I’ve been working on the circular shawl and the gift mitts pretty exclusively and will continue to do so over the holiday weekend.  I’d really like to get the mitts done before my next hospital visit next Tuesday so I can pass them along.  Myria thinks I should wait until closer to Christmas and she does have a point.  But I keep thinking about how the weather is getting colder and that they will be useful far in advance of December 25th.  So I’m going to try to get them done :)

Dad and I are headed up to a nice restaurant in New Hampshire this afternoon for our Thanksgiving dinner.  The place isn’t open tomorrow, so we’re going to go today.  It’s a nice compromise since neither of us is up to cooking a big dinner and Myria isn’t a big holiday celebrator (celibratrix?) anyway.

Tomorrow, I will break out the traditional Christmas films - not, you know, generally traditional, but chez-wolfandturtle traditional - starting with Miracle on 34th Street.  Of course the amazing and wonderful Hogfather will get worked into the rotation as well.  Maybe twice…

I’ll have the Chat room open Saturday night, though I realize that those of you in the states may be traveling and/or visiting with family and friends.  Should you find yourself in the virtual neighborhood, do drop in!  I’ll break out the eggnog (it’s time!) and gingerbread.

Hope you all have a wonderful Thursday (and remainder of the week as well!) whether it’s a holiday for you or not :)

This has been a pretty rugged week, so I am going to take the evening off from Chatters.

Hope you all are doing well and that your weekend is enjoyable and your upcoming week treats you gently :)

See you next Saturday!

The Old

First off, the Alexstrasza Cowl…

1. 11/22/08 - The repeats on the right-side rows were wrong.  The pattern should be repeated 4 times, not 8 times.  This has been corrected and my humble apologies are herewith tendered.
2. 04/03/09 - The stitch count for row 6 was off.  This has been corrected.  Thanks to Beverly in Texas for the heads up!
Materials

Classic Elite Miracle, 50% Alpaca/50% Tencel, DK weight, 108 yds per skein - 2 skeins

Size 6 straight or circular needles - knitter’s preference.  Piece is worked flat.

Gauge

About 6 sts/inch, blocked

Finished measurements

8.75” tall, 20” around.

M1

Insert left needle from front to back under running stitch between the needles.  Knit this stitch through the back.

Cast on 106 sts, loosely.

Row 1:  (Wrong side and all other WS rows)  P1, K1, (P11, K2) 7 times, P11, K1, P1.

Row 2:  K1, (P1, M1, SSK, K4, K2tog, K3, M1, P2, M1, K3, SSK, K4, K2tog, M1, P1) 4 times; end K1.
 
Row 4:  K1, (P1, M1, K1, SSK, K2, K2tog, K4, M1, P2, M1, K4, SSK, K2, K2tog, K1, M1, P1) 4 times; end K1,

Row 6:  K1, (P1, M1, K2, ssk, K2tog, K5, M1, P2, M1, K5, SSK, K2tog, K2, M1, P1) 4 times; end K1

Row 8:  K1, (P1, M1, K3, ssk, K4, K2tog, M1, P2, M1, SSK, K4, K2tog, K3, M1, P1) 4 times; end K1

Row 10:  K1, (P1, M1, K4, SSK, K2, K2tog, K1, M1, P2, M1, K1, SSK, K2, K2tog, K4, M1, P1) 4 times; end K1.

Row 12:  K1, (P1, M1, K5, SSK, K2tog, K2, M1, P2, M1, K2, SSK, K2tog, K5, M1, P1) 4 times; end K1.

Repeat these 12 rows 6 times and bind off loosely.  Block and mattress stitch ends together. 

Notes

1.  This could easily be worked in the round by eliminating the selvedge stitches (which are included in the pattern) and working the WS rounds as: P1, (K11, P2) 7 times, K11, P1.  Cast on would, of course, be reduced to 104 stitches.

2.  This only barely breached the second ball of yarn so if you were content with say 5 repeats of the pattern instead of 6, you might get away with a single ball.

The bag is also complete - well, complete enough to use :)  I’m still thinking about adding an inside pocket but haven’t yet decided how to do it or if it’s really even necessary.

It made its debut yesterday and I’m very pleased with it.  I’m also absurdly pleased with the dumb little bird which I’m fondly thinking of as a name tag :)

The New(ish)

I uncovered a project I started quite a while ago and which just kept getting away from me.  I had originally intended to make this tall enough to be used as a hood as well as a cowl, but the rest of the yarn got used up in other projects.

It’s based on The Wavy Feathers Wimple which uses the gorgeous Japanese Feathers stitch pattern - one ideally suited to working in the round :)

I wound up pulling out a couple of rounds just to have enough yarn to bind off with.  This is an incredibly soft piece, made from Knitpicks (discontinued) Ambrosia (80% baby alpaca/20% cashmere) and is like wrapping a kitten around your neck.  Without the claws, of course…

And I’ve been wanting to make something for one of the girls that I see at the hospital regularly.  She has made my life easier on countless occasions and does her job cheerfully and very well indeed.  I’d noticed over the years that she has a strong preferences for shades of purple and turquoise and I finally remembered that I had some strongly turquoise fingering weight in the stash - Turquish Delight the first yarn I ever dyed.  Well I dug that right out, rummaged around for beads (you’ve seen these before on the Glacial Gauntlets) and got to work…

If the lace pattern looks familiar, it’s the same as was used on the Dana Victoria mitts except that instead of a bobble in the middle, there’s a bead.  I will discontinue the beads over the palm as they might make holding a glass uncomfortable or insecure.  But so far I like it :)

There was also some swatching following a discussion of a possible aran vest at Chatters Saturday evening.  While I was able to come up with something I liked, I now realize I’m going to need a great deal more yarn than I have to execute the project so it’s going on the back burner, probably until after the holidays.

I’ve got enough to work on for now anyway!

Have a great week :)

Well, we went out on Wednesday to collect the new World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lych King expansion.  And found that Lily’s left front tire was very low indeed.  I decided to risk the couple of blocks to the nearest gas station but the tire wouldn’t hold any air at all.  So we called for assistance and sat for 2 hours in the raw cold waiting for the truck to arrive.  Finally, it did and the man not only changed the tire for me, but tested the flat and told me he felt the tire was in fine shape, could be repaired and not to let anyone try to sell me a new tire because I didn’t need one.

That was good news anyway :)

Observing the ebb and flow of customers to the gas station was fascinating.  I know nothing about how these things work.  I come in and park, I pump my gas and I leave.  That’s all I’ve ever done and it maybe takes 5 minutes.  But I watched people park and go into the attached mini-mart and not come out for half an hour.  I mean, how many times can you check the price on a pack of gum or cigarettes because that’s about all the store carries.  Well, soft drinks and junk food, of course plus a couple of Boston newspapers.  Some folks parked, went and got a bag of chips (or the equivalent) and then sat in their vehicles in the station parking lot.  Me, I’d want to be out of there: it’s small, unattractive and the scents of gasoline and oil do not enhance a gustatory experience!  Maybe that’s just me…

I decided that there was no reason not to knit I-cord with whatever SWS yarn I had left.  If there wasn’t enough for straps for the bag, then I could consider other options.

This has been lightly felted and is actually still damp.  I’ll know better when it dries whether I have enough to be practical but I believe there’s going to be plenty.  What surprised me was how long it took to knit!  I-cord looks simple - and it is - but it took a day and a half to knit up about 100 yards of yarn into 4 stitch cord.  Who knew?

I also finished the knitting for the cowl.

I’m liking it very much, but I’m going to block it (including blocking out the ribbing) before sewing it up.  I could have done this on a circular rather than working it flat but for some reason my conscious mind isn’t picking up on, flat seemed like the way to go :)

I love this stitch pattern.  And I love this yarn - an all together satisfying small project!

Chatters is on tonight - bring your knitting and drop in for a while.  See you there!

The felting experiment went…erm..swimingly :)  See I decided to circumvent the standing at the sink thing which would have meant uncomfortable things for my back and legs.  So, on Sunday, I took the bag into the bathtub with me!

Initially I was a little alarmed at the extent to which the thing grew once it had gotten well and thoroughly soaked and all the little ridges where the entrelac blocks connected with each other had relaxed.  Fortunately I had read about this at least once and so wasn’t entirely unprepared for it.  So I sloshed and rubbed, pushed and pulled and generally abused the shazbott out of it and when my arms got tired, I threw it to the end of the tub and mashed it against the side with my feet.

This was one hairy yarn and man did it shed!  I pulled enough fiber out of the water to make wigs for the gerbils.  Hmmm…  Nah - finding little wig caps that would work gracefully around their little ears would be well nigh impossible…  Fortunately I was able to keep most of it from going down the drain although Myria did remark on the sizeable hunk of stuff in the wastebasket :)

The finished dimensions are 11” x 11” so it shrank a little more over the height than along the width.  I could probably (almost certainly) have gotten it to condense a little more than that but the fabric seemed very solid, most of the stitch definition had disappeared and the size was more than acceptable.  So I left it at that…

Besides, my arms were tired :)

I was enchanted by what happened with the seams.  They’re still there and fairly obvious, but the edges kind of melted together, inside…

...and out.

The front flap is a bit askew asymmetrical but I’m going to consider it panache and not worry about it.

The only thing remaining is the strap and decorative cord.  I have begun to suspect that I’m not going to have enough yarn left to make the strap out of I-cord - especially if I felt it, and I can’t see not felting it if I was going to go this way because it would be so much stronger and less elastic.  But not enough yarn would be a bummer and I am not investing another penny in this particular fiber.  So there’s purchased cord which is a real possibility, or I could forgo the decorative elements (entrelac is decorative enough on its own) and just concentrate on straps.  Or I could purchase leather straps, I suppose…

Still mulling that one over.

Oh yeah…

I found this yesterday in the supermarket.  It’s a robin (ahem…) and it even sings if you squeeze it gently :)  I know, I know - what can I tell you?  I was definitely in the mood to be amused yesterday and this guy did the trick.  I believe I’m going to permanently attach him to the bag via whatever I decide to do about the straps.

In the end, I guess I have to admit that the Patons SWS does felt extremely easily and well and if this is your end goal, perhaps the price, the rough feel and the extremely knotty balls are worth dealing with.  Me, I’m just grateful I lucked into something productive I could do with the stuff.  While the felting process was interesting - even fun - it’s not something I’m ever going to have any real affinity for.  My immediate reaction to the thought of intentionally shrinking my knitting is - Over my cold, dead needles! - and only my sincere and profound dislike of this yarn kept me from being too disconcerted about it.

I have picked up the circular shawl again to work on a bit at a time and the cowl needs only another couple of repeats to be good to go.  More on those things next time!

The bag is finished - well, the knitting is finished anyway :)  I’ve been too tired and wobbly to undertake the felting (by hand, standing at the sink) just yet, but I’m hoping to get to it tomorrow or the next day.  It should be a fascinating process to watch!

Its current, pre-felted dimensions are 12.5” in height x 12” in width.  I’m intensely curious to see how this will change once the thing has shrunk down.  I do hope I don’t end up with a coin purse (!) but I suppose if that’s what happens, it will be the sturdiest coin purse in the universe :)

I finally decided on a cowl pattern by returning to an old friend - Barbara Walker’s Dragon Skin.  I had all but decided to try the Silken Smoke that Elann offers (see Ev’s beautiful version here) but changed my mind at the last minute :)

I did fudge the stitch pattern a bit (of course I did…) by changing the center two knit stitches to purls.  This seems to give the fabric a bit more texture and spring and I’m liking the look :)

The yarn is Classic Elite Miracle and I am enjoying working with it.  Interestingly enough, it is similar in some ways to the Patons SWS.  They are both single ply yarns with very little twist and both are relatively inelastic. The Miracle, however, has a much nicer hand and a much smoother feel against the skin.  I haven’t run into any knots in it either and the SWS was full of them - as many as four in a ball.

It’s a DK weight yarn and I’m working it up on the recommended size 6 US (4.00 mm) needles.  If you work this on metal needles, you’ll have to keep control of it because it is pretty slick.  But I can tell you, since that’s what I’m doing, that it isn’t all that difficult :)  If you happen to have wooden needles who’s color will remain a nice contrast to your yarn, you might find them a bit easier to work with.

The color seems to glow just a bit - I’m sure that’s all in my head, but it’s truly lovely stuff.  I’m trying to be a bit careful because this probably won’t frog too well, but I really haven’t had any problems with it so far.  Perhaps knitting with the SWS was good practice?  Heheh…

Chat is on for this evening - got that holiday knitting started?  Drop in if you’re in the neighborhood :) 

On again about the Patons SWS.  The majority of suggestions you all kindly offered in response to my last post suggested felting the yarn.  I’m not a felter, have never really had any interest in the technique and don’t own a washing machine.  Nevertheless, given that I would never use this yarn for an article of clothing and did want to get at least some value for the money spent, I decided that was a reasonable option to pursue.

Happens I need a new purse :)  My devoted old red leather is seriously in need of replacement.  It has served me long and well and the thought of replacing it makes me feel vaguely bad - as though I’m tossing aside an old friend for a new one.  Eh…

Regardless, it still needs to be replaced.  Since I don’t tend to carry a lot of things, I don’t need anything too huge and a purse, since it isn’t worn next to the skin usually, won’t itch :).  And since I already knew what the yarn would look like when worked in a standard back-and-forth fashion, I decided to see what the entrelac results would be.

First, the initial swatch…

This is worked in the Yarn Harlot’s One-row pattern - a beautiful stitch for setting off an interplay of colors.

Now, the entrelac…

I’ve seen self-striping yarn worked up in entrelac before so I had some idea of what to expect.  But I was still blown away by what happened to the colors when the yarn was worked this way - maybe because it was me doing the work this time :)  Who knows?

That line down the middle is the division between the front and back of the bag - and believe me, I’m keeping this very simple :)  A front, a back and a flap that can be buttoned or clasped closed.  That’s it :)  Oh, and I-cord.  Lots and lots of I-cord.  That initial swatch above is going to be disassembled for the cord part of the project.

I want the cord to go all around the sides, bottom and flap of the bag and to form the shoulder strap as well.  I think I can do this as a single, contiguous piece and to that end, I worked out a little diagram to help me visualize how it could go…

Forgive the mediocre drawing - an artist I’m not :)

Beginning at S and following the arrow points along the line, this is what I envision the I-cord path will be.  It covers all the points I want covered and does so as one, long unbroken line, ending at E.  It’s geeky, I know.  What can I tell you?

Now I looked up people’s experiences with felting the SWS to have some idea of what to expect.  One of the things I ran into frequently were folks commenting on how fast this stuff shrinks down.  Given that, I think I may try felting this in the sink rather than co-opting my dad’s washing machine for a morning.

I also know, from reading about this yarn and about others, that shrinkage will occur far more along height than width.  Since entrelac is not knitted in a straight back-and-forth fashion across the width of the object being worked, I’m not sure what to expect there.  Even better, I-cord is knitted that way.  Well, not so much a back-and-forth as an around-and-around but the end result is the same.  In combination with the entrelac, what might the results be?  I can see me getting to the end of the felting process and winding up with a completely puckered purse!  Not that that wouldn’t be interesting, but it’s not exactly what I’m looking for :)

I guess the only way to find out is to try it so that’s my plan - to try it and see what happens.

On another subject entirely, I want to recommend a movie.  It’s silly and contains little in the way of plot elements that you haven’t seen before (many times), but it is beautifully animated, well written, well cast and absolutely hilarious.

This isn’t Schindler’s List or even Lord of the Rings but it surely is worth seeing.  I haven’t so thoroughly enjoyed a movie, nor laughed so hard at some of its antics in a very long time.  The irrepressible Jack Black voices Po the Panda who dreams of being a Kung Fu warrior.  I love Jack Black - I don’t know why, I just do and he is more that adequate to this role.  In fact he’s perfect.  Po is amiable, laughable and engaging.  Through a series of events (Unlikely and coincidental?  Maybe, maybe not…) he is named the Dragon Warrior - the one who will save the village from the evil that is heading straight for it.  Of course those with more training and far more perfected skills (Po has no training and no skills except possibly for making noodle soup) are confused and hurt by the selection of the panda.  But if he is inept, he is also indefatigable, indestructible and he will never, ever quit.

Just watch it.  I’d say I don’t want to give the story away, but even the preceding paragraph should tell you all you need to know about the plot, what it’s about and where it’s going.  It’s not the story though - it’s how it’s told.  This is one of the funniest - and sometimes touching - 90 minutes of movie you’ve seen in a long time.

It will be released on DVD on November 8th.

Treat yourself :)