Just a brief update on situations and so forth…

We brought dad home from the hospital yesterday.  He’s in good spirits, the surgery was successful (hiatus hernia, stomach up where it didn’t belong dragging intestine with it…nasty…) and now he needs to recover, gain some weight back and start moving around a bit more.

Because he is quite frail for the time being, I will be staying with him and helping out as much as I can.  And dear Myria, that unacknowledged saint, is also helping out - and a good thing too because my energy levels aren’t what they should be and she is so much more patient than I :)

Dad however (being dad you know…) doesn’t have an internet connection so I will be out of touch for the time being - not posting or commenting.  There’s the possibility that this arrangement may become permanent, though we’re not really considering it just yet.  But the subject has come up and we’re mulling things over.

In the meantime, I hope you all have wonderful holidays and I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can!

Just a brief update on situations and so forth…

We brought dad home from the hospital yesterday.  He’s in good spirits, the surgery was successful (hiatus hernia, stomach up where it didn’t belong dragging intestine with it…nasty…) and now he needs to recover, gain some weight back and start moving around a bit more.

Because he is quite frail for the time being, I will be staying with him and helping out as much as I can.  And dear Myria, that unacknowledged saint, is also helping out - and a good thing too because my energy levels aren’t what they should be and she is so much more patient than I :)

Dad however (being dad you know…) doesn’t have an internet connection so I will be out of touch for the time being - not posting or commenting.  There’s the possibility that this arrangement may become permanent, though we’re not really considering it just yet.  But the subject has come up and we’re mulling things over.

In the meantime, I hope you all have wonderful holidays and I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can!

Knitting has been reduced to fair simplicity lately.  I halted on the lace shawl as I was considerably attracted by another couple of shawls (and styles) and began to wonder if I would prefer one of those.  So, until I figure that out…

I finally got started on the second Endless Knot Sock a couple of nights ago.  God knows why it languished so long, but I’m glad it’s under way finally and am looking forward to having the pair to wear.  I do realize the picture is endlessly lame since it shows little more than a ball of yarn - but it was one of the better ones I managed to take this morning so I’m going to show it anyway :)

I am also working on something highly technical and complex :)

String!

Well, it’s actually going to be used as a come-hither cord for a monitor arm.  Eh, more explanation is required…

Last Saturday, I had to rush my father to the hospital as he was vomiting seriously and very dizzy.  He couldn’t even hold down a glass of water and hadn’t had any real food or sleep in 24 hours.  Oy…

The consensus is now that he has a hernia through which his stomach has partially intruded into the chest cavity, twisting in the process.  Surgery is going to be required and is scheduled for the beginning of next week.  Now, he is in decent spirits and not in any real difficulty now that the problem is known.  He is eating, however, on an entirely intravenous basis (except for the ubiquitous ice chips) and would about kill for a cup of coffee and a piece of blueberry pie.

In other words, he’s going to be in the hospital for a while.  I assured him this morning we could have Christmas in his hospital room just as easily as anywhere else and he seemed fine with that though I know he’d prefer it to be otherwise.

He has a nice, big room to himself which comes with a lovely flat screen TV (equipped with a nice variety of local and cable stations) on an arm by his bed.

It’s somewhat similar to the above image.  The problem is that when a doctor or nurse swings it away for access, they seldom move it back and he can’t reach it from the bed.  That’s where the string comes in :)  I’m going to work this thing to about 5 feet (or for however the yarn holds out - at least 4 feet, though) and incorporated a couple of knobs at one end (increase a few times, insert small ball of leftover yarn, decrease back to I-cord width, knit a couple rounds, do it again once or twice more) so he’ll have something easier to grasp than the skinny cord.  The other end will go around the monitor arm.  That way, he’ll be able to pull the TV back by pulling on the cord.

At least that’s the theory!

Goldie has discovered the joys of mohair…

Complicating things here chez Wolfandturtle, was the sudden (although not totally unexpected) news that Myria’s father passed away yesterday afternoon.

So we have things to deal with and it’s going to be a…strange holiday season to say the least.

In light of this, The Yarnpath and Chatters will be going on hiatus until after the first of the year.  I’m having issues even thinking straight, let alone knitting anything worth blogging about.  C’mon - string?  And you thought the sock picture was lame :)

I will be back sometime the first full week of January.

Until then, I wish you all the warmest and best of holidays and the brightest and happiest of New Years.  I treasure each and every one of you who comes here to read my paltry writings, and sincerely hope life continues to be good to you all.

I was supposed to get together with friends for a Christmas lunch today, but the weather has make that unlikely.  We had ice last night - lots and lots of ice…

These pictures were taken through my kitchen window, so please forgive their lack of clarity - I just didn’t want to go ouside.

This is the neighbor’s tree, half of which now lies in our back yard.  Providentially, despite all the things that could have been damaged (cars, garage roof, etc…) nothing but a few plants by the fence there were in the way.

I haven’t seen anything like this since I was a kid - there’s ice all over everything.  It was a combination of the temperature hovering around freezing and a storm coming through that dumped as much as four inches of rain on the area.  So there’s also flooding.

I do have to get to the pharmacy sometime soon, but I’m going to wait until this afternoon when driving conditions should be better.

Chatters is on for tomorrow evening, should you have the time and the inclination :)  Hope to see you there! 

Presto Mitts

I know, I know.  I nearly named these Yamp Mitts - Yet another mitt pattern.  I chose the name, instead, to highlight their ease and quickness of construction :)  And really, despite the lace (simple) and the beading (only every 10th round in pattern) they aren’t difficult and hum along fairly quickly.

You will likely find there to be most useful indoors, when a little extra is needed to keep those fingers flexible through the colder weather though they would be perfectly appropriate for cool (not frigid!) outdoor temperatures as well.  I love fingerless gloves for driving - these would be perfect.

These are made with fingering weight merino with a simple lace and bead pattern.  The beads circle the entire cuffs of the mitts, but are omitted on the palms so that things like holding a glass of tonic or a steering wheel don’t become problematic.  They work up fairly quickly and can be done in a weekend - if there isn’t a lot on your schedule :)

Materials

Fingering weight yarn - about 220 yards (around 50 grams)
Double pointed needles, size 1 US (2.25 mm) for average size.  For a larger size, use size 2 US (2.75 mm) needles.
About 150 (not quite) size 6 (or E beads) in a color to suit your yarn.
A size 12 (.75 mm) crochet hook for placing beads
Tapestry needle for weaving ends

Terms

K - Knit
P - Purl
YO - Yarn over
K2tog - Knit 2 stitches together
SSK - Slip, slip, knit
M1 - Increase 1 stitch by casting on a backward loop

B - Place bead.  Pick up a bead on the crochet hook and slip hook into first stitch on the left-hand needle.  Remove stitch from needle and pass bead over the end of the hook and down onto the stitch.  Replace stitch on left-hand needle and knit as usual.

Pattern

Cast 21 stitches onto each of three needles and join, being careful not to twist.  63 stitches.

Rounds 1, 2 and 3:  (K5, P2) 9 times.
Round 4:  (K2tog, YO, K1, YO, SSK, P2) 9 times.
Round 5:  (K5, P2) 9 times.
Round 6:  (K2, B, K2, P2) 9 times.
Round 7:  (K5, P2) 9 times.
Round 8:  (SSK, YO, K1, YO, K2tog, P2) 9 times.
Rounds 9, 10, 11, 12, 13:  (K5, P2) 9 times.

Repeat rounds 4 - 13 another 5 times for a total of six repeats of the lace/bead pattern.

Gusset, Right Mitt

Round 1:  K2, M1, K1, M1, K2, P2, (K2tog, YO, K1, YO, SSK) 8 times.
Round 2:  K7, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 3:  K2, M1, K3, M1, K2, P2, (K2, P1, K2, P2) 4 times, (K2, B, K2, P2) 4 times.
Round 4:  K9, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 5:  K2, M1, K5, M1, K2, P2, (SSK, YO, K2tog) 8 times.
Round 6:  K11, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 7:  K11, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 8:  K2, M1, K7, M1, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 9:  K13, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 10:  K13, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 11:  K2, M1, K9, M1, K2, P2, (K2tog, YO, K1, YO, SSK, P2) 8 times.
Round 12:  K15, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 13:  K15, P2, (K2, P1, K2, P2) 4 times, (K2, B, K2, P2) 4 times.
Round 14:  K2, M1, K11, M1, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 15:  K17, P2, (SSK, YO, K1, YO, K2tog, P2) 8 times.
Round 16:  K17, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 17:  K2, M1, K13, M1, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 18:  K19, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 19:  K19, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 20:  K2, M1, K15, M1, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 21:  K21, P2, (K2tog, YO, K1, YO, SSK, P2) 8 times.
Round 22:  K21, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 23:  K2, M1, K17, M1, K2, P2, (K2, P1, K2, P2) 4 times, K2, B, K2, P2) 4 times.
Round 24:  K23, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 25:  K23, P2, (SSK, YO, K1, YO, K2tog, P2) 8 times.
Round 26:  K2, M1, K19, M1, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 27:  K25, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 28:  K2, Bind off next 21 stitches, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 29:  K4 (joining one side of the gusset to the other), P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Round 30:  K2, M1, K2, P2, (K5, P2) 8 times.
Rounds 31, 32 and 33:  (K5, P2) 9 times.

Gusset, Left Mitt

Exactly the same as for the right mitt, except for rounds 3, 13 and 23:

Round 3:  K2, M1, K3, M1, K2, P2, (K2, B, K2, P2) 4 times, (K2, P1, K2, P2) 4 times.
Round 13:  K15, P2, (K2, B, K2, P2) 4 times, (K2, P1, K2, P2) 4 times.
Round 23:  K2, M1, K17, M1, K2, P2, (K2, B, K2, P2) 4 times, K2, P1, K2, P2) 4 times.

Bind off gently in pattern.  Weave in ends.  Make another one :)

Notes:  These are a bit shorter on both the arm and the hand than regular, outdoor, winter-wear mitts.  That’s because I wanted them to provide some warmth (and decoration, of course!) but not be intrusive.  Nothing is more off-putting that having to take mitts off every time you want to do something.

There are no modeled shots of these because they were made as a gift for a woman with normal size hands.  I have mega-paws and when I tried these on, they were obviously too tight and looked it :)  I have used this stitch count and the basic 5 x 2 ribbing before for mitts of my own (see Glacial Gauntlets of the Wolf) using size 2 US (2.75 mm) needles which worked out perfectly for me.  I had thought going down a needle size would work well for a more normally sized glove and am pleased to see that it did so very nicely.

Although not directly stated above, a single ball of sock yarn might do the trick for the pair.  I say that with some reservations (YYMV and so forth) because it will depend on what your knitting style is like and (I suspect) whether you’re making the average or the large pair.  If you have any doubts, it’s probably better to have extra yarn on hand.

I had not planned a new project for any time soon - in fact, I haven’t been planning a new project at all.  Not a big one any way…  But you know how the Universe sometimes feels personally challenged about these things :)

I am currently reading Terry Pratchett’s The Fifth Elephant in which there is a character called Lady Margolatta.  She is a vampire.  And I got to thinking that a lace shawl in a batwing style would be a perfect piece to name after her.

However, my mind currently being like a steel sieve, I couldn’t see myself coming up with anything soon, so I passed the idea on to…

There’s a Yahoo group to which I subscribe called MMarioKKnits.  Basically it’s a lace knitter’s group and a testing ground for the lace designs of the group leader.  Many of them are based on various fantasy works such as Pratchett’s Discworld or MacCaffery’s tales of Pern.  Intriguing and imaginative doesn’t even begin to describe it and the talent and energy of the designer are really quite astounding.

If you’re interested in lace shawls, you may want to check out this group :)

I didn’t really expect anything at all when I mentioned, in group, that I like the idea of a Lady Margolatta shawl.  I was therefore astonished to find in my email the next morning, a .pdf from Mmario containing charts and instructions, not only for a batwing shawl, but for a circular shawl and a cape.

And so, despite not having planned to start another largish project until after the holidays, I succumbed…

This looks to be a really simple pattern (good!) and shouldn’t be too difficult to execute - even for me :)  There is even a border of eyelet chevrons that’s knitted on as you go along…

The yarn is Knitpicks Gloss (70% merino/30% silk) and I’m liking it a lot.  It seems a little tiny bit thicker than usual lace weight, but that’s all to the good where my fumble-fingered self is concerned.  It has lovely body and a gorgeous sheen to it and I’m not finding it the least bit touchy to work with - YAY!

I keep telling myself that I’m going to set this aside until later because, really, I hadn’t meant to start it in the first place.  But I keep working on it, a few rows at a time, because it’s fun, because I love the yarn and, well, just because, I guess :)

I have come down with a major cold/sinus infection and coupled with chemo side effects, am moderately miserable and will be so for the next couple of days.  So unfortunately, Chatters is cancelled for Saturday night.  I doubt I’ll be able to even stay awake that long.

No worries folks.  This isn’t anything serious, just annoying.  Mostly I’m sleeping , when I can, and when I’m not sleeping, I’m either reading or meandering along the rows of the Lady Margolatta :)

Have a great weekend everybody!

I love wool :)

Until I started knitting seriously a few years ago I knew very little about it.  For the most part I grew up with (and in) synthetics.  I thought wool was scratchy, uncomfortable, difficult to care for and expensive.  I have discovered that wool can be soft, deliciously comfortable, and - if you plan carefully - not terribly expensive at all.  The only caveat that remains is that it does need a bit of careful care if it hasn’t been treated to be washable.  Certainly washable wool is an option, but I don’t prefer it so my remarks all refer to the kind that shrinks and fulls (felts) if you throw it in the washer and dryer.

Almost all of the reason for this paean is because the weather around here has turned cold and raw - more so than usual.  The temperatures have been averaging about 20°F below normal which makes things even nippier than normal for this time of year.  I do understand that if you live in Hawai’i or Honduras or Bali, you’re not likely to be a fan of the warmth of wool.  And I also realize that, chilly as it has gotten in Massachusetts, it’s not Michigan or Alaska.  It’s not even Buffalo :)

Here’s the thing :)  After knitting for several years now, for the first time in my life, I have quite a collection of things made out of wool or wool blends - wool, wool/alpaca, alpaca, wool mohair, wool/angora etc…  And when I go out, I reach for hat and scarf (wool), fingerless gloves (wool/alpaca/rayon), and sometimes shawl (wool and wool/alpaca).  Inevitably, at some point in my journey, I realize that I am warmer now during the cold weather than I have ever been before in my life.

It’s the wool :)

It’s springy and colorful - a delight to the eye and the hand.  It’s magic is slightly misleading in that you may feel that in donning that scarf, you are wrapping your neck in warmth.  You’re not really.  The warmth actually comes from you, your body heat.  The delightful thing about the wool is that it traps and holds your body heat so that it doesn’t disappear into the atmosphere but instead nestles next to your skin where it not only does you some good, but feels utterly wonderful!

Typically, when I think of wool, I think of sheep.  I imagine just about everyone does.  There are other animal fibers that do this amazing trick with body heat - some even better than wool.  Alpaca is a dandy fiber for warmth and mohair is nothing short of amazing.

A couple of years ago, you may recall, I made a mohair blanket.  I was in love with it then, and the feeling has only deepened since.  I even attempted to bring it with me on my last cruise and when my luggage was lost, the thought of losing that blanket was the only thing that made me feel panicky.  The warmth that pound-and-a-half of mohair is able to retain is absolutely astounding and, with a sheet, is able to keep me quite comfortable down to 65°F.  It often gets that cold here because we don’t keep the heat on overnight.  Sometimes it gets even colder.  I have woken up in the morning with the internal temperature in the apartment hovering around 58°F.  Good as it is, the mohair isn’t quite up to that.

So, earlier this year, I made another blanket - this one out of wools and wool blends.  It’s much heavier that the mohair - probably runs to 6 or 7 pounds - but it is also nice and warm.  It’s not, to my surprise as warm on its own as the mohair, but it’s nice :)  And together, one on top of the other, they seem to be proof against even temperatures down in the fifties.

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know I am anything but a yarn snob.  I use most materials without discrimination depending on what I want to make.  Acrylic, cotton, wool - they all have their place and I’d be the last person to say any of them should be dismissed out of hand.  If sturdy is what you’re looking for, acrylic can be amazing.  For coolness and breathability, cotton or linen are great options.  But for warmth, wool, animals fibers are so the way to go.

And you can engineer it!  For a little comfort, a lace or fingering weight yarn crafted into a scarf or a light shawl works beautifully.  For specific things, heads, hands, feet - oh god, is there anything so blessed to frozen toes as wool socks? - there are hats, hoods, mittens, fingerless mitts, gloves, leg warmers, anklets and socks, all of which can be made in a variety of weights depending on the degree of warmth you wish them to encourage.

And you don’t even have to plug it in!