Feeling the Seams This Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday

Isn't this colorway just divine????

 Hello everyone - yes, it's another Friday in the wonderful world of fiber arts. While I'm working away on projects, it has recently dawned on me that one should never underestimate the design power of a well-placed seam. 

The trend in knitting and crochet over the last several years has been to eliminate seams whenever possible because crafters would rather knit and crochet than seam. I admit, I have absolutely been one of those crafters in the past.

However, I've got several designs in the fire, as well as previously published designs, that incorporate some well-placed seams. I can state unequivocally they enhance the design tremendously (and for a really large dose of seam love, definitely check out my La Peinture Blanket - the seams make the blanket, literally and figuratively). 

There are ways to take some of the sting away from seaming - most notably how one seams. I'm curious (and your answers will in no way affect any designs in the hopper) - what kinds of seaming techniques are your favorites? Which ones do you avoid like the plague?

Alright, everyone - do make certain you head on over to Andrea's - you know, that Wonder Why Gal - to see all the final write-ups for the spinning awesomeness that was the Tour de Fleece.

We had some rain at the end of last week,
and the flowers just loved it.

And have a great weekend, one and all!

When Top-Down is Just Fine

I am not a big fan of most top-down processes and designs. Top-down (trickle down) economics? Nah. Top-down management? Nope - not really. I'm generally more inclusive.


Of course there are excep-tions to most rules - and top-down sweater construction is definitely the exception in this instance. I've just completed my first top-down constructed cardigan, this Doris Chan design, and I love how it turned out. I love the yarn (Plymouth Grass) and the fit (mine is more top-of-the pocket length) is great ... because of all that top-down stuff. I can't wait to wear it this spring and summer.

Being particular can occasionally be well-placed. Occasionally.

Now make certain you check in with Andrea's blog to see what everyone else has under construction this Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday.

A Slow, Wippy Start



This lace weight's colorway is
entitled Betty Friedan. True to
its name, it was pretty
obstinate while I was trying to
wind it into a ball at one of
the area local yarn shops. 

Well, it's Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday, and I'm definitely fee-fi-fo-fumming through my projects in progress (at least the ones I can talk about). I have two small projects going, one shawl (cause when am I not working on a shawl?) two sweaters ... and then other stuff. So I'll provide a round-up of the projects in progress:

1. My Cables 'Round the Nebula sweater: this test knit is coming along ... at a snail's pace. I'm past the first armhole, and am some ways into the back. Since it's a sideways-constructed sweater, I started at the left front and am working my way around. There is some short-row shaping in the back, and this is my first taste of working short-rows. Can anyone say wrap and turn?


My Cables 'Round the Nebula: this
photo was taken just prior to my working
the armhole and starting on the back.

2. My Marbled Cardi: this is a sweater I started last summer (yes, folks!) and with the camraderie of a few Ravelry friends over in the 52 Projects in 52 Weeks thread, I'm determined to get this completed. I'm done with the body, and am now working on the front trim before I tuck into the sleeves (which won't be for at least another week). I'd really like to wear it this summer. Ummm ... do you think I'm giving myself enough leeway?

3. A placemat for my dining room table: This is my small, hopefully quick project from Totally Simple Crochet. I wanted to use up some of my stash of cotton in addition to wanting a new something to brighten up my table, and this little pattern did the trick. I really like how simple single crochet and chain stitches can, when using different colors, produce an almost woven look (sorry about the crappy scanner pic).

4. And my new shawl: This pattern, while not mine, is going to stay under wraps at the moment. Suffice to say that this is, hands down, one of the most beautifully lace-y crochet shawls I've ever attempted. Started at the beginning of the year (right after I finished my last one for the 2011 shawl challenge) I'm about 40% done. I'd like to get it done by the end of the month, but that might be a little optimistic.

Finally, I'm also working on a certain scarf pattern with a certain alpaca and silk fingering yarn. Since a certain someone has hers in (much-needed) time out, I will spare her, and the rest of you, with the update. Mine is going better than hers - no time out needed over here. The perks of writing your own pattern.

Here's to hoping I actually have something finished for next week! In the meantime, definitely head over to Andrea's blog and see what progress everyone else is making on their respective projects. And to all in the U.S. over this holiday weekend - take time to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy in your own, unique way. For myself, beyond the myriad community service projects previously accomplished, it's always worth it to be mindful of his struggle as well as how far we as a country have come, in no small part, because of that struggle.



60s Redux, Divided
This is a portion of one of my recent paintings



Not Black Friday - Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday!

Gorgeous Wonder Why handspun alpaca

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I must admit, it's my favorite holiday of the year. I love everything about it  - the cooking, the eating, the parade, the dog show (go Bernese Mountain dog! It won it's group, but didn't win best in show, drat), everything - except those darn Black Friday commercials. Everyone, skip Black Friday and go directly to Small Business Saturday. Just one person's opinion.

In the meantime, I'm working on several projects which are slated to be completed by the end of next week, including a shrug and a stole. I'm also working on a new sweater (ha!) - it's a testy knit for Shannon Okey (of knitgrrl fame) during NaKniSweMo (November is National Knit a Sweater Month). It's sideways constructed, and here's a shot of my swatch (yup, people, I actually did the swatchy thing):

That's a Louisa Harding yarn - Thalia. I love the color and the slight bling, and am really disappointed that it's discontinued. I've got a bunch of it in my stash ... but once's it's gone, it's gone.

I must also share some wonderful handspun that Andrea sent to me. It's a thank you for the shawl I made her earlier in the year. This is just an amazing skein of worsted weight alpaca handspun:

The colorway? Sticks and stones. Aptly named. And it's soft and oh-so-squoishy. I'm marinating on what it wants to become - but I'm thinking of using it together with a skein of cream-colored worsted from France and working up a scarf. I'm open to suggestions on pattern. Between the two skeins, I've probably got about 475 yards.

And, finally, get a load of my latest swap gift - this colorway is entitled Orion's Nebula - I love that!

The two skeinlets on the left are also great colorways. Nic, my swappy partner, said they were for hexi puffs, but I've got other ideas. Don't I always?

Thanks so much, Andrea and Nicole - I love my skein of handspun and the Orion's Nebula! There's a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving Day weekend, so definitely check back with Andrea's blog to see what's on everyone else's thanks-giving list.

It's Book Review Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday

Posey in the Granny Square, my sample from
Robyn Chachula's Crochet Stitches Visual Encyclopedia

Hello everyone, and welcome to this week's books-o-rama. Unlike some reviewers, I actually paid for my books (!), and so patiently waited until they arrived. (I'm certain the authors and publishers are happy about the payment thingy. :) )

First up: Sarah London's Granny Square Love (North Light Books). Australian crocheters seem to have a particular fondness for the granny square (I follow two Aussie granny square designer/bloggers - see my blog roll to the right), and Sarah's book does not disappoint. While geared for a beginning crochet audience (and the wonderful visual granny square tutorial at the beginning of the book will get any crochet newbie up to granny-good speed), the strength of the book rests clearly on Sarah's commanding use of color. This is a grand and glorious explosion of color! If you're into tans and beige, this might not be your cup of tea. However, if you love color and are looking for inspiration (whether or not a crocheter), I'd recommend adding this to your library.

Best use of the granny square goes to Sarah's wonderful pillow designs. There are several, in several sizes, and all of them wonderful. No wonder they grace the book's cover. Most original use of the granny square has to be the granny-covered headboard. Sarah has a particular aesthetic (think romantic English flowers meets groovy 60s) and within that parameter the headboard just works. She also has a great way with the camera, and almost all of the photos show off the designs to their best advantage. One minor hiccup: the placemat photos. There isn't really one that shows it off completely, although the toast looks great, and the requisite Vegemite jar is prominantly displayed.

The pattern directions are both written and charted, using U.S. crochet terms. They are clear and very easy to follow. Additionally, Sarah doesn't really stray too far from the traditional granny square - another plus for new crocheters. Her strength is color, color, color. And in that regard, this is a hands-down winner.

The second review: Robyn Chachula's Crochet Stitches Visual Encyclopedia (Wiley Publishing). Every designer worth their designing salt has several stitch reference books in their personal library, and I am no different. I purposely didn't read any advance press on this book, because I wanted a clean, clear book palate from which to review, although I will say that it was the strength of the author's designing chops that led me to make the purchase. Robyn has a fun, fresh design style, and I like her engineering approach to design (break everything into component parts and then put them back together again).

I was pleasantly surprised with the comprehensive array of stitch patterns across a broad spectrum of crochet techniques included in this encyclopedia. Chachula did her homework and successfully compiled a wide range of stitches not found in other stitch guides. Good on her. The cable stitch section is simply wonderful; the Tunisian stitch patterns section of the book is pure joy (to someone who loves her tunisian crochet hooks). My favorite chapters are 7 and 8 - square and hexagonal granny squares, and flower, snowflake and joining motifs, respectively. It is from these chapters that I worked up the sample (pictured at the top of the post). Even on my scanner bed, the strength of Chachula's motif work shines bright. She brings an almost Venetian lace quality to many of the square motif designs. I find them superb.

While I see the need for an edgings chapter in such a guide, I found the one here so-so. I guess I am spoiled on every other edging attempt in the post-Edie Eckman Around the Corner Crochet Borders world. I wish, instead, some attention might have been spent on hairpin lace.

My biggest beefs with this book are more technical/publishing in nature. Initially, the motif I worked up has a mistake in the written directions. However, the pattern chart set me straight (and all designs are written and charted in this book). While each row of a chart is numbered and in different colors, these charts are not for the faint of heart. They were created for the intermediate/advanced crocheter in mind - and one comfortable with reading charts.

I also found the layout of the book rather blah and lacking in pizazz. The design photos were rather perfunctory and there was far too much white space on most pages (which could have been put to much better use). Again, using Around the Corner Crochet Borders as an example, Eckman's book is half the page size (quite literally), yet each border photo takes up almost an entire page in vivid detail. Not so with Chachula's work, which is really a shame.

Additionally, Crochet Stitches actually feels like an encyclopedia. Wiley's publishing forte is in the technical/text book arena, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Yet I am.  This is also the same Wiley Publishing that put forth Fiber Gathering. A quick comparison of the cover pretty much makes my point:

Overall, I am excited about the design possibilities of Crochet Stitches. Like Nicky Epstein's Block by Block (reviewed here), my creative, designing juices are already flowing. Stay tuned for future projects inspired by this book. Just don't expect a lot of visual bells and whistles should you decide to add this to your personal library.

Ok - now head on over to Andrea's blog for a look-see at what everyone else is whistling about this Fiber Arts Friday. And if we don't meet in the blogosphere again until next Friday, have an awesome Thanksgiving (for every U.S. reader). I can't wait for leftovers.

A Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday for the Books

Days like today are the reason so many of us transplant to the Pacific Northwest and don't ever want to move away: sunny, blue sky, low 70s with a beautiful breeze, no humidity. The greenery is more verdant, the flowers are just that much more fragrant, and the swallows are chirping about. People are out everywhere - doing yard work, walking their pets, strolling with their children or loved ones, riding their bikes, taking photographs (!), getting errands done while soaking up all that vitamin D. Glorious, absolutely glorious.

It is amid that background that I photographed my most recent finished project - my Lettuce Leaf shawl. I cannot tell you how much I absolutely love this shawl. The pattern is the Critron, which is the crocheted version of the popular Citron knitted half-circle shawl. Worked up in laceweight alpaca and mohair, this blocked out so amazingly well. Can you tell how excited I am?!!!!

This is my first half-circle shawl, and I love how it lays so nicely on my shoulders. It needs just a little shawl pin on the side, but I can see this becoming my new favorite go-to shawl. 

And even though I'm once again a little late to the Fiber Arts Friday dance, I think Andrea might not mind that I exercised my freedom to move about my neighborhood on this awesomely lovely day. Definitely check back with her blog to see how everyone else kicked off their respective July 4th weekend.

Happy independence! Get out there and enjoy ... just don't forget your fiber.

Still in Process This Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday

Happy Friday, everyone! While I have no finished projects (still), I do have some progress to report. Note to self: pick smaller projects.

So, remember this crochet cardi's humble beginning?







Now, it's starting to show signs of cardi life:

I am particularly pleased with the yarn - both fiber and color. It's Plymouth Yarn's Grass, a cotton/hemp blend. I'm loving the drape, as well as the goes-great-with-jeans colorway (#9089). I'm a little farther along now than when this picture was taken, so I'm almost ready to complete the edging in the front and start on the sleeves (it's a long-sleeved cardi). The original Doris J. Chan-designed pattern called for ties, but I think I'm going to instead hit my button stash. Additionally, the top-down construction is allowing me to try it on as I go. I love that!

And remember my crocheted version of the Citron shawl:

Well, it's growing steadily, and now looks something like this:

I'm actually a little farther along. It's due to be completed by the end of June, since it's a test for the designer. It still looks like a lettuce leaf; the magic is definitely going to happen when I block this little green beauty. I hadn't realized the original, knit version was made for the 2007 holiday season. Things to keep in mind.

Finally, I received this lovely fingering weight yarn in a swap package:

This colorway is just awesome. There are some superb yarn handpainters out there - I think this is a prime example.

I hope each of you have a fun Summer Solstice weekend, and check back with Andrea's blog to see everyone's fibery acts of derring do!

It's Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday - Again!

OhmyBob, where did the week go? I have been intensely focused on completing my second pattern in three weeks - and here's the result:

I'm calling it my Every Which Way Pillow Cover, because it looks good on either side, and with the buttons either on the top, the bottom, or the side. Nifty, eh? It should be available for download on Ravelry sometime today.

I had sketched out the idea for this pattern about a year ago (the beginning of April, 2010). However, it wasn't until just recently, when I did a major rearrangement of my living space, that I got the needed kick in the pants to actually make the cover. I used cotton, but worsted weight wool would work equally well.

It also incorporates one of my favorite stitch sequences - Catherine's Wheel. Using three different yarn colors for the Catherine's Wheel inset, as well as super-big buttons, gives the pillow cover a bold, graphic look that I really love. And it's completely washable. And I designed it! Can't get much better than that. Nope. No siree Bob.

I hope everyone is maxing out on the Royal Wedding ... and if you're not, or there's a lull in the festivities, definitely check out Andrea's blog to see what everyone else is up to on this Fiber Arts Friday. Cheers!

Aspirations? Oh yeah! (6KCBWDAY6)

A portion of my
projects wish list

When it comes to my fiber pursuits, there are so many patterns I’d like to make, and so many skills yet to explore (especially knitting skills), that I wonder whether I'll get to them all!

I have created very little knit lace, and virtually nothing with knitted cables. I have a project with each on the needles right now, so hopefully I’m on my way.

The beginnings of my Falling
Birth Leaves, a Linda Choo
knitted lace shawl pattern

However, it’s a far more systematic, wardrobe-like approach based on several sessions last year in which I tried to identify what style elements I was drawn to. For instance, the Vogue KnitBook I created has 20 projects – cardigans, hoodies and pullovers, skirts, a bag and some mittens – that I would truly love to work through. I don’t know how long it will take, but it’s filled not only with lace and cables, but many classic lines and shapes.

Of course, that’s only the knit side. There is still hairpin lace, broomstick lace and sweaters I have yet to explore on the crochet side. I feel much more confident about my crochet skills and abilities, though, so this just doesn’t seem like such a huge mountain to climb.

The big hurdle will be issuing my first pattern – which I am working on right now. You'll find below a sneak peak at a portion of my hand-drawn idea. As I wrote on someone else’s blog yesterday, it’s a lot of work and a very involved process, to get from an idea in one’s head through to a completed FO. Nothing like this pattern process has shown me more that Plato was onto something with his theory that perfection can only be in the mind. The real world is a mere, imperfect imitation of what we can come up with in our heads.



A sneak peek of my very first design, in the
drawing and art stages



No more perfect ideas were ever thought.

I’d love to hear your take on this or any other design dilemma you’d like to share with me in the comments below.

I hope each of you are surviving and enjoying your participation in the imperfectly real, yet oh-so-fun second annual Knitting and Crochet Blogging Week.    

The Boogie-Woogie Beading Gal of CST (2KCBWDAY5)

A Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday disclaimer: since I have several FOs that will be ready next week ... and this is the second annual Knitting and Crochet Blogging Week ... there's very little fiber content in this week's post. I hope you enjoy it anyway.  When you're done, definitely check out Andrea's blog and see what everyone else is up to this week on Fiber Arts Friday!

I bring you a tale of a Crochet Small Talker  - many in the group will fit this tale -  to the melody of that WWII-era classic The Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy from Company B:

(FYI - The Crochet Small Talkers are a crochet group on Ravelry.)


The Boogie-Woogie Beading Gal of CST


She was a crafty gal from old Ravel-ry way
She had a boogie beading style that no one else could play
She was a top gal at her craft
And then her number came up - she was bedazzled by glass

She's crafting shawls now, and edging constantly
She's the boogie-woogie beading gal of CST

They made her craft a shawl directly from a book
It really brought her down because she couldn't hook
With any of her beads
Well then what do you know, she ditched that dreary look
And now Ravelry loves when she breaks out the beads
She's the boogie-woogie beading gal of CST

A-toot, a-toot, a-diddle-ee-ada-toot
She beads it one a picot – in crochet rhythm
She can't bead an edge unless yarn and color
Are stylin' with 'em
And now Ravelry loves when she breaks out the beads
She's the boogie-woogie beading gal of CST


She edges all with yarn and beads most every time
And whips up pretty shawls with beads shiny ‘n bright
They clap their hands and stamp their feet
Because they know how she beads
When she hooks shawls so sweet
And now Ravelry loves when she breaks out the beads
She’s the boogie-woogie beading gal of CST


And now Ravelry loves when she breaks out the beads
She’s the boogie-woogie beading gal of CST

So ... maybe a little embellishment ... but not too much. :)   Do you embellish? Definitely share ... and leave me a comment.

I hope everyone is enjoying this Friday of the second annual Knitting and Crochet Blogging Week. Only two more days to get your crafty blog energy fix!

Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday

This week is brought to you by mittens central.

A little while back, while running errands (which I usually do on foot because I love to walk), I lost one of my favorite mittens. I loved these mittens. They weren’t hand-made, but they were thick and the warmest mittens I’d ever owned. I was so dejected when I realized I had lost one, because I knew I would never find it. I was certain that, by the time I'd realized I was down one mitten, some car had already dragged it under its tire to an untimely death.

So, crafty person that I am, I made myself a new pair of mittens. Welcome to the world my Woolly Mammoths:

These are my interpretation of Lyn Robinson’s Friendship Mittens pattern. I’ve crocheted them using an H hook with one strand of Noro Kureyon and one strand of mohair held double throughout. The pattern is written so that one can customize the cuff length and upper portion (past the thumb opening) to better fit one’s hand. I did just that … as well as shortening the thumb just slightly. They fit me so well, and I love their rustic look and feel.

However, since this is the second pair of mittens I’ve made in less than a month, I thought some comparisons were in order:

As I had previously written about my Fuzzy Little Luxury, my red mittens are shockingly red. There’s nothing rustic about them – they are embroidered, so delicate in one sense, yet bold in another. They were knit from the cuff up, on straight needles, with a seam to sew at the end. (Knitting them flat helps with the ability to embroider them). The thumb is knit as you go. It might be my current reticence to fudge with knit directions (since I’m still learning techniques left and right), but I do wish I would have shortened both the thumbs and the upper portions of these mittens. Nevertheless, they will go perfectly with one of my winter coats – which is red – and I absolutely love them.

My Woolly Mammoths are also super, but for very different reasons. They will definitely become my workhorse mittens. The ones I reach for again and again during any winter season. Even though I used one fiber that is traditionally chock-full of color, the other fiber - the mohair - in these mittens is the color of café au lait. As a result, they are almost neutral, which is great for wearing them with almost any other color. I also love their cables and slightly stubby look – they’re long enough in the cuff to keep my wrists warm (forget about that annoying gap

between mitten and coat edge!), yet short enough in the thumb and upper area to be comfortable. Additionally, the thumb is crafted after the rest of the mitten is complete - another good way to ensure good thumb fit. They were also quick to work up -taking me two days – surpassing all previous personal speed records. Finally, I thoroughly enjoyed customizing them for my hands – it gave me a feeling of real craft mastery. Doesn’t take much for me, I guess.

Let me leave you with photos of my finished Inspira Cowl. Talk about pride – oohhhh weeeee am I proud of this:

Have a great, crafty weekend!

Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday

This week comes a tale of color and technique. The catalyst? My Inspira cowl.

Initially, let me say the phenomenon known as the Inspira cowl started late last summer, when a then relatively quiet person on Ravelry – Celerystalk - created a colorful cowl for herself, based on a neat hat a friend had made. She posted her completed project … and when the dust had cleared, over 700 other Ravelers had hearted her colorful Inspira creation (you'll need to log in to Ravelry to access the pattern). As I wrote to her back then, the little cowl that could had gone viral.

Fast forward to January when, after many prompts from oh-so-many people, Celerystalk wrote up the recipe for her cowl (well, three separate recipes, really) and started a little pattern test. That’s where my current project comes onto the scene. Knowing that I had previously done virtually no knit colorwork, nor any knitting in the round, and that I wasn’t the best when it came to meeting testy FO deadlines, she suggested that it would be perfectly alright if I wanted to sit out the testy phase of the pattern, and go directly to the finished pattern. But no, I decided I wanted to join the testy fun. Hmmmmmm.

I bought yarn for one version of the Inspira. I was thrilled with my color combination, because this cowl is all about color. Color. Color. Color. I bought my circular knitting needles. I was armed and ready for testy battle.

And then … I sputtered. I learned how to cable cast-on, and did just that. And then didn’t do much else. I wasn’t thrilled with my original colors. I wasn’t thrilled with the circular needles. I wasn’t thrilled with trying to not twist my cast-on stitches before joining. I wasn’t thrilled with using two strands of yarn at once on a circular needle that I seemed to be constantly fighting. And did I mention I w-a-s-n-’t thrilled?

So … the test came and went. Done at the beginning of February, with almost 100 wonderfully colorful Inspira cowls completed. And not one was mine.

Dejected was I. Frustrated too. But not defeated. Absolutely not. I went to my stash with renewed purpose, appropriated different yarn – a combination of three separate colors, in case I wasn’t already a glutton for punishment (two of which are seen above – isn't the Noro lovely?). And then, I had a stroke of genius (at least I think so) – I pulled out the knitting-in-the-round training wheels.

Yup. I pulled out my straight knitting needles.

I then performed my newly learned cable cast-on which, by this point, given the amount of times I’d actually cast-on for this project, made me a virtual veteran of this cast-on technique, and completed the first third of my Inspira cowl in the conventional back-and-forth manner.

I am now back to officially thrilled status. I’m also now relatively comfortable with the two-stranded knitting technique. As you can see from this photo, here’s what it looks like on the wrong side:

The best thing about working with two strands of yarn at once is I learned to lose what I’ve coined the “death grip” hold on the yarn. I give it plenty of freedom and breathing room, and it rewards me by behaving ever so nicely as I knit – no bunching from being pulled too tight.

And I’ve now switched to my circular needles, when there’s enough weight on the cable so there’s no need to fight it, or curse because I’ve joined the round with the dreaded twist. See?

Did I tell you I love this pattern? I do. Did I tell you I love color? I do.

Oh, and did I tell you I now love knitting in the round?

I knew you’d love a happy ending.