Yes, I went this year!!! And it was such fun!!!
With so many articles (Blogs, YouTube and otherwise), there is not much I can add.
So, I want to first share two of my favorites:
This is an article by Mason Dixon Knitting and I like it especially, because it features Julibeth sporting her "Sunset Highways" sweater knitted up in Hedgehog yarn from The Knitting Garage in Rhinebeck (where we both work). Click on the link to read the full article.
And this one is a video by Kristi Glass; 1 1/2 hour long but well worth it as by the end you will feel like you went yourself :) and you will have a queue of new projects to start, because everyone's Rhinebeck sweater looks SO GOOD.
MY SUNDAY AT THE FAIR
Last , but not least here is me (it was actually cool enough to wear a sweater in the morning until it got too hot and I changed into a different top).
wearing my Elibelinde sweater, Leftie Shawl and #12 Skirt
I also wore my RBK mitts (but not all day as it was too warm)
Starting at the bottom left corner and going clockwise: Blue-ish yarn is a raw Silk Yarn I want to use to make a "Boxy Lacy Top", then there are a few pins for myself and as gifts, a "Fleegler Beader" from Ms Babs as I have lots of beads and this tool is supposed to make it easier to add the beads to my knitting :)
The purplish yarn from The Neighborhood Fiber Co. will go with the Hedgehog Yarn I had bought at The Knitting Garage (color doesn't show up well in the picture; it has a lot of blues and purples ). I am planning on the "Trestle" pattern. What do you think?
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I was also in Sunday's ravelry group picture which I will share as soon as it is published on their site (I am the one in the back row brazenly stretching out my hands to show off my mitts). I certainly hope I was not in anyone's way.
THE KNITTING GARAGE
We had a LOT of fun at the LYS in Rhinebeck, The Knitting Garage at Stickle's. Especially due to the extended hours (open till 8pm) and wine and snacks and -needles to say- amazing yarns and notions. The Knitting Garage Yarn (hand-dyed by Leah Stickle) is fabulous, but we also carry Hedgehog, Fibre Company, Madeline Tosh, Brooklyn Tweed, Cascade, Loopy Mango, to name just a few. AND since Leah was not able to do a booth at the fair (due to health issues), we had all of her pretty hand-sewn project bags in the store. so, the place was hopping and FUN.
If you are in town for this year's NY State Sheep & Wool Festival in Rhinebeck (RBK), stop by at The Knitting Garage in town and get your coupon code for one free download of this pattern with purchase of yarn.
For those of you who don't follow me on Facebook (Knit With Doris/Discover Your Inner Knitter) and didn't see my post, but wonder whatever happened with the sweater I talked about in my last post: It is finished and I am looking forward to the cooler weather to wear it.
Right now I am test knitting a fingerless mitts pattern I wrote for The Knitting Garage At Stickles. To give you a little heads-up, here are a few pictures.... Stay posted 💙💙💙...
I want to talk a little bit about how NOT knitting to gauge can play in your favor
Most of the time you want to make a swatch and knit to gauge to ensure that the finished project is exactly the size of the finished project in the pattern. This is especially important when you work up a fitted garment.
But what if you want to make it bigger deliberately?
The most simple way to do that is to use thicker wool and larger needles.
Goal: I have been intrigued by the "Tree of Life Afghan" by Nicky Epstein and when I decided to knit up a blanket for a friend, I thought that this was the perfect pattern (finished size 48"x 58"). The beautiful pattern, which looks almost like a painting, is created simply by knit and purl stitches and a few cables.
Problem: But almost 2,000 yards of Aran weight yarn on size US #8 needles?
I wanted something quicker to work up and squishier/ thicker for those cold nights she would use it.
Solution: Then I found the baby blanket version by the same designer : " Baby Tree of Life Throw"
which would make a 26"x34" blanket in worsted weight yarn on size US# 7 needles. So, I decided on using Bulky Yarn on size US#11 needles and tweak the pattern a bit.
Right off the start I decided to knit a seed stitch border right in.
With a gauge of 11 sts and 4 rows to 4 inches, I calculated that I should cast on 20 additional sts for the border left and right for a total of 112 sts .
To lengthen the blanket I threw in a few additional seed stitch rows to get to a total of 212 rows.
The end result: A 41" wide to 53 " long throw knitted up fast and looking fabulous :)
I used 1122 yards of bulky weight yarn on size 11 needles :)
The blanket is ready to ship :)
Next time you knit a blanket or shawl, give it a try and go up ( or down) in yarn weight and needle size.
I just love it, when things all come together, when I suddenly realize that there is a common theme in different areas of my life. It makes me feel all wrapped up in harmony.
First : While being on vacation my niece just finished a book and gave it to me because it sparked my interest. The book is called "Indigo" by Catherine E. McKinley and gives an interesting account of the author's search for the original and true color indigo. I was intrigued to read about dying cloth and by the meaning and symbolism of different cloth designs. I am glad to have a little background understanding about dying from when I attended a workshop on "natural dying" some years back at "The White Sheep Barn" in New Paltz, NY. Click this link to read that post : Natural Yarn Dying
Then: The new PomPom magazine came out and I was drawn to the stitch pattern used in the sweater "Elibelinde". At first I thought to just use that stitch in my next pair of socks.
But then I remembered the yarn I had bought last September and put aside for a sweater. My plan then was to knit a practice sweater for myself before knitting up the one I made for our son. And ,wouldn't you know it, that yarn, a four-ply fingering, is the perfect yarn for this sweater.
And so I started; intrigued, too, by the symbolism of the pattern. As the name of the sweater says it all : "Elibelinde" "Elibelinde (Turkish for “hands on hips”) is a motif of a
hands-on-hips female figure. It is widely used on kilims (flat
tapestry-woven carpets) and occurs in many variations. The arms of the
figure are represented by two inward-facing hooks, while the body of the
woman is represented by a triangle or diamond. The head is typically
represented by a diamond. The Elibelinde is a symbol of fertility and
motherhood. It is one of many kilim motifs commonly woven into Turkish
flatweave rugs.”
And: The same niece who lend me the book, took a lovely photo in New York city with the fearless girl by the charging bull in the financial district. Hands on hips.... It just seems I have come full circle.
Claire in New York City
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The pattern is very straight forward and easy to follow. There are some minor errata which anyone who knitted a sweater before would pick out (I even think this may be typos and not erratas from the designer). Read my notes on ravelry for more information on that: Strickliese's Elibelinde.
The length is right
Looks like it will be the perfect fit!!
But: When everything DOES NOT line up: So, the Chart B cable in the front section of the sweater does not line up with Chart A as it should (see my ravelry notes for more detail on this).
My question now: Can I live with it or do I want to rip everything back to the armhole divide and re-knit....?
Uh, oh, something does not look right
Meanwhile: A sermon was lingering in my memory (nagging me)..."when you are lost, go back". Yes, I certainly did get lost as that specific detail in the sweater did not look the way it should. So, I unraveled to the front/ back divide and am in the process of re-knitting. I rather loose a few days worth of knitting than feeling regret every time I feel like wearing the sweater.
And yes, this is a bigger errata, but I still very much like the pattern. My advise to you is when you divide the front and back be very careful that you have symmetry and an even number of repeats in the front!
Also, if you wait a little, the designer Ellinor Siljeström
will most likely publish a new version or errata.
Much better!
I am hoping this re-knitting does not set me back too much and I will be able to start on the sleeves soon, but then again, to me knitting is not a competitive sport when you have to race to the finish line. To me it is about the act of knitting and figuring things out when they don't look right and getting things just the way you had envisioned them sometimes with fearless determination, with your hands on hips.
Still, at times I wish I had nothing else to do,
but to knit this sweater ( I almost feel a little possessed by it). One
thing which helped me to speed up the knitting, was to work the cables
without a cable needle and I made a little video of that.
I will be working the sleeves two at a time on two circular needles. There should be no problem to be able to wear this during this year's Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck :) I still have five weeks till then and I am very much looking forward to wearing the sweater :)
I spent the last two weeks with family who came to visit from overseas.
What a wonderful time we all had!
You may wonder why everyone is raising their hand. The question was " who received a hand-knitted gift from Doris".
:) Siblings, Cousins, Spouses, Sons and Daughters :)
Now I can reveal all the things I had knitted for the occasion:
A sweater for our son's 30th:
When you hear"Summertime Fun", what comes to mind first? Swimming? Beaches? Baseball? BBQ?
Rachel and I had fun of a different nature: We went to a Crochet course spread over six Tuesday afternoons at "The Perfect Blend" Yarn and Tea Shop in Saugerties, NY.
My daughter-in-law, Rachel, had learned how to crochet last summer and I did not have any more to teach her , so we signed up for a class given by Heidi Quick who used to work for the Lion Brand Company in Albany, NY.
Lucky us: We were the only two students and benefited from all her attention.
The first three classes were Basic Crochet and the last three (the last of which we had to re-schedule due to unforeseen circumstances) covered some more advanced techniques.
We learned:
how to keep straight edges,
various basic crochet stitches,
how to read a pattern,
how to increase and decrease,
crochet in the round,
beginner granny square,
the importance of gauge,
how to change color when working stripes and
four methods of seaming.
Heidi (seated) explaining one of the seaming techniques to Rachel
Kara added my picture to her pattern page; what honor!! :)
and a simple hat :)
All in all it was a lot of fun, the shared learning experience and the material covered.
Heidi is a teacher with much patience. If you are interested, look up her classes this Fall at The Perfect Blend.Here is a link to their website : The Perfect Blend.
