Knitting on the Cheap

As I've said in the past, you don't always have to spend a fortune to knit well, use great fibers and great needles, and even to build a great knitting library.  I meant it then, and I mean it now.

It's easy to spend a small fortune on good tools, great yarns, and classes.  (Though, as a teacher, I'm a big fan of spending money on classes...)  The full-price retail of most hand-knitting yarns and tools IS heavy, considering what it costs to by a machine-made piece of knitwear.  So what do you do if you're a knitter on a tight budget in serious need of a really good knitting fix?

Today I had one of my favorite knitting moments: Estate Sale sign on the way to where I needed to be, and I had 20 minutes of leeway in my schedule.  I wandered in, sad for the family's loss, but also curious as to what the family had chosen to part with.  According to the family photos, this family had only sons, and mom was a knitter.  A good knitter. 

There was a treasure trove of yarn, knitting books, needles, and notions.  The yarns were hand-labeled with content, source, dyer, and who  spun or manufactured it.  They were selling it for a dollar a skein, 3 for $2.  Naturally by the time I arrived after 3 in the afternoon most of the knitting things had been picked over, and yet still there was good stuff.  I chose a variety of hand-dyed sock yarns.  Then I chose a cashmere/merino blend, hand-spun and hand dyed.  And some Manos del Uruguay skeins that she had balled and paired with a terrific mitten pattern.  It was late in the day, and they gave me all ten skeins for $2!

I'm told her library of knitting books had been cut down by over half, and there were still over 10 titles there.  Only one was a book I didn't have, and I grabbed it up immediately.  It was "The Yarn Girls Guide to Beyond The Basics", and it was marked $10.  They gave it to me for $1. 

$3 later, I left with a retail value of over $350.  Is this normal?  NO.  This was a good score.  But it isn't that far out of the ordinary.  I've found cashmere at the Goodwill.  I've found matched pairs of Addi circs at yard sales.  I've found ebony Lantern Moon straights on Craigslist.  I've purchased bins of yarns at yard sales and found they included hundreds of dollars in antique notions and high end yarns (including my favorite find ever, hand-hewn ivory crochet hooks!).  Sometimes a student of mine will tell me that it's creepy to them to shop "used".  I don't think so.  Someone loved these yarns and these tools.  They ended up with people who don't want them.  And rather than throw them out, the folks who don't appreciate them have made them available to us. 

People stop knitting or sell off knitting things for many reasons: allergies, arthritis, abandoning a project, change in interest, moving to a warmer climate, changes in work schedule or hobbies...  Maybe they've switched from knitting sweaters, and have now become addicted to socks, or vice versa.  Or they've taken up golf.  Or started building dollhouses.  Not really the point.  The point is, you can choose to pay a lot, or you can choose to pay a lot less.  It just takes an occasional stop at the thrift shop, yard sale, and estate sale to check out the current offerings.  Websites like Craigslist (for everything), eBay (for yarn, needles, and magazine back issues), and half.com (for books), will also save you a small fortune.

The one thing that shopping for knitting supplies on the cheap does require of you is flexibility.  You can find high quality pretty consistently.  You cannot, however, find exactly what you want exactly when you want it.  I wasn't planning on sock yarn today, but I know I'll use it.  If I need 2 sets of size US 1's knit those socks in the double circs method, either I need to be patient until I can find them thrift shopping, or I need to pay regular price at my LYS. 
 

Coming Back to Life

I looked at my blog today with horror as I realized it's been almost three months since I've written.  Life's been a little nuts since the first of the year.  Many of you have sent kind words, warm thoughts, and encouragement my way, and it has taken hold.  So here's a quick recap:

I moved, and then sliced my hand open.  Then off to starting a new job.  Next, a really strange schedule.  Then, sadly, I lost my mother.  That set me reeling.  And through all of it I had a very hard time knitting.

My charity hat knitting is behind right now, as I haven't made a hat for April.  I'll get back on the horse and get it done.  I hope you've all been keeping your commitments to knit for those in need.  Share pics!  We'd all love to see.

It's nice to come back to the cozy world of knitting.  I'd like to stay here for awhile.  Thanks for keeping my spot warm!

Elisabeth

 

Late January Update

Hello, Friends!

I've moved, and am settling in to the new place.  I'm also changing my day-job, and my schedule is a little odd.  And on top of those things, I injured my right hand in a cooking accident making it very difficult to type and impossible to knit.  I'll be back in the saddle again soon, and apologize for my absence.

In the meantime, the charity hat knitting is going well, and the Ravelry group has made and donated 30+ hats so far (that they've shown us)!  Woo hoo!  I finished one this month amid the chaos, and hope to do better next month. 

My daughter is doing much better, and by extension, our entire family is enjoying the peace.  Thanks for all the good wishes. 

Enjoy your fibers, and I'll be happy to share your comments and pics.  We'll talk soon!

Asperger's Is My Life, too

As I've mentioned before, my daughter has Asperger's Syndrome.  It's a high-functioning form of Autism.  What it means is that my daughter is incapable of social learning.  She doesn't recognize facial expressions, sarcasm, idioms, or most forms of subtlety.  She is immune to peer pressure, as she genuinely doesn't care what other people think.  She has no interest in fashion, what music is popular, doesn't attend dances or sporting events, or do anything social.  If you're unfamiliar with the syndrome, picture Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory.  We don't have the good writers who make it all come out funny in the end.  Take that, add a violent temper and profound desire to lie and manipulate her surroundings, and that's my daughter.  I tell you this because coping with her has taken up huge amounts of my time and energy of late, and it's putting a huge dent in my knitting time and interest. 

The day before the tragic shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, my child had another of her violent outbursts, and I called the police for help and protection.  It was two weeks before her 18th birthday.  If she had committed the same actions once she was 18, she would have been brought to jail.  Instead, due to her age, she ended up spending the evening in the psych ward of the local hospital.  If you want more info on what living with this is like, please read the wonderful essay, I Am Adam Lanza's Mother.  I practically could have written myself. 

My daughter requires very frequent supervision.  Left to her own devices, she doesn't take her meds, bathe, or brush her hair or teeth.  She can't drive.  She doesn't eat fruits or vegetables most of the time.  She's a big fan of carbohydrates.  She occasionally cooks, but usually forgets to turn off the burner, and puts the dirty pot back on the hot burner.  (This has cost me 4 pots in the last year, because they were too burned to save.)   She spends most of her time on her computer or watching TV or reading.  She refuses to do chores. She is combative and/or self-serving in most conversations.  She doesn't do her classwork or her homework if she doesn't like the teacher, the lesson, or the subject, so in spite of her genius IQ, she is failing 2 subjects.  She is a compulsive hoarder.  And we are moving, but she won't pack her room or her zillion belongings.

Today is not an unusual day in that by noon, I had received two calls from the school, one from the counselling office, and one from my daughter claiming to be ill so I would come and pick her up.  I went to the school.  She's got a little pink in her throat, but no fever or swollen glands.  She's staying at school.

I'm still working on the move, and I have a head cold of my own.  After 18 years of trying to pretend that I'm just like all the other parents, I'm over it.  I'm not like the other parents.  I'm overwhelmed.  I'm tired.  When people ask me how my daughter is, I never know what to say.  She's a very difficult person.  I love her, but I can't always explain why.  She's difficult to like.  People ask the polite questions.  "How's school going for her this year?"  "Does she have a date for the Valentine's dance?"  "She must be so excited about college."

"No," I want to tell everyone.  "Asperger's is her life.  And it's my life, too.  A successful day is when she hasn't blatantly insulted anyone, and she bathed and took her meds.  Everything else is just gravy."

Charity Hat Pattern for 2013

Hello!  My goal of making at least one hat for charity each month in 2013 was listed in this blog a couple of months ago, and it was very popular.  It led me to starting a group on Ravelry with the same goal, and I was thrilled to see that it passed 100 members in the first week, and is now at 146! 

The idea is that every month I'll try to provide an original hat pattern for folks to make as their charity hat for that month.  Some of these hat patterns will become paid patterns after the free month, and others will remain free.  Some will be by me, some will be by others who have been kind enough to offer.  (Offers still being accepted, by the way!  If you submit a pattern to me, please email me directly - esliney@yahoo.com.)  Other features of the Ravelry group include moral support, and a listing of dozens of charities accepting donations of hand knits.  Here is the first pattern, which will remain free.  It can also be found, with charting, at Ravelry.

January 2013 Knit Along Hat

Liz Marino

Materials: US 5 needles (this hat was made on double circs)

Tapestry Needle

1 skein Sport weight yarn (12-13 wpi) such as Cascade 220 sport

This hat is worked in the round. The chart represents one repeat. The hat is 5 repeats in total.

 

Cast on 140 stitches in cable cast on. Join the round, being careful not to twist.

 

Round 1 - 14: (k2, p2) around

Round 15 - 34: (p13, k15) 5 times

Round 35: (ssp, p9, p2tog,k15) 5 times

Round 36 - 39: (p11, k15) 5 times

Round 40: (ssp, p7, p2tog, k15) 5 times

Round 41 - 45: (p9, k15) 5 times

Round 46: (ssp, p5, p2tog, k15) 5 times

Round 47 - 55: (p7, k15) 5 times

Round 56: (ssp, p3, p2tog, k15) 5 times

Round 57 - 59: (p5, k15) 5 times

Round 60: (ssp, p, p2tog, k15) 5 times

Round 61: (p3, k15) 5 times

Round 62: (cdd, k15) 5 times

Round 63: (ssk, k 14) 5 times

Round 64: (k6, cdd, k7) 5 times

Round 65: k around

Round 66: (k5, cdd, k5) 5 times

Round 67: K around

Round 68: (k4, cdd, k4) 5 times

Round 69: K around

Round 70: (k3, cdd, k3) 5 times

Round 71: k around

Round 72: (k2, cdd, k2) 5 times

Round 73: k around

Round 74: (k, cdd, k) 5 times

Round 75: k around

Round 76: cdd 5 times

Break yarn leaving 8 inch tail. Thread tapestry needle, and weave tail through remaining 5 stitches twice. Draw top of hat tightly closed. Weave in all ends.

 

If you choose to make it, please do me the favor of submitting a photo!  We'd love to see it!  If you have any charities you'd like us to feature, please share that info, too.  Happy New Year!

Romance

I was listening to classical music as I ran errands this morning.  Although I'd love to pretend I'm educated enough to have recognized the music, I'm not and I didn't.  It was lovely, though, and hauntingly sad.

My daughter turns 18 today, a wonderful moment, which was also in the mix.  She has Asperger's, and is naive and capable, overwhelmed and overwhelming at turns.  And now she's 18.

With all of this in my head, I had a mental picture that became a poem.  How strangely romantic, to express music and emotion in a poem.  But it wants out, so here it is.


The vase is ancient,
The lines graceful.

Color shifts along its length
From a breath to a flame.

I love to see it on the mantle.
The crack is thinner than a hair.

No flowers.

Knitting for Charity

If you read the last post, you can probably understand my desire to help those who have fallen on hard times.  I started a group on Raverly committed to making at least on hat for charity in 2013 (click here).

As I've talked to people about making hats for charity, I've received a lot of interesting feedback.  "That's what I do with all my crappy yarn," I was told by one woman.  Why would you do that?!   "Can we start early?" Yes, of course!  Please do.  "Do we have to donate to a specific charity?" No, any charity that accepts hats is great!  "Is there a specific pattern we need to use?" No!  Use any pattern you like.  All of this feedback made me really happy (ok, all but the first one) because it was clear that people wanted to participate "following the rules." 

Since it's almost 2013, I thought it would be a good idea to provide some links to some terrific hat patterns.  Since it's a charity thing, I'm showing free patterns, but if you have hat patterns in books or magazines that you want to knit, have at it.  And if there are some free patterns you want me to feature that I missed, let me know!

Basic Striped Hat

The Basic Striped Hat by Shiri Designs at left is very easy, and great-looking.  You can make all the stripes the same color, as shown, or use up odds and ends of yarns in the same weight.  It's shown in the adult size (it comes in adult, child, and baby), and in an acrylic yarn.  Remember you may want to attach a label indicating the size and material of your hat so that it will fit the recipient, and avoid any allergic reactions.


Alpaca Earflap Hat

The Alpaca Earflap Hat by OzYarn is a classic style chullo hat.  It was originally knit in a yarn that is now discontinued, but it can be replaced with any 12 wpi sport weight yarn.  Try Frog Tree Yarns Alpaca Sport Weight.  It's a fun knit, and can be made in as many colors as you're moved to use.  Different textured yarns might make an interesting look, too.  Maybe boucle in place of one of the colors, tape yarn for another, and a simple 5 ply for the the third...  It's an adult size, and made in alpaca it's very  cozy!

Baby Jester Hat

Wooly Wormhead brings us the wonderful Baby Jester Hat.  I love this hat so much!   I've seen it in person on a few occasions, including two different versions of it at Rhinebeck this year.  It's very quick to knit in worsted on US 7s, and it has very easy shaping.   The recommended yarn is 50/50 wool and silk, but unfortunately the exact yarn is discontinued.  Remember, you can use any yarn with the same wpi (in this case 9) and get the right gauge and effect.  Try Crystal Palace Yarns Mendocino. 

Hesper Tam

Last but not least, enjoy the Hesper Tam by Wendy Poush.  The mohair in the yarn is what gives it the wonderful halo.  The pattern itself reminds me of church windows, and other beautiful Gothic things.  This would also look lovely in angora, or brushed cotton.   I'm thinking this could make a lovely chemo cap, too.  And wouldn't it be striking in a rich navy blue?

If you need more ideas for hats, check KnittingPatternCentral.com, the website of your favorite yarn manufacturer or distributor, or, of course, Ravelry.  There are several free pattern links on my Ravelry Charity Hats group.  I can't wait to see what you make in the next year! 

One of Those Years

Well, it's time to look back at the year and assess the achievements and failures.  This has been a very strange year.

As the year dawned, I had just learned that one of my local yarn shops had been destroyed by fire.  Then I was invited to write a post for the British Campaign for Wool, which was a wonderful honor.  There seemed to be some balance to the universe, however slight.  My Gift Knits Kit Club was just kicking off, and the members were very happy with the first pattern and kit I sent them.  Then I severely injured my elbow moving furniture.  More balance.

Well, the universe wasn't done with me.  I learned I would teach at Rhinebeck this year!  In April I published 8 new patterns.  I was spending lots of time at the doctor's for the tummy, but happily living in the land of yarn. 

I had a few very uncomfortable tummy tests.  But in May, June and July, I maintained my teaching schedule and kept up my design schedule.  If I stuck to a liquid diet, I was well enough to travel.  August 1 my FIL Lou was hospitalized with extreme pain.  By the time he was discharged a week later, he had been diagnosed with lung cancer metastasized to his bones.  6 weeks later he was gone.

October was spent entirely on the road teaching, and culminated in a wonderful time at Rhinebeck.  Colleen and I met the Savvy Girls from the podcast, and shared a hug and a few moments with Kerri Steinmetz of KnitPurlGurl.  In a Toronto teaching gig, I physically crashed into Kaffe Fassett.

In November I initiated a group on Ravelry to knit at least one hat for charity each month in 2013.  I had surgery to solve my tummy trouble, and spent much of the month wishing pain pills were better at their job.  And then, right at the end of the month, the world lost Kerrie Steinmetz.

Now it's December, and I'm back on my feet.  The tummy is good, and solid food is amazing.  I think about Lou, I think about Kerrie, and I've been knitting charity hats.  My daughter, who has Asperger's, has been escalating in violence and aggression, was brought to the hospital by the police for evaluation.  And her frequent tantrums have gotten us thrown our of our apartment. 

She's back on her meds now, and things have calmed down.  We've found a new place, and we'll be moving after the first of the year.  I still can't make myself knit Lou's blanket, but someone is going to enjoy these hats.  I'm ready for a happy new year. 

Best wishes to you and yours.

Ugly Hand-knits, or Halloween in December

Recently I went out to breakfast with my DH, and was slightly horrified to note 4 different hideous handknits within my view at the restaurant.  4:0 to the bad knitting.  Usually when I see hand-knitted pieces in public, I'm delighted.  And there was nothing to like about these pieces, so I started paying very close attention. 

There was a man walking a Black Lab mix in obviously hand-knit gloves in stunning yarn that appeared to be hand-dyed.  Not spectacular, but attractive enough to have caught my attention.  One in the good column.

Horrific cowl, knit in very pilled extra bulky acrylic, with impressive numbers of mistakes and inadvertent dropped stitches.  1:1

Puke-green scarf on a passerby that appears to be someone's first knitting project.  Every row was of a different length, and every stitch was a different size and shape.  2:1 on the bad side.  This was paired with a floppy hat in multiple mismatched yarns of approximately the same color, but different weights and fibers.  3:1 since I left the restaurant, and 7:1 for the morning.  Wake me from the nightmare!  What's going on?

It makes you wonder if there is a way to go back in time in knitting to find out what the story is.  When you're renovating an apartment, as you peel back layers of wallpaper, or pull up the floor, you see some of the history of the place, and see the choices made by previous owners.  You can see what the architect or previous interior designer had going on.  Where did the onslaught of ugly knits come from?  What were they thinking?  I'll never know what happened, but I'll hazard a few guesses.

1) People don't realize that sometimes a piece of knitwear needs to retire.  If it's pilled and misshapen, and blocking it and shaving it don't help, retire it.  You don't want to turn heads in a bad way.

2) Colors that are pretty in the store don't necessarily coordinate with your wardrobe, and a piece that looks good with a black pea coat may not look good with a plaid sport jacket.  It's fine to have a favorite scarf, but think about coordinating it with the rest of your outerwear.

3) If you're going to knit a small object in a fat yarn, like a cowl in super bulky, realize that every individual stitch is a huge percentage of the whole.  Mistakes will scream at you up close, and still be visible at a social distance.  These are not the mistakes to ignore!  Fix 'em when you see 'em.

4) Unless a pattern specifically calls for you to change fiber size and fiber type in the middle of a garment, don't do it without swatching, or at least looking at the different yarns in natural light.  Things look very different in the daylight than they do indoors.

The good news is that day was an aberration.  Life has returned to normal, and handmade knits that are lovely once again are the norm.  I'm glad you didn't see it.  It was frightening!
 

What to Give a Knitter for the Holidays

It happens every year: your loved one with a knitting hobby is the last one on your list, and you can't think of what to give them.  Why?  Maybe you're not a knitter.  Or maybe there's just too much knitting in the world to choose from.  What's a sure-fire gift for a knitter to cherish?
Never fear!  There are knitting gifts galore if you know where to look!  Start here.  As always, I recommend shopping locally as much as possible.  Our local knitting stores are the backbone of most area knitting communities, and the knitter in your life is probably well known to the staff of at least one of these establishments.  (They may even have a wish list on file!)

Knitting All the Day

The Savvy Girls Podcast is a knitting podcast by sisters Deborah and Melanie Gall.  Melanie is also a gifted singer, and has recorded a wonderful CD (click the link below the pic) of knitting songs from the WWI era.  It makes a great gift!  Colleen, my intrepid and magical assistant, gave me a copy during Rhinebeck this year, and I'm completely in love!  There's little chance your knitter already has one, and they're sure to enjoy it.

For the book lover on your list, The Vogue Knitting Knitopedia from Sixth&Spring Books is an extraordinary volume.  It has a little of everything a knitter needs - patterns, history, techniques, biographies, and more - all packed in one volume.  Every knitter will find things to love, and ideas to delight them.  The color photos, articles, maps and information will enhance the work of the most beginner and the most advanced knitters. Try your local bookstore, yarn shop, or favorite online bookseller to collect a copy.

Lantern Moon Ebony Knitting Needles

Every knitter loves to have beautiful tools that do the job well.  Few companies produce tools as beautiful and functional as Lantern Moon.  The needles at left are made of ebony, and are spectacularly beautiful.  The wood warms to the temperature of your hands, and the finish has wonderful action.  These needles, and most of their other tools, are not priced for bargain shoppers (the needles at left retail for around $24.)  They are fairly priced for high-end hand-made tools.  On the other hand, if they were cheap, they wouldn't be special enough to count as wonderful gift.  Lantern Moon makes a wide variety of knitting and crochet tools, widely available at local yarn stores.  You can also find their products at a variety of online needlework outlets.  Check out the complete line on LanternMoon.com. 

For many knitters, a yarn swift and ball winder are a pair of tools they would definitely use, but wouldn't buy for themselves due to the expense.  This pair of tools works together, with the swift holding large hanks of yarn and the ball winder spinning the yarn into balls without tediously hand-winding the balls.  Knitters who by their yarn at yarn shops and online outlets instead of craft stores often purchase yarns that are still in the hanks, and not yet wound into skeins or balls.  The photo at right is of a pair for sale on eBay.  Often you can find them in yarn shops and online outlets. Prices for the combination run from approximately $60-$175.  If you're not a knitter, you may want to ask for help in choosing a pair that are right for the knitter in your life.

If none of these ideas work for you don't despair; visit your local knitting store, and describe the knitter in your life.  Maybe you know they love to knit socks.  Maybe you know they knit for children.  After a short conversation, the staff at the knitting store will be able to guide your towards a gift that will delight the knitter in your life.