Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
If like me, you have way too much of most everything to do with knitting (and quilting), go through your stash and send off a box to the town doctor. She'll get the items to those who can use it to knit, crochet or quilt and take their mind of their surroundings for a while. The address is:
Dr. Phyllis Gilmore
c/o Community Center
Vernonia, OR, 97064
Here's my box going off tomorrow - yarn, needles and a variety of patterns.
Thursday, December 13, 2007

The neck ribbing has now been knit four times and may be ripped out again. Ended up with K1b,P1 as I just could not seem to pick up the cable patterns well enough to carry them up into the neck ribbing. First try, picked up way way too many stitches and the neck bloused out. Second time, very poor pickup and the cables didn't flow well. Third time was close to flowing but too big again. Fourth is now on the neck, is the right size and doesn't show the pickup row too badly. Perhaps next time I do a sweater top down in the FLAK method, I might try to cast on over waste yarn and leave the stitches live.
May rip, may not, but will leave it alone a while and think about it. The rib does bias to the right a bit due to being knit in the round with a tightly twisted yarn. Also while riding, I could pick up the side stitches to start the sleeves. Did a 3 out of 4 ratio but haven't measured yet.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007


Monday, November 26, 2007

I am taking a short break from Fulmar to finish up Hemsdale. Body is totally done, steeked and ready to sew the finished sleeves in. Add the buttons and button loops and put on the wooly board and it's done for a Christmas gift.
Saturday, November 17, 2007

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Laddered back but all 20 stitches have to be laddered and it is not going to knit back correctly. I decided to just go ahead and pull the whole eight rows. I'd already laddered back on the first Cable B to fix a bad cross and that one looked sorta okay but not great.
Moral of the story??? Every time you do a cable cross, double check to be sure it is going the right way. Not every 3-4 rows but every row. Laddering just doesn't work well when the gauge is so tight.

Sigh....at least there is no deadline on this one. The small white ring marks another cross that is incorrect but it is NOT going to be corrected. If ever I'll try the method of cutting the thread, reknitting the tiny cross and sewing it.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007



It was a fun knit. Not sure I would put 13 buttons on a sweater again as buttonholes aren' t my favorite thing. I will reblock the arms as I stretched them too long on the woolyboard. Scottish wool is pretty forgiving so it should block back a bit.
What's next? Working on Fulmar. Half a chart repeat to go to have the top of the back long enough. Next will be to pick up the front saddles and start the top of the cardigan fronts.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007


Not sure I like all the purl stitches surrounding it but the sweater is so densely cabled it probably needs this relief. I'm up to 28 rows knitting FLAK style down the back. Really like the cable on the saddles and the back picked up well from there. Almost have the cables memorized so this might turn into a car knit after all. I still haven't decided to make this a pullover or a cardigan but leaning to a cardigan but not a V-neck. Plan as you go?
Thursday, October 18, 2007

DONE - Symbolic Knot pullover from "The Best of Knitter's Arans & Celtics" made in Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride worsted on a US #7. The front and back were knit separately, three needle bind off at the shoulders and the neckband picked up and knitted. The sleeves were supposed to be knit from the cuff up but I picked up from the body and knit down in order to get the length exact. This is a heavy sweater, has that sheen to it since Lamb's Pride is 85% wool and 15% mohair. The sweater was knit in five weeks mostly in car travel back and forth to VA to visit family. It is not the complicated Aran I love to knit but it does have that big central knot on the front. It was knit for my daughter to use as a Maine outdoor winter sweater.

CLOSE TO DONE - I really wanted to knit Erin from the moment I first saw the photo. It is one of Alice Starmore's fair isles in a cardigan, using 15 colors in Botany and Donegal yarns which are long out of production. Did the best I could to recreate the colors by comparing colors online, talking with other knitters who had made the sweater and substituting with Jamieson & Smith 2 ply jumper wool. There are a group of online knitters making the sweater at the same time as a KAL - knitalong. Helen (Greendragon) is doing a super job shepherding us along. I have 13 rows on the longer of the two sleeves to finish plus the ribbing and about 50 rows on the other. Trying really, really hard to finish this sweater before getting deeply into Fulmar, an Aran pullover.

STARTING - Fulmar is another Alice Starmore Aran design. It is a very tightly knit all over cable, drop shoulder pullover. It is supposed to be knit in pieces from the bottom up and sewn together. I'm going to knit this as a FLAK sweater, from the top down in the round. FLAK means Follow The Leader Aran Knitalong. Janet Szabo developed a method of fitting the sweater to yourself. I need shorter arms and wider body and do not need the amount of fabric a drop shoulder usually creates under the arm.

BEFORE CHRISTMAS - Finish "Hemsdale", a Dale of Norway cardigan that fits the taller daughter. All that needs finishing is adding to the length of sleeves. She tried it on in April and we measured what needs to be added. The photo is from a magazine. My Hemsdale is in browns, golds and rusts and I don't have a good photo right now.
GOT TO FINISH - The Fair Isle pullover called "Shirt Tail Hemmed Cardigan" from "Sweaters from Camp" is on hold. The body is done including all the ribbing. One sleeve is picked up but I'm still figuring out short rows on a cap. What I did does not look as good as the rest of the sweater. Need to get help at a knit shop for this one.
BACK BURNER - "Spring Forward" is a Janet Szabo Aran cardigan. I tried to add more cables to the V-neck front and it is not working. This sweater is knit from the top down from saddles across the shoulders. Need to rip out the front and redo.
JOE'S SWEATER - This is a simple all over rib raglan pullover made in Cottage Craft wool. Front and back are done, bottom of both sleeves are done, need to do raglan caps on both and sew together. Joe asked for this sweater but he hasn't worn a sweater in the 25 years we've been together so there isn't a rush to finish this one. It's pretty boring which is why it isn't finished.
So much that I want to do - so little time. But it is all just one stitch at a time isn't it?
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007

I used the swatch shown in the post of September 18th and measured each cable both sideways and depth. Thought I had the math worked out and pulled out a blue FLAK knit last year to compare the measurements. Was very surprised to see that my neck opening on the blue FLAK was 9"!! I decided to go from a personal measurement of 17" cross shoulder to the 20.5" on the blue FLAK which is very comfortable to wear on the shoulders.
Next I knit a saddle using Chart C with 2 purl stitches on each side added. One purl will be to pick up and the other to define the cable. In 6 1/2" of Chart C, I got 64 rows which meant 64 stitches to pick up easily. Two 6-1/2" saddles equals 13" which left 7-1/2" for the back neck opening. I will pick up 64 stitches on the saddle, cast on 72 stitches for the middle of the back, pick up 64 stitches on the other saddle for a total of 200 stitches.
The Chart layout would be from right to left with the saddles on the bottom, B,C,D,E,B,C,D,E,B,C,D. This centers the C exactly in the middle of the back. In order to be sure it all worked out, I cut up photocopies of the charts and actually scotch taped them in order to a large piece of paper. The saddles were lined up on each side of the chart layout and the math proved right. Sometimes seeing is believing and as long as my gauge doesn't change as I knit a bigger piece, this should work.
The front of the sweater is picked up from the other side of the saddle. Stitches are cast on for the front either as a crew neck (which will be what I do) or a V neck. More width is added to the sweater once the back and front are knit to the depth of the armhole and the sweater is then knit in the round. This added width can be in cable repeats or in check rib. I'll probably do some of each. For those of you who aren't familiar with Janet's method, FLAK can be found at http://bigskyknitting.com/FLAK/knitalong.html. The lessons she presented are printed off and hole punched in their own folder. I keep one clean copy in case those files every disappear off the net.

Now that I've got my mind wrapped around how to approach Fulmar as a FLAK, I can get back to my daughter's Symbolic Knot's sweater. Body is done and one sleeve picked up. Only seed stitch left to do so it will be hard to finish.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007

The check rib measured 2-1/2"
Chart B is 1-3/4"
Chart C is 2"
Chart D is 1-3/4"
Chart E is 2"
Amazingly enough it adds up to 10".
Note in the photo below that the ribbing does flow into the body of the sweater. In order to make it work, I did NOT increase between the ribbing and the body. As I'm "hippy", having the ribbing and the body the same number of stitches doesn't bother me at all

The knitting sequence on the sweater goes Check rib, B,C,D,E,B,C,D,E,B,C,D,Check rib. Using the measurements I got for each chart,the sweater front (or back) would measure 25-1/2" or 51" total. I'm knitting the small which is supposed to measure 45" and I'll be getting 51". The only way to control this would be to cut way back on number of stitches in the check rib.
So I'm pretty set for the Knit Along starting on October 1st. I've wanted to make this sweater for a long time and thanks to Theresa, the KAL list mom, I'm going to make it.
Monday, September 03, 2007
I want to be Wendy when I grow up. She has completed TWO Fulmars. TWO!!. First one is in green http://wendyknits.net/knit/fulmar.htm and is knit with Frangipani. Second one is in blue http://wendyjohnson.net/knit/fulmar.htm and knit in Bovidae Farm Sportweight.

I've been playing with swatching Fulmar in Wendy Guernsey. I have it in white, medium blue and soon in crimson red. What else do you do with yard sale money but buy yarn? The swatch has 2 purl edge stitches, 18 stitches of Chart B (the right twist cable with side oval cables), 2 purl divider stitches, 20 stitches of Chart C (the braid) and 2 purl edge stitches. Total of 44 stitches on Size US#2 or 2.75mm circular Inox/Prym needle.
Chart B measures 2 1/8" wide. Chart C measures 2 3/8" wide. 24 rows which is two chart repeats measured 2 3/4" in height. The check rib swatch measures out as 2 1/4" for 18 stitches.
so.....
Check rib 2 1/4
Chart B 2 1/8
Chart C 2 3/8
Chart D 2 1/8
Chart E 2
Chart B 2 1/8
Chart C 2 3/8
Chart D 2 1/8
Chart E 2
Chart B 2 1/8
Chart C 2 3/8
Chart D 2 1/8
Check rib 2 1/4
Total = 26-19/8 or 28-3/8" for ONE HALF of the sweater or 56-3/4" wide for total.
OH OH. If you look closely at the photo (double click for large size photo), the oval cable running alongside the 6 stitch cable is a twisted stitch cable. I do not like this cable as a twisted stitch as it looks and feels hard and, for me, looks odd. Part of this is probably from using a 5 ply twisted yarn to start with. I might skip the twisted stitch with this wool.
I'm going to have to think about what I'm doing wrong. I got spot on gauge with this yarn on 2.75mm needles in the check rib. I like my sweaters a bit oversized but this one would swim on my hubby.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Finished organizing and cataloging the yarn stash. This is some of it and yes I said some. Sort of an addiction isn't it?
Friday, August 17, 2007


Saturday, August 11, 2007
I'm not going to rip out 33 X 2 rows of chart with decreases. I'll put the checkerboard on both sides of the next turquoise chart and call it good. It is a beautiful pattern and is intricate enough that non knitters will never know those rows aren't there.
In the blog post of July 29th, you can see the skipped chart. The first sleeve has the turquoise band which is NOT supposed to have a checkerboard at the top but is supposed to have it at the bottom. Oh well!
Anne
Friday, August 10, 2007

The original washing/blocking for my blue Aran FLAK sweater was on towels on the floor and I was never happy with the way it dried as the ribbing ruffled. FLAK is re-washed, spun dry in the washing machine and now drying on the wooly board. Poor cat sort of backed out of the room when she entered and came face to sweater with something standing there.
Don't know why I waited so long for a board but know it will be well used for many years. It's also finally cooling off a bit so let the knitting resume!
Anne


Finished the first pair of socks out of "The Sock Calendar" by Catherine Wingate. The socks are called "Ahoy! Socks" and are in DK weight knit on US size 4 Brittany wooden sock needles. They have a knotted cable and a plaited cord rib and were a lot of fun to knit. Best thing about the socks is they are the same size and they fit. It's just too hot to work on a big sweater though I've been plugging away on the sleeves for Erin.
Janet Szabo's new book "Cables: Volume 1: The Basics" has arrived and been devoured. Having knit Aran cables as long as I have, thought I knew all there was to know - wrong! This is an excellent book on how cables are made, how to change them and how to design new ones. Good book to add to the design library.
I've made myself promise not to start a new sweater until what is on the needles is done, washed and blocked. Right?? OTN isn't too bad right now - 1) Erin, a fair isle cardigan 2) Shirt Tail Hem fair isle pullover 3) Joe's all over rib raglan 4) Hemsdale - Dale of Norway cardigan 5) Spring Forward Aran cardigan. 1,2,3 and 4 are all at sleeve stage. 5 may be ripped back to begin the fronts again. At least I know I'm not alone as a knitter with dread of sleeve finish.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007




http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/ . We bought a mix of colored lilies, not knowing what we would get. Each year they suprise us with the brilliance of their colors and how much they have spread.
Bee Balm is one of my favorite garden plants. Yes it gets powdery mildew but the color and smell is just devine and worth putting up with the mildew. This photo is of one patch of bee balm with the back of the house in the background.

Everything has grown well this year as we have had lots of rain and hotter days than usual. The iris were tall and colorful, the deck plants growing well. Always a trial to finally pull them out of the deck pots when fall comes and the frost kills it all.


Wednesday, July 18, 2007

I did manage to get out of the mill with only one sweater worth of yarn - but the info pack with samples was put in with the yarn. I bought 2 ply in a heathered teal. The weight is going to be perfect for an Aran. It is a heavier 2 ply but the knitted samples showed stitches beautifully.

I've been working on a sock while we are RVing and am pleased so far. Using Encore DK and size 4 Britanny wooden sock needles. Won a book on Ebay called "The Sock Calendar - Socks for All Seasons" by Catherine Wingate. I'm making the May sock which is called Ahoy! Socks. Nice cabling and the DK weight is perfect for size.
MacCausland information is
MacAusland's Woolen Mills Ltd.
Bloomfield, PEI
COB 1EO Canada
Toll Free: 1-877-859-3005
web site - www.peisland.com/wool
email - macwool@pei.aibn.com
Our RV travels are at http://otrafrommaine.blogspot.com.
Friday, July 13, 2007
The Fair Isle tam is done and stretched out on a 10" plate to dry. It was a fun and quick project and a great way to use up some odds and ends of J&S jumper weight wool. I'm not sure how the final shape is going to look or if I will like wearing it. Here in Maine we generally need something to cover ears in winter, not just perch on top of our heads!
Now back to Erin and Shirt Tail sleeves. Fall isn't that horribly far away and those two sweaters are perfect fall weight to wear without a coat.


Thursday, July 12, 2007


I'm using very little yardage of a lot of Jamieson & Smith 2 ply jumper weight yarns. This is a learning process for me as I'd not made a tam with the double decreases in the crown. The pattern I'm using is from Alice Starmore's "Book of Fair Isle Knitting". The photo of the tam and the pattern don't match, with the written instructions having more areas of plain knit than the photo. Doesn't matter as I always change patterns as I go along anyway. Fun to knit and light weight during these days of higher than usual heat in Maine. If my relatives lived anywhere but in the deep south, they'd all be getting tams for Christmas as this is a fun knit.
The Fair Isle knitting doesn't seem as smooth to me as usual but I don't usually use a 20" circular and carry colors. I think it will block out okay. Also need to find out how to do a jogless color join as the dark to light joins show rather abruptly. The photos are of the tam with the lid of a basket stuffed inside to spread it out.
I'm using all Jamieson & Smith yarn with one exception noted:
Dark blue - 135
Medium blue - FC49
Light blue - 14
Purple - Jamieson 133 Mauve Mix
Dark pink - Salmon 129
Medium pink - 9144
Light pink - 95
Pale pink - 101
Dark yellow - 90
Medium yellow - 207
Pale yellow - 96