Are you yarning, Mrs. P?

I was sitting at my desk this morning before the "official class start." Kids come into the room to grab their bags to put their outdoor gear in as a protection against the joys of bedbugs. One of my little charges came up to me as I was knitting and watching Salomon TV (nordic skiing videos on my smartboard).  "Are you yarning Mrs. P?"  I stopped and laughed to myself and replied, "Well, yes I am yarning."

Last night while I was yarning, I realized I am no longer in love with a project (Carraig-Fhada Vest, AKA Ol'Blue).  I stopped knitting and sent a text to my dear yarning friend and told her I hate this @#$@$##%$%^ project and I think it is time to frog it.  She did suggest setting it aside.  Which I had already done.  Then she said well couldn't you just EZ (Elizabeth Zimmermann) it and make it work . . . thinking a bit about this other than I would have to purl to do colorwork.  H m m m m . . . .

I basically have bailed on the present "yarning" project and decided to return to the roots of my "yarning" that would be the traditional Norwegian sweater or an Icelandic Lopi.  I just mailed off a Lopi that I just finished to one of "My Knit Girls."  I haven't had a Norwegian on my needles for some time!

This is the repaired and Wool Washed sweater from the previous post Proud Auntie. The sweater came out great and is back on a very Knit Worthy younfggal.

Felted slipper/sock, unspun Icelandic Wool: this was an experiment which came out pretty good.  I would make the cuff a bit taller next time and knit the next pair with a single strand of unspun.

Lopi on its new owner!  She is thrilled with it and I am thrilled as it fits!  I kept thinking it would be too small.  I knitted this as an EZ percentage system and of course, it fits perfectly.  I will have another photo of her outside with her new Lopi.

I have been ordering some yarn to experiment with for a few sweaters for ME!  This yarn is from Schoolhouse Press and is Briggs and Little.  I have knitted this yarn several times and as people say today it is rustic.  For me, it is real yarn that stands the test of time and only becomes better as it is used!

The morning I was asked if I am "YARNING!" Tea is always a must during the work day and a bit of yarn for the creative juices.

I called in the Norwegians to help me plan for my next sweater for me! I often design as I knit.  I love looking at different motifs as I create with yarn on my needles.

This is a long time favorite of mine and one of the most knitted Norwegian sweaters.  Designed by Stein Eriksen's mother.

Stein Eriksen in his famous sweater the Marius design. 

Stein Eriksen ski legend!

Yarn from Bartlett Yarns which is produced in Maine in a very old mill.  I love their simple yarns and their rich wooliness!

I struggle with colors and what I think will look great often doesn't work. I had picked some colors that just wash each other out.  In this swatch, there are several color combos that just didn't work.

In the end, I knitted a speed swatch which I learned from Knitting With Two Colors. This is a Norwegian motif I was just testing the color combo I will be knitting for my sweater.  A great source for color work is Mary Jane Mucklestone's books.

A speed swatch is done on circular needles and is just that a fast swatch.  I do know the next time I will make it larger but the goal for this one was to see the see the color combo I have picked together one more time before casting on!

Waving good-bye a frozen starfish on our beach.  In the fall we often have hundreds of starfish on the beach frozen in time.

Yes, I have been "YARNING" a lot lately! 

The story of Tomten #2 and not enough yarn!

The Tomten which is a design by Elizabeth Zimmermann is a favorite of many a knitter.  I too enjoy this rather brilliant jacket and I am currently knitting # 2 in the Tomten parade.  ONLY, I ran into a bit of a snafu!  I was dead on certain that I had one more skein of this wonderful green yarn upstairs!  The first mistake of a knitter, is one who is convinced they have more skeins of a certain yarn.  Of course I didn't have any more green!  None at all!  All gone! Zip--zero--none!  At which point knitting came to a grinding halt!

Do you see the right  sleeve is all done and perfect!

 The other sleeve had just run out of yarn, done, none, no more yarn!  I thought about making this left sleeve a fun wild crazy striped arm.  Then I stopped and thought this out a bit!  I could frog the other sleeve back use some of that green to knit a bit more on the other sleeve.  Ok, and then add some striping and get this project off my needles.  I am almost done with this sleeve adjustment.

Since running out of yarn is a bit of a topic on this post. Here is a completed pair of socks.  The goal was to use up some PDS DK Yarn.  I purposely knitted them as opposite socks, but ran out of green.  I knew I would runout of yarn but the goal was to knit up socks and use up some of the left over project yarn in my stash.  I now find this a bit funny as I realized those darn greens are the trouble makers here in my knitting!  I used up all the green and blue and tossed in just a bit of what is called fireweed for the toe.  I love this bright little toe as it certainly add a smile to any day!

Tomten a Rather HUGE Under Taking

I have a niece who I just love and I also am rather taken by the fact that she doesn't want to raise her family in the traditional middle of the road way.  I am very proud of her efforts in today's world to try to break the mold and step out in a different direction.  I give her and her family a lot of credit. I know it isn't easy and I know it is very challenging for them.  This winter they had all intentions to be on their land and living there off the grid as they get ready to build.  Things didn't work out as they had hoped.  They were able to move into a yurt and make some adjustments to their goal.

My goal is to make sure they have enough 100% WOOL to stay warm up in the mountains on the Olympic peninsula.  They have hats, fingerless mittens, and some of my older knitted socks that felted and were a bit of an experiment which make for great kid slippers in my mind and lucky in theirs as well!

Back to the Tomten Project:  This knitted jacket/sweater is one I have wanted to knit forever!  I have loved the simple design and the high functionality of this sweater.  I have always thought of it as the going out to the barn to work type of garment.  Now if only, I had a barn, and flock of sheep to go with my half Akbash, Sadie, the guardian dog . . . awh would life be for ever perfect!

The photo is from Schoolhouse Press Pattern #19

Since my niece and her girls are in a rather cold, damp place I figured they each needed a Tomten!  Thus the rather HUGE UNDERTAKING on my part but one I am loving.  FOUR, yes that is right FOUR Tomtens!  THREE of which will be kids and one adult.  I have so much yarn in the stash that is left over from projects that I am almost finished with the first one.  I Tomtens in garter sts just eat up yarn which is just perfect for stash busting.

I am trying to figure out the decreases for sleeves. What does 13.5 inches of sleeve length really look like when one is knitting a Tomten as the body is a bit of the sleeve length? 

Some photos to show the progress of Tomten #1.

I am using yarn from Schoolhouse Press Rangeley Wool.  I like adding a slip sts into the color work to give a nice transition between color rounds.

Lower body color work.

The fronts and back are done and this is the sleeve opening.

The collar is completed and the sleeve sts have been picked up and knitted a bit.

A nice little detail is added to the lower sleeve area for a bit of eye pleasing texture.

Jan's Grab Bag Socks and Felted Slippers

I recently had a friend contact me who has health issues and really needs some wooly items to help keep her feet warm and toasty.  Jan wanted a pair of 100% wool socks and I also suggested some felted wool slippers as well.

I immediately casted-on for the felted slippers as the pattern I have used countless times over the years from Fiber Trends.  The yarn I picked for these slippers is actually a wool (95%) silk (5%) blend which felts up rather nice and dense called: Clyde by Louet.  It is bulky/chunky weight yarn.  I knit this yarn held double and moved right along knitting one slipper with many interruptions in a day.

First completed slipper.  Once both slippers are completed they will be felted in the washing machine.   Felting is done by knitting an item oversized (100% wool or tested yarn to see if it will felt) and then purposely shrinking the wool to the correct size.

Then to take  a break from the slipper pattern I switched right over to the wool socks.  I have a healthy allotment of left over yarn--no surprise!  I decided to use a little technique that Elizabeth Zimmermann talks about in her Baby Surprise Jacket.  I found yarn that is the same weight for the most part and rolled up small balls of yarn and placed them in a bag.  The only rule was not to have matching colors next to each other.  With that in minded, I grabbed a small ball of yarn joined by my favorite method the old spit and felt and knit on which means there is no sewing in of any ends!

The colors of yarn I decided to work with for Jan's Grab Bag Socks.

The beginning!

First sock completed using Fiber Trends Hellen's Favorite Socks this sock pattern is my "work horse" pattern.  I modify it slightly.  This pattern gives all the basics one needs to knit socks and you can adjust/design easily to meet your fancy. 

Unspun Wool from Iceland

  Icelandic Yarn from: Schoolhouse Press

I have no idea what I am going to knit with this wool. I do know once I get this post written I am going to cast-on and mess around with my unspun wool.  I am not a huge fan of that green so that will be the yarn I will play with as I think about what I might knit.  The two blues I just love.   For years, I have been wanting to knit with this unpsun wool. This was my birthday gift to myself this year.   

Schoolhouse Press has this to say about unspun Icelandic wool: 

"Un-Spun Icelandic— Extraordinary long-fibered fleece unique to Icelandic sheep produce the warmest wool we know."   The other wonderful item I ordered for myself was this pattern which is called Pools in the River.  I am really taken by the textured work in this design.   This pattern I am totally smitten with!  Elizabeth Zimmermann once again stuns me with her designs.  It is wonderful that her family keeps  sharing her work with us knitters.  This photo was taken with my iphone from Schoolhouse Press Pattern #45. One other thing I love about Schoolhouse Press is that they wrap their yarn in paper.  I feel like, I stepped back in time when ever I open a package from them . . . a time when everything moved slower.

Casting On: Bláithín by Kate Davies

Kate Davies is one of my favorite designers in the knitting world today.  (I also love Kate's blog, writing/research and photos!)  Over a year ago she designed and published this pattern: Bláithín.  I instantly fell in love with the design and the techniques she used in this sweater.  Typical of me, I was quick to purchase the pattern, then I bought my yarn at my favorite local Montana Yarn shoppe: Knit n' Needle.  The yarn I picked for this sweater is New England Highland from Harrisville Design.  I love 100% wool, I love real traditional yarn, and I love supporting long standing wool companies. (Oh don't get me wrong I will purchase wool from more recent start up companies as well but I am a traditionalist when it comes to my yarn.)

New England Highland Yarn from Harrisville Design.

Typical of me I have not started this project yet.  I have of coursed knitted several pairs of socks, mittens, hats, finished a few sweaters, some smaller fletted projects, and bought more yarn for a Fair Isle vest as well . . . I just can not knit one project at a time, just like I can not read one book at a time.

I did knit up a swatch and I am spot on for the gauge--yahoo!  4.5 sts per inch.  I tend to like a nice dense knit but this swatch gives a lighter fabric.  I am happy with the feel of the swatch and I will be casting on today.  I first need to figure out the amount of sts. as I don't ever follow a pattern exactly as written.  I am a huge fan of Elizabeth Zimmermann and Elizabeth Percentage System (EPS) to find out more please visit Schoolhouse Press. This design also has a bit of a flare at the bottom and some shaping.  I will not follow this part of the sweater, nor will I add any pockets, other than that I will be following the techniques Kate has incorporated in her design.

Bláithín swatch which is actually a true navy blue.