Weekend at the Observatory

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Another wintery day in Los Angeles. Griffith Park Observatory.

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I've been itching to write for a while now, but the knitting and spinning have not been terribly interesting, because the Hoolia, she has not been terribly interesting. I've been sick as a dog for several weeks, so the only crafty thing that I've done is plug away on the baby sweater from hell (see it masquerading as a cute, fun project in the entry below), and then only when the nausea let up enough to allow me to knit. Fun! I am probably being a bit harsh on the baby sweater. It's darling, and I will be very pleased with it when the drudgery is over, but I overestimated the thrill of "honeycomb stitch". Honeycomb stitch is just lovely when completed, but it's hard to read as you're knitting it because the bulk of the action happens on the RS while you are working the WS. It's easy to f*ck up and it's about as interesting as seed stitch (but just as pretty, too!). I am only a little ashamed to say that there are at least four places where I screwed up half a row and just left it. I couldn't bring myself to rip out a row of that stuff if the error was not glaring, and my feeling is that the wee recipient, who is likely to barf on it anyway (all hail machine washable wool cotton!) will not notice. One sleeve left to go and I'll photograph it for you, mistakes and all.

Happliy, I was graced with a nausea-free weekend, just when our weather decided to go from a lovely 70 degrees to an even lovelier 80 degrees (for those feeling envy, fear not - we are sure to experience 100 degree weather in May and July-August, with a nice June Gloom sandwiched in the middle - even Angelenos get their due). We took full advantage of both the weather and my wellness for the entire weekend, and enjoyed the great outdoors.

Before the fire, Griffith Park was one of our regular weekend stops, but since then many of the trails have been closed, so we've only gone to volunteer with the recovery effort. The last tree-planting we participated in was in early December, so when we went back this weekend to help out with the planting efforts at Dante's Peak, we were pretty surprised to see that a lot has changed and many trails are now open. I was pretty pooped out from the effort of going to the planting site and back again, but Moxie, who used to run the mountain, decided that he wanted to go back for a run in the afternoon. He got in his exercise while I lazed around on the deck and ploughed away on the aforementioned baby sweater. While there, he also checked out the observatory, which we have not been to since it re-opened, mostly because we aren't big fans of crowds. M was very impressed, and insisted that we get up early on Sunday morning and beat the crowds to the observatory so that we could enjoy the morning there. It was a great idea, because no one in LA seems to be up and about at 8:00 am on a Sunday. I even had a chance to coax my esteemed photographer into doing a Mishka photo shoot....bonus!

What the Elves Made this Year

One vest for dad, one apron for mom, coming up!

Hoolia Claus did not go unassisted. Townes helped to make sure that the vest was folded completely flat for packing by putting in some dedicated napping hours on top of it, and the dogs assisted with moral support while I sewed by lounging lovingly on the bed. I could not have done it without them. I hope that your holiday crafting was just as merry and well-supported. There's nothing quite like having a good crew to get you through!

Hmmm...What could that be?

Mommy's hat with added ventilation.It tastes like wool. Rather yummy, forbidden wool. It smells like mommy. Do you think it's mommy's hat?

Well, it used to be mommy's hat. Now, not so much. I have quickly learned that Ash loves my knitting. If I so much as leave for even a moment to go to the bathroom without securing it in a place too high for him to "counter surf," I can depend on finding it in his mouth. I am not so sure that he would ventilate it on his own, but with Zosia the destroyer at his side, he can do quite a bit of damage for the purpose of encouraging play.

Surprisingly, I am not that upset. I made this hat in 2003, and it was kind of a silly knit, complete with two pompoms on the top at the end of long I-cord strings. It was definitely fun while it lasted, and I got good use out of it in DC, but in LA it very rarely sees the outdoors. It just isn't practical for this climate, so it ends up neglected in the winter clothing chest, with all the down jackets and snow boots that we used to wear. It's not really my style anymore, either. What I did realize is that it would look great as a thick headband. I love the twisted stitch cables, and with just the slightest bit of re-working (including tightening up that flaring ribbing at the bottom), it will make a beautiful accessory that will get tons of use. In a round about way, Ash actually did me, and the neglected hat, a favor. Most importantly, he gave me a very concise heads up concerning his knitwear-eating activity by chewing on a hat and one swatch that I had made, rather than the absolutely delicious cashmere sweater that I am working on. And I am eternally grateful for that.

Was that the hat of the mommy who loves us, feeds us, hikes with us?
Why yes, I believe it was.

Plus, I kind of feel honored. I know that this will be knitting blasphemy to those among you who are not animal lovers, but I know that Ash chose to play with my knitting precisely because it was mine. He loves me, and he wants to play with my toys, just like he plays with Zosia's. She doesn't care when he tears her plush toys to shreds. She likes it. I think it's Asher's way of saying that he cares, and that he is so, so happy to be here, rather than in a cold cage at the rescue. I just hope that his intestines get through this intact. I'm not sure how digestible wool is, but I fear someone (maybe two someones?) may be pooping pompoms in the near future.

We are so happy, so pretty. How could anyone be mad at us?

Double Trouble

Can you tell which one is Zosia?
Are you sure?

Our little girl had a big weekend. She was a single gal on Friday night, but now it's Sunday evening and she has a live-in boyfriend. M and I have discussed getting a second dog from time to time, but it didn't feel serious. On Saturday he suggested that we go look at dogs, which we do not do unless we're getting one. We went on-line and found "Bear" at the Burbank German Shepherd Rescue. He's Zosia's twin with about 15 more pounds of muscle, but unlike our sassy little girl, he is totally mellow. What a sweetie. It was love at first sight - for us and then for Zosh. We named him "Ash."

The mellowness is incredible. He fits in perfectly, and as I write this all six of us - two dogs, two cats and two humans - are lying on the floor together snoozing and quietly watching football. So nice. I hope your weekends were peaceful as well and full of good food!

Our sweet big boy "Ash" on his first outing with us.

The Shepherd Sheep Herds

It was **unbelieveably** fun.

If you have any kind of herding dog, you must try this. It is so cool to see them in their element, doing what they were born to do. All three of us are addicted.

And, yes, I realize this puts us about one step away from Best in Show. Don't Judge. I know exactly how many hours a week you spend playing with string.

Endpaper Mitts: Pattern Notes

I love my mitts!Good morning, peeps! Another set of pattern notes for you, though hopefully not quite so long as the last, because you have all knit these mitts before me! As you know, I often end up using the self-timer to take my photos, but this weekend I was lucky enough to have the services of stylist and photographer extraordinaire, Mr. Moxie. Saturday was a bright, chilly morning for LA (think about 50 degrees), so we opted to take the Z for a nice stroll through Elysian Park, which has sections that are about as "forested" as LA metro gets. Elysian also has grassy knolls, city views, and palm trees for scenery, but M was feeling the sylvan landscape, so that's what we did. Excellent choice, I think. I am just ecstatic that it is Endpaper weather here. I can stay toasty while typing in my chilly office or while romping with Z in the mornings and evenings. Quite nice.

Endpaper Mitts
Free Pattern
by Eunny Jang
Knit with less than one skein (191 yards/skein) each of Rowan's 4 Ply Soft (100% Merino Wool) in (393) "Linseed" and (397) "Teak", on size US0 and US2 Clover Bamboo DPNs.
Gauge: 8 sts per inch over pattern.
Size: smallest.

Outside & Inside.The Pattern:
Loved it. I did not find any errors, and the instructions were well-written and easy to follow. I will say that despite the fact that tons of people have knit these successfully as a first colorwork project it is still what I would term an "intermediate" project. So, if you are an intermediate knitter, especially one who has worked on dpns (can we say socks?), you should do fine, but if you are less experienced, don't be hard on yourself if you get frustrated. I had not personally done stranded colorwork in years, so I spent some time ripping back and starting over. If you put in a bit of concentration and effort in the first few hours it will pay off. Don't let the early attempts scare you. It gets substantially easier. From start to finish, with blocking, I did these in about a week and a half. Not long at all for some really lovely mitts.

The best part about this project was that I was finally forced to teach myself to knit continental style. I've always been irritated by the fact that I throw and therefore knit comparatively slowly, but every time I start to teach myself continental, I get tired of struggling and revert. In this case, there really wasn't any choice but to pick with the left. by the end I was choosing to knit the single color knit row in continental, because it was both faster and easier. Huzzah! I still have to work on purling continental style. I think I'm a natural combination knitter when I pick, so I'm deciding whether to stick with that or attempt to modify my ways before they get too set.

Endpaper Mitts in the Woods.

Techniques:
Intermediate techniques - tubular cast-on, circular knitting with dpns, stranded colorwork, sewn bind-off.

Modifications:
Very few. I used the first variant of the tubular cast-on in Vogue: The Ultimate Guide, rather than the Italian tubular cast-on, with which I am unfamiliar. The Italian version gave some people a hard time, so if you struggle with it, just use a variant of the tubular cast on that suits you. I used the sewn bind-off for one-by-one ribbing from Vogue to finish the mitts - I'm pretty sure this is the same, or close to, the tubular method/kitchener bind off suggested in the pattern. I'm sure you'll let me know if there is a big difference.

I'll just note here that when working one-by-one rib, these cast-on and cast-off methods are really nice to use. They create a professional finish and are worth the effort. I don't use one-by-one ribbing often, though I like it, but if I do, these are the techniques I employ with it. Highly recommended.

This one is more about Z than the mitts...
Finishing:
The most challenging part of this project for most people will be the final bind off. Sewn bind-offs are like kitchener stitch, and once you get the hang of them they are (almost) fun. The problem is that it usually takes a bit of binding off to get the hang of them. You may want to consider putting the live sts for the first mitt on some waste yarn and coming back to sew them off when you're done with the second as well, to avoid breaking your rhythm. It really depends on whether its more helpful to have something fresh in your mind or to have a task broken up into segments to make it more palatable.

After weaving in the ends, I blocked the mitts by soaking them in cool water with wool wash for a half hour, spinning out the excess water in the washer and laying them flat to dry outside. Although I thought my unblocked colorwork looked pretty decent, blocking made a huge difference in the smoothness of the patternwork and the hand of the yarn. Don't be lazy - block your mitts!

Impressions of Rowan's 4 Ply Soft:
This was my first time using 4 Ply Soft and I really enjoyed it. The yarn did not pill while knitting despite its softness, and I don't think it will pill easily with wear, either. It is soft. That said, the hands are a very sensitive part of the body (especially the wrists!), so even this soft merino is a little itchy when worn. I'm not overly sensitive to wool, so for me they work well, but if you are knitting for someone who is sensitive, consider a cashmere blend. It won't wear quite as well, but that's better than not being worn at all!

I would use this yarn again in a flash. I'm guessing that it would be even softer knit at a larger gauge, and would have a lovely drape for a sweater. The color palette is suitable for mixing, so it's a good choice for fair isle with few colors if you want something softer than Jameison's.

Possible substitute yarns:
For this particular project, any standard sock yarn is probably going to work, though the more resilient the yarn, the better. Colorwork doesn't have much give, so it's nice if your yarn has some give and take. I would probably go with Koigu, Cherry Tree Hill Supersock or Louet Gems Pearl if I were to use a different yarn.

[Read all entries on the Endpaper Mitts.]

Fire on My Mountain

The hills and observatory from our trail.It is hard to express the depth of sadness I feel at the loss of 600 acres of vegetation in Griffith Park to fire. I discovered Griffith in 1995, while visiting my best friend from college who had moved to LA to work at UCLA. I fell in love with it immediately, and when M and I moved here almost a decade later, one of my goals was to live close enough to the park that we could use it every weekend. We have. Griffith has been a sanctuary for M and I since we first moved here. In fact, I have strong memories of us walking through the park together when M lived here alone and I was still in Phoenix and would come out to visit him on weekends.

Hiking our trail; view of the city.The beauty of the park is the kind that is of such a sweepingly grand scale that it is hard to capture. I don't have a wide-angle lens on my film camera, and none of the digital snapshots I have taken have done it justice. I have some photos of Griffith in a post from way back when I started blogging (scroll down and click the text), and MH took a few pictures when we hiked there, but otherwise there are just a few photos that I can find in my recent archives. Most serve as a backdrop to Zosia, who was also raised in the park.

Zosia big and small.

The view from our deck the other night was both startling and sickening. I can't fathom how I will feel when I see the damage close up. The trail that we hike every weekend appears to have been obliterated by flames. The trees, so precious and few, are gone. I wonder about the coyote who once followed me curiously when I was hiking alone at dusk, and about all the little geckos who flitted around on the sandy canyon walls.

The night of the fire; the view from the living room as we watched the news - see the red flames filling the window above the TV; the day after.

Lunch Break in the Garden

For about a week and a half now, I've worked 15 to 16 hour days with very few breaks. (It's finally over! Yay!) And I've re-learned some things about myself in that time. Most importantly, that I just do not have the stamina for those hours on a sustained basis. I'm definitely not in college anymore. I've also been reminded of how wonderful my life generally is, even when I work 10 hours a day, 5 days a week. Last Saturday, Moxie and Zosh stopped by my office to bring me lunch, and we went out in the garden for about 45 minutes to enjoy it. It was a wonderful break. I'm so lucky to work in the setting that I do, where it's not a problem for your husband and dog to come visit, and to have a wonderful husband and a kooshie puppy to do that visiting. I'm very spoiled.

Happy mommy, happy pup

I'm not the only one who suffers when the hours are long. Ms. Z has not gotten her normal mommy-love time, and perhaps more importantly, all the exercise mommy gives her. So today, as a treat to both of us, we had lunch in the park. I picked up Miss Marnie's favorite beef pho for myself and a nice fresh tennis ball for Z. Happy mommy, happy pup. This weekend it's back to knitting and my createalong project...

Memories...

Okay, I'm being a little dramatic, but since it's 5:30 a.m. and I just get to post, shower and go back to work, I am waxing poetic about the "good old days" when I used to have my weekends. Like, say, last weekend. Here's a little montage from Eaton Canyon, where we did the Marseilles photo shoot on Moxie's birthday.

Pattern Notes: Marseilles Pullover

Marseilles pattern notes at last! I've been done with this sweater for two weeks and have worn it on several occasions already. At this point it feels more like an old friend than a new sweater. Sunday was Moxie's birthday, so we got up at a decent hour and immediately packed the Zosh into the car and headed over to Eaton Canyon in Pasadena for a morning hike to the waterfall. If you are ever in the area, this is a great hike if you prefer less strenuous activity and gorgeous scenery. It starts out in a sunlit wash full of wild flowers and cacti, and then moves through a wooded canyon along a stream for about half a mile to the waterfall. The most difficult aspect of the hike is navigating back and forth across the stream. It's accessible enough that a lot of families hike this trail. At the end, you can sit in the shade and enjoy the beauty of the waterfall.

Marseilles on our hiking excursion to Eaton Canyon with Zosia.

Marseilles Pullover
Designed by Kathy Zimmerman, Interweave Knits, Summer 2006
Knit with nine skeins (147 yards/skein)* of RYC Cashsoft DK (57% Merino/33% Microfiber/10% Cashmere) in Madame (fuchsia) (511), using size US 6 and US 7 Addi Turbo circulars.
Gauge: I'll check my notes soon. Promise.
Size: 38 bust. For me, the final blocked dimensions were 40" at the bust and 25" in length. Unblocked the sweater was closer to 39" at the bust and 23" in length. I made modifications that added drape, but regardless you should plan for growth. See below.

Smiling, but really cold as hell.
The waterfall is fed by a mountain stream.
The Pattern:
This was my first Kathy Zimmerman sweater, surprisingly enough (I love cables, and cables are what KZ does). It will not be my last. This pattern was extremely well-planned out, harmonious, and nicely executed. You can tell that Ms. Zimmerman either is or has an excellent tech editor - I'm guessing that the former is the case. There are no errors that I could spot in the size 38, and the only thing that I would suggest changing is the number of stitches that you reserve for the shoulders. The boat neck, as written, is not even close to workable for me, nor was it for my best friend, Laura, who made the sweater in the size 34 in RYC Cashsoft Aran. My bloggy pal Marie also made the Marseilles Pullover and followed my suggestions on the boat neck, so unfortunately I can't point to anyone I know on the internet who worked the shoulders/neckline as in the original. (Definitely check out Marie's gorgeous sweater and the awesome montage she put together for us.)

In both dk and aran weights of RYC cashsoft, the neckline was too wide for Laura and I. The instructions have you bind off the center neckline stitches and reserve the shoulder stitches on stitch holders so that you can do a three-needle bind-off of the shoulders when both the front and back are done. Since Laura warned me that the neck was too wide, I opted to keep all the stitches live until both pieces were done, and then played around to see how many stitches I needed to bind off to make the shoulders the perfect width for me. [Go to one of my previous Marseilles posts for photos of this process. Notice the two circular needles hanging from the neckline.] My definition of the perfect width is the point where the sweater is still technically a boatneck, but you can't see my bra straps hanging out. On the size 38 sweater that is twenty-four stitches per shoulder. The original pattern would have you use thirteen stitches per shoulder, so rule of thumb if you want shoulder-width like mine is to add eleven stitches to the number suggested for your size in the pattern and tweak from there. Once you've done the three-needle bind-off on the shoulders, you can simply cast-off the neckline stitches in the round.

A shot of the garter ridge that runs up the side seam.

Clever and simple.
This is not a beginner's cable pattern. There isn't any complex shaping, but the cable pattern itself is complex, particularly because some of the diamonds are filled with garter stitch. The garter creates a really pretty effect, but until you get the hang of it, working these sections is counter-intuitive, especially on the wrong side. The chart is correct. Follow it verbatim and you'll have a gorgeous sweater - I 've also included some tips of my own below.

One neat technique used in this sweater is a garter-stitch seam. It's interesting because it is very, very simple to seam, and the resulting seam is loose enough that if you leave extra-long tails on either end, you can stretch the seam after you finish it, so that it has the same resilience as the knitted portion of the sweater. It's also very pretty and decorative. Although it wouldn't work for me in every situation, here it mirrors the garter sections within the the cable diamonds nicely.

All laid out and ready for wear.Techniques:
Advanced cabling with garter filled diamonds. Minimal shaping. Cool garter-ridge seam (see above).

Modifications:
I substituted a DK weight yarn for the worsted weight Goddess Yarns Phoebe called for in the pattern, so I ended up having to make some adjustments for my row gauge. (My stitch gauge was pretty close to the pattern, surprisingly, and definitely close enough to ignore.) I added a half repeat (notice that my version ends at a different point in the cable pattern at the neckline than Laura's does), and re-worked everything to make the armscyes the correct length on the body pieces. I was able to keep the pattern exactly the same as the original for the sleeves. How's that for serendipity? Sometimes, things just work out well.

Here's a good tip: Use a crochet hook as a cable needle. This is my new thing. When you screw up the garter segments inside the cables you can just whip out the crochet end of the needle and ladder those stitches into the correct orientation.

Finishing:
Easy peasy. Those garter ridge seams go very quickly and make adjusting your seam tension a snap. I washed and blocked per usual, in tepid water in the sink with eucalan, spun the pieces in the washer to remove excess water, and laid them carefully on towels to dry. The big trick here is not to let the pieces stretch too much when you gently squeeze water from them or transport them. There is the potential to end up with a very big sweater if you're not cautious while the pieces are wet.

Enjoying the great outdoors.Impressions of RYC Cashsoft DK:
I used this yarn for my Clementine sweater in fall of 2005, and really enjoyed working with it both then and for the Marseilles Pullover. This yarn is not the one used in the pattern, and because it is a DK weight rather than a worsted, using it requires some adjustments. This substitution is entirely unnecessary, as the Goddess Yarns Phoebe used in the original is a great yarn that would work nicely without modifications. I just happened to have the Cashsoft hanging around in my stash, and wanted to use it to clear out room for future yarns. Due to the cashmere content, the RYC Cashsoft line, like the very similar Debbie Bliss Cashmerino line, will show wear almost immeadiately. If you are pill and halo averse, go with the original yarn or a nice merino instead. The Cashsoft works just fine for me, but it does not have a pristine appearance.

Possible substitute yarns:
There are about a gazillion substitutes out there for the Goddess Yarns Phoebe used by Kathy Zimmerman in the original. I personally think that if you are going to purchase yarn, sticking with the Phoebe is a fine choice. The alpaca content will give it drape and durability, and the price is good. If you substitute, I'd recommend a nice alpaca or merino worsted. My beloved Jaeger Extra Fine Merino DK (a heftier DK than the Cashsoft) would be a good choice, and Karabella's Aurora 8 could also do the trick quite nicely.

Tips & Tricks: Although there really aren't any errors that I could spot in my size, I do have several suggestions for making your Marseilles Pullover successful:

She who climbs up must climb down...First, be aware that the gauge swatch you make is not going to grow to the same extent that your sweater will. On cabled sweaters this is always the case, because once your knitting reaches a certain heft, gravity is going to kick in and create added drape. This feature will not show up in your swatch because it is substantially smaller and less hefty. Additionally, the sweater has no cables in the sleeve pattern and the sleeve pattern is the pattern used to establish gauge, so the swatch will have even less drape and growth than it would if it were in the cable pattern. So, use the swatch as a guide, and be sure to wash and block it, but realize that you will very likely get an inch or two of growth in the body of the sweater. You can compensate for this by subtracting half a repeat, if you are very petite and think it necessary. Just remember to adjust the pattern so that the armscyes fall at the right place proportionately. I re-gauged the sweater to work with DK weight yarn, and also wanted more length, so I added half a repeat.

Blow up the cable chart, make several copies, and code and color the copies if it will help you. I did. The set up row is tricky, and I find that it's easiest for me to just write out the number of knit and purl stitches to work for that row across the bottom of the chart. I still had to knit each set-up row twice, but I would have had to knit them about five times if I hadn't written out the stitch counts for myself.

Use a crochet hook as a cable needle. This is my new thing. When you screw up the garter segments inside the cables you can just whip out the crochet end of the needle and ladder those stitches into the correct orientation. I made much use of this trick. The fact that the cables have garter inside in some cases makes this pattern a little challenging and unintuitive to work in the beginning. You will have to reign in your instinct to purl every time a purl stitch pops up in the row below in those sections. It's tough!

Some Parting Shots:

[Read all entries on the Marseilles Pullover.]

Knits In "Action": River

I recently found out about the handknit street style flickr pool that Lolly started. (Via Kodachrome - thanks girl! I live under a rock!) I love to see knitters wear their handknits to places other than the yarn shop. One of my favorite moments was in an airport about a year ago when I spotted a woman wearing Kim Hargreaves' First Aid from an older Rowan - how often do you get such a cool sighting? Over the last few weeks I've taken random shots on the days when I wear my knits.

Zosia napped, too. She opted for fur.Last Sunday was a wonderful day to wear River. Moxie and I sat on the porch and it was warm enough to enjoy, but cool enough that a shawl was perfect. I found myself getting sleepy, so I grabbed one of my big outdoor pillows (also handmade!) and said "Moxie, I'm taking a nap. Can you take a few shots of me after I fall asleep?" Voila! River in Action!

Zosh Meets the Osh

Zosia makes friends with the waves...

This weekend has been downright chilly by LA standards, but last weekend was beautiful and sunny, so we took the opportunity to spend the morning at Ventura Beach in the spot that Marnie, Leo and Panda used to frequent on the weekends. Zosia had never seen the ocean, and when an unexpected wave sent Moxie running, she was not so sure it was her favorite place. In the end, Moxie made a game of running into the waves and chasing them, which convinced Z that the ocean was okay after all. It was a lovely morning. The weather was great, and we saw one friendly sea lion and several jumping dolphins. There's nothing like a little nature.

Postcard to Panda

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The weather is great; we wish you were here.

Pattern Notes: Daktari Skirt

I am so freaking excited to finally be at the point where I can write up pattern notes for this skirt. As you may know from my last post, it's been a long journey. But the results are so worth it. This skirt is both feminine and extremely comfortable, which is a rare treat. I can feel "pretty" when I wear it, but still feel as comfy as I would wearing jeans. It goes well with both flip-flops and ballet flats, so you can dress it up or dress it down.

My "photoshoot shot" graciously taken by Moxie.

Lacy Skirt With Bows
Designed by Kat Coyle, Greetings from Knit Cafe
Knit with four skeins (167 yards/skein)* of Twisted Sisters Daktari (100% Slubbed Cotton) in Cappuccino, using size US 5 and US 6 Addi Turbo circulars.
Gauge: 21 sts and 29 rows per 4" in Stst using US 5 needles; 25 sts per 4" in lace on US 6 needles.
Size: small, 26" at waist, 36" at base. This size should fit sizes 0-4. I have a 37" caboose, which it accommodates nicely.

Close up of the lace and ribbon, with Mr. Townes.
The Pattern
First things first. There is one pattern correction: at the point where you start the waistband, you will begin on a RS row, rather than a WS row. Please make a note of this if you decide to make the skirt.

Other than that the pattern is wonderful, easy to follow, and a surprisingly quick knit. I have watched Kat's work since she was first published in Knitty in 2003, and had the pleasure of becoming friends with her through our work with Suzan on the Greetings from Knit Cafe book. I have long admired her amazing lace pieces, and her incredibly wearable knit skirts.

The waistline.Generally speaking, I am wary of the skirt as a knitted item, but Kat's skirts are the exception. She uses a wonderful a-line shape which works beautifully. During the photoshoot for the book I got to see many people try on the Lacy Skirt with Bows, and had a chance to put it on myself. It works well on a surprising range of body types. I generally wear pants myself, and am pretty picky about the few skirts that I do wear, so it's no small compliment to say that I could happily live in this skirt. This holds true for Kat's other skirts as well. I tried on the skirt Kat designed for the upcoming issue of Interweave Knits and it's a keeper as well.

Going back to the pattern, although it looks complex, I think that it's the type of garment that a newer lace knitter could work without frustration. The panels are worked from the bottom up in crest of the wave lace, capped with eyelets for the bows (or in my case, ribbon). Then it's stockinette and another eyelet section for the ribbon drawstring. The lace will eat up much more yardage than the stockinette, so don't be concerned if you get to the end of your first skein soon after your lace is done for the first panel. You will have plenty of yarn for the stockinette.

The knitting goes very quickly. A fast or dedicated knitter could bang this out in two weeks easily.

Candid shot by Moxie.
This one's for Kodachrome - I wear my knits!Techniques:
Advanced beginner lace knitting. Nothing overwhelming here, just a fun, lacy diversion.

Modifications: The only modification I made was the use of ribbon rather than a second yarn. I found a wonderful coordinating ribbon in the garment district at Michael Levine. I purchased 6 yards to be safe, but the skirt only required about half of that. (Buy 4 yards to be safe if you go this route - that should be more than enough). I omitted the bows and just threaded the ribbon through the eyelets. At the waistline I did the same. Other than that, my skirt is exactly like the original.

Finishing:
I had some issues with the color consistency of the yarn, so I took special measures to combat those. I am not sure this was the best solution, but it worked. Afterwards, I soaked the panels in woolwash, gave them a whirl in the spin cycle to get the water out, and blocked like mad. I did the panels one at a time, both because of space constraints and because I wanted to use the blocked measurements of the first piece to guide me in blocking the second. The pattern said to block gently, but to get the dimensions I needed I was more aggressive. I'm pretty sure that the skirt would "wear" into those dimensions anyway - knit skirts tend to settle in and grow several inches in length after they've been hanging in the closet for a little while - so there was no harm in moving that process along. With blocking, the panels grew about 5 inches in length and 3.5 to 4 inches in width. Here's a shot of the unblocked panel resting on the blocked one, and here's a close-up of the unblocked lace on top of the blocked lace

Impressions of Twisted Sisters Daktari:
Sadly, I had major issues with color consistency within the same dyelot for this yarn - three identical light skeins, one medium skein, and one dark skein. The color also ran substantially, which is another indication that the dying process was not what it should have been. For more details on the color issues, read my last post. If you have read my blog for long, you will know that I do not usually speak ill of yarn companies or designers. If I have constructive criticism, I try to include it in a friendly way, so that my fellow knitters will be aware of the potential pitfalls and the pleasures of working with certain products. My last post was a bit harsh regarding this yarn, but I felt that it was really important for other knitters to understand that they should proceed with caution if they chose to use it. I am pretty easy-going about subtle variations within a dyelot, especially from a smaller distributer. If Daktari were produced by an indie company, you can rest assured that I would work with the individual dyer regarding the problem before discussing it on my blog. I have written patterns, and I have made mistakes, and I know how difficult it can be to monitor quality control as a party of one, or even few. Twisted Sisters is still a relatively small operation, but they have reached the point of growth where knitters will expect more, and I don't want my readers to be disappointed if they purchase something that I recommend. So there you have the pitfalls.

There are substantial pleasures to this yarn as well, which I hope you can see in the finished product. It is a slubbed cotton with a wonderful organic feel, and the colors, consistent or not, are truly beautiful. It reminds me of something that Blue Sky Alpacas might produce if they partnered with Habu Textiles. I haven't seen anything quite like it, and honestly, I might very well purchase Daktari again for this very reason. I will definitely work with it again, as I have a skein and a half left. I will just have to plan for the variations.

Possible substitute yarns:
This is a tough one, as I really haven't seen a cotton quite like this on the market. For the skirt you could use a smooth cotton - something like Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece or Tahki Cotton Classic would look great - but to get a similar texture you'd have to go to something along the lines of Jaeger Trinity (finer gauge), Rowan Summer Tweed, or possibly Manos Cotton Stria. Of those three, Trinity has the best reputation. I have not used the other two yarns, but they've gotten mixed press on wear. Although it isn't a cotton, I think Elsbeth Lavold's Silky Wool (finer gauge) would be a wonderful substitute for this skirt. I may have to design a skirt in it myself. If anyone tries a substitute, let me know how it turns out. I'd love to see the variations.

A Parting Shot:
Naturally, we had to get a photo with our little stink pot in it.

The Zosh.

*Yarn Market has this yarn listed at 145 yds/skein. I am not sure if Twisted Sisters has changed the yardage or if this is a misprint. For the small size skirt, 4 skeins should still be enough, as I only used around 3.5, but it may be wise to check before purchasing if you have concerns about yardage. I would also highly recommend buying an extra skein to ensure that any color variations can be worked out.

[Read all entries on the Daktari Skirt.]

Marseilles Pullover: Back at it

December and most of January were a period of slowing down for me - adjusting to the new pup, traveling for Christmas and battling several colds occupied the little spare energy that I had, and the knitting was restricted to work on a small item for publication (with a large dose of help from my knitting angel, Marnie). Now as the days are slowly growing longer and Zosia is becoming the wonderful companion we always knew she would be, I'm regaining my energy and embracing my knitting once again. The object of the most love and affection of late has been the Marseilles Pullover. What a treat. Miles and miles of cables that don't disappoint.

This is a sweater that Laura, my best friend from college, and I decided to knit together. I finished a sleeve and most of the back in a period of about 6 days, most of which were spent with Laura and my other college girlfriends in the Outer Banks. Then December hit with its many deadlines and the Marseilles Pullover got cast aside while I finished other projects and rested. Just recently I picked it up and found it mesmerizing once again. I'm now about one third of the way done with the front. Laura, being the prolific knitter that she is, finished hers long ago. I'll have to bother her for a picture of it to post to the blog.

One of the most interesting things about our twin sweaters is that mine is made using Rowan Cashsoft DK and Laura's is in Cashsoft Aran. Both are knit with US7 needles. Laura is a tight knitter and I knit loosely, but don't worry - that doesn't account for all the difference - our gauges are different. Laura's is pretty close to spot on, and mine is a bit small. Naturally, I made a few adjustments to my sweater. Laura's is in the smallest size and is cushy and cozy in the way that I usually think of a good Aran sweater being. Mine is in the next size up, and also adds a half repeat vertically. If all goes well it should have a bit of drape and elegance that will make it more office-appropriate. We shall see. It was nice to see the back pieces side-by-side and get a real feel for how differently the same pattern could be knit up changing only color and yarn thickness. I love both versions and may find myself needing a cushy cream-colored one for the weekends.

I know the dog-lovers out there will want a little update on the Zosia. I'm posting this picture because it is so darn cute, but you have to know that she is about two months older now and much bigger. She has reached her gangly phase, and is long and lean with big feet. I think she'll get even taller in the next month and fill out not long after that. I'll be sure to post some current shots soon.

Zosia on the trail at Griffith Park.

Zosh is absolutely amazing. For the first month of her stay here I really thought she was going to do us in with her insane energy levels and teething. Then when we went to Boston for the holidays she had an incredible transformation and somehow became the perfect dog. She fit in well with my in-laws' pack of three dogs and one cat, and she was wonderful with my nephew and nieces as well. The baby could crawl over her and take her toys without concern. Zosh is also an amazingly fast learner and has picked up commands and hand-signals quickly. If anything, we have to be careful of what we teach her, because if you slip and show her something naughty once, she remembers it and will repeat it in the same situation. She's become a member of the family, and I know if our sweet Caia were here she'd love her.

P.S. Thanks to Tola for the sweet comment on Marnie's blog. If you've read me for long you'll know that I take unannounced months off almost every year in the winter or spring as sunlight wanes, but I'm always back eventually. I couldn't miss my community of knitters for too long.

Zosia

pron. [zoh'-sha]. noun. (1) a tiny life-sucking demon masquerading as a harmless black puffball; (2) an adorable German Shepherd pup, who is related to our beloved Caia; (3) an insanely sweet and loving ball of energy that requires constant exercise, vigilance and attention to the point where her caretakers wonder if they really are ready to have children or if perhaps they should reconsider and put it off for say, oh, another decade; (4) Moxie's new full-time hobby that takes up more time than knitting (!!!); (5) all of the above.

Pray for our souls.

Maybe someday I will knit again. One can always hope, right?