Cool Socks with Lucy Neatby

Posted on March 7, 2011 by Heather

This past weekend I was able to attend a sock knitting workshop with one my knitting heroes, Lucy Neatby (and my friend from Ravelry, Sam (aka zyrene).

Me, Lucy Neatby, and Sam

As you can see, Lucy is a very colourful lady. (She also had on one pink and one blue Doc Martin, and a pair of tiny mis-matched socks as her earrings.) This energy and creativity is definitely evident in all her patterns, and in tips and tricks she taught us.

We made two swatches over the course of the day. The first (see below), used a Channel Islands cast on (the lovely nubby bit at the top), and then we tried her fabulous garter stitch heel (which I will be making use of very soon, I think). Next up was a neat method for increasing while knitting in rib, along with some ideas as to where and why we might want to do that. And then she showed us her modified conventional bind-off.

Cool Socks Swatch #1

My swatch isn’t particularly neat, mostly because I was using needles a little too large for my yarn so I could really see what the stitches were doing. Lucy talks a lot about making sure your stitches are happy, and with everything so large, I could really see what she was talking about.

In swatch #2 we did a crochet cast on right on the needle (none of that crochet a chain and then try to pick up stitches nonsense), a Turkish heel (which really needs to have the corners fixed, but that is part of its nature), and made a start on her toe-chimney technique for grafting. We received a very extensive handout, so I will be able to practice all the techniques and add them to my repertoire.

Cool Socks Swatch #2

I also picked up a copy of her new book [amazon_link id=”097828982X” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Cool Knitters Finish in Style[/amazon_link] and her older book [amazon_link id=”0973394005″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Cool Socks, Warm Feet[/amazon_link]. I wanted to get her sock knitting DVDs too, but my budget only stretched so far. (I was pleased to discover that she offers a subscription service for her DVDs. I’m trying very hard to talk the husband into letting me sign up to get all the ones I want.)

Lucy's autograph on Cool Knitters...

She also talked about what she calls “Navajo knitting” (an extension of a spinning technique called Navajo plying that allows you to turn one strand of fibre/yarn into three), and many, many other things. I came away tired, happy, and very inspired. I can’t wait to knit my next pair of socks.

Totally unrelated, but still making me very happy: I have a new theme for my blog, made for my by my husband. If you read my blog through a reader, please take a few moments to stop by and take a look.

3 Comments | Posted in Knitting | Tagged , ,

TUSAL – March 2011

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Heather

It’s the new moon again, which means it is time for the TUSAL posting. (I’m not sure why so many people posted yesterday, since the new moon is March 4th. So, for once, I’m not actually late. Truly amazing, eh?)

 

This month there are bits from stitching (Kitchen Blessings mostly), the dinosaurs I crocheted, and the socks I knitted, as well as a few bits from the cardigan I am working on for my mom.

Tonight I’m heading over to the Bata Shoe Museum to attend a lecture by Lucy Neatby, knitter extraordinaire. She is well known for her funky knitting patterns (you can search for her on Raverly or check out her website) and great instructional DVDs (and YouTube videos). And, on Sunday, I will be attending her sock knitting workshop that is also being held at the Bata Shoe Museum (we really do have everything on Toronto, including a museum dedicated to shoes).

The museum also has an exhibit about socks on right now. But, I’m not sure if museum admission is included in the price of the Lucy Neatby events. We shall see.

Anyway, happy stitching and see you on April 3rd with another TUSAL update. (I checked. 😉 ) In the meantime, hopefully I will have some interesting information from Lucy Neatby to share.

2 Comments | Posted in Cross Stitch | Tagged

Kitchen Blessings

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Heather

As promised, here is a picture of my finished Kitchen Blessings from Enchanting Lair.

Kitchen Blessings by Enchanting Lair

I made a lot of changes to this design. The biggest, and most obvious, is changing the colours of the silk. (You can see the original design here.) I used Dinky Dyes Aussie Gold for the lighter gold and Cobar for the darker gold. The fabric was specially dyed for me by Cath of Country Stitch (it is her Firecracker at 1.5 x strength; and thank you for Cath for all your help). I recharted the border partly because I found a couple of errors in it, and partly because my husband wanted it to be spaced a little different.

Overall, I am very, very pleased with how it turned out. So much so that I am very worried about finishing it. I want to turn it into a bellpull, but I’m worried about sewing straight, etc. I’d also love to find a variegated gold thread to use for the finishing, but so far I haven’t been able to find what I’m looking for. I suppose what I really need to do is just pull myself together and finish the darn thing.

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February Review and March Plans

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Heather

You may remember that I’ve decided not to set monthly goals this year. Instead, I have a set of goals for 2011 that I am working towards all year.

They are:

  • Complete all 12 10 remaining ornaments in my personal ornament-of-the-month club (one per month)
  • Complete all 12 10 pairs of socks in my personal sock-of-the-month club (one per month)
  • Stitch Joan Elliot’s 12 Days of Christmas for my mom
  • Knit a cardigan for my mom to wear when she visits the Vatican in June
  • Complete Victoria Sampler’s Christmas Treasures and have it mounted in its box before December
  • Complete the five four Victoria Sampler alphabet samplers I have
  • Finish Enchanting Lair’s Kitchen Blessing for my husband
  • Finally decide on a birth sampler for Baby Man and finish it
  • Improve my sewing skills

This month I did finish both my February socks (Kai-Mei) and the February ornament (Hollyberry Heart). I also did some work on 12 Days of Christmas, but not too much since I was struggling so much with the chart (I suspect that getting my new contacts will help with my problems; I am near-sighted, but I am so dependant on my contacts that they do have some effect on all of my vision, near or far.) I also finished up Kitchen Blessings, and I will share a picture tomorrow.

For March, as usual, I will work on my socks and ornament. I will also focus on finishing up the cardigan for my mom (one sleeve and about half the body are done). 12 Days of Christmas will also get some attention, although I suspect working on a Christmas design in March will be difficult.

I’d like to work on another Victoria Sampler alphabet sampler (S is really calling to me), but after finishing Kitchen Blessings, my husband asked if I would work on another piece for him. Several years ago I started Chinese Dragon from Pinn Stitch for him, but I haven’t touched it in ages. Here’s where it stood when I took a picture of it two years ago (and I haven’t progressed on it at all):

Chinese Dragon by Pinn Stitch (WIP)

So, that will be my second focus piece, along with 12 Days of Christmas. Do you notice a theme this year? I seem to be doing a lot of things for other people. And I haven’t even mentioned that hat I will be doing for my dad, or the Annis shawl for my mom. I think my theme for 2012 will be “All Mine!” 😉

I also wanted to say thank you to all 41 of my followers. I really appreciate each and ever one of you. And, if I can reach 50, I’d love to host some sort of giveaway.

1 Comment | Posted in Crafts | Tagged

Lace and Cable Socks

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Heather

More socks! I’m sure that comes as a huge surprise. 😉

Lace and Cable socks by Wendy D. Johnson

They are Lace and Cable Socks from Wendy D. Johnson’s book Socks from the Toe Up: Essential Techniques and Patterns from Wendy Knits. The yarn is Mary Maxim Bamboo Soft Stripes in colour Deep Blue Sea.

I’m pretty pleased with how well I did matching the stripes, given that I didn’t do any planning before starting. I was in the middle of one of the colours, and had to guess where to start for the second sock. (If you are smart, when matching stripes, you try to start at the beginning of a colour change, so you can easily start in the same place on the second sock.)

Close-up of lace and cables

The socks went fairly quickly since the lace was only done on every other row, and only on the front of the leg (and the front of the foot too, obviously). The cables were easy to do without a cable needle since the stitch that is crossed over was actually slipped for the two prior rows, and hung around nicely waiting to be manipulated.

These socks will soon be on their way to a new home out in British Columbia, nd I will starting my March socks soon. I will be doing another pair for the lady in Sarnia next month, which I think I will count as my March socks. They are LoveSocks, and will be done in the same pink and rose Panda Cotton I used for the other pair I did for her. I may also try to do a pair of plain anklets for myself (or at least finish the pair I’ve been working on since December.)

2 Comments | Posted in Knitting | Tagged , ,

A Collection of Things

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Heather

There are two schools of thought in this world: first, there is the Japanese way, summed up by the saying “The nail that stands up gets hit by the hammer;” then there is the American way, “The squeaky wheels gets the grease.” I will fully admit that I am more likely to follow the Japanese way, because I hate any kind of confrontation. (Which probably explains why I spend so much time at home, away from other people, and why I find it painful to make friends.)

Anyway, that’s the way things are with me. But, I’ve had a bit of a run of bad luck lately. First, the tips on my US10.5 Denise needle started to peel, and then I broke one of my Brittany US7 straight needles, and there was that chart from Design Works that I couldn’t read very well. So, I decided to be a brave girl and send out some emails. Here are the results:

Stuff I Got

A new set of Brittany needles (even though I only broke one; although three knitting needles doesn’t get me any farther than two do); a new set of Denise tips for my interchangeable set; and an enlarged chart for 12 Days of Christmas. Also in the picture is three skeins of Sullivan’s floss, which I requested after seeing a post from the company on the Mirabilia board offering samples. Not a bad haul, eh? I guess it pays to make waves (or at least a gentle request) when things aren’t quite right.

2 Comments | Posted in Crafts |

Ornament of the Month – February 2011

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Heather

I know that I said I was going to stitch Julia Lucas’ Home for the Holidays this month, but when I sat down to sort through the remaining ornament patterns, Sweetheart Tree’s Hollyberry Heart (1998 JCS ornament issue) jumped out at me.

Hollyberry Heart from The Sweetheart Tree

I stitched it using the called for DMC threads on a piece of interesting linen I found in my stash. It was only after I finished that I remembered I was saving it to stitch the Carol Elmer Santa ornament. Argh. Oh well, I’m sure I can find something nice for him.  I do wish I knew what this linen was though. It is a darker brown than the picture shows, and is quite lovely.

You may have noticed that the design looks like it is missing something. There should be a little red heart in the centre (Sweetheart Tree Ruby Cabochon Heart (SV-CP152)). I don’t have it in my stash, but I thought I had a good replacement. Well, the hearts I have are purple, and the brass Santa charm I tried looked awful. So, I’ve ordered the heart from 123 Stitch. And, uh, while I was there I also ordered Just Nan’s Floral Fifteen since it was on sale. (It was a husband approved purchase; a small reward for finally finishing Enchanting Lair’s Kitchen Blessings. Pictures soon!) So, I’ve fallen off the wagon a little bit, but not too badly.

Next month’s ornament will likely be the aforementioned Santa Bellpull from Carol Emmer Designs (1997). I pulled the floss for it today, and will look for some fabric for it shortly. It has a very large floss list for such a small design, but it looks like some of the colours are used for about five or six stitches. Fun, fun.

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