Crater Lake

It's hard to believe that Crater Lake is so far behind us now. It seems like a lifetime and yet only a day. I had a hard time deciding which pictures to post, since there are so many I like, so I opted for a lot. Eventually, I will put up a gallery, so that I don't have to choose. The last thing I'll say, is that we were in Crater Lake at the time that Episode 34 of Cast-on aired, which was significant to me. In that episode, Jennie Spotila spoke about her knitting, her disability, and her remembrance of Crater Lake with such eloquence and poignancy that I will never forget it. For me, it crystallized a beautiful day in my life and made it so much more. Thank you, Jennie. If it is possible to enjoy such things vicariously, I dedicate these pictures, and the spirit of our happy day to you. I am so glad that you saw Crater Lake when you could.

Jennie's essay is also posted here, but you should listen to it if you can as well.

Reversible Cable Scarf: Pattern Notes

Since the Redwoods were so incredibly beautiful, and because they were chilly enough to truly merit the wearing of cool-weather knits, we decided to do both of my FO photoshoots there. As an aside to Laura of the comments - the weather was perfect. I think the fog makes the Redwoods even more beautiful and spectactular. We would have loved to meet up with you as well, but as a matter of safety I only post my driving routes after I take them - unfortunately not everyone on the internet is a sweet knitter! - if you leave me your e-mail address I'd be happy to get in touch next time I plan to be in the area. We could have used a pal! You are so lucky to live in such a beautiful place. I know I'll be back.

A close-up of the Reversible Cable Scarf taken by Marnie on a bridge in the Redwoods.

Reversible Cable Scarf
Designed by Mary Heather Cogar
Knit with exactly two skeins (110 yards/skein) of Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande (100% Superfine Baby Alpaca) in color 401 (grey) on size US10 Addi Turbo Circulars.
Gauge: varies over cable, but casting on the required number of stitches in this yarn created a cable that about 5" wide.
Size: One. Close to 7 feet in length with fringe.

The Setting:
Redwoods near Stout Grove in Northern California.

Notice the Mata Hari Socks?
Stylin'!
The Pattern
This pattern is complimetary with a yarn purchase at Knit Cafe. There is no specified yarn, it's just a general recipe that can be used with a variety of yarn choices. See the possible substitutions section for some general ideas. The cable is completely reversible, which makes it ideal for a scarf. It looks snazzy, but even beginning cablers should be able to get the hang of it.

The pattern goes quickly and is really enjoyable. All the twists in the cables help to ward off the possible ennui associated with the usual scarf project.

Techniques:
Nothing new here for me. Beginners must know how to cast on, cast off, knit and purl, and have a basic understanding of cables.

Modifications: None! Weird, huh?

Finishing:
All I did was weave in four ends and add fringe using my usual method which allows me to utilize every inch of the yarn:

Here's a tip for fringe: my standard fringe is three 12-inch strands of yarn per tassel, which means each tassel takes one yard of fiber. This makes a lush fringe and is an easy way to calculate the yardage needed for the fringe as well. In this case, I had 10 tassels at each end of the scarf, so I used a total of 20 yards of yarn, or about a fifth of a skein. Neat trick, eh?

The pattern is designed to lie flat and does not require blocking.

Also modeled with the Lush HoodieImpressions of Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande:
This is the first time that I used this yarn and I really enjoyed it. Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande is a luxury fiber if ever there was one. It isn't cheap, but it is better-priced than cashmere, and will hold up longer as well. Plus it's as soft as butter, just like cashmere. Since it only takes two skeins to make a scarf (and a single skein to make a hat), it's well worth the expense. This is really one of those projects that you have to see in person to appreciate. From a distance it's a grey scarf. Tossed over your shoulder, it's a luxury item. It's just that nice a yarn.

Possible substitute yarns:
I used stash yarn for this project and knit along with my students at the Knit Cafe while they made their versions back in February. Knit Cafe doesn't carry Plymouth Yarns, but if you want your version to look exactly like mine, Suzan stocks Misti Alpaca Chunky, which is the exact same yarn with the exact same pricing. Misti Alpaca Chunky is a Knit Cafe favorite, so it is often in stock in a zillion colors. (See it in action over on Laura's blog - nice! And here is a really wacky way to use this yarn - OMG!) As with the Koigu vs. Cherry Tree Hill supersock debate, I truly don't prefer one of these yarns over the other, but instead knit whichever colorway entices me first.

The pattern, however, works for a variety of different yarns. You could do it in just about anything you can think of - wool, cotton, silk - you name it. Just stick to a chunky yarn for a scarf of average thickness, or a worsted if you want a skinny scarf. You might even want to try a DK weight to convert it into a belt - cute!

Gratuitous Behind the Scenes Photos:

All photos copyright Marnie Maclean 2006.

No one's angels

Dignity? What's that? In our defense, these photos were staged after we realized that we had lost about 5 hours of driving time and would be arriving in the Redwoods at midnight. We had already thrown sanity and dignity to the wind.

This started as an homage to Franklin, since I enjoyed his little foray into the heavens so much:

Marnie may be sexing up Charlie, but I am clearly the killer here.

But it rapidly devolved into an homage to Dolores:

We tried to make the roving look like weapons. No, really.

I can't decide if we're missing three gay men or a sheep. Franklin, perhaps you could ask Dolores if we could pencil her in? Seriously! It would be the best road trip souvenir ever.

Mata Hari Socks: Pattern Notes

Well, I'm back from Portland. Sigh. I suppose it should be nice to be able to walk through the guest room without stepping over swatches and pattern books, but honestly it feels a little empty without my other knitting half. Marnie was safely delivered to Portland rather late on Sunday night, and then she, Leo and I spent a lovely day there before I had to catch my flight back to LA yesterday. Their new place is great, and I'm sure the only reason that Miss Marnie hasn't already posted a grand overview of our trip is because she is steadily unpacking dishes, putting up new shelves, and making runs to places like Trader Joe's. So as not to steal our collective roadtrip thunder, I'm just going to share some pictures from the Redwoods portion of our journey, where we did the Mata Hari Sock photoshoot. I'll leave it to Marnie to post a few more highlights soon, including a huge case of blue balls - more on that later...

The Mata Hari socks warming up my tootsies in the leaf litter beneath the Redwoods.

Mata Hari Socks
Designed by Craftaholic Steph,
Knit with less than two skeins (170 yards/skein) of Koigu KPPPM (100% washable Merino) in color P850 (bright blue monochromatic variegate) on size US2 Clover Bamboo DPNs.
Gauge: 14 sts per 2 inches.
Size: to fit 8" circumference at ball of foot, 9" foot length snugly.

The Setting:
Redwoods near Stout Grove in Northern California.

Stiking a pose.The Pattern
This is a free sock pattern, conveyed in an elegantly simple format by Craftaholic Steph. The pattern gives information on the stitch pattern, but does not tell you how to make a sock. If you have never made socks before, try a basic sock pattern or two and then add in the Mata Hari pattern when you understand how to create the structure. I used my standard sock formula, included in my BMG's footies pattern, and extended the sock to 7" at the cuff, which for me was 18 pattern repeats.

Techniques:
Nothing new here, but I thoroughly enjoyed the yos!

Modifications: I used my standard sock formula, since the pattern does not specify the type of sock to make. I usually do this, even if the pattern does specify the sock and not just the stitch pattern. I modified the swirls of yarnovers so that the socks mirror each other by employing a yo ssk, instead of a k2tog yo, on the second sock, and running the motif in the opposite direction. You can figure it out if you play around with it. I won't write it out here, as these are Steph's socks, and I don't want to step on her toes. Pun intended.

Eyelets!Personally, I don't need to have socks mirror one another, and would have been just fine with the originals, but after listening to Marnie and Mary Heather go on about their obsession with sock symmetry, I decided to make my Mata Haris mirrored, since those two are likely to spend a lot of time looking at them. You have to have a little compassion for the irretrievably obsessive compulsive knitters in your life. I should have probably highlighted this feature in a photo, but I think you can get the idea on the toe shot.

Finishing:
Wet-blocked in tepid water, using lavendar eucalan - my woolwash of choice. Spun briefly in the washer to remove excess water. The colors did not run even the littlest bit, despite their vibrancy. Nice job, koigu!

Heel detail.Impressions of Koigu KPPPM:
I have used Koigu KPPPM for socks many a time. Since you already know how I feel about it (or can go back to those links to find out), I'll just say a few words about how it holds up here. I have washed my KPPPM socks in the machine on a regular setting with all my other colored clothes for over a year now, and they have held up reasonably well. I think that machine washing (& drying!) is completely fine for a pair of BMG's Footies if you make them. They will tighten up in the process, which is not a bad thing after being stetched out by your foot, and they will accumulate a bit of a halo, as some minimal felting does occur. If you want to keep yours pristine, hand wash them. My Crusoes have not faired quite so well, mostly because the lovely stranding technique they employ leaves the yarn more exposed to the washing process. They are still great socks, and I continue to machine wash them, but they do appear worn. If you knit the Crusoe pattern, I'd suggest hand-washing. I intend to hand wash my Mata Haris and future fancy socks, though I will continue to launder my less fancy, more durable footies. As an aside, I think it's possible that the socks would appear less worn if turned inside out prior to washing, but I haven't tried this. If you have, let me know how it went in the comments!

Possible substitute yarns:
Cherry Tree Hill Supersock is an excellent substitute. It's basically the same thing, comes in huge hanks and has great colors. I used it when knitting the Old Rose Stockings for Katrina relief last fall and really enjoyed it. I don't prefer one of these yarns over the other, but instead knit whichever colorway entices me first.

Gratuitous Behind the Scenes Photo:
Ever concerned about my popularity ratings, Marnie determined to take a few shots detailing the sock photography process - lest I be outdone by some other January baby. Since she thought I looked vaguely like someone practicing yoga, Marnie charged me to come up with a name for my pose:

Witness "Downward facing Dork."