{this moment}

{this moment} - Inspired by SouleMama

As I'm sure you all know, today is I Love Yarn Day (at least according to the Craft Yarn Council).  What better way to celebrate that wooly goodness than to show the current projects I have on the needles.  On the left is a ripple afghan using a multi-color yarn my son gave me for my birthday, appropriately named "candy corn."  I'm mixing it with rows of yellow and white since I only have four skeins.  (Free pattern can be found on Ravelry here.)  On the right is another sweater for my daughter.  After last week's sizing fiasco, I almost immediately cast on for another Tomten Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann.  This one will probably be too large, but I know Foghorn will grow.

Happy I Love Yarn Day to all!



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SWEATIN' OVER THE SWEATER

I've been knitting for about a year and a half now.  I've done dozens of socks and dishcloths and hats.  I've whipped up a number of scarves and shawls and afghans.  I've even managed a baby sweater.  What I have not managed up to this point is an adult-sized sweater.  This is not for lack of trying.  I bought a load of off-white yarn a year ago and attempted the Shalom Cardigan, adjusted for my size.  I didn't know enough about adjusting sizes at the time and it looked like something I dug out of the dog crate and slung over my shoulders.

I unraveled that little goody and tried my hand at the February Lady Sweater (based on Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Alamanac February Baby Sweater, which I had successfully created).  Two problems quickly emerged.  First, I wasn't going to have enough yarn.  Second, I had apparently measured myself incorrectly and/or miscalculated the gauge because it hung off my shoulders as if it had been knit for Andre the Giant.  (There were also those pesky mistakes I made in the actual pattern, but since it was quickly frogged we won't talk about those...)

Last week I started unraveling and prepared to use the yarn on, yes, the third sweater.  This time I went smaller.  I decided to try to the Tomten Jacket from Elizabeth Zimmermann (found in both The Knitter's Workshop and Knitting Without Tears).  The interesting thing about the pattern in Knitting Without Tears is you use the person's measurement and your stitch gauge to come up with a base number of stitches that she refers to as X.  The rest of the pattern is a modular design and is based on fractions of X.  To be safe, I measured Foghorn and calculated a sweater for her (much smaller) size.  I love Elizabeth Zimmermann because she's funny in a dry way and has a no-nonsense approach.  She also gives very few directions for her patterns and apparently assumes I'm much smarter than I really am.  Thus her patterns always make me slightly anxious until I finish and see if I actually understood the directions correctly.

I finished today and...um...  Listen, I swear I was always an A student in math.  I don't  know what the hell is screwing me up with sweaters, but I evidently did something wrong.  Either Foghorn's measurement was wrong or my gauge was wrong or...or...something because the damn thing came out too small.  Now, ignoring the fact that it's a good size too tiny for her body (and too short), the sweater itself I think turned out pretty well.  If I could shrink my daughter by 10%, I'd probably be pleased with the results.  The jacket is very basic garter stitch throughout, so it's not meant to be fancy or particularly stylish.  (One criticism I hear of Zimmermann's patterns is they tend to be very practical and more suited to a 1950s hausfrau than a 21st century gal.)  I offered to put a contrasting color around the edges to give it more pop or add decorative pockets, but Foghorn insists she likes it just the way it is.  She also insists it fits perfectly and she's wearing it around the house as we speak.  She's wearing no pants (her habit of late is to wear only her underpants and t-shirt at home), but she's got the sweater on.  I'm making careful notes about my numbers and will adjust for next time.  And, just to be safe, I think I'll add on another 10%.


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YARN ALONG

Wednesdays over at the Small Things blog is Yarn Along day, where knitters and crocheters share what bit of needle goodness they're working on and what they're reading. Time for this week's installment.

I needed a smallish rug for under my family room window and decided on my version of the Big Stitch Knit Rug from Purl Bee.  Since this rug's location is frequented by muddy-footed dogs and chipmunk-watching cats, I went with an economical, easy care yarn -- Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in Wheat and Glacier.  I'll soon be changing from my total Brady Bunch decor to something more springy and summery, so the rug colors aren't going to clash with my current avocado, tangerine, and marigold hues.  I'm using much smaller needles than called for, size 13, and am making it in stripes of varying widths, mostly to combat my own boredom.  It's an extremely easy pattern and free over at the Purl Bee here.


One of my birthday gifts from my mother was Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Around, which I just finished and thoroughly enjoyed.  That might sound weird for a knitting book, but about half the pages are taken up with her "digressions" and by the end of the book she's given a history of herself that is witty, concise, and wonderful (much like her patterns).  Whether I ever make anything from the book or not I'm so glad I have it.  It's particularly interesting to read about her German-born husband's escape from his homeland in 1937 when he was overheard making a snotty remark about Hitler and was trying to get out of Dodge before the Gestapo caught up with him. 

At bedtime last night I started the novel The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie (best known for his title role in House, M.D., although to me he will always be my beloved Bertie Wooster).  It's hard to get a feel for the book after only reading three pages (I was very tired last night), but as I expected it's quirky and funny and offbeat, a little like a combination of Rowan Atkinson and Douglas Adams.


Are you reading anything good this week? 


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FOUR FABULOUS FREE CHRISTMAS STOCKING KNITTING PATTERNS

When we got our beagle, Bailey, two weeks after our wedding in 1995, I lovingly made her a cross-stitch Christmas stocking, complete with her name at the top.  She died in 2005 and the Christmas stocking has been in storage ever since.  I can't bring myself to get rid of it.  I can't bring myself to pluck the stitches spelling out her name and replace them with one of my four other pets.  My critters have made do with crappy cheap stockings from the grocery store and I often think I really should create something a little more appropriate for beloved members of the family.  On the other hand, a decade from now I don't want FIVE handmade, personalized stockings in storage.

With my newly developed knitting skills obsession, I decided to make each quadruped his or her own stocking, without personalization.  It will be his or hers until time to cross The Rainbow Bridge.  Then it will get passed on to the next guy.  (If my accumulation of animals continues at the same pace of the last nine years, I'll be needing to make more stockings soon.)

I present my recently-finished dog and cat stockings.  Full details can be found on my Ravelry page here.

Frank and St. Jimmi

For my two hounds I chose the Christmas Stocking Knitting Pattern found on Red Heart's site here.  What I quickly discovered about most stocking patterns is that they are big.  I mean they are BIG.  (You will see evidence below.)  The first striped one on the left was acceptable, but a little too large for my taste, so the second time around I went with needles two sizes smaller and got a more reasonably-sized stocking.  As I was hanging them to take the picture, St. Jimmi wandered over and started nosing hers.  It hasn't even had anything edible put in it yet.  I'll have to watch out for that one.  Bailey was always obsessed with her Christmas stocking.  One year she jumped up and got her teeth in it, bringing the heavy silver stocking holder crashing into the fireplace, chipping a brick and nearly cracking the dog's skull.  Once I had children I switched to the light wooden holders shown, where the worst thing that happens is a dog overindulges and gets indigestion.

Snickers and Milky Way
The feline members of the family get very little in their stockings.  Unlike my enthusiastic dogs, who love nothing more than the crackle of a treat bag opening or the squeak of a new toy, the cats usually just look bored and turn their noses up at my tasty tuna-flavored offerings.  Since I needed only enough room for a small can of cat food and maybe a tiny catnip-filled toy, I made their stockings much smaller.  The original Lion Brand Fuzzy Santa Stocking (found here) used their Fun Fur Yarn for both the cuff and the body.  While I love the look of the fuzzy yarn, working with it gives me the pip.  I used plain acrylic yarn for the body, then topped it off with the nice faux fur at the top.


Finally we have the ones that didn't quite work out.  The first stocking I made, Bernat's Happy Holidays Knit Stocking (found here), was made with this cute Christmas variegated yarn.  Unfortunately the thing turned out to be as big as Santa's boot.  Actually, make that BOTH of Santa's boots.  It was not only long but unbelievably wide.  When I hung all the stockings up to photograph, though, Foghorn made it very clear which one she liked best.

Since it was useless as a dog stocking (unless I was giving him a 25 pound bag of Milkbones), I gave it to Foghorn.  And she managed to find a use for it...

The second substandard stocking makes me a little sad, since I think it came out very cute.  It's Lion Brand's Decorated Christmas Stocking found here.   Like the previous stocking, it's HUGE.  Unlike the previous one, though, it's proportional.  I'm thinking of filling it with small toys and hanging it for a decoration on the wall or maybe the front door.  If my knitting math skills were better, I would have redone the pattern to make it smaller.  Unfortunately I'm not at that level of expertise yet.







Now that the stockings are out of the way, I can get to work on filling them.  I have a great pattern from the Stitch 'N Bitch book for a knit Joey Ramone doll.  I think that just might suit St. Jimmi.

GRANDMA’S BIRTHDAY -- HAND-KNITS, HOMEMADE CAKE, AND DOG RESCUE

Friday was the 79th birthday of The Inmates’ Grandma (who shockingly also happens to be my mother).  I often refer to her as the “Coolest Septuagenarian I Know.”  In addition to all the stereotypical grandmotherly type things like cooking and sewing and quilting, she’s also a kick-ass blogger, wonderfully snarky, and, best of all, occasionally thinks I’m funny (as long as I don’t get too crude or obscene).

On Friday, my sister (the Inmates’ Uncle Chester) and I took Grandma to Mimi’s for lunch, then wandered around JoAnn’s clutching our 40% off coupons looking for something crafty to buy.  In the evening, they came to my house for Grandma’s annual request -- my homemade, award-winning white velvet cake with caramel frosting.  I really hate to brag on myself…so I’ll give you the link to my mother’s blog so she can do it for me.  (You can also get the recipe for the cake if you check it out here.)

My sister had been showering my mother with daily birthday gifts all week and finished up with some antique-y finds.  (My mother has an obsession with the old French-Bauer dairy in particular.)  Foghorn presented Grandma with a handmade picture, the Professor with a Scottie cookie jar he paid for with his own money.  (Scotties are another of Grandma’s obsessions.)

My own gifts went from one extreme to the other.  The first was an iPod Nano, already set up with all her favorite music.  The others were hand-knit items.  The first set was like something my 10-year-old self might have made her decades ago.  I knitted two checkerboard placemats (free pattern available here), then added a crocheted leaf to each (free pattern available here -- I lifted the leaf pattern from the wreath).  I also added three dishcloths -- the acorn pattern and diamonds (not shown) are both from the booklet Ultimate Book of Dishcloths & Pot Holders by Annie's Attic.  The third, with the figure of a squirrel visible in the center, is available for free here. 

The last knit item was the promised scarf made from the variegated Roving Acres wool yarn purchased at the Wool Gathering.  My mother is not one to bundle up in the winter (she and I share the common experience of having been frequently nagged by her mother to put hats on our heads), so she liked this somewhat lacy pattern.  With the wool it will be warm enough if wrapped around the face, but not overwhelmingly hot when the temperature isn’t in the Arctic range.  It was knit from the free pattern "December is for Stephanie" and can be found on Ravelry here. (Complete notes on the projects can be found on my Ravelry page here.)

We finished up the evening with a viewing of Breaking Away, one of our favorite movies.  And another round of cake slices.

Normally birthdays in my family stretch over an entire week or at the very least over several days.  This year seemed to me to be cut short…thanks to me.  Recycled Doggies, the rescue group from which I adopted St. Jimmi, was in need of someone to do the last leg of a transport coming from Green River, Kentucky and ending in Mason, Ohio.  Not only did my mother not object to spending her birthday Saturday with a van full of smelly dogs, she came along and rode all the way with a pregnant Chihuahua on her lap.  Two of the dogs, Grandma’s Chihuahua and Chester’s friend, a Jack Russell/beagle mix named Brae, are actually going to other rescues and were just getting a ride.  Recycled Doggies was taking the mommy dog who rode in the back of the van, in Frank’s cage, with her five puppies.  Unfortunately she looks nervous in the picture and you can’t see the puppies at all, but they were all adorable, trust me.  (Incidentally, if you’re in the Cincinnati area they will also be available for adoption in the next month or two, so check out their website if you’re interested in getting a new family member.)

See what I mean?  Coolest Septuagenarian I know.

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SO MAD I COULD KNIT

I have often heard people, mostly on television, talk of finding stress relief in exercise.  Sadly for me, a brisk walk or workout with weights merely leaves me sweaty, hungry, and irritable.  I searched for stress relief in meditation as well, imagining myself as Dalai Lama-like in my peaceful bearing.  Didn't happen.   I have that inner-Rahm Emanuel problem and getting interrupted by screaming children in the middle of my meditation just left my blood pressure higher.  It is possible to find stress relief in pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.  Sadly, this comes with the cost of looking like you ate a dairy cow...or two.

Doggie cross-stitch in-progress

So, what is a mother to do to clear the day's stresses from her mind, lower her shoulders from under her ears where they've been crunched all day in anger, and smooth the creases from her forehead?  Hmmmmm....I suggest a little crafting.  I've done more than my fair share of needlepoint and cross-stitch, particularly when making dog and cat themed items for the League for Animal Welfare's craft tables.  I've dabbled in latch hook rugs (a little too dull for my taste) and knitting looms (a little too limiting).  The favorite crafting meditation for me has been crocheting, which I've been doing for a good 30 years.

Yes, I learned pretty young.  I come from a crafty family, with both sister and mother outstanding in their own disciplines.  Fortunately, for gift-giving purposes, we all have different areas of expertise, and it's unlikely my sister and I will ever give my mother the same Mother's Day gift.  And my mother is the quilting queen, while my sister and I are nearly hopeless with a sewing machine.  It makes for a nice exchange of handmade goods over the years.  Even with a mother to dump my projects on (I mean give to), I found that I crocheted far more than I could possibly pass on to one poor woman, so I began making afghans for Project Linus.  There's nothing like blissing out with some yarn sliding through the fingers while watching television to melt the day's tensions like Ben & Jerry's ice cream on a summer day.

In the spring, though, I became obsessed with the idea of learning to knit, thanks mostly to the SouleMama blog.  As I read her daily postings, as well as years of archives that I'm still working through, I found myself itching to get some needles clacking.  (Besides, ever since I had my children, crochet hooks have reminded me of the big instrument they used to break my water.  Hardly a memory to relieve stress.)  The problem was, I had tried knitting before.  Granted I had been in high school, but I was already a fairly proficient crocheter at the time.  Knitting, on the other hand, just didn't seem to come naturally to me.  My mother had tried knitting around the same period and never quite got into it either.  And my sister, who has a closet overflowing with ribbons from county fairs, as well as the Ohio state fair, didn't get into knitting either.  My teenage attempts utterly failed.

Fast forward to 2011.  A year or so prior the aforementioned sister (known around here as The Inmates' Uncle Chester) took up knitting herself.  After the classic beginner's dishcloths were handed out to female relatives, she went on to knitting socks.  And they actually worked.  She made countless pairs of wool socks and one sock in particular, if left on the floor, proves irresistible to my hound dog and it has had chewed holes mended more than once.  What the heck?  If she could do it, I said with all the little sister arrogance I could muster, I could do it.

Armed with a couple sets of knitting needles, a hunk of acrylic yarn from my stash, and the book Stitch 'N Bitch by Debbie Stoller, I began.  (Given my personality, how could I not choose that book as my guide.)  My first attempt looked like something my hound dog had gotten hold of.  Somehow my stockinette stitch square had these holes in it and got narrower and narrower as it neared the top.  When I had only four stitches left on the needles, I knew I was doing something wrong.  That's when I hollered, "Thank God for YouTube!"  Countless online tutorials got me through the basics and then to some more complicated stitches, although my technique still needs a lot of work.

Is it just me or does that one on the right have nipples?

I began by making (what else?) the classic dishcloths.  I have a good eight of them now and they actually work quite nicely for scrubbing pans.  From there I graduated to blocks, making 9" x 9" squares in various stitches that could then be pieced together for a Project Linus afghan.  I tried to make a sweater for my hound dog, but, as is typical of me, I didn't bother to measure her, assuming the largest size in the pattern would fit her nicely.  It wasn't until I was halfway done that I realized it would never fit around my barrel-chested dog's body.  Unravel, unravel, unravel...  I say it like a mantra.

St. Jimmi rockin' her new sweater.

I did finally find an excruciatingly easy pattern, all in garter stitch, and thought the results weren't too bad.  In my previous attempt at the more complicated dog sweater pattern, I discovered my armholes need serious help...

I've finally gotten to the stage where knitting doesn't involve constant furrowing of brow as I hunch over instructions in my lap and constant unraveling.  I'm still slow, ungodly slow, but I've always been a slow crocheter as well.  But since I'm knitting for joy and not as part of a production line, who the hell cares?  I now have a new meditative craft!  I knit and purl and watch television in a kind of haze.  Certain types of programming work best.  Movies or shows that are intricate and have to be looked at constantly are no good, as knitting involves frequent glancing at the needles.  And I don't want the late news invading my happy meditative-space-with-yarn.  Old reruns of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and All in the Family are good.  The Partridge Family and The Brady Bunch transport me to my happy place all by themselves, so adding a little wool just improves the space.  Pawn Stars really works as well.  Thanks, Chumlee!

I'm still lacking enough confidence to put my works out into the world.  ("Out into the world" does not include giving to my mother, who thinks anything I do is brilliant.  Yeah, she's that kinda mom, bless her.)  I'm currently working on an afghan in bright blue yarn that seems to be shaping up pretty well and could just be my first knitting effort to be passed on to Linus... 

And so, tonight, after the children have gone to the finished basement for one of the last before-school-starts sleepovers on the sofa beds, I'm gonna relax in my wooly happy place.  I got the disc of Inglorious Basterds from Netflix today.  I've already seen it once, so it falls into that doesn't-require-too-much-concentration viewing category.  What?  Quentin Tarantino doesn't sound meditative?  Okay, maybe it's not light and frothy, but there's definitely an argument to be made for the feel-good power of watching Nazis get their comeuppance.





If you're interested in making the dog sweater, the free knitting pattern can be found here (you'll need to sign up for a free Lion Brand account) and you can see my notes on Ravelry.  The blue afghan is from the Project Linus website and the free knitting pattern can be found here.

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