All Things New

Cooler temperatures are finally here! What a difference 10 degrees can make. Take away the humidity and it is hard to believe this is summer in the South.

My lack of love for the heat has kept me indoors on my days off. Besides the EZ's Baby Surprise Jackets (and I still have 2 more to make), I've mostly been knitting lace. I shared the Ann Budd Lacy Socks in the last post. They gave me a thirst to knit more lacy socks. There are sooooo many patterns, both free and for sale. My second pair of lace socks were actually made from a pattern that I found at Knitty Summer, 2007 - "Breeze. "


I have been wanting to knit "Breeze" for some time so I was excited to get started. They turned out to be a quick knit, and the lace pattern is fairly easy. For this pair, I decided to revert back to the dreaded dpns and was pleasantly surprised that I completely enjoyed the process. Not at all like I remembered my earlier attempts with dpns and socks. I used Knit Picks Harmony dpns, which turned out to be just smooth enough for the yarn to slide easily and, also, pretty. I did the k1p1 cuff, but I think the next pair I make will have the rolled cuff. These are so comfortable, so I know there will be a second pair. They have already been dubbed as my "car" socks for my trip to Florida next week. Can't wait!

Now that I am ready for another pair of lace socks, pattern searches were in order. While surfing for my newest project, I also discovered two new resources (at least to me), two on-line magazines: Knotions Magazine http://www.knotions.com/ and Twist Collective http://www.twistcollective.com/.

Knotions Magazine has articles, patterns, a blog, a technique section where, right now they have an article about short rows for bust shaping in sweaters and how to add them and how to do an increase by reaising the bar (M1). The patterns, at least all of the ones I viewed, are free. They included women's garments, hats, socks, baby items, and men's wear.

Twist Collective has most of the same features as Knotions, but most of their patterns are for sale. Some of the names of the designers using this outlet include Cookie A, Pam Allen, Yarnissima, Stephanie van der Linden, and there was even a free sock pattern from Cat Bordhi! The articles included one by Cat Bordhi explaining the heel construction on her "Houdini Socks" and an article about how to choose a substitute yarn for a pattern with cables, considering the fibers, spin, and plies of the yarn.

My current project, however, did not come from either of these sources nor is it socks. I, as I said briefly above, am headed to Florida next weekend. Since the summer clothes season in the stores ended about the time the weather turned warm enough to actually wear summer clothes, and I am lacking a cover-up for my bathing suit, and since none are to be found in the stores, I decided to try to make one and hope it doesn't go the way of the laptop cover I tried. The pattern I am using is the "Ogee Lace Skirt" from Interweave Knits, Summer 2007. I started it yesterday and am about 1/3rd of the way into it. The pattern is fairly easy with the ability to mostly "knit what you see" on alternate rows. This may change, as I have only knit 31 rows of the 56 in the pattern. (Yes, I am 1/3rd of the way - there is a repeat of rows 26 - 56). Most lace patterns that I have knit (with the exception of socks) have been purled on the alternate rows. All in all, this is a relaxing pattern to knit. Now, if it will just fit! Like all lace, the end product will have to be blocked to show off the pattern.


Hopefully, I'll have finished pictures before I leave.

(Just a little aside here - have you noticed that all of my lace projects tend to be "fairly easy"? There is a reason for this. I was listening to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's "At Knit's End" and heard her say something along the lines of "If a pattern says it is 'challenging or 'heirloom' RUN, don't walk, the other way. Ok, so I might have embellished a little what she said, but I think I got the meaning. I feel enabled. Ok, this works for me, anyway!)

till next time...

b