On A Roll

Posted on January 27, 2014 by shoelaceswitcher

I had both a very productive and very relaxing birthday weekend. The Fiasco and I fled work early on Friday, made the best of a rather appalling B&B, then visited my parents and spent quality time hanging around the house, watching Johnny Depp on DVD (Lone Ranger was pretty good!), playing a Big Bang Theory trivia game, and shopping at Lush (my new non-yarn obsession). During all that I managed to also mail out lotion samples to testers, send along the questionnaires, and finish chemo cap for my mom.

Old-school SG Bugga, colorway Lord of the Flies. Click for project page.

Those following me on Instagram will know that I wasn’t sure if I would finish this hat in time to leave it with my mom or not, considering I only began it Wednesday night. However, I finished it in the nick of time after just 5 days of intermittent knitting! The pattern is the Loch hat by TinCanKnits and it makes a nice, close-fitting beanie using sportweight yarn.

My lovely mom.

The hat is shown here not yet blocked, I finished it moments before we needed to get on the road and head home so I can’t speak to the shape/size of the hat after blocking, but I already plan to knit one for myself and will likely be able to judge better then. My mom thinks this hat will fit her newly-shaved head perfectly and be great to wear indoors since it is lightweight, soft, and lacy. Bugga, with its cashmere content and subtle variegation, plays perfectly with this pattern. This is the 1st of 14 Sanguine/Verdant Gryphon projects I will be attempting to finish in 2014.

In other (exciting!) news, I was interviewed by a fellow Indie #Giftalong designer on the Redtigerdesigns blog, go check it out! Be sure to also check out Cynthia’s designs on Ravelry, she’s created some really fabulous socks!

Hope you all had great weekends, too!

IS #57: So Very Mysterious

Posted on January 25, 2014 by shoelaceswitcher

I’ve never been really into mystery knit-alongs, but my friend Jeremie is really into them and he might have just talked me into doing one. I’m still deciding… but I’m leaning heavily towards jumping in. (There will be spoiler photos a bit further down, click away if you don’t want to see!)

If you haven’t heard about the Follow Your Arrow Mystery KAL by Ysolda Teague yet, it seems to be a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure knitting experience (like this other KAL done by Lee Meredith a while ago) and results in 32 possible shawls. That’s a lot of combinations! There are already over 3,000 projects on Ravelry, which is mind-boggling and inspirational all on its own.

(Ok, prepare for spoilers.)

I’m going to stalk other people’s projects on Ravelry and wait another clue or so before I make my decision (I’m lame like that) but I really like the way clue 1A and 2B look together using different colors.

Photo copyright Bella-B. Click for their project page.

Isn’t that a gorgeous example? The fishtail-looking stripey part is clue 1A and the asymmetrical garter stitch swoop up the side is clue 2B. I like it. It’s funky. I even have two yarn ideas for it.

SG Bugga in Grey Scalloped Bar Butterfly and leftover bits

If I deconstruct this hibernating (and sadly boring) WIP, I can use the yarn for a super-stripey version of the mystery KAL shawl. The difficult aspect of this plan would be choosing which colors to use for which sections. Before I saw Clue 2B, I thought I’d use grey for the stockinette and the multi-colored remnants for the garter stripes. But in Clue 2, the multi-colored bits would constitute much of the fabric in that big garter stitch swoop, which might get visually overwhelming and difficult to plan out.

SG Bugga in Archy and Mehatibel

A second option would be to ditch the leftover bits and pair the pale grey Bugga with this fun magenta/teal/purple/blue skein. That pairing had been my original plan when I purchased this skein way back when, so I’m sorely tempted to make it happen. We shall see!

What about you, do you like mystery KALs? How do you deal with giving up control of the look of the finished piece? Does this choose-your-own-adventure style KAL make you feel better or worse about not knowing what’s coming next? As always, if you’ve got some inspiration to share this week, link along in the comments below!

IS #56: Another BT Moment

Posted on January 18, 2014 by shoelaceswitcher

I’m having another Brooklyn Tweed fangirl moment, guys. I’ve posted about Jared Flood’s design company for Inspiration Saturday twice before: here and here. He recently released the Winter 2014 lookbook and it contained one design that I just have not been able to get out of my head all week.

This shawl is called Kelpie and it involves some of my favorite things: garter stitch, rustic elegance, colorful gradient stripes, and wavy edgings— all in one lovely, casual shawl. I’m not usually gripped with the desire to knit a pattern in the exact yarn it calls for, but this time, I am. Brooklyn Tweed Loft is a rather unique, woolen-spun yarn (click for a review by Clara Parkes) sourced from sheep in Wyoming and spun in a mill in New Hampshire. I’m coveting that shawl in this yarn so much that I ordered a BT shade card to better choose colors. (Yes, it’s only January 18th and I am, indeed, already planning to abort my knit-only-from-stash goal for the year. That was always less of a rule and more of a guideline, anyway, and sometimes exceptions need to be made. Justified.)

Lovely, lovely colors.

For my shawl, I think I would do 6 stripes, 2 in each of 3 different colors, rather than a 5-color gradient (to use up the yarn a bit more). The biggest issue I’m having is deciding which way I want the shawl to go!

BT color combos 1, 2, and 3. (Each row across is a different combo.)

I like the idea of a light neutral paired with a gradient of contrast colors. For combo #1, I’ve paired Fossil (a nice, neutral cream) with a series of greens: Tent, Birdbook, and Artifact. For combo #2 I went the purple-y route with Postcard (an almost pinky-purplish neutral) and Thistle, Plume, and Old World. For combo #3, I chose a relaxed, denim palette pairing Sweatshirt (my favorite light, silvery grey) with Faded Quilt, Soot, and Almanac.

BT color combos #4, 5, and 6. (Each row across is a different color combo).

For combo #4, I ventured into warmer color territory pairing Woodsmoke (a light tan/beige) with Camper, Long Johns, and Homemade Jam (my favorite deep, burgundy red). I switched things up a bit with combo #5, choosing an entirely neutral gradient and making the main color darker than the contrasts: Pumpernickel (a deep, chocolate-y brown) with Fossil, Barn Owl, and Nest. For the final combo #6, I paired the nearly-black Cast Iron with the lightest shades of all my favorite hues: Foothills (green), Faded Quilt (blue), and Blanket Fort (purple).

Clearly, I will just need to knit 6 Kelpie shawls. That sounds reasonable, yes? There are so many more ways you could go with choosing these colors, too! How would you knit your Kelpie shawl? What colors would you pick? Has something been ~~obsessing~~ inspiring you this week? Please share with us in the comments below!

IS #54: DK Weight Sweater Roundup

Posted on January 4, 2014 by shoelaceswitcher

Good Saturday, folks! Seeing as one of my goals for 2014 is to (finally) knit myself a sweater, I thought I’d spend this morning gathering up some sweater inspiration. I currently have 3 sweater quantities of yarn in my stash: one sportweight, one DK, and one bulky. I’m going to focus on DK weight patterns here because I already have ideas for the sport and the bulky.

The DK weight yarn in question is Traveller from Cephalopod Yarns in the colorway Kalamazoo. It’s a variegated purple, with deeper blacks and blues and brighter purples mixed in. While I love the variegation, it will make choosing an appropriate pattern a little more challenging. Let’s see what DK weight sweater patterns I have queued, shall we?

This is the B-Side Cardigan by Laura Chau, which I queued way back in 2010. There are many things I love about this cardigan. The neckline is fabulous, I love the way it folds over in the back. I also like the asymmetrical cable very much, it’s enough to add interest but not so much that I’ll be cabling my life away. I’m a little worried that I’ll get bored with so much stockinette (I hate purling) but the plainer fabric will not compete with the variegated yarn.

Next up is Flippant from Knitty Deep Fall 2013, designed by Nora Hinch. I don’t think I can stress enough how much I love lacy cardis. They’re great for layering and they’re not something you can easily find in a store, they definitely showcase your mad knitting skillz. I also feel very motivated when I’m knitting lace, I’m always trying to cross off another row, so it makes the whole process feel faster.

I loved this Windswept pullover by Tin Can Knits from the moment I saw it. I likely will not choose to knit this with my yarn because I think it is too perfect in a lighter colors so you can really see the details, but I wanted to feature it nonetheless. I love the way the lace panel provides interest in the front and the way the garter edges compliment the garter stitch in the lace panel.

This easy, breezy pullover is Shore Ledges by Amy Herzog. While I feel like I might wear a handknit cardigan more often, I do love deep-V pullovers, and I have a storebought one with bell sleeves that I’ve bee really digging lately. I think the simple body and seed-stitch details would work well with the variegated colors in my yarn. Plus, I signed up as an early user of Amy’s amazing new sweater-knitting program, CustomFit, and I could use the ‘recipe’ that comes with this pattern in that program to input my measurements and get instructions that would create a sweater to fit me exactly. That’s a pretty tempting idea for a nervous first-time sweater knitter!

So, as you can see, there are many DK weight sweaters that I love and I’m not quite sure which one I’ll go with yet. Do you have a favorite sweater pattern? Anything else inspiring you lately? Please share with us in the comments below!

IS #52: Keeping Perspective

Posted on December 21, 2013 by shoelaceswitcher

Hi, everyone! We’re getting ready to hit the road and visit my family for a while, so if I don’t get a chance to check in before Christmas, I hope all who celebrate it have a very merry one! Due to some past family struggles that are difficult to summarize, this is the first time in a long time that I’m looking forward to the holidays without a sense of underlying dread. However, less than 2 months ago we found out that my mom has breast cancer, so there’s still ‘the big C’ lurking in the back of our minds. We are thankful that her surgery went well, but they did find the cancer had spread to one of her lymph nodes, so now we’re feeling worried about the chemotherapy that she’ll endure starting in January. I say all this not to be a major holiday downer but just to remind myself to keep some perspective. It’s so easy to get caught up in things, it’s good to remember those who are suffering during the holidays.

Franklin Habit from the Panopticon blog just posted about a hat he designed for an e-book called Good Deeds put together by Kyle Williams. The profits from the sale of the book go to support a breast cancer center in California. I love seeing people donate their time, energy, and creativity to raise funds for worthy causes.

Photo copyright Kyle William. Click for pattern page.

Franklin’s contribution is called Melorius. It’s such a fun hat in bright colors and I imagine it would look lovely in a range of neutrals, as well. The simple colorwork pattern looks fun to work.

Photo copyright Kyle Williams. Click for pattern page.

The Ribbon Rolled Brim Cloche by Cynthia Baily is another simple, stylish piece with a great ribbon detail (we know how I love ribbons).

Photo copyright Kyle Williams. Click for pattern page.

Springbridge by Kate Lemmers is a beautifully-detailed beret that is right up my alley. I love the combination of cables and lace and will likely by casting one of these on soon! It’s especially pretty in the heathered yarn.

In addition to the Good Deeds e-book, I just discovered the Fitter Knitter Calendar of Hope, which is an annual collection of patterns put together for many years to benefit breast cancer research. I’m sure there are many more such collections out there, have you found one you like to support? Please feel free to share or link to your own inspiration post in the comments. Have a lovely weekend, all!

IS #49: Dire Sock Situation

Posted on November 23, 2013 by shoelaceswitcher

The “sock situation” over here has become dire: 7 of 12 pairs my handknit socks have blown a hole right in the ball of the foot or the heel.

Darwin is very concerned about the state of my socks.

I’m down to just a handful of intact socks, which means those poor fellas will wear through all the more quickly unless I remedy the situation. I’ve got my darning egg and tapestry needle and some time dedicated for mending, but what’s more fun is dreaming up all the new socks I’ll knit for myself.

These socks have already seen some mending, but holes still developed outside of the mended area.

But wait — don’t I already have a veritable butt-ton of socks on the needles? I do. Nineteen pairs, in fact (but who’s counting). Despite that, I’ve gone through my stash and queue and linked up some patterns-I’ve-been-meaning-to-knit-for-forever with some yarns I’ve been itching to knit with and wear already. Here are my top 5 choices (I’m nothing if not ambitious).

This lovely thing is Mood, one of the first socks I fell in love with in Hunter’s first big sock book: Silk Road Socks. I absolutely adore her sock designs but have somehow failed to actually finish knitting any of them to date. This one will be knit with a pretty purple skein of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight.

Photo copyright Alexandra Grablewski. Click for pattern page.

I’ve talked about Jared Flood’s Strago before and goshdangit it’s time I make them. Don’t they just look perfectly wintry and cozy and delightful? I really want to try this Brooklyn Tweed Shelter yarn out, too. These will be more like house/slipper socks.

Photo copyright throughtheloops. Click for pattern page.

Ampersand is a free pattern by Kirsten Kapur that I’ve had my eye on since I first started knitting socks. I have an awesome skein of STR Mediumweight in Sea Scum waiting for just this kind of pattern. In fact, this might be the first one I knit since the yarn is already wound and ready to go.

Photo copyright myyarns. Click for pattern page.

Crevasse by Angela Johnson is just lovely. I like lacy socks a lot and I love how this particular lace pattern is also reminiscent of cables or braids. I’m not sure which skein of STR LW to use for this: Melusine (a white with just pale, pale hints of blue) or Tempest (a deep, dark, moody teal).

Photo copyright Hunter Hammersen. Click for pattern page.

Finally, we have another Hunter pattern, Afshari, also from the Silk Road Socks book. I like the simplicity of this one. All the cool/fun stuff happens on the cuff while you’re still motivated to knit and the rest is just simple, smooth sailing. My hope is that this pattern would be good for my tendency to stall out mid-gusset since these would be simple enough to be great take-anywhere-socks. I’m a bit stuck on color choice for these as well: Dolphin’s Disco (variegated blues, aquas, purples, and teals) or Thraven Fledge (more subtle teal-overdyed-grey loveliness). I really want a pair of socks knit with the Thraven Fledge because it matches my wardrobe but I think the variegated Dolphin’s Disco will make the simple stockinette more fun/interesting.

I have one more skein that I’m really anxious to try but haven’t found just the right pattern for it yet:

This is BMFA BFL Fingering in the colorway SasSwatch. There’s a pretty stark contrast between the green and the aqua so I need to find a pattern that would work well with that. I’m itching to try BFL in socks because it is a longwool and should be a bit stronger than Merino wool, perhaps less future holes to mend?

What socks are on your must-knit list? Feel free to leave a link to your own Inspiration Saturday post in the comments below!

IS #48: Classy Hats

Posted on November 16, 2013 by shoelaceswitcher

I have really great news: we found out that my mom’s breast cancer is only at stage one! It’s still an aggressive form, so she’s still going to get a mastectomy and have to go through chemotherapy, but at least now we feel more hopeful about her chances of recovery. In light of her treatment plan, my mom has requested some pretty hats. She doesn’t think she’s a hat person, in fact I’ve almost never seen her wear one, so a typical hat won’t do. She wants something differently-shaped, kind of turban-like, with a pretty button or other details. To Ravelry we go!

I immediately thought of the Dear Jane hat by Kristen Hanley Cardozo (a.k.a. KnittingKninja). This hat was originally knit in Codex and sold by The Sanguine Gryphon before it closed down. It features long tails on the brim that are woven through holes in the body of the hat to sort of cinch it up. It’s very unique.

I loved this Knit Purl Turban by Sara Dudek immediately. It’s more cloche-like than turban-like in shape but it is very simple, sweet, and pretty. I have some leftover Malabrigo Twist I might use for it in a lovely rose color, or I would use Malabrigo Worsted. I think Malabrigo would make an ideal hat during chemo treatment because of its extreme softness. A merino/silk blend would do nicely, too, but I have yet to find one that I really like.

Holy cow, if you do a search for ‘cloche’ on Ravelry, you get about 24 pages of beautiful hats! Here’s just a few to give you a taste.

This Double Double Cloche by Mary Keenan is another simple yet lovely hat. Just some purl action, a nice button, and a rolled brim give it a great flair.

I’m sensing a theme! This hat (Zelda Cloche by Alexis Winslow) also features simple purl stitches and a button detail, but kicks it up a bit with color changes and is knit in a sport weight yarn, which would be nice and light.

This Cable Swirl Hat by Patty Nance is doing all sorts of interesting things. It’s using something called a bargello knitting technique, has cables overlapping each other for much of the brim and body of the hat, and some kind of beaded closure (in the other photos). It’s one of those patterns I want to buy just to see how it was done!

This one is the Nola Cloche by Hilary Smith Callis. I’m especially digging the simplicity here. The sideways brim is knit with one cable row to form the pretty twist. Plus it’s knit in bulky yarn, which we all know is one of my favorites for hats.

Last but not least is the classiest of classy hats: the Lucy Hat by Carina Spencer. It has a beautiful, polished look and I covet it for myself. Simple stockinette, a woven-stitch band, and short row brim folded up for extra sass. I love it. Then again, I love pretty much all of Carina’s designs, because they’re just so damn gorgeous.

Phew! That’s a lot of hats. 🙂 What’s your favorite classy hat pattern? Share in the comments below and feel free to link to your own Inspiration Saturday post!

IS #47: Giftalong Awesomeness, Part 2

Posted on November 9, 2013 by shoelaceswitcher

Remember how last week we went through the Pinterest boards for the first 4 categories of Giftalong patterns being offered for sale by independent designers? Well this week we’re going to finish up with the boards of the remaining 5 categories! (So many KALs, so little time!)

From the Socks and Foot Things board, I especially love the Flocked Socks pattern by Sara Morris:

They have such wonderful texture and the garter section accents are really well designed. I love how the cuff detail repeats near the toe and the garter side panels split at the gusset. I love them so much, in fact, that I just cast these on! I have to say, too, that the pattern is beautifully laid-out and clearly written. I appreciate when a designer pays attention to such details.

There are so many beauties on the Garments board, but here’s the one I chose to share:

This is Ink designed by Hanna Maciejewska and it is just gorgeous. However, I can almost guarantee that you will never see me knit a tunic-length, fingering-weight, reverse-stockinette stitch cardigan. I would never, ever finish it. I will continue to admire such things politely from afar, though.

There is faaaar too much cuteness on the Baby and Child board, but I did manage to choose one pattern I loved:

This is the Dyvest pattern by Anjali M and it is just a perfect, handsome little boy’s vest. The way the cable detail splits along the neckline is lovely.

Ok, just kidding, I couldn’t choose just one. Here’s my favorite little girl knit:

The colors! The stripes! The garter squishiness! The cabled trim! Love, love, love. This is Camden by Kristen Fanning.

There are a lot of… interesting things on the Non-Wearables board, mostly toys and non-traditional accessories of some kind. I particularly liked the elegant little bag:

This is the Anya Bangle Bag by Kate Vanover. I love the stitch pattern and how simply the bag seems to be constructed. I also think the matching beads give a great subtle glimmer.

The final board is the Projects-Not-Otherwise-Specificed group of patterns, which are all really pretty interesting. I help moderate this KAL in the Giftalong group and I love seeing what unique projects people are casting on (lots of jewelry so far). Here’s my pattern pick:

Can I just say that I did not know that I absolutely needed a handknit light switch cover until I saw this Garter Strip pattern by Lee Meredith? Because now I definitely know that I do… on all of the light switches, everywhere!

Alright, that’s all of them! Remember to stop by the group, check out the participating designers (including myself!), snag some great patterns for 25% off (until November 15th!) and then join one of the many KALs for the chance to win prizes through the end of December. There’s a fun Desginer Hunt question game and lots of random drawings, so come play along!

What’s been inspiring you this week? Seen any #Giftalong patterns you just need to knit? Feel free to share a link to your own blog post in a comment below!

IS #46: Giftalong Awesomeness, Part 1

Posted on November 2, 2013 by shoelaceswitcher

I’m sure by now you’ve all heard a little bit about the Independent Designer’s #Giftalong promotion happening on Ravelry, right? Over 170 designers are offering a variety of their patterns for sale for 25% off with the code ‘giftalong’ until November 15th. After choosing some new pretties to knit, you can join in one of the item-specific KALs and be eligible to win a ton of great prizes! For this event, all of my paid patterns are eligible.

Top: Dissipative cowl, Beribboned hat (x2)
Bottom: Fiasco socks, Huacaya hat, Syrinx Shells cowl

I will almost definitely be joining in knitting a Huacaya hat (mmmm alpaca loveliness!) and a Dissipative cowl. But I also wanted to highlight a few other great patterns. A group of amazing volunteers went through Ravelry and pinned every single eligible pattern to item-specific Pinterest boards. They pinned over 2000 patterns so everyone could scroll through them easily! How amazing is that? I’ve gone through the boards and chosen just one pattern from each board that I think is extra awesome from a designer I was unfamiliar with to share today. (I will likely be doing this throughout the week. Or maybe for the rest of my life, there are so many!)

From the Hats and Head Things board, I picked the Adiri Slouchy Hat by Julia Trice.

It’s a lovely little DK-weight slouchy hat that involves both lace and texture, two of my favorite things. I’m coveting it pretty hard right now.

From the Scarves and Cowls board, check out the Windowpane Scarf by April Reis.

I love that amazing cut-out effect! It looks like regular cables transition into some i-cord braiding. So clever and unique!

From the Mitts and Arm Things board, I totally love Two Hands Make a Snowflake by Mari Chiba.

Admittedly, that is my favorite color combination ever, but I also think the mitts are really nifty. I love how the snowflakes line up on the pair plus the tops flip back into fingerless gloves. I think I need them!

It was really difficult to choose something from the Shawls and Stoles board, they’re all so beauitful! But I picked this Spring is Sprung poncho by Mary C. Gildersleeve because it was really unique.

I’ve yet to see many fingering-weight poncho patterns and this one is really lovely. The stitches patterns flow nicely and the color choices are gorgeous!

Phew! I know I said I’d post one item from every board but there are NINE BOARDS and looking at so much prettiness at one time is overwhelming! Let’s save the remaining five for next week, shall we? What new-to-you designers or patterns have you discovered? Do you think you’ll join in any of the gift-alongs? What’s been inspiring you this week? Leave a link or a comment below and let us know!

FOFri #24: Gifts Upon Gifts

Posted on November 1, 2013 by shoelaceswitcher

This is going to be a fairly epic FO post, so buckle up! First off, have you heard about the awesome Indie Designer’s #Giftalong?

Come join the group, find the list of over 170 participating designers, and choose which patterns you’d like to purchase for 25% off! The code ‘giftalong’ works for any pattern included in the promotion and the sale ends November 15th. Then join one of the many themed KALs that run through the end of December to be entered to win some fabulous prizes! All of my paid patterns are eligible for the KALs, I’ll post more details in tomorrow’s Inspiration Saturday post.

Onto the FOs! I finished this crazy hat last night at 10:00pm, just in time to have it be my final Malabrigo October Stockpile project and enter it into the Wing It! contest (feel free to hit the ‘love’ button on that post if you’re part of the group). It’s unblocked and these are terribly-lit photos but man, I love this hat.

swoophat I (nearly) dreamt up this hat while trying to sleep one night. I wanted something to feature those great little buttons that would also look good with the handspun skein of Nube that I loved so much. Garter stitch is great for that so I wanted a sideways-knit garter brim joined by buttons, but not just any old garter brim — I wanted one with a big swoop in it. I started the band thick on one end, then narrowed down to thin for most of it, then swooped back up to thick and ended with buttonholes and a pretty picot bindoff. That swoop took me forever to get right! Then I picked up stitches all around, knit short rows on the narrow side to fill in the missing fabric and even it out with the thick side, and proceeded with the crown. I made it a little slouchy and did double decreases at 4 points, just for fun. I took zero notes so can never reproduce it exactly and it’s a little bit funky, but I love it.

This next FO is not one of mine, it’s my mom’s. She has been crocheting a top-secret project for me for months. Every time I visited she would show everybody else the progress she’d made on it, except me. Do you know what it’s like when everyone comes out like “Man, you’re gonna love that”? It’s torture! Well, they were right, this thing is fabulous.

It’s huge, amazing, colorful, and perfect. I’m usually the one giving handmade things, not receiving them, and boy does it feel good to get them. This blanket is so beautiful and special and lovely and I’m so proud of my mom for making it. She “didn’t do” crafts for the longest time, she hated knitting when I tried to teach her, but she took to the crochet hook like a whiz and has been churning out blankets like a machine over the last year or so.