Swatch Report #2–elann cottons

This is Lustrado (100% gassed cotton; 28 sts on a US3; 50 g = 185 yds)  Gassed cotton is another way of saying it is mercerized which gives it a slight sheen and makes the fiber stronger.  This is a 3 ply yarn spun fairly tightly.  I just threw it on a size 5 and knit some lace.  That was the first thought I had when I saw it.  Summer lace.  The swatch has a nice hand and would feel great as a summer shawl, but the color dulled just a bit with the washing.  This is the Peacock Green (yea, the color is wrong in the photo) and is very saturated; a lighter color might not dull.  I won’t investigate that because I don’t need this weight yarn.  It would make a nice, soft baby sweater.

This is Sonata (100% cotton; 50 g = 115 yds; 22 sts on a US6).  I bought this as a possible for a gansey sweater for my grandson.  The butterscotch color is too bright for him.  This cotton has four two-plies plied together.  The effect makes it reflect light like a cabled yarn, yet it is much softer than cables.  It has great stitch definition as you can see in the swatch,.  I knit it at 19.5 sts over 4 inches on a US5. I like the hand and might make a tank top out of it.  I think it is too heavy for a gansey and would just stretch out of shape.  I think it would last well and not pill due to the way it is spun.

Now to my two favorites . . . .

This is Calista—and it has been REMOVED from the elann listing.  I show it to you because they often remove a yarn and then get another shipment.  So, just in case— (50% viscose, 25% cotton, 25% linen; 22-23 sts on a US 3-5; 50 g = 130 yards)  I love the way this yarn feels after it has been washed—soft with a hint of crisp.  It is a 6 ply and was lovely to knit.  I would buy lots of it—-IF I could.  Watch for it.

Finally, the best–This is Coto Canapone (52% cotton, 48 % hemp; 20 sts on US 5; 50 g = 109 yards)  I love hemp and it is so hard to get here.  It feels stiff like linen does until you wash it.  Then it softens, but stays very strong and long wearing.  This is not as weighty as 100% cotton and I don’t think it will stretch as much.  This too has a crisp feel with its softness, like a soft texture would be.  The fiber takes and holds the dye very well.  The swatch shows stockinette, brioche and rib sts.  I definitely want a knocking around sweater out of this or even a skirt.  Now to pick a color.

Swatch Report–elann cottons

I knit swatches with the single balls of yarn I ordered from elann.  I wanted to determine MY gauge, how they looked and felt after washing, and if I wanted to buy more of any of them.  Here’s what I learned.

This is Pegasus (52.4% mercerized cotton and 47.5% viscose; 50 g = 93 yds; 19 sts on US7) I knitted it on a 5 because I was too lazy to go get a 7 and because I knit large, that worked okay.  After washing it was soft and very wearable for a garment.  The yarn is 4 plies of the cotton and 4 thinner plies of the rayon.  I would certainly use it for a worsted weight sweater.

This is Luna (55 viscose, 45 non mercerized cotton; 50g = 106 yds; 21 sts on US5).  It, like the Pegasus, is 4 plies of each fiber.  This yarn is  a DK wt yarn.  I was surprised at how much lighter it feels in my hands after I knit the swatch.  I prefer this to the Pegasus.  It not only is lighter, it is softer.  I’m very interested in a sweater or vest from this yarn.

Both yarns have a little sheen that catches the light nicely, but because the fibers are plied together rather than carding them into one yarn, they have a shimmery effect that is only really suitable for women’s pieces.  The right man could rock this, but girls and boys will look silly.

This is Nilo (60% cotton, 30% viscose, 10%linen; 21 sts on a US6; 50 g = 109 yds).  This has 6 plies of the same fiber mix.  It takes the dye well.  The color is, of course, not at all what is pictured.  It is softly plied and might split if you knit very tightly, but I had no trouble with it.  You can tell the rayon is there, but it doesn’t have a distinct gleam as the first two do.  It has a good hand and is quite soft; I would buy it.

This is Camila (50% cotton and 50% linen; 50 g = 123 yards; 23 sts on a US3)  I knitted this on a 4 and got 23.5 sts over 4 inches and found the swatch a little stiff for my taste. It is a 6 ply yarn and the cotton is not mercerized so it has a matte finish.  It is also starting to fuzz up a bit with just the handling I have done with the swatch.  I wanted to like this yarn but I don’t think I would buy it.  The fuzz bothers me.  Also, frankly, I can’t wear a matte finish yarn in a slightly greyed tone, so this is a no go for me.

I’ll share the other four swatches tomorrow.  In the meantime, you might want to visit elann.com and check out the colorways of the above.

FO–Chocolate Wrapper

This is the latest photographed finish object.  As usual, I put the camera on the mantle and used the timer.  This vest was designed by Rick Mondragon and published in Knitter’s Summer 2007 magazine.  I posted the mag picture earlier this month, as well as some observations on the yarn I chose.  Bamboo Fusion from elann.com

I used Rick’s schematic to knit by but changed the stitch patterns.  His version has more open work that mine.  I used lots of garter stitch and then sets of  knit 3 rows, purl 1 row which eliminates curling, is a bit faster and softer than just garter.  The vest is knit in 2 pieces which are joined down the center back with a 3 needle bind off.  Then the two shoulder seams are sewn.  I added a crab stitch trim to the armscyes and the outside edges to stabilize the piece.  Cotton stretches so badly and has no memory.

I love the weight of this garment.  You know how an old cotton dishrag feels so soft in your hands.  It has history and isn’t at all flimsy.  That’s how this feels.  It has some substance which makes it drape well.  The drape does indeed cover the saddlebags and doesn’t add inches as I once thought it would.  I also like how it moves as I walk–sort of bouncy and perky–sort of YOUNG!

I made the size small because only the length really matters.  It was a fast and mindless knitting.  Zen.

Garnstudio

If you aren’t familiar with the logo above, you are missing thousands of free patterns designed so well.  Garnstudio yarns are sold all over Europe.  I’m not sure why they are so hard to find here.  They are marvelous, affordable yarns.  And the pattern support is unbelievable.

Each season they put out at least 50 new patterns, probably more, for women, the rest of the family and the house.  They nicely translate these knit and crochet patterns into English–British and American.  Every pattern has a schematic  (you have to translate from centimeters to inches–a small price) so that you can adapt and alter them easily.  I’ve never had a problem with these patterns.

If you click on the logo above, it will take you to the newest page they sent out.  It has new patterns for summer.  Not all of the patterns are up yet.  If the flag below the pattern is grayed, the pattern isn’t online yet.  It takes a few weeks.  I bookmark the page to my bookmark bar and check every few days.  Get on the mailing list and you will be invited to vote for next season’s patterns.

Here are some pics of the patterns I’m really interested in:

All of these patterns are available.  You can print them out or just cut and paste to your word processing program.  The pics can be saved by right-clicking and saving them just for inspiration.  If you happen to be my daughter, you can check it out and request something.

Grecian Edge

Joni gave me alpaca, Georgia alpaca at that.  It has one ply of natural black and one of white and it is as soft as freshly churned butter.

I started a design-it-on-the-needles raglan shaped capelette.  Alpaca is too hot for me to wear as a sweater and a capelette seemed about right.  Besides, I wanted to explore how the shaping would work.  I knitted whatever stitch pattern I felt like until I got bored and then I knit a different pattern.  Once it was long enough, I decided it had to have a special finishing at the bottom.  But I didn’t know what that would be.  I blocked it and hung it on my dress form, hoping for inspiration.

On my fall cruise I had seen Nicky Epstein showing someone else how to do an edging from one of her books and it reminded me of a picture I once took in Greece of a sculpture wearing a shawl.  Yeah, we’re talking a marble shawl here.That shawl edging had a sinewy, snakelike feel to it and the first thing I said when I saw it was, “I can knit that!”

Well, I have knitted it.  I think it really looks clever.  If I were seeing it for the first time, my words would be “How did you do that?”  In anticipation of you feeling the same way, I’ve put together a mini-tutorial.

I hope you try this and share pictures with me.

Beth’s Jacket

Remember when I wrote that life couldn’t get any better.  I was wrong—again.

Friends from my former LYS came over Weds. to knit and catch up and, of course, show and tell.  Beth wore a gorgeous wine-colored jacket–a bright merlot color wool with cables

and scallops

and the shawl collar I’ve always though I’d love to wear.(I can hear Cristi screaming “That isn’t wine.”  I wish I could take photos as well as she does.)

Beth knitted this jacket for her daughter.  Both she and Jasmine are ultra small people, and the sweater came out medium.  So, like many of us have, Beth was looking for a body to fit this gorgeous sweater.

And MINE DID!!!!!!

It is mine now, and it fits so well, is so warm, and I’m so excited to have it that I never even asked about the pattern or the yarn. So I can’t tell you the stats on it.  I just call it Beth’s sweater and I am in love.  [Added later--The Nantuckett Jacket from Interweave Knits.]This is a detail from the bottom.She used an extra button to tame the back of the collar.  Look at all the detail.  It must have taken forever to knit.

I remember my early sweaters.  They were pretty well knitted, but it was a crap shoot as to whom they would fit.  If I bothered with a gauge swatch, I was caught up in the hopeful “close enough” thinking that never works out and I never thought about measuring the gauge again after I started the project.  Therefore I was often in the position of looking for a body to give my sweater to.  Of course, I was always dejected and disappointed, so I’d avoid sweaters for a while.

Until today I never spent any time thinking about the joy for the giftee in this situation.  If I had, I think I would have tried again sooner.  I mean, Joy is good wherever you find it.

Beth surely thought about it a bit because I was my normal squealing, over the top self all morning.  It’s not the same as being able to please your DD with a special gift, but it ain’t nothing either.

Now, how on earth do I repay her?

Turquoise is Pantone color of the year for 2010

Pantone is the group in New York City that decides each year what the IN colors will be for fashion and home dec.  They have chosen turquoise for this year.  Here is their site.

One good thing about this choice is folks will have the chance to learn to spell turquoise.  Check your jewelry box for any forgotten Southwestern jewelry.  Finally, we can feel a bit “beachy” all year.

I’ve checked the stash and found a few things and I intend to jump on the fashion bandwagon.  A new cotton sweater looms—-but only after I finish a few things.

I bought the following from elann.

Lustrado peacock green–a fingering weight cotton, maybe sport.  Crisp spin and good color.  Mercerized cotton which is my favorite because it holds up better.

Nilo jade–a DK weight multi-ply cotton, not mercerized so not as bright as the Lustrado.  Jade isn’t really turquoise, but who’s counting.

The Lustrado may find its way into a spring Endless Cardi Wrap and the Nilo may be mixed with others in a pillow top.  The nice thing is I don’t have to decide now.

Light knitting

It is a nice, but very white light fixture over the dining table.  The white was getting to me.  In the stash was a skein of Fiesta Rayon Boucle in greens and golds.  I grabbed BIG needles and cast on.  Did a few rows of increases until I felt it was wide enough and then just knit as the mood struck with a few double yarnover rows thrown in.

I sew up the seam about halfway and slid it on the fixture.  Then I ran a thread and cinched it up around the cord.  Voila!  No more stark white.

Steve the scientist made me run a test for temperature.  He fears fire unless the entire family is away from home and then he wishes for it.  It passed his test and the room has a new mood.

I really like it.

Beginners are Beautiful

Remember when I said I wanted to teach some beginning knitting again.  Just for the thrill of seeing eyes light up.  Well, I got to do just that Sunday.

Christina found me via the blog and asked me to teach a group from her office.  She’s looking for knit buddies at work and decided to create them.  We got together at the shop on a closed Sunday and had a blast.  Cindy had knit before and was just remembering as was Ruth, but the others were newbies. 

I got to tell stories I hadn’t told in years and play coach and cheerleader.  That’s the most fun part of teaching beginners—helping them believe.  Then we shopped for projects.  Remi dropped by and helped with the shopping, so they got to meet her as well.  I got them all started on their selections and I know Christina will encourage and help them. 

Stephanie even thought she might get together another group which excited me.  I knew I had missed this experience and I am really grateful to have had the chance to bring some new folks into our obsession.

CLUSTERS OF TIME

This was the only cluster picture I could find.

I saw my ADD coach last week and she gave me a great idea for organizing time.  I’m so lucky that I no longer have to plan for 9:43-10:51 each day.  But living without some planning isn’t productive.

Jan suggested I plan more loosely, but consistently.  At the beginning of each week I will sit down with my monthly calendar to layout each day in clusters of time.  To start I will plan in 4 clusters because that is what seems reasonable to me.  I’ll divide each day into

1. Morning (? To 11am)
2. Lunch (11 – 2pm)
3. Afternoon (2—6)
4. Evening (6–?)

Then  I’ll list any appointments, activities, exercise, to dos in these clusters , no more than one activity in each and nothing in lots of them.  I need recovery time.

I really like this idea because it is low pressure.  I especially like that some things have such a non-specific time on them.  I spent 30 years on a bell system and it’s nice to be able to choose when I want to leave the house without a bell ringing.

I had already figured out that making appointments for 11 o’clock whenever I could helped me remember them.  (You’ll get old and need memory tricks some day.)  Jan pointed out that examining my planning might help me understand what patterns work best for me.  I’m thinking afternoon exercise classes already.  Mornings are filled with coffee, gas fires, sleeping dogs and knitting.

Another benefit is that I am examining my current life with new eyes.  Wow, am I ever a lucky woman!  I keep saying that I paid my dues in the public school system for 30 years and I earned this.  But this is so good, so much more than I could ever earn.

Family, friends, former students who have become friends—-coffee, classes, lunches, dinners——all filled with people who interest, inspire, support and challenge.  I never dreamed that I would ever have this many people in my life or enjoy their presence so much.

Major credit goes to the Charlotte knitting community.  Steve calls us a cult.  Maybe it is—-fiber makes out eyes sparkle and our hands twitch; and none of us can touch new yarn without passing it around the circle of others.

Hmmm-m-m-m-m

This is a little scary.

I need to go knit.