Something fun to look forward to after paying your taxes this week…..

Why do I dread tax day? It comes every year and it’s not really a suprise, we owe money. It happens….sigh. Oh well, I’ve paid my taxes and now I’m looking forward to this weekend when I’ll be at The Golden Fleece, 317 Potrero St, Santa Cruz, CA., Saturday, April 21 at 1pm. Jocelyn, aka Fiberdev, will be there with patterns and samples. I’ll bring the yarn! Its the shop owner’s one year anniversary. Now that’s something to celebrate!

 

What do you get when…..(part 1)

What do you get when … you get carried away with heels and toes? Whimsy, a sock scarf. I used to demonstrate antique circular sock machines at fiber and knitting events. I found that like at most public demonstrations you get many of the same questions over and over from each group of people passing by. On a sock machine most people really want to see how you knit a heel or a toe. After many hours of knitting heels and toes you end up with a wonderful Dr Suess-ish scarf. I can’t tell you how many of these I have made over the years but I can share with you how I knit them. After repeated requests for a pattern, I’ve finally written it out so you can hand knit along with me. Whimsy  If you happen to have an antique circular sock machine, here’s my method: (written csm instructions in a pdf format will be available soon too!)

1. Make a cup of tea, choose carefully.

2. Set up your sock machine and cast on in the usual way. I’ve got my Money Maker A right here:

3. Knit 5-7 rows, turn a picot row, knit 5-7 more rows and rehang your hem.

4. Start knitting again. Knit as you would for the leg of a sock.  Then you are going to turn a heel.

5. Now after your heel, knit some more rounds for the foot of the sock. Make toe but don’t csat off.

That’s the basic idea. Heels and toes, toes and heels, on and on.  Stay tuned for part 2 for details and the finished results.

Designer Interview with Fiberdev

With 2012 right around the corner and plans for the One Skein Club in the works I thought it would be fun to get to know the designer behind the patterns. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Jocelyn Blair, a prolific knitter and designer, over the past couple of years. Here in her own words:

Did you like crafts as a kid? What was your favorite toy?

Yes!  I loved the gadgets. I learned to tat with shuttles.  I adored my little plastic sewing machine.  I made tons of potholders using those loops and I had a Barbie knitting machine (maybe that’s why I like sock machines so much).

How did you get started as a designer?

Well it was mostly an accident, but I suppose it really was a natural transition from knitting other designs.  I was always intrigued at how things came together.  I have quite a collection of stitch pattern books and always want to try some stitch patterns out on socks.  Socks are the most satisfying things to try out stitch patterns.  I love knitting socks!

Do you do other crafts/arts besides knitting?

I can sew, my Mom was a seamstress so I learned that first.  I’ve made some quilts and I’ve done embroidery, I still have a sampler to complete from when I first got married!  I learned to spin and weave after I learned to knit.  And then there’s the sock and flatbed machines.

Are you ever surprised at what you are doing now?

I’m always surprise at what I’m doing!  Especially when I actually finish a project!

Do you have a favorite pattern/design? Why is it your favorite? What is your favorite item to design?

The last one, which was Mesquite Flat, but it’s always the most recent.  My most favorite item to design would probably be socks, but a close second is triangle shawlettes – I want to do more of those!!!

What is your approach to design? What comes first: pattern stitch, idea of an item,…?

A theme.  I find you have to limit your stimulus.  Kinda like having a big box of crayons, if you have too many options it’s harder to settle on something.  For the club I usually wait until I know the yarn, the color and the destination.  For the 2012 club I’ll have to decide the item first and that’s going to depend a lot on the yarn itself. 

What is your biggest challenge?

Once I have the item then I try to find a pattern stitch – that’s the hardest part I think.  For socks it’s a matter of working the stitch into the sock.  The same is true for non-sock patterns as well.  But some things will be more important than others .  Repeatability is very important for socks both in row count and stitch count.  For cowls,  scarves and shawls you have to figure in the shape and which way the pattern will repeat.

What is next for you and your work?

Handwerks 2012 One Skein Yarn Travel Club!

Do you have any advice for new designers?

Go for it.  You’ll be amazed at what you can come up with.  It really helps you become a better knitter and observer of all things.

Where can we find more of your designs and hear about what you do?

Ravelry is the best place to find all my designs.  My RavID is “fiberdev” you can also get to my blog from my profile.

Winter Mittens

Here is another lovely pattern from Twist Collective, Perianth, designed by Barbara Gregory. Two skeins of So-Soft Sock, Night and Lavender, is enough for a pair for you and for a gift. I’m excited about cold weather!

Sock time!

I’m so excited to be a part of the new Fall 2011 Knitcircus issue. Not only is this issue packed full of great articles and gorgeous photographs but the patterns are show stoppers too! I can’t decide which to do first, continue reading “How to Design a Lace Cowl”, the essay on “Bad Attitude” (great advice here!) or the interview with Jared Flood…….or start baking the “Candy Apple Scones” while casting on with my favorite sock yarn!

Candace Eisner Strick designed these lovelies in So-Soft Sock, Peach Blush for this issue:

Honeysuckle Project

If you were at Sock Summit then you already know about the new charity to raise awareness for breast cancer, The Honeysuckle Project, knitting for a cure.

What you might not know is the single sock , Montara, on the edge of the table in the middle looks like this:

and the yarn looks like this:

Patterns and yarn are available directly from The Honeysuckle Project. Individual patterns may also be available from the designers who participated in this initial launch.  I’ll be offering Montara through Ravelry and Handwerkstextiles.com with a portion of the proceeds being donated to breast cancer research.

Favorite scarf stitches

I’m working on a list for the LYS of stitch patterns for simple but nice scarves. Some of my favorites- Fisherman’s rib, Moss Stitch, Gulls and Garter from Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Vol One,  Garter Stitch Checks and Double Seed Stich from the 365 Stitches a Day Calender, and Lacey Rib from my free Lacey Rib scarf pattern.  Here is the sampler – still a wip (!) – Its a fun way to test out stitches and make a nice scarf at the same time.

Crown of Leaves

This has been an amazing week. First it was Labor Day, hooray a  3-day weekend; then I got daughter back off to college; and then Hunter Hammersen released the free Gramercy sock pattern in Sock Plus 8.  Now, I see that the Fall 2010 Twist Collective issue is out with Faina Goberstein’s lovely Crown of Leaves hat pattern in Classic DK Tropical Seas….! 

Its gorgeous! Crown of Leaves

New Book on Knitting Knee-Highs

Barb Brown’s new book Knitting Knee- Highs: Sock Styles from Classic to Contemporary is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. It includes several patterns: Omar’s Carpet Kneehighs, Calf length socks and Nice socks in custom dyed colors from Handwerks.

Here is the link.  I can’t wait to get my copy. I always love seeing Handwerks yarns knit up and Barb’s designs are gorgeous!