tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33339421841812795622024-03-20T11:07:30.475-04:00 Project: Stashone big stash, so many projectsEvelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.comBlogger441125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-2671219440734253622016-10-07T12:49:00.003-04:002016-10-07T12:49:25.713-04:00What Slow Fashion Means to Me<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Yes, it's been a long ... <i>very long</i> ... time since I've written here, and it feels right to re-start blogging with the beginning of <a href="https://fringeassociation.com/2016/09/14/slow-fashion-october-2016/">Slow Fashion October</a>. To kick off the month, <a href="http://www.fringesupplyco.com/">Karen Templer</a> asked for introductions, and I thought a lot about how I wanted to share who I am in terms of making and fashion. In my life outside of my paid work, I'm an avid knitter. Like many, I was taught by my mom and made some wonky scarves in those early years of learning. Also like many, I gave it up because I had too many other interests and pursuits to fill my time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I hadn't thought about knitting for years when I found myself at my hair salon, flipping through a Vogue Knitting magazine (<i>yes, I did think it was strange that a Vogue Knitting magazine was at the hair salon</i>) and my eyes landed on a simple but classic sweater dress. It was soft gray in color with minimal shaping but maximum appeal. Something bubbled up inside me, and I knew that I had to trying knitting <i>that dress</i>. Now, what you need to know is that I had never learned to read a knitting pattern ~ my mom, who is a master knitter, does not know how to read a knitting pattern to this day ~ but when I began to peruse the instructions, something in my brain clicked and it simply became another language to me, and one which I actually could understand. How and why this happened, I can't explain but all I can say is that my brain was willing to accept the k, p, ssk, and chart marks when it had never been willing before.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Fast forward to today: I have now been knitting for the past dozen or so years, increasing my skill and my love for making by hand. What hasn't increased is my speed and that, I suppose, is at the heart of my involvement in slow fashion. I am rarely driven by product. I am almost always driven by process. Each time I cast on for a new project, I revel in the possibility of the final sweater, glove, hat, or scarf, especially if I'm trying to design it myself. But that's not what gives me the most joy. Having the work in my hands as I touch the yarn, watch the fabric take shape, and create something wearable is what thrills me. The end product is truly the icing on the cake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Oh, and no, I never did knit that sweater dress but maybe I'll just cast that on for my #slowfashionoctober project.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-60476108815757353712016-03-03T09:51:00.000-05:002016-03-03T09:51:11.939-05:00A Capsule Wardrobe ~ Beginnings<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As I promised myself I would, I tackled my clothes closet last weekend, and you know what? I actually enjoyed the experience of going through all my clothes and getting a handle on what I own and wear. I've decided to go with the set number of items for my capsule. Well, not exactly an <i>exact</i> number in that I didn't choose five shirts, four sweaters, etc. Rather, I decided to pull together a group of clothes that I know I can mix and match easily and comfortably for the next three months.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">Here's just a glimpse of my selection: three linen tees from Madewell from last season </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">which</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"> will be a great base for jeans and trousers and that can go alone or covered by a few cropped sweaters that I've owned for a gazillion years. These cardigans are from Old Navy (year unknown) which have surprisingly held up over time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">In terms of my knitted sweater capsule, I'll definitely knit a cardigan with a similar feel to these store-bought ones ~ I love <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/flaum">Flaum</a> (and everything in this issue of Amirisu), <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/marion-6">Marion</a> (and all Andi's cropped sweaters), and <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/belmont-2">Belmont</a>, to name a few. With my petite physique and short torso, cropped cardigans are a great staple in my wardrobe and I love the idea of carefully choosing the <i>perfect</i> yarn for this style. I'm getting inspired ....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-41473206425580888572016-02-26T12:38:00.000-05:002016-02-26T12:38:24.603-05:00A Capsule Wardrobe Part I<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The other day, as I was going through my clothes closet, I found myself reaching for the same pair of pants, the same tee shirt, the same pullover, and the same coat. And then I looked at <i>all</i> my other clothes and wondered why they get so little air time. To put it simply, I have more clothes than I actually wear and my go-to pieces are what make me feel most comfortable, most confident, and most happy. This got me thinking that I really need to stop thinking about a capsule wardrobe and instead start creating one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As someone who loves to do research before tackling a new project, I took to the blogosphere and started reading: <a href="http://www.un-fancy.com/capsule-experiment/">Unfancy</a>, <a href="http://into-mind.com/blog/2016/2/24/should-you-build-a-capsule-wardrobe">Into Mind</a>, <a href="http://theeverygirl.com/how-to-create-a-capsule-wardrobe">The Every Girl</a> and looking at Pinterest which is rife with inspiration: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/81487074485100793/">here</a>, <a href="http://chicasaurus-rex.com/category/fashion/capsule-wardrobes/">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/136163588710357970/">here</a>, to name a few. All this reading and looking has me excited to tackle my closet this weekend, a task that has jumped to the top of my to-do list. I haven't fully decided which plan of action I want to take: limit my capsule to a particular number of items for a three month period, rid my wardrobe of items I no longer wear, or something completely idiosyncratic to myself. I won't know until I actually go through all my clothes but one thing that I have been thinking about and feel like committing to is creating a capsule of hand-knitted sweaters for next fall and winter. There are certain colors (<i>mainly neutrals</i>) and styles (<i>I love turtle necks</i>) which will certainly be on my needles soon but I'd love your suggestions. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Elle Magazine</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I've created a <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/projectstash/capsule-wardrobe-i-~-the-handknitted-sweater/">pinterest board</a> of woolly sweaters that I'll knit in the spring for the colder months and welcome any and all pattern recommendations that you have. I'm more partial to top-down, raglans but to have some diversity in my capsule, I know I need one or two set-in sleeve designs, too, so send them my way.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Lolobu</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">These two pullovers are examples of the look I hope to achieve in my wardrobe eventually. <i>Tres chic, oui</i>?</span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-34873837740023689282016-02-05T20:17:00.000-05:002016-02-05T20:17:24.579-05:00Goals!<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I had very good intentions about blogging again at the start of January especially because I wanted to jot down my knitting goals for 2016. Clearly, those intentions stayed intentions, but I suddenly realized that Lunar New Year is just around the corner so I'll mark this much-loved holiday with notes about my aspirations with yarn and needles. </span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', sans-serif;">More than anything, I'm going to keep my goals super simple this year ~ I'm often way too ambitious with my wish list and end up feeling more disappointed than proud. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So, here they are ~ three simple but still challenging goals I want to achieve: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">(1) I plan to choose my projects much more carefully. What this means is that I'm going take my time assessing a pattern before it jumps onto my needles. I don't know about you but I sometimes get I caught up in the frenzy of a popular project that inundates my IG feed and cast on with abandon. Granted, they often are truly gorgeous, but they aren't always my style or something I would easily (or happily) add to my wardrobe. So, I'm going to enjoy seeing everyone's beautiful pics, but I'll do some research on the whole project before I decide if it's worth my time, effort, and money.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">One </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;">such<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"> project is the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wolf-river-2">Wolf River</a> pullover which I've been wanting to knit for a while. I love the stitch pattern that covers the entire body of the sweater and I've been wanting to add a chunky, oversized pullover to my wardrobe for a while. I've already finished the front, back, and side seaming so I should be able to wear this beauty really soon.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">(2) I plan to push myself to try new techniques. I will definitely spend time perfecting things I already know but what I really want to achieve this year are new-to-me methods like intarsia and set-in sleeves and </span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">steeking(!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">(3) I plan to explore new-to-me yarns. I don't usually knit in the suggested yarn for a project either because I'm too inpatient (<i>and run to my stash first</i>) or I get cold feet about spending money on yarns that I've never tried before. In my quest to choose projects carefully, I know that knitting with the suggested yarns will make the whole experience that much more wonderful. So, I hope I'll be sharing some thoughts soon on yarns that I've only seen you knit with or read about and will now experience first-hand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">An unofficial fourth goal is to create a capsule wardrobe which will mainly consist of hand-knit and hand-sewn garments. This would be a huge goal if I accomplish it so I hope you'll cheer me on as I would love to do a recap in December of what I made. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;">Now onto knitting those sleeves....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-6257426237426744502015-10-28T11:30:00.000-04:002015-10-28T11:30:03.850-04:00Slow Fashion October ~ Known<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My mind has been on overload lately, but this isn't a complaint as much as an acknowledgement. #Slowfashionoctober has inspired a lot of thinking and planning, and I don't see this ending just because I'll be turning a page in my calendar. But here we are at the final week, and I've given a lot of thought to the last prompt: Known, as in knowing the source of my materials. While I wish that I had built a stash of only local and/or sustainable yarn sources, I haven't. My stash has grown from global and domestic travels, fiber festivals, and gifts. On occasion, I've had the thrill of procuring a skein or two directly from a farm or spinner or dyer, and there is something incredibly satisfying about that. But on many more occasions, I've order yarn online or stopped in at a local yarn shop with no thought to where my new goodies have come from.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But here's the thing: over the last few years, I've been dedicated to knitting from my stash and when I started my blog, it was with this idea in mind. I love my stash and can remember how each skein got there. So, in many ways, that's my known and I'm okay with that. Do I want to be more intentional going forward? You betcha! I love the idea of committing to learning more about where my yarn comes from and how it's been processed. I also love the idea of putting my money toward sources that sustain communities and/or makers in concrete ways. So, as the saying goes, it's never too late to try harder and learn more. <br /><br />As you can see from my photo, I've been busy knitting from my stash. <a href="http://projectstash.blogspot.com/2015/03/up-and-down-mitts.html">A while back,</a> I designed a fingerless mitt pattern that I'm just returning to and writing up. I've been personally test knitting the pattern and it's almost there so I hope to release it soon. Now I just have to think about who should get all these mitts!</span></div>
Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-74360647815287764362015-10-23T16:39:00.001-04:002015-10-23T16:39:39.190-04:00What's in a Color?<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have to start by saying how excited I was to see <a href="http://projectstash.blogspot.com/2015/10/slow-fashion-october-what-makes-good.html">my post</a> mentioned on <a href="http://fringeassociation.com/2015/10/23/elsewhere-slotober-edition-3/">Fringe Association </a>today. I've been a dedicated reader and follower of Karen Templer's since her early days (do you remember when her blog was called <i>Yarnover</i>?), and through her efforts and writing, I've learned so much about this industry that we all love so much. Her blog and shop really speak to my own aesthetic, and it was such a treat to have my thoughts on knitting for those I love included in her <i>Elsewhere</i> post.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This leads to where I'm at today with my current project which is humming along but not without its hiccups. As of last night, I finished the back of the sweater and am looking forward to soaking and blocking both pieces before kitchnering (<i>is that even a word?</i>) the front to the back. This will be a real test to see if what I have in my mind can be applied to a three-dimensional object!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But I must confess that I'm pushing through with this beloved project with a lot of blind faith. I'm going to come clean here and tell you that I might run out of yarn. I realized half-way through the back section that this project needed another two skeins of Manos Maxima so I went to my LYS and bought <i>what looked like my original skeins.</i> I'm knitting with a natural white and the number on the new tag matched the number on the old tag. But once I got the skeins home and held them up to my knitted fabric, the new skeins were definitely more white than natural. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What's a knitter to do? Right, run to the next LYS. I was so excited to see that they had a skein of what I needed but only that ... a skein. So, I'm hoping against hope that I'll have enough to knit two sleeves because I'm totally in love with how this sweater is turning out so far. </span><br />
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Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-26987301181920594932015-10-20T10:45:00.002-04:002015-10-20T10:45:33.757-04:00Slow Fashion October ~ My Constant<span style="color: #3c3d47; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">I'm often surprised when I come across articles or posts about how to save money by limiting one's quarterly or sometimes monthly clothing budget. Um, ... what? People have a regular <i>budget</i> included in their monthly allowance to actually buy new clothes? Maybe it's because I grew up in a very modest and frugal home with parents (<i>okay, mainly my mother</i>) who recycled, added length to hems when necessary, and made whatever we had work until threadbare. Now, don't get me wrong: I indulge when I fall in love with a certain style of pant, or shoe, or coat. But, in general, I don't spend a lot of time shopping or replacing my clothes for the next trend, or adding to my wardrobe just because I can.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #3c3d47; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">You see those gold bangles on my wrist? There are six delicate bracelets there but in the beginning, I was given seven, one for each day of the week. In an old Chinese custom, mothers give daughters these seven bracelets when they reach puberty, and I've had these bracelets on my right wrist since I was 13 years old. Once they were placed on my wrist, I never took them off. Yes, you read that correctly ~ I'm now 52 years old and I've had these bangles on my wrist, non-stop, for the past 39 years. These have seen me through adolescence, college, graduate school, marriage, pregnancies, births, and now perimenopause. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3c3d47; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">They go with anything and everything that I wear, and I know that I would feel absolutely naked without them. So, yes, these are my most worn objects, and I'll never tire of them. Oh, and the colorful enamel bracelet is from a recent, magical trip to Barcelona (and I never take this one off now either!).</span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-76386989837601851112015-10-13T12:52:00.001-04:002015-10-13T12:52:39.099-04:00Slow Fashion October: What Makes A Good Sweater Great<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We are entering week 3 (</span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">week 3, people!</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">) of Slow Fashion October, and our prompt is to think/write about an item we love: our proudest accomplishment, our most loved item, our oldest thing that's still in rotation or an item we worked on for a long time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When I embarked on my #slowfashionoctober sweater, I did it with two things in mind: one was to spend some time in the prep work of conceptualizing and designing a hand-made garment. The other was to break down the process and take my time with each step of knitting it. This has forced me to slow down and really think about each step as I go. What has been really interesting about this process is that I'm typically a very patient person in all areas of my life ... except, I'm discovering, when it comes to my knitting. This is where I totally fall down and get some bruises along the way ~ yes, I have been known to frog a project or two because of my haste.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Case in point: a couple of years ago, I designed and knitted a sweater for my daughter.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> I'm incredibly lucky to have a teenager who </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">still </i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">asks for hand knits and who wears whatever I make with glee. Winter was approaching, and she asked for something very specific ~ something with cables, a bit cropped, and in white. Out of my head popped this .....</span></div>
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....<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> and I was really proud of how this came out. I spent a fair amount of time looking at lots of cable sweaters and did a few quick sketches and then cast on what I imagined would be the right number of stitches for the raglan shaping and ultimate cable/seed stitch design. No, I did not swatch. No, I did not take accurate measurements. No, I did not apply the proper math. And as you can see, the raglan shaping is slightly off kilter, the hemline is uneven where the seed stitch panel starts, and the sleeves are just a tad too long. But you know what? She loved it, got a ton of compliments from her friends, and it kept her warm all winter long. Most importantly, I upped my skills and learned a lot (<i>although it still has taken me two years to finally commit to swatching!</i>). Oh, and don't worry, I didn't frog it ~ she just wears it in its glorious wonky state.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Fast forward to #slowfashionoctober and I'm now working on a new sweater for my girl. This time, she's requested something squishy, textured, and, yes, again in white. I've done my <a href="http://projectstash.blogspot.com/2015/10/slow-fashion-october-small-but-mighty.html">swatching</a>, I've taken her measurements, and I've calculated the math. This time, I'm pushing my skills further yet in that this sweater is being knit in four pieces: front, back, two sleeves, and I'll be seaming them together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have only once knitted a sweater from the bottom up but still seamless so this will test my sewing abilities which need to be stretched. The brioche stitch is lovely to work on and I cant' say enough about Manos Maxima ~ squishy doesn't do the yarn justice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While I'm not truly answering the prompt as neither sweater is the <i>most</i> loved, or took the <i>longest </i>time to knit, or is my <i>proudest</i> accomplishment, I think they both fit into this week's topic as I do <i><u>love</u></i> knitting for my daughter who perhaps I can genuinely say is my muse. That's what makes a good sweater great ... knitting it for someone you love.</span><br />
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<br />Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-17909866953319598022015-10-07T10:44:00.000-04:002015-10-07T10:44:15.998-04:00Make It Work<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Of all the swatches I knit over the weekend, this one was the most fun to work on. I set myself a task to knit a series of 20-stitch swatches in different patterns to see which could be the foundation for my #slowfashionoctober sweater. I tried stockinette, seed seed with a cable, seed, fluffy brioche and brioche rib. It was a true learning experience, and I'm a convert to the beauty of swatching.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, I'm sure you're wondering which stitch pattern I finally settled on? Ultimately, I fell in love with the brioche stitch, a stitch I spent one entire weekend teaching myself to knit a few years ago. Back then, these were my happy results (<i>and yes, my daughter was so much littler then!</i>):</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This time, I picked a brioche stitch with a slight twist ~ </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">this slip-yarnover-k2tog stitch makes the most luscious fabric, and in terms of actual knitting, I </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">love stitch patterns that change from row to row. It's completely engaging and addictive, but more than that, it's squishy and textural and <i>exactly</i> what I had in my mind for this sweater. It's a total win-win!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've been better than usual about keeping good notes for each step of this pattern, and as the dapper <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TimGunn">Mr. Gunn</a> says, I'm making it work. Any tips you have on what I should keep in mind as I draft out this pattern, I'm all ears!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-60939835845310487262015-10-05T10:26:00.000-04:002015-10-05T11:37:20.390-04:00Slow Fashion October: Small but Mighty<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For week two of #</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">slowfashionoctober, the focus is <i>small</i> and what could be smaller than knitting a swatch when it comes to a big project like a sweater? </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If I'm going to change anything about the way I approach knitting this month, it's taking The Swatch seriously. I have been much too lax, much too nonchalant, and much too frugal to swatch properly (</span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">if at all</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">). I imagine that a few of you are probably rolling your eyes right about now and thinking "Oh no, not another post about swatching," but I have to address it, for myself, if I'm going to break this dirty, little secret.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Every time I embark on a new project, I silently promise that I will swatch. But then I don't. If I am to be truly confessional, I need to admit that of the many reasons why I have not swatched in the past (<i>and I truly am committed to swatching in the future</i>), it's because I'm super frugal. Okay, I'll call it like it is: I'm cheap. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Recently, I've tried with some success to not add to my stash. If I have bought yarn, it's been during a sale and with a project in mind. That's been a huge improvement from when I would wander into a shop, fall in love with a yarn, and buy one or two skeins, and then pack them away in my stash.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With my new-found self-control, I do some fast calculations and buy exactly the amount of yardage I need. To swatch with any real commitment, I should buy one </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">extra</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> skein and use that to swatch on different size needles and, in some cases, in different stitches. What would this mean to my wallet? A difference of $10-$20 depending on the yarn, and that can be daunting sometimes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But as the saying goes, </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">penny-wise, pound-foolish.</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> After devoting hours and hours of knitting time plus a fair amount of cash on one sweater only to have it come out too large or too small, has taught me that my frugal ways need to be amended. That extra skein will help me create a hand-made garment that I will happily and proudly wear for years. That extra skein will teach me a lot about the fiber I'm going to spend a lot of time with. That extra skein will save me money and tears in the future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I spent this past weekend swatching with Manos Maxima using different needles sizes and different stitch pattern. I took a genuis tip from </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="https://instagram.com/p/8TL4n4G4eE/?taken-by=jared_flood">Jared Flood</a>'s toolbox and knitted pearl bumps at the top of each swatch to note which size needle I used. All my swatches were done with 20 stitches, and I absolutely loved this exercise. I learned a ton about the yarn, my own knitting tension, and how beautiful some stitches look once soaked and blocked. Most importantly, I think I've found the stitch I will use to knit my #slowfashionoctober sweater. Stay tuned.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-11412149732292916462015-10-01T11:13:00.003-04:002015-10-01T11:16:13.642-04:00Slow Fashion October<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am so excited that it's October, one of my favorite months of the year. While I always love when the calendar turns to this month, I'm especially thrilled because I'm participating in #slowfashionoctober, the brainchild of <a href="http://fringeassociation.com/">Karen Templer</a> who I've admired since she first had her pop-up shop many moons ago. I don't think she even expected that small gesture to become the beautiful (<i>and necessary</i>) <a href="http://www.fringesupplyco.com/">Fringe Supply Co.</a> that it is today. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, what exactly is Slow Fashion October? Well, Karen explained it best so you can read about it in detail <a href="http://fringeassociation.com/2015/09/15/slow-fashion-october/">here</a>. As for me, I'm hoping my participation will help get me back to writing my blog, push me to take my crafting skills to another level, and curate a mindful closet. I know, these are really high expectations but hey, I'm always up for a challenge! Now, without further ado, here's my contribution to Week One: YOU.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm Evelyn and have been knitting in earnest for the past 10 years although, like many, I learned to knit as a child. My mother is a phenomenal knitter who, to this day, doesn't read patterns but rather reads knitting. She reminds me of musicians who play by ear ~ the woman knits by sight, and I'd love to get to that level where I can look at a sweater and re-create it merely by touch. I think of myself as a solid knitter but for the last few years, I've been wanting to step up my game and tackle some techniques that have eluded me. My mother is also an amazing sewist, but sadly that skill didn't float down to me. This is something I would especially like to remedy during this month. I am in awe of my knitting friends who also sew beautiful, hand-tailored clothes (yes, <a href="http://gksagenda.blogspot.com/">Gail</a>, I'm talking about you!), and this is one of my goals. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Slow Fashion October will give me a focused time frame to think about design, fiber, and making. My main goal for this event is to turn those skeins of yarn up above into a pullover for my teenage daughter (<i>of my own design</i>). If I can also knit or sew a new top for me, that would be incredible. Beyond that, the rest will be icing!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Follow my progress here and on my <a href="https://instagram.com/projectstash/">instagram feed</a>.</span><br />
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Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-10798016086535030602015-06-04T14:28:00.002-04:002015-06-04T14:28:56.702-04:00Queue Me Up<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Whenever I turn a page in my calendar, I get a little excited at the prospect of new beginnings. I know it's sort of silly ~ after all, new beginnings can <i>begin</i> on any day of the month but somehow, the first day of a new month has that new shiny feel. So, now that a new season is also about to begin, I'm making myself commit to a challenge that I've been thinking about a lot over the last few months. I was so inspired by everyone's #madememay projects, and I desperately wanted to play along but who was I kidding? I haven't created enough in my wardrobe to even post for a week, let alone an entire month!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So instead of pouting and feeling sorry for myself, I've decided to do something about my lack of creative output over the past year. I've started and stopped too many projects since last fall and in going over my stash, I'm having to admit that it's getting me down. Why are there soooo many one skeins in there? Do I seriously not have any sweater's worth of yarn in any of the gazillion bags I seem to be hoarding? This is going to change! I'm going to take some time over the weekend to sort through my patterns and stash and start a brand new queue for my summer knitting which will include warm weather tops and accessories.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I haven't participated in a KAL for a long time, but I'm thinking that jumping in on a couple of knit-alongs this summer may just be what I need to inspire me and to keep me honest and engaged with all you lovely knitters. I haven't hosted a knit-along in while either so stay tuned as I'm scheming of a fun one to announce early next week. In the meantime, if you're enjoying one now that still has a few weeks to go, let me know. I just may join you!</span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-62923158827920666152015-04-30T12:37:00.001-04:002015-04-30T12:58:32.502-04:00In Search of Yarn<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Slowly but surely, the temperatures are starting to rise to a point where I can think about wearing tees and tanks and, of course, this turns my mind to <i>knitting</i> some tees and tanks. I fell pretty hard when I first saw this simple yet jazzy knitted top ~ I mean, c'mon, look at those fabulous little fringe details ~ and I'm feeling inspired to start scouting out the perfect yarn for this project. No, this isn't a pattern but with some careful looking and notes, I think I can re-create it.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://damselindior.com/swept-away/">From Damsel in Dior</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://damselindior.com/swept-away/">From Damsel in Dior </a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For all my years of knitting, I have to admit that I've stuck pretty loyally to the same small circle of yarns I've used in the past, but this season, I'm looking to bust out a bit and try my hand at <i>new-to-me</i> companies and fibers. So, what are your thoughts? Linen? Flax? Cotton? Merino blend? I'd love your help!</span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-44437680348525310722015-03-25T14:46:00.001-04:002015-03-25T14:46:17.330-04:00An Ode to the Stitch<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are times when I can't wait ... Typically, I'm a patient person and if given the chance to have <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX_oy9614HQ">two marshmallows</a> if I can wait ten minutes rather than one marshmallow right this very second, I'll opt for the two marshmallows. But earlier today, when this <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jasmine-scarf-3">gorgeous scarf</a> jumped on my screen while tootling around Ravelry, I literally had to put everything down and pick up my needles. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Within minutes, I had this and I was in love. This beautiful stitch pattern got me thinking about how certain types of stitches get me excited ... every time. So, what is it about this design that I love so much? Well, basically, it's a pretty simple drop stitch and whenever I come across a drop stitch pattern, I'm smitten. I love the openness of it, the architecture of it, and let's be honest, I also love the slightly daring aspect of dropping a stitch. C'mon, we knitters know that dropping stitches is a huge <i>no no</i> and one of our biggest fears but when you are required to do it on purpose ... it's kind of fun!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I've been thinking about this scarf now for the past hour, and I think my other projects are going to be put aside while I rummage around for some fluffy yarn to cast this one on. So much for the two marshmallows ... </span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-30436106232528467992015-03-03T13:45:00.002-05:002015-03-03T13:46:19.043-05:00Up and Down Mitts<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Over the weekend, I had an image in my mind of convertible mittens. You know, the kind that have little covers that can be flipped up over your fingers or down behind the back of your hand. I imagined them knit in a worsted weight, with a little bit of ribbing, and only a covered thumb.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are times when I have ideas like this one, but I don't have the skills or patience to turn them into reality. With this mitten idea, I just <i>knew</i> that I could figure out a way to transfer this image onto my needles. I rummaged through my stash, cast on some Patons Classic Wool, and had at it. I ribbed, increased, put the thumb on hold, finished the hand, and bound off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I then took a break to think about how best to create the finger cover, had a cup of coffee, (<i>and a cinnamon danish</i>) and cast on again. I know, the thumb is a bit too fat so I'll have to redo those numbers when I write this pattern out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I first tried to pick up some stitches on the back of the hand and cast on a set of additional stitches but it all got a bit too fiddly so I thought some more and decided to knit the cover separately.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br />That worked beautifully but it took a few different attempts to attach it before I figured out the <i>best</i> way to add the cover. I love how these mittens turned out, and I have a feeling that winter is not quite over so they'll come in handy for a little while yet. </span><br />
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<i>* Pattern to come so if you're interested, let me know!</i>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-22409194674563877742015-02-13T15:26:00.000-05:002015-02-13T15:26:18.508-05:00The Long Haul<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's already mid-February and deep winter around here yet I have no big projects on my needles. I think it's time to remedy that this weekend while we anticipate another few inches of snow and very chilly temperatures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Looking around for just the right project reminded me that we knitters sometimes need instant gratification projects and sometimes toothy, commitment ones. Should I tackle some fair isle colorwork? A cabled pullover? or maybe an intricate hat? I just know that I want to have to work hard, pay attention, and push my brain to do some somersaults.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As I thought more about this new yet-to-be identified knitting project last night, I couldn't help but compare it to what I'm reading right now. I've been wanting to read Anna Karenina for years ... probably since my college days ... and decided that now is the time! I went to my new local <a href="http://www.bookculture.com/">bookstore</a> last weekend and happily found a <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/leo-tolstoy/anna-karenina/">lovely edition</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm completely swept up into the world of 19th century Russia and the lives of Anna, Vronsky, et al. This weekend will be spent alternating between my knitting and my reading (<i>no, I haven't figured out how to do both just yet</i>), and in my opinion, the only way to get through the rest of this winter!</span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-73470332073349721932015-01-07T18:21:00.004-05:002015-01-07T18:21:55.576-05:00The Word<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So many of you are blogging or posting about <i>your </i>word for the new year, and it got me thinking about what <i>my</i> word is. I have many wishes and desires for 2015, many that I think I will be able to accomplish, but the one concept or word that is foremost on my mind is Stash. I know, how appropriate, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But I don't mean <i>stash</i> as a verb such as to stash more, but rather, <i>stash</i> as a noun such as to use and rely on my stash of all kinds. As I get older, I find myself desiring less rather than more and this got me looking at everything I already have. Sure, my jeans are five years old but they still fit; my boots aren't as shiny as when they were new but I've got miles left to walk in them; and my yarn stash is still as plentiful and enticing as ever.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqpQ5W9ZVCUgsfmAtr0un0YfloTC_4VVWqrmBY4upv3gJPS3euoPUrRpcsvuK95CJSHHOuKw8Xzl00ACUkWXg7oV5SamGEmYeSmhN3TU3METTm_YttkX3hLzPCfQFYQEnHG2ETCSGSKJO/s1600/socks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqpQ5W9ZVCUgsfmAtr0un0YfloTC_4VVWqrmBY4upv3gJPS3euoPUrRpcsvuK95CJSHHOuKw8Xzl00ACUkWXg7oV5SamGEmYeSmhN3TU3METTm_YttkX3hLzPCfQFYQEnHG2ETCSGSKJO/s1600/socks.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There's no doubt that focusing on and using my stashes of things has an added economic benefit, but I see my new-found commitment as a way to keep the clutter down both physically and mentally. As you can see, I cast on my first pair of socks for 2015 with some very old Regia self-striping yarn that was hiding at the bottom of my stash. I needed some new wool socks and now I'll have a cozy new pair without spending an (extra) dime. And while I will be adding this pair of socks to my dresser, my yarn stash will be just a little lighter. Win-win, as they say!</span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-43487784143485599012014-12-19T12:56:00.000-05:002014-12-19T12:56:04.575-05:00Magical<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sometimes, I can't help but feel that knitting is like magic. When you combine the right yarn with the right pattern, some type of fairy dust must hover over the project and create something like this.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXc_nAWIvI3IbqCgn96WRHpe9F-mhe5vuumD3FHa9x5KZzEZ9DBFF7imJxhl-ri2Td5FYIQ7XLNmRwJKDOPiDgri4wQpWf8YVWZP81aTW_gduGsyP_MFH9PU9NjgVQjpNIWhRmPuSxRlf4/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXc_nAWIvI3IbqCgn96WRHpe9F-mhe5vuumD3FHa9x5KZzEZ9DBFF7imJxhl-ri2Td5FYIQ7XLNmRwJKDOPiDgri4wQpWf8YVWZP81aTW_gduGsyP_MFH9PU9NjgVQjpNIWhRmPuSxRlf4/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="285" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/riverton-cowl">Riverton Cowl</a> which needs only one skein, but I highly recommend that you pick a yarn that has a lot of loft as the stitch pattern really enhances a fiber such as alpaca or cashmere. I knit mine in Juniper Moon's Herriot which is 100% alpaca and 100% scrumptious. This is my first time knitting with any JM yarn and it certainly won't be my last.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Another project that seems to be made from magic dust is a 2x ribbed beanie which I cast on the other night for my girl.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I love that she still asks for knitted gifts and even though it's only <i>days</i> away from Christmas, I'm determined to finish this up over the weekend. I'm totally improvising here ... I decided to go top-down and am winging the increases and ribbing as I go along. It seems to be working (<i>keep your fingers crossed</i>), and I am absolutely loving knitting with Woolfolk's Tynd. Talk about dreamy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And if I don't seem to have enough on my needles, let's not forget my hubby's pullover that I'm desperately trying to finish by the 25th. I'm knitting this in Malabrigo Rios ~ another dreamy yarn. Heck, I can't complain ~ all these yarns are such pleasures to knit with. Hope you're enjoying all your gift-knitting this year, too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-62908317734031596092014-11-24T16:41:00.003-05:002014-11-24T16:41:58.104-05:00Stranded <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm taking a page from my friend <a href="http://www.myso-calledhandmadelife.com/2014/11/gifts-happen.html">Michelle</a> who is letting her gift knitting this year <i>just happen.</i> I love that concept ~ you know, simply free to be inspired by whatever comes my way. I haven't made any solid plans for knitting gifts this season; rather, my thoughts about casting on presents for knitworthy loved ones hinges on feeling excited and letting the finished object tell me who it should go to. Yes, I believe that my knitted objects sometimes tell me such things.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, over the weekend, I came across the most adorable motif of a reindeer's head and as I've always wanted to try my hand at stranded knitting, I grabbed my circular needles and two balls of worsted weight yarn, and dove right in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I posted my work-in-progress on <a href="http://instagram.com/projectstash">Instagram</a> and got the nicest feedback (thanks <a href="http://gksagenda.blogspot.com/">Gail</a>, <a href="http://www.trulymyrtle.com/">Libby</a>, <a href="http://www.bluepeninsulaknits.com/">Bonnie</a>, <a href="http://www.celticcaston.com/">Kelly</a>, and my sister Esther! Kelly asked if I was hooked, and I can't even describe how utterly obsessed I am now that I've conquered a technique that I've been thinking about for so long. You see, I've always been an English knitter although I've secretly wished to master continental knitting, too. So, when I decided to give this hat design a try, I put the main color yarn on my right side and the contrasting color on my left and voila, I became an ambidextrous wiz!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Needless to say, my Saturday afternoon was completely eye-opening and I reveled in my new-found skill. In fact, I seriously couldn't put my needles down and finished my hat in a record two hours (<i>thanks to this <a href="http://serialpodcast.org/">podcast</a></i>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You probably can't tell but this hat is child-size being blocked on my hubby's adult-size head! Now, I'm in search of a little person to gift this to....</span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-20420917186205412992014-11-20T11:35:00.000-05:002014-11-20T11:35:34.093-05:00Code Breaker<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You're probably going to laugh at this post, but I just started watching season two of <a href="http://www.pbs.org/program/bletchley-circle/">The Bletchley Circle </a>and was suddenly struck by how much the current project I'm knitting is like reading code. If you're a TBC fan, you may recall that in the opening scene of season one, Susan is reading a knitting pattern while clicking away on her needles. Of course, that's a hint at her <i>secret</i> past of being a code breaker during WWII. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As I'm trying <i>really</i> hard to knit down my stash, I pulled out my one skein of The Fibre Company's <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/the-fibre-company-road-to-china-light">Road to China</a> in the malachite colorway, my US3 dpns, and cast on for a pair of <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/projectstashEL/nalu-mitts">Nalu</a> fingerless mitts. I'm in the mood for a small'ish project with some teeth to it ~ you know, a bit of chart reading, some simple stockinette, and a thumb turn to add interest. I started this project at the same time that I began watching season two of TBC and when I got past the cuff ribbing and started on the cable chart, I couldn't help but notice the similarity of me and the Bletchley girls. Okay, I admit it ... being a code breaker would be one of my dream jobs! Yeah, I'm <i>that</i> kind of geek.</span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-89438432940707573882014-11-13T14:11:00.000-05:002014-11-13T14:33:42.941-05:00A Sleeve ... or Two<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are those of you who aspire to have a variety of projects on your needles. You've got a hat, a sock, a mitt, a sweater, and a blanket all having a party in your knitting basket. And then there's me. If I have more than two projects calling for my attention, I get a little antsy and, yes, even a little dazed. It's not that I can't multitask (<i>I'm the queen of multitasking</i>), but I find it hard to work on one project and not feel like I'm neglecting the other one. Anyone willing to offer knitting therapy?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And then there's the UFO (</span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">aka unfinished object</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">) lurking in the back corner of the closet or at the bottom of the project bag or stuffed under the couch cushions. Okay, hopefully not under the couch cushions, but I have a feeling you know what I'm talking about. So, here I was, at the start of fall knitting season feeling very proud of myself for having individual clear bags filled with yarn, needles, and pattern waiting for when I would finish one project to then cast on a new pattern.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And then I dug just a little deeper into my knitting basket and saw it ... my UFO from <u style="font-style: italic;">last</u> October! It was my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bailey-cardigan">Bailey </a>cardigan begun with some gorgeous <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/the-uncommon-thread-bfl-light-dk">Uncommon Thread Yarn</a> that Mark brought back all the way from <a href="http://www.loopknitting.com/">Loop London</a> in summer 2013.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You can be sure that I whipped that project out of its bag, read through the pattern again, found where I had left off, and started knitting. And I have to say, with complete joy, that I have been enjoying my Bailey so, so much. This is all to say that I have been monogamously knitting on my cardigan and am almost finished. Yes, you see one fully completed sleeve and another one making its way to the elbow. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I guess you can say that I'm not suffering from second-sleeve syndrome. </span><br />
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Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-27783733875520578972014-11-05T12:55:00.001-05:002014-11-05T12:57:27.017-05:00Hat Face<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are some people who have what I call <i>hat faces</i>. You know what I mean ... stick a hat on their heads and voila, they look completely adorable. I, for one, do not have a hat face. Stick a hat on my head and my forehead disappears, my eyes shrink, and I do not look completely adorable (cue the sad face here).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But as a knitter, knitting a hat is one of those amazing pleasures. The commitment is long enough to feel invested but short enough to get quick gratification. I've even designed a couple of hat patterns, and have really enjoyed creating <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/projectstashEL/autumn-in-new-york">Autumn in New York</a> and <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/miranda-hat">Miranda</a>. Last but not least, because I tend to only knit hats with animal fibers, I get a lot of happiness working with yarns I especially love. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Both these hats are the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/projectstashEL/citadel">Citadel</a> pattern, and I just love how they turned out. The oatmeal-colored one is in worsted weight knit in Patons Classic Wool and the other is a soft white in dk weight knit in LB superwash merino. I don't know who I'll gift these to, but as you can guess, I'm really all about the process. Hmm, I may be feeling a <a href="http://projectstash.blogspot.com/2014/10/shawls-all-time.html">hat phase</a> coming on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">*My talented and very beautiful blogger friend, Michelle, has a <a href="http://www.myso-calledhandmadelife.com/2014/11/antipodes-shawl-and-giveaway.html">wonderful giveaway</a> over on her blog ~ a gorgeous shawl pattern by my other talented and very beautiful blogger friend, <a href="http://www.trulymyrtle.com/">Libby</a>. Go and enter!!</span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-26814854229489976922014-10-30T14:51:00.000-04:002014-10-30T14:51:16.741-04:00Shawls All the Time<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I titled this post <i>Shawls All the Time</i> because that's how it has been feeling here at P:Stash. Every now and then, I go through periods when my knitting seems to be all about <i><u>fill in the blank</u></i>. Over the last couple of years, I've gone through a serious hat phase and then a sock phase and then a blanket phase and this fall, my needles have been happily occupied by shawl patterns. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you have been keeping up with my blog, you know that I did my darnedest to finish my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/projectstashEL/shaelyn">Shaelyn</a> in time to wear to my niece's wedding, but I fell short. Still, it was a real joy to knit, and I'm definitely going to knit another one. The design in this Madtosh colorway is gorgeous and I can imagine knitting another one in a plum.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I then cast on and have since finished my first <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/projectstashEL/the-lonely-tree-shawl">Lonely Tree Shawl</a> which was a great knit. I started this pattern several times a few months ago and just kept getting frustrated because I couldn't figure out how to read the charts. So, I sadly set this pattern aside and then a month ago, I watched Staci's <a href="http://verypink.com/2014/10/08/matterhorn-cabled-cowl-tutorial/">video tutorial</a> for knitting a cabled cowl and once I saw her explain <i>how</i> to read a chart, the biggest light bulb went on over my head. I grabbed a skein of LB superwash merino dk and cast on immediately. I'm now an expert chart reader (<i>not really, but I definitely get it now!!</i>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, after the happy success of my Lonely Tree, it was obvious that I had to cast on an <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/projectstashEL/the-elder-tree-shawl">Elder Tree Shawl</a>, this time for a dear friend who has a big birthday coming up. I've had trouble with this yarn in the past ~ I guess I'm not the most comfortable knitting with yarn that has a silk content ~ but it's working perfectly in this pattern.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm tempted to really challenge myself with a heavy-duty lace shawl pattern but then again, it just may be hat season again!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-33188013937646778702014-10-20T14:58:00.002-04:002014-10-20T14:58:53.468-04:00Small Things<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The other night, while finishing the body of my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/projectstashEL/the-lonely-tree-shawl">Lonely Tree Shawl</a>, I had a golden opportunity to sit with my 19-year old son and simply talk. He's home from college on a study break, and our conversation naturally flowed from light chit-chat at dinner to a more profound talk about career paths, relationships, and what it means to be a young adult in the 21st century. I know, heavy stuff but oh so good. He's my first and so I often feel like I'm learning how to be a good parent <i>on</i> him ... okay, maybe I should say <i>with </i>him .... and conversations like this one reminds me that I'm doing a good job. I don't typically write about such personal stuff, but I'm still feeling and thinking a lot about our talk so it feels natural to let it all continue to flow over here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He's an artist, and I'd like to think of myself as someone who has a creative spirit and approach to life. He would agree and is always incredibly positive and encouraging about my love of fiber, textiles, and yes, even my humble knitting.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgND8qdrW6mQAPdBUTAz5qCKEYlTO4WAtDF7eFQkcbdvxQDuSsfxulbJCnPMEVGZuwRAzpFa6oDKr6hjrrbXav0kp2XPl04pM5UFz1HhC4brwfme6TxMuxSvgGayoQsR1q8pK8DKNoJZDy0/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgND8qdrW6mQAPdBUTAz5qCKEYlTO4WAtDF7eFQkcbdvxQDuSsfxulbJCnPMEVGZuwRAzpFa6oDKr6hjrrbXav0kp2XPl04pM5UFz1HhC4brwfme6TxMuxSvgGayoQsR1q8pK8DKNoJZDy0/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Speaking of humble knitting, sometimes I get the urge to cast on something small and this <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/citadel">lovely hat pattern</a> jumped onto my needles over the weekend. Like the Lonely Tree Shawl, I'm knitting this beanie in LB Collection Superwash Merino. I love knitting hats (<i>talk about instant gratification</i>) but I'm personally not a hat wearer myself. As a knitter, it doesn't matter much as I'm really a process and not a product knitter. Yeah, you should see the stash of finished goodies I have in my closet all waiting to be given away!</span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3333942184181279562.post-82383822194940033372014-10-13T12:28:00.000-04:002014-10-13T12:28:18.667-04:00Palate Cleanser<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not very good about having a zillion (<i>or even three or four</i>) projects on the needles at once, but when I'm knitting something like a sweater, it really helps to have something small going at the same time. Some of you can knit a cardigan and a pullover and a sock and a shawl and a tea cozy all while knitting a blanket~and the knitting world needs you~but once I have more than a couple of projects in my knitting basket, my mind goes all wonky.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But there's also a part of my brain that craves something new when it comes to monogamous knitting. I'm being very faithful to Miranda's <i><a href="http://projectstash.blogspot.com/2014/10/please-knit-list.html">please knit</a></i> list, but I know that I'll be a happier knitter if I get to cleanse my palate every now and then so I dug into my stash and pulled out a skein of DK just to feel a different weight in my hands. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been wanting to knit a <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-lonely-tree-shawl">Lonely Tree Shawl</a> for over a year, but the last time I attempted this pattern, I kept messing up. I'm almost embarrassed to say why but I'll 'fess up here ~ I didn't realize that when reading a lace chart, repeats are meant to be done <i>within</i> the row and not after completing a whole row first. Duh! I got it now (<i>can you see the huge lightbulb flashing over my head?</i>), and I'm making nice progress on this beautiful shawl. I'm loving this mustardy color yarn I'm knitting with, too ~ more photos to come!</span>Evelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15741932078378446322noreply@blogger.com9