Carousel Pullover, Knitty Spring + Summer 2014

After waiting not so patiently for months, I feel like I can finally announce one of my favorite things, Spring is Springing! And Knitty.com agrees! Today their new issue went live and we welcome their Spring + Summer 2014 collection which features my design and pattern: Carousel!

A whirling dervish of a knit that is not only worked in the round, Carousel can be worn differently by turning it around and around with a neckline that pirouettes according to your whim.

Worked outwards from a center cast on, Carousel is comprised of 4 cabled panels for the front and back. Once these four panels have grown to the appropriate size, each panel is placed on a holder, and the front and back are joined by uniting the matching pairs. Each of the four parts are again worked in the round to create sleeves, a hem, and a collar any way you spin it.

Perfectly symmetrical when finished, the charts may look complicated but once in the rhythm, Carousel flies off the needles. Lightweight and breezy, this is a merry-go-round of a knit, perfect for warmer days.

A really fun piece to knit, and the color is right on trend for the Spring 2014 season.

Sweater: Carousel Pullover, by Julie LeFrancois, available for free in the Spring + Summer 2014 issue of Knitty.com

• Dress: Condesa Maxi Dress, Anthropologie. No longer available.
• Cuff: Anthropologie. No longer available.
• Shoes: Nine West platform sandals, Similar here

Hothouse Flower. A Collection of Knitwear, Inspired

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I find it is so hard to find knitwear patterns that appeal to my personal style. I don’t think I am in the same camp as most knitters as I really like things that are more bold and fashion-forward. I am certainly not trying to say that knitters aren’t bold, and can’t be fashion forward, but I feel like it is very hard to find patterns where the samples are done in bright, graphic colors. Where is the bright pink? And when I finally find it, why is it so frumpy? Where is the edge? Where is the appeal for a fashionista?

While I am not so interested in reading about Dakota Johnson, while flipping through the pages of my March 2014 Elle magazine, these amazing textural pastels did catch my eye. So much so that I decided to put together a little collection of 12 knitting patterns that I feel are right on-trend with this photo-spread for spring. I think that Elle really nailed this trend. Their marketing copy states

Go strong in spring’s saturated pastel palette-texturally rich pilings of lace, feathers, and fur are in the pink.

Oh my. The colors, THOSE TEXTURES. They leave me wanting more, more, more.

Then, just this morning I got an email from a personal fav, Alice + Oliva, with another spot on look at this spring trend. Less pink, more navy but carried by saturated pastels and rich textures.

In both the Hothouse Flower spread in Elle Magazine, and the email from Alice and Olivia, I think that there is an obscene amount of beauty in the details, specifically the textures. The thoughtful combinations of saturated pastels–who ever knew there was such a thing–feel so right for spring, when we’re all looking for a fresh start. But fewer layers for spring don’t have to leave you flat.

Below is my collection of knitwear patters as a response to this trend I hope will never end. Some of the pieces are more fashion forward–i wish there were more, but they are so hard to din– some more comfortable. But they are all spring minded, playful, textural, but most importantly, they are all things that I want to make.

1. Rasta Neckwarmer by Breean Elyse Miller
2. Doe Hare Sweater by Anna Bell
3. Grenadine Tunic by Michaela Moores
4. Bobble and Stripe Jumper by Emma Wright
5. Mrs. Jekyll & Little Hyde by La Maison Rililie
6. Stonecutter Sweater by Amy Miller
7. Spring Green Cloche by ME! Julie LeFrancois
8. Hydra by Martin Storey
9. Gradient Pullover by Amy Miller
10. Regatta Tee by Olga Casey
11. Santorini by Marie Wallin
12. Cowboy Cowl from Art Fiber Design

Images from Hothouse Flower from Elle Magazine. Image of email from Alice and Olivia.

Lazulum, Knitscene 2014, and a Bias to change …

It is official.

My first pattern– my Lazulum Shell–has been published in Knitscene Spring 2014, on shelves now. My first print magazine, and I could not be more proud!

I received my copy of Knitscene Spring 2014 in the mail on Saturday and I started jumping up and down, squealing with glee. I showed it to my husband and he is happy for me, but I feel like he maybe didn’t quite get it. This is a big deal. Well, to me it is, and really that is all that matters.

This piece was a beast to develop. But the things that are simple are never easy. The Center panel is knit straight with shaping. The side panels are knit on the bias, also with shaping. Here’s the kicker: Your gauge changes when knitting straight versus on the bias.

Just pause for a moment and think about that … This means that there is no physical way to knit this in two pieces (front and back) without extreme and crazy detailed directions for each specific size.

The yarn was also new for me, Filatura Di Crosa Brilla, in radiant Royal Blue. Swatch after swatch, panel after panel I knit, finding trouble. At first I thought it was the yarn that was doing funny things, playing tricks like the clever fox. So I tried with other materials, and the gauge still changed, but not in consistent ways. I knit this tank top 5 different times to work out all of the details of the shaping, the gauges, and the pattern. I worked with Interweave’s wonderful pattern editors, to make sure that it would be a good experience for the knitter.

Diligently, patiently at first, less patient in the middle, fairly frantic, heartbroken, then more patient at the end, I worked. Finally I found the solution. The details flowed like water, instead of trying to battle fire in a drought ridden meadow of summer grass. Long, but simple. The pattern was finished.

Originally this piece was named the Slantwise Shell, which I think is an appropriate name given the development process and as a symbol of how my life has been for the past long while: Nothing easy, nothing is straightforward, and it is going to take a lot of work to create an effortless solution. But like with Lazulum, I got there. I’m getting there.

I’ve been long absent from my blog and things need to change, I need change. So it is time think about things on the bias. Things change on the bias. I have been diligently working–just as hard as I did to create an easy to follow pattern for Lazulum–on making changes to my blog.

I really miss this, the writing, philosophizing, and fashion. I’ve missed posting my creativity, thoughts, knitting, and I’ve missed sewing. I haven’t sewn in almost a year.

Changes are coming, they’re already on their way flying in on a western wind, I feel bias to change. I must, I need to.

This is a big, big moment for me, and I want to embrace it. My first pattern published in print. Wow. I feel honored to have my work included in my favorite knitting magazine. I don’t think that words can articulate just how proud I feel, how lucky. At long last it is here and in beautiful blue, my favorite color!

Studio images © Knitscene/Harper Point Photography

Fashion Friday: Unfurling

Yes, I freely admit that I took the photos for this weeks Fashion Friday over a month ago, but sometimes it is just about getting it done. I took these photos and meant to post them for my Fashion Friday two weeks ago, but that didn’t happen. Then last week it didn’t happen either. I tried, I really, really did, but just had so much going on that it just wasn’t meant to be. We’re starting to get a little more settled into our new home and are still working our butts of to baby-proof the construction areas. We have no boxes left in the house, cluttering up space, but there is still a lot of stuff in the basement and garage that needs to find its proper spot. My “desk” (my computer sitting on top of a bookcase) also still needs to find a “home” and this remains the most daunting of the unpacking tasks that remains. The last few days it has been quite warm out and my happy, flourishing garden has taken notice.  Though, anyone in Northern California this past Monday experienced some super crazy winds, and my new dwarf orange tree, waiting for its permanent planting spot just as the cookbooks wait in the garage for a new little bookcase to arrive in our amazing new kitchen, suffered the worst of the damage of all of my fair little plants. The quite large pot was blown over and it lost its second largest limb. Sadly, I collected it after cutting the remaining threads that attached it to the trunk, and Ramon asked, sadly, “There was no way to put a splint on it?” No, no there was not. I stuck in in a mug by the front window hoping that something will happen and for those sweet smelling little leaves to unfurl, but deep down I know that its fate is die. Such in the opposite trend of the season.

Spring is definitely here! I am knitting away as fast as I can, which just isn’t very fast due to lots of work even with long days. I am really enjoying the very few spring knits that I have made, but I am dying for more. My Rokocella tank-top as a new staple. The furled edges of the beautifully draped neckline in this clever top have constantly searching for more of that yarn to make another, but alas the yarn is unobtainium. Though even with my knitting going slowly I am still trying to get some new things made, and even some things fixed. I brought out my sewing machine this morning to fix the dust ruffle on the baby’s crib, and quickly learned that sewing is something he really, REALLY wants to participate in, and then I experienced his first full blown tantrum when I enforced our “no playing with cords” rule. Sad camper. There will be a time and a place but I need to have a better small spot in the house where he can’t pull on cords for the foot and power, and better place to put the machine than on the dinning room table that we’re trying to sell. I have a non-sewing, non-knitting project I’d like to get underway for next week though. Trying to turn my lemons into lemonade here, which, is something I am constantly doing with the lemons from our still-bursting-with-lemons tree in that beautiful new kitchen.

******

• Top: My hand-knit Rocochella
  
• Pants: Anthropologie, Ombre Flora Crops
• Shoes: Black ballet flats
• Earings: Cost Plus World Market
• Nail Polish: Julep, Joan

Snails

Things have been slow going around here in the creative department. I’ve missed my last to Fashion Friday posts, and I am feeling very overwhelmed about the amount of work on the house that remains to be done. At the very end of the day when I sit down to enjoy a glass of wine, or sleep I just don’t have the energy for, well, anything. In fact, one night in the last week I just watched 45 minutes of TV, and that was it. No knitting, looking at patterns, yarn ball winding, plotting of my next sewing project. Just 45 minutes of mind-melting television. Ugh! What has become of me?

I am exhausted. It’s that simple. Just completely exhausted. Within 3 days over Easter weekend the Little Buckaroo took his first steps, said his first word, got his second tooth, and barfed carrots in the pool at his swimming lesson. He’s only 9 months old, and he is just so busy, and so social that when he is awake—which is pretty much all day—he requires a full time entertainer. I am sure that anyone else in my shoes would be exhausted, too. I am lucky to have a baby that sleeps solid all night long, but when you’re so busy during the day, come 10 pm your energy is depleted too. With the dark cloud of house projects looming overhead, and this feeling of being utterly overwhelmed it is hard to feel the creativity flowing (in between 10:00 pm and 10:15 pm when I fall asleep). In addition to the baby and the house projects there is all of the day to day: dinner to make dinner to make, new hardwood floors to sweep and mop, a sexy black granite counter-top that deserves nothing but the best, laundry, more laundry, crazy cats that also want attention … OH! There is also my first real garden, planted and growing. I seem to be having a pretty serious problem though. The tomato plants I started from seeds are growing beautifully, so are the squash and the water-mellon plants. My new sunflower, carrot, radish and beet seeds are also sprouting. My strawberry plants are already showing signs of life, and my very first home-grown strawberry is almost ripe. I have my blackberry and raspberry bushes planted with trellises. I even have a garden cart that has folding down metal sides and can hold up to 750 lbs, regardless if there is no way to actually pull that much weight. So, what could be the problem? One grosse, slimy word: Snails.

Zucchini, yellow onions, and my huge, blooming sage bush

Snails! Where to they all come from? They’re slow, sticky and I don’t want anything to do with them. Yet, in the time it takes me to go and fetch an instrument of removal they’ve gone 10 feet across my garden, and multiplied. Slow, they’re supposed to be slow. Snails are specifically known for their slowness. They eat your plants and make a huge mess of things and there seems to be no way to get rid of them. I leave out snail bait. I put my plants in undesirable snail areas. I “remove” them when I find them. I feel like I see so many of them that I they are starting to haunt me.

My precious Green Globe artichoke plant, minus all snails for the moment

My current knitting project even has snails on my mind, too. A couple of weeks ago I started the Shell Tank from Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan. I slowly creeped through almost the entire back piece of the top and realized that it just wasn’t going well. I must have measured my gauge 87 times, and everything always came out to 23 stitches per inch, instead of the specified 21. So, why the hell was it so big? I looked at the measurements and decided that my real error was in picking this pattern to begin with. I have a nasty habit of starting a project without reading through the entire pattern first. The pattern is written well, that’s not the problem. It is the sizing. The bust measurement on the smallest size is 36 inches, which would mean over 4 inches of ease on me. While I haven;t taken loads of sewing and fashion classes (yet) I still know that 4 inches of ease in the bust for a garment like this one is just too much. Way too much, in fact. The top is knit from the bottom up, and starts out wider, decreasing towards the bust. So, instead of having waist shaping the top has extra ease for style added in. Well, in the picture with the model it doesn’t look like she has 40 inches of fabric around her 24 inch waist does it. I wanted a flattering tank, not a fattening tank. So, after working on it for a week, well the toads were a-croakin and started leaping over to my snail knitting pace and the back piece was completely frogged (ripped-out). My huge yarn-ball awaiting a new spring or summer knitting project.

That morning during a brief Little Buckaroo napping session, before painting some window trim, and after loading the dishwasher I flipped through my freshly liberated knitting books, delighted to see the light of day after spending 3 1/2 months in moving boxes, and came across Wendy Bernard’s Essential Tank from Custom Knits. Wendy lives in Southern California. I met her at Vogue Knitting Live Los Angeles a year and a half ago. She is a delightful woman and writes delightful patterns, many of which are not only not only appropriate for our California climate but also really suit my personal style. Her books was a go-to for this yarn, as I have just over 800 yards and that is all I will ever be able to get. Upon flipping to the page with the Essential Tank pattern I realized that I really, really wanted to make a tank-top as I just had so much fun with my Rokochella and really wanted to continue in the same spirit. No matter how you slice it, I will not run out of yarn (I truly hope I haven’t just jinxed myself), it’s cute, it’s simple, it is super easy to modify and my gauge was dead on. I never even noticed this pattern before. Done in the round, from the bottom up, shown in a sort of cement color it is a beautiful blank canvas that I overlooked. She has so many cute sweaters this one just didn’t have any pop until I had the right yarn for the project.

I cast on and quickly finished the ribbing, stitches were just flying off my needles. Well, I wanted them to be flying, I even pretended they were, but they were just sort of coming and going. I was excited about the project, the potential! Simple two by two ribbing, so, why did it seem a little slow? Once I got past the ribbing I got to the meat of the project, round after round working my way up to the armholes where then the project would be divided and front and back knit separately. I didn’t feel attached to the beautiful but simple ribbing covering the length of the front of the tank. On Ravelry some other Knitters (with a capital K) replaced this vertical style element with pretty cables or little lace patterns. There has been a pattern in Vogue Knitting Stitctionary 5: Lace Knitting that I have loved forever and have been looking for somewhere to implement this 34 stitch wide, by 24 row high (repeated) beauty: #115 Classic Frost Flowers. In the spirit of spring, and having just completed planting all of my plants and seeds in the garden I thought that embracing frost flowers was a natural progression. I counted my stitches and got my new, wider center panel centered and away I went. The chart was very surprisingly easy to memorize, I changed my decreases and increases for the side shaping to correlate perfectly with the flow of the chart so virtually no thinking was required for completing them yet this super simple tank top, taking oh so little yarn is just dragging on and on and on … After a week and a half I finally reached the level where I divide the front and the back at the armholes.

About 6 weeks ago which was about the time that I bought this yarn at Stitches West, I received an email pertaining to Vogue Knitting Live in Seattle. I noticed quite an increase of Vogue Knitting emails timed around Stitches West. Coincidence? I think not. The particular email that I am recalling made mention of a “Speed Knitting” competition at the Vogue Knitting Live Seattle Event. Oh how this got my heart all aflutter. I think I am a speedy knitting, but I know that I am not speedy compared so some others. I can hold my own with a pair of knitting needles though. Before the baby was born, when I was still knitting English style (2-3 seconds per stitch) I could still complete a sweater in a week. After learning to knit Continental style I only got faster and faster, though I had to work on improving my tension to regain my “machine-knit” look in my work. Currently I can easily knit through 200 yards a day, if I have the time and the energy, and can have knit up to 325 yards in a day, though I must not be disturbed in the process. We’re talking straight stockinette (in the round) or garter (flat).

Hearing about the Speed Knitting competition made my imagination go wild. I told Ramon about it, and interested, he started asking questions, “Does everyone knit the same thing, using the same tools?” I didn’t know, and still don’t, but must assume so. Ramon, almost as wide eyed as myself said it sounded like fun, and maybe I should try to go. I quickly turned down the idea. At the time I didn’t know how, or when the move would go and I have that fabulous Little Buckaroo, in need of a full time entertainer. The trip would be two plane tickets, a hotel, and being gone between 1 and 3 days. It wouldn’t be fair to leave the little guy, or Ramon all alone in charge for who knows how many days, especially after he had worked so hard on our new house, and not knowing what state our living situation would be in or if we would have even moved yet. I told Ramon, “I’d really, really love to. Even if I couldn’t participate, and I doubt I would be competitive, just to see what the other magic needle workers can do. Another time, another year. I am sure that there will be another chance.”

Well, Vogue Knitting Live in Seattle came and went this past weekend. The pictures on their facebook page elude to a lot of fun. I can find no mention of the competition, but I already know that this was not my year to try to participate, especially when the thing that I am knitting on now is going so damn slow! As I knit along at a snails pace, I knew that adding in the lace would add some time, but this seems ridiculous. I thought I was a speedy knitter, but we all need to be humbled sometimes. I just didn’t realize that this was the project to do it.

However, as I am learning, snails aren’t particularly slow. The myth a fallacy, they are speedy little slim-balls, especially when you’re trying to protect your precious artichoke plant. I brought up the snails with my mom the other day, another soul not so interested in theirs. She also commented on their sneaky speed and I told her that I tossed them out left and right, applied the snail bait and there always seem to be more. She replied, “Well, have you seen my fish tank?” It all started with only one snail. No one even knows how it got there, but there was only one and it was removed. Now, there are thousands. No matter how many you pluck out of that tiny fish tank, thousands more pop up in their place.

My tank top may be taking a while but I’m getting their with quantity. The slowness could also have to do with the fact that I am working with sport weight mercerized cotton which requires many my favorite hand lotion—Unicorn Farts—applied liberally at bedtimes. But stitch after stitch it’s getting there. The lace is beautiful, I love it, though I know I will have to wear another tank-top underneath it, and because of the slow going I have noticed that the yarn has a super subtle hit of yellow in it which I could only see after about 10 thousand stitches had been completed. Sleepy, exhausted and overwhelmed by the house projects I approach the tank-top every night. Where originally there was just one ball of weaving yarn, never intended for hand-knitting, I am creating something beautiful from thousands of my stitches. I often think of our house as Humpty Dumpty and we’re putting it back together again, a million little pieces to create one house home. While it may be overwhelming and a lot of work it will be well worth it, just as it will be well worth the continued battle on the slimy mono-peds in my backyard.

Oh my God, if those snails get my very first strawberry though, I am going to go Rambo on their asses.

Coming Up Short

Ooof, I am sick again. No, not another flu, but I have had a stuffy cold since Friday. I guess that is what happens when you get really sick, then never really rest. But when you have a Little Buckaroo that is just super busy, what are you supposed to do? I have been taking cold medicine with pretty good degree of effectiveness, though I feel like I am just suppressing as opposed to really getting better. So yesterday I decided no more “band-aids” to treat my symptoms, the real problem—the cold—needs to be dealt with and go away. Unfortunately with the impending move I really don’t have time to stop, so I guess I’ll just have to get through it.

Then, for the first time, something has happened in Yarnville that I still can’t believe. I am working on a project where I have not just sort of run out of yarn, but really, REALLY run out of yarn. How did this happen?

It is hard to believe that with all of the sweaters, hats, cowls, and everything else that I have knit that I have never really run out of yarn before. Okay, well, it is not exactly true that I have never run out before. But I didn’t lie, exactly. A few times I have come to the end the second sleeve of the beloved sweater of the moment, and Kablammo! One row from the end and I am out of yarn. Well, this doesn’t exactly warrant buying a whole new skein, and chances are that I have another skein lined up and ready to go, it is just a matter of principal. I usually just finish the sweater’s sleeve one row short of the other, and figure no one will ever notice. *Spoiler Alert* no one ever has.

So last week after the worst of my flu had passed, and before getting this nasty cold, I started the super adorable springtime friendly Cara Cara Pullover by Amanda Bell from Knitscene, It was on new stands last year, and I bought the digital edition to save space and paper. And then, of course, then I go and print out the patterns as I want to make them. Why don’t I just buy the physical copy? Well, I guess it is still a lot less paper than buying the whole issue. I looked and I looked for the yarn I wanted for this project. I have been using a lot of KnitPicks Comfy for spring projects. It is super affordable, super soft, and comes in so many colors. The only problem was, I couldn’t find a color for this project in the weight that I needed. The Cara Cara pullover by Amanda Bell should have some weight, and a little drape. It should be warm, friendly and spring-ey. At last I settled on buying the worsted weight version of Knitpicks Comfy, as opposed to the Sport weight, which would have been perfect for the project. I looked carefully at the materials list for the pullover, and for the size that I wanted to make 5 skeins of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece at 215 yards per skein. This comes to a whopping 1075 yards. For a 3/4 length sleeve pullover that seems like a lot, but it is on size 5 needles with sport weight yarn. So I ordered up my 10 skeins, as there are 109 yards per skein, coming to a total of 1099 yards. Perfect, a little extra, but not so much that I will be wasteful.

I was finishing up the body of my Cara Cara pullover and I realized that I was almost out. How could this be? I know I ordered enough!

I have always said that I can do basic math, meaning addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. I prefer the use of a calculator.When I was at the plant nursery over the weekend I was delighted to find Green Globe Artichoke plants. Now, the thing with Artichoke plants is, no matter how much you freaking love artichokes, they just aren’t going to produce artichokes until their second year of life. So, they had plants that were clearly very young, this season. Plants in gallon pots that are about 2 feet in diameter, and plants in 2 gallon pots that are also about 2 feet in diameter but very bushy. I asked the fellow if the ones in the gallon pots were one year old. “How should I know?” he responded. Um, because you work here?

So I went home without a plant. I really want artichokes in my new garden at our new, beautiful house this year. The bigger plants were $25 bucks, and see this is where I prove to you that I do no basic math, the smaller plants were marked $7.50 on each pot, and then there was a sign that said, 2 for $15! Wow, what a steal … um … really? You need a sign to say that the plants cost exactly twice as much for two plants?

After talking with my mom we concluded that the big bushy ones, and the smaller $7.50 or the super steal 2 for $15 plants were both started last year, and the price difference in the two, $17.50 doesn’t necessarily mean that I’ll be getting artichokes growing—and then yummy in my tummy—anytime sooner. So I went back the next day and snatched up one of the few remaining gallon sized plants. The day before there were quite a great deal more, but I think that people were awed by the amazing 2 for $15 deal … just kidding.

While I was wandering around there, as the Buckaroo was thoroughly enjoying his shopping cart outdoor adventure, I came across the bonsai trees.

I have been on a citrus and fruit tree buying blitz. (Don’t worry, by blitz I mean that I have bought two tiny lime trees and one self pollinating Bing cherry tree). So when I came across the Bonsai trees I stopped and had to marvel at their unique beauty. So short, so cute, and so darn easy to kill. Reminds me a lot of Orchids. I started wondering about why the smallest of things usually take the most work. My seedlings look like they’re suffering from the Great Plant Plague  of 2013. If you don’t get the watering and sun just right those sad sprouts just keel right over and whither away. But that is sort of the deal with starting your own plants. You have to plant many, MANY seed to get one viable goodie. That Little Buckaroo of mine, so short, so much work. My projects, with my tiny needles take far longer than something with huge needles, like say, US size 8! (Again, a joke). But I like the fine knits. I like my small needles. I loved my orchids, and I love my little seedlings—mostly the ones that are growing and surviving, and I really, REALLY love that Little Buckaroo, too, and watching him grow every day and learn new things is a rewards that I cannot even begin to describe. And with that, I picked up the bonsai tree. Those seductive blossoms, that trunk, so tiny, but with such an old soul.

With my Cara Cara pullover I felt astounded that I could get so much done in just a week. The entire body after it was divided for the sleeves and the body, I finished in two days! So why was I running out of yarn. Starting the collar I only had two skeins left, and that certainly wasn’t going to be enough for two sleeves a cowl neck/collar and a pocket! Off to the stash! I pulled out my ENTIRE YARN STASH looking for these two missing skeins. I knew I had them, but since I had taken to hiding my yarn in multiple locations over the year they could have wound up just about anywhere. After going through every ball and every scrap of yarn I have I came to the amazing realization that my yarn stash hasn’t grown in the past year, which also means that I’ve been knitting a hell of a lot. But no-where to be found were my missing two skeins. Crapper.

I went to my email, and found my receipts.

Eight.

I ordered Eight. Not ten. I am ready for some humble pie.

I took my total yardage of 1075 and divided that by the number of yards in a skein of Knitpicks Comfy. Here is where the problem occurred. Originally I was dead set on Comfy Sport because it is the right size for the project and wouldn’t make it too bulky, and then I finally settled on a color I love, giving up some of the lightness and picked a worsted weight. Well, the two have different yardages, as they are sold by 50g skein. 50g of a Worsted weight will be less in total length than a “skinnier” sport weight yarn.

Eight times 109 does not equal eight times 137. Double Crapper.

This is a huge mistake, and after thinking about it for a while I am now able to admit that I am surprised it didn’t happen sooner. With longer days and spring quickly approaching I find myself feeling incredibly, lets say, optimistic about the amount of things that I am able to get done, or the things that I want to get done. In my mind I have this whole master plan for my garden at the new house, but if I stop and think for a bit I am able to realize that it is going to take years, and on-top of that it should be FUN to do. I have loads and loads and loads of knitting I want to get done, and I am a pretty speedy knitter, but it should be fun, at the same time. And lets face it, we all make mistakes! The little things take a lot more work, but the pay off can be so great. The let-down of failure, even only partial, can also be devastating though.

Pictured Above is my Cara Cara Pullover so far, with body and cowl completed, and sleeves and pocket still left to go. I am saving what I have left of my yarn, in case I need to stripe in into the sleeves if the die-lot of the new yarn doesn’t match exactly, to hide my yarn miscalculation.

I think that I should look my big yarn miscalculation with my Cara Cara not as coming up short, but as an opportunity to step back and evaluate. How long do I really want those sleeves? How much more do I really need to order? Did I just rush through this entire project and not enjoy it? When I got to the cowl, when I already knew I was going to run, out I took more time. I love seed stitch. It’s rhythmic, beautiful, and delightful to run your fingers across. Yes, it takes quite a long time to do, but I really enjoyed knitting the cowl. Maybe round after round of stockinette—which means just thousands of knit stitches in a row—is pretty darn dull, but I picked this yarn for a reason, for how soft it is, and for the warm gray which makes me smile. So yes, I am short on yarn. I need to place another little Knitpicks order very soon anyway! Now I just need to figure out how I want the sleeves to be on my dear Cara Cara.

My little sprouts aren’t coming up short, they’re doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing: Trying to survive. The best ones will make it, and this is my FIRST TIME starting my own seeds, so I can’t expect perfection. My first scarf has mistakes, and my first *little* garden will, too. That is how it will grow, learning from what works and what doesn’t.

As for the Little Buckaroo? I really feel like I am not coming up short with him these days. I feel happy and focused on raising him. I feel that my much-needed break a week and a half ago, which turned into the flu, was just the right dose of medicine, and reality. Getting to take a step back and just watch made me really happy. And he’s not coming up short. He just is short, but really, really cute.

And what about the Bonsai? If I over extend myself with my projects and my gardening too much it is not going to be just my yarn yardage and my sprouts that come up short, but I will, too.

So, don’t worry, I put the bonsai back.

Fashion Friday: Meyer Lemons & Cheddar

Well, Spring may not be Sprining as much as I had previously mentioned. Don’t get me wrong, it is still springing, but we still have some winter left to weather. Last Sunday I was sick as a dog, and missed my second day of attending Stitches West. I got a terrible stomach flu, despite my receiving a flu shot last September. Thank goodness Ramon had already planned on spending the entire weekend at home to take care of the Little Buckaroo, because even though I was supposed to go to Stitches for a Yarn-tastic weekend, I was in no shape for anything but sleeping in bed come Sunday morning, especially not running after the little guy.  Crappy to be sick, but it really couldn’t come at a more convenient time regarding the remodel of the house and Ramon’s schedule. (I use the term “convenient” here not to indicate that getting the flu was good in any way. It was bad, yucky, and grosse). I remember hearing about the flu epidemic spreading a few weeks ago, and felt good that the Little Buckaroo and I had our flu shots. Oh well. When life gives you lemons! Speaking of lemons, our new Meyer lemon tree at our new house is EXPLODING with lemons. What do you do with so many lemons?

About a year ago I found a yard of French terrycloth at Harts Fabric in Santa Cruz. I bought it to make something for the baby in my belly, or at least his nursery, but after a year had passed I decided that this piece needed to be stash-busted and I turned it into a One-Yard-Wonder. The name on the tag, still attached to the remnant piece I picked up: Cheddar. Now, I am not much of a yellow-wearing-gal, but every color has it’s time and place. Even longer than a year ago I bought Butterick Pattern 5332 for this cute little swing coat. I recently found some Linen that was sort of a mustard, but it had a little too much green in it. And just a little too much green in a yellow shade goes a long way. I really wanted to make this little coat out of linen for spring, but when I came across the mustard colored linen, I remembered my Cheddar and an Edison-esque light bulb went on in my head. That color was perfect for what I was trying to do. The yardage requirements for the pattern specify 1 3/8th yards. Pooper. I only have a yard. How am I going to make this work.

After a lot of thought I realized that I didn’t really want a “coat.” I wanted a sweatshirt. After seeing the super-cute J.Crew Poppover sweater on MyFancyPants.com (a fabulous style blog by a super cute woman named Rosalyn), I thought I should alter my Butterick pattern to still have the adorable four button closure at the top, but have a solid piece for the rest of the bodice. From there I made some other modifications.

• Modified the front to  have the 4 button closure (yoke) while the rest of the sweatshirt front became only one piece (mentioned just above).
• Changed the back to have a seam going up the center to a back yoke
• I drafted a back-yoke to match the should seams for the front and front yoke. The original pattern had a back facing which you stitch down from the outside, but the seaming doesn’t actually line-up with the front. Odd.
• Drafted an entirely new sleeve, albiet a very basic one. A full length, straigh sleeve, without any gathering at the top, or bottom. Just a good, plain, basic sleeve.
• I shortened the torso pattern by 1/2 an inch, sort of a default move for me being such a shortie
• I also brought in the waist by 2 inches in overall circumference so it would actually have some shaping. I didn’t want a sack.

Popover Sweatshirt: Handmade from Butterick Pattern 5332
Striped Shirt: Express, Old
Jeans: Black Denim, Gap, Old
Shoes: Red Velvet Pumps, Old

I spent one evening working on all of my pattern alterations, and drafting new yoke pieces for the back, and facing & interfacing pieces all around. I spent another evening very carefully laying out my new pattern on my one-little-yard of chedder-y goodness, and then cutting the pieces.

I spent one more evening sewing, stopping only when I got to the buttons and button-holes, as I didn’t have any buttons. I loved the big metal buttons on the J. Crew Popover, so I headed out into the world to see what I could find. I found the ancient buttons, that had been in the boutique I went to for more than 30 years. They’re brass. How nifty. I just love them. This pattern wasn’t intended to be made with knit-fabric, and I imagine that without care the fabric would shrink over time. I felt quite unsure about putting brass buttons on something meant to go into the washing, but I just LOVED them. Big, bubbly, perfect for my cheddar popover. To justify them working, I figured that if I am washing them on gentle, with cold water the garment will stick-around longer. Maybe they’re not the perfect material, but they’re just perfect for my project. When life gives you lemons … Okay, yes, I picked them out, so life didn’t really “give me lemons,” it gave me cheddar!

So, really now, what do you do with so many lemons? I mean, this tree is just exploding. At the same time that I was working on my dairy-color inspired poppover, Ramon brought home a couple of meyer lemons from our tree at the new house, in a romantic gesture, and in an effort to cheer me up from the stress of the remodel. I found a wonderful recipe for Meyer Lemon Cheesecake, and a seperate recipe for gluten-free graham crackers on a cute blog called: Gluten Free Girl. Comfort food never tasted so good as when you eat it while wearing a sweatshirt you made, and love, with buttons that you love even more.

I finished this project last week before getting sick. This week I have been to sluggish for much of anything, hence no posting until today. Perhaps eating cheesecake for lunch last week—more than once, but I’m not telling how many times—didn’t help with my overall health. But, in my defense, it was colder out than when Spring was Springing, and sometimes you need a little pick-me-up, or even a popover to keep your spirits up during these colder winter months.

I’d like to go back and add two welt pockets, diagonally, to the front. After walking to the park with the Little Buckaroo for swinging-time, I felt that with the chill in the air I could really have used a little pocket. Ironically, I realized this while walking directly under the bursting branches of a citrus tree. I won’t be adding them now. I think that my knitwear sewing skills could use some improvement before doing a welt pocket. In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy those beautiful brass buttons, and probably another Meyer Lemon Cheesecake with the same, amazing gluten free graham cracker crust.

Here is the recipe for the Meyer Lemon Cheesecake, reposed from Food52, a wonderful foodie site.

Meyer lemon cheesecake filling, by Lucy Mercer

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a mixing bowl, place cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the sugar and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Add 1/2 of the zest to the cheesecake batter, reserving the remainder. Add all of the juice and the extracts to the batter, and continue to mix. Pour batter into prepared crumb crust. Place pan on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until cake is just set in center. Remove cake from oven but do not turn off oven.
4. Whisk together sour cream, 1 tablespoon sugar and remaining lemon zest. Spoon mixture onto the cheesecake and spread with an offset spatula or knife. Return the cake to the oven and bake for 10 additional minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and let cool to room temperature. Store cheesecake, well-wrapped in refrigerator.

Spring is Springing. Part 3: Fashion Friday

I started my very first plants ever, and also of this specific season last Friday afternoon. My tomato seeds, and bell peppers, and a few others that I thought I’d get in early so I can have some early in the season, then start some more later. I am very, very, very excited about getting to have my first real garden at our new house. Now, if only we lived there, instead of just remodeling it!

The first to sprout for my new garden? A Brussels Sprout, of course! See, I am telling you, and that silly old Groundhog ALREADY told you, Spring is SPRINGING!

Today turned into an extremely busy day. EXTREMELY BUSY, but come hell or high-water, I wanted to get my Fashion Friday post in. While out doing our many errands in my counties, I looked down and noticed the thermostat was up over 70°F for the entire time we were out. Of course, they say on the radio that this beautiful spring weather will only last one more day, then the cold will return, but my plants, cats, baby, husband and I are all loving it while it lasts.

I received an email from Target last last week with a super cute skirt with a very on-trend print, but it also felt a little McQueen’s Plato’s Atlantis to me, then I realized that the “color” is called Black Sheep. It was meant for me! I snatched one up, as I am learning my lesson about just buying the cute thing from Target before it goes missing. By the way, word on the street is Target just threw all of the Holiday Neiman Marcus + Target line away, because the designers didn’t want to their items to be in “discount” stores. Ugh, what a shame!

Again, almost every single pair of my shoes have already moved to the new house, so I have had to re-fry. It is not because I have no imagination! I just have no shoes.

Coat: Marc JacobsCowl: Cowl Beach, My handknit sample from the pattern that I created
Blouse: Kenneth Cole, Silk. Sold Out. Similar Here.
Skirt: Target, Mossimo Women’s Zipper Pencil Skirt – Black Sheep.
Shoes: Lamb, Rosebury

While I was snatching up my skirt, I found this cute little peplum top at the same time, so here is look No. 2 with the same skirt.

Earings:
Top: Target, Xhilaration Juniors Peplum Lace Top.
Skirt: Target, Mossimo Women’s Zipper Pencil Skirt – Black Sheep.
Shoes: Nine West

Spring is Springing. Part 1: Cowell Beach Beret

Buy The Cowell Beach Beret Knitting Pattern for $4.00 US

I do believe that that silly old groundhog was right this year. Yesterday I woke up and Ramon and the windows in the kitchen open. Light was pouring in and the birds were chirping. Holy cow, it is already spring. Then, I stepped outside to put my basil plant on the table for some of this lovely weather, and boom, 45°F.

Okay, so it’s not quite spring yet, but I do tell you, Spring is Springing out there!

Back when I created Cowl Beach, I also had in mind a Beret. Well I started it last fall using my final skein of Spud and Chloe Sweater in Beluga, the same yarn as the cowl. And then it accidentally fell off of my radar. until January. I only had the decreasing left, which was quickly completed. Originally, my goal was to have this published on February 1st, or 12 days ago. Alas, I just couldn’t fit all of this in. Mommy-time came first. I was able to get three of my 7 patterns published by that date, and then the gloom of cold of a few rainy days and February weather stopped me from from staying very long in Motivation-Town.

I finished the hat on the eve of January 30th. It looked like it would be in time for my deadline. I updated my pattern with my final notes, but I still had that darn tutorial to do for how to pick up the stitches from the horizontal, ribbed, overlapped brim. I didn’t want to just explain how to do it. Often, instructions can be confusing. I am a visual person, and like to have things explained both ways when I come across something now. Right after finishing the hat I threw it in my washing tub, and then pulled it over a plate, and into the oven it went.

Wait. What?

Yes, the oven. I set the oven to just over 130°F to dry some of my knitwear after washing. First of all, I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE ELSE DOING THIS, OR CONDONE IT IN ANY WAY! Secondly, with the move going on, I really just don’t have anywhere else to block my work. Third. I was on a time crunch, and with no sun out, and short days wool takes FOREVER to dry. The dry heat of the oven on super low helps me speed things up a bit. I keep a super accurate thermometer going at all times to make sure that I don’t put anyone in any danger, but again, let me stress, Kids, DON’T do this!

The next morning the hat still had quite a bit left to dry. With the plate in there, not all of the moisture could escape and evaporate, so I flipped it over, and decided to revel for a moment at how proud I felt about having so little yarn left. It is no secret that I like to try to use my materials to their fullest potential. I am VERY happy that I finished this hat with only one skein of Spud and Chloe Sweater, and had just a tiny amount left! I put it next to this lego for a size comparison.

Okay, it was really a little more than that. That is really a Mega Block. But still, that is very little left, and something to be proud of.

Please note the the strawberries on the Little Buckaroo’s face. Strawberries are his favorite.

After publishing my Twenty for Five Pullover, Levieva Sweater, and Carried Away Cowl I ran out of steam.

Then, this week started out on a truly great note!

On Monday, we just had the most fabulous day ever. Ramon stayed home from the new house remodel for the first time in two and a half months. He took the baby and I over to Santa Cruz for breakfast, and to enjoy the beautiful day. I was hoping to get some pictures of this hat then, but it was so bright, and so sunny picture taking was pretty much impossible.

Please note the crashing wave on the rocks in front of Ramon and the Little Buckaroo’s baby hand holding the stroller.

We went for a walk past beautiful Cowl Beach, and up past the light-house. The waves were huge, and there, amongst the seagulls and surfers I found my motivation again.

Perhaps it was from having a day off from the usual routine. Perhaps it was having Ramon home, and knowing that I could take “the long shower” without worrying about Little Screamy-Pants. Whatever it was when we got back I was able to get to work, and now we have Part 1 of Spring is Springing, at long last my new Cowell Beach Beret Knitting Pattern.

As a tribute to one of my favorite places, I have created a cowl named Cowl Beach, with continuous crashing waves of its own. As a companion piece, I have created this beret, which uses exactly 1 skein of Spud & Chloe Sweater. With the unusual horizontal ribbing, I have included a tutorial for how to integrate the finished ribbing with the beginning of the rest of the beret with both written instructions and pictures. Also included, is the same tutorial that I diligently developed for Cowl Beach (the Cowl), showing how to create the waves seamlessly in the round. A feat which I worked very hard to figure out and accomplish and feel very proud of.

Buy The Cowell Beach Beret Knitting Pattern for $4.00 US

Little Lamborghini, This Ain’t No Ordinary Knitting Project

I’d like to tell you about my special friend, Lamborghini, who I have had the pleasure of knowing since she was drinking from a bottle (please note the tail nubbin):

Well, Lambo’s all grown up, and back in April she gave me her fleece, as she was getting too warm.

Lambo in March:

Lambo in April:

So kind of her, but of course I had to hide it from my cats until I get it cleaned up, sorted out, and ready to go. In order to do this, I must do two things:

Step 1. Figure out exactly how much fleece I have
Step 2. Figure out what in the hell I am going to do with it.

Oh oh oh! I have the answer to Step 2!

So, I have done some research and Lambo is a Suffolk sheep, which are mostly used for their meat, not their fleece. Their fleece doesn’t make great wool for spinning and knitting because it is made up of short fibres, not the sexy long ones that your merino sweater is made of. However, it I can make wool roving from it. Well, I don’t mean me I’d have to send it out to be processed, but none-the-less.

About a month ago when surfing the Ravelry.com world, I stumbled across an absolutly amazing blanket, Giganto-blanket by Laura Birek. In doing so I think I have figure out just what to do with my own fleece! I bought the pattern last week through Laura’s Ravelry shop last week (she sells it on ETSY, along with the actual finished blanket, too), and I have started doing even more research, and I am even more excited, because this is a knitting project that Ramon will get to be a part of, in helping me to make my PVC knitting pipes needles.

Giganto-blanket by Laura Birek

I can’t wait to start this project! It is so unique, and amazing… but I am getting ahead of myself. What about Step 1?

So, First part of Step 1 is to weigh the fleece. I have learned that when you have a whallop-o-fleece that what you will get once it is doing being processed will be about half of the weight that you started with. Why?

Poop.

No, really, Poop! Well, Manure, and other things, like hay, natural oils, and, well, basically everything from Lamborghini’s home.

So, once I figure out what I have, then I need to send it out to be processed, which includes (I am no expert, but this is what I have found so far):

• Washing, Scouring: The step in which the fleece is cleaned and the oils are removed.
• Picking: The process by which the fleece is put through a machine to open the locks and prepare it for carding
• Carding: The mechanical proccess by which locks and unorganized clumps of fibres are aligned so that they are parallel with one another.
• Roving:  A long and narrow bundle of fibre which is usually used to spin into yarn. In this case it won’t be spun into yarn though.

At which time the wool would be returned to me, and I’d need to get my other fun tools ready. I will list only the ones I have never encountered in a knitting pattern before, oh wait, that is ALL OF THEM:

• 6 pounds superwash wool roving
• 10-foot length of 1 1/2” PVC pipe, cut in half
• Duct Tape
• Drying rack
• 2 Flat Queen-sized White Cotton bed sheets
• White cotton twine or yarn -Scissors
• Bathtub
• Clean rubber rain boots
• Liquid laundry detergent -Washing machine (optional, but EXTREMELY helpful)
• Needle felting kit (optional)

As you can see, this is CLEARLY no ordinary knitting project, but I have a feeling that I can’t go wrong when the pattern involves Galoshes.

Oh Little Lamborghini, this is going to be fun! Thank you for your fleece!