Close Knitters

I’ve been wearing this top a lot since the calendar said it was June.

While it’s hard to photograph, it has gotten a lot of comments. The front is open, and it drapes well. It’s really just a rectangle, knit in good ol’ feather and fan, with sleeves added on. A nice light layer for summer, and in linen so it’s very comfortable. And the linen drapes so well!

Joy is working on one, in gray.

This gives a better view of how it’s constructed-really, a big rectangle. The gray one, in progress, shows the left front, space left to sew in the sleeve later, and about half of the back. The linen really opens up when it’s washed, so the final top will show the pattern clearly.

It’s on view in the store, and of course there’s a free pattern.

Sewing up the parts..It’s a love/hate thing.

Some people like to sew. They view the sewing as a grand finale to the project, to be topped only by that moment when it’s laid out to be blocked. The blocking moment brings forth in many knitters utter amazement that they actually produced that sweater.

Some people don’t like to sew, however. They will go to great lengths to avoid sewing. They may do a lot of picking up stitches, but manage to not actually thread a needle to sew with.

Phyllis’ current project (okay, one of a few current projects- I’m not counting how many things are on the needles. Let’s just say that the wet weather means I can’t do yard work, so I can get some knitting done) looks sewn, but isn’t.

It’s the Tangled Yoke Cardigan from the fall 2007 issue of Interweave Knits. The yarn is Silky Wool, from Elsebeth Lavold. The original sweater was done in Rowan’s Summer Tweed. It’s knit from the bottom up, first the lower edge of the fronts and back all at once, then the sleeves. It all gets put on one needle to do the yoke. And no seams!

What look like underarm and side seams are a single reverse stockinette stitch. A fake seam, how clever! It defines the edges and the shaping, so it works the same way a seam would if it were knit in pieces and sewn together.

What’s that hole with the orange yarn? That’s the underarm stitches, which are waiting on the orange yarn to be Kitchener stitched together. Watch for the next entry, which will show how to do it!

Carol has finished her medallion!

Isn’t it beautiful?

The knitting report is that the center medallion is a fun knit, every row is different. The outer band is a four row repeat, the kind of thing that you start off enjoying, find that at some point it starts to get less interesting, reaches another point when it’s a slog through endless repeats, then finally gets a new burst of energy when the end is in sight.

And on another note-summer sock yarn is in. We have a new stock of Comfort Sock, a machine wash and dry nylon blend which makes great lightweight socks.

Sarah was inspired by the Christmakwaanzukah display, and decided to work with some “really old yarn”. She’s started on a scarf.

How old is the yarn? Old enough that we’re not exactly sure what it is, other than being a variegated bulky green wool. It’s been hanging out in the stash for at least a couple of years She added a strand of cotton, and is working it up in the one row lace pattern Jin used for a scarf last winter.

Great pattern! Every row is the same, so it’s easy to memorize and knit. It’s just a little more interesting than ribbing, with a nice texture on both sides. It would also make a nice afgan, either strips in different colors sewn together or in a multiple, to knit as one large blanket.

A great use for any bulky yarn.

Oh no, not already!

We’re not out to win the “how early can a retailer advertise for the holidays” award. We just want to answer the age old question of-

What to knit on vacation? What can you knit that won’t take up a lot of space, either in the luggage or in your lap as you knit?

Mittens! Socks! Hats! All those lovely things that you’ll wish you had knit come December. Small projects like these are almost instant gratification, many need only one skein of yarn. They’re small enough that you can carry it with you, and knit while waiting for kids, or watching at the pool. And you can always tuck a gift card into a sock or mitten.

Lots of ideas in the store, stop by and check them out.