R&R in Idyllwild

The Photographer and I took off a week and headed to Idyllwild for some R&R. We rented a cabin and had high hopes for a restful week of reading, nature photography and, of course, knitting.



Pay attention to the woodburning stove - it plays a central party during our stay.

There was lots of sitting in the woods even if it was a bit nippy.


Beautiful foliage


It was full Spring there; everything was in bloom. Lilac

Manzanita, which I've never seen in bloom before,


And I finally outside the market we found a Dogwood in bloom.

It was beautiful with the sunlight reflecting off the flowers.

Lots of wildlife. Must have been twenty rabbits living under the brush around our cabin.


Blue Jays came onto the porch railing to eat the crackers we put out.

They were such an amazing blue; around San Diego we only have Western Scrub Jays that don't have the same bright plumage.

Red Headed Woodpeckers nesting in a tree just off our back deck. I was surprised to see that they actually do make perfectly round holes in the tree. The Photographer sat out there for close to an hour waiting for the Mother Bird to come out and go back in so he could capture the images.








Lots of rock climbers in town. Can you believe they climb here!

Sorry, I don't know which mountain this is.

We walked around Fulmore Lake; really pretty early in the morning.


Then we come to this crazy guy!!!

I'm am not a bird watcher; I have no idea if he's even a true Woodpecker, all I know is that this one likes to do his jack-hammer pecking on the top of our cabin's stove pipe. If you put a large metal trash can on your head and then someone used a percussion hammer on the outside that's what it was like from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. every morning. He gave us an encore around sunset each evening. The noise came down the chimney pipe and was broadcast via the cast-iron woodburning stove like a huge speaker. So forget the "rest" part of R&R. We were told that this particular woodpecker has been harrasing the whole neighborhood rat-a-tat-tatting on everyone's metal chimneys. Crazy Bird!

We finally gave up and left the cabin in the woods a couple days early to go home and sleep in the city where it's quiet.

As we decended in altitude we saw the fog rolling in. It was like watching the tide come in; ebb and flow just like a large body of water.


Except for Mr. Crazy Bird we had a good time.

Knitting content next post.

All photos by The Photographer

Book Report - Shear Spirit

I've just read a book I'd like to share with you, Shear Spirit Ten Fiber Farms, Twenty Patterns and Miles of Yarn by Joan Tapper , Photos by Gale Zucker.




I couldn't put this book down between the gorgeous photos and the personal stories of each farm I read the entire thing in one weekend. The book was Photographer Gale Zucker's idea and she recruited Joan Tapper (former editor of National Geographic Traveler) to write the stories. This pair visited ten fiber farms across the United States, told each farm's stories in words and pictures; most farms submitted several patterns. Although not the book's purpose I loved the pictures of all the dogs.

Most of the people in the book fell in love with their animals or land and then had to figure out how to earn a living. All tell a similar story of long hours and years of tenacity to achieve their dreams. There is a small amount of glorifying a farmers/shepard's life but for the most part they do describe all the effort needed on a daily basis.

The patterns on the whole are new to me. A good felted bag pattern that shows how to felt fiber into a bag - not a knit pattern. A heavy double knit Snowboarder Sweater from handspun bulky Churro yarn is the first double knit pattern I've seen that I might make. I've already picked out yarn for the Welsh Traveling Socks. Only down side I can mention is that there isn't much size range in the patterns but then I didn't buy Shear Spirit for the patterns.

If it has ever crossed your mind to chuck-it-all and move to a farm and raise sheep you should read this book first. You'll learn about the good, not-so-good and the bad pitfalls that would be waiting for you on the farm.

The author's have an interesting blog you might like to check out,
http://shearspirit.typepad.com/
their latest entry: Never wear clogs when you're photographing a Yak in the Spring!
You can also find photos of the patterns here.


(seems like I should state I bought this book myself - no free publisher's copy here)

ZigBagZ - my attempt at stranded knitting

I entertained myself for several hours on Ravelry just looking at what people had made with Noro Yarns. That's where I found the ZigBagZ pattern (Ravelry Link). I've only attempted one other stranded pattern with limited success. The hat was wearable but knit so loosely and was such a pain to knit with all the untangling of yarn. It's taken me a year to try it again.

This time around I forced myself to learn to knit continental so I could knit two handed. Took me most of the weekend but I got enough confidence to start the Zbag.


This is the checkerboard bottom of the bag.

And a look at the inside of the bottom


Then the zigzag pattern on the side


It seems like I'm ripping back half of my knitting to correct pattern mistakes. You'd think I could count to two - Knit 2 with color A, Knit 2 with color B. Seems easy enough but every row I seem to throw in a Knit 4 with one color or another. I get so mad at myself.

Other than my problem counting to two I'm really enjoying this knitting.



I'm using Noro Kureyon color 213A for the contrast and it's fun to watch as the colors change. The Main fuchsia color is Cascade 220 color 9470 and the dark blue/purple is 220 (and I can't tell you the color as I can't find the ballband)

Yarn Harlot had a link to Shelly Kang that completed a large afghan with sockyarn. Seemed worth noting since it's all mitered squares and this is the project that inspired me to try out mitered squares from sockyarn. She's finished and it way bigger than anything I'll ever make!

April 5th The Photographer and I visited Balboa Park's International Houses for the Tartan Days celebration. Lots of music and kilts!


Wish I'd brought my camera as there were lots of hand-knit, knee-high socks around.

100

Wow, Blogger is telling me this is my 100th Blog post. Wish I had something momentous to say but it's knitting as usual around here.

It took several tries but I figured out an edging for the cotton baby Kimono from Mason Dixon Knitting. (see February 29th post)


I-cord just wasn't working, it was just too heavy. Crochet was the answer;

an edging of single crochet in a variegated color made such a smooth even finish and tamed the roll.

My Cherry Tree Hill socks are finished but I'll wait to block them before their documentation shot. I was given a skein of a new cotton sock yarn to test drive, it's Saucon Sock by Kraemer Yarns. (44% cotton, 43% acrylic, 13% nylon). Younger Daughter is allergic to anything wool so she will get the wear and comfort test.


Cotton sock yarn has a history of getting baggy very quickly so doing a 6/3 rib for the body of the sock I'm hoping will help maintain elasticity through the day. That acrylic part of the yarn has made it a nice yarn to work with, not at all stringy like most cotton yarns without any wool component. I'll report back on the wear test.

As you can see in the picture I'm knitting these socks with two circs. When the 2 circ method first came out I tried it with 16" needles and hated it. Seemed very awkward! Come forward several years and I was working through Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters; the only circs the right size available were a 24" and a 32". Longer circulars have longer needles than the short needles attached to 16" circular needles!! (a real smack-yourself-in-the-forehead moment) I've been knitting all my socks on two 24" circs ever since.

So now I have an opinion on circular needle tips.


All the needle tips above are 24" fixed circulars:
Top is an Addi Turbo Lace
Middle is a Knit Picks Harmony Wood
Bottom is a Knit Picks Option

I like all three needles, all have nice tips and good joins to the cable and have the same length needle but I have a favorite. The Addi Turbo Lace is just nicer to use; it does have the sharpest point of the three. I'm not sure exactly why I like it best, the sharp point is nice but that's not all of it. Seems like the needles are a bit flexible (or is that just my dillusion) where the other two are rigid. I'll have to observe this needle for awhile longer. I wish Skacel would make these needles available in more sizes.

Stuck in Squares-ville

Not until I pulled out my camera and started taking pictures of my current knitting projects did I realize that everything I'm working on is square.

First, I pulled out Mitered Thing after Laurie sent me more sock yarn leftovers. Thanks again, Laurie, I always appreciate the kindness of knitting friends.


Since the time I first blogged about my "affair with mitered squares" I've received many questions about my method. I'll briefly describe how I make my garter stitch mitered squares. Hope it doesn't confuse more than it explains.

Cast-on an uneven number of stitches.
Do not slip first stitch on a row.
Knit half the number of stitches minus 3 (example: cast on 13 stitches, half minus 3 would be 5)
Here's the decrease you work on the right side only. Slip 1, K2tog, pull slipped stitch over K2tog
Knit wrong side row with no decrease.
Repeat these two rows until you have one stitch left.
Now pick up half the number of your cast on stitches down the side of the square and either cast on the other half plus one of the stitches or pick up along the edge of the square that is one down and over from the last completed square. Picking up one stitch for each garter ridge and one in the very center usually gives me the right count. (hope you understand that picking-up stitches part - I'm sure there's a better way to word it.)

Second, the Shop received a shipment of Trendsetter Yarns Tonalita, a long color change yarn that is great for Entrelac. I'm knitting a sample for an Entrelac class I'll be teaching.


This is color 2345; blues, purple, pink, turquoise, teal and jade.

(photo is true to color on my monitor.)

Third: I was exploring on Ravelry and was searching everything made with Noro yarn when I found Quant on Knitty, an entrelac headband.




By chance, I had a single skein of Silk Garden, sorry I can't find the ballband to tell you the color.
I'm going to have to hunt further because I really do like these rosy colors.


Any other square projects I missed? Can you tell I have a strong quilting background to be so enamored of everything square?

Taking pictures isn't as easy around here as you might think. My helper Sam one second after I took the first picture of Mitered Thing.


He's cute but a little too curious!

Zombie Socks - Round 1 of Sock Madness 2

The Zombie Socks are done!



Sock Madness 2 sent out it's first pattern last Thursday. Yes, I signed up to participate in this years speed sock knitting contest - me, one of the original turtle brigade. Last year I was eliminated in Round 1; this year, with divisions rather than open eliminations I qualified to go on to Round 2. (my standing? 23rd out of 40 in the Baylor Ball Band Division)

I'm not sure who made the pattern (one place says "Emm l e" and another says "Sheryl Ball") but either way this is a good pattern.



It's a ribbed fabric with undulating dropped stitches which give you a very stretchy sock. I wish I had chosen a different yarn; I used Jitterbug by Colinette, color Toscano 55, a wonderful yarn even with the stingy yardage. The pattern called for 8 SPI; I got 7.5 SPI with size one needles. Normally I'd drop down to a size 0 needle but the yarn, being closer to a DK weight, just didn't like being knit on such a small needle - so I have a loose sock. I plan to knit this pattern again with a fingering weight sock possibly with fewer stitches.



Those yellow toes?? Just ran out of yarn and searching my stash came up with this yarn that I dyed myself. It's a very golden yellow with touches of green - I have no idea what I was thinking when I dyed it but it matched the yellow in the Jitterbug perfectly.



This pattern had garter stitch edges on the heel flap - a first for me which I know I'll be adding to future socks.



Making it to Round 2 was my goal, so I'm happy. I know I'm no speed knitter but I like the challenge and there's the reward of receiving the patterns for all the Rounds no matter when you're eliminated.

New Toy - Lucet

My Lucet came in the mail this week.


Dave of "The-Blog-That-Shall-Remain-Nameless-and-Linkless" has frequently shown cords made on his Lucet. Then he posted a link to a YouTube Lucet Demo and I was intrigued.
YouTube Link Here


I found Margaret of The Rogue Lucette and ordered a beautiful cherry wood Lucet. Took me about an hour before my cords smoothed out - it's all about the tension you keep the working thread under. Now I plan on making some pullcord bags for small knitting projects. (Help me used up some of my quilting fabric stash!) Dave suggests that these cords are a great use of left over sockyarn - I've lots and lots of leftovers that I couldn't bare to trash.

One funny/odd/eerie thing - when I pulled the Lucet box out of my mailbox, the address label looked like I had printed it (except for her twos - that's the only difference.) I ask Margaret about it and turns out we both attended Catholic School at the time we were being taught our letters and numbers - except she was in Ohio and I was in Southern California. How's that for a coincidence?

Not much knitting to show this week. I did rip out the I-cord on the Mason-Dixon Baby Kimono and took Wendy's suggestion to use fewer stitches. Going from four stitches down to three did make a difference in the bulk. That K2tog with worsted weight dishcloth cotton takes some strength so I can only do a couple inches at a time.

I did find out that you can not notice you have a head cold while you have a migraine; something I would rather not have ever learned.

Are you watching the photos coming from the Iditarod - The Last Great Race? The human participants all look the same, male or female; when you're wearing that much clothing who can tell? I watch for the DOGS! The DOGS are the stars as far as I'm concerned!