Simple Knitting Tips: The Side Marker

 

Sometimes I forget that not everyone around me has been knitting like, forever.* There are so many little tricks I have to keep my knitting flowing smoothly that I just take for granted, until I see someone has a question that can be answered by one of my totally ingenious** fixes.  Because helping people love their knitting is one of my life's goals, I have decided to share with you, in random order, on random days, 

some of my Knitting Tips. 

Simple Knitting Tip: The Side Marker

When I am knitting a project, and I need to know the right side from the wrong side, and I don't want to expend too much energy re-thinking the answer to that question over and over, I attach a marker like the one pictured to the right side. You could attach it to the wrong side if you prefer, and I promise it won't hurt my feelings, but I strongly suggest you pick one side and stick with it! You can also tie a piece of contrasting color yarn, if you don't have a stitch marker handy that opens and closes, or if you're like me and it's just easier to cut a random piece of yarn and tie it on, because there is yarn everywhere around here.  

Obviously this isn't something you'll need to use all that often, but if you're wanting to simplify things (like say you're at knitting group and there's wine involved...), this can be a super quick fix.

Next time: Productivity--the Knit List

*OK, I've only been knitting for 9 years, but in dog years, that would be a l-o-n-g time!

**Some of these ingenious tips you will easily find somewhere else--a book, the internet, a magazine, etc.  I don't claim originality, I just claim they work for me :)

On Winter Knitting, and not following all the rules

We set a record low here today, and from what I can tell, it's cold all over the U.S. right now. So it seemed like a good time to talk about "Winter Knitting."

I am not sure, however, that "Winter Knitting" really exists.

Granted, that bag I made in July was a pretty warm wool and it might have been a better thing to knit in cooler weather, but it was part of a knit-a-long so July really was the right time to knit it.

I propose that knitting is knitting and that the only honest way to categorize knitting projects is by recipient or purpose: charity, holiday, gift, shop sample, class project, pattern for sale, something fun for me, etc.

If one must knit only wool in winter and only cotton in summer, this places unnecessary barriers to knitting enjoyment.  What if, for example, I had said no to knitting the swelteringly hot bag in July, just because it was wool and not winter?  I shudder to think.  I would have missed out on the fun of my first knit-a-long, the fun of connecting with an out-of-town friend, the fun of knitting with my daughter, the fun of my first felting project, and the literally hundreds of times that bag has been admired when I use it. 

If you want to knit with cotton or linen in winter, do it.  If you want to knit with wool in summer, do it.  If you want to knit something from a 10-year old knitting book instead of the very latest thing, do it. And here's the most important part:

You don't have to feel guilty if you aren't knitting what everyone else is knitting.

There's nothing wrong with knitting the "in" thing.  I finished my 4th Honey Cowl over Christmas break, for example (addicting knitting, plain and simple).  What I am staunchly against is the attitude that if you are not knitting the "in" thing at the "in" time, you are less of knitter.  There is nothing sadder than a knitter who quits because she's been told "all you knit is garter stitch scarves!" and really, all she wants to knit is garter stitch scarves, but she's been bullied by other knitters into thinking she can't cut it in the big leagues.  This makes me so mad! 

Whenever possible, knitting should be fun. 

For me, knitting is more fun when I am knitting what feels right at the moment, for any reason.  Today, with our projected high of 36 degrees, I will spend my leisure knitting time working on a cotton dishcloth and a pair of socks.  I could cast on a wool blanket/sweater/shawl/scarf/hat, and knit it because it would qualify as "winter knitting" or because it's what 972 people are knitting on Ravelry.  Instead, today I will be true to myself as a knitter and knit what I am motivated to knit, not what others might think I should knit.  I encourage you to do the same.

Polonius said it best:

"This above all: to thine ownself be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."

(Hamlet, Act I, Scene 3)

Honey Cowl. Currently wearing, due to extreme cold!

Happy New Year 2014!

Do you make resolutions? If so, may I recommend making at least one of them knitting-related? Resolve to learn a new technique, finish a certain project, tackle something big, join a Knitting Guild, or start your holiday knitting sooner this year.

As I write this and reflect on 2013, I am amazed at how the year turned out so differently for me and my knitting than I had planned. I started the year as a teacher and ended it as a designer. I started a Guild that took off and became much more than I dreamed it could be, thanks to the talents, vision and hard work of the knitters who joined. I had the privilege of teaching many people new knitting skills, and I was able to learn new skills that I can pass on to others in the coming months. I made some wonderful new friends, gained a couple of incredible minions, and traveled to exciting new knitting conferences. I designed some fun items that hope to be able to show you as they are published.

2013 was a wonderful year full of surprises, inspiration, and all manner of knitting love.

Today I will set some knitting goals for 2014, but I will stay open to possibilities that I haven't yet imagined and I encourage you to do the same!

May your new year be filled to overflowing with good things, great people, and much love!

My First Trip to SAFF, part 2: Before it's yarn, it's fiber...

...and before it's fiber, it's sheep! 

Or maybe it's alpaca, as shown here enduring a friendly pat from one of my pals--the brave pal, who pet an alpaca.

SAFF (Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair) is less about knitting and more about becoming a better yarn consumer.  It also helps you become a better consumer overall.  I realize I was only there one day, but it made a big impression on me.

Having had a couple of weeks to develop some hindsight about my trip, I look back now and realize that one of my biggest takeaways is a finer appreciation for all that it takes to make a simple skein of yarn.  It helped immeasurably that one of my activities that weekend was a class on using the Turkish spindle.  Whereas before I never looked twice at roving or bats of un-spun wool, this time I paid attention.  I was charged with the task of not only buying a Turkish spindle for class, but also in finding roving--but not just any kind.  I needed BFL, which for the "Un-Spun" among us sounds like it abbreviates something nefarious.  BFL is Bluefaced Leicester, named after the sheep breed from which it is sheared, and it is an excellent fiber to use as a beginner due to its long staple. Or so I was told.  Being as I am still a rank beginner, I wouldn't know any different!

I found some seriously gorgeous BFL at Gale's booth.  She had some stunning colorways in her hand-dyed roving!  I ended up with these that looked like sheep :)

My gorgeous BFL!

Ready to get this party started!

I mentioned in an earlier post about the amazing spindles made by Subterranean Woodworks.  Mine is lovely, isn't it?  It did NOT come with a guarantee that I would be a natural at spinning, however.  (If you're listening, guys, you might want to think of adding that bit of magic to your product line.  It's too late for me, but others will benefit in the future. Just promise you'll think about it.)

They tell me that "thick and thin" yarn is premium stuff that costs way more at yarn shops.   Y'all, spinning "thick and thin" is SO easy!  It's getting it to be uniform and just one (or even just TWO!) yarn weights at once that is incredibly hard....at least for me.  As you can see, most of our class--made up of members of the Flowertown Knitting Guild, a super-talented bunch-- seemed to have gotten the hang of it (or the spin of it, as the case may be!) after several hours.

The bottom line is this: If you think that everything starts with the finished product you see on a store shelf, then a trip to SAFF next year will do you a world of good.  You'll meet small farmers (well, they weren't all short, but most of them had small farms...hahaha) and business owners that operate on a scale that won't put them on the top 100 sellers on Amazon.  You'll see craftsmen and weavers and spinners and yes, even knitters.  Look past all the smiling faces and beautiful fiber and you'll see heart and passion and a love for the job that you won't find just anywhere.  This, I believe, will make you (and me) a better consumer.  I think that purchasing decisions are made a little differently when one considers the life, the passion and the talents, behind the item.

(For part 1 of this post, go HERE)

Planning ahead. It's better that way.

Coming up in 2014 (yes, it really is just around the corner!), two dates for you to mark on your calendar:

January 25, 2014
Indigo Dyeing Workshop
Registration is now live for this class, to be held again at the Charleston Museum, and since it fills up quickly, I suggest registering sooner, rather than later. Why? Because I can't wait to see what fabulous things YOU can do with Indigo!

February 7-9, 2014
Vintage Winter Shawl Class
This is a repeat of last year's sold out class at the SC Knitting Guild's Knit Inn.  Registration for this will be open by the first part of December (which is now a month away--yikes!).  This year, they will not be taking any walk-in registrations, and all the classes (and hotel rooms) are first-come, first-served.  I don't yet know what date my class will be, but you should plan to come for the whole thing anyway because it's loads of fun!

photo by Sean Money, The Charleston Museum

My first trip to Saff! (part 1)

Last weekend I finally made it to Saff!  The Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair has been going on for 20 years, and I've tried to go in years past, honest.  This year: success!

 

So much to see! So many people!

 

Wendy and Me

The fun thing about fiber/knitting events is getting to see folks I don't see all the time. Wendy and I got to touch base for a bit and swap Indigo dye stories and plans for world domination via knitwear.  We get closer to our goal all the time...

Me and Pat. Not pictured: her tutu!

Pat slowed down long enough for a blurry pic with me.  I've decided that I will start a blog one day and it will be filled with pics of me and Pat, running into each other at fiber fairs. I think that's a good plan, because Pat makes me (and everyone else, for that matter) smile, and we should all smile more, right?

Buying our first Turkish spindles. The guy on the right MADE them!

My goal at Saff was to find a really good Turkish drop spindle. No, make that, a GREAT one.  Turns out that Knitty and Color is a wonderful source of top-notch Turkish drop spindles--well-made, beautiful, and reasonably priced. I can't recommend them highly enough!

Gale, of Gale's Art, who fit right in with our crazy bunch.

For roving, I went over to Gale's Art and, despite her enormous quantities of amazing hand-dyed roving in a million beautiful colors, I bought natural, sheep-colored roving.  I loved it and that was all that mattered.

Me, Gail, and her Vintage Winter Shawl

Last February I taught a class at the SC Knitting Guild's Knit Inn and afterward, the lovely Gail contacted me with a finished pic of her class project.  As I was walking through the barn at Saff, I saw that project and knew I had seen it before.  Sure enough, it was Gail herself, and the shawl was even more gorgeous in person!

Overall it was a great trip--cold, exhausting, exhilarating and fun!  Do I want to go back again next year? Absolutely! Will I dress a little more warmly if the forecast high is less than 50 degrees? You'd better believe it!

 (Want to hear more about my adventures with spindle and roving? Stay tuned for part 2 of my Saff trip, where I brag on my Flowertown Knitting Guild pals and attempt to spin yarn from Blue-Faced Leicester, which is not as easy as it sounds...!)

Another go with Indigo

 

Last Saturday I was privileged to once again teach an Indigo Dyeing Workshop at the Charleston Museum.  We had another great bunch of dyers, who were a blast to work with!

First we got a peek at some of the indigo items in the Museum's collection, and Curator of Textiles Jan Hiester gave a brief history of the use of indigo in the Charleston area.

Then the dyeing began.  Can you see how green the yarn is in the vat?  It looks kind of sickly, but trust me, it turned out a beautiful blue--that's the magic of indigo.

Laura brought a dress that she wanted to try in the vats.  She was thrilled with the results! It turned out great!

A little silk tie-dye? You bet! Delores did a beautiful job! 

Look for the next Indigo Dyeing Workshop to be scheduled soon.

Free Pattern Friday: Socks! Now via PDF!

After having this pattern available for almost a full year (how time does fly...), I have  created a PDF file for easy downloading, and (presumably) easy knitting.

This pattern is not complicated, but it looks smashing when knitted up and if you use Cascade 220 Superwash Sport like I did, they'll be so soft you won't want to take them off.

With Christmas just around the corner, here's a great gift idea for someone on your list.  Cast on now--what are you waiting for?  After all, it is a FREE pattern!

Knit and Crochet Show 2013

So last weekend, this happened:

 

I traveled up the road to Charlotte, NC to take a class, meet with some editors, and generally hob knob with some of the finest knitters (and crocheters) anywhere.

There was a lot of yarn! And yarn accessories! And people draped in yarn!

Yes, I was one of those people draped in yarn.  Here I am meeting the incredible Melissa Leapman.  When I knitted the "Tamara Wrap," I never thought I'd get to meet the designer of the pattern. I think she approved of my work ;)

And I approved of hers, too. Here she is teaching "Turning Pro" to those of us who aspire to make money from designing knitwear (or crochetwear, as was the case with so many of the other students.  I mean, I have never seen so many crocheters in one place as I did at this show! But I digress...).  So much is right with this pic--Melissa's intensity while teaching, the fact that I was trying to take the pic on the sly (I'm sure she didn't see me aim my iPhone at her from table height. Right??), the magnificent shawl on the student in front of me, which was only eclipsed by her magnificently braided hair...!

That night we were treated to this lady--Patty Lyons.  I laughed so hard at her crazy pics of sweaters that were miles too big, but I also learned a lot about gauge. Great fun! And I was finally in a room full of KNITTERS! There were probably some folks who also crocheted, but I chose to overlook it. Ha!

All in all, it was a fantastic experience.  I spent time with friends from my Knitting Guild, folks I only see at shows like this (like Pat!), and new friends I made like Maureen, Diana and Sandy.

PS: I took with me 5 items that I designed, wrote patterns for and knit in the last 2 months--a shawl, a wine bottle cozy, a bag, a sock (half a pair!), and a hat.  I received offers to buy the shawl and hat for publication!  Stay tuned for further developments on that front :)

 

New Pattern for Halloween!

SALE!  
Halloween Sale-October 2013
buy all three patterns for half price! 

I don't know about you, but when I hear the phrase "Halloween Wine Party," I immediately think of this:

So when someone said to me recently, "Halloween Wine Party," I looked around but found no patterns written for what I wanted.  So of course I wrote one.  Actually I wrote three: a skull, a pumpkin, and a black cat, all quick knits on double-pointed needles.  I think they will make a great hostess gift, decoration, or even finger puppet ;) You can get all three patterns for one low price, just by clicking the link below:

Halloween Wine Toppers-$3.00

Halloween Sale: Now only $1.50!