Portrait finished, maybe…

June 2, 2013 By in Finished Projects Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 6 Comments

Can you love all finished projects with the same fervor?  It is not necessarily the feeling of happiness I wanted.  I am not saying I am not happy.  Maybe, more undecided.    I have asked myself, what would I change?  How could I make it better?  or more to my liking?  more exciting?  And, I do not come up with any answers.  And, yes, if I were not satisfied I would not hesitate to rip the entire project out and start, again.  (I am remembering a time I ripped out an entire sweater AFTER wearing it a bunch of times.)

I must explain that I am not necessarily enamored with yarn and feel like I MUST knit with the latest fiber that has been introduced to the market, nor am I taken with the latest most popular design (not at all), or I MUST follow a particular designer (even though I do have my favorites).  I follow my heart.  And, that is what I did with this project having fallen in love with the pattern some 25 years, ago.  Yup, look at the date, Vogue Knitting Fall/Winter 1988.  Maybe, it was the wording on the pattern or the beautiful model with her striking pose, but imagine an image staying with you for 25 years to the point where you finally find time to work that project up!  And, then imagine having some consternation over it.  ugh

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Not such an outlandish pattern, as you see above, nor is it your basic cardi with its elongated body meant to be 36 inches at the longest part in back for the smallest size; it does sport a curved front, high v-neck, and knotted buttons.  Having a nice open tweedy eyelet lace over-all pattern, designed by Carol Covington, I thought it classic enough while offering a bit of a twist of interest to make and wear today.  And, so I did.

I did eliminate the knotted buttons for a few reasons:  durability, changeability, and I did not like the method of knitting the band while picking up stitches along the outside edge.  I felt the ribbed band would gape in spots and when I attempted it, I did not like the way the two were joining.  I knitted the band separately with an edge of garter stitich (knitting every row) to form a selvage.  I then sewed the band into one giant loop, marking shoulder seams and side seams.  Placing right sides together, the band seam at one shoulder, and with the band slightly taut, I easily sewed (crocheted) it to the outer edge.  Now, if I want to change the buttons at a later date, I will easily be able to do so.  Also, to keep the band from stretching over those large buttons, I sewed snaps under the buttons rather than made buttonholes.  I am pleased with this method as it will keep the band much more durable than otherwise.

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Tomorrow, the temps are to drop to the lower 60′s and I will wear this outfit.  Truly, the test of success (as much as my hubby might otherwise think it’s really HIS opinion that counts!)  And, after wearing a few times,  I will let you know how she goes!

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Knitting Tools for Puppy Trainers

April 27, 2013 By in Humor Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Knitting tools, you ask?  Let’s take each item.  The ceramic bowl in the background is filled with dog treats.  How else does one make one’s pet happy when one wants a bit of knitting time away from the throngs of  pet-dom? (at least, for a little while)   The beautiful biking gloves in the forefront were a recent gift from my hubby as I had been complaining of aches and pains of handling the above-mentioned Ball of Energy.  Walks are now a piece of cake (with the leash no longer rubbing and causing blisters) and are allowing my fingers to stay nimble for stitch work.  Lubriderm has been a staple in our arsenal of beauty supplies for years and years.  (My hands have become brutalized from maintenance of said beastie).  With regular use, I can continue to appreciate the multitude of fibers that weave their way through my fingers.  And the Paddy, you ask?  Does that really need explaining?

Knitting is not a Competitive Sport, or …

April 20, 2013 By in Humor Tags: , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

I recently read a post called Knitting is NOT a Competitive Sport on my friend’s blog.  The writer was expressing her thoughts on her observations of the productivity of other knitters as compared to hers and how the internet has allowed this to be so obvious to her.  Her apparent awareness of x number of projects per year of other knitters is made clear to her by her connection with Ravelry, an online site for knitters and crocheters. Her participation in groups or forums, noticing the frequency of speed knitters’ newly posted project pictures, and reading comments has caused her reflection.   Well, I, too have noticed the same and have thought similar thoughts wondering why it was I was not able to produce at such speeds.  But, giving more thought, it simply does not bother me.  May I suggest the following Top Ten on why I actually believe having less is more, or at the very least, it is a positive outlook on my reality.

10.  Others come before knitting.

9.  Work.

8.  I want balance in life.

7.  Puppy training.

6.  Control internet surf time and place.

5.  What can one do with those newly knitted 200 sweaters per year?

4.  Storage?

3.  One project does not equal another.

2.  Quality!

1.  WHO CARES?

That said, check out the below!

and if that isn’t enough…

‘Extreme knitting redhead’ Susie Hewer in marathon record bid

Susie Hewer
Ms Hewer has set two world records at the London Marathon.  A fundraiser from Sussex will attempt to break her own world record for knitting the longest scarf while running a marathon.

Susie Hewer, known as “the extreme knitting redhead”, will attempt the Virgin London Marathon in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK on 21 April.

Near One Year Birthday!

April 18, 2013 By in About the Title, Reflections Tags: , , , , , , , , , 10 Comments

I couldn’t quite wait until June!  In honor of the one year birth of this blog, please enjoy:

1.  New WordPress format that is clean looking with lots of white space to highlight the knitting!

2.  New header photo for a change in appearance.

3.  A second page entitled Collection to share and give credence to a knitter’s past.

4.  A change to the name of the blog, HOLLY KNITS.  Simple, identifiable, me!

5.  Finally, the launch of a logo for a fresh, professional look!

Loopy Hoodie Finished!

April 5, 2013 By in Finished Projects Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 10 Comments

I love texture.  I love dolman sleeves.  I love oversized tops and I love hoods.   What can I say?  I love this project!  However, I wasn’t thrilled when Vogue Knitting, 360 suggested muppet-like.  (Keep in mind, it was knitted in purple.)  No, I do not want to look like a muppet nor did I “see” muppet when I fell in love with it.

I am not familiar with Cascade Yarns’ Kid Seta nor the loop stitch nor zig zag rib; all beautiful, however…   all three caused this project to feel endless and created much anxiety for me.  The yarn itself floats in air and defies gravity.  Just pulling it from its skein was a timely matter.  The stitches clung to the wooden needles, they were difficult to count, and they needed stretching to see where to knit into them.    Hubby’s commentary about the yarn did not help matters.  The loop stitch is made throughout the entire body (as you can see) and is done every fourth stitch.  Knit 3, then loop stitch.  The loop stitch is made by knitting into a stitch, then winding yarn around your thumb and needle 3 times into the front, back, front, back, causing the loops, then to knit those 4 stitches together and pull taut.  Each loop stitch probably took a minute, maybe two or three and that was after I got good at it.   The zig zag rib was equally timely in its construction.  Let’s just say, this project took forever to make.  And the worst part (for me) was the inability to rip out.  When you pull the loop stitch taut, it is like securing the stitch or creating a knot, which is a good thing for its durability.  However, the fibers of the yarn with the loop stitch made the fabric virtually unable to redo.  So, I knew that if I needed to re-knit any of it for fit reasons or for re-shaping, I would need to cut out the mistake rather than pull it out so I purchased three extra balls of yarn to insure enough yardage.  And, I used two of those balls.  Transitioning to Addy Turbo Lace metal rounds made for some (minimal) ease and speed (barely) of the knitting.  Swearing a lot along the way helped, too.

All that said, I cannot tell you how pleased I am with this project.  You could ask me… was it worth it?  Do you love it?  Would you make another in a different color?  And, as any true knitter would say…. Of course!  And the knitter, at least this one, would not remember any of the frustration that occurred along the way.

Here I am at the beautiful, albeit frosty Niagara River, early April 2013, in my silver-grey loopy hoodie, designed by Jeannie Chin (kudos to her) from Vogue Knitting Fall 2012 and pants from the fabulous, Lululemon.

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