we're moving on up...

...to our own domain name. Yes, as a way to give these vintage patterns a home, I'm packing up and headed to http://www.kitchenerbitch.com. Follow my continued adventures there!

Number Three: Cable V-Neck Cardigan

Here's the next offering in the series. I'm posting these as fast as I can - let me know if there's something in particular you're looking for and I'll try to find it for you!

WOMAN'S LOW V-NECK CARDIGAN Choice of 4 Clever Cable Trims Bernat's Handknit Classics - 1945

Sizing: Bust 34" (36", 38", 40", 42", 44")

This pattern is sized for two separate gauges of yarn- your choice of fingering or DK weight. Fingering Weight: gauge of 7 sts and 10 rows to the inch. The original yarn was Bernat's Boucle de Laine or Fleurette, 150 and 160 yards per ounce respectively. A similar modern yarn would be Koigu KPPM. As a starting point, try size 4 needles. Check needle size to obtain correct gauge. DK Weight - gauge of 6 sts and 9 rows to the inch. The original yarn was Bernat's Knitting Worsted, which was a DK or light worsted yarn at 270 yards per 4 ounces. A similar modern yarn would be RYC Cashsoft DK. As a starting point, try size 6 needles. Check needle size to obtain correct gauge.

A note about sizing - this pattern does not include decreases at the waist, but from the looks of the model it appears to be fit quite snugly. We can only surmise that it therefore fits very tightly, even in light of the fact that it was probably intended to be worn with foundation garments. Add to this the fact that old patterns rarely if ever come with schematics, and you've got some compensation to do. When considering this pattern,debate for yourself whether to go up a size or whether to wear it in its originally intended stomach-sucking glory.

Pattern Stitches for Cable Only:

No. 1: Circle and Spot Cable

Multiple of 12 sts.

Row 1: K2, p2, k4, p2, k2.

Row 2: P2, k2, p4, k2, p2.

Row 3: Same as row 1.

Row 4: Same as row 2.

Row 5: Slip 3 sts onto cable needle and drop to front of work, k2, p1, then p1 and k2 from CN; slip 3 onto cable needle and drop to back of work, K2, p1, then p1 and k2 from CN.

Rows 6-8, 10 and 12: Same as row 2.

Rows 7, 9, and 11: Same as row 1.

Row 13: Slip 3 onto cable needle and drop to back of work, K2, p1, then p1 and k2 from CN, slip 3 sts onto CN and drop to front of work, k2, p1, then p1 and k2 from CN.

Rows 14 and 16: Same as row 2.

Row 15: Same as row 1.

Row 17: K2, P2, K1, slip next 2 sts onto cable needle, wind wool 10 times around these 2 sts, slip these 2 sts back to the right-hand needle, k1, p2, k2.

Row 18: Same as row 2.

Repeat these 18 rows for pattern st.

No. 2: Rib Cable

Multiple of 12 sts.

Rows 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13: K3, p6, k3.

Rows 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14: P3, k6, p3.

Row 15: Slip next 9 sts onto cable needle and drop to back of work, k3, then slip 6 P sts to left hand needle and P these 6 sts, K3 from CN. Row 16: Same as row 2.

Repeat these 16 rows from pattern st.

No. 3: Twisted Cable

Multiple of 12 sts.

Rows 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13: K12.

Rows 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14: P12.

Row 15: Slip 4 sts onto cable needle, drop to vack of work, k4, then bring 4 sts on CN to front of work, k4, then k4 from CN.

Row 16: same as row 2.

Repeat these 16 rows for pattern st.

No. 4. Circle cable.

Multiple of 12 sts.

Rows 1, 3, 5, and 7: K3, p6, k3.

Rows 2, 4, 6, and 8: P3, k6, p3.

Row 9: Slip 3 sts onto cable needle and drop to front of work, p3 then k3 sts from CN, slip next 3 sts onto CN and drop to back of work, k3 sts then p3 from CN.

Rows 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18: K3, p6, k3.

Rows 11, 13, 15, and 17: P3, k6, p3.

Row 19: Slip 3 sts onto cable needle and drop to back of work, k3 then p3 sts from CN, slip next 3 sts onto CN and drop to front of work, p3 sts then k3 from CN.

Row 20: Same as row 2.

Repeat these 20 rows for pattern st.

BACK:

On small needles, cast on 122 (128, 134, 140, 144, 148) sts for lightweight version/ 104 (110, 116, 120, 124, 130) sts for medium-weight version. Work in k1, p1 rib for 4 inches. Change to larger needles and work as follows:

Row 1: P 26 (29, 32, 32, 34, 36) sts / 19 (22, 25, 25, 27, 30) sts, work next 12 sts in pattern st, p 46 (46, 46, 52, 52, 52) sts/ 42 (42, 42, 46, 46, 46) sts, work next 12 sts in pattern st, p 26 (29, 32, 32, 34, 36) sts / 19 (22, 25, 25, 27, 30) sts.

Row 2: K 26 (29, 32, 32, 34, 36) sts / 19 (22, 25, 25, 27, 30) sts, work next 12 sts in pattern st, k 46 (46, 46, 52, 52, 52) sts/ 42 (42, 42, 46, 46, 46) sts, work next 12 sts in pattern st, k 26 (29, 32, 32, 34, 36) sts / 19 (22, 25, 25, 27, 30) sts.

Continue in this manner, keeping body of cardigan in stockinette st with P side the right side of the work and 2 panel sts in desired pattern st throughout the back. Work even until back measures 12 (12, 12, 13,13, 13) / 12 (12, 12, 13, 13, 13) inches long.

Shape armhole as follows: Bind 7 (7, 7, 8, 8, 8) / 6 (6, 6, 7, 7, 7) sts off at beginning of the next 2 rows (once on each side.) Decrease 1 st at the beginning and end of every other row 7 (7, 8, 8, 8, 8) . 6 (6, 7, 7, 7, 7) times. Work even until armhole measures 7 (7 1/4, 7 1/2, 8, 8 1/2, 9)/ 7 (7 1/4, 7 1/2, 8, 8 1/2, 9) inches.

Shape shoulders as follows: Bind off 10 (10, 11, 11, 12, 12) / 9 (9, 9, 10, 10, 10) sts at the beginning of the next 6 rows (3 times each side). Bind off remaining sts for back of neck.

LEFT FRONT:

On small needles cast on 66 (69,72, 74, 78, 80) / 52 (55, 58, 60, 66, 69) sts and work in k1, p1 rib for four inches. Change to larger needles and work as follows:

Row 1: P28 (31, 34, 34, 36, 38) / 21 (24, 27, 27, 29, 32) sts, work next 12 sts in pattern st, p26 (26, 26, 28, 30, 30) / 19, (19, 19, 21, 25, 25) sts.

Row 2: K28 (31, 34, 34, 36, 38) / 21 (24, 27, 27, 29, 32) sts, work next 12 sts in pattern st, k26 (26, 26, 28, 30, 30) / 19, (19, 19, 21, 25, 25) sts.

Continue to work in same manner as back, keeping body of cardigan in stockinette st and panel sts in pattern st throughout front. Work even for 2 1/s ins, then at inside edge (p edge) 26 (26, 26, 28, 30, 30) / 19 (19, 19, 21, 25, 25) sts. Shape neck as follows: Dec 1 st every 10th row 3 times, then every 8th row 6 times, then every 6th row. In the meantime, when front is the same length as back to armhole at seam edge (opposite end), shape armhole as follows: Bind off 8 (8, 8, 9, 9, 9) / 7 (7, 7, 8, 8, 8) sts then dec 1 st at same edge every other row 8 (8, 9, 9, 9, 9) / 7 (7, 7, 8, 8, 8) times, still continuing to dec 1 st at neck edge until only 30 (30, 33, 33, 36, 36) / 27 (27, 27, 30, 30, 30) sts. Work even until armhole is 1/4 in longer than back.

Shape shoulders as follows: At armside, bind off 10 (10, 11, 11, 12, 12) / 9 (9, 9, 10, 10, 10) sts at the beginning of 3 rows.

RIGHT FRONT:

Work to correspond to left front, be sure to reverse sts so that larger number of P sts is at the end of the needle on the first row.

SLEEVES:

On smaller needles cast on 56 (60, 64, 68, 73, 76) / 52 (56, 60, 64, 68, 72) sts and work in K1, P1 rib for 2 1/2 inches. Change to larger needles and work as follows:

Row 1: P 22 (24, 26, 28, 30, 32) / 20 (22, 24, 26, 28, 30) sts, work next 12 sts in pattern st, P22 (24, 26, 28, 30, 32) / 20 (22, 24, 26, 28, 30) sts.

Row 2: K 22 (24, 26, 28, 30, 32) / 20 (22, 24, 26, 28, 30) sts, work next 12 sts in pattern st, K 22 (24, 26, 28, 30, 32) / 20 (22, 24, 26, 28, 30) sts.

Continue to work in same manner as back, keeping body sts in stockinette st and panel sts in pattern st, and at the same time inc. 1 st each end of needle every 1/2 inch 5 times, then every 3/4 inch until 90 (94, 96, 98, 104, 106) / 80 (84, 86, 88, 94, 96) sts remain.

Shape sleeve cap as follows: Bind off 6 (6, 6, 7, 7, 7) / 5 (5, 5, 6, 6, 6) sts at the beginning of the next two rows (once each side.) Bind off 4 sts at beginning of next two rows (once each side.) Bind off remaining sts.

BAND: On small needles cast on 11 (11, 11, 11, 11, 11) / 9 (9, 9, 9, 9, 9) sts and work in rib of K1, P1. Work 1/2 inch, then form first buttonhole: k1, p1, k1, bind off 5 (5, 5, 5, 5, 5) / 3 (3, 3, 3, 3, 3) sts, k1, p1, k1. On next row cast on 5 (5, 5, 5, 5, 5) / 3 (3, 3, 3, 3, 3) sts above those bound off.

FINISHING: Join seams. Set in sleeves, easing any excess fullness through shoulder line. Sew on band. Block to size and sew in shoulder pads, if desired for vintage look. Sew on buttons.

Vintage Patterns part 2 - Pixie Hat

Here's the second in a series of fabulous vintage patterns. Here's a 1946 baby hat pattern that I've adapted - complete with cute little spaceman antenna! I haven't knit this yet, so if you do, please let me know how it works out. This was figured using the excellent database of vintage yarns - kudos to vintageknits.com!

Red Riding Hood Pixie Hat

Sizes: Infant (1 year, 3-4 years.)

Materials - 1 ball sportweight yarn, (2 balls sportweight yarn, l ball worsted weight yarn.)

Sport weight yarn = the original, Bucilla Baby Zephyr 3-fold, had 170 yds/oz. A good substitution would be Dale Baby Ull, with a gauge of approximately 30 stitches to the inch on size 3 needles. (This is a GUESS at intended gauge - none was specified! as soon as I can test this I'll be glad to knit this up and publish the results.)

Worsted weight yarn = the original, Bear Brand Bucilla standard knitting worsted, had 270 yards to 4 oz. This is slightly lighter than most worsted weight yarns (but not all) and slightly heavier than most (but not all) DK weight yarns. A good substitution would be RYC Cashsoft DK, with a gauge of 26 stitches to the inch on size 5 needles. (This is a GUESS at intended gauge - none was specified! as soon as I can test this I'll be glad to knit this up and publish the results.)

Bucilla White Knitting Needles, 1 pr size 3 (4, 5) needles.

Cast on 98 sts. Work in K2, P2 ribbing for 4 rows. Begin pattern stitch: 1st row: K6, p2, *k2, p2;repeat from * to last 6 sts, k6. 2nd row: P6, work ribbing to last 6 sts, p6. 3rd row: Same as row 1. 4th row: K8, work ribbing to last 8 sts, k8. 5th row: P8, work ribbing to last 8 sts, p8. 6th row: Same as row 4. 7th row: K10, work ribbing to last 10 sts, k10. 8th row: P10, work ribbing to last 10 sts, p10. 9th row: Same as row 7. 10th row: K12, work ribbing to last 12 sts, k12. 11th row: P12, work ribbing to last 12 sts, p12. 12th row: Same as row 10. 13th row: K14, work ribbing to last 14 sts, k14. 14th row: P14, work ribbing to last 14 sts, p14. 15th row: Same as row 13. 16th row: K16, work ribbing to last 16 sts, k16. 17th row: P16, work ribbing to last 16 sts, p16. 18th row: Same as row 16. Continue inthis way to work 2 sts more in the crosswise ridgesat beginning and end, and 2 sts less in the vertical ribs in the center, until only the center vertical rib of 2 sts remains. K1 row plain and break off, leaving an 18 in. end for weaving. Place 49 sts on each of the 2 needles, beginning at center and working from right side of last row, weave all sts together. This is center of back.

Neck band - Cast on 10 sts, work ribbing of k1, p1 for 26 (26, 28) inches. Bind off. Block neck band before sewing on, stretching 4 inches in length to a total of 30 (30, 32) inches.

Finishing - Baste 10 (10, 12) center inches of neck band to lower edge of cap and sew on neatly, leaving ends of band free to tie.

Copyright 1944 in USA and Canada, Bernhard Ulmann Co., Inc.

Gentle reader, I'm pleased to share with you a mess of vintage patterns I've recently acquired. Here's the first of what hopefully will be many posted patterns - a lovely 1940s cardigan. Enjoy!

All-Purpose Cardigan from Sweater Classics for Knitters Vol. 16 (1943)

"Just what the name implies! Wear it with anything… anywhere… anytime… it is distinctive… right… decidedly smart!"

Gauge after blocking: 19 sts = 4 inches

Materials: Sizes 6 and 8 needles (OR CORRECT SIZE TO OBTAIN GAUGE - very important!

Yarn: he pattern calls for 5 skeins of Bear Brand or Fleisher's "Special Knitting Worsted", which translates to about 270 yards per 100 g skein. This weight is slightly lighter than most, but not all, modern worsted, and slightly heavier than most, but not all, modern DK. Yarns that approach 270 yards/100g include: - Filatura di Crosa 501 - Jaeger Extra Fine Merino DK - Knit Picks Merino Style - RYC Cashsoft DK Measurements - Bust - 34" (36", 38") Keep in mind that (a) sweaters were designed to hug the body and (b) people wore girdles and all sorts of other support garments, so these account for a smaller waist than might otherwise be the case in modern-day sizing. Back: With size 6 needles, cast on 73 (77, 81) sts. Work in K1, P1 ribbing for 8" (8 1/4", 8 1/2"). Change to size 8 needles and begin pattern stitch: Row 1: P1, *k1, p1; repeat from * to end. Row 2: K1, *p1, k1; repeat from * to end. Repeat these two rows of ribbing for 4 inches, ending with row 2.

Bind off 4 sts at beginning of each of next 2 rows for underarm. Dec 1 st ea side every 2nd row 4 times, taking care to keep pattern st = 57 (61, 65) sts. Work even until piece measures 12" (13 3/4", 15 3/4".)

Bind off 2 (4, 6) sts at beginning of each of next 2 rows. Bind off 4 sts at beginning of next 8 rows. Bind off remaining 21 sts.

Right Front: With size 6 needles, cast on 41 (45, 49) sts. Work same as back up to armhole for 8" (8 1/4", 8 1/2"), ending with 2nd pattern row at underarm edge. Bind off 6 sts at beginning of next row for underarm. Dec 1 st at armhole edge every 2nd row 6 times - 29 (33, 37) sts. Work even until piece measures 13 1/4" (13 3/4", 14 1/4".) Bind off 4 (6, 8) sts at beginning of next row for neck. Dec 1 st at neck edge every 2nd row 7 times, shaping shoulder as on back when armhole is same length as back armhole.

Left Front: Work as right front up to underarm, ending with first pattern row on underarm edge. Finish to correspond to right front, shaping armhole, neck and shoulder at opposite sides.

Sleeves: With size 6 needles, cast on 37 sts for cuff. Work ribbing for 2 inches, ending with 2nd row. Change to size 8 needles. Working pattern, inc 1 st each side every 1 1/4" (1", 1") 10 (12, 14) times = 57 (61, 65) sts. Work even until cuff measures 14 3/4" (15", 15".) Bind off 5 sts at beginning of each of next 2 rows for underarm. Dec 1 st at each side every 2nd row 7 times - 33 (37, 41) sts. Work even until total sleeve measures 18 1/4" (18 3/4", 19".) Dec 1 st at each side of next row, then dec 1 st at each side every 2nd row twice. Bind off 2 sts at beginning of next 4 rows; then 3 sts at beginning of next 2 rows = 13 (17, 21) sts. Bind remaining sts off.

Finishing: Sew seams. Sew in sleeves with sleeve seam at center underarm and extra fullness held in across top of armhole.

Buttonhole band: Join yarn at lower corner of right front edge. Work 69 (70, 71) sc on front edge, 1 sc at corner, continue sc around neck edge, holding in to desired size, working around and down left front edge to correspond. Second row - working back, ch1, turn, working in front loop only' 1 sc in each of 70 (71, 72) sts on left front edge. Repeat 2nd row twice. Fasten off. Join yarn at right corner of neck. Work 2nd row on right front as on left side. 3rd row - ch 1, turn, working in front loop only; 1 sc in each of first 2 (3, 4) sts. *Ch 2 for buttonhole, skip next 2 sts, 1 sc in each of next 11 sts; repeat from * 5 times, end last repeat 1 sc in last st. 4th row - same as 2nd row. 5th row - Ch 1, turn, working in front loop only; 1 sc in each st on right front, neck edge, and left front, working 2 sc at cornersl 4 sc on lower edge of left front band. Fasten off. Work 4 sc on lower edge of right front band to correspond.

Steam lightly & sew on 6 buttons. For most authentic 40s look, use light shoulder pads.

amazing lace resource

I don't know exactly when this happened, but this is a lovely resource on lace knitting - the relics of a symposium that took place earlier this month. I especially like the deconstruction of lace patterns. Enjoy!

Knit Goddess worship

Have you gone on over to Eunny Jang's excellent blog recently? Ms. Jang has topped her own amazing lace tutorial (which topped her amazing steek tutorial) by commencing to write a regular advice column for sticky knitting issues. That's right, the reigning knit-mistress of many a difficult technical issue will now answer your toughest questions, pretty much daily. How sweet is that people?

Mmmmm, artyarns.

Here's the latest WIP - in Artyarns Silk Rhapsody, which is sooooo appealing: More to come!

Charm City part two - yarn, yarn and more yarn:

I came back from Baltimore with serious booty, people, booty of the pirate variety (that is, if pirates could knit.) Here's a sampling of the tastiness I picked up in Maryland: First, the luscious roving in the bottom of the pic. The natural is Corriedale curls; the brilliant orange is blue-faced Leicester and Cotswold. It's ridiculous - I can't spin, and I bought only a tiny amount of each - but I was so drawn to these that I decided I would determinedly figure out how to make a shawl or two with great curly locks as fringe. The grey is some wonderfully lustrous Mountain Shepherdess yarn from Coburn Creek Farm & Pottery in West Virginia. And the blue mohair was a thrift store score at 50 cents a ball! Best of all, in the center, is this extraordinary 100% kid mohair fingering weight from Brooks Farm. I didn't realize until it was too late that this might be a yarn worth stocking up on. It's extraordinary stuff, all of it, and much more is available at the shows than is available on their website. In other yarn acquisitions, I've made some nice trades lately - including this gorgeous Koigu: There's more of that (in a crazy bright color) that you'll be seeing when I show off my half completed sock! And here's some lovely Noro, which I am going to make into a mitered bag: Thank goodness for Knitty!

Greetings from Charm City, part one - the fun

...Baltimore! Yes, fabulous, genteel, skeezy Baltimore, home of Edgar Allen Poe and Divine and the fried soft shell crab sandwich. I spent a wonderful weekend in Charm City with four of my oldest and closest friends. It was a blast - and here's the evidence of a late-night toast to our arrival by the world's most fantastic host, LaddieO: Yes, Maria, Aushra, Laddie and I all make those faces when someone points a camera at us. Baltimore is indeed Charm City, but its charms are somewhat dilapidated and blowsy - like a somewhat plain but decidedly vivacious floozy. It's no wonder that this is the home of John Waters. Everywhere we went, it felt as if we were in the center of Polyester - the little row houses, the sense of vague criminality, the cuteness and horror of it all. We stayed in Pigtown, where we encountered both wonderful things (grafitti that declared "Fat Chicks Rock", lovingly restored townhouses) and, late at night, the sound of semi-automatic gunfire in the darkness. We had only a sampling of what Baltimore has to offer, but what we did catch was great. Nothing quite made our day like catching the Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race - which we were lucky enough to do last Saturday. Sponsored by the amazing American Visionary Art Museum - one of the finest museums I have ever had the pleasure to visit - the race pits amphibious, man-powered vehicles against each other on a course that includes an obstacle course, a water segment in the harbor, and several damn steep hills. Here are a few pics of our own: After the race, we headed on down to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. All I can say is that it was paradise for yarn freaks and knittyheads. Imagine, if you will, a state fair type environs but devoted entirely to yarn and the beasties it comes from: It came as a bit of a shock to all of us that such a thing even existed. (I suppose none of us quite knew what to expect when we went.) But Maria caught yarn fever and started knitting over the weekend. One of us! One of us! - ahem. Another convert to my dearest addiction. It lends a new understanding to my fiber-lust, knowing where the yarn ultimately comes from, being close to the animals and even to bags and bags of fleece (witness Maria, above, encountering roving for the first time.) Here's Maria and Aushra, taking turns holding a wee baby lamb: They are so outrageously cute that they make you want to run home and put sheep in the backyard. We wouldn't have to mow the lawn then, would we now? The next day, after what seemed like several thousand pounds of food (including remarkably fresh sushi, several ill-fated live crabs, and the most amazing grits with marscapone and bacon at a place named Miss Shirley's), we headed over to our friend Michelle's art exhibit at the Garrett family manse. Michelle's piece was really fantastic - incorporating a set of rubber bulbs, bird call reeds, and gramophone horns into a pair of gorgeous wallpapered duck blinds. Here's Laddie and Amy enjoying the quack of it all: Here's a lovely pic of the bunch of us in front of Michelle's piece: Tomorrow: on to the good stuff - yarn porn a g0-g0!

kestrels

The kestrels are back in our neighborhood again. Last year they nested on our roof - a location which, given that we live in the inner city, is not as likely as you might think. Every morning at about 6 AM, we awoke to the sight and sounds of two beautiful hawks. ( Usually the sight and sound of them dismembering a squirrel. If you haven't seen a raptor tear at its prey before you've had your morning coffee, you've missed a treat.) Despite the scary morning show, we loved the urban Wild Kingdom aspects of sharing the yard with these gorgeous creatures. The swooping, the cawing (the unmistakeable hawk-like cawing), the refreshing absence of squirrels in the garden - we loved every minute of it. They only stayed for a little while, but now they're back, two trees over, just a little ways down the street. Their cries still wake me up - just no carnage-o-vision. I'm so pleased that something very wild can live in this place, shaking up the usual mix of rats and pigeons and squirrels. I'll try to post pictures if I can capture the speedy little buggers. In other fauna sightings, the other day Mr. Man and I saw a giant crow eating a rat in the middle of the road. Is that a bad omen or what?

Finished Object: Ella

I finally finished it! It took me two weeks to block it, only because I didn't want to stop wearing long enough to block it: Pattern: Ella (from Knitty) Yarn: Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb in Gold Hill Needles: size 10.5 circular, 29" Yardage: Approximately 630 yards (3 1/4 skeins) Gauge: 4.5 sts/inch Modifications: used a worsted weight instead of DK weight yarn It's a bit of a blanket, but I'm proud of it all the same. The pattern is just beautiful... I love it so and it is soft soft soft!

Sex and yarn and rock and roll

It's time for Flash Your Stash 2006! Before we go straight to the good stuff, a special announcement: CLICK ON EACH PHOTO FOR A JUMBO SCREEN-SAVER SIZED PIC! The detail is MUCH better in the biggies than in the thumbnails. So enjoy. Now, without further ado, uncensored, for your viewing pleasure, LIVE! NUDE! YARN!!! First, the newest addition to my stash, and way up there on the Sexy-O-Meter - a mess of Manos. I just got nine skeins in the Bramble colorway. Ready and waiting for be turned into hot hot yarncake! And now for some exotic goodies from far-off Los Angeles - delicious, nutritious Suss Cotton Twisted. This stuff is so obscure that it's not even on Suss's website - but is it hot hot hot! Dig the mossy green and pool blue strands twisted together - and check out that thick-on-thin action people! More Suss - technically not in my stash, but visiting while I swatch it for the store - gorgeous Coolaid and crazy-wacky-hairy Twist. So colorful, it's YARN GONE WILD!: Here's a gorgeous strawberry treat, in the form of Farmhouse Yarns' Summer Silk Spun Cotton. It doesn't get any yarnier than this! It's a cotton/silk blend (as I suppose the name implies) that's soft as butter and a pleasure to work with. If you look very very closely, you'll see little tweedy flecks of all sorts of colors in there: And another recent addition to the stash is this mouth-watering Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Aslan. I'm keeping it apart from the rest of the sock yarn because it's going to make me the loveliest shawl of all time. Aren't those color changes something luscious? They're ready and waiting to make HOT SOCKS! Now here is some primo Fleece Artist shit, people, you have to go to Canada to get your hands on these babies. Fleece Artist, as far as I can tell, is King of Boucle - The real delicious treat is Kiss Curls, a lovely gift from my spectacular SP, Jamie Kate (I love you dahlink!) 86% kid and 14% nylon, with 250 g = 1000 meters. Talk about macro photography - it's thinner than a line in my fingerprint!: This stuff is incredibly thin, but with the most wonderful mohair loop texture - perfect for a rustic shawl. I have 2200 meters in each of two colors: the elegant semi-solid "Ebony" - check out that thin thin strand. So lovely and touchable! Splendid, splendid stuff made by nice people. Run out and buy some (but leave a few hanks for me, okay?) And here's a fine example in their Dreadlocks yarn, the bulky grandaddy of big loops: Here's some Curlylocks, a DK weight mohair/wool/nylon blend that knits like a dream: And then there's more Kiss Curls in the sexy "Mermaid" colorway-dig that funky variegation! - Since we're already into some laceweight, let's go for the goods. First, some photos that have been featured here before (but I couldn't leave them out of the stash!) Here's some lovely lace weight wool (again from my fabulous SP!) from handpaintedyarn.com - 1400 yards total: Here's a mess of laceweight cashmere, salvaged from an old Dalton sweater with mothholes and Kool-Aid dyed: And here's a gorgeous bounty of turquoise Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud, picked out by my SP expressly for the Peacock Shawl: My SP also sent me this beautiful Misti Alpaca laceweight, in a great heathered green and a camel. Good yardage, too! Just dig that hot hot yarn up close and personal. Can you tell I got spoiled or what? Now that we've gotten through the lacy stuff, here's some delicious sock yarn. Here I present to you some hot cat-on-yarn action! Yes, that's right - Live Nude Cats (namely, Floyd) attacking my Regia: And here is Floyd attacking a beautiful self-striping sock yarn, I believe a Schachenmayer print: Then there's this lovely Patons sock yarn (again from the super-SP!), destined to become some kind of fair isle fun: Onward and upward - going further through the stash, my delicious bamboo yarn is soft as silk: Lovely Rowan All Seasons Cotton, ready and waiting to turn into Lucky someday: The delicious yarn CashSoft, in more candy pink - worthy of skivvies (although destined to be a hat): Here's a pile of silky-soft angora from my friend Laura, waiting to be a soft and willing knitted thing: And here's a lovely selection of bits of mohair I have eventual plans for - a stripey scarf? A crazy hat? It's an orgy of colors in the fiber that dare not speak its name! This is some lovely pink brushed alpaca from Plymouth, that's suffered some heavy petting: Alpaca and silk make an Oriental delight! Indiecita Alpaca Boucle - with nubs for your pleasure! It's a lotta alpaca - all soft and fabulous: Then just look at this sweet and innocent Barely Legal Pima Cotton: Wild and crazy candy colors just waiting for your needles of love! Henry's Attic is wonderful stuff. Isn't he a stud? And what's kinkier than a twist? And what would a stash be without trusty Cascade? Pure, uncut 220 - And sexy-licious STRETCH Fixation - perfect for naughty stockings! High class stuff - my leftover Lorna's Lace: And last but not least - a whole mess of Peer Gynt for funkilicious felting: That's all for our peep show! Sex and yarn and rock and roll, people. Peace out.

Fun with Intarsia Part III - It felts! It felts!

Exciting news - intarsia pulling sideways DOES cancel out felting pulling up-down! The image aspect ratio remained nearly the same: I learned something about felting intarsia - if the image is less than two stitches wide, it doesn't show at all. All those delicate one-stitch lines I'd intended to indicate, say, the fold of a petal just made the finished object very indistinct. And in general I think the image should be much larger to catch better detail. So I'm going to need to produce a much larger set of drawings (and perhaps a larger purse!) Another thing I learned - hubby's beard clippers work GREAT for shaving felted swatches. Natch.

Fun With Intarsia, Part II

So a little research into the challenge of felting intarsia has proved interesting so far. Knit stitches are wider than they are tall, and felting shrinks work more from top to bottom than from side to side. But intarsia pulls the work inward from side to side, elongating the image - and making a simple adjustment of the pattern image much more difficult. In an ideal world, the effects of intarsia will cancel out the effect of the felting, leaving the aspect ratio at 1:1. But it doesn't take looking at the President to know that the world is decidedly upside down. The only way to tell is going to be to swatch a pattern sample: This is my first attempt at intarsia. The pattern needs some work - the single stitches I'd intended as fine lines get lost in the pattern (although it's certainly helpful that they're breaking up the work so there aren't any really long stretches of carried yarn - any more than 5 seems terribly problematic, and I know even that is hugely pushing it.) True, it could be a peony... but it could also be a bulbous squid, or an eyeball with tentacles. The yarn is Peer Gynt 100% wool in DK weight on size 8 needles. I want the felted fabric to be extremely dense, possibly with the ability to stand up on its own. And one thing I've learned about intarsia- I'm going to want to knit this sucker in the round.

Fun with Intarsia

The incomparable Eunny Jang recently posted a great swatch of an intarsia "brocade" pattern she whipped up for a jacket. It inspired me to mess around with intarsia myself - hence the beginnings of a felted purse with intarsia peonies! Here are the beginnings of the project - just a sketch to chew on while I knit up and felt a pattern swatch: More tomorrow after I have acheived feltage!

Blog Roundup

Since there's no photo-worthy progress to note, I thought I'd share some of my new faves with you: - The cutest toys ever - along with free patterns! - are at Wee Wonderfuls - dig the adorable sewn bunny that looks like a bowling pin. - How did I not know that this site existed for so long? You Grow Girl is like Gardenweb with an attitude - wonderful and not bought by some corporate giant entity (yet.) - ThriftCraft is a girl after my own heart. Happy Thursday people!

Ella, half of it, blocking (with bonus Zoot)

ellahalf
Originally uploaded by Mme. Bosanquet.

And here she is blocking out - I include this not to show you my slovenly housekeeping or my overweight cat, but to say, it's REALLY FREAKING BIG. That's a queen sized bed that half of it is overwhelming right there. I'm going to have to block it in stages anyway (lest I get a Hugh Hefner-sized bed) so why not satisfy the urge to see it spread out?

Ella continues!

ellahalf1
Originally uploaded by Mme. Bosanquet.

I've got one "wing" of Ella completed - here's the love of my life and the bane of my existence in her full glory. Love is pain, people. That's what Ella says.

Diamond Fantasy is slowly progressing - I've gotten almost through the first repeat and with any luck, I expect to get halfway through another today. It does look much better now that I've ripped it out and knit it again: (pic to come!) But damn, I don't want to do that again. I seem to having some major brain issue involving my ability to count reliably. Yes, I know they cover basic addition in kindergarten, but what can I say? I'm a little slow. Here's what I just agreed to knit next. Stay tuned to watch me go completely blind!

the agony of defeat

The Olympics are closing up shop, and I'm afraid that both my Olympic knitting projects have wiped out on the ice. I tore apart that pretty shawl you see down below, because pretty as it was, it was out of whack. And after I did that, I tore down Ella all the way to the split. I *will* learn to knit lace. I will! I'm going to just keep starting over til it kills me. That's the way poor old Don Knotts would have wanted it, after all. The show must go on! Update: I've cast on again and Ella is waiting patiently for me to start the right extension rows. What was that old Nat King Cole song?

Don't lose your confidence If you slip Be grateful for a pleasant trip And pick yourself up, Dust yourself off And start all over again.

Oy oy oy. But here we go again!

Here's the Sivia Harding Diamond Fantasy shawl, today's progress, plus bonus obese cat: I thought it was going well and my stitch counts were good - only I just started to wonder why I couldn't see these vertical lines: Worry worry worry! Shawls are starting to make me spilkes in my ginektigazoynt.

Lace for the ADHD crowd

Behold the beginnings of the Diamond Fantasy Shawl. I know I shouldn't be worrying yet but I *swear* it isn't coming out quite right. Does this look funny to you? Do these shoes make me look fat? Here's the yarn it's made out of - lovely, luscious YARN PR0NNN!!!!!! Okay, there's some more yarn in there too - also lovely handpainted stuff from my Pal. And here's yet ANOTHER fabulous giftie from her: ...I have the best Secret Pal of all time! Hooray for you, my anonymous friend. Hooray for you.

Yeeargh! It's a skully skullcap!

From the good people at Hello Yarn: How can you not love this hat? You can find the pattern here, for free no less.

Who was that mustachioed man?

So everyone I know who isn't a knitter has been asking me who the hell Kitchener was, and what it means. The short answer is that Kitchener was a British general who encouraged British womenfolk to knit in World War II. And he had an incredible mustache! A classic handlebar jobbie right out of a Terry Gilliam cartoon. You could hang a tire swing off that thing. The long story is that he was both a British hero of the Empire, but also kind of an asshole. He did some good stuff - as Baron of Khartoum, he put a decent government back into place and did quite a bit to help the poor. He also championed freedom of religion for the Sudanese. But in the Boer War, he used some brutal tactics to win - including the "no prisoners" order that led to the famous Breaker Morant case. And he didn't exactly do such a bang-up job of getting Britain out of World War I, either. But damn could he graft the toe on a sock. The "Kitchener Sock," which weirdly enough was promoted personally by Kitchener himself, featured a unique "seamless" toe - hence the name Kitchener Stitch for the grafting that made it possible. Hence the name Kitchener Bitch. I love the Kitchener stitch - it's a nifty little piece of magic where you sew the little hole at the end of a sock up, but your stitches look exactly like normal knitting, so the seam completely disappears. For some reason it's a feared and hated technique - but it's one of those things like baking bread or even knitting itself, where people who haven't yet learned how to do it regard it with a disproportionate sense of awe, as if it were some arcane voodoo maneuver. I'd love to be thought of as an arcane voodoo maneuver. Or as the cranky old beeyotch that loves it. Enough said.

WE ARE MOVING.

The Kerfuffler is moving!That's right, the Kerfuffler is moving to a new name, a new web address, and a new secret identity: that of the Kitchener Bitch. The Kitchener Bitch will be heavier on the knitting and also heavier on the bitch - and I mean that in the best possible way. Knitting, art, movies, politics, the flotsam and jetsam of life... plus funny shit. And obscenity. Because we can. So move it on up with us to http://kitchenerbitch.blogspot.com - we'll be waiting for you.

Ella, redux

Ah yes, what would knitting be without the agony of defeat every now and then? I frogged Ella. Yes, that's right, down to the naked skein. And why? Because it was the year of knitting dangerously. I was working without lifelines. I was drinking a little wine while knitting from time to time. I even brought Ella along to show its pretty self off at a huge, distracting Stitch n' Bitch, where it's impossible to do a 200-line program. And boy did I pay. I paid with approximately 11,000 stitches. (How do I know that exactly? Well, let's just say that an obsessive personality and an Excel spreadsheet can make for a whole new sort of self-torture.) I realized that the whole thing was hopelessly confused. Holes didn't line up, the pretty pattern turned to mush in spots, and my stitch count was way, way off. The only answer was to frog. So frog I did, and then started again. When I got to the same point - the split in the V - where I'd messed up before, I took care to make it work this time. I counted and recounted over and over. But yet, perhaps because I had one eye on the boob tube whilst I put my markers in, or because I was doing it when I was dog tired despite my better judgment, I miscounted. And then I knit ten rows (that's another 1,200 stitches for those of you who are keeping score!) wondering why in the hell the pattern wasn't working exactly right before I realized I had ten extra stitches on one side. It seemed there was no choice but to rip back again. So I thought about that trusty lifeline I'd put in ten rows back- and suddenly I remembered myself, nine rows ago, snarling the lifeline in the row above's stitches. For the first time, I realized with horrible clarity that the lifeline may or may not be of any use at all, since it now traverses two rows instead of preserving just one. I didn't get that it'd be a big deal at the time, but now it was dawning on me in a most unpleasant way. The only thing to do is to frog very, very carefully, and moreover, to turn over a new leaf. I vow, from this point forward, to:

• Always, always, always! use a lifeline when I'm knitting lace,
• Not fuck up said lifeline once I've got the blasted thing in there,
• Learn to count, for heaven's sakes, or in lieu of that, not knit lace when I'm tired, or watching TV, or at a party, or tossing one back with the hubby.

...harumph. Live and learn.

Ella - day 3

So I forgot to take any pictures at yesterday's Stitch N' Bitch (that's right, SFSE, gimme your best shot!) at the Museum of Contemporary Art here in Chicago, but nonetheless a grand time was had by all. Easily 150 knitters came together for the event, which was I believe the 4th to date. Here's the evening's progress with Ella. Can you spot the place I had a glass of wine, and the little holes ceased to line up for a few rows? Don't drink and knit, people: So now the question is - to frog or not to frog? I can't decide if this is an unforgivable sin to commit against such nice nice yarn, or if it's a minor blemish/charming idiosyncracy that I won't think about because I'll be busy sighing with joy for wearing it. What do you think?

Kerfuffler banishes UFOs to the land of wind and ghosts!

So I've finished up a ton of UFOs (unfinished objects in knitting parlance) and I've got the pics to prove it! Here are a few of the projects I've got finished up, and a few more I have on the needles: Here's Marnie MacLean's Nautilus Hat - my first crown-down hat, knit in Knitpicks Elegance from my lovely Knitty secret pal: and here is a Liesel scarf made out of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool. Nice stitch definition, no? I love this stuff! Here is a trio of scarves - on the left is a ribbed scarf for Husbandman in Plymouth Indeicita Alpaca Boucle; in the middle is a Fleece Artist Dreadlocks scarf; and on the right is a seed stitch Cascade Magnum scarf that is impermeable to the elements: And here's a pair of Broadripple socks, made with black Cascade Fixation: So none of this is knitting rocket science, but I don't care - what I care about is my now nearly empty project box. Hooray! Here's what I've got on the needles now - the Knitty Ella shawl, a lovely creature that I'm knitting up in buttery-soft Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb: the first day (and first section): And the second day, on to Section II (which, at halfway through the main section, is enormous): More later as Ella and the stripey socks continue!

Gotta love it...

Gotta love it... and in avatar size:

Become Your Own One-Woman Hat Factory

Okay, so here's my recipe for the world's fastest hat. (Some of you may be saying, it takes mere seconds to put a paper bag on my head - so let me clarify and call it the world's fastest knit hat. 1) Grab a 16" size 13 circular needle and a big old skein of something BIG. I used Cascade's "Magnum" but you could just as easily use Brown Sheep Bulky Spun. 2) Use your favorite method to cast on 48 stitches and join 'em. 3) Rib for an inch or two. Or garter. Or moss. Whatever floats your boat. 4) Just plain knit til the total length is six inches. 5)Put a stitch marker after every eighth stitch. Knit 2 together at the markers every other round for three rounds, then just knit two together all the way up til you have just a few stitches left. (Sorry, bub, you're going to have to switch to double pointed needles.) 6) Tie off by threading the broken yarn end through the stitches - OR knit them into an I-cord and add a tassel - OR knit some little appendage atop your new hat as you see fit. Voila! The three hour hat.

Knitting 1, Harold Lloyd 0

Okay, so I have the attention span of a caffeine-soaked mosquito, but I can't help it. Last night I was exposed to the comic genius (that's the accepted term to refer to it, isn't it?) of Harold Lloyd. We watched Safety Last, The Shy Girl, and a couple of shorts... but I'm ashamed to admit that I absorbed about five percent of it. Why? Blame the seductive lure of the talkies. Blame a girl who just loves a good musical. Blame Plymouth Yarn, dammit, and their alluring "Indeicita Alpaca Boucle"... because I found myself constitutionally incapable of NOT knitting my way through the whole thing. Christmas beckons, after all! And to be fair, I am in deep doo doo in terms of finishing my planned presents. I'll make a big exception for Chaplin here, the Great Mesmer who steals my attention utterly. But for me the great appeal of movies starts five minutes after the release of the unfortunately racist milestone The Jazz Singer. I say it doesn't start *with* The Jazz Singer, because the REAL interest in Hollywood history comes when everybody starts trying to imitate it. The entire 1930s is an orgy of crunchy movie goodness - born of the ugly hag that Jazz Singer has become, but more fresh and wonderful than anything from the silent era. Can I help it that I'm a whore for a good tap dance number? I can't help it... go ahead and fall off that clock, Lloyd, you can't keep my attention away from the knitting needles.

Hungry? Twitchy? try this...

The picture says it all...

a big welcome to this small blog...

who knows what flotsam and jetsam lurks in the hearts of men? ...the Kerfuffler knows! (Or at least the Kerfuffler is willing to take a stab at illustrating said flotsam, now and again.) it's my new blog - bringing you the infintesimal writ large, and the random obsessed upon in minute detail. Stay tuned! Some small hullabaloo to follow... K.

Environmentally friendly paint roundup

I thought I'd kick off the blog by sharing my adventures in finding low-VOC interior paint that won't kill off the cats or poke holes in the ozone! As much as that doesn't seem like too tall of an order, you'd be surprised. The verdict? Low- or no-VOC paints are out there - and they're even nice products. But don't ask for it at a big box... even if they do have it, either they don't know they've got it, or they'd actively rather have you fuck up the environment. (Those bastards.) In case you haven't heard of it, VOCs or "volatile organic compounds" are potentially dangerous chemicals found mostly in paints and stains, but also in building materials like plywoods bound with formaldehyde based glues. VOCs leach into the atmosphere when they dry, or, in some cases, for years after application - meaning that your newly painted room could be ever so slightly poisonous for the entire time you live in your house. This nasty little tendency makes for serious indoor and outdoor air pollution and degrade the ozone layer. VOCs in paints and varnishes also seriously mess with people who have asthma or other respiratory issues. Many of the long-term effects of exposure aren't even fully researched yet. (Yes, it's horrible, you may be saying, but you can get cancer from colored toilet paper, so why worry about every little exposure to God knows what? Well, my theory is that if you get enough of this stuff that you can't control, you might as well get rid of what you can.) Here's a brief roundup of my trips to various Chicago retailers in search of low-VOC paint: 1) Sherwin Williams. The paint: Duration (low-VOC, fancy-pants luxury paint - the replacement for S/W's "Cashmere" top-o'-the-line stuff. The shopping experience: The good news? Sherwin Williams was the only retailer who, upon hearing my request for "Low VOC" paints, did not behave as if I'd asked them to sew on a second head, or provide me with a brew of ground gophers and beer. The employees (who were all about fourteen) all knew what VOCs were, and indeed seemed to even have a clue about why I might not want a lot of them. They knew their stuff. The bad news? At thirty bucks a gallon, baby, you'd best be getting good service from the counter monkeys. Upon leaving the store, my sense of eco-righteousness was engulfed almost immediately by a pervasive sense of financial doom. The low-down on the paint: I used Duration, so I can't comment on the performance of Harmony. Duration performed beautifully. On opening the can, I barely needed to gasp for air! The coverage was great - a single gallon got through my small room despite some serious nasty popcorning to go over - and the color is beautiful, with no chalkiness at all even despite a flat/eggshell finish. If your pockets are stuffed with unmarked bills, or if you have a nephew who's flipping paint cans at S/W, I recommend them first. 2) Olympic Paint. The paint: Olympic Low-VOC, Low-Odor formula, available at Lowes and probably elsewhere too (I'm a bad fake journalist. I have no idea where!) The shopping experience: On phoning the paint department at Lowe's, I was told, "Ooh, we don't have ANY paint like that" and then finally "I don't think they make that any more." Yet there it was in the aisles... another case of Big Box Brain Damage, clearly, which seems to be rampant among underpaid employees everywhere. The price was right, though, making it almost worthwhile to wreck the small business economy while saving the environment! At just $18 a gallon, it had the S/W paint beat. The low-down on the paint: Okay, so it was a little thin. In fact, I would say that while the per-gallon cost was lower than anything else, the per-job price would actually end up being higher as the entire room needed a second coat (not just a spot-check.) What a PITA! The color also seemed a little raw - very bright, without a lot of the depth I expected after using the other paints. It's very much a spec-grade finish - recommended if you're doing it up in Navajo White, but not necessarily all that fabulous for fancypants colors or showplace rooms. 3. Benjamin Moore Accolade paint. The paint: Good stuff, Maynard, and the price shows it. At $25 a gallon, it had better be good. The shopping experience: The paint was bought at a local contractors' paint store (Sappano's Hi-Grade on Addison & Elston, for those of you in Chicago), and by far it was the best store experience (at least for someone used to being the only girl surrounded by contractors.) Asking nicely got the contractor discount. Asking for low-VOC produced a raised eyebrow- it is not, after all, yet MANLY to not pollute - but as soon as I said the word "LEED" all was well and the paint was swiftly produced. The low-down on the paint: Performed beautifully, with great coverage and with a lovely sheen. A little better even than the Sherwin Williams paint. The "cons"? Money money money money, baby. You'd better be willing to shell out the big bucks for this stuff. Inexplicably give a flying crap about paint? Let us know and we'll publish your results!