Not Written in Stone

Knitting patterns are not written in stone. They are there for you to play with, really it's true. If you need permission, you have it from me. Please, please do whatever you want with any of the Cabin Fever patterns. Have fun. Take a chance. Each time you make a little or big change you make that project your own creation. Take a step away from a pattern and see where you end up.
Right now I seem to have a thing about making bags. I'm knitting myself one out of the Need An Accessory? book in two colours.
To make it easier for myself, I made a small change to the original stitch pattern from the book as worked in this cowl.

For this bag, I worked garter stitch instead of purl stitches between the cables. I was knitting and watching curling over the weekend (my daughter's team WON, yay) and with all the excitement and sitting on the edge of my chair, I knew I would find it difficult to keep track of the cable crossings. Changing every other round to a simple knit round meant I would cross my cables on every 4th garter stitch ridge (every 8 rounds). So far it's working out really well and it's going to make a really great bag.

I had fun over the summer knitting Harriet's Jacket by Elizabeth McCarten. This is a garter stitch project where, for the jacket, you cast on at the sleeve cuff and knit up the sleeve and then work half the jacket to the Front edge and the centre Back, attaching both halves at the centre Back. I cast on at the end of the sleeve and carried on from there. I guess I knit Harriet's Vest. Once the buttons are sewn on I'll be wearing this a lot. It fits great.

Have you made little or big changes to a pattern? Did you enjoy it? Will you continue to do so?

-Deb

I was away last weekend at the Sticks, Strings and Stewardship Retreat in Sudbury, ON.  This is a retreat with a focus on charity knitting.

Mitts and hats are put aside destined to those who need them and the rest these knitted garments will go to a bazaar they run in November with the proceeds going to various charities in the Sudbury area where money is needed more than knitted garments. 

They also provide blankets for Project Linus.
Needles, yarn and patterns are also collected and put in kit bags which they deliver to the waiting rooms of the regional hospital for those knitters who arrive at the hospital, flown in from remote areas with their loved ones, without their knitting. You can imagine how welcome this service is!
Here's the whole gang of wonderful knitters who are making a difference in their community.

I've gone to this retreat for 5 years and am looking forward to next year. We have lots of fun knitting over the weekend. I took two classes: log cabin quilt and Latvian Mittens.

Good Times.
-deb

A friend of mine sent this great video to me about fashion and ageing. If the quote: "when I am an old woman I shall wear purple" in this poem, resonates with you then this will reinforce that wonderful ideal. Grab a coffee and sit down and enjoy this. It's 47 minutes long but worth the time.

Does this inspire you? Now I'm wondering where my red shoes are because I should put them on TODAY.
fabulous fashionista

-Deb

This is a RETREAT info-mercial.

It's Retreat time. We're gearing up for our Cabin Fever Retreat on November 15-17 at the Fern Resort.

 

 

This year we're going to focus on getting a GREAT FIT for your sweaters. And you know what that means right? The measuring tape has to come out. I know that none of us like to look at what the measuring tape tells us but it really does get you the fit you want. Everyone is going to do a sweater map with body measurements and the adjustments needed for their figure. Then we're going to do a small project (it's a secret so far) where you'll work with these adjustments. It sounds a little bit dry but it's going to be lots of fun. How could it not be when knitters are knitting and eating great food! Lyn is also going to do a dyeing workshop. If you haven't tried hand dyeing yet this will be your chance to make your own unique skeins.

We have a couple more retreats going in the spring. Lyn and I are part of a group that put on it's first annual event last year. Here's a terrific video from our Yarn Over Sleep Over Retreat held last April. We'll be holding another Yarn Over Sleep Over Retreat again in April 11-13, 2014.

We also have a Northern Ontario Knitting at Lake Lauzon event where I teach for 2 days in Algoma Mills, ON (on Hwy 17 at the top of Lake Huron). This year on April 26 & 27 we'll be knitting socks in all their guises. That will be a fun couple of days. 

 

If you live locally you can travel in each day or make arrangements to stay in the Lake Lauzon B&B rooms.
It's getting busy around here but these are really fun events and I'm looking forward to them all.
-Deb
p.s. Sorry Robebe, I know you can't make it and all this doesn't help at all!

I'm doing some work on a circular yoke with increases around the yoke. It makes a good around Yoke.

But it's getting scratched anyway. It's not going to work for the book.

For the books I usually work a Basic sweater which acts as a template. Onto the template you can add in one of the various pattern stitches we supply or one of your own to make the garment a unique design. So instead of increasing on either side of 1 stitch . . .

I'm going to make 8 spokes several stitches wide where a stitch pattern could live. Similar to this child's sweater.

I'm going to make it really easy to tell which rounds to do the increases on too because once I get started I don't like to have to think too much when I knit either!
-Deb

Here's something I found on my Daily Knitter blog from Interweave. This is a new 'joining a new ball' technique. I'm going to try this out and see what I think. This was introduced for lace knitting so it must be close to invisible. I like the reference to tying flies for fishing. Sometimes the best techniques come from somewhere else.

 

 

Double Uni-Knot

The double uni-knot, used for tying flies, is surprisingly easy to make. One of the best features is that you can cut the tails right next to the knot.

Lay the two strands parallel to each other on a flat surface. Bring the tail of the lower strand back on itself to make a loop, then cross it over the upper strand (Figure 1). Wrap the short end around both strands three times, bringing it to through to the front of the loop on the third wrap (Figure 2). Pull on both ends of this strand to tighten the knot (Figure 3). Wrap the upper strand in the same manner (Figure 4), then tighten both ends (Figure 5).

—Kristin Omdahl, from A Knitted Wrapsody

Pretty good. Can you see it right in the middle of the orange?
-Deb

My computer is back and working well, phew. Now that we've finished working a couple of shows things are settling down to a more even working schedule. So I'm back. My blogging time-out is over.
I now have to figure out where I am on all my projects:

The Pullover Book ideas are coming along. The work on circular yokes continues. This is my second shot at working out the numbers and it still needs work so this is going to the frog pond for the second time. Third time lucky I hope. I'll explain why in another post.

I also want to include a raglan with a crew/scoop neck since they are still my fav. I have a couple started, well more than started in this case. This is knit in fingering on a 4.0mm needle for a looser gauge of about 6 sts = 1". Lots of drape.

This crewneck has a centre panel of cables with lace holes. I like the cable moving into the stocking stitch without the side purl stitches. Gives a nice centre line.

Other work is getting ahead of me. Lots of knitting and little or no writing of patterns yet.

The square neck top is really nice on. Now ends to sew in and writing to do.

The stripes are all knit. Ends to sew in and buttons to sew on. Then I must get this written up. More on that in posts to follow. I'm back and ready to get going. Are you ready to start the fall season of knitting?
-Deb