Fiddle Knits

Review: Kollage Square Circular Needles

2013-05-10T19:55:00.002-04:00

Rating: * * * * * (5 out of 5 stars)
Company: Kollage Yarns
Product: Square Circular Needles
Price: $15.50 – $16.50

© Kollage Yarns

I had never used square needles before I got these and was quite skeptical of them. The concept seemed too weird. Knitting needles are supposed to be round, right? How could these square ones possibly work and be comfortable? I've been all about trying new [knitting related] things these days, so I went into the product test as open minded as I could be. And guess what? Turns out I love these needles!

Firm Vs. Soft Cables
Kollage offers their square circular needles with two types of cables. The K-Kable is very soft. The cable has absolutely no memory. If that doesn't suit your style then they also have a firm cable (no clever name, just "firm"). This one is more like the standard circular cable. It's still flexible, but will hold the circular shape.

Originally I got two of the 24" firm cable circular needles in US sizes 4 and 5. I was so impressed by the needle tips and feel of them in my hand that I went and purchased two more needles (US 5 and 6) in the 40" length for two lace shawls I was about to cast on. This time I opted to get the flexible K-Kable. In reviews online it seemed that knitters had mixed feelings about the very flexible cable. I hate wrestling with stiff cables while I'm working on lace, so the cable that doesn't "kink, kurl, or knot" sounded very appealing. I'm happy I went with the k-kable considering I specifically had shawl knitting in mind. However, I can see how people would find the cable too floppy. If I were planning on knitting something in the round (like a sweater) then I would want the firm cable to help hold the piece.

Pros

Sharp tips
Smooth joins
Flexible cables

Super pointy tips! The tips are what really got my attention. They're fabulous for knitting lace, or anything else, but lace is my obsession. The needles themselves are also smooth and the joins are seamless. Both major pros when judging knitting needles.

Cons

Needle to cable ratio (shorter cable length only)

I ran into one problem with these needles. I have 2 of the 24" firm cable circulars in sizes 5 (3.75mm) and 6 (4mm). The firm cable is nice and the needle itself is still awesome. However, I wasn't fond of the needle length in proportion to the cable length. The needle seemed too long to me and I couldn't comfortably

Materials
Kollage square needles are made from high grade aluminum in a titanium color. Folks that like to keep track of where items are made may also enjoy that 100% of the production takes place in the United States.

Other Thoughts
It's recommended on the Kollage website that you make sure to work a gauge swatch before beginning your project with square needles. Apparently it's common for knitters to need to go up a size on the squares versus round needles. I knit extremely loose, so I'm hoping using the square needles make my knitting more "normal".

Kollage makes the same square needles as double points (dpns) and I'm very tempted to buy a few sets. Not that I use dpns all that often, but for the times that I do they'd be nice to have. Currently the only dpns I own are Brittany Birch and, while I liked them as a new knitter years ago, I find they are very blunt and inefficient. The next time I cast on for a hat I'll probably purchase a set of the Kollage square dpns in the size necessary for the decrease section.

What I really want to know is will there be an interchangeable set? Because if there is then my wallet is going to be in serious trouble!

Another Opinion
My Mom learned to knit about 8 months ago and is currently trying her hand at knitting her first lace shawl (fingering weight yarn). She stopped by a few days ago to get started with me watching over her. The design uses twisted ribbing on the edge. I watched as she struggled with the stitches and then suggested she try using my new Kollage Square Circs. This is her feedback:

I'm a very new knitter. Last week I began my first ever mystery knit-along, which started by casting on 457 stitches. I was using my KnitPicks Sunstruck interchangeable needles, which I love. However, when I started knitting row one, I was having a very difficult time inserting the tip through the back loop of the cast on stitches. It was suggested I switch to Kollage Square needles with the soft K-Kable. Wow, what a difference! As much as I like my KnitPicks needles, the switch to the Kollages made knitting that much easier. The tips are so pointy the needles just slide through the stitch loops with incredible ease. I was awed. Not only did the Kollages make the first row easier, but I found myself more confident as I continued since I no longer needed to concentrate quite as hard to get the needle tip properly through the loop. - Georgianne Jackofsky (GrannySquare on Ravelry)

View Kollage Square Needles

New Designs: The Analucia Shawl

2013-05-07T13:30:00.000-04:00

It's a gorgeous Saturday here on northern long island. The sun is shining, the garden is growing, and new designs are forming on my needles. I'm working on the Analucia shawl, formerly referred to as "Grandma's shawl" while it awaited a proper naming. I designed and am knitting this for my maternal grandmother, Angelina Lucia, to wear to my cousin's wedding at the end of the month. I had hoped it would be off the needles and blocking by today so I could give it to her tomorrow, but I had several perfectionist moments that caused me to rip back. I'll just have to make a trip over to her house some time in the next week or two.

I love the design of this shawl so much that I decided it was going to be my next mystery KAL. Originally my plan for Summer KAL knitting was a laceweight design, but sometimes you just have to go with the flow and this shawl is what was flowing off my needles.

The pattern is free! In the past I've always done paid KALs, but I decided to change that. The pattern will be free to download until we cast on June 28. After that the pattern will be a $5.00 download. If you go to download the pattern now all you'll actually only be getting the introduction sheet with a materials list, gauge guide, yardage requirements, etc. By downloading this piece now you'll automatically receive the clues free as they're released.

Analucia will be available in 3 sizes: Shawlette, shawl, and large shawl. It's a lace design, so a solid yarn is recommended. Something that a lot of folks are happy with is there will be 7 shorter clues instead of my usual 4 larger ones. All the info about this and clue release dates is in the PDF download.

Clicking the download link will automatically apply the coupon that allows you to download this pattern for free. Pattern updates and clues will be sent to the email address used for the download. To receive updates via Ravelry please visit the Ravlery pattern page and download there.

To Ravelry Participants,

If you're on Ravelry and planning on participating in the Analucia KAL please take the time to mark the pattern as a favorite and/or queue and add it to your projects. This helps the pattern stay active and allows more people to find it to participate!

What's on my Needles: 4/24/13

2013-04-24T13:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Windsday, Pooh!
It's not actually windy. I'm just a fan of Winnie the Pooh.
So anyway, what's on my needles this week? I've got 2 active projects. One is about 75% done and the other I just cast on for yesterday.

The project that's further along is a fingering weight lace shawl I'm designing and knitting for my Grandma to wear to my cousin's wedding at the end of May. When I began knitting it I was simply going to publish the pattern as part of my next Tolkien collection that will be coming out in the Fall. However, the more I knit the more I realized this would make a really good mystery knit-along shawl. So, I will soon be opening registration for the MKAL (mystery knit-along). I'm thinking cast on day will be sometime around July 1. This puts the start after my current MKAL (Minerva) ends and gives us approximately 2 months to gather materials. Hopefully that's enough. I opened Minerva 3 months in advance which was good and bad at the same time. It let me send everyone yarn that wanted to buy it from me, but I feel like there's a little to much down time between yarn purchase and cast on.

My intention for the next MKAL had been to do a laceweight project for the Summer, but sometimes ya just gotta go with the flow. Oh, and I forgot to mention, this next KAL will be free! Pattern will remain a free download until the day we cast on. Then it will revert to a $5.00 download. I'm using my own yarn (Aria sparkle), but any fingering weight will do. As always, KAL participants will receive a discount if purchasing my yarn for my KAL. Also, something new I'll be doing for this round is offering skeins of my yarn undyed at a lower price, so if you like to dye your own you can do so (solid or semi solids will work best). I'm actually knitting this shawl with the yarn undyed because Grandma wanted something creamy white.

My other WIP is a colorwork hat. I don't do colorwork very often, so I tend to forget how much I actually like it. I'm not a huge fan of two-color ribbing, but I like the way it looks for color hats, so I started this design like that. Now that I'm past that bit and into the design it's fun knitting. Seeing the shapes grow with each round is amazing. Last night I was so tired, but I didn't want to stop knitting because I wanted to see how the next round of the pattern looked. Completely doesn't matter that I designed it and know exactly what it's going to look like.

I think that's all I've really got going that I can talk about. Unfortunately no photos of either WIP since one will be a mystery knit and the other is being knit for a publication that won't be out until the Fall.

So what's on your needles this Windsday?

Book Review: Crochet One-Skein Wonders

2013-04-18T14:21:00.000-04:00

Rating: **** (4 out of 5 stars)
Title: Crochet One-Skein Wonders
Editor: Judith Durant and Edie Eckman
Pages: 285
Projects: 101

Description from Amazon.com: Finally, a One-Skein Wonders book just for crocheters! Edie Eckman and Judith Durant offer 101 great crochet projects -- from jewelry and scarves to bags, hats, dresses, and home dec items -- that each use just one skein of yarn. Whatever your experience level, you'll find something here to delight you!

Disclosure: (Disclosure written after Oooo-ing and ahh-ing the very professional looking book that one of my patterns was published in. The first thing I did was admire the cover, then I found my pattern, then I put the book down and looked no further.) I have a pattern published in this book. Yes, I think it's great that I've been published in a real, full color, easily attainable book published by a large company. I don't plan on letting that get in my way of the book review and also, I am only 1 out of 101 crochet projects offered in the book. I haven't yet flipped through all the pages or admired anything other than the front and back cover and my own design. Now that I've gotten this disclosure out of the way I'm off to see what else this book has to offer.

[Several Days Later]

My Thoughts Going In: The idea of the one-skein pattern books is great. We all have single skeins of yarn in our stash. A special skein bought simply because it was pretty or on sale, one-of-a-kind hand dyed skeins, or maybe a leftover ball from a project. Because of this I was very interested to flip through the book. The idea of a book of one-skein crochet projects appealed to me because, although I can crochet, I consider myself a knitter and my attention span for crocheted projects very rarely lasts past one skein.

Chapters and Organization: I like how the book is divided up by yarn weight. This makes it easy to find a skein of yarn in your stash that you want to use, turn to the appropriate chapter, and match up a pattern. The chapters are: Thread, Lace Weight, Super-Fine (sock) Weight, Fine (sport) Weight, Light (DK) Weight, Medium (worsted) Weight, and Bulky Weight.

The Designs: There's 101 of them! There are a couple (I think 2 or 3) toddler dresses and some doll clothes, but other than that everything is accessories (to wear and for the home). A few stuffed toys are thrown into the mix as well. (I particularly like the Sweet Kitty pattern.) I looked through all the patterns once and nothing really jumped out at me as "Make Me NOW!" The thing with one-skein collections is they're very jumbled with a little bit of everything (except garments or blankets). This could be good in that there should be something that appeals to everyone, or it can be bad because it gets confusing and lacks continuity. I find myself falling into the second category of thought.

Maybe it's because I prefer knitting over crochet, but I feel like a lot of these one-skein crochet projects look boring and amateur. Now don't take that the wrong way. Not everything makes me feel like that. There are some very nice, well put together patterns in here as well, but the silly ones are the ones that get my attention. Like the thread crocheted pineapples that are sewn to a piece of suede to make a belt, or the butterfly necklace (a crocheted butterfly hanging from an i-cord) or the flip-flop decorations. Things like that just seem silly to me. As do the patterns that are one stitch pattern repeated forever to make a scarf. If I was going to make a scarf using one stitch pattern all the way across I'd go looking for a stitch dictionary, not a pattern book. I expect a pattern book to figure out sizing and help get one pattern to flow into another and let me know if I need to change needle/hook size between the stitches to account for more or less stretch.

I feel like most all of the hats leave something to be desired. However, I'm going to chalk that one up to my preference for knitted hats. If you like the look of crochet, or can't knit, then you'll find a bunch of hat options from baby to adult in this book. There was one hat I actually really did like. It's the Bellisfaire Beanie in the light weight section. It's knit using Cascade Ultra Pima, which I wouldn't use for a hat, but the look is very sweet.

Now that I got that little rant out of my system I can say there are some very nice patterns you might like as well. The Button-Flap Cape (bulky section) is really cute. I couldn't pull off wearing it, but someone like my very petite sister (or someone with a lot of confidence) could definitely make it work.
The Sunflower Pillow (light weight section) is pretty cool. It has a fabric back, but I think if I made it I'd work a single or half double crochet back for it in the same or coordinating yarn. I know that makes it not technically a one-skein project, but I don't care.
The Blue Sky Dreamin' (light weight section) socks are really cute. They're only in two sizes though, woman's US 8 and girl's US 2. If you know crochet well enough I'm assuming you can easily resize the length to suit your need, but I didn't read through the pattern.
In the baby pattern arena I thought the A Star is Born booties (fine weight section) were adorable.
The idea of the Bohemian Necklaces (fine weight section) is pretty cool, although I doubt in reality I would ever wear them. Cool concept and design though.

Skill Levels: I read some reviews for this book on Amazon before writing my own. One thing that was pointed out that I wouldn't have thought of was there aren't any skill levels listed. Skill level is kind of a personal thing (because what you find easy someone else may struggle with), but I do try and list it on all my designs based around the Craft Yarn Council's guidelines. The projects in this book range from easy to advanced intermediate. I didn't see anything that looked like you needed expert crocheting skills for.

Secret Garden Shrug

Secret Garden Shrug: My design in this book is called the Secret Garden Shrug. The pattern can be found on page 51 under the Super-Fine Weight category. I used a skein of Noro Kureyon sock yarn I'd purchased on a whim and never found a use for. 1) I don't knit socks because I don't enjoy wearing them, and 2) even if I did knit socks I don't think I'd use this yarn for them. From what I recall it's not a particularly stretchy yarn and I feel like good elasticity in sock yarn is a must.

When I made this shrug (nearly 2 years before the book was released!) I remember I didn't block the center section as much as it could be. I wanted to write a pattern that had size options, but still only took a single skein. I've seen lots of one-skein designs before that look great, but they only fit an XS or S and everyone else it outta luck. With this shrug you can complete any of the 3 sizes with one skein and you can block them pretty far to open up the center lace stitches. Lace is a wonderful thing!

Purchase a Copy on Amazon

Review: Knitter's Pride Karbonz

2013-04-11T13:16:00.000-04:00

Knitter's Pride Karbonz Circulars
Rating: *** (3 out of 5)
Price (at Yarn.com): $14.95

Visit the Knitter's Pride Website

Purchase Karbonz circulars at Webs

Description on the package: "The New Age Needles - made from high-tech carbon fiber. Carbon Fiber: One of the most versatile materials used in the manufacture of the new generation air crafts, space ships, automobiles, etc.!! In the KARBONZ needles, you will find: High tensile strength, low weight, lots of flexibility, warm feel, and a surface that helps the stitches move smoothly on the needle!!"

First Impressions: My first thought upon unwrapping the package and finding these needles was on how they looked. The metal tip against the black carbon fiber needle is really sleek. Pair that with a slim black cable and the entire package comes across as modern and clean. I was eager to use these and kept them close by waiting for the appropriate moment.

Knitting with Karbonz: I decided to use these needles for my current design project, a bottom up cardigan using Knit Picks Imagination yarn (a fingering weight blend of merino, baby alpaca and nylon), which I already had going. I'd cast on using Knit Picks Harmony needles in size 4 and had intentions of going down a needle size for the waist shaping. This was perfect because the Karbonz I got are a US 3 (3.25mm). Motivated by the new needles I began knitting faster so I could make the switch. I knit the stitches off the larger needle and onto the smaller Karbonz. I was disappointed immediately. The join at the top of the needles between the metal tip and the carbon fiber isn't smooth enough. I can feel my yarn snag slightly with every stitch. It doesn't get stuck, but it definitely interrupts the flow of knitting with light tugs every time the yarn slides over the join. I'm still using the needles on the project (because I'm currently away from home and they're the only size 3s I have with me), but I'm not liking it and I can't wait to switch back to the larger Knit Picks Harmony needles.

If the join at the tip could be fixed then these needles would be amazing. As the packaging says, they're light and the cable is seriously flexible. I actually really like everything about the needles except that darn join at the tip. The base of the needle also has a join where it turns to metal before the cable, but that bit doesn't give me any issues.

Pros: Lightweight, feels good in the hands, super flexible cable, nice appearance.
Cons: Join at the tip isn't smooth.

Final Thoughts: If you have any way of trying them before you buy them then I say take the opportunity. I personally won't be buying a pair unless that join gets fixed. I'm really disappointed to be saying that because I was hoping I'd fall in love and already had a set of the dpns in my cart.

*The yarn in this review was received complimentary from the manufacturer for test knitting & designing purposes. Reviewer was not otherwise paid, contracted, or obligated to review the yarn or product in this review.

What's on my Needles: 4/10/13

2013-04-10T13:00:00.000-04:00

I was hoping my fingering weight cardigan would be off the needles by this week, but it was false hope. I have gotten to work on it quite a bit in the last 2 days, but it's still just about 8 inches long. I'm really loving knitting this design. It's simple, but there's enough going on to keep me interested. The stitch pattern is an easy to memorize 2-row pattern repeat. Really it's more like a 1-row pattern because the wrong side is simply purled. Wonderful for TV knitting.

The yarn I'm using for the sweater is Knit Picks Imagination, a blend of 50% Merino Wool 25% Superfine Alpaca, and 25% Nylon. Whenever I work on patterns that make me happy I start getting overly excited and plan the colors and yarns I'm going to use for the next time I knit the pattern. Mostly it never happens because I get caught up in the next latest and greatest design idea. However, pretending that I'll knit another of the same pattern, I'd like to use one of my own hand dyed yarns. I'm trying to see about getting a fingering weight Baby Alpaca, cashmere, nylon blend. Sounds pretty yummy, right?

On and off my needles this week is casual semi slouchy hat. It's the final pattern for the Pick Your Poison collection and I think I left off on a good note. The yarn is Ballet, an aran weight blend of 55% superwash merino and 45% baby alpaca. I thought the yarn was OK prior to casting on, but once I started actually knitting with it I fell in love. I was a bit bummed when the hat was done and I didn't have another project to use the yarn for right away.

I think that about sums up what I've got going. I'm trying to focus on just the Imagination sweater while also dyeing a massive amount of yarn. Gotta play with colors and get those Fall/Winter colorways in order!

Favorite Things: Slouchy Hats

2013-04-08T13:48:00.002-04:00

As a curly haired girl I have to be very specific about the type of hat I can wear. If I wasn't a knitter I probably wouldn't even own a hat because finding the "right" one for my hair and face would be more trouble than I deemed it to be worth. Over the years I've tried to wear beanies, but it never worked out so well. If my hair was down the tight beanie giving way to massive puffy curls looks awkward. And whenever I tried pulling my hair back I just felt like I looked weird. The only time I'll wear a beanie is if I'm out for a run or shoveling snow. In other words, they're only worn out of necessity.

Henriette modeled by Annalee

I can't quite remember how I discovered the slouch hat. I do know it was after I discovered Ravelry (another one of my most favorite things). Back then I was into knitting quick, chunky, one-skein projects. Hats fall so nicely into this category. Mostly I was making them for my Dad, or as "just in case" hats that got stashed in the closet for snowy day wear. The first slouch hat I found and decided to make for myself was Woolly Wormhead's Sloppy Joe hat. The hat in the pattern photo is only moderately slouchy. I made a HUGE one. I had pretty long hair back then, so I wanted to be able to tuck some of it up under the hat. I was happy with it for a while, but I cut my hair a little shorter and then the SUPER HUGE slouch was too extreme. I know there were other slouch hats after that and before I started designing, but I can't recall all the pattern names.

When I started designing hats were something I began focusing on almost immediately. Once again mostly due to the fact they were quick, one-skein projects. I designed a lot of slouch hats for guys when I found out that they were something my then new boyfriend and I shared a love of. (Check out the Mens page of my site and you'll see several unisex styles.)

Me in the Beatrice slouchy cloche

At this point I've knit and designed slouchies with a whole bunch of looks. My favorite to personally wear in the slouchy cloche. I really like this style. The first hat I designed in it was the Beatrice cloche (photo at left). Cloches are great on curls because they don't flatten your hair around the edge of the hat. Ida (free pattern), Henrietta, and Beatrice all fall under the slouchy cloche category.

Besides being easier on the hair, slouchy hats are also fun to knit and involve less worry. Unlike beanie patterns, it isn't as crucial to get the length exactly right. Obviously you'll want to pay attention to whether you want just a casual slight slouch or a massive slouch, but there's still wiggle room. On the other hand, a beanie that's knit a few rows too short or long can become very awkward.

Hats make great warmer weather projects since they're small and won't cover your lap as you work. So even though it's now Spring go find a [slouch] hat pattern you like and make it for next Fall/Winter.

Yarn Review: Ultra Pima Paints

2013-04-04T19:02:00.002-04:00

Shown in Turquoise Mix #9778

Rating: **** 4 stars (out of 5)
Cascade Yarns Ultra Pima Paints
Fiber Content: 100% Pima Cotton
Weight: DK weight
Yardage: 220 yards
Grams: 100 gram hank
Care: Machine wash warm, Dry low
Knitting Gauge: 5.5–6 sts = 1"
Recommended Needle Size: US 5-6 needles (3.75-4mm)
Current Number of Colors (April 2013): 12
Price (from Yarn.com): $12.50

Purchase Casablanca Yarn from Webs at Yarn.com

View Ultra Pima Paints on Cascade's website at CascadeYarns.com

Description from Yarn.com (Webs): Cool, soft Ultra Pima from Cascade, now in beautiful hand painted color combinations! Ultra Pima Paints is the same 100% pima cotton in a versatile DK weight, in a range of summery shades perfect for light, breathable garments. Made in Peru.

Ultra Pima Paints Yarn Review
First Impressions: I didn't really like this yarn just from looks alone. I opened the package and my first thought was, "oh man, shiny cotton?" Those of you that follow all my yarn reviews already know that I'm not a huge fan of cotton in general. If I do decide to use a cotton I wouldn't normally pick one like this. (That is, completely smooth and shiny.) However, I was determined to try the yarn with an open mind. Just because I don't choose to knit with cotton doesn't mean there aren't good cotton yarns.

Knitting with Ultra Pima Paints: The yarn knits nicely. I tried knitting it in a simple pattern of stockinette with a 1x1 ribbed edge. The resulting fabric was smooth and even and I like the way it looks. Because it's a thinner yarn (DK weight) it's easier on the hands and wrists than a cotton of a heavier weight. (I find the heavier the yarn, the harder I have to pull on it to keep my gauge even.)

I'm using my single skein to make a baby vest (pattern to follow at a later date). I didn't feel like doing another skinny cotton scarf, so a baby item seemed like a fun and different project. Since I only have 220 yards I'm making what would be the newborn to 3-month size. To be completely honest I wouldn't want to use this yarn to make an adult garment, but that's only because of my view on cotton as a whole. I find it too heavy. If you do like cotton garments you may consider a nice sleek cotton tee, tank, or cardi using Ultra Pima. I will personally stick to baby and toddler clothes in cotton. And looking at it from that perspective I think this yarn is fantastic. It's machine washable and dryable too, a big plus for kiddie clothes.

The colors! Oh my, the colors! The paints do all the work making your knitting look good with this yarn. Right now there are 12 paint colors to choose from. There is also a solid version of the same yarn with 88 colors. Between the two you can probably get any color combination you want.

Cons: The only problems I had with this yarn are the same I have with any other cotton. Cotton doesn't have any stretch and it drives me nuts. However, the yarn itself was great. The skein was free of knots, tangles, and breaks. In short, there really aren't any cons specific to Ultra Pima.

Stitch Definition and Pattern Selection: Because Ultra Pima Paints is a multicolor yarn I'd recommend letting it shine by using a very simple stitch pattern like stockinette, garter, ribbing, or seed stitch. There is also a version of this yarn simply called "Ultra Pima" that is the same DK yarn, but in gorgeous solid colors. If you want to see some pretty colors on some pretty shiny yarn check out the Ultra Pima on Cascade's website. The sheen of the yarn really gets across in the photos. And there's something about seeing all the colors arranged that kinda makes me want to start pairing colors together, even though I have no clue what I'd make. More baby clothes maybe?

That brings me to the point of pattern selection. Whenever I have cotton yarn I immediately go for the drapey scarf idea. Hats, cowls, mitts, gloves (my go-to single skein projects) are all out simply because of the fiber content. Baby items are a great way to use small amounts of cotton and with the wide color choices of this yarn you're definitely going to find something appropriate. If you're using a larger amount of yarn than a baby blanket could also work.

Recommend Ultra Pima to a Friend? Yes. If you like cotton then this yarn is a good one. It handles well and appears well made. The color selection (including Ultra Pima and Ultra Pima paints) is incredible.

*The yarn in this review was received complimentary from the manufacturer for test knitting & designing purposes. Reviewer was not otherwise paid, contracted, or obligated to review the yarn or product in this review.

What's On My Needles: 4/3/13

2013-04-03T23:00:00.000-04:00

So much is on my needles. I went through a period of having castonitis and being bombarded with a million and one ideas that just had to be started right now. Now I'm paying for it. I don't know which project to focus on! The one that's due first would make the most sense. Unfortunately I have 5 that must be done by the end of April. (It was 6, but I actually managed to finish writing that one yesterday.) I decided that the best way to tackle this was to work on writing patterns until dinner time and then after dinner I'd work on the actual knitting part. So far, so good. Except for today. We had a gig and it was Dad's birthday, so there really wasn't much pattern writing or knitting happening. I did a little knitting in the car ride to the gig, but not much. This is what I have:

I cast on the Minerva mystery shawl for Mom. She's going to attempt to follow along with the KAL. Very ambitious since she only started knitting in the Fall. I decided to do the cast on because I only just taught her how a month or so ago and this shawl is worked from the bottom up so it begins with 457 stitches (for the smaller size!).

The yarn is Soli, my high twist single ply yarn. It's a 100% superwash merino fingering weight. I love it. It has great drape for a shawl. I'd never recommend using this yarn for socks since it's a single, but if you like hand dyed yarns and enjoy making shawls, stoles, cowls, or scarves then this is a good one to try. I just can't imagine a single ply holding up for socks, except for babies since they're not putting the wear and tear on them like adults.

The only other project that saw the light of day today was a fingering weight cardi I'm working on. I think I knit all of 4 rows. I'm using Knit Picks Imagination yarn for this. I'd never used Imagination before and I have to say I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would. The yarn is pretty fuzzy since it's 50% alpaca. Generally I hear that a yarn has alpaca and I'm not all that keen about it because I find that it can be kind of itchy. I always give it a shot, though. Why not, right? Especially if the yarn is a gift. Sometimes it turns out to be a nice surprise. Like this. I can't wait to wear this little sweater. I bumped this project to the top of my list for that very reason. Now would be the perfect time to be wearing it, so I must finish! We'll see how long it takes since it is fingering weight and since I currently only have about 2 inches accomplished.

And that about wraps it up for this week! Hopefully something will be finished by next week. It would be great if I could show a finished sweater! However, with all the other things I have going..... Probably not happening. A girl can dream though!

Favorite Things: Cowls

2013-04-01T13:00:00.000-04:00

I used to hate cowls. I stuck them in the same "boring knits" category as scarves. Then one day I actually tried wearing a cowl because it was cold and I don't own any nice scarves, but I'd made one cowl and had it stored away. When I realized how easy a cowl is to wear I got the bug to start knitting more. Once I started knitting cowls I then realized what a good opportunity they were to try new stitch patterns. And they're a much shorter project then scarves, so I'm finished before I get bored.

Grasshopper Cowl

In the past few months I've designed several cowls. First there was the Grasshopper cowl, the one sparked my revelation. Grasshopper is knit in DK weight yarn. It's long and can be worn around the shoulders (shown in photo at left) or doubled up and worn as a standard cowl (how I wear it).

After Grasshopper I designed Hypnotic, Mudslide, Hobbiton, and Mocha Berry. My most recent cowl design was a freebie pattern I designed using Cascade Yarns Casablanca yarn.

If you haven't already embraced knitting cowls I highly suggest giving it a whirl. If you don't wear them then keep them packed away and ready for gift giving.

Yarn Review: Casablanca

2013-03-28T16:05:00.000-04:00

Casablanca in 02 Denim

Rating: ***** 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Cascade Yarns Casablanca
Fiber Content: 62% Wool / 22% Silk / 16% Mohair
Weight: Worsted weight
Yardage: 220 yards
Grams: 100 gram hank
Care: Hand Wash, Dry flat
Knitting Gauge: 4.5 sts = 1"
Recommended Needle Size: US 8 needles (5mm)
Current Number of Colors (March 2013): 15
Price (from Yarn.com): $17.00

Purchase Casablanca Yarn from Webs at Yarn.com

View Casablanca on Cascade's website at CascadeYarns.com

Description from Yarn.com (Webs): Cascade Casablanca is a striking blend of warm wool, nubby silk, and lofty mohair. This one ply worsted weight yarn comes in a range of stunning self-striping color combinations, from pastel rainbow to muted neutrals. Casablanca is light and soft, with a slight tweedy texture from the silk and a halo effect from the mohair. Garments made from Casablanca will be warm and lightweight, with unique texture and out of this world color! Made in China.

Casablanca Yarn Review
First Impressions: This yarn really appealed to me as soon as I opened the package. The color and texture combined pulled me right in. I received 3 skeins of yarn on the same day and Casablanca was the one I wound right away. It has a rugged rustic look to it from the nubby tweed texture and single ply construction. Yarns like this always get to me.

Mainstreet Cowl in Casablanca #02 Denim

Knitting with Casablanca: The description from Webs is right on point. The cowl I made in this yarn is nice and warm, but still very light (despite being stranded colorwork). I can imagine a pullover in Casablanca feeling wonderful to wear. (Great, now I'm going to be obsessed with looking at all the colors and imagining a cozy sweater!)

This yarn gets points for being tangle free and knot free.

All in all I loved knitting with this yarn. I hit one snag (discussed below), but it didn't put me off. I wish I knew in advance, but live and learn. And that's why reviews are helpful.

Cons: I had one problem with the yarn, which I am completely willing to overlook and wouldn't keep me from using the yarn again. However, before beginning to work with this yarn you should know that it's pretty delicate despite it's hardy appearance (remember, it is a single ply). I pulled the yarn apart without much effort at all. It was one piece and then it was two. When it happened I was completely startled. I'd decided to tie a square knot at the beginning of round 2 of my cowl to keep the ends together. I was pretty sure I hand't inadvertently exerted superhuman strength, so I tried gently pulling at another piece of yarn. Sure enough it pulled apart. I tried spit splicing it, but that didn't work very well.

Winding the yarn (using swift and ball winder) didn't give me any problem with tearing.

Stitch Definition & Pattern Selection: If you're looking for a yarn to produce crisp clean cables or defined texture and lace stitches than this isn't your yarn. If you like a worn in, comfortable, pretty, but not so crisp yarn then you'll love Casablanca. It's all about pairing the yarn with the right project. The nubby texture of the yarn itself makes it look gorgeous in simple stitches like stockinette (regular or reverse), garter, and ribbing. Choose patterns that let the yarn shine. Pieces that rely on simple stitches with innovative or classic shaping would be good candidates.

Recommend Casablanca to a Friend? Yes. For the right project I think this is a very lovely yarn to work with. And I gotta say, 11 out of the 15 available colorways appeal to me. That's pretty impressive.

Try Casablanca with my free Mainstreet Cowl pattern! Cowl uses one skein (220 yards).

What's on my Needles: 3/27/13

2013-03-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

This has been a very productive knitting week! Things have flown on and off my needles. It's a good feeling.

Right now I have one active project on my needles with plans of casting on another some time today. The WIP is a baby vest (my design) in Cascade Yarns Ultra Pima Paints. The color is Turquoise Mix.

I only have one skein of the yarn, so I needed a small project. It's 100% cotton, though, which meant my typical choices were out. (Those choices being hat or fingerless mitts.) I'm not exactly an expert at baby knitting, but I figured 220 yards should be enough for a newborn–3 month stockinette baby vest. I did a search on Ravelry for baby vest and sweater patterns using yarn of similar weight and yardage and it looked possible.

Baby clothes aren't something I need at the moment, but I'm at "that age" where all my friends are starting to pop out kids, so it might turn into a gift. If not, then it'll get stashed away until I need it at some point. I consider the turquoise gender neutral. I think most people's first thought would be boy, but turquoise/blues are my favorite and I wear them all the time, so if I had a girl I'd definitely put her in this vest. But then I hate pink. And pastels. Ugh. Never ever would I make my child something in those shades.

Two other projects went on and off my needles this week. The first was a cowl, also knit using a Cascade yarn. I haven't named this design yet. I really should get on that because I'm putting the pattern out tomorrow as a freebie to accompany the review of the yarn I used. Hmmm... Gotta get my thinking cap on.

The yarn is Cascade Yarns Casablanca. Color is Denim Mix. Casablanca is a wool/silk/mohair blend. I really enjoyed playing with the color transitions. The cowl was completed with just one skein. I just wound it into two 50 gram balls and worked with the two halves to get the colorwork pattern. The colors on the two halves weren't always easy to distinguish from each other, but I kind of like the fade effect that gave the pattern.

Stay tuned to the blog tomorrow for more about the yarn and a link to the pattern.

The other project I finished was a hat. It's the final design for the heavy section of the Pick Your Poison collection. I worked the hat in my Beats non-superwash yarn in the Lady Grey colorway. I kind of had the design in mind before I decided what color I would use. Since the collection focuses on patterns for hand dyed yarns I didn't want to just dye a solid. (There was already one semi solid in the heavy section and I thought that was enough.) The Lady Grey color is pale with low enough contrast that I felt confident it would work with a lace or cable pattern, and I think it did. The color, inspired in part by the tea blend, is a very pale grey with light yellow and lilac.

This pattern will [hopefully] be out on Friday. If I can't manage to get it up then it'll have to wait until the following Friday. This weekend is going to be packed full of non-knitting events. I have a wedding to attend, then there's Easter and family lunch and dinner, and then it's my Dad's birthday. All fun stuff, but not things that leave extra time for knitting.

Modern Sophisticate

2013-03-23T12:00:00.000-04:00

Several months ago I had a new collection released in conjunction with Knit Picks. The deal is that it remains exclusively sold through the Knit Picks site for 6 months before the designs may be purchased directly from me (it's a standard setup). So that time has come! All 6 designs and the eBook are now available directly from me via my website or Ravelry.

Modern Sophisticate
Individually the patterns are $4.99 each. Purchased together you'll get all 6 designs for $9.99.

Modern Sophisticate – $9.99 PDF download

Heiki

Heiki
This shawl is knit using aran weight yarn for a pretty piece tat knits up relatively quickly. The pattern calls for Knit Picks Andes del Campo yarn. If you'd rather go the hand dyed yarn route I'm offering it as a kit with 3 skeins of yarn dyed in the colorway of your choice. You can go with 3 skeins of 100% superwash merino or for a little more luxury you can get 3 skeins of a 55% BFL/45% Baby Alpaca blend yarn. (Both are aran weight.)

View the Kit Pages:
Superwash merino kit: $60.00
BFL/Baby Alpaca kit: $70.00

Graham

Graham
This simple scarf is worked entirely in garter stitch once you get past the shell edging. It is slightly wider in the center as a shawl would be, but overall it's not wide enough to really be consider a shawl. One end has an opening to tuck the other through to keep the scarf securely on your neck.

The photos show this design knit in Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in Gypsy. It would also work nicely with some Dye-A-Tonic yarn.

Graham Pattern Page

Hanya
This design also uses the Knit Picks Andes del Campo yarn. The photo shows the straight beanie version, but the pattern also includes instructions for a slouchier hat.

Hanya Pattern Page

Twyla
You can tell from this photo, but the cardigan is shaped with lace inserts on each side that widen as you approach the hips. It's a simple wearable sweater that knits up nicely in Knit Picks Gloss DK yarn. Color shown is Fedora.

Twyla Pattern Page

Yvonne
These long fingerless mitts feel amazing to wear knit in Knit Picks Andean Treasure, a sport weight 100% Baby Alpaca yarn. The design is simple. Mostly stockinette with a small texture insert on the top of the hand and arm.

Yvonne Pattern Page

Isadora
Last, but not least, there is the Isadora pullover. I love this sweater and I wish I had time to knit one in my size! It's knit in Knit Picks Capretta yarn.

Isadora Pattern Page

Review: Knit Picks Pendleton Case Vs. Della Q Interchangeable Needle Case

2013-03-21T16:02:00.000-04:00

Last week I reviewed Della Q's interchangeable needle case. A few days ago I received the Pendleton interchangeable needle case from Knit Picks. I thought it would be interesting to compare the two cases this week.

Knit Picks Pendleton Needle Case Vs. Della Q Needle Case

I really like both the Della Q and Pendleton needle cases. Each have their own set of pros and cons.
First let's take a look at the Pendleton.

Pendleton Needle Case
Product Description: Clean, classic and unquestionably sound, as only a Pendleton can be. Designed especially for Knit Picks, this case is a soft and secure home for DPNs, crochet hooks and other small tools. With a 100% wool exterior in timeless solid hues, this case is gorgeously in it for the long haul. The inside panel features 10 slots per side, which can fit needles and hooks that are 5" in length or shorter. Measures 6" x 8" when closed.

Technically this case isn't specific to interchangeable needles and you can tell. The needle slots on the inside aren't numbered and once you get to size 13 only one needle tip fits in a slot, so one set takes up two spaces in the case.

Pendleton Pros

Clean sophisticated look
Good price
Easy access to needles
Convenient size for storage and travel
Extra pockets for cables, needle sizer, and other accessories

Pendleton Cons

Unmarked pockets
No large needle slots
Dark interior

Della Q Interchangeable Needle Case
Product Description: This wallet size case is perfect to store your Knit Picks, Addi Clicks or any other interchangeable set. It might even be smaller than your wallet for those of you who feel the need to keep every receipt. You have a case already? Where are you storing those extra tips we know you bought? There is space in this case. The case folds in quarters and ties securely. A zip pocket on the side stores your connectors or tools.

For a detailed review of this product see THIS POST.

Della Q Pros

Aesthetically pleasing
Well made
Organized pockets
Numbered needle slots

Della Q Cons

Clumsy Closure (tying bows can be a pain)

The Verdict
Practicality
For me I like the Pendleton as an every day case despite the lack of markers and larger slots. I very rarely use a needle larger than a size 9, so I can fit 2 sets of my most used needle tips comfortably in this case. It also fits my gauge/needle sizer tool, end caps, point protectors, lots of cables, and slip'n'snip scissors.

The Della Q is a better option of you want to keep a complete set of interchangeable needles with you including the larger sizes. This case has needle tip slots that will accommodate up to US 17.

Last week when I received the Della Q case I was ecstatic with it. I still am really. It's a very pretty little case. However, after a week of using it I got tired of the tie closure. I open my needle case A LOT, this week especially since I was swatching for a new collection, and untying and retying the case closed was getting annoying. When the Pendleton case came my first thought was that it was so plain Jane next to the Della Q case. My next thought was how much easier it was to constantly open and close it with the zippers.

Quality
Both cases appear to be made well. Time will be the true test. I've only had the Della Q case for about 2 weeks and the Pendleton for 2 days. In my hands the Della Q will probably withstand the test of time better than the Pendleton. Not because it's necessarily a better case, but because I'll treat it better because it's so pretty. Since the Pendleton is plain and looks tougher it'll probably get tossed around a good deal more.

Size
Both cases are a good size for throwing in my knitting bag.

Cost
The Pendleton is a little cheaper than the Della Q case. A Pendleton will run you $28.00 and the standard Della Q is $34.00 (a Della Q double case is $42.00).

Gifting
If I were buying a needle case as a gift I would go with the Della Q. It's prettier and I think it makes a more impressive gift. The Pendleton is something I would buy for myself if I were feeling practical.

What Should You Buy?
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Think of how often the case will leave the house. Often? Will it get tossed around a lot? Go Pendleton.
Will you be opening the case often (I sometimes open my case several times an hour)? No? Are you good with Bows? Go Della Q.
Are you practical? Go Pendleton.
Do you like pretty things? Go Della Q.
Have two interchangeable sets in a full range (up to US 17)? Go with the Della Q double case.
Mostly use smaller needle tips (size 9 and smaller)? Go Pendleton.

*The products in this review were received complimentary from the manufacturers for review. Reviewer was not otherwise paid, contracted, or obligated to review the yarn or product in this review.

What's on My Needles: 3/20/13

2013-03-20T19:56:00.000-04:00

Spud & Chloe Sweater

Today this post should be retitled "What I Wish Was on my Needles." It was a really good mail day here. I got so much fun new yarn to play with! I now have:

3 skeins of Spud & Chloe Fine in Hippo and Clementine,
3 skeins Spud & Chloe Sweater in Root Beer, Grass, and Toast, &
6 skeins of Blue Sky Alpacas Metalico in Cinnabar, Opal, and Platinum.

(All the yarn will be showing up in my review posts over the next several weeks as I swatch and work out designs.)

When all the yarn came I was moments away from leaving for band practice. All I had time for was a quick photo and burying my face in the yarn, because breathing in the new yarn fumes was critical. As soon as I got home I took the time to properly pet and admire the new skeins. I'm really looking forward to knitting with all the yarn, but I'm very curious about the Blue Sky Alpaca Metalico. It's a 50% baby alpaca / 50% mulberry silk blend and it looks like it's going to be very soft and buttery to work with. I tend to be a real 100% merino kinda gal, so we'll see how I feel about the alpaca/silk blend.

Since merino is my thing, I already know I'm going to love knitting the Spud & Chloe Fine and Sweater. It's soft and pretty and so versatile. The Fine is going to become a shawl and the Sweater (shown above right) will be a cowl.

I have some projects that need to get finished before I can allow myself to play with the new yarns. Oh deadlines. At least all my current WIPs need to be done in the next 2 weeks. Then I can get busy playing with the yarn for my Fall collection, which includes the Spud & Chloe and Blue Sky Alpaca yarns.

So what exactly is on my needles? A whole lotta stuff you can't know about! I've been busy the past week working on design submission swatches. These have to remain hush hush until the designs [hopefully] get accepted and published next Fall/Winter.

Since I can't show you progress photos, I leave you with a picture of yummy yarn as a peace offering. Blue Sky Alpaca Metalico.

Favorite Things: Homemade Almond Milk

2013-03-18T09:26:00.000-04:00

Recently I decided to experiment with a raw foods diet. In my search for recipes I kept coming across references to almond milk, butter, pulp, and meal. After seeing it so many times I decided the milk was something I needed to try. I searched for instructions online and found a lot of people talking about how messy and tedious the process was. They were using a blender and nut milk bag to get the milk. The blending part looked easy enough, it was the last step of straining through the nut milk bag that seemed fussy. I don't have a nut milk bag and I didn't really want to go find one, but we do have a juicer!

The whole purpose of the nut milk bag is to strain the crushed almonds out from the liquid. You have to squeeze the pulp by hand and just get as much as you can out. A juicer does the same thing, only better and with less effort on my part. So I followed the instructions up to the point of straining and then simply put the mixture through the juicer. It works fabulously. I get around 5.5 cups of almond milk from 1.25 cups almonds + 4.5 cups water.

It turns out that almond milk is easy to make and incredibly tasty. If you're interested in making some, I wrote out a step by step guide: Making Almond Milk.

I've never had store bought almond milk, but I imagine it's not nearly as good as the homemade kind. The milk is good by itself, but my truly favorite thing is to blend 8 ounces with half a frozen banana. Delicious! It's great for breakfast or for dessert. And another plus is almond milk is much lower in calories than regular milk. The nutritional information for packaged almond milk has the calories generally ranging from 40–60 calories per cup. Unfortunately, although almonds are high in protein almond milk is not. From what I've seen 2 grams of protein per cups seems to be the average.

Review: Della Q Interchangeable Needle Case

2013-03-14T13:00:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago I waxed poetic about how much I love my interchangeable needles (Knit Picks Harmony Options). Something that they lack, which I didn't focus on, is a nice case to store and carry them. They come in this clear plastic zippered case. Honestly I hadn't really given it much thought. That's how they came, so that's how I carried them around. I kind of figured interchangeable meant bulky. This does not have to be! Maybe you're a little more brilliant and already new that. If not, then let me enlighten you.

I've always admired the Della Q accessories my fellow knitting group members had. I'd seen the DPN roll and the straight needle cases. Both were nice, but I didn't have a use for either since DPNs and straight needles aren't something I use very often. What I didn't realize was that Della Q also offers circular and interchangeable needle cases. Definitely something I can lust after.

The Fabric – Limited Edition Print
Brown Sugar Spice
I give thumbs up to the current limited edition fabric Della has available on her site right now (shown in my photos). It's a very large floral pattern. Florals can go either way with me. Sometimes I like them, but often they're too dainty or too "old" for me. This pattern I really like. It's bold, cheerful, but not too loud. When I saw the photos on the website I thought the background was black and I didn't think I was going to like how it looked. However, when it arrived I realized it was actually a very dark brown with a dark brown interior. (Had I not overlooked the "brown sugar spice" under the color heading I would have known this in advance.) This one small detail completely made me do a 360 on my opinion of the fabric. Dark brown mellows the pink, orange, and green in the floral and, for me, takes it from gaudy to pretty.

A wide array of cases are available in the limited print. There's a pouch, interchangeable case, circular case, crochet roll, travel wallet, dpn roll, and combo case. If you're interested in this fabric, act fast! The current stock is all there will be. Once it's sold out it's gone for good.

Shop Limited Edition Collection

The Specs

15 numbered pockets for tips (US Numbers: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10.5, 10.75, 11, 13, 15, 17 / Metric Numbers: 2.75, 3.25, 3.5, 3.75, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12)
5 unnumbered needle pockets
4 unnumbered pockets for cords
1 zippered pocket for connectors and tools
Measurements: Closed: 4" w x 7.25" h Open: 15" x 7.25"
Material: Cotton

Wallet size case will fit Knit Picks Options, Addi Clicks, or any other interchangeable needle set.

Pros and Cons
Cons: I had one problem with this case, and it's a really dumb problem. It's too small for me. I have the standard interchangeable case ($34), which holds one complete set of needle tips in US sizes 2 to 17. Being a designer I like to have at least 2 full sets with me at all times. There's a very simple solution to this. I need the double interchangeable case ($42)! It fits two complete sets of needles. Problem solved. I see a double case in my future. And probably a matching circular needle case as well. And that's the only thing I can think of as a "con" for this product. Not too shabby, right?

Numbered needle pockets!

Pros: I love the look and feel of this case. It's obviously a quality item. The material is sturdy, but not too stiff. And the needle pockets! They have numbered tabs on them so I don't have to pull out my needle sizer every time I grab new needles. (I took a sharpie to my last case and scribbled the numbers on because the unmarked slots were driving me nuts.) The number tabs might be my favorite feature of this case.

When the case is closed the needle tips are in no danger of falling out. There's a flap on top that flips down to cover them before you fold the case and this effectively keeps everything in place.

I really love how much easier this case fits into my knitting bag than the original plastic zip case my Knit Picks Harmony needles came in.

Recommended?
As soon as I have the funds I plan on buying one of these cases in the double size. That would be a yes, I would recommend this needle case. If you're in the market for a pretty way to store your interchangeables (or any other needles for that matter) I'd recommend a Della Q case. It would also make a great gift.

*The product in this review was received complimentary from the manufacturer for review. Reviewer was not otherwise paid, contracted, or obligated to review the yarn or product in this review.

What's on my Needles: 3/13/13

2013-03-13T20:59:00.000-04:00

Lots of swatches. That's what's on my needles.
I have swatches going for my own collections and for designs I'm working on for some companies. There are some fun designs in a bunch of fun yarns scheduled for release next Fall. It will be a good season at Fiddle Knits. I'm getting to work with yarns and companies that are new to me, which thrills me to no end. For example, Spud & Chloe, Blue Sky Alpaca, and O-Wool will be making appearances in the color knitting collection I've mentioned in past posts. I really need to come up with a catchy name for that collection. . . It's not stranded/fairisle knitting. It'll be stripes and blocks of color. Simple shapes worked in different directions. I think it will be lots of fun. Most of the designs will be unisex as well. I plan on getting some guys in on the modeling action. Of course, Annalee will also be showing her face.

Anyway, back to what's on my needles.
I did have one shawl started, but pulled it out a few minutes ago to redo it with some minor changes. No worries, though. It was only about 20 rows long and it's a top down shawl, so the stitches lost weren't that many. It was, however, the third or fourth time this design got pulled out. (All around the same spot.) I just keep thinking of things I want to add or change. I'm hoping that as soon as I finish this post I'll get it started once more and that one will be the keeper.

This particular design is destined for the next Tolkien influenced collection I'm doing. Instead of The Hobbit, all these designs are drawing inspiration from The Fellowship of the Ring, the first of the Lord of the Rings books. This shawl is being worked in one skein of Polka in the Romance colorway. It's top down and will be written and charted. I'm still deciding on names for the design and have been tossing around Heart of the Company as a possibility. It's kind of a long name though. Generally one or two word names are the best, but I want to get across the inspiration and can't simply use names that belong to Tolkien like Aragorn or Arwen and whatnot. I know one shawl will be called River Daughter (for Goldberry), but that's a totally different design.

My Minerva shawl is off my needles and blocked. I can't remember if I've already mentioned that or not. I've cast on for another that I plan on knitting along with the KAL group as the clues come out. We'll see how that goes. I never seem to have much luck actually participating with the knitting in my own KALs. I end up being the last to finish. Of course, since I was also the first I guess it evens out.
For my second shawl I chose a semi solid gray, "Gandalf", and some shiny red beads. The beads on my last shawl blended in. This time around I wanted them to really pop. I figured since the yarn was a solid color why not add a little pizazz with the beads, right?

Favorite Things: Graph Paper

2013-03-11T12:46:00.002-04:00

Yes, graph paper. I'm showing my inner dork.

Saturday night Chris and I went to Staples because I really needed paper to print some charts I'm working on for the Minerva KAL. I also wanted to check for some graph paper. I've been creating all my charts in the computer program Knit Visualizer. It's a good program, easy to use and all that, but it's hard to create a shawl from the start with charts just on the computer screen. At least I think so. You can't see the entire pattern on the screen and it gets frustrating to move back and forth and click to add or erase (lots of erasing) during the initial planning process. My thought was that with graph paper I could see the whole design in front of me (even if it might mean taping multiple sheets of paper together).

So I found my graph paper, 10 stitches per inch, and bought a new pack of mechanical pencils. I was like a kid in a candy store looking at the pens and pencils. Oh my! So many colorful choices. I spent all day yesterday laying on the floor with my new paper, pencils, and my old handy stitch dictionaries. It was a great Sunday. And can I tell you how much nicer it is to hand write the chart and see it all right there? Of course, whenever I made a mistake and needed to erase something my first thought was "Command Z" and my next thought was "damn, can't do that."

I will still need to move the chart over to Knit Visualizer in order to publish the design, but I think it will be easier. Now I'll actually know how many rows and columns I need before I create the document so I won't need to add them one row/column at a time.

So yes, graph paper has made it to my list of favorite things. And if admitting it makes me a dork, well, I already was anyway.

And now I'm going to make some more charts. (When I will find the time to knit them all is another story.)

A Little Luxury

2013-03-09T17:31:00.001-05:00

How the heck is it already March?! My Mom always said time would start flying by as I got older. I didn't believe it then, but I sure do now! Ok, enough of that.

Since it's March it means that the 3rd and final shipment of this year's Custom Color Yarn Club is being dyed. And with the end of one subscription phase a new one will begin. The next 3-month segment will begin in April. This time I'm trying something new. There will be the standard 3-month club that I've been offering, but there will now also be a luxury edition. I'm really excited about this option because it means I'll be getting to play with some more expensive fibers that I don't normally carry in the shop. For instance, I just got a shipment of yarn that's 55% Bluefaced Leicester and 45% baby alpaca. Lovely. And it dyes nicely too. I like the soft halo around the yarn. Some other blends that will be showing up in the luxury edition are:

[70% Baby Alpaca / 20% Silk / 10% Cashmere; 437 yds; 100g]
[70% SW Bluefaced Leicester / 20% Silk / 10% Cashmere; 438 yds; 100g]
[55% SW Bluefaced Leicester / 45% silk; 438 yards; 100g]
[80% SW Merino / 20% Silk; 600 yds; 150g]
[80% SW Merino/ 10% Cashmere/ 10% Nylon; 400 yds/100g]

You can probably tell from the yardage amounts on the listed yarn blends that the luxury edition is also going to be a sock/fingering weight club. [For now] I only do the yarn clubs in sock/fingering because it's easy to find projects for a single skein of special yarn in this weight.

The standard edition club has a few of my "normal" yarns in it. Normal doesn't mean boring, though. I really love the yarns I carry. Polka has been my favorite and I use it for shawls pretty often. (A look through my shawls page will prove it!) I've also recently rediscovered Dye-A-Tonic, my "classic" sock yarn, a 75/25 blend of superwash merino and nylon.

Here's my intro spiel on the club:

Ever wanted to try creating your own colorways? Here's your chance! On the first of the month I'll send you a list of 10 different dye colors and let you know which yarn will be hitting the dye pot. You may pick as few or as many of the dyes that you want to use. I'll then combine the colors you selected (in the arrangement and dye method of my choice) into your very own custom yarn color! At any point you may also choose to have your skein dyed in any of my standard colorways.

A standard club subscription is $60 + shipping (3 custom dyed skeins)

A luxury club subscription is $130 + shipping (3 luxury blend custom dyed skeins)

You can find all the information on both of the custom club editions on my website.

Book Review: Reversible Knitting

2013-03-07T13:00:00.000-05:00

Title: Reversible Knitting: 50 Brand-New, Groundbreaking Stitch Patterns
Author: Lynne Barr
Pages: 192

Amazon Book Description: Most of the stitch dictionaries on knitters’ shelves are remixes of familiar stitch patterns already published elsewhere. Not so for Lynne Barr’s groundbreaking book Reversible Knitting. Not only is every one of the 50 stitch patterns completely new and never before seen, but each is also reversible—for a total of 100 different looks!
Reversible stitch patterns can be used to create projects where either side can be worn facing outward, or where two sides of the piece are visible simultaneously (such as a scarf or a garment with collar or cuffs that that can be worn up or down). In addition to stitch patterns, the book features 20 such projects—from accessories like scarves, hats, and socks to sweaters and dresses—designed by the author and by 12 top knitwear designers including STC authors Véronik Avery, Norah Gaughan, and Teva Durham. Rounding out the book are in-depth instructions for the specialized techniques required for reversilbe work.

My First Impression: That sounds interesting.
I didn't buy this book nor was it given to me by the author or book company. This one landed in my hands when a librarian at the local library decided to clean out the knitting book shelf. My Mom called me up and told me it had been dropped off for me. I thought it sounded pretty interesting from just the title. I tend to knit a lot of cowls, shawls, and scarves. All things that could benefit from some nice, new reversible stitch patterns.

Impression When I Held the Book: It's a nice looking book. It's a hefty hard cover. The photos are clear. The color palette is pretty muted, which I like. A quick flip through showed clean swatches on crisp plain backgrounds that made the stitches easy to see.

Getting More In Depth: I thought I was really going to like this book. I really wanted to like this book. It's ok, but not really my style. The stitches and designs are kind of bizarre. There's a few I'd maybe try. In reality, though, I probably never will.

The stitch patterns are all by the author, Lynne Barr. In the last chapter, Reversible Designs, she has other well know designers contribute patterns. You'll find patterns by Norah Gaughan, Lily Chin, Teva Durham, Cat Bordhi, and Wenlan Chia.

Chapter by Chapter
1) Faux Crochet: This chapter has 9 stitch patterns inspired by crochet. The author definitely did what she set out to do. The pattern definitely have that crochet vibe, but they look a lot harder to accomplish than the same look in crochet. If you can't crochet, but like the look of it then you might find the stitches more appealing. I can crochet and would much prefer to do that than try and maneuver my knitting needles this way.

2) Rows Within Rows: Another 9 stitch patterns. I like the look of a few of these. The Deconstructed Stockinette pattern looks pretty cool. I have no idea what I'd use it for, and looking at the instructions I doubt I'd think about it too long. It's only a 2 row pattern repeat, but each row is a paragraph long! Also, I don't really feel like this stitch is reversible. The front, knit, side looks cool. The purl side has some ragged edges.

3) Openwork: Again I like 1 out of the 9 stitch patterns. This one, Garter Lace Waves, I might really try. It would make a nice simple stole or scarf. So far it's the only page with a post it on it to remind me to look again.
Even though this chapter only has one stitch I would seriously consider knitting at present it does have a few more nice ones. I think it's safe to say it's my favorite chapter.

4) Divide & Combine: One word: Weird. I like the backside of most of these better than the front. They're very busy, some have types of cables, some are tucked,

5) Picked Up: Garter Triangles and Drop Loop Circles are pretty interesting. Garter Triangles would make a nice stole since it truly is reversible. (Good ol' garter!) A few of these patterns have you picking up stitches to embellish the front side of the fabric. That's too decorative for me. The Circles pattern is cute and clever. It might be fun to use in something for children. I don't mind picking up stitches, but if you're not a fan then skip this chapter.

6) Double Knit: This chapter has some nice looking classy stitch patterns. I might have named it as my favorite section is I liked color knitting more, but I don't. If you like working with color you'll want to check out this chapter. Unfortunately it doesn't have as many stitches as other chapters (just 5 stitches).

7) Reversible Designs: These are a few cute and clever designs. There are also some wildly odd and, in my opinion, completely unwearable ones. If you're on Ravelry I suggest going to the book page and taking a look through the patterns.

Final Verdict: Get it from the library before you commit to buying it. If you love funky patterns and stitches that challenge you and make you work then you might really enjoy it. If you like simple classic looks than you're probably not going to get much from this book.

Favorite Things: Fresh Fruit Juice

2013-03-04T13:00:00.000-05:00

About 2 weeks ago Chris and I decided we were going to spring for a juicer. We'd been tossing around the idea of getting one for a while now, and Chris had accumulated some Amazon gift cards over the past year and they were calling out to be put ti good use. Chris did all the research on what type of juicer to get. I spent my time looking for tasty sounding juice recipes.

The juicer Chris settled on was the Omega VRT 350HD, a powerful low speed model. There's something about low speed juicers keeping more of the nutrients in the juice. I think. I know he told me all about it, but that kind of thing goes in one ear, rattles around for a while, and then goes out the other a few days later. Regardless of the reasons why we got it, I'm glad we did. It works well. I've juiced greens like kale, spinach, swiss chard, and dandelion greens, pineapple (with the core), citrus (orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime), melons (no rind), cucumber, carrots, beets, ginger, pear, cabbage, apple, grapes, plums, guava (that was weird), and kiwi. We've also done coconut milk a few times. That process involves using the blender and juicer (see bottom of post).

I love being able to make fresh fruit juice for breakfast. One of my favorites is a blend of grapefruit, orange, cucumber, and dandelion greens. Chris thinks it's nasty, but I like it. (He doesn't like graefruit in general, though.) My recipe:

1 large ruby red grapefruit, peeled & sliced
1 navel orange, peeled & sliced
1 handful dandelion greens, chopped
1/3 large cucumber, peeled & sliced

The past two days I've made pineapple juice blends. Yesterday it was pineapple/orange. Today I did pineapple/grapefruit.

Pineapple Orange
1/4 fresh pineapple, rind removed, chunked. No need to remove the core.
1 orange, peeled
Makes about 8 ounces

Pineapple Grapefruit

1/4 fresh pineapple, rind removed, chunked. No need to remove the core.
1 ruby red grapefruit, peeled
Makes about 12 ounces

For an afternoon drink I've discovered kiwi, kale, celery. 2 kiwi, 2 large kale leaves, 2 celery stalks. 2, 2, 2! It makes a nice green drink. The kiwi is pretty strong, so mostly you taste that and not the veggies.

And for the coconut milk, which I would never make on my own. Chris does the whole process. Straight coconut milk is too rich for me to have more than 4 ounces of. Mix a little with some pineapple chunks in the blender. Mmmmmm.... Or blend with a banana. Tasty dairy free smoothie that you have to work really hard for. By the time you sit down to enjoy it you totally deserve it.

Coconut Milk
Freeze the coconut for about a half hour.
Use a corkscrew to drill a hole in the "eyes" at one end and drain the water into a blender.
Crack open the coconut shell (tapping around the circumference with the back of a knife, or take a hammer to it. Just get that hairy brown shell off)
Break the meat up into smallish chunks (nothing bigger than 2").
Put the meat in the blender with the coconut water.
Blend together.
Put the whole mix through the juicer.
What comes out the juice spout is the milk.
The pulp is pretty dry and can be saved for baking.
Any stuff that gets stuck on the inside is coconut butter which can also be used for baking.

Planning KALS: Opinions Please!

2013-03-01T14:05:00.001-05:00

Some of you may know about the Minerva KAL and running low on available yarn (Soli fingering weight). I've learned that I can give yarn estimates to the mill and order larger quantities of my base yarns just for me to have ready at certain times that align with the knit-alongs I'm hosting.

So, what I want your opinion on is this: timing. The Minerva KAL covers the month of May. At what point after that would you start considering ordering yarn for another KAL? This is nothing I’m going to hold you to and you don’t need to join another KAL of mine. It’s just so I can get a feel for when I should start reserving yarn for and when to open orders to the public. If you finish one KAL in the end of May would you consider another starting, say, August 1? With yarn orders opening in June? Or would you want more time, like yarn orders opening in August and cast on in October/November?

I actually wouldn’t mind doing 2 more KALS before the end of the year. I was thinking of making the Summer one a free pattern using a skein of my lace weight yarn for a nice breezy Summer knit. And then another using DK weight and working in some cables (paid pattern) would be a Fall cast on.

I’m one of those people that’s never really satisfied unless I’m busy lol So doing 2 KALs is awesome for me, but I don’t want to overload you guys!

Whatcha think? Give me an idea of what you next optimal cast on date would be. (Even if you're not participating in Minerva. Just pretend you are and finished it the last weekend in May.)

And one more thing, On the lace weight: 80/20 SW merino/silk or 80/20 SW merino/Bamboo? Which would find more appealing?

Yarn Review: Mosaic

2013-02-28T22:34:00.001-05:00

Bernat Mosaic in "Medusa"

Rating: **** 4 stars (out of 5)

Bernat Mosaic
Content: 100% Acrylic
Weight: Worsted weight
Yardage: 209 yards
Grams: 100 gram ball
Care: Machine wash and dry
Knitting Gauge: 18 sts & 24 rows = 4"
Recommended Needle Size: US 8 / 5mm
Crochet Gauge: N/A
Recommended Hook Size: H
Current Number of Colors: 16
Price: $5.99 (at Michaels)

Purchase Bernat Mosaic

Manufacturer’s Description: Self patterning for amazing effects. Beautiful shade range - perfect for garments or home decor. Easy to work with, easy care

General Intro: Ok, so this yarn was a complete impulse buy. I was in Michaels looking for something not at all yarn related and just couldn't resist strolling over to the yarn section. (Of course. I mean, yarn. Come on.) I don't label myself a yarn snob. Occasionally I like getting a Lion Brand or bernat yarn from a big box store. Acrylic is fine with me as long as it's done right. I do shudder thinking of the huge skeins of crunchy Red Heart acrylic, although Red Heart does actually make a few yarns that aren't so bad. It's been probably at least a year since I browsed Michaels, so I saw a bunch of new stuff and colors. The Mosaic was one of them. It was at the end of the aisle and I hadn't been too tempted by anything I'd seen up to that point. . .

First Impression: Color. I was immediately attracted to the shelf that held the Medusa colorway (shown). I picked up a skein, put it down, browsed the next aisle, came back, picked up Medusa again, and then considered a few other color combinations. There were a few I liked, but something about this one really attracted me. I don't do pink very often, however, being paired with the black, red, and orange gold made it ok. Different than the earthy tones I normally go for. (Every so often I try and make a point of selecting more colorful "crazy" yarns and accessories. Gotta branch out a little. Experiment. Try new things. All that cool stuff.)

When I first picked up the skein I thought it felt pretty sot. I checked out the label and noticed it said 100% acrylic. For a split second I considered putting it back because of that. Then I thought, what for? Am I really going to be a snob about this. Nope.

Shawl in progress using Bernat Mosaic

Knitting with Mosaic: The recommended stitch gauge is 4.5 stitches per inch using size 8/5mm needles. I know I generally knit loose, so I started knitting using size 7/4.5mm needles. It was going ok, but I decided I wanted something with a little more drape since I'd settled on knitting a shawl (and since this is acrylic there will be no blocking to open and stretch the stitches). Being the bad knitter that I am, I didn't actually measure my gauge on the size 7 needles. On the size 8 needles I'm getting 4 stitches per inch, which is a whole half a stitch less per inch than the manufacturer says. The fabric is nice for a shawl, cowl, or stole. If I was knitting a sweater or something that required a little more structure I'd probably go down a needle size or two in order to get that 4.5 stitch.

I'm not getting the crunchy squeakiness from Mosaic that you can sometimes get from 100% acrylic yarns. It could be due to the loose gauge I'm working at, or it could be that this yarn just doesn't crunch. Can't say for sure.

I like the way the yarn feels to knit. It's not springy like wool yarn, but not as unforgiving as cotton.

Designing with Mosaic: Coming up with ideas for a yarn with long color repeats is much easier than variegated yarns. I had a hard time deciding whether I wanted to make a scarf, shrug, or shawl. Finally I settled on a shawl. I had several ideas, but finally settled on something simple and relatively mindless. Once I finish there will be a free pattern. (I'll announce it on the blog when it's ready.)

Ending Thoughts: I like it. It's fun. Worth the $5.99 to play with some cool colors. I'd consider using it again for another project.

*This yarn was purchased by the reviewer. It was not supplied by a store or company.

Urgent notice about yarn for the Minerva KAL

2013-02-28T11:02:00.001-05:00

IMPORTANT! If you haven't joined the Minerva KAL, but want to then read this:

Soli yarn went out of stock yesterday. BUT and emergency order just came in at my supplier...
This is a real long shot, but if 20 people were to order a yarn kit for Minerva TODAY (Feb 28) (so you'd have to buy at least 2 skeins) I could place an order to cover those 20 people. If more people get in out it that's fine too, but I'd need to meet the 20 people minimum (40 skeins)

My supplier has a very limited number of skeins that I use for Soli left in stock. Once they're gone I won't be able to place an order for it for about 3 months.

Want to try for it? Got to my website, make your purchase, then come back here and say you did so, but would like Soli. If I don't meet the minimum, or the yarn is gone before I can grab it I'll give you the choice of using the substitute yarn or having your money refunded.

Get yarn here: http://www.fiddleknits.com/minerva_shawl.html

Link will direct you to a page with all the information about the Minerva mystery shawl as well as the purchase option.