What To Give a Knitter - Notions

Random modern knitting tools

Lantern Moon Silk Needle Case

Knitter's Notebook

Still stuck for the knitter on your gift list?  Or maybe looking for a stocking stuffer?  Well, I'm still discouraging Random Acts of Yarn (giving them random yarn just because they knit).  There is a good solution:  Notions.

Stitch and needle gauge

Rosewood Cable Needles

Notions are all the things you need as a knitter that aren't yarn or needles.  Most knitters use tape measures, needle gauges, very small scissors, cable needles, stitch holders, and more.  There are stitch counters, gauge finders, stitch markers, and mini crochet hooks for fixing errors.  There are buttons and clips.  There are needle cases, project bags, tapestry needles, point protectors...  Go into any yarn shop in your area and ask the staff to direct you to the "must have" notions. 

The thing with knitters is because they spend so much time doing a handcraft, they tend to really appreciate hand-crafted versions of all of their tools.  Most of us start out with mass produced pieces from a craft store, and then slowly upgrade our tools over the years.  Beautifully made tools make every minute of knitting more satisfying. 

Hardwood Crochet Hooks in varying sizes

Building Character

I'm trying to be more Zen in my knitting.  Balance and completion...  I've been prone to ridiculous bouts of Startitis, casting on everything in sight.  I've finished knitting a project, and left the finish work for weeks or months.  I've modified a pattern, not made notes, put it down for months, and gone back completely perplexed as to what the heck I was doing.

I'm still prone to all this, but I'm doing better.  I'm not a Zen Monk, though.  I haven't gotten my knitting journal anywhere near up to date, but I make notes of my modifications on post-its attached to the pattern.  I do my finish work.  I never have more than three things on the needles at a time, one portable, one for home, and one for a class or testing out one of my new designs.  Usually. 

Recently I didn't buy any yarn for a whole year, committing to working through my stash.  Why did I do this?  Was my stash threatening to overtake the oven, kitchen cupboards, and shower?  (Only a little.)  Was I cutting back on my knitting? (Perish the thought.)

No.  I enjoy my knitting more when I savor the current project. As much as I hate to admit it, I can't knit as fast as I can find beautiful fibers to buy.  (Dammit.)  I still feel some backlog pressure, but it's more vague: I look forward to working on that brioche rib vest,  I want to get those mittens done for my husband, and I can't wait to test out this punk sweater for my daughter.  Someday I will either covet less or knit faster.  For now, unrequited yarn lust is building character.  At least, that's what I tell myself.

Two Color Brioche - The Continuing Saga

The holidays have come and gone, and things are settling back down to normal around here.  I've seen a few knitting friends in the last few days, and the long and short of it is this: I have not found a two-color brioche teacher yet.  I thought I had one, but she turned out to be thinking of something else.  When I mentioned my dilemma to my Mr., he suggested I just borrow a pastry cookbook.  Then he wondered where the colors come into it.  I explained that it was a knitting thing, and his face visibly fell as he realized I wasn't about to bake some brioche.

As always, I am not a loss for projects, but I haven't given up on the brioche thing, either.  As a knitting teacher, I always feel funny about not being able to perform a particular stitch.  (Does this mean I have nothing to offer as a teacher?) I don't know whom to ask for help. I've decided the next two steps in my journey will be to attentively work with the website briochestitch.com (run by Nancy Marchant), and to order the book Ms. Marchant wrote called Knitting Brioche: The Essential Guide to the Brioche Stitch.  Ms. Marchant is Vogue Knitting's go-to expert on the brioche, and the work I've seen in photos from her book is stunning. (Why isn't two-color brioche covered in any of the Vogue books?) She has directions on her website which appear to be a little different from what I've been able to find so far, and I'm hopeful.  No video, though, so we'll see. The book also has several pages of directions with photos. So I will patiently knit socks as I wait for my book to arrive, and perform lessons while staring at the website.  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

Giving The Girlfriend Socks

This is a close-up of the heel flap reduction on the Girlfriend Socks.  The specific reduction technique is easy, and I really like the look.  It makes a neat line with no holes where the fabric changes direction and tension.  (The pattern is in the Knit Simple Knitting Workshop booklet.) The Girlfriend received hers today, and seemed pleased.  This photo has the colors pretty well down, which is half the fun of these socks, in my opinion.

They're roll-top socks, and have a slip-stitch heel for durability.  The kitchener stitched toes, once the scourge of my existence, were achieved through obsessive You Tube video lessons.  The yarn is the lovely Schaeffer Nichole, and the  needle size is US 2.5.

On the Brioche stitch project I cannot claim as much success.  I have done well with the one color brioche swatch.  I then cast on my reversible scarf project.  I'm having a little trouble fully understanding what I am to do for the set up row and for row 1.  The designer may have written it perfectly and I am overthinking it, or she may have given sparse instructions where I need the gaps filled in.  I'll be trying again tonight, and I'll let you know!

Brioche Experiments

I tried to relearn brioche stitch yesterday.  This photo represents my attempt, unblocked, mistakes and all. It was a hand made light worsted weight yarn, knit on 7s, then 5s.

I decided to start with a one yarn brioche swatch to get my brain around how brioche works. (The pattern I'm working towards is in two yarns.)  My knitting paranoia immediately kicked in.  I knit a few rows, didn't see what I expected to see, and ripped back and started again.  I did this three times.  I was getting nowhere, fast. 

I still  didn't trust it, and made some mistakes, but I didn't rip again. Then I got engaged in a conversation, and voila, it was fine! (Funny that I always do better when I stop thinking.) When I looked down at the work, I liked it.  Then I decided to try it on 5s.  A few more mistakes happened ( I didn't say I  made them **looking around suspiciously**) but I liked it better a little tighter.

Now that I get the concept, on to two color.  Then on to the scarf.  Then the vest.  It's a lot of prep for one little vest, but I'm so excited to put a new skill in my toolbox I don't care!  I hope if you don't do brioche stitch yet you'll try it.  Use this link to a YouTube video tutorial.  A written plan can be found in Vogue Stitchionary One, and The Encyclopedia of Knitting. Try it!

Camelids, free pattern

First things first - the Girlfriend Socks are done!  They are photographed, but I won't post the pics until the intended recipient has them in hand.  (I don't want to ruin the surprise!) I'll miss using the Shaeffer Nichole sock yarn, as it is a pleasure in color, texture, and fabric.  But I'm moving on.

Right now I'm having a romance with camelid products - alpaca, camel, guanaco, llama, suri, and the other fibers from the camel family.  They come in light and heavy, long staple and short staple, breathable, wicking, stain resistant, and more. For folks like me with a wool allergy, they are a huge relief.  They allow us to knit soft snuggley things without itchy hands!

This is exciting for me because I'm about to launch into an alpaca project for me.  I don't knit for myself very often (it's very hard to fit me in!) and have chosen a brioche stitch vest.  Since I haven't done brioche stitch since I learned it 20 years ago, this is a bit of an undertaking.  I've chosen to precede it with a brioche stitch scarf to even out my stitch and tension before I launch into my vest. The pattern can be found here.  I haven't cast on yet, and have a nutso day today, but I'm hoping to get into it tomorrow.  I'd love company if anyone is in the mood for a knit-along!

What's On the Needles Now

Right now, I have to bind off my daughters cabled mitts.  I should have finished them two weeks ago, but I left them undone at the thumb gusset so I could use them as an example in a class I was teaching.  Now they've been around so long, they just aren't exciting anymore.  They're still beautiful, and on great yarn.  I think I'm just more into variety... I'll finish them today just to alleviate my guilt.

I've also started a pair of socks for a dear girlfriend (who has surprisingly tiny feet for an adult!), and since they are on the magical Nichole Sock Yarn by Schaefer, they are absurdly seductive.  They call to me like Sirens, trying to get me to forsake all knitting for them.  "Back to knitting monogamy", they urge!

I haven't started my cool vest in brioche stitch, mostly because I'm a chicken.  I don't want to discover I've bitten off more than I can chew.  Now that it's in print, however, I will get it on the needles this weekend.

PS - Has anybody seen the cute Spiral Cap and Fair Isle Mittens I knit for my daughter's birthday?  Her birthday is tomorrow, and I've hidden them from her so well I've ended up hiding them from myself! :(  I didn't take a picture, so if I don't find them, I can't even give her a snapshot!  ***frustrated grumbling***

PPS - I found them, hiding out in a sample bin at the knit shop.  They're a little washed out in the photo, but cute in person.  I hope she likes 'em!