hansson (The Blue Shimmer was originally designed in 1947 by Bohus Stickning designer Anna-Lisa Mannheimer Lunn.)
Yarn: solSilke Bohus angora-merino
Needles: US00 and US0/1.75mm and 2.00mm

They're like little abstract paintings for your wrists. And yet so practical--just right for keeping that space between your gloves and your coat sleeve warm.

I made these from a kit I received in Susanna Hansson's class on Bohus Stickning at Stitches East. If you ever have the chance to take the class, by all means do. It was one of the best I've ever taken. (See this post to read all about Bohus Stickning and Susanna's class.)

Blocking the cuffs over drinking glasses

The floats on the wrong side

A detail shot

The ends

These mitts demonstrated once again the puzzling vagaries of gauge. Same yarn, same number of stitches, same needles, same knitter, and yet: the second mitt is slightly larger than the first. My gauge must have loosened up once I became comfortable with the yarn and pattern. Or is one of my wrists slimmer than the other?

In any case, I'm excited to be wearing them, but sad the project's over. Now I want to knit another Bohus design again soon--something bigger and grander than wrist cuffs. So I've cooked up a plan: my reward for reaching my Weight Watchers goal will be a Bohus sweater kit. With only 12 pounds to go, I'm on the home stretch. This should keep me focused, don't you think?

Which shall it be: Gold/Guld, Red Light/Rött Ljus, Turquoise Light/Turkos Ljus, or The Wild Apple/Vildäpplet? To see them, click on Bohus Stickning at Solveig Gustafsson's site.

It Won't Be Long, Yeah

2010-12-03T09:15:00.003-05:00

A few ends to weave in ... and then blocking ... and then, my Blue Shimmer wrist cuffs will be ready to wear:

I fretted now and again while knitting them that there wouldn't be enough yarn. But there wasn't any reason to worry - there's plenty of each color left:

Just for fun, here's my favorite Internet amusement of the week:

Happy Friday!

Free Birds

2010-11-25T09:54:00.003-05:00

Today I am thankful that I saw a dozen wild turkeys on my morning walk. I didn't have my camera with me, but here's a photo of four turkeys putting on a show in my backyard in April 2009:

Which wrist warmer project do you think I will take along to Thanksgiving at my sister's today?

Pattern: Bohus Stickning Blue Shimmer Cuffs, designed by Solveig Gustafsson and translated by Susanna Hansson
Yarn: solSilke Bohus angora-merino
Needles: US00 and US0/1.75mm and 2.00mm

Pattern: Toast, by Leslie Friend
Yarn: Rowan Pure Wool Aran, Pepper
Needles: US6 dpns

Toast, of course! I'm a pretty good multitasker, but here's no way I can knit with two or more colors, follow a chart, and also talk, eat, and play Guitar Hero or Beatles Rock Band (can't wait!).

Don't forget - through November 30, if you purchase Hunky Dory from my Ravelry shop, you can get one additional Blue Peninsula pattern free. (This promotion seems to be working only sporadically. Casey said he'd fixed it, but it's not working every time. So, if you don't get your free pattern, just send me a message on Rav and I'll take care of it.)

I hope you and yours have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Pattern Release: Hunky Dory

2010-11-17T06:51:00.009-05:00

Introducing Hunky Dory, a bold scarf with a little bit of a retro-glam-rock thing going on:

Pattern: Hunky Dory, by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: 325–350 yards/295–320 m bulky weight wool or wool blend yarn. Sample shown was knit in Berroco Vintage Chunky [50 percent acrylic, 40 percent wool, 10 percent nylon]; 130yd/120m per 100g skein; color #6181, Black Cherry; 3 skeins.
Needle: US #9/5.5 mm 32-inch circular knitting needle

The pattern is now available in my Etsy shop and on Ravelry (where I've got a promotion going--see the end of this post for more).

Knit lengthwise in bulky weight yarn, Hunky Dory works up quickly. Cast on, cue up David Bowie's classic LP of the same name, and you'll be binding off before you finish singing "Oh! You Pretty Things." (OK, slight exaggeration there. But really--this was one of the fastest projects I've ever knit.)

I would classify Hunky Dory as an "advanced beginner" pattern. Most of the scarf is simply knits and purls, but there are two rows in the berry stitch pattern that involve purling several stitches together. This maneuver can take a few tries to get comfortable with, and is most easily worked using needles with fairly pointy tips. For this reason, the pattern includes instructions for knitting a swatch. Making a swatch is a good way to practice the stitch pattern and see what kind of gauge you're getting. The finished length is based on the stitch gauge, so you do want to be in the ballpark with your gauge.

What I most love about Hunky Dory is its versatility: you can wear it a different way every time you put it on. One scarf, many great looks!

You have even more options if you wear it with the wrong side up. The wrong side is almost lacy, quite different from the berrylike texture of the right side, as Clarity helpfully demonstrates here:

Thanks to Betsey, Jackie, and Jenny for helping me choose which name to use (I had too many ideas this time), and to Jenny for editing the pattern.

And many, many thanks to my hella perf model, Clarity. Clarity is one of the most creative people I know: she crafts exquisite jewelry (like that necklace she's wearing in the photo above), she's recently taught herself both to knit and crochet, and she makes the most awesome videos for Mount Holyoke College (my current faves are the A Day in the Life series).

We couldn't have asked for a better day for a photo shoot. The weather cooperated with sunshine, mild temps, and not too much wind. It was a morning of fun and silliness ...

To celebrate the release of Hunky Dory, I'm having a promotion on Ravelry from today through November 30. When you purchase Hunky Dory, you can choose one additional Blue Peninsula pattern for free. Happy shopping!

Teaser and the LOL Cat

2010-11-07T10:25:00.005-05:00

I don't have time for a proper blog post this weekend, because I've got to stay focused on a secret project - a new pattern I'll be releasing soon. But I can share a little teaser ...

The sample is knit in Berroco's Vintage Chunky in Black Cherry. (No - it's not knitted cranberry sauce!)

In other news, I've finished up my first Blue Shimmer Cuff and will cast on the second today:

Snicks and I hope you are enjoying your "extra" hour today.

Bohus Love

2010-11-02T18:17:00.011-04:00

I'll never forget Saturday, October 30, 2010. That's when my Bohus love began.

Before that day, I'd only seen Bohus Stickning designs in books or online. But now I know that--as with any work of art--to really appreciate their beauty, you have to see them in person. How else to appreciate those amazing colors, melting into one another as if viewed through mist? Or those those tiny purl stitches on a stockinette ground, flickering like bits of light in a painting by Vermeer? Or the light-as-air fabric, knit from fine angora-blend yarn at a gauge of 8-9 stitches to the inch?

The talented designers and knitters who worked for Bohus Stickning produced some of the most exquisite colorwork garments ever made. Founded by Emma Jacobsson in 1939 as a way to provide employment and income for women in the economically depressed Bohuslän region of southern Sweden, the Bohus Stickning continued until 1969, exporting high-end, hand-knit garments around the world. In its busiest year (1957), Bohus Stickning employed more than 700 knitters.

You can learn a lot about Bohus by reading Wendy Keele's Poems of Color. Published by Interweave Press in 1995, the book offers several patterns as well as historical information. But really, the best way to experience the jaw-dropping beauty of Bohus colorwork is to see the actual garments.

I had the chance to do just that last weekend at Stitches East, in a class taught by Susanna Hansson. We had to wear white cotton gloves when handling the garments Susanna brought, which was a little frustrating because they all shouted "Pet me!" But even wearing gloves, it was exciting to study every aspect of these truly perfect creations: perfectly even tension in the colorwork, perfectly finished collars and hems, perfectly invisible seams.

In addition to sharing garments from her own collection and giving a terrific PowerPoint lecture on the history of Bohus Stickning, Susanna gave each of us a kit to make a pair of wrist cuffs. The cuff pattern uses a 1947 design by Anna-Lisa Mannheimer Lunn called The Blue Shimmer, the most popular of all the Bohus designs.

We wound our mini skeins of yarn into balls and made little swatches to determine just how tiny our needles needed to be (knitters in the class ended up using sizes ranging from 1.5mm to 2.75mm/US000 to US2--which just shows how individual knitting tension is). We each decided what kind of edge we wanted (seed stitch, garter stitch, ribbing, or rolled stockinette). We cast on and then--zing went the strings of my heart.

Here's how my first cuff looked when it was about two-thirds done:

Pattern: Bohus Stickning Blue Shimmer Cuffs, designed by Solveig Gustafsson and translated by Susanna Hansson
Yarn: SOLsilke Bohus angora-merino
Needles: US00 and US0/1.75mm and 2.00mm

Bohus colorwork differs from Fair Isle in some interesting ways. For one thing, the patterns don't line up as the design progresses. To my eye, this "misalignment" gives them a fascinating liveliness. It's as if the colors are constantly in motion and your eye can't quite pin them down. Adding to the liveliness are the little flecks of color and texture created by purl stitches worked in some but not all rows.

And then there's the complexity and subtlety of the colors: Bohus designers employed an extensive palette of colors and didn't limit themselves to only two colors per row or round. They didn't make it easy for the knitters! In The Blue Shimmer cuffs, for example, some rounds have three colors. I held one in my left hand and alternately picked up and dropped the other two colors with my right hand.

Here's a closeup so you can better see the purl stitches and get a feel for the luxurious softness of the angora:

And here's how the cuff is currently shaping up:

I'm on the second (upper) edge and almost finished. For this edge I'm using a smaller needle and think the 1x1 rib looks considerably better than it did on the bottom edge. (Maybe I shouldn't say "almost finished," considering all the ends to be woven in ...)

At the moment, my favorite Bohus design is The Wild Apple, designed by Kerstin Olsson:

Thanks to Susanna's excellent class, I can't stop daydreaming about making a Wild Apple next year. I know it will be slow going, especially for a knitter like me who's always got 7 or 8 projects on the needles; it may take most of the year. Bohus knitters generally finished a sweater in about three months, but some very fast knitters could produce one in a couple of weeks. Imagine!

If these few pictures whet your appetite for Bohus, then I urge you to check out the Bohusläns Museum site, as well as Solveig Gustafsson's SOLsilke site. Solveig is a master dyer in Sweden who dyes yarns for quite a few Bohus designs and offers them in kits. (The kits are also available at the museum's site.)

In our class, Susanna showed us two Blue Shimmer hats, one knit with yarns dyed by Solveig Gustafsson and one knit with yarns from Kimmet Croft, an American company located in Wisconsin. I do wish I could show you a photo of them, but ... although when I rushed out the door at 6:45 am I had remembered all my knitting supplies, the directions to the Hartford Convention Center, and my wallet (very important for the Stitches Market), I somehow managed to leave my camera behind. Both hats were lovely but they were markedly different: the American colors were brighter and more saturated, and the yarn had less of a halo, while the Swedish yarn had much more of an angora halo and the colors were more subdued. (An aside about Kimmet Croft: some people in our class thought they were no longer in business, but Susanna assured us that they are, though not online. Contact info here.)

More links for the truly Bohus obsessed:

This Rainey Sisters blog post shows a Wild Apple knit with yarn from Kimmet Croft alongside Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Guld (another Bohus design), which Stephanie knit from one of Solveig Gustafsson's kits.
This post by Stephanie has a great photo of the floats on the wrong side of her Guld-in-progress.
Check out this Rainey Sisters post to see an absolutely stunning Blue Shimmer.

Ahh, Bohus ... where have you been all my life? I can't wait to finish my Blue Shimmer cuffs. Even more, I look forward to wearing them in my chilly office this winter!

Socktoberfest Update and Shocking News

2010-10-24T11:33:00.016-04:00

Pattern: Josephine Socks, by Carol J. Sulcoski
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy, Chinatown Apple
Needles: 2.50mm and 2.25mm

One sock is done to the heel, and now the second is on its way: that's my Socktoberfest progress so far. I won't finish them this month, but at least I've made good on my plan to work on them a little every day.

My other WIPs are moving along ...

Pattern: Seersucker, by Margery Winter, from the book Comfort Knitting and Crochet: Afghans
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash Wool; color: Summer Sky Heather
Needle: US5

I'm on Square #12 of the 48 squares needed for my Seersucker afghan. I've decided to start seaming after #12; the plan is to make strips of 12 squares each, then seam the four strips together. Waiting to seam all of them at once at the end seems like a recipe for major procrastination. This way, maybe the 48 squares won't languish forever unjoined.

Pattern: Astor, by Norah Gaughan
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed, held double
Needle: US8

I've already finished the back on Astor! My how fast a sweater goes when your gauge is 3 stitches to the inch. I've started the first of the two pocket linings, which you have to make before you proceed to the fronts. I've been highly motivated to work on this often and get to the fronts, because they're going to be the most fun part.

Pattern: Hanging Garden Stole, by Sivia Harding
Yarn: Skaska Designs 32/2 silk/yak laceweight
Needles: US1/2.25mm

And here is dear old Hanging Garden, my slowest-growing WIP. I will probably work the 55-row chart a total of 12 times, and I'm only on the third repeat. So this stole won't be done anytime soon--but, hopefully, within my lifetime.

So what's so shocking about all this? Well, nothing really. The shocking news is about another WIP, which I can't show just yet because it's a new design that I plan to release in November. I can share a few tidbits, though--but, are you sitting down? It's 1) not lace, and 2) is knit with bulky yarn. I know, I know, how crazy is that? Stay tuned for more details (unless of course I decide it's no good and frog it; in which case, forget I ever said anything about it).

Snickers, meanwhile, appears to have recovered completely from her recent FHV flare-up and is looking great:

She's back to her old playful self and, much as I try to convince her otherwise, has decided that the couch makes an excellent scratching post:

Well, nobody's perfect, but Snickers comes pretty darn close.

Memories of a Diamond Fantasy Summer

2010-10-18T15:47:00.021-04:00

You may remember that as soon as I finished my first Diamond Fantasy Shawl this summer, I immediately cast on for another. I don't repeat patterns very often, but I enjoyed knitting this one so much--and was so pleased with the end result--that I had to make another.

Begun in July, and finished in October, this shawl straddles the seasons. But I think it will always make me think of summer--partly because of the airy openness of the diamonds, but mostly because of the color, so reminiscent of seashells and sand. It's one of the nicest colorways I've ever seen.

Before blocking it, I took a moment to enjoy its rumpled, just-off-the-needles state ...

... and then it got a nice long Eucalan bath. I used a Periwinkle Sheep yarn again, this time a fingering weight merino silk in the Memories of Summer colorway. The yarn is deliciously soft and it responds extremely well to blocking. And it's got terrific drape--the shawl hangs beautifully from your shoulders and stays put all day long.

I did have trouble with this yarn at times, because it's quite loosely plied and splitty. I used Knit Picks Options, which are my favorite needles for lace. But in retrospect I think a blunter needle might have been a better choice. It was all too easy when knitting two stitches together or slipping one stitch over another to pick up only some of the plies. I did have to rip back once, early on, to fix a split stitch. But I had a lifeline in place, so the ripping back wasn't difficult. After that, I knit more attentively.

Pattern: Diamond Fantasy Scarf or Shawl, by Sivia Harding
Yarn: Periwinkle Sheep, 50/50 merino/silk fingering weight, Memories of Summer colorway
Needles: US4 for shawl, US6 for I-cord bind off

If I look a little stiff in these photos, there's a good reason--I was cold! By the time the shawl was dry, the light was too dim to take pictures, so I had to wait. This morning the sky was clear and the light was nice and bright--but baby it was cold outside!

No doubt about it, summer is just a memory now ...

I'm Not Fooled

2010-10-08T09:44:00.004-04:00

I tried to get some shots of Snickers with my Socktoberfest socks this morning, but didn't have much luck. For some strange reason, she feigned disinterest. However, I wasn't fooled. I'm sure she thinks they are the cat's meow.

Pattern: Josephine Socks, by Carol J. Sulcoski
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy, in Chinatown Apple
Needles: 2.50mm and 2.25mm

When I got this pattern (a PDF download on Ravelry), I was worried they'd be too small because the sock is worked over only 57 stitches. For me, 64 stitches on a 2.25mm needle usually results in a good fit. I cast on anyway, figuring that after 2-3 inches I'd try it on; if it didn't fit I'd start over and add extra stitches to the purl stitch "gutters."

As it turns out, both the ribbing and the leg pattern are quite stretchy and the sock is fitting just fine. Hurray!

My Socktoberfest goal is humble, but doable: work on the socks every day, even if only for two rounds.

Snickers, by the way, is doing great - back to her usual energetic self and chasing the cat dancer like there's no tomorrow.

Hot Tip: Another Contest

2010-10-03T12:19:00.004-04:00

It's a lovely, lazy, sunny Sunday. So far I've worked on my Diamond Fantasy Shawl and these:

Pattern: Josephine Socks, by Carol J. Sulcoski
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy, in Chinatown Apple
Needles: 2.50mm and 2.25mm

Pattern: Astor, by Norah Gaughan
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed, held double
Needle: US8

I'll be altering it to make the body a little shorter and the sleeves a little longer. But otherwise, knitting it as written.

If you like blog contests and/or the color pink, check out my sister Jenny's post today!

Take Two

2010-10-02T10:11:00.005-04:00

The sun came out, my cold is almost gone, and I feel like ditching the jammies for some real clothes. So I took the tripod out on the porch to get some better pullover pics.

So here we go ... which styling do you like better? Plain and simple, New England style:

Or fancy, gussied up with a Belgian scarf?

Design: my own
Yarn: Classic Elite Soft Linen, Color #2275 (Linen)
Needles: US3 for the ribbing, US4 for the body; US2 for the neckband

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with it. I think if I were to do it again, the only thing I'd do differently would be to knit more ribbing on the sleeves--maybe 2 or 3 inches - and possibly make the sleeves a tiny bit shorter. Oh, and maybe try to do a better job of seaming the ribbing. I hate seaming ribbing!

Sorry, no pics of the back, but it's got the same stitch pattern as on the front.

It's October, and You Know What That Means

2010-10-01T16:43:00.006-04:00

Socktoberfest! I cast these on today:

Pattern: Josephine Socks, by Carol J. Sulcoski
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy, Chinatown Apple
Needles: 2.50mm and 2.25mm

I had been on the fence about what to knit for Socktoberfest and was leaning toward several patterns in Nancy Bush's wonderful Knitting on the Road. Then just the other day, I saw this new pattern by Carol J. Sulcoski on Ravelry, and that was it--decision made. It's written for two circulars, but I'm working it on dpns. My favorite thing about the ribbing is that it's called "Fancy Rib."

Today we attain new heights of knitterly classiness here at Blue Peninsula: a photoshoot undertaken wearing pajama pants, and without even bothering to weave ends in:

I'm so excited about finishing my pullover that I feel compelled to blog about it even though conditions (I have a cold; it's a grey, rainy day) are not ideal.

Design: my own
Yarn: Classic Elite Soft Linen, Color #2275 (Linen)
Needles: US3 for the ribbing, US4 for the body; US2 for the neckband

I designed the sweater using Shirley Paden's book Knitwear Design Workshop. Although I've designed raglan and drop shoulder sweaters, I've shied away from designing a garment with set-in sleeves. They have this mystique about them; they have a reputation for being "hard." But Paden's book takes all the mystery out of them and explains the math and everything else in a clear, detailed fashion. Now I know that figuring out the shaping for a set-in sleeve is not hard at all.

It came out just as planned; in fact, it matches my schematic pretty much exactly. Yet, it's a little baggy. That's no fault of Ms. Paden's book, though. It's the happy result of losing weight! Between now and when I began the sweater in May, I joined Weight Watchers and lost 22 pounds. I'll be losing more, so I will just enjoy wearing this pullover while I can--and start thinking about what I will design once I'm at my goal.

My original idea for the neckband was an inward-rolling band of reverse stockinette. I changed my mind, though, after finishing the sleeves, which have a 1x1 twisted rib cuff. I decided the neckband should match them, but the question remained, how best to finish it off? Binding off in a 1x1 rib can be tricky to do neatly--so often it's either too loose or too tight. My solution was to knit it double the length, fold it over to the inside, and slip-stitch it down. That was the very last piece of work (well, except for weaving in those ends!), which I finished this afternoon. I thought maybe it would be a high-anxiety process, but actually it was very easy and even enjoyable.

Neckband stitches on a 16-inch circular needle

Neckband stitches transferred to scrap yarn in a contrasting color

Neckband sewing in progress (I used Vogue Knitting as a reference)

Completed neckband

It feels like I've been working on this pullover forever. I will miss the soft hand and the good smell of the Soft Linen (really--it has a truly pleasant smell). Now that it's done I'm thinking the next garment needs to be something really quick, something knit at a gauge of maybe 3 stitches to the inch. Something like Astor, maybe. I've already knit up a swatch ...

Lacy FO - and a Winner

2010-09-26T10:37:00.004-04:00

This fall I plan to use up odd skeins in the stash to make hats for Caps for Kids. I finished the first one this weekend. I hope it will make some little girl happy:

Pattern: Lace-edged Women's Hat, by Julie Hentz
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Hush
Needles: US6 circular and dpns
Modifications: Cast on 72 sts to make a child's size hat

Yesterday I picked what are probably the very last sunflowers of the season at the Brookfield Farm. Usually, I feel a little melancholy during my visits to the farm at this time of year, but yesterday I didn't have any feelings one way or the other about summer's ending. I just had a good time listening to the finches and chickadees twittering among the sunflowers.

Without further ado: the winner of the two skeins of burgundy Louet Gems yarn and a copy of my Anita Caroline scarf pattern is ... Susan J! Thanks to all who left comments. I enjoyed reading what projects you're dreaming of making and got some great pattern ideas. I hope you all did, too.

Thanks also for everyone's good wishes for Snickers. She didn't have to go to the hospital and is slowly bouncing back. Her appetite's getting better all the time and her eyes are looking better, too. She's still resting a lot but is gradually getting her spunk back.

Here she demonstrates the "Full Bunch" (both front paws tucked under). A "Half Bunch" is when the cat tucks only one paw under and extends the other forward.

Knitting as Distraction

2010-09-22T17:34:00.005-04:00

I woke up at 3:30 this morning and immediately got up to check on Snickers. The poor thing's been sick for over week, beginning with sneezes and pink eye and worsening in the past couple of days to complete lack of appetite and fever. Yesterday she didn't drink or eat anything on her own but did keep down the broth that I fed her with a syringe. This morning for the first time she vomited.

So back to the vet we went. The antibiotic eye ointment the vet prescribed last week didn't seem to help and in fact appeared to be irritating her eyes, so we've stopped it for now. Snickers got subcutaneous fluids this morning and a shot of a slow-release 14-day antibiotic. The most urgent thing is to get food in her: last week she weighed 7.8 pounds, but today only 6.4! So I'm giving her Hills prescription A/D food via syringe every few hours. So far, she's kept it down, which is a very good sign. If she is not drinking and eating at least a little on her own by tomorrow, she'll have to be hospitalized.

As it turns out, she has feline herpes virus (FHV-1). There is no cure for it: once a cat has the virus (which spreads easily in shelters), they have it for life. All you can do is treat the flare-ups, which can be hard to do because they are often accompanied by bacterial infections that make it all worse. L-lysine is thought to bring down the inflammation and make flare-ups less likely, but that's really all there is.

Anyway, after washing her eyes at 4 am and getting a few syringes of broth down her, I made myself a cup of tea and decided that working on my Soft Linen pullover a little would be a good distraction from worrying. I set about sewing in one of the sleeves--which went pretty well, but the perfectionist in me is not completely content.

When I knit the pieces, I added a selvedge stitch on each side, to make seaming easier. I used a garter stitch selvedge--I knit the selvedge stitches on all rows (as opposed to knitting them on the right side, and purling them on the wrong side).

This I will not do again, at least not with a DK weight yarn that's part linen. With a squishy worsted weight yarn, I think there'd be no problem. But with this Soft Linen yarn, I found that the first stockinette stitch next to the selvedge stitch on the left-hand side of each piece looks just a little loose and sloppy.

Maybe these pictures will show what I mean:

Armhole Selvedge, Right-hand Side

On the right-hand side of the piece, the stitches next to the selvedge stitch (which curls under) have a fairly uniform tension. They look OK.

Armhole Selvedge, Left-hand Side

On the left-hand side, the stitches next to the selvedge stitch are just a little large--the tension is too loose, particularly on the wrong-side purl rows.

As I knit, this troubled me now and again, but I engaged in the usual knitter's denial and figured it would work out in the seaming. And, it sort of does, but the seam next to the looser left-hand stitches doesn't look as smooth as the other one. I even had to duplicate-stitch a few stitches up near the shoulder seam to make them look better.

Seam along the "Good" Right-hand Selvedge

Seam along the "Not So Good" Left-hand Selvedge

It's not the end of the world. I can live with it. Why did I use a garter stitch selvedge? Because it was suggested in Knitwear Design Workshop. Possibly it would have looked just fine with a different yarn or stitch pattern, but it didn't work so well with my yarn. So, lesson learned--and a very good one: you don't have to follow anybody else's suggestions. Trust your instincts, and do what you think looks best.

In other news, we had cool weather earlier this week, cool enough that I wore a knit scarf for the first time this season:

Pattern: Honeybunch, by Bonnie Sennott
Yarn: Jade Sapphire Silk/Cashmere
Needles: US4 and US5

I still love this scarf, so much so that I'm thinking maybe I should knit it again in a slightly heavier yarn and see how that looks. I also wore my just-finished Casbah socks with a brand-new pair of Clarks:

I'm very pleased with those socks. The Casbah is just dreamy--super comfortable on the feet. Must get more! (And thank-you again to my sister Jackie, who brought me back this skein of Casbah from Lettuce Knit, the Yarn Harlot's LYS in Toronto.)

Time to sign off and give Miss Snickers more of her prescription food. Please do send good thoughts her way!

P.S. Don't forget about the contest--leave a comment (on the last post) by Thursday and maybe you'll win a couple of skeins of Louet Gems.

Kitchener Time, Contest Time

2010-09-19T10:58:00.005-04:00

Yesterday morning, all that was left on my Casbah socks was the kitchenering:

Pattern: Kleines Lochmuster
Yarn: Handmaiden Casbah, 80 percent merino, 10 percent cashmere, 10 percent nylon
Needles: 2.50mm for first 2 inches, then 2.25mm
Modifications: I worked the pattern top-down rather than toe-up, and adjusted the ribbing pattern so that it flowed well into the lace pattern.

I finished them up this morning:

Casbah was a pleasure to work with. It's soft, but not so soft that it pills. It's sturdy, with a nice tight twist. Definitely a yarn I want to use again.

Now the question is--start a new pair of socks right away? Knit some fingerless mitts instead? If you were going to cast on a new project with sock yarn this month, what would it be?

So here's the contest: Leave a comment by midnight EST on Thursday, September 23--first day of autumn--saying what sock-yarn project you'd most like to cast on. I'll use a random number generator to pick a winner.

The prize? Two skeins of Louet Gems sock yarn in burgundy, along with a copy of my Anita Caroline scarf pattern:

You don't have to knit Anita Caroline with the yarn, of course. Gems is a fantastic yarn, perfect for so many projects: fingerless mitts, small shawls, scarves, hats, and of course socks. Just leave a comment to win--and happy fall!

So Close

2010-09-13T16:01:00.007-04:00

I've been feeling the urge to start some new projects for fall, but I'm not letting myself veer off course. Before casting anything on, I must finish up my pullover. It's still in pieces and so close to being done.

Design: my own
Yarn: Classic Elite Soft Linen, Color #2275 (Linen)
Needles: US3 for the ribbing, US4 for the body

I've been knitting this as part of a design KAL led by Shirley Paden on Ravelry, in conjunction with her new book, Knitwear Design Workshop. This is such a useful book, whether you want to design or simply make modifications to patterns so that they fit you better. I have to admit the math for working out the sleeve caps gave me a bit of a headache at first, but it all came together when I worked the cap out visually, using graph paper. The finished first sleeve has a nicely shaped cap that looks like it will fit well into the armhole. Just in case it doesn't, and I have to rip back and start over, I've put in lifelines. Better safe than sorry...

The stitch pattern is called Circles and Butterflies. Every row is an "action" row, and there are lots of twisted stitches. At first I thought it would be slow to work, but that turned out not to be the case. In fact, I liked working it, a lot. Funny how that goes sometimes--simple lace patterns (Feather and Fan, for example) can be excruciatingly boring to knit, while the complicated ones are a delight.

I hope to be showing you the completed sweater soon. And possibly a pair of socks, too. My Casbah socks are nearly at the toe decreases:

Pattern: Kleines Lochmuster
Yarn: Handmaiden Casbah
Needles: 2.50mm for first 2 inches, then 2.25mm

This yarn is delicious. Soft yet sturdy--I suspect it's going to wear very well. The colors remind me of stones in a river or brook, and they go with most everything I wear.

My other WIPs are all moving along. In no particular order: Diamond Fantasy Shawl, Kushu Kushu Scarf, Hanging Garden Stole, and Seersucker Afghan (9 of 48 squares completed).

We've had a taste of fall weather in the mornings lately. Blessed coolness! Visions of scarves and shawls, mittens and wrist warmers, hats, socks, and sweaters dance in my head ...

maison des vacances

2010-08-28T12:24:00.002-04:00

The blog and I are taking a little break. See you after Labor Day!

Priorities

2010-08-21T18:45:00.003-04:00

The new Vogue Knitting arrived today, but I set it aside and didn't even open it. I had some very important knitting that took priority:

Pattern: Whale Cat Toy, by Vicki Mikulak
Yarn: Berroco Peruvia in Maize
Needles: US5

I adopted a new kitty today, and of course I had to welcome her with a hand-knit catnip toy.

Meet Snickers! She's a two-year-old princess with gorgeous golden eyes and a coat of many colors that's as soft as can be.

So far, she's enjoyed playing with her new whale toy and a peacock feather. She loves to be petted and combed and she purrs a lot, but silently--you can feel her purring but you can't hear it.

Will she help me with blocking and modeling my knitting? Time will tell!

Really Rural

2010-08-15T16:21:00.004-04:00

My town in western Massachusetts, Amherst, could be called rural. It's a college town (home to University of Massachusetts, Amherst College, and Hampshire College) that's surrounded by farmland. I live on the eastern edge of town, across the road from several farms. Just last night while eating dinner on my back porch I watched three black-and-white calves racing back and forth. Wild turkeys show up in my back yard every day, sometimes more than once (they know I will toss them sunflower seeds).

But it's hardly rural at all compared to Old Sturbridge Village, an hour's drive away. When you visit Old Sturbridge, you pretty much go back in time to New England as it was in the 18th and early 19th centuries. As you walk dirt roads and paths, you can explore buildings brought to the village from around New England (the general store came from Vermont; the pottery is from Connecticut). There's much to see and learn: how books and papers were typeset and printed by hand; how a potter made jugs and bowls and all kinds of containers; how a blacksmith made everything from horse shoes to a clever rack for toasting bread (you nudged it with your toe to spin the bread around and toast the other side).

On the day I visited, it was in the 90s and muggy, but I had a terrific time despite the heat. You couldn't really whine about the heat too much, because so many of the craftspeople throughout the village were working over hot fires, while wearing long sleeves, long dresses, and bonnets. Outside the Fenno Barn, a woman and girl were dyeing yarn (which comes from the village's own sheep), using cochineal:

There were some skeins hanging inside the barn. I found myself lingering and taking lots of pictures in there--maybe because it was a tiny bit cooler?

The man who worked at the Knight Store was one of the lucky staffers who got to stay in the cool indoors all day (I'm assuming). This was another spot where I felt the urge to take lots of pictures.

There were looms and spinning wheels in the Fenno Textile Exhibit:

And examples of early New England knitting, too:

I never saw the sheep (but then, I didn't manage to see every part of the village). I did spot some rams keeping cool under a tree:

If you get tired of walking, there's always the wagon. It's slow, and bumpy, but it gives you a break from the sun for a little while.

My friend Doreen is the graphic designer at the village--I'm really envious that she works at such a cool place. In addition to the many buildings/exhibits--and a lovely herb garden--there are lots of special events every day: fishing, making a tin candleholder, boat rides, helping with farm work, candle dipping, musket firing demos, playing marbles, 19th-century school lessons, hoop races, milking, shoemaking, printing demos, and making a drop spindle. (I tried my hand at the latter and had the same level of unsuccess I've had every other time I've picked up a drop spindle. My yarn just keeps breaking and I don't seem to get anywhere.)

And of course, there's a nice gift shop. Two things stand out in my mind about the gift shop: 1) they sell the yarn produced in the village, and 2) it's air-conditioned!

Surprise FO

2010-08-09T16:44:00.007-04:00

Today it's my sister Jenny's birthday. Happy birthday, Jenny! Now I can finally show you the gift I made for her:

Pattern: Diamond Fantasy Shawl, by Sivia Harding
Yarn: Oh So Fine fingering weight superwash merino, in Deep Forest, from The Periwinkle Sheep
Needles: US5 and US7

Isn't Sivia Harding a wonderful designer? Every element flows perfectly into the next; it's a pleasing shawl to knit, to look at, and to wear. She says to block it "severely," and I am glad I did, because it went from 44 inches wide to 59 1/2 inches - a very nice size. Light and airy, perfect for transitional weather. (Don't worry, Jenny, the Missouri heat and humidity will be only a memory soon!)

The yarn was unlike any other fingering weight merino I've used. It's composed of numerous very fine plies, and is a little heavier weight than some other sock yarns. It's smooth, with very little woolly fuzz, almost as if part cotton. I really enjoyed working with it.

I don't think I've ever finished a shawl and then immediately cast on the same pattern again. But I loved this pattern so much, I immediately began another - for me! The yarn is Periwinkle Sheep's silk/merino fingering weight in a colorway named Memories of Summer:

I also swatched with Dream in Color Smooshy in the Chinatown Apple colorway (right), but decided to save that yarn for either socks or maybe mittens.

So yes, I'm back from Kripalu, where I did lots of yoga, learned lots of useful stuff in a program on digestive health, had great food, spent time in the whirlpool every day, and met some really nice people. I brought my camera, but then decided not to get it out - instead I drew in a sketchbook. You see the world in a slower way when you draw, and I was definitely in the mood for a slower pace.

This is a sketch of the view from the lawn in front of Shadowbrook, the main building. At first I was preoccupied with the evening light on the hills. Then, as it changed, I shifted my attention down to the lake. I had to decide then - use creative license and draw the lake as if the crabapple tree partially blocking the view weren't there? Or, attempt to draw the gnarly, twisty, complicated tree? I decided to take on the harder task and do the tree, but didn't get very far with it. One of my fellow participants in the digestive health workshop came and joined me; we got to talking while the sun kept on setting, and so the sketch remains forever unfinished.

I walked the labyrinth at Kripalu early in the morning on my first day there, and then again on the afternoon I left. In the morning, the pampas grass planted along the path was cool and wet; in the afternoon it was hot, dry, and scratchy--the contrast is one of my favorite memories of this visit. At the center of the labryinth there's a fat Buddha; people leave all sorts of offerings there (somebody with a sense of humor left a ticket for a free meal at a restaurant).

My contribution was the green whale catnip toy that I knit a couple of years ago for Ida. I'd been carrying it in my purse since she died last January and finally decided it was time to let it go. I figured the Buddha might like to gnaw on a little fibery whale blubber, or maybe would find the catnip calming (not that he needs help achieving calm, of course).

Well, this has been much more time at the computer than I've spent in days; my eyes are feeling buggy and I'm antsy to get up. So ciao - hope you are well and enjoying August!