WIP Wrestling

Summer Treat Cardi pattern by Diane Zangl
Published in Creative Knitting, July 2009

Like many of you, I've got more than a few Works in Process (WIPs) stashed about my work room (aka - house).  This really doesn't bother me.  I'm happy to let projects hibernate until I decide either a) I need the finished object, or b) I need the yarn for another project. 

Inspired by the Ravellenic Games 2012 (a knit along that occurs on Ravelry during the Olympic Games), I decided to wrestle a little striped summer cardigan that I started in 2009.  My version of the Summer Treat Cardi by Diane Zangl, is worked up in Neapolitan stripes of Hempathy (Elizabeth Lavoid).  I had already knit over 50% of the sweater; I knew I wasn't going to use the yarn for anything else; and I figured I could really use the sweater this summer and fall.  So I drug it out, gave myself a high five for storing the pattern, needles, yarn and work done to date all together in a project bag, and set to work. 

About 2 days into my wip wrestling, my enthusiasm started to wane, and I realized why I hadn't finished this in the first place.  Using the hempathy yarn is like knitting with dk weight kitchen twine.  But I pushed on, and finished, though not in time to garner a medal in the 2012 Ravellinics.  And I'm happy to report that the Hempathy softed up into a great fabric with the first washing.  At some point, I may go back and shorten the sleeves.  Seriously, who am I kidding? That's not likely to happen.

Have you done any WIP wrestling lately?  I'd love to hear about it, and see any successes or failures!

Good For Ewe - So Good!

I am so excited to announce a collaboration between Verdigris Knits Designs and a fantastic new yarn company - Good For Ewe.  Good For Ewe was launched in July 2012 by the fantastically fashion forward Paige Darling Sylvester.  Paige is a veteran of the yarn industry, an intrepid lace knitter, and a determined businesswoman, who's vision is to bring wonderful, unique fiber blends to us.

Good For Ewe's lineup of yarn includes a variety of weights and blends in an assortment of fresh, fun colorways.  And Paige is planning to add more variety as her business grows.  Currently available:

Chord - a worsted weight blend of 60% Peruvian Highland wool, 40% tencel put up in 50 gram balls of 91 yards each.  The recommended stitch gauge is 5.5 stitches per inch on US size 8 (5.0mm) needles.

Claddagh - a sport weight tweed in a blend of 45% merino, 40% baby llama, 15% donegal
 put up in 50 gram balls of  164 yards each.  The recommended stitch gauge is 6 stitches per inch on US size 5 (3.75mm) needles.

 

Sultry Steps - a  fingering weight blend of 40% superwash merino, 40% baby llama, 20% nylon put up in 100gram hanks of 414 yards each.  The recommended stitch gauge is 8 stitches per inch on US size 1.25 (2.25mm) needles.

Mirrorball - a  stunning lace weight blend of  95% merino and 5% silver stellina put up in 100 gram hanks of 796 yards each.  The recommended stitch gauge is 7 stitches per inch on US size 3 (3mm) needles.   I can't wait to try this in a lace shawl. 

Be sure to tell your local yarn store about these yarns if they aren't already carrying them.

I met with Paige last week, and we mapped out some possible new designs especially suited for Good For Ewe yarns.  I'll start with a textured, reversible baby blanket that uses Chord with Sultry Steps as a sweet color accent.  The stitch patterns are brioche variations that create a lovely, squishy, fabrich with lots of horizontal spread.  The pattern for this blanket will be offered by both Paige and me.  Here's a preview of the stitch.   The pattern should be available in early September.



Side 1



Side 2



Love these colors - looking very French Provincial. 

Working up to be a wonderfully textured, squishy, yet lightweight fabric.

Finding Inspiration

Nature serves as the best source for inspiration for many knitters - recently, my inspiration came from these magical lotus blossoms and leaves that seem to thrive in the sweltering humid weather we've had to suffer through this summer.  Glad something is thriving in this drought.  

Results - an island inspired felted birdhouse  - all from stash yarns. 

This adorable pattern, Wrens Trio of Properties is the work of designer Faye Kennington.  These are quick and oh so much fun to work up. 



Dreaming of a pink and green brioche baby blanket, hmmmm.

Back on Track With a New Complimentary Design

My, it's been a long time since my last post. To make amends for my absence, here's a quick and easy felted mosaic cup sleeve that works up with scrap amounts of yarn.  The pattern for the "Sportive Cup Cozy" can be downloaded from the complimentary pattern section over on the right hand side of the blog.

This mosaic stitch pattern is being auditioned for larger felted accessories that will be offered in the Game Day Knits book.  I have to confess, I've fallen way behind schedule on the book this summer.  News Flash - heat waves are not conducive to knitting wool accessories inspired by crisp autumn tail gates and frosty evening football games.  Hard to believe, but I totally took a break from the needles for the past month or so.   Just.could.not.knit.  Shocking.

But in the past few weeks, the itch in my fingers overcame the thermometer, and I knew I needed to get back at the production knitting for the book.  Somehow, I still couldn't bring myself to work on the double knit stockinette scarf I'd started back in April (wow, was it really that long ago?).

Whenever I need to get back into the knitting groove, I start small, like this little mosaic stitch pattern. 

I always have to audition new mosaics with lots of different color combinations, and usually end up tweaking the designs as they often don't translate from graph paper exactly the way I want.   One great way to make the swatch process more productive is to make coffee cup cozies.  Perfect swatch size, and even if the design isn't exactly what I want, the sleeves are still usable.  I felt mine, as I have found out that these hold up better over the long run.
Please, let me know what you think of this stitch pattern - would you like to see it used in a larger accessory?
`

Game Day Knits - Sneak Peek 2

Next two samples for the book - quick and easy!

Cowl

Fingerless Mitts

A couple of hats on the needles now.  And please - if you have an idea of an item to include in the book, please let me know.  Looking for the ideal accessories to show your team spirit.

Game Day Knits - Sneak Peek 1

Was never that great at keeping secrets, so I have decided to post sneak peak photos of the projects that will be included in the book I am working on - the tentative title is Game Day Knits.  My plan is to give birth to this baby by August of this year so it is available for the new school year and football season here in the states.  The current plan is to include 20 patterns.  By posting about the book regularly, I'm hoping to keep myself on that schedule - it's a bit aggressive, but nothing like a deadline to provide motivation.

Here are the first two designs:

Game Day Backpack - worked up in my beloved maize and blue

The backpack is a great size and a really fast easy knit - thinking about including some extra charts for the body to give knitters some options.  And the Brown Sheep Nature Spun felts like a dream.

Stripe It Rich Scarf - a quick slip stitch pattern with built in i-cord edging.

The scarf is a easy to memorize slip stitch pattern that creates textured vertical stripes on one side and horizontal stripes in the shape of little round cables on the other side - a really cool effect.  A built in I-cord edging creates a professional finish but is so easy to work.   Fans of Minnesota, or USC should appreciate this version, but it will work up well in any color combination.

The patterns planned for the book are mostly accessories, and maybe a children's garment or two.  If you have an idea for an accessory to include don't hesitate to let me know.  Same thing with color combinations - I will happily include requested combinations.

Getting ready to play - book style

My In-laws use this expression "getting ready to play" to describe how their grandchildren approach their activities.  Most of the time is spent planning and gathering the materials needed, and by the time they have everything ready, they have lost interest in the actual thing they were going to do in the first place. 

I often experience the same thing in knitting design.  I love the idea and planning stage most of all.  Sketching (too be more accurate: putting lines and words in my notebook), picking yarns and colors, swatching, and developing spreadsheets for sizing, yarn amounts, etc provide hours of entertainment.  By the end of this stage, the item is already designed and knit up  - in my head - and I'm itching to move onto another idea. 

But alas, there is no getting around the production phase - picking up the needles, casting on, and working up the test samples.  And honestly, I really enjoy this stage too, it's just that sometimes it takes longer than I would like for it too.

So I'm at that stage with a book concept I've been working on for over a year.  The idea grew out of the Super Scarves effort - engaging our community to hand make over 8,000 blue and white scarves for the volunteers who worked Super Bowl 46 here in Indianapolis this past February.   While teaching hundreds the basics of knitting, I was struck by the lack of pattern collections for two colors, ala team colors, that were within the skill sets of most average knitters and yet still sophisticated.  In other words, not just a color blocked garter stitch scarf.  I came up with a few designs (see complimentary designs on the right side of the blog) but wanted to branch out into other accessories besides scarfs.  

Couple that with the problem that arises with trademarked and licensed team logos.  No longer can one publish a pattern incorporating Michigan's Block M, for example, as that would require special licensing from the University and NCAA.  I've explored that, and while not impossible to obtain, is definitely out of my reach if I wanted to secure licenses for numerous teams.  As much as I love Michigan, I realize that a book centered around Maize and Blue designs would have a limited market - and might just be enough to stop a Buckeye from ever working one of my designs again. 

So the book will contain a collection of accessory patterns specifically designed to use two or three team colors.   My planed launch date is August 2012 - so I better get moving on the production phase.   I'll be blogging more about the process.  For now, I've received my first installment of the yarn - I've selected Brown Sheep Company's Nature Spun in worsted weight.   This yarn is a great work horse yarn, available in the necessary colors, and produced right here in the Midwest.  More sneak peaks of the designs to come. 

Spring - Time To Get Outside

Like much of the US, spring has arrived into the midwest disquised as summer.  Here in Indy, we've had high temperatures in the 80s for almost a week now.  The flowering trees and spring bulbs have erupted into bloom.  Birds are delirious and the air smells divine. 

What better time than to try out a new camera.  I've known for a while that I needed to upgrade my photographs.  After a fair amount of research, and finding a great deal at Costco, we opted for a Nikon D5100 with a couple of different lenses.  I'm on quite the learning curve, but very happy with performance so far. 

As far as knitting, I've been working on design submittals for next winters publications.  It's surreal to be working on winter designs when the weather is this beautiful, but that's how this business works.   And here's a sneak peak of the next brioche/mosaic cowl design - I think I'm going to call this one Archetype.

Refining the Cause and Effect Scarf

Indulged in a little big ten basketball tournament knitting action last night and this Cause and Effect scarf  (see this post and the complimentary pattern section over on the right side of the blog) was started and finished in one night in front of the TV - I told you it was a quick knit.   I decided to try a modification to refine the look of the scarf, tapered ends:  

This version is worked up in Noro Silk Garden.  This fantastic yarn is a blend of silk, mohair, and lamb's wool with the most beautiful long runs of color blends. I love this yarn in this pattern, and the colors are devine.  The silk gives this scarf some lovely body.  This version is made using only one skein - the blocked dimensions are about 4" wide and 48" long.

It may be best to be comfortable with the stitch pattern as written in the Cause and Effect pattern, before trying this modification.  At least work a swatch if you haven't already started a project.

I use a knit front and back (kfb) to make the increases.  Decreases are made by knit 2 together (k2tog).  See the pattern for other abbreviations.  Note these instructions have not be test knit by anyone other than me, and have not been tech edited yet.  Don't hesitate to let me know if you find a problem or have a question.

To taper the ends of the Cause and Effect Scarf: 

Cast on 3 stitches (these will be the center sts of the scarf).
row 1 - k1, yfsl1yo, k1
row 2 - kfb, yfsl1+yo, kfb (5 sts)
row 3 - p1, k1, yfsl1++yo, k1, p1
row 4 - kfb, k1, p1, sl1+++yof, p1, k1, kfb (7 sts)
row 5 - p2, k1, yfsl1++++yo, k1, p2
row 6 - kfb, k2, p1, brp+++++1, p1, k2, kfb (9 sts)
row 7 - p1, sl1yof, p1, k3, p1, sl1yof, p1
row 8 - kfb, yfsl1+yo, k1, p3, k1, yfsl1+yo, kfb (11 sts)
row 9 - p1, sl1++yof, p1, k3, p1, sl1++yof, p1
row 10 - kfb, sl1+++yof, k1, p3, k1, sl1+++yof, k1 (13 sts)
row 11 - p1, sl1++++yof, p1, k3, p1, sl1++++yof, p1
row 12 - kfb, brk+++++1, k1, p3, k1, brk+++++1, k1

Continue working rows 1-12 of pattern stitch (see pattern).  When scarf is about 2" (5cm) short of the desired length and having just worked row 6 of the pattern stitch, begin tapering the ends by k2tog each end of every odd numbered row while continuing in pattern until 3 stitches remain.  Work the last brp+++++1 row and then knit one more row.  Cut yarn and thread tail through remaining 3 live stitches, pull tight and secure by weaving in the tail. 

I really think this gives a refined look to the scarf.  If you give it a try, be sure to let me know how it works out. 

New Complimentary Pattern - Limited Time Only

Just released a new complimentary cowl or scarf pattern Esprit de Corps- perfect for working up in team colors to show your team spirit!  It's a quick project too in bulky or super bulky yarns. 

The stitch pattern is a variation of stockinette brioche stitch -  I call it double stockinette brioche, and there is a video showing how it's done on the brioche tutorials page. 

This stitch is great for these cowls because the resulting striped fabric is textured, reversible and flat - that's right, it looks like stockinette stitch on one side, but it stays flat.  How cool is that.

This pattern is available for free here - but only during the March Madness KAL over on the Verdigris Knits Group Forum on Ravelry - so grab the pattenr while you can, and whip up one or two to show your Team Spirit.