FO Archives: 2009

In an attempt to speed the front-page download time, here I present the FO Gallery of 2009

Completed 2009
Click on picture and title - some include links to original pattern

Apiarius	Nom de Plume	Stag	Campaniform
October Glory	Bonfire Briar	Swirlette	Aeolian
Lady Warmer	That 70s Sweater	Dolce far Niente Due	Herringbone Slouch
Arethusa

Merry Times...

...from the sanctuary to you!

Apiarius; Or, Flight of the BumbleCanary

Pattern: Apiarius
Yarn: KnitPicks Stroll Kettle Dyed Sock Yarn in Timber and Gold

I knew what I wanted this sweater to look like - of course, nary do my plans come to accurate fruition. I'll put this one down to a lack of foresight, but there are other aspects of the knit that I'm quite pleased with.


Happy about: this being the teeniest-gauged sweater I ever did make. It didn't really take as long as you might think. This is rather encouraging, and methinks there are plenty more sock-yarn sweaters in the near future.

Unhappy about: the fact that the honeycomb doesn't line up all nice-like. This is because I had a brain blip and didn't factor in all the raglan decreasing I'd have to do. I think I was a little more focussed on designing the fracking honeycomb pattern :p
You can see this boo boo pretty well in the pic on the left.

Happy about: the yarn. Once again, KnitPicks comes through and makes purty yarn with purty colours work very well. I've slipped the sweater on a few times now, and it feels super awesome to have a sweater in this gauge. I'd encourage one and all to give it a go.




Unhappy about: my lacklustre attempts at colourwork. I've done it a few times now, but clearly haven't polished those skills off yet. There's also a place or two where I mussed up the honeycomb, and haven't decided yet what I'll do about that (truthfully, probably nothing!)

Happy about: my bottom-up raglan construction. I actually made the sleeve caps sit decently this time! Very pleased with that.

Happy about: the photoshoot!
I went out earlier today with a willing photographer (I've recruited my mom this time) and had a lovely brunch by the waterfront and frolicked around while the snow happily fell.

If you look real close at the photo below, you can even see some pre-melty snowflakes sitting gracefully for their portrait.


We were also joined by a sizeable number of mallards, a seagull or two, and this paddling swan.



I really enjoy the subtle colour shifts in this Tonal yarn; you can sort of see them at work in the honeycomb, particularly the ones that I "filled in".






I now have a considerable amount of these two shades leftover.
I believe they're heading for bee-striped sock territory!

And yes, I am *that* much of a geek that I purposefully wore my bee locket necklace for this here photoshoot.
Along with something of a goofy grimace :p







And finally, the detail I added because it makes me smile:
there's a bee on my left arm!

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Samia Buchan
Blog: fkdiary
Website: French Kit
Etsy Shop: Sassy Knits
Rav ID: frenchkitty
Some Great Designs: frenchkitty's Rav Designer Page

With a last hurrah until 2010, I end the year with the textural cable fun of frenchkitty's designs.

Pictured you see Bliss, a saddle-shouldered classic-cabled fantasticness. For all my ravings about my love for the beautiful cabled sweater I've still yet to make one; this one, I must say, is very high on my list!

Frenchkitty's cables can also be flowing, organic and very modern - witness the chic Crazy Cables. I love that this sweater and Bliss have come from the same designer! The ability to plot long, meandering cables like this makes me a touch envious.

She also has great examples of lacework, and Discovery is a very pretty, retro-esque design that makes me want to dig through both my yarn and my ribbon stash (indeed, I have one of those too!)

I've highlighted a few sweaters here, but take a moment and check out her rav designer page - she's also got some very pretty mitts, hats and other accessories!

Jingle Jingle; Or, Sugar Delivery!

Happy December Holidays to Everyone!

This month hasn't brought me my Christmassy weather,¹ but my oven has certainly been delivering results.

I've had something of a cookie factory going on here for the past couple weeks, and it'll continue to chug along for a week or so more. This is how I'm accounting for the lack of original knitted-related content.
I thought I'd try a bunch of new-to-me recipes this year - my favourite so far are the "White Chocolate Dream" cookies, a tasty collision of oranges and white chocolate chips. Yummers.

Quick poll: if presented with a cookie that had chocolate-covered coffee beans in it, would you be

a) happy and gobble it up directly!
b) politely accept said cookie but nibble around the coffee beans
c) have a mini tongue-revolt in your mouth at the thought of ingesting such a bitter "treat", and turn down said cookie (with all due formality and politeness, of course.)

I've made me some of them this year; I think they're quite fantastic and a little "sophisticated" (if a cookie can be said to be so). My concern is that many people won't really be a chuffed as I am about it, and my impulse is to warn every cookie-recipient that they may be biting into a coffee bean sometime in their near future.

¹Incidentally, if there's any Houston area readers, I'd much appreciate if you'd send your snow this way. I understand this precipitation has lost its way and in a rather unusual move migrated to the southern US.

Indie Designer Day

Designers: Anna & Heidi Pickles
Blog: Pickles
Rav ID: picklespatterns
Some Great Designs: picklespatterns' Rav Designer Page

Serendipitously¹, our profilee for this week is the talented pickles.
Here pictured is the lovely ensemble of Hello New York - Scarf, Hat and Mittens. I love the simple combination of an unexpected colour combination, along with the variation in pattern and texture. This makes the three patterns "go" without being matchy-matchy. I'm very inspired!
(Incidentally, I recently heard that 'you can always tell a knitter because her winter accessories never match'. I must admit I'm guilty of this charge meself. Perhaps this holiday season will see me make up a lovely set of Hello New York accessories!)

Stylish, casual and interestingly constructed, the Baggy Bolero made my list of pickles patterns to point out (amongst the many wonderful ones she has). Perfect for this time of year, and easily adaptable to the warmer weather, this knit is simple and attractive.

Finally, I'll also draw your attention to her Warm winter mitts. The wee bit of colourwork along the cuff gives these winter essentials a subtle touch of class.

Check out her designer page on Rav - it's bursting with loveliness!
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¹You can read about the supposed German Pickle ornament of legend here.

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Kayla Dyches
Blog: The Yarn Bearer
Etsy Shop: The Yarn Bearer
Rav ID: TheYarnBearer
Some Great Designs: TheYarnBearer's Rav Designer Page

For a long time I've admired TheYarnBearer's designs. I knew I'd found a kindred spirit when I read the sub-title on her blog, "In yarn, we lust."

First is her shrug Gaia (pictured right). With a brain-teasingly beautiful construction, this simple, multi-directional knit is lovely and wearable.

I'll also draw you attention to the comfy, cozy (and free!) Darkwood Cardigan. With bulky yarn, a seamless design and interesting cable details this cardigan is a perfect accessory to holiday-time fire-side maxin' and relaxin.

Horizontal cables always catch my eye, and TheYarnBearer's Elfin Cable Cardi is a wonderful example of how to use this technique to very pleasing ends! Personally, I can't believe there's only 5 people who're knitting it on Rav. It should be up there with the superstars of sweet indie-designed patterns.

Finally I'll mention the sweet wee Spritely Hat. While the image is of the child's version, fear not; it's also sized for adults, and will be available in the 2010 pattern-a-day calendar.

The Riddle of the Interlocking Honeycomb Pattern

Myth: You need good math skills to design yourself a sweater.

Fact: They would certainly help.

I laboured an entire evening trying to figure out a simple geometric colourwork pattern. It took several incarnations, but finally I arrived at the appropriate honeycomb shape.
Subsequently, I have incorporated said laboured-over chart into a sweater I'm currently knitting up, fancifully titled Apiarius.

As of this moment I've gotten up to the arm joins (Apiarius being a bottom-up yoked sweater), and now have only to cross my fingers and hope the honeycomb pattern will line up nicely when all sweater bits meet.

Being the lazy, math-fearing knitter I am, I have laughed in the face of preparedness and scorned the preliminary work of creating an accurate chart as to placement of said honeycomb patterning for the entire yoke section.

This post, it must be added, is implicated in aforementioned preparedness-scorning, and may very well be scorned itself when the knitting gawds get wind of my haughty trot into the wild unknowns that are colourwork yokes.

You'll be able to tell how I've gotten on with this sweater by the number of creative Shakespearean curses I do, or do not, include in my next post.

Til the morrow!

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Brigitte
Blog: bridorangi
Rav ID: bridorangi
Some Great Designs: bridorangi's Rav Projects Page

This week brings a splash of fruity whimsy with the knitter bridorangi's lovely design, Banana Socks.
I'm telling you, if I were a sock knitter, these would be the ones for me!
I love how she's combined a simple design with some very creative dyeing to create a lovely foot-warming replica of a ripe banana :)

Her instructions: "I knit simple yellow socks (knit 7, purl 1) and later painted them with ashford dyes."

Another wonderful use of colour can be seen in her manipulation of the genius of Noro in Abhilfe gegen Eiszapfenfinger.¹
I always enjoy seeing how people get creative with simple patterns, and this marriage of flip-top fingerless gloves and Noro makes me smile almost as much as her banana socks.

¹btw, babelfish tells me this title translates as "Remedy against icicle fingers". Awesomesauce.

Noro Smile Times Strike Again

In what is most certainly my speediest yarn-purchase-to-FO turnaround time ever, here be a wee post about my nifty new armwarmers.

When I visited a very lovely yarn shop on Friday, I picked up a couple skeins of some purty Noro Silk Garden, and, being inspired by The Knitting Siren's Arm Warmers, I knit up this pair right quick - only took me 2 days!

I guess that's what happens when you're procrasti-knitting.

Incidentally, I have to reveal that the fact that the top-most part of the warmers have mis-matched colours does indeed rankle with me a bit. I'm working through it.

CanaryKnits Ravelry Group

I’ve been cooking up a few more design ideas as of late, and thought it would be a good idea to have a place where people could go to ask questions, get advice, share experiences and show off their work!
Here be the badge for the Rav Group I created this week:

My plan is to maintain it as a useful compendium of FAQ, helpful advice, my numerous errata and correct-ata, updates, test-knit opportunities and the like.

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Lucy Sweetland
Blog: a black pepper
Rav ID: zebraknits
Some Great Designs: zebraknits' Rav Designer Page

A visit to zebraknit's blog is a delight for your eyes. Hers is one of those blogs where you find yourself aweing in awe and twisting with envy at the cleanness of her design, the classic wearability of her knits, and the beauty of her photography!

Take for example the pictured Lillian. The sinuous structure and flattering shape make this a knit that can be worn for many years - I can imagine this pattern flattering people of all ages!

And speaking of sinuous cables, I think I might be in love with the slouchy loveliness of Anemoon. I really have something going on lately for the chunky cable, and this hat appeals for its shape, detail, speed of completion and obvious stylish wearability.

Now we've covered your torso and head, you can't forget to keep those arms and hands toasty warm with some gorgeous Emerald Fingerless Mittens. I really like the clean, geometric features of this knit, creating visual interest and texture with simplicity.

Srsly though, pop by her blog. It's currently transporting me to a lovely autumn day with golden foilage and the atmospheric sensation that makes your fingers itch to hold those needles.

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Eline Oftedal
Blog: From the High North
Etsy Shop: From the High North
Rav ID: elineof
Some Great Designs: elineof's Rav Designer Page

I love a good pattern/lace marriage, and this week's designer elineof gives some great examples with her Lacy Leaf Capelet (pictured) and Ocean Blue Collar. They're both very lovely, it's a difficult choice to say which I like more!
The fineness of the Ocean Blue Collar is very attractive - I can easily imagine wearing it beneath the wool winter coat which has just recently lumbered out of storage for its seasonal debut (probably within the next few weeks!)
The ribbon is a nice little touch, allowing for some simple modification of style and shape.

This designer isn't just a master of the lace - she's also got her colourwork down!
Wonderful White Top and Nordic Rose Top are knit in bulky yarns, but through the magic that is good design and palette work give off an air of delicacy.

She also has an etsy shop where she sells both finished objects and patterns. Check it out at the link listed above.

Out of the Loop; Or, What Knitting With Other Knitters Does for Me

The blame for the posting sparseness as of late falls upon the shoulders of what I will grudgingly refer to as "real life" (indeed. It does rear its nasty head once in a while).

Between work-travelling, wedding-planning, exhibition-researching and course-enrolling I've had my hands full. Added to the mix is canary mourning; Mats died a few days ago, and now the canary population round these parts has dropped to three.

So basically, I've had a couple weeks away from my regular knitting night.
That whole "you don't know what you got til its gone" thing is way totally true. I always look forward to my Tuesday nights; but now that I've missed two in a row, the benefits of sitting and knitting with others have really become clear.

And so, here be my list of why knitting with people is way cool:

1) Talk shop. Getting the newest knit news is very important. One must keep up on these sorts of things.
2) Ogling the knitting of others. In the very best of ways. Seeing what and how others knit is always fun and interesting. Great example: while not a sock knitter myself, I get to live vicariously (and snag some inspiration from) a great sock knitter friend in my knit group!
3) Encouragement. It's always nice to have someone look at your work with an eye that's not nastily critical like you always are about your own stuff!
4) Does any non-knitter understand the distress of a dropped stitch? You need those around who get it so that you can vent. And, conversely, who else are you going to share the joy and excitement over a luscious yarn or adorable pattern with?
5) And of course, catching up on that world outside of knitting, where you and your friends have to, for better or worse, live most of the time.

Do you have a regular knit group? What makes your knit night happytimes?

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Tracy Laliberté
Blog: Fanciful Flights
Etsy Shop: Fanciful Flights
Rav ID: Plucky
Some Great Designs: Plucky's Rav Designer Page

As I sit here on a borrowed lap top, I have that familiar mix of lamentation and excitement at the first sprinklings of snow. I happen to be away for an educational program for work, and so have moved a latitude or two further north and am enjoying a cloudy and chilly Ottawan November.

While Mr. Winter is tentatively beginning his trudge across the months, I thought it would be nice to post a wee post about a flower-designing designer.

Here you see Pluckys lovely I-cord Lily, a pretty and delicate reminder that winter will indeed eventually make way for Persephone.

Make sure to check out Pluckys links provided above. There is plenty more to see on her etsy shop!