Perfect for Fall

Interweave Knits Photo

Pattern: Montego Bay Scarf
Designer: Amy R. Singer (of Knitty.com, of course)
Magazine: Interweave Knits Summer 2007
Yarn: Yarn Handmaiden Sea Silk (70% silk, 30% Seacell; 440 yd [400 m]/100 g)
Colour: Periwinkle, 1 skein

Mine: Oasis (100% SOYSILK® 240yds / 100g ball)
Colour: Passion 059; 2 balls
Tension: 5 sts and 8 rows = 1" US 6 (4.0mm)
Care Instructions: Hand wash and lay flat to dry

I love the lovely sumptuous drape of this scarf. It is so simply feminine. The knitting goes very quickly - the most detail oriented portion of the scarf is the braided fringe. With this yarn I did not need nearly all of the fringe lengths suggested in the pattern. Too bad I didn't document how much I did use (sorry).

Here is a close up of the fringe. I think the braiding was worth the effort. This pattern is one that I will likely knit over and over again. I am so happy with the results.

Lovely Lace Socks

The lovely Embossed Leaves Socks are done. I have been wanting to knit up these socks ever since I first laid eyes on them. But first I had to find the perfect yarn...

Pattern: Embossed Leaves Socks
Source: Favorite Socks, by Interweave Press
Designer: Mona Schmidt (Her website can be found here.)
Yarn: Oceanwind Knits Hand-dyed Sock Merino, Thyme (I also considered the Sweetgrass colourway) - I believe the perfect yarn for this design
Needles: 3.25 mm (3 US)
Tension: 28 st / 10 cm (4 in)

I love the detail of the star toe that seems to complete the leaves.
The pattern (as printed) has two problems. First is the 1x1 rib cast on - I didn't like it and I found out that the designer hadn't done this cast on either. She had intended the tubular cast on. She even posted a Tubular Cast On tutorial on her blog. My cuff (above) is cast on in this method - I love it!

The other problem is where the heel gusset begins. The directions ask you to (gasp) cut the yarn. This is not needed. I just picked up one side of the heel flap (becomes needle 2 I think), continued with the lace pattern on needle 3 & 4, and then picked up the other side of the heel flap (needle 1). This works beautifully and I didn't cut the yarn!

Then I got carried away and continued all of the lace repeats for the foot. After finishing (weaving in ends and blocking) I realized that these socks were too long for the intended recipient. It took me a day before I could face frogging and re-knitting and re-blocking. But now they are perfect (if I do say so myself) and ready to be popped in the mail.

Commuter Scarf Pattern

A. K. A., Diagonal Garter Scarf

I have done it - the pattern for the Commuter Scarf is completed!

If you would like a copy please click here to download. This pattern is free for individual use. If you decide to make this scarf (or just look at the pattern) I would truly appreciate your feedback.

Knit on!

On Catalina

You may want to check out my post on the Catalina KAL.

It took SO long without my usual setup.

My favourite socks are up next... I just have to crop the picture and post.

See you soon! :o)

Mystery Stole 3 Begins

Have you heard about the Mystery Stole 3? It's a knit-a-long from designer Melanie Gibbons. Membership opened June 8th and will close July 6th, 2007. You can join by clicking here.

Melanie's previous Mystery stoles can be seen here (Leda's Dream, 2005) and here (Scheherazade, 2006). She also designed the Bristow Cardigan for Knitty.com.

This year's project has the option of including 8/0 seed beads. What a terrific idea! Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

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Multi-tasking

	I love tea and I was lucky enough to get a Brown Betty Teapot! It makes such lovely tea. One thing though, it cools off if we take our time drinking it. The solution, of course, is to make a tea cosy. And I have done it (Emu, No. 6196 - Striped Cosy with Pom-Pon). My love is teasing me that I now have truly become an old fogey! I will take pictures soon. / I tried the pom-pon but did not like it. Instead I crocheted a modified Bachelor's Button. I also crocheted a hot pad for the bottom of the teapot. / The yarn I have used is Patons Shetland Chunky - Earthy Brown and Canyon Variegated from my stash. / I had purchased this yarn for another Pick-up Diamond Helmet, Knitter's Magazine K77, Winter 2004, p. 46 (the one pictured here is also knit with Patons Shetland Chunky) but to make the tea cosy instead.
	I am also doing more work on my Reversible Cable Knit Scarf. I am loving it. (Sorry, this is an old photo.)
	I have started the Catalina Shawl with Fiddlesticks Garnet Lace yarn. It is 50% silk and 50% merino wool. This is my first lace project and there has been a steep learning curve. I think I have had to rip out at least 5 times! I am making headway now. Pictures are coming.
	After seeing Jared's zeebee and garter stitch scarf I knew I had to make one too. (see his entries for 5.29.2007 and 6.07.2007) I am making my own with Dee's Posh Yarn, Eva 8 ply cashmere & silk in Love is... colourway. Truly luscious!
	And I have added another project to my list (the only one I will admit to today). I want to make a Clapotis wrap in Hand Maiden fine yarn, Lady Godiva, Renaissance Colourway. I bought this yarn from an American shop (lovely to do business with them) and had to pay duty when it arrived (ouch). And it burned all the more when I found out that Hand Maiden fine yarn is hand dyed in Canada!

I have not touched my Autumn Afternoons Cardigan since March...

Check out the Catalina Shawl

I read the weblogs on my blog roll (see sidebar) regularly. One on the list is g.bella knits - a truly enjoyable blog of an up and coming knitting designer. Weaved through her blog are discussions of her trials and triumphs with each knitted project and useful reviews of various yarns. Recently she has developed a few patterns. One is her Clessidra Socks published this spring in Knitty.com (free). Her most recent pattern is the Catalina Shawl. It is lovely and available in PDF for $6.00 (USD). I am going to knit this pattern as soon as my yarn comes from Sundara Yarn (see below). I'll keep you posted on my progress. I highly recommend checking out Gabriella's patterns and her blog.

killing acrylic

Have you ever heard of blocking acrylic? I was under the impression that it was unblockable until I found this post.

Here Donna Druchunas, author of Arctic Lace, discusses killing acrylic. Now I know some of you would never dream of using such a -shall we use the f word - fiber. But for those of us who appreciate the value of being able to wash and dry a project without worry and who don't want to break the bank, here is what she says:

Blocking Acrylic

You need: Blocking wires and/or rust proof pins, a cotton dish towel or a piece of cotton fabric, and an iron.

Here's [Pat Stevens'] technique for "killing" acrylic yarn to give it a gorgeous drape.

Wet your knitting, spin it out in a washer. Lay a sheet on the carpet. Pin the piece exactly the size you want. (I stretch my lace shoulder warmers pretty hard.) Lay a wet cotton dish towel or piece of fabric over it. With a hot iron press down all over the thing. Don't iron just press. I press until the top cloth is very dry. Then I leave it overnight to finish drying. It's that easy. I really press it a lot, it's the steam heat that makes the acrylic look and drape like rayon. You may want to knit a large swatch and test it out.

Edited to add this note in response to a question a reader sent me in email: Acrylic yarn gets "killed" by the application of the heat and it will remain dead after future washings and retain its new shape. You should only have to do this treatment once, as far as I can tell, whereas you normally have to reblock lace knitted in wool or other natural fibers after each washing.

Here's another tip that just arrived in my email from Renee Wells*: This can also be done dry. Sometimes I place the item on a towel with a wet cloth above. Press and then gently stretch the item into the new shape. You can pick up the cloth between wettings and see where more pressing is needed to even it out. The advantage to this method is greater stretch. You must be careful not to let the item hang over the ironing board it you are trying it there. The weight will skew the shape. I often kill acrylic baby blankets, they morph into lovely exotic feeling fibers! No longer just acrylic! And the mums that receive them use them over and over because they do hold their new drape.

*Renee teaches some great classes on Japanese knitting.

So, this weekend I am going to try this method with my Easy Granny Quilt Afghan. I'll keep you posted.

Note: In her post Donna also outlines how to block natural fibers. I haven't done much of this. She assures us that it is easy.