I had so much fun at Sock School with Jamie Mayfield and Sue Vunesky at Yarnbyrds in Columbus the last four days. The photo must have been a taken in a serious moment, but most of the three days we were laughing our heads off. I did daring, awesome things I'd never done before like the deep heel and the suicide heel on the first day. I even dared to do Kitchener without two straight needles and from the right side. I made lace and beaded lace, ribbed cables and a thumb gusset the second day. On the third day Jamie showed me the mistakes I was making with my ribber and I made a perfect hybrid selvedge on a 1x1 rib sock top. Now all I need to do is practice, practice and practice some more.
Tuesday, August 6, 2024
Thursday, May 2, 2024
Design Workshop
I'm working on a sweater design workshop intended for members of my local guild. As an exercise we'll design a simple cap-sleeve drop-shoulder sweater.
In other words, draw two rectangles, assign body measurements plus ease, apply specs for yarn, color, pattern, stitches and carve out a neckline. Sew up the seams, maybe add trims, and Bob's your uncle!
I'll have to knit up a garment using this design. When I do, I'll add the photo to this page.
As my research I have looked up lots of published patterns of this type. Here's a list.
Free Patterns:
https://eweewe.com/collections/sweater-patterns/products/temperature-tee-free-knitting-pattern
https://www.woolandthegang.com/en/products/mary-sweater-free-pattern?taxon_id=1524
https://allergictowool.blogspot.com/2009/11/november-sweater.html
https://www.abc-knitting-patterns.com/1004.html
https://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=7827&cid=17
https://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=5483&cid=17
https://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=6551&cid=17
https://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=6551&cid=17
https://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=2854&cid=17
https://berroco.com/sites/default/files/downloads/patterns/Berroco-Ammi.pdf
https://berroco.com/sites/default/files/downloads/patterns/Berroco-Lonicera.pdf
https://berroco.com/sites/default/files/downloads/patterns/Berroco-Vincas-v2.pdf
https://berroco.com/sites/default/files/downloads/patterns/Berroco-Solidago.pdf
https://berroco.com/sites/default/files/downloads/patterns/Berroco-Iras-v2.pdf
https://berroco.com/sites/default/files/downloads/patterns/Berroco-Marsh-v4.pdf
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/5132/1403/files/PAK0140-025954M.pdf?_gl=1*1cvbfv6*_ga*MTg5MjYxNTEzNi4xNzE0NTE4NzEz*_ga_FNZYKNERBS*MTcxNDUxODcxMi4xLjEuMTcxNDUxODc2Mi4xMC4wLjE4OTQzMTUxMjI.*_ga_PXD53EW8L5*MTcxNDUxODcxMy4xLjEuMTcxNDUxODc2My4xMC4xLjk4NzY2MTU3MQ..
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/5132/1403/files/CAK0140-009171M.pdf?_gl=1*gxkvph*_ga*MTg5MjYxNTEzNi4xNzE0NTE4NzEz*_ga_FNZYKNERBS*MTcxNDUxODcxMi4xLjEuMTcxNDUxODg2My41NS4wLjE4OTQzMTUxMjI.*_ga_PXD53EW8L5*MTcxNDUxODcxMy4xLjEuMTcxNDUxODg2NC41My4xLjk4NzY2MTU3MQ..
https://knitting-and-so-on.blogspot.com/2023/06/art-deco-top.html?m=1
https://www.marymaxim.com/collections/knit-free-patterns/products/free-mcinness-cardigan-pattern
https://www.abc-knitting-patterns.com/1042.html
https://www.abc-knitting-patterns.com/1076.html
https://www.abc-knitting-patterns.com/1081.html
https://www.abc-knitting-patterns.com/1087.html
https://www.circuloyarns.com/post/anne-sky-top
https://www.circuloyarns.com/post/top-inlove
https://www.circuloyarns.com/post/juniper-vest
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Dandy sweater
I posted the following to my Facebook account a few days ago.
"I spent yesterday applying my new (and refreshed) knowledge from attending Charlene Shafer's workshop on Design-a-Knit 9 in Peru Indiana Tuesday and Wednesday.
Last year, I had started a project on hand knitting needles and transferred it to the machine, but wasn't happy with the difference in stitch gauge. (Photo 1) Plus I had some difficulty with the arithmetic converting the instructions around the armholes. I finally took it off the machine when I needed to use the machine for another project, and there it has languished.
The pattern was Dandy by Sarah Hatton and called for Kaffe Fassette's Colorscapes yarn. (Photo 2) I'm using Encore Chunky Colorspun and Jojoland Fugue from my stash. Although both these yarns are "chunky" there is a slight difference in weight, so I'm plying in a very thin strand of commercially-spun angora with the Fugue.
Using my old and new DAK skills I created a garment design, then converted the hand-knitting pattern using the provided schematic and the measuring tools in DAK to ensure the right number of stitches would be cast on, and the armhole started at the correct row. (Photo 3). I converted the pattern for my actual stitch gauge with the substituted yarn, and looked at the interactive knitting instructions and they appear to be reasonable. (Photo 4)
Now all that's left is to rip out all my previous work and begin again. Heavy sigh."
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Custom production Knitting
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Ironweed as a Dye Plant
You may have seen tall purple flowers waving in the breeze along the highway. It is a plant called Giant Ironweed (Vernonia Gigantea).
For natural dyeing purpose, there is a large range of colors available from this plant with various mordants and modifiers.
I was surprised by the results.
The first time I dyed with this plant, I used alum mordant and added an iron modifier. After the first skein resulted in a deep charcoal color, I removed the skein, and saw that there was a great deal of pigment left in the dyepot. So I dyed three additional skeins, each resulting in a lighter variation of grey. I used rhubarb leaves (oxalic acid) as a mordant for a couple of skeins.
The second time I dyed with this plant, I used an alum mordant. I cut the flowers off the stems and prepared two dye baths, one with only the purple flowers, and one with the deep green leaves and reddish stems.
But the yarn did not take the red dye (stain?). It looked like spaghetti, with a yellowish cast. I didn't particularly like the color. But I left the yarn in to simmer for an hour.
After an hour, the yarn had taken on a rich, grey-green color.
I wanted to know what would happen with an acidic or basic modifier, so I split the exhaut pot into two and added baking soda to one and vinegar to the other.
When I added the baking soda to the exhaust liquid, the dyebath foamed up and almost overflowed the small pot I had it in. It was a bright green. But the result ended up being a light yellow.
Saturday, September 2, 2023
Polygonum persicarium as a dye plant
The tomatoes in the bottom of the screen will draw your eye, but the plant I am asking you to look at is in front of the tomatoes. I'm showing you the whole photo so that you can see the scale of the whole plant.
It is Polygonum persicarium, also known as Lady's Finger or Lady's Thumb - or Redshank, or Smartweed.
Here's a zoom into the flower.
And here's a zoom into the leaf and stem nodes. You can see why it is called "Redshank."
Fiberarts Guild at Malabar Farm Dye Workshop with alk&me
Kris Jenkins was the instructor for a great full-day workshop at her studio, alk&me, in Northfield Ohio on August 31.
We had six participants scheduled, but unfortunately, two of them cancelled at the very last minute. So we went ahead and dyed their yarn for them.
This was an acid-dye workshop. The skeins we dyed were all sock yarn, 75% wool and 25% nylon from the Knomad yarn company. They only sell wholesale, so you may not have seen their label at your local yarn store, but you may have seen their yarn with labels from indie dyers.
Kris had three pets that were quite at home in the studio.