What a struggle on the neck for Fulmar. I've not had this much trouble before but usually neck ribs are knit up from the body on live stitches. This is being done FLAK style so I'm picking up the stitches from cast on edges. First photo is the neck as originally knit in K1b,P1 rib which of course spiraled when knit in the round.



Annie Maloney just posted an informative post on the "Annie Maloney & Friends" Ravelry group about neckbands. I ripped the neck and sectioned it off by cable count and then ripped it again.



Now I'm at the point of wanting to rip again. See the last photo which shows where you can really see the line of picked up stitches and the attempt to add cables into the neck rib. I don't like the visual stop where the body goes to the rib. I'm beginning to think of a sewn on cable round like on Starmore's St. Brigid but wonder if that would be too heavy. At least I have enough of the Wendy Guernsey yarn that when all this ripping disintegrates the neck yarn I have enough for new yarn.

Oregon Fall version is up to row 17 on Chart A. No way does the photo even come close to the richness of these colors.



Still working with the cables in Annie Maloney's "The Cable Knitting Handbook" to revise and design the center panel for an aran sweater. This is chart #77 with revised #56 on each side separated by a cluster stitch. You can see that on the right side I've laddered down and replaced the knit stitch with a purl stitch on each side of the cluster stitch. The chart is only about half done in heighth so will be interesting to see if this works or not. Click on the photo to read the photo labels.

Oregon Autumn KAL has started and I've got the corrugated ribbing done and the divisions for Chart A set up. The colors show a lot more muted than the Vogue photo or the original VY pattern but they are so beautiful. As usual, the color progression as set up by Alice Starmore just leads you along as you knit.



The second sleeve of Fulmar keeps growing. Arans on US#2 grow slowly.



When I get tired of larger projects, I've been making a second pair of Selbuvotter mittens. This is pair NHM #8 and is being made in Cottage Craft one ply white and Harrisville jumper weight.

Back from a week in VA visiting family. Knitted on Fulmar both ways from ME to VA so got a bit more done on the second sleeve. It's probably at a third done and still a fun knit. The red is such a beautiful color and the Wendy Guernsey is going to wear like iron.

Today I'm going through all my stranded knitting books looking at projects that I truly want to make. Jamieson & Smith is discontinuing some of their colors as they are slow sellers. I'll see what is used in those sweaters I want to make and place an order.



The Oregon Autumn KAL started today and I'm already swatching for size. Both of the finished Starmore Fair Isles, Erin and Marina, were made with J&S and ended up at 7 stitches to 4" after being washed and blocked. Oregon will be my first Virtual Yarns sweater and it just feels heavier to my hand. Swatching we will go since today is going to be snow/sleet/rain/yuck.

The Celtic Knot pillow top is done. Finished knitting it while watching the football games yesterday. It was a fun project but I think I will either knit a plain back or make a quilt fabric back rather than knit a duplicate knot for the back. I used an old yarn in stash, Christopher Farms 3 ply, and it was pretty hard on the hands. The pillow measures 13" across. Made in a really fine yarn this could be used as a medallion on a sweater.



Fighting with myself not to start knitting samples of the cables in Annie Maloney's books. I think they would be like Pringles where you mean to eat one and eat the whole can instead. The cables are unlike any I've seen before and her process to create them is fascinating.

All ready to start the Oregon Autumn KAL on February 1st. Helen, our
knit along mom, asked us how we got ready for a project. I keep all my
projects in separate canvas boxes or canvas bags. We have a shop in
New England called the Christmas Tree Shop and I often can find fabric
boxes with Velcro straps to hold them closed. They are great size for
both yarn storage and projects.



For Oregon, I have all the Virtual Yarns yarn in the box with one
skein of each color wound into center pull balls. I've separated out
the colors that go into the corrugated ribbing into bags with pattern
colors in one and background in the other. That might help keep them
in good order. My little tool box has a pair of sharp scissors, a
blunt tapestry needle, couple of yards of white yarn to use as section
holders, tape measure, couple of barrel row counters, two small
crochet hooks, safety pins to capture a stitch that might have been
dropped and I didn't notice it, two boxes of markers in various sizes
and a stitch gauge. I also put the circular needles I think I'll need
in the box. Right now I have 40" size 2.75, 3.0 and 3.25 in there as I
haven't swatched yet. I generally don't make the ribbing on a smaller
needle but use the body needle.

I have both the VY Oregon Autumn pattern and the Vogue Holiday
pattern. I've made copies of both with color copies of the sweater
photo. The copies are used for notes and to mark as I knit along. When
the sweater is done, I'll store the copy with the original pattern. I
never thought about keeping a few yards of the yarns used with the
pattern for repairs. I do keep the ball bands so I know what I've used
up.

My box is all set up and staring at me from a nearby table. So far
I've resisted starting. Should I assume that swatching is starting?
Hmmmmm.... maybe that is exempt?

The Annie Maloney cable design books came in the mail today - or rather I had to drive up to the post office on very icy roads to get them. Why else would you go out on such a horrible weather day?



I bought “The Cable Knitting Handbook - 101 Original Stitch Designs, plus theory, techniques, design tips, borders, and much more”. I also got “The Knitter’s Guide to Stitch Design - 150 original stitch patterns plus learn how to plan your own designs”. They are spiral bound books printed on heavy paper with designs in both charted and written words.

I am in awe of the complexity of the cable work and how she has combined cables with interior stitches within the cables. I have barely cracked open the books and my mind is spinning with the possibilities. I have absolutely no affiliation with the author but cannot recommend the books more highly. Now with Janet Szabo’s FLAK method of fitting the sweater top down to your own true measurements and Annie’s cables, I’ll be able to finally start on the design of my own designed cabled sweater.

For those looking for the books, The author is Annie Maloney from the province of Ontario, Canada. The books are self published and are available from The Needle Arts Book Shop (www.needleartsbookshop.com), The Yarn Source (www.yarnsource.ca) and Unicorn Books and Crafts (www.unicornbooks.com).



We'd been discussion Celtic Knots on the Ravelry and Yahoo knit groups and I thought I'd try to knit one. Janet Szabo's Twist & Turns Newsletter from Winter, 2003 has a round cable pillow. In the spirit of using up stash during 2008, I'm using some Christopher Farms 3 ply in Fiddler's Green. It's probably too heavy for the project but it is working. Had to rip 10 rows yesterday as I'd totally missed the right cross on a cable. It was much easier to rip than ladder.

First sleeve on Fulmar is done down to the wrist ribbing. Second sleeve is picked up and started. Still love woring on this sweater. Being knit from the top down, it is easy to try on and be sure the fit is staying what I want. So far, so good.



In order to use up some of the vast stash in the house, I'm going to keep several smaller projects going. There were single balls of many colors of Lite Lopi. I'm knitting a Peruvian style hat from Kathleen Taylor's "Knit One, Felt Two". It will be felted so looks pretty sloppy at the moment. I'm knitting this one while on the exercise bicycle.



Last is my first circular Celtic knot project. Janet Szabo's "Twist and Turns Newsletter" issue Winter 2003 has a pattern for the "Hilton of Cadbol" pillow. It is basically a 12" diameter circular Aran/Celtic knot. Using up some Christopher Farms heavy worsted weight and hoping I have enough. The photo is just the cast on and start. Going to call this my American Idol project and vow to have it done before the final night.

For once I listened to a book author and did what she said. I bought "Knit One, Felt Too" by Kathleen Taylor. I got it as a way to use up some of the yarn stash in the house in a good way. Thinking ahead of gifts through the coming year where I'm on the "2008 Use Up Stash" diet. Kathleen had emphasized swatching each yarn and then felting the swatch to see what happens. I figured that 100% wool would always felt right? NOT! I have 8-10 balls of an old Maine wool called Christopher Farms and wanted to make multicolored felted bags.



This sample shows that not all wool will felt. The sample done on #10-1/2 needles measured 7-1/2" tall by 6-1/4" wide prior to felting. The sample went into a mesh bag and through two hot wash cycles along with two loads of laundry - not going to waste that hot water! Swatch was then soaked in hot water and hand agitated for a bit more. It now measures 6-1/4" tall and a variety of widths depending on the color. Brown is 5-3/4", brick is 5-7/8" and the beige is 6-1/2" actually wider than it started. Christopher Farms went back in the stash and another yarn will be swatched and washed. I don't want to break up the number of skeins that are enough for a sweater where there probably is a good felting wool. Onward!

Annemore #13 Selbuvotter mittens are done and just about dry. Great tip from the author of the Selbuvotter book to dry them on a cookie rack. They fit perfectly and, other than forgetting Chart A on the cuff, look like the antique ones in the book. These are great fun to make and are a small project to go along with all the large sweater knitting. A bit too warm in Maine right now to wear wool mittens but not to worry, it will snow and be cold again very soon.

2/3 done on the first sleve of Fulmar. Still very enthused about knitting this Alice Starmore Aran but from top down. I ripped out the first sleeve start as it just wasn't working easily in the round. Now knitting it flat and just cruising along. The white yarn markers on the sides are the sleeve decreases. Every eight row should get me the right length before the wrist ribbing. Still have to pull out the neck ribbing - again.

Selbuvotter mittens - one is done except for the thumb, other is half knit. Fun small project easy to carry along. Desperately trying NOT to wind off skeins for the Oregon Autumn KAL starting February 1st.

Socks!!! We were blessed yesterday with being able to join my friend Shirley and her whole family for Christmas dinner at her beautiful home. Nine adults ate way too much, talked a lot and got to share stories of our various childhoods at Christmas. She gave us a basket of what I thought were cookies when we left. Much to my surprise, when we got home and emptied the basket, buried under the various baggies of cookies were a new catnip mouse for Miss Boots AND a glorious pair of blue and white socks in an intricate Norwegian pattern for me. They fit perfectly and will be worn a lot. The basket is a perfect size for a sock project though I doubt I ever attempt anything as ambitious as what she gifted. Since she also used to make baskets, I'll have to ask if she made that also. Thanks Shirley!

Fun with some smaller projects while I work away on Fulmar. Finished two Booga Bags in some left over Nuro Kureyon which just was not working as a sweater. The color run was very short and the sweater looked like it had spots! The bags are knitted loosely on US#10-1/2 needles and then felted. Even though they were knit to the same size, they felted differently. Found a nice piece of batik fabric in my quilt fabric stash and made linings for the bags. No idea what I'll use them for or who will get them as a gift but they were fun to make.



Also making my first pair of Selbuvotter mittens, pattern Annemore #13 using Briggs & Little one ply wool in white and Harrisville Shetland in dark grey on US #2 double points. This is a learning process but that is part of the fun. The book
has over 30 patterns for mittens and gloves.




I'm up to the decreases at the top of the mitten. Comparing what I'd done to the photo in the book, did discover I'd left off one whole chart repeat on the cuff but this is my learning pair - right?

First sleeve on Fulmar is started. I added 2-1/2" to the right side of the sweater (front and back) and now are knitting the sleeve in the round. The actual round starts at the white marker. The decreases will be taken off the bottom of the sleeve rather than beside the cables. Hopefully I haven't added too many cables beside the main one running down from the saddle but I love heavily cabled sweaters.

Vernonia, OR just about got wiped out with a recent violent rain and wind storm. The river rose and the town was extensively flooded with lose of homes and personal possessions. One of our very caring online knitters, Helen B, known as the list mom for the Mara_Class Yahoo knit group (BrightHavens.blogspot.com or Bluedragon on Ravelry) suggested we go through our yarn stashes and donate what we won't use. What a caring woman and a great gift for those who have lost all.

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.

Fulmar continues to be a fun knit but quite slow as it is on very small needles. It takes about 45 minutes to do one front side cable row and one back side row. The front and back are knit down from the saddles to the armholes and put on holders. We were in VA again this past week and I didn't get a lot of knitting done. Mindless knitting on the Booga Bags was pretty easy while made that 840 mile drive down. Found I can even knit at night with no lights on! However, Fulmar is not a light less knit.



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.

I am a most fortunate knitter in that a good internet friend Junie parted with her Virtual Yarns kit for the Autumn Oregon cardigan. She felt it was too far back in her knitting queue to ever get to and sold it to me. Thanks again Junie! I wonder if I can force myself not to start this sweater until the KnitALong for it starts in January? Ha! The colors are truly amazing with tiny twists of complementary colors inside each skein. The yarn also feels a tiny bit thicker than the Jamieson&Smith I've been using for fair isles. Patience woman! Get through the holidays and then sit by your fireplace and knit those blizzards away.

Hemsdale, a Dale of Norway, cardigan is done and drying on the wooly board. It was started as a Knit-A-Long on a Yahoo knitting group last January but it was put aside all summer as it is a very heavy sweater. It is knit out of Heilo for everything except the camel color which is Tiur. Needle size was US#4. The sleeve steeks were knit wider, not the one stitch commonly used with Dale sweaters and were reinforced with two lines of machine sewing. The button holes are crocheted loops instead of set in button holes. This will be a Christmas gift for my daughter who lives in North Carolina where I doubt it will ever get cold enough for her to wear the sweater. Who knows? Maybe she will one day move somewhere colder.

Fulmar is going to be a pullover. Once I really looked over the sweaters I wear a lot, pullover won the race as those are the sweaters I wear the most. Fronts of the saddles are picked up, knit down to bottom of the neck and stitches cast on. The front is now about 6 rows down below the neck.



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.

Fulmar back panel is done and put on a holder. It measures just over 9-1/2" and is 3-1/2 repeats of Chart E. Now to pick up the fronts and knit down until the front matches the back in length. At that point, width can be added to the body and front and back joined and then knit in the round. Knitting from the top down in this method was created by Janet Szabo and is called FLAK. I can get a bit further before deciding whether to make a pullover or a cardigan. I should go through all my sweaters and see which ones are worn the most and that I like the m ost. That count will help the decision process.