Knit Night Success ...

Well I'd say there was some! We had a number of folks here, some to knit, some to socialize - all was fun! Let's see, on the knitting side were Maria, Christina, Kathy, Eileen, Sheila, Molly, Patricia, and Laurie. On the socializing side were Sharon, Chris, Samantha - and downstairs, Michael and Nick. What a great crowd. Now, as the knitting crowd grows, it is evident that there may not be enough one-on-one instruction time to suffice. Fortunately some are willing to stay late (or check back later) to get their questions in. This is working for me, hopefully it will for the students too.

Let's see, what happened. Molly was here for the first time and she learned to knit. With practice piece in hand she made several rows before the night was out If she'll keep up the good work, she'll be on to a project in no time.

Sheila is making good progress against her pattern. The letters she is showing as purled stitches on a stockinette field are coming out nicely. At the present rate she'll be finishing up soon and we'll have the completed piece to see. This week she had me look over her work a bit to see if I saw blatant mistakes but I didn't see any. She's made several rip outs and restarts but over all is getting the hang of it. She was proud to announce at the end of the night she completed the entire session WITHOUT the assistance of the teacher. Way to go, Sheila. (And we won't mention how many times she came to see teacher during the preceding week. :-)

Christina showed up with a whole bag full of goodies, having obviously spent quality time with Orly at The Gourmet Yarn Shop. Her plan is to do a pair of house shoe / clogs like Eileen is working up. Her scheme will be to use two smaller strands of yarn and knit them together as one for the required thickness. No need for test felting because she is using the same 100% Merino wool that I used on mine. So we know it works. Christina finished up her dishcloth, binding it off when she arrived, and it looks good. She has the knit vs. purl thing down and anxious to start the new shoes. The pattern has instructions for W&T: Wrap and Turn; P2TOG: purl 2 together; SSK: Slip, Slip, Knit; and M1: Make 1. We stepped through what each was and set her up with a practice piece of the right yarn, two strands, on her new circular needles. After a little practice, she hopes to cast on and begin. She even practiced a little casting on to get that down. Can't wait to see what she gets done this week.

Laurie and Patricia hit me a couple of times with questions and snafus. In no time, though, we had them back on the right track. Laurie is working up a Christmas scarf in a bright green that is looking quite festive. Patricia is working a multi-colored scarf, working in color changes by changing yarns. It's looking great.

Kathy has her practice piece well underway and ready to move on to something 'real'. She picked out a pattern from one of the Dishcloth pattern books and will start on it. Unfortunately, she had to leave before I got her going so I took on a little after class work and got it started for her, sending it by Sharon the next morning to her house. She claims she'll have tons of questions, but even so, I expect we'll see some good progress soon.

Maria finished up her coaster pattern piece, working out what she likes, what she might change regarding both the graphic and features of the piece. Orly didn't have the right color yarn available last week so Maria had to wait until this week to get the needed material. In the meantime I had some extra of the kind she is going to use, so I cast some on and got her going on a gauge swatch. It will serve to gauge initial knitting and then the final gauge after felting. From there we'll calculate the final design.

Eileen is well on her way to finishing clog number two! It's getting exciting to see the second one come along. It's been a pesky little thing though, throwing a couple of good curves Eileen's way as she's worked up the pattern. (In my enthusiasm to encourage the pattern, I might have suggested it was a bit easier than it actually is. Good thing Eileen likes a challenge.) She will be in an excellent position to help Christina through the pitfalls as she is taking on the same pattern. Eileen's choice of such for her first project is making her show her mettle - but mettle she has and she's hanging in there. We're going to see a cool pair of slippers on here before long. By evening's end, Eileen was back on track and making progress. I can't wait to see how good they look next week.

The BIG moment of the night? Christina brought me a copy of Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts edition (Interweaveknits.com)! This is magazine and this yearly edition is one of my absolute favorites! The good news for the Knit Night crowd is the magazine will now be available in our 'library' for any to peruse and explore. This year's edition touts 30 Knits to Give and Get - lots of great little projects that make cool Christmas gifts.

It was a great night .. can't wait until next week. In the mean time .. keep on knitting!

October 29 - Knit Night!

THE highlight of your week is upon us!

Who's coming to Knit Night? Don't miss it. It's raining tonight and what better activity to embark upon than knitting on a cool and rainy night?

Come on over and join the fun. Projects abound, so come see who's doing what and their progress. Eileen with Clog #2, Jo with her nephew's Christmas Stocking, Maria with her felted coaster set and Sheila with her super secret Christmas present. Everyone is progressing nicely. Christina should be ready to launch her new project and there is a rumor that Kathy may indeed rejoin us after much too long a hiatus. Come on by and join the fun. Perhaps we'll pull out the camera and put some of those projects on the blog - they're certainly worthy of pictures.

Hope to see you there!

Socks, Socks, and More Socks

If you're interested in socks, a nice intro book is one that's been out awhile named Knit Socks! by Betsy Lee McCarthy. It's written in a very nice new-knitter-friendly format that allows you to go step-by-step with clear instructions and constant stitch counts. The book is even shaped like a sock, so you subconsciously stay inspired throughout the sock making experience.

Here are a pair I've been working up from the design called "Classy Slip-Up" (a clever reference to the slip stitch pattern used for the body of the sock). You may not be able to tell it in the picture but there is a nice texture being woven as the cloth of the sock. This leads to a nice bit of advice. If you're going to the trouble to make a cool and clever woven pattern, don't also use a self-patterning yarn. You completely lose the delight of the texture in the visual display of the colors. So, note to self, use solid color yarn when knitting a texture - or at least use a well muted similar color set. These are for Sharon .. poor thing .. she's been waiting patiently since April for me to finish them. Presently they're on hold. Here's how they're looking (CLICK on the image for a nice big enlargement) ...



I forget the name of the yarn. I'll check with Orly from The Gourmet Yarn Shop - that's where I bought it. I like it. It's the same yarn, though different color, as the yarn I used on a pair of mittens I discussed earlier. I actually finished those mittens - unfortunately, not much use for cold weather mittens in Israel. Perhaps we'll visit somewhere cold this winter!

Knit and Purl .. that's all it takes!

I believe it was Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee, a.k.a The Yarn Harlot, that I learned that knitting is as easy as only two stitches: Knit and Purl. And actually, as a friend pointed out tonight, it's not truly even two stitches, it's one stitch from two perspectives. There's the knit, where the working yarn is in back and the working needle slips through the stitch pointing toward the back; and there's the purl, where the working yarn is in the front and the working needle slips through the stitch pointing toward the front. With those two different ways of making a stitch, you can knit anything! Yes, there are variations on the theme, sometimes knitting more than one stitch at a time, or throwing the yarn over the needle before knitting, or slipping a stitch and neither knitting or purling, or maybe parking a stitch or two and knitting a few out of order, but basically everything is either a knit or a purl. When I first heard this, and after thinking about it long enough to realize how true it was, I was greatly encouraged. That this is not the impossible dream. It's not something that requires amazing talent and insight. That it is something even I could do. From then on, having mastered a knit and purl, I felt emboldened to try anything.

So that's the approach we take during our Wednesday night knitting adventures. We learn to knit. We learn to purl. We put them together and do either on command (and on purpose!) I've found the little dishcloths like the one pictured above are perfect for this. They consist of only knits and purls and the patterns we use are very straight forward and simple. They're put out by Leisure Arts and provide quick and fun projects that are perfect for learning. The one most are using comes from Garden Dischcloths to Knit by Melissa Bergland Burnham. Some are stepping up to the mysteries of the yarn over, which produces a nice eyelet or hole in the cloth, by knitting patterns from Love to Knit Dishcloths by Evelyn A. Clark. They're simple and recommended for something quick to turn around or for something to learn on. The design above sports a Bee Skep, brought to shape by carefully placing your purls amongst your knits. Kind of cool really.

Oh .. and I see Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee has a new book out Free-range Knitter: The Yarn Harlot Writes Again. If you want to read some genuinely funny stuff, check out something - anything - written by Stephanie. She's also quite the blogger: http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/

Ta Da! ... A Sock!

And yes .. we have a sock! I'll put it on and take few shots modeling it soon. For now, I'll just share the image of the completed item. Wa hooo! Always feels good to finish something. Well, I guess it's half of something, as I now have to make the mate. Unfortunately, that might have to wait a bit as I've been informed by Savta Sharon that I have a granddaughter project due within a few short weeks - that would be the Christmas stocking I started for Adelaide LAST year. Uh oh ... More on that soon. For now, though, I'm going to revel in my completed sock. I think I'll slip it on and do a little dance. :-)

Maria!

"What do you do with a problem like Mariaaaaaa?" Doesn't that name just make you want to break out in song? Does me. But what can I say? "The Hills Are Alive" with music over here at our place. Though it's usually in the form of an incessant ratt-a-tat-tat of X-Box 360 Rock Band drums reverberating up from the basement, but music nonetheless. (Note to self: Get a copy of "The Sound of Music" - everyone should have more Julie Andrews in their life.)

Back to Maria - and knitting in general. Maria and I have embarked upon a new holiday special project. She is going to design and knit a set of felted drink-glass coasters for her Christmas holiday table or, perhaps, that of a friend's depending on whether she can part with them as gifts or not. Sharon suggested the idea of felting. Ever the practical one, she noted that it would be ideal for absorbing the moisture, as a coaster is intended, yet with ample thickness to support the glass and not transfer the moisture to the table beneath. Excellent idea, Sharon.

When it comes to gifts, I always find myself in this trouble. I announce I am making a gift. I embark on some clever this or that only to discover, mid-way through, a welling sense of pride of ownership develops, or maybe it's pride of creation - regardless, it grips me and I no longer have the desire to give my gift away. In fact, I almost get down right selfish about it (e.g., socks of previous posts). It's tough! So beware. You might want to keep your 'this shall be a gift' announcements to yourself until you've finished the project, just in case you change your mind and the first one turns out to be a little something for self. :-)

Regardless! Maria is making felted coasters! Not only making them, she is designing and developing them. Is that fun or what? She has a test piece going at the moment, first exploring the basic design. It is in just a bit of acrylic to see what it looks like. The plan is to get some 100% wool so it will felt, knit a swatch, measure gauge, felt, remeasure gauge, calculate the difference, grow the basic design to fit, knit large, then felt to the ideal size for coasters. They're going to be great.

First stop is ‎111 Ahuza St. in Ra'annana at The Gourmet Yarn Shop. One of the best parts of a new project is going to the yarn shop with a mission!

Now, once we've done all that, we're going to write up the pattern and make it available to others, so stay tuned, and we'll keep you updated on the progress.

Toe Time

I'm almost ready to start decreasing for the toe. I've been careful to measure the length to the foot. The circumference has been tricky. As it is, I match my foot but without any stretch to the fabric. It is just slightly larger than I would prefer. It will be comfortable and all but not snug. I have a book or two that delves into sizing socks. I need to pay a little more attention. Then I need to get Sharon to offer up a foot and let me carefully document the dimensions. From there, I just need to very purposefully attempt to make a sock to size. It's rather frustrating to make a sock and it not fit. This one, though, looks like it will fit me fine. Too bad it's not really THE color for me. Ha!

21 Oct 2008 - Tuesday: Simchat Torah

Sheila called this afternoon and told me to go out and look on my front walk. She had tossed her knitting over the fence. She was on her way to swim and decided to drop off her knitting so I could look at it by the time she finished and help her sort out an error.

I must admit, in my mind, only Sheila would throw her knitting over the wall and hope I'd find it when I got home. Fortunately she called because I enter the house through the garage and thus didn't see the knitting even though it was bright orange.

Somewhere along the way, Sheila started increasing and added several columns to the width of her work. Additionally, the edges really didn't quite look as good in the beginning as they do now. To make a long story short, we took her 18 inches of work and frogged it. Yes, unmercifully, I'd say, ripped it completely out and started her over.

I must say, she was quite the trooper over it. I think I cried the first time I ripped out work. Well, okay, maybe not, but it wasn't fun. Sheila just took it in stride and asked for some direction on re-starting the project. The piece was intended as basic instruction anyway, so it had served its purpose. She could now knit and purl on command and on purpose. So we designed her a little something to add some challenge.

Using Microsoft Excel, which in my mind is a knitting pattern designer's dream tool, we gen'd up the basic idea of what she wanted. Of course, I can't tell you what she wanted because it's a surprise. But I will at least give you a clue. You can see the first bit of the pattern above. By the time we finish, we'll have a pattern that tells Sheila exactly when to do what. Rather detailed, I guess, but will give her confidence as a new knitter and keep her from getting lost in what she is doing. I'm anxious for her to give it a try and see how it works. We'll show you the work as it progresses.

19 October 2008 .... Halloween is coming

Savta Sharon decided grandbaby needed a new seasonal outfit . . .




I think she made a fantastic choice!

Admittedly there is nothing knitted to show off in this picture but Adelaide just wanted everyone to know that she is all set for Halloween, thanks to her grandmother. She also hopes everyone will remember to give her special treats when she comes by for Trick or Treat. Quite frankly, I can't imagine anyone being able to refuse her. :-)

Simchat Torah is coming up this week, a Jewish High Holiday that results in yet another day off from the workplace. This of course means more knitting time for me and hopefully more progress on the sock.

Knitting night is going well as some new participants are showing interest. Christina has asked about it, feeling a little miffed that she wasn't aware it was going on! We have to fix that and recruit her to come by this week.

Sheila is now joining us and jumping in with enthusiasm. She's already hit me up half a dozen times other than Wednesday checking on this and that she's discovering as she learns. Her piece is looking good.

Hopefully everyone has made good progress and has fun stuff to show. I've had a sneak peak at Eileen's clog - she has one completely done and ready to felt! Jo started color number three (red to go with the green and white cuff she just completed) on her Christmas stocking. It will be good to see how that looks. And I hear Maria has finished her dishcloth, ready to bind off and start another. By the way, where in the world is Kathy! She's missing out on all the fun.

It will be a good week for show and tell ... come on by and see what's happening. The good news is Sharon is back! So we can sure count on lively conversation and, just maybe, some more of those delicious cookies she likes to bake!

Should be a good time to get out the camera and take a couple of pictures. We'll try and get some posted - check back soon.

Making Progress . . .

Progress is being made. Perhaps not to the level I'd prefer. I've decided though my gauge is more 9/10 st per inch rather than 11, as stated before. However, it still doesn't figure so well. Instead of fitting Sharon's ankle/foot, it's more my size. Sharon is sure this is a ploy on my part, but really, it's not. After making the heavily detailed and customized pair for her once upon a time that could fit no human foot alive, well, I've always been a bit shy about going too small. Now I'm going the other way! I really need to get this size thing down.

15 October 2008 - Knit Night

It's that time again! Wednesday night = Knit Night

So tell me, really .. what are you waiting for? If you haven't joined our crowd yet, you are missing out! There are a variety of interesting things going on, so at the very least it is fun to come by and see what everyone is working.

I'm working up a nice little sock from some really great yarn bought while I was in the USA - Wild Fibre in Savannah, Georgia. It's not what I'm supposed to be working on, but, hey, I've never really stayed to my plans when it comes to knitting and this yarn was really quite compelling. Come by and you can check it out. You can also give me some advice. I'm trying to figure out how to best size the thing.

Anyway, that's it in the attached pictures. The yarn is Knit One, Crochet Too Ty-Dy Sock yarn in the color they name Tropicale 1767. It's 80 % superwash wool and 20% nylon. Ideal for socks which is, I guess, why they call it sock yarn. The vibrant color is what I found so striking. The mfg suggests US 1 needles to produce 8.5 stitches per inch. I'm getting closer to 11 stitches per inch - so much for suggested gauge. You have to be careful about that. Just another example why everyone advises to knit a swatch and determine your own gauge - a good idea, to say the least.

You just never know ...

Thirty some odd years ago when I first met Reva Beene as the mom of the cute little eleventh grader I hoped to date, I'd have bet good money there was no way in the world I'd ever be sitting down to teach her how to knit. :-) But there you see it, in living color.

Yes, indeed, I not only dated that cute little girl - that would be Sharon - I eventually married her and Reva became my mother-in-law. Now that seemed possible enough, but to think, years later I'd learn to knit? Or years beyond that I'd sit down to teach my mother-in-law how to do the same? I never saw it coming - not on either count. But sure-enough, it happened!

Recently, Reva came and visited with us in Israel for almost two months. During that time, the weekly knitting night for the Diplomat Spouses Club started up. Reva, being a fan of crafts of all sorts, found the knitting intriguing and decided she too would sit in and learn how. She had a distinct advantage over some of the other students - she lived in the same household as the teacher. In no time, she was knitting and purling her way to a cute little dishcloth to take home as a keepsake: a handmade souvenir from her trip to the Holy Lands - though with a twist - for she made it with her own hands!

Not far from our house, in a town called Ra'annana, is The Gourmet Yarn Shop http://www.gourmetyarnshop.com/ As a field trip on a Friday morning, with a couple of new knitters in tow, we visited the shop and everyone bought new needles and yarn in the fiber and color of their choice. The shop's a great resource very convenient to where most of us live. Reva made her first yarn and needle purchase that day, opting for some bamboo needles and a light-blue cotton/acrylic yarn. It was just what she needed to match her kitchen colors and to launch her new project , which she did just after we got back to the house that very day.

Hanging out with the teacher gave Reva a little more face time and personalized instruction. However, this was only fair for it compensated for the fact she would soon be head back to the USA, which she did, just this past week. Now where will she turn when all of those troublesome 'oops!' moments occur, common to anyone who has just taken up the craft? I suppose we need to check in with the Worldwide Knitting Network to find some suitable compadres to hang out with in Fayetteville, Tennessee. Since I'm not actually aware of a WKN, I suppose I'll look on Ravelry or maybe see if there is a knit shop near by. As I sit and think about this, it occurs to me I should have cast on another project or two so she could keep up the good work when she gets home. Oh well - we'll figure something out.

11 October 2008 - Felt Clogs

Eileen has taken on a fairly challenging pattern by Fiber Trends called Felt Clogs. My hat is off to her for taking on such a challenging project as her first effort. Though have no fear, she's already displayed the determination and spunk to make it happen and there is no doubt in my mind she'll be successful. She is doing them as a single color which is the simpler version, however, she is using a hand spun yarn that varies greatly in thickness along its length. This adds to the challenge as 'seeing' your preceding work and the pattern it leaves tends to be quite difficult. On top of that, the yarn is a dark, a rich brown color. It will look great in the end but makes stitches and patterns tough to see as you go. After a couple of starts, rip outs, and restarts she is getting the hang of it and already has clog #1 ready for making the closeout cuff! Way to go Eileen! She is making great progress. We'll get some pictures of soon.

Here are a pair felted and ready to go. They were knitted from the same pattern and is what inspired Eileen to give it a try.



In knitting the pair, all went well and according to the pattern, best I could tell. Although, quite frankly, I had more than my share of ripouts and restarts myself. It is challenging to get the 'picture' and you proceed on faith in more than one place. It was easy to get lost, particularly given the fact the pattern described five (5) sizes all within the same pattern. Additionally, it was tough to find yourself because counting rows didn't work. Single rows doubled back on themselves a number of times with wrap & turns within the sole and with simple mid-row turns within the upper. However with diligence I eventually found myself when I got lost and restarted - or more likely, I'd rip back to some point I recognized and started again.

After knitting, and stitching the pieces together, it was time to felt. The felting was a challenge., too, at least for me as it was my first attempt at felting anything. The suggestion was to use an agitating washer. However, that sort of machine is rare here, the washing machines being a little different, more of a spin and slosh kind of thing. Therefore we landed up felting by hand - my wife Sharon lending a very helpful hand and much needed encouragement when I was just sure it wasn't working. In the end, it did work, but it took some effort. At the end of the day, establishing the length was easy enough, a combination of continued felting and the use of a clothes dryer to provide some shrinking heat. However, for my son's narrow feet, getting the width right proved to be elusive. In the end, our plan is to put in a pair of laces to help draw up some of the width. However, he's still waiting on those laces. I guess I'll have to get with it before the weather cools and the floors get cold.

Here are some shots from a second pair 'in work' for my other son. As with most of my projects, they were scheduled for last year some time and I'm still working on them. Actually, I parked them by the wayside while delving into other fun things. Since Eileen is making such good progress, I'm inspired to jump back in and finish these up. These are the two color version, the upper a different color than the cuff and sole. I've also added an extra 'spirit band' on one to depict my older son's school colors. The intent is to provide a little warmth and comfort around the college dorm. By not completing them last year, he will have a greater sense of appreciation when he finally does get them. Yeah, that's it. That must have been the plan all along.

Here are the uppers, as knit up from the first sole. A second sole is added when finishing, adding a little extra cush. They're oversized prior to felting which is a little disconcerting at first. Once you get through a pair, you realize that felting covers a multitude of sins and makes knitting the second pair a much less stressful process. For sure, though, felt the two at the same time. They're much easier to size together than they would be to try and size separately at different times.



A second sole is added after finishing the knitting of the uppers. The center of the sole is stitched as a final step. This was a fact I initially missed on the pattern. I had no idea why I had such an incredibly long and narrow sole. I think I restarted the project three times before I finally figured that out. It was because the sole folds on itself and stitches down the center. Here are the soles ready for attachment after the uppers are complete.



Hopefully soon, we'll have a finished pair to show you. We'll see if it's these or Eileen's that get to be the first show case! I'm kind of thinking, even with my head start, she'll finish hers first.

8 October 2008 - Knitting Night

Mitch helps Adelaide into her new sweater. She's quite thrilled with her new article of clothing. Her new pig looks around the corner checking out the action.

Well, having not heard from any of my fellow knitters, I feared I'd be knitting alone tonight. However, just a moment past 7:00 and my first knock at the door came through. It was Jo! And she was in need of instruction.

I hadn't thought about it being Yom Kippur. Well, actually, I knew it was Yom Kippur because the daughter has a whole passel of youngsters spending the night. But I hadn't thought about how Yom Kippur might affect Knitting Night. The 'rule' in Israel is that there should not be any motor vehicle operation on Yom Kippur. Well, the holiday starts at sundown and runs until sundown tomorrow. Therefore, no motor vehicle operation was to take place during Knitting Night!

Jo showed up on a borrowed bicycle! Now is that a trooper or what? In she came with 'twist' in her stocking. She is presently making a Christmas stocking for her nephew, a rather ambitious project, but one she is determined to make happen. Tonight, though, was a blow. You know how most every stock pattern you see says to be careful not to 'twist' when you join in the round? Well Jo is living proof as to why you must heed such warnings. Poor girl! She took off with a twist and ended up with an unusable cuff of cloth. Ripping time. She was a good sport, though, and recognized the best path forward was to simply start again. By the end of the evening, she was well on her way to a new stocking and full of enthusiasm.

A little later, Eileen arrived. Already a bike rider by choice, the Yom Kippur tradition offered no challenge whatsoever. She too was in dire straights on the knitting front. Diligently knitting a pair of felted slippers, she was a bit lost in the development of the upper and a bit distraught at a mistake or two discovered on the sole. Convinced that a total rip out and re-d0 was in order, she was already mentally prepared to start over. However, a little close examination suggested that all was not lost. We managed to rip back only the upper development and start her back on her way with sole and sides in tact. Charging forth with new enthusiasm, another mistake developed and a few freshly knit rows had to be removed. Two steps forward, one step back ... but still .. moving forward! With a little extra teacher time, Eileen was ready to roll once again by the time she climbed back on her bike and headed toward the beach. She left with a parting comment, thanking me for 'saving her sole' - perhaps a little too overly stated, but I'm glad I was able to help.

Only two students but it turned out to be the perfect teacher/student ratio. I spent the entire time between the two working out solutions and restarting projects. Jo said she was purposefully adding complexity to her problems in order to keep me interested and entertained while seeking the solution. Isn't she sweet to think of me?

Next week .. we'll do it again! Hope to see you there.

Over the weekend, I spent some time Stateside with the granddaughter. She modeled her sweater and showed off her pig and blanket so we could see a bit of my handy work. Take a look, at the very least, you'll see an adorable granddaughter in the mix!

Knitting Night - October 8, 2008

Okay .. so after a couple of weeks off, it's time for knitting once again!

Wednesday, Oct 8, 2008 at our place - come on by!

It's also time for a little 'knitting group' mailing list clean up. Are you receiving this email and wish you weren't? Just hit the reply button and send me a 'please remove' and I'll remove your name from the list.

However, more importantly, if you haven't attended yet, come on by and get to knitting. Everyone is at different levels, from total neophyte to experienced knitter, so don't feel intimidated if you haven't started yet. As much as anything, it's an excuse to spend a few dedicated hours to the craft while enjoying the company of others with a similar interest.

We're having a big time .. so don't miss out .. come on by!