nonaKnits

Dangling Carrot

nona has 540 yards of gorgeous wet spun linen ready -- and the important word is ready -- to cast on for the Clementine Shawlette from the newly arrived Spring issue of Interweave Knits.  I'm using this beautiful yarn as an incentive, a carrot if you will.  The yarn must wait patiently until I finish either my String of Purls Pillow, or my Mermaid Jacket, or my Cable Lace Knee Highs.  There's nothing like a dangling carrot to keep your eyes on the finish line.

The color way for this yarn is called "Crabapple".  Crabapple!?  That name is just not doing it for me.  I prefer Gerber Daisy.  Yes, that will do quite nicely.

Makes Me Happy

The front of my pillow is done -- I love the colors, I love the shapes, I love the lines. 

Interior Design

I'm searching and scratching my brain and you know what?  I don't think I've ever knit something for the home decor.  Does a dish towel count?  No matter.  This shameless lack of concern over interior design has come to an end and I've embarked on knitting a pillow that coordinates with the interior of the nona-house. 

Said pillow...

Said house...

A Mighty Manly Hat

Please don't tell nona that this is anything other than a Mighty Manly Hat -- 'cause it just doesn't get any manlier.  This weekend my sister-in-law and I visited Kiparoo Farm in bucolic -- isn't that a great word -- Frederick County, Maryland.  Annie Kelley owns over 300 sheep, which she shears twice a year.  The fleece is sent off to Taos to be spun and then hand dyed back on the farm.  Annie displays and sells her yarn along with original Kiparoo patterns in her studio and at fiber shows.  "A Mighty Manly Hat" is a Kiparoo pattern featuring Annie's Starry Night yarn.  I know just the Manly Man for this hat. 

If you're good, faithful reader, and come back tomorrow I'll show you what else I picked up on the farm...

Okay, I Get It!

I have but one word to say, Clapotis!  I now know -- from first hand experience -- why this pattern caught on like wildfire and continues to please knitters across the globe. 

What's that, inquisitive reader?  You want to know why nona's loving Clapotis?  Let me share: 

1. Who doesn't want to imagine themselves as the Clapotis model -- cute, fashionable, and sitting in a Parisian cafe -- well, at least for a few hours.

2. Clapotis begs to be knit with a beautiful hand dyed yarn, allowing you to enjoy color with every stitch.  I'm using Koigu -- a beautiful color way in browns, oranges, and turquoises -- and consider myself lucky to have scored 4 skeins, especially since my LYS sold out in less than 24 hours.  Can you image how great Clapotis would look in one of Sundara Yarn's Multicolored Yarns!

3. Clapotis' stitch pattern is easy to memorize, yet interesting enough to hold your attention -- a little k1 tbl here, a p2tog there, a yo every once in a while and voila!

4. Intentionally dropping stitches is just plain fun and with Clapotis you get to drop a stitch every 12 rows -- talk about an incentive to "knit one more row".
   

Time for you to share -- what did you love about your Clapotis?

Scarf With Attitude

This, my friends, is a scarf with attitude.

Just wearing this scarf makes me feel sassy!

The Boa Boa Scarf from La Lana Wools was one of my Stitches West goodies.  What a fun and quick project.  The main body of the scarf is knit using their Phat Silk Worsted in a simple lace pattern.  The lace pattern creates eyelets along the edges of the scarf through which you weave this funky, sassy -- I don't know how to describe it -- yarn.  If you're one who's easily pleased -- like nona -- this project is a kick.

Wire Necklace

Last night the blind led the blind as my knitting group tried their hand at wire knitting -- nona has the sore fingers and necklace to prove it!  Using the "Silver Squares Necklace" pattern from AlterKnits as our jumping off point we grabbed US6 needles, 26 gauge wire, and went for it.  Some of us knit squares, others added increasing and decreasing to create shapes, while one gal knit a long rectangle for a bracelet.  A perfect group project since we could share supplies, ideas, and foibles.  Many of us went away with a finished piece of jewelery and ideas for our next creation.

nona's necklace

Here are a few wire knitting resources if you're interested:

• AlterKnits -- a must have book -- includes a pattern for a wire necklace
• Annie Modesitt published her Votive Sleeve pattern in handknit Holidays.  Annie believes, "Knitting with wire and beads can be a spiritual experience".
• Julia shares her pattern for a delicate Ginkgo leaf knit in wire, mohair, or wire and mohair
• Down To The Wire in the current issue of The AntiCraft includes basic tips and techniques for wire knitting.
• The Yarn Cellar held a wire knitting class and posted fun class photos

Fearless knitting -- when in doubt, give it a try!

Out of Sight ...

One of my 2005 knitting goals was to organize my yarn collection and UFOs.  Let me tell you, inquiring reader, I made some major progress -- not perfect mind you, but progress.  Most of my yarn stash and projects have been sorted and stored in plastic bins, all labeled, nice and organized. 

Unfortunately, I'm finding this organizational binge to have an unexpected side effect  -- can you say, "out of sight, out of mind".  Case in point -- the other day while searching for a skein of Koigu in my "sock yarn" bin I noticed a bin labeled "Fair-Isle Bag" neatly stacked on my knitting shelf.  Hey, how could I forget this impulsive project of mine? 

Quickly rescued from its stuffy bin, the bag is back out and in the knitting rotation.  Over the last few days, I've finished the blue side, the striped bottom, and am halfway through the yellow side.  Perhaps in my haste to organize, I forgot the importance of keeping the active projects out and about.  My New Year's wish for you -- may your year be filled with a bit of disorder, overshadowed by beautiful and peaceful knitting.  Happy New Year!

Improvisational Knitting

Improvisation was the theme last night at knit group -- that and spiked eggnog.  We tried to avoid topics of gauge, directions, and rules.  Opting instead to grab needles, cast on, increase or decrease accordingly, and change yarn on a whim.  In this fashion we progressed in the creation of tube hats ala Tracey.  The hat starts with the brim -- a mix and match yarn, 24" circumference, 5" high brim -- which folds up and over the body of the hat.   We had so much fun, we're extending the improv session into next week's get together. 

We all brought stash yarn to share -- here's mine.

My improvisational brim in the works -- the body of my hat will be turquoise blue.

In the Nick of Time

nona's had quite the weekend and is too pooped to pop.  In a nutshell, my party wrap was completed in the nick of time.  I felt quite coordinated -- in a fashion sense -- with my matching necklace and wrap.  And with that, I'm off to slouch on the couch!. 

Party Wrap Front
front | back | detail