Cast-On Day!

Today I will be casting on to participate in a KAL for the Cold Mountain stole pattern.  I'm excited for a number of reasons, among them:

1) My daughter picked out the pattern because she wanted to tackle a "big lace something."
2) When I suggested she might want to make it a KAL (peer pressure done right), she did.
3) Do I need to mention that I like knitting with this kid?
4) Some of you may remember the Lace Prom Shrug Fiasco of '12. It's nice to have a fresh start.
5) Starting a shiny new project is fun. Period!
6) Starting a Knit-A-Long is even more fun!

So, if you're game, join us.  More details can be found here. Also, here are some tips on reading knitting charts.  By the time we are through knitting this lovely shawl, we should be expert chart readers!

Happy 4th!

Patriotic wishes for a happy and safe Independence Day for all my fellow Americans! In between the potato salad and the fireworks, don't forget to knit!

A newly published (free!) pattern and a new trick!

I learned something new today--how to turn a pattern into a PDF document and put it on Ravelry!  Sure, some of you have known this since Ravelry was Ravelry, but sometimes I bloom just a bit later than others, and that's OK.

 

Churchill-A Knitted Hat

This one is not a new pattern, but it is newly published (and a PDF download, in case you missed that earlier) and I'm planning to knit a few for our Guild's newest charity knitting endeavor.  If you've taken my Knitting in the Round class, you have this pattern already.  And if you've knit this hat from my pattern, I would LOVE to see it!!

And if you are looking for a charity knitting project that is small and portable and will be greatly appreciated, we are knitting these for TriCounty Family Ministries.  The more, the merrier!

Say Whaaaat???

The nice people over at Potter Craft books have been so kind as to choose me as their Knitter of the Month and feature me on the CrafterNews site.  You can file this under:

Things I Never Expected, But Am Totally Thrilled And Honored By

(I realize that my grammar is wonky, but excitement does that to me sometimes.  Did I ever tell you about the time I was interviewed by the local news back home in Texas and suddenly couldn't get two coherent words together?  Yeah. Awkward.) 

To celebrate this honor, I'm going to cast on for another "Tamara's Wrap."  (Of course!)

Oh, and lest I forget, thank you, Melissa Leapman for the great pattern!!

New Free Knitting Pattern! (You'll want to make more than one...)

Framed Nine Patch Dishcloth

Being an actual user of hand knit dishcloths, it is sometimes necessary to knit yourself some fresh ones.  (And sometimes your mother-in-law requests some, too.)

So I grabbed some yarn and some much larger needles than I normally use for dishcloths (because sometimes you think outside of the box, even if only a tiny bit) and headed to the WWKiP day event at the Charleston RiverDogs home game.  Somehow, amid the root-root-rooting for the home team, the chatting with my fellow knitters and all our friends and family who had joined us, the Dixie Dog and glass of wine, a dishcloth pattern emerged.  And I was smitten with it.

You can find it here on Ravelry and I hope you enjoy it as much I do.  Dixie Dog not included.

 

The DixieDog--A RiverDogs specialty. Coleslaw and Pimento cheese. YUMMY!

WWKiP 2013

Here at KnitOasis, we are no stranger to knitting in public, nor to the internationally famous World Wide Knit in Public Day. So it should come as no surprise that this year, our observance of WWKiP day is expanding to include two days and two venues.  Please join us at one or both!

Day 1:
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Flowertown Knitting Guild Knit-In
Outside the Village Knittery, 102 Central Ave, Summerville, SC
10 am- 2pm
Bring: Knitting (!), a chair, snacks, drinks, sunblock, maybe a pop up tent if you have one.
There is no charge for this event (but there are plenty of great restaurants within walking distance, and you know you're going to get peckish at lunchtime, so bring some money!)
This event is sponsored by the Flowertown Knitting Guild and is open to all knitters (and crocheters, etc.)

Day 2:
Saturday, June 9, 2013
Knit in Public at the Charleston RiverDogs
Joe Riley Stadium, Fishburne Ave, Charleston, SC
Gates open at 4, Game starts at 5:05
Bring: Knitting (!), sunblock, money for concessions.
Ticket info:  Go to this link:  Buy Tickets Here , type in the magic word: knit  and order your tickets early!  All tickets must be purchased by 2pm the day of the game. Tickets are $7/each, but parking is free.
This event is sponsored by the Flowertown Knitting Guild and is open to all knitters (and crocheters, etc.)

"Till the water runs clear..."

Say, hypothetically, you took a dye class recently, and you dyed, say, some yarn.  And you really really wanted to knit something fantastic with that yarn. But you found that whenever you touched the yarn your hands turned an eerie shade of blue and you thought to yourself, we simply can't go on like this...

If you should find yourself in such a hypothetical situation, I'd like to share a few tips that might help you out of your dilemma.  Hypothetically, of course.

There are 3 main steps in the process of colorfasting your hand-dyed yarn:
1) Washing
2) Vinegar
3) Patience

You know that old saying, "Rinse and repeat"?  Well this is the time to put that to work.

My research and experience have yielded two basic methods for removing enough of the Indigo (if that's what you've dyed with, hypothetically) to make the yarn knit-worthy.

      Method One: Soak/Rinse in vinegar/water solution, then wash in hot soapy water.
      Method Two: Wash in hot soapy water, then soak/rinse in vinegar/water solution.

As you can see, the two methods are completely different.

One bit of research I found suggested that colorfasting could be accomplished if you soaked your item in a solution of 1-2 gallons water, 1 cup white vinegar, and 1/4 cup salt.  Soak for a day and rinse well. If rinse water is clear, you're ready to wash.

What I did was soak my yarn in 1 gallon of water + 1 cup of vinegar for about 2 days, rinse like crazy, wash in hot soapy water, rinse some more, and then air dry.  For soap, I used what I normally use for my fine hand-washables, in my case a solution of Shaklee's Basic-H2 plus water.  I read somewhere that shampoo was appropriate for this washing due to the pH of the shampoo, but as I keep telling people, I'm no chemist.  I also thought I'd save my pricey shampoo as a last resort.

Anyway, it took a LOT of soaking and rinsing and washing and rinsing.  Yes, this is tedious. Yes, I'd rather be knitting.  This is where that third step comes in: Patience.

Also consider what one knitter shared with me, "I’ve heard that the excess dye particles in indigo yarn won’t be fully removed until the yarn is used in the knitting process. The rubbing of the yarn through your hands and on the needles gets rid of that last little bit of free range blue."

I know this might be off-putting to some people, but to me, it sounds like we knitters are an integral part of fulfilling this yarn's color destiny.  It will never be truly ready until we have put it through the knitting process.  It needs us. I think that's beautiful.

And it makes sense when you consider that natural Indigo dye has a different relationship to fiber than other dyes.  Indigo does not form a chemical attachment to the fiber, but rather a physical or mechanical one.  (The non-chemist in me thinks this means that the fiber's chemical make-up is not altered when dyed with Indigo. You chemists out there really ought to weigh on this.)  So there you are with your pretty blue yarn and the color basically sits on top of the yarn, rather than becoming "one" with it.  At this point, I am completely over my head, science-wise and insist we go back to the beginning...

I'll repeat my 3 steps in the process:
1) Washing
2) Vinegar
3)  Patience

Rinse well with each step and exercise your patience to get yarn that is both blue and knit-worthy.  If indeed you should happen to need this information. Hypothetically.

Let's go, Indigo!

Back in the old days (really old, we're talking 1740's here) a clever woman named Eliza Lucas Pinckney found success and riches when she developed a way to grow and process indigo in South Carolina.  Back then, it was used to dye cloth and yarn.  (Coincidentally, it is still used to dye cloth and yarn today.)

In our age of instant everything and fast free shipping and shopping malls, acquiring clothing or yarn that has been dyed is, frankly, no big deal.

So why bother? Why risk getting permanent dye on your good shoes when you don't have to?  If you're asking that question, you have never experienced the joy of dyeing.  To go from a bland natural color wool to a multitude of shades of blue is nothing short of addictive.

Dyeing with indigo is a wonderful introduction to the world of color.  Let's face it--blue goes with everything, and if you own a pair of denim jeans, you already have something that was probably dyed with indigo.

Using dyes requires chemicals (even the natural dyes need mordants) and mess and know-how.  Indigo requires no mordant and if you're lucky enough to use pre-reduced indigo, you can skip the chemical equations, too.  And if you find someone fun to show you the ropes, it's sure to be a great experience!

How to tell if you've always been curious about dyeing your own yarn or cloth:

1) You've asked yourself, Why bother?

2) You've noticed yarns for sale with amazing hues and thought, 

Hmm, yet another "hand dyed" yarn??

3) You have shopped for a certain color of cloth or yarn and 

not been able to find the exact shade you'd envisioned.

If any of this sounds familiar, you should call or email The Charleston Museum and reserve your spot in their upcoming Indigo Dyeing Workshop, taught by me.  Come see, no, come experience what all the fuss is about.

But do plan to wear old shoes :)

A honey of a knit

The longer version, worn doubled.

Because knitting is so full of possibilities, a knitter should never say never.

Case in point, the Honey Cowl.  I had seen this pattern show up several times on Kay Gardiner's social media posts and with her track record for knitting great patterns, I gave it a second look.   I did not immediately cast on,  however.  I mean, a cowl???  I've knit cowls, designed cowls, taught cowls, but never successfully worn a cowl, much less loved one.

The Honey Cowl was a total game changer.  The pattern accommodates multiple sizes and lengths, so I thought, what if?  What if the longer version is as sumptuous and stylish on me as it is the models?  What if this a cowl I actually like?  What if this is a cowl I actually wear?

The answer to "what if" is simple: this cowl is amazing.  I loved knitting it, I love wearing it--the drape of it, the length of it, the versatility of it.  When I wore it to church Sunday, I got 3 compliments, and this from a rather cautious bunch who've been forced to appreciate my knitting for years.  I am sorely tempted to leave behind the knitting of regular oblong scarves as a vestige of my early knitting ignorance.  Scarves need constant maintenance and retying, but this cowl always looks good.

The longer version, slightly over-lit.

Unable to procure the Madeline Tosh yarn that the pattern was written for, I opted for a yummy merino blend by Plymouth Yarn Co., Happy Feet DK.  Having worn my finished cowl all weekend, it is now taking all my willpower to not go back to my LYS and buy all of the Happy Feet DK they have on the shelf.  And knit more Honey Cowls.

I also made a shorter one with a very nice acrylic, but the longer cowl is something I will most likely wear everyday this week.  (My teen is already hanging her head and plotting a fashion intervention. "Variety, Mom. Variety!")

 

The shorter cowl--short and sweet :)

I will be teaching this cowl as a class at the Village Knittery on Thursday, March 7 from 10am till noon.  If you've never made a cowl that you loved, but suspected that you were missing something---THIS is what you've been missing! 

Knit Inn 2013

Teaching at the Knit Inn--Awesome students!!

    Today I find myself still recovering from my wonderful weekend at the SC Knitting Guild's Knit Inn.  So much fun, food, friends, knitting, and more knitting, packed into 3 days!  I was delighted to get to teach the Vintage Winter Shawl to a great group of knitters.  I joked that next year I want to see all their finished shawls and we can take a Class Reunion photo.  Frankly I would LOVE that!

Among the things I learned this year were Russian grafting (so cool!), ways to improve my Magic Loop (AHA!!), how to knit a sweater from the top down, and that so far I don't much like knitting with silk.  There were also some great recommendations for great knitting books, favorite yarns, entertaining BBC programming, and a knock-your-socks-off Show and Tell time that makes me wish I had more time to knit!

If you get the chance to attend a knitting conference of some sort, I recommend that you do.  There is always something new to learn, in or out of class, and new friends to make as well as old ones to catch up with.  

I'll be spending the next year looking forward to the next Knit Inn and hopefully adding other workshops/events as well (SAFF, Stitches, etc).  I may not be an "old dog" but I do love learning "new tricks!"

FYI:

Coming up in May here in South Carolina, Knitting instructor and author,  Margaret Radcliffe will be in Lexington for two days of classes, sponsored by the Palmetto Purlers Knitting Guild.  More info at their website.

What I taught--Vintage Winter Shawl