Shoulder Shawl

Hi Everyone! First I must apologise to everyone as it's been a very long time since I have last made a comment or a post due to my DH's illness. You can read more about it on my blog helenknits. Knitting has and is helping me cope in these tough times.

What I do want to post about is that I have finally finished my sister in laws 50th birthday present the beautiful Shoulder Shawl by Jane Sowerby. I gave it to her on Christmas Eve and she loved it. Yeah!!! And here are a couple of photo's of it. I used Debbie Bliss Pure Silk in Purple, it is a wonderful yarn to knit with and the colour is amazing. It blocked beautifully.

A Day At Twinkle

My all-time favorite jobs as a photographer are those that involve shooting artists' spaces, and, of course, the artists that they house. So I was completely thrilled when Knit.1 asked me to pay a visit to designer Wenlan Chia's studio in Manhattan to spend the day with her for a few portraits and studio shots. We had such a great time together - and I thought I'd share some of the shots with you, as I'm sure there are some big Twinkle fans out there.




In the handknitting community, Wenlan is probably best known for her signature super bulky merino yarn - Soft Chunky (pictured below) (kinda looks like cotton candy, doesn't it?) and the wonderfully chunky fashion knits she conjures up with it.


She carries two other yarn lines, which I hadn't ever experienced in person - and let me tell you, being surrounded by handknit samples of throws everywhere you turn isn't a bad way to experience a new yarn either.

And while of course I had plenty of delicious knits around to keep my lens busy all day... there were certainly a few other things that I had a hard time keeping away from...


Wenlan's dog, Milan, has a huge personality and wanted to be a part of the action all day. Aside from being a photogenic little canine, he serves as inspiration for many of Wenlan's home designs as I soon found out.




I think I mentioned in a previous post about my Twinkle Chunky throw (Finished! Photos soon!) that I had come into a small stash of Soft Chunky in a special circumstance - well this is how. I saw these luscious throws in the studio and had to have one. And since Wenlan basically forced me to take yarn... what was I to do but gracefully oblige?







If you'd like to read up on Wenlan's inspiring story, check out the article in the current issue of Knit.1 for more. My very own Chia-designer-throw will be featured here in just a few short days... if I can pull myself out from under it long enough for a photoshoot.


I hope you are all enjoying the holidays and giving your knitting some extra special face-time. It feels like the first time I've been able to take a breath and truly enjoy my knitting for some time. And it's wonderful.

[If you haven't gotten enough of Ms. Chia, see more photos from Twinkle here]

Alpine Shawl

This is my Alpine Shawl, made from JaggerSpun Zephyr in Coral. It's about 75% finished. I've been working on it for a while now. I had to stop and order more yarn because I ran out. Now I am just trying to finish up some other projects before I dive back in.

Girasole

I'm so happy to finally be able to share this project with you all - I've been starry eyed for it for months, but didn't want to feature it here until the pattern was all set with t's crossed and i's dotted. She's all set now, though - and just in time for wintry knitting!


May I introduce my new favorite thing to have on my person at all times. In fact, I knit this in August while I was in the PNW (summer knitting is bearable there), but only recently, since the cold weather has hit us hard have I been getting to indulge myself. You'll see two versions shown here - the Blanket version (Yellow) is worked in an aran weight Wool/Llama blend (Cascade Pastaza) and the Shawl Version (Light Brown) is worked in fingering weight Shetland wool (Jamieson's Spindrift)(Swoon). They're both fantastic and so very different.


I'm consistently fascinated by how incredibly important yarn choices are when we knit, and how, especially with lace, a project can completely change in nature solely based on yarn construction, weight and fiber. My goal here was to provide a pattern that could have flexible function - if you want a big woolly throw to keep you warm this winter - you got it. If you want a more traditional, Shetland lace shawl - light as a feather and shockingly toasty - you can have that too!


The pattern is worked in the round with a traditional circular shawl construction - started in the center and increasing outward towards the edges as you work. A circular cast-on is recommended but not required - and if you've never tried one, I highly recommend it. You'll never go back! [Great tutorials here and here] My favorite thing about circular shawls is, as you may have guessed, absolutely no purling(!) - and this one is no exception. Also, every other round is plain knitting, so essentially half of the knitting is mindless stockinette, and that's always a plus in my book.


The pattern utilizes a knitted-on edging to finish off. Because elasticity is a prized quality in lace, any and all bind-offs should be avoided like the plague. Knitted-on edgings are a completely wonderful solution to this problem - not only are they equally elastic as the rest of your knitting, but they look great and add an interesting contrasting element (worked perpendicular to the rest of the shawl) to any design.


For you first time Knitted-On-Edgers, this is how it works: when you've reached the last official round of the center section of the shawl, you will no longer be working in the round. With the working yarn you cast on directly the number of sts for your edging (in this case 4) and begin working back and forth on those stitches in the edging pattern, joining the edging to your live shawl sts around the circumference as you go. It's a fascinating technique and a whoooole lot of fun. Read more about circular shawl construction + edgings here [Thanks, as always to Eunny for these exhaustively thorough, wonderful lace compendiums].


As with many of my other patterns, the bulk of the motifs are charted (I'm a chart freak, what can I say.) If you're new to knitting from charts, or want to brush up your skills here is a wonderful tutorial with lots of visual aids that I find very helpful. The pattern includes yardage/dimension/gauge information for both weights listed above, but I always encourage creative yarn choices and love to see how patterns play out with different yarns. Gauge in stockinette for the blanket version is approx 4 stitches per inch, and 6 stitches per inch for the shawl version. As always, though, gauge in lace is variable and should always be determined by your personal preference for the finished fabric.

The pattern is available for 6.50 (USD) in my Ravelry Store, for Ravelry members, or through Paypal. Just follow the buttons below.




The Brooklyn Tweed Guarantee: As a self-publishing designer, I strongly feel that it is my responsibility to you to present a quality product free of errors that is pleasing both from an aesthetic and practical point of view. All patterns that are self-published here at Brooklyn Tweed have been test knit by multiple knitters using various manufactured yarns to ensure the most pleasurable and intuitive knitting experience. I have personally prepared all diagrams and charts as well as knit/photographed samples and designed pattern layouts - soliciting the opinions of knitters prior to publication in an effort to streamline this product. I have done my very best to bring you a pattern that I am proud to stand behind fully. I do my best to respond to concerns or comments as soon as possible and, as always, thank you for your support and encouragement. Happy knitting! -Jared

Relm

Another hat with slouch, you say? Yeah, I was having a lot of fun playing around with that shape this season - it offered a fun variation on solving design problems for hats, so there it is!


Relm will be available next week in the upcoming Fall/Winter 08 issue of Knit.1 Magazine. [Ravel it!] The folks at Knit.1 are featuring a spread on designer-bloggers and each of us contributed a pattern of our own choosing, which I think makes for a great little line-up. Be sure to check out the other great bloggers' designs in the issue too! The magazine's whole look has been revamped and I think it looks like a great issue in general.


The yarn I chose for this is a new one and fantastic - "Aran" by Stacy Charles is a wonderful tweeded-out (tricked-out?) 100% cashmere that has awesome drape. The hat is as light as a feather and super warm, which was just the combo I was looking for on this one.


A quick word about the weight of the yarn: Aran is considered a worsted weight yarn because of it's suggested gauge of 4.5 sts to the inch, but remember that cashmere yarns really sing when they're knit up less densely than other fibers... hence, the yarn looks thinner than a worsted (it is) even though the gauge is the same. Does that make sense, or have I confused the issue further? Anyway, it's really lovely stuff... and did I mention the drape??


The issue hits news stands in December - but they seem to always start popping up early. The specs of the whole issue will go live on Knit.1's site on Monday, so be sure to check out what the other bloggers have served up.


I feel like I can't shut up about the cold weather, but I really love it. Multiple layers of handknitting get to be worn daily - it's what I spend most of the year waiting for! I hope you're enjoying it too.




And enjoy the issue!

Other Ways of Feeling Productive

Ah, super bulky yarn - you really come through on the rare occasion that I need you.

I recently came into a small stash of Soft Chunky by Wenlan Chia (more on how that happened later) and was trying to find a responsible use for it. I'm not big on super bulky garments - while they're awesome to knit and faaaast, I find they rarely ever get worn, by me at least.

So when the recent CE Webletter dropped, featuring a chunky throw also by Wenlan, also in Soft Chunky, it was wonderful timing! My obsession with handknit blankets is receiving it's regular feeding! [One step closer to my ultimate fantasy of being buried under a mountain of woolie afghans]


Soft Chunky is just that: Really soft. Really chunky. It's a single ply virgin wool - no coarseness at all. It does feel odd knitting with little aluminum broomsticks, but dang if I don't feel like a productive little knitter. Which right now seems miraculous.

The pattern is about as straight-forward as can be - a rectangle of the simplest of all lace patterns, trimmed in garter stitch. It's like a swatch on steroids.


The lace is key - it keeps the weight down and plays up how soft and snuggly this stuff can be. The best part: I'm about half way in and it's already functioning as a blanket while I'm knitting. The photograph above is the "WS" of the fabric, which in this particular pattern I think looks better (so I guess it's the right side for me. Oh so right).

And in other news - check out these cocoon like bats that I received from a friend in Michigan last week.


Texture-philes beware! They're a mix of Romney, Corriedale, Bombyx and Tussah Silk with plenty of tweedy bits for super textured spinning (from Crosspatch Creations) - Hopefully I can squeeze some in soon...

Isn't knitting awesome!?

The Usual Shift

As has become customary in the past with my knitting, in times of trial or heightened activity, the knitting swings back to its roots, and garter stitch projects starting sprouting up like little winter flowers.

For me, it comes down to the question of how to continue making projects that are smart and interesting while running on much less fuel than I'm accustomed to. And where garter stitch is concerned, no one is safe, including my lace-weight stash.


This slinky little number is a whole lot of fun, and perfect for countering temporary feelings of knitting inadequacy. There will be lace incorporated into the finished piece, but for now, it's knit knit knit. The great thing about garter stitch with such a lightweight yarn is how fluffy and airy it becomes, while still maintaining the squish factor that I so shamelessly crave. The fiber has a lot to do with it (always) - Silky Alpaca Lace is a relatively new yarn from Classic Elite and a total treat to work with. Sort of feels like it's made of butter... and I mean that in such a good way.


And for the slightly better days, when I want something to bring my A-game to (or pretend I have an A-game with)... there's a sweater of similar sensibility. I call it my "Yes-I'm-In-Grad-School-But-Still-Want-A-New-Sweater" Sweater. Simple simple, but with some interesting shaping and construction things that I'm having fun playing with. Not to mention the edible yarn (doesn't it kinda look.... food-like? I'm thinking... Oreos.) (Or... have I finally gone crazy?)

You may remember me starting a new sweater design with my Kathmandu stash a few months back. Well... I finished it. I liked it well enough, but wasn't absolutely floored by it. And the nagging question of "is this really good enough for this awesome yarn?" was proving to be quite a nuisance. Well, giving it time, which is the only thing to do in that situation, the illumination did come - a dear friend of mine was caught working up a Tomten Jacket in the same yarn and once I felt the soft, tweedy garter-squish of it, I knew what had to be done.

Instead of taking the time to rip out the entire sweater (always a bit depressing), I just pulled out the bind-off and started making a new one straight away. A nice trick to employ when searching for some sort of redemptive experience to erase our non-brilliant knitting moments and transform them into (*cross your fingers*) something better [See below for new sweater being harvested from old]


And if I've learned anything from my knitting, it's this: a good yarn deserves the right treatment. If that means biting the bullet and re-knitting a sweater, then so be it. (I should remind you that it usually takes a couple months for me to say that.)

But enough of my soapbox jabbering. In design news, I have a couple new patterns coming down the pike this winter, which I'm so happy to get out to you. And speaking of winter, we're down to 40 degree temperatures over here - the big woolies have been busted out and that means giant, happy smiles from me. Enjoy your knitting, it's finally time!

Morningside Neckwarmer

Phew - it's busy busy busy around here! I feel terrible for such spotty posts recently, like all I've been doing is dropping in to tell you where new patterns are at! My apologies, and I'll do my best to navigate this crazy year and keep you all abreast of the knitting that's going on (it definitely is!)



I did a little project for the Classic Elite Web-Letter last week. It's a one-skeiner and was conceived as a solution for maximizing that little bit of luxury fiber you may have hiding somewhere but have been too afraid to touch. I had a skein of Classic Elite's Stormy (cashmere tweed... 'nuff said) and whipped this up - I think it's going to get a lot of neckplay this year!





The pattern is available HERE [Ravel it] and is written for two different sizes/styles - both shown here. Each piece is knit at a slightly different gauge - the Rust version is knit on US 8's at 14 sts to 4 inches in Brioche Stitch for a firmer fabric that acts more as a faux stand-up collar and looks great under a jacket or sports coat (You may just fake someone into thinking you're wearing an entire cashmere sweater...) The purple version is knit on needles two sizes larger for a fabric with a bit more drape with added length for a more slouchy, voluminous style. Wearer's choice!





Have you ever worked Brioche Stitch before? It's a really wonderful stand-by and I love to go back to it every now and again. It's squishy and feels thick while actually being a very lightweight, lofty fabric. Great for cashmere! In fact, how many stitch patterns are cool enough to warrant their own personal web site? [If you run into confusion or want to read more about what this stitch is all about - be sure to read more behind the link.]





A word of warning about Brioche - the stitch pattern takes a little knitting to become visible. Blindly knit forward for that first inch or so, though, and you'll see the tell-tale ribbing start to appear.



Here's an idea I love - for the really cold-weather days that will be here before we know it, I like wearing these under wool scarves. You get the best of both worlds - rugged, woolie neckwear with a cashmere secret for next-to-skin delight. Also, cashmere has that whole 8-times-warmer-than-wool thing going for it, too.





The pattern employs some Cast-On and Bind-Off tricks that I like which help compensate for Brioche Stitch's wiiiide gauge - a double stranded Long Tail Cast-On (exactly what it sounds like - Long Tailing with two strands of yarn) makes for added flexibility and a nice edge... and the Sewn Bind-Off (I recommend EZ's) is essential for anything being pulled over our heads (also known as the Sweater Collar Savior).





Aren't you loving that we can finally indulge in some beautiful Fall weather? It's really my favorite time of year - you can't beat that beautiful light, and several of my handknits have already gotten some serious street time. Not to mention prime sweater-watching in the city - very inspiring!



** I'll be teaching this weekend outside of Pittsburgh in Sewickley, PA - if you're taking a class, I'll see you there! **

Porom

This season's second hat is quite different from the first, but a fun knit nonetheless and an interesting shape and silhouette to spice up any handknit hat collection. Porom is a shapely hat worked in Shetland wool. The simple, elegant lace repeat and healthy dose of slouch make it a great Fall accessory.





The hat is worked with approximately 190 yards of DK-weight shetland wool. This sample was knit with Jamieon's Double Knitting (the 3-ply version of the ever-popular Spindrift) and I highly recommend it as the ideal yarn match for this particular design. Shetland is light and warm and hard to beat where woolie lace is concerned.





The simple lace rib repeat makes for an intuitive knit, while still yielding an elegant and subtle texture with a great, light-weight drape. Shaping at brim and crown is integrated into the stitch pattern to avoid any unsightly visual hiccups.





I'm really happy with how this project came out - the undyed wool and the stitch pattern made a texture I really like, despite it's simplicity. It reminds me of coral or a bleached sea-urchin's hollowed shell. The woolen-spun yarn traps air and is a super insulator, despite all those eyelets.





A quick note about yarn choices - DK weight yarns come in a lot of shapes and sizes with a relatively wide weight-shift within their specific classification. Some DK weight yarns are slightly heavier and generally have a gauge of about 20 sts to 4 inches (Rowan Scottish Tweed DK is an example of this) - these slightly heavier DK weight wools are not recommended for this pattern. Gauge for this pattern is set at 22 sts to 4 inches and I highly recommend something on the lighter side of the DK spectrum for best results. Lightly spun yarns and animal fibers with great drape would look particularly nice. As a reference for stashbusters - Jamieson's Double Knitting is a woolen-spun 3-ply yarn.





The pattern is available as a PDF download and priced at $4.75. You can obtain this pattern in one of two ways - if you are a Ravelry member, Porom is available in my Pattern Store as a Ravelry Download. The pattern is also available directly through PayPal for non-ravelry members or for those who prefer to go that route in general. A preview of the PDF layout can be seen below, with buttons to both methods of download following. Pattern instructions for lace motifs are charted.









A short disclaimer: As a self-publishing designer, I strongly feel that it is my responsibility to you to present a quality product free of errors that is pleasing both from an aesthetic and practical point of view. All patterns that are self-published here at Brooklyn Tweed have been test knit by multiple knitters using various manufactured yarns to ensure the most pleasurable and intuitive knitting experience. I have personally prepared all diagrams and charts as well as knit/photographed samples and designed pattern layouts - soliciting the opinions of knitters prior to publication in an effort to streamline this product. I have done my very best to bring you a pattern that I am proud to stand behind fully. I do my best to respond to concerns or comments as soon as possible and, as always, thank you for your support and encouragement. Happy knitting! -Jared

Regrouping

September, for me, seems to consistently be a time for re-assessing my knitting direction. Time to circle the wagons, see what we've got after all that summer knitting and see where we're going. This year, as with last, it also happens to be the time when my schedule undergoes a rather severe change and I find I have new knitting needs that need to be met.

I've been floundering a little bit over the last week trying to transition from having the time and brainpower to work on intricate, detailed knitting, to striking a new balance with simpler, more intuitive projects. Things are still up in the air, but I did do a bit of spinning to help aid the confluence.


I pulled out a bag of natural brown shetland and set myself on auto-pilot. Lately more and more I've been craving natural, undyed sheepswool, and spinning this has been just the ticket for me in the last few days. As for knitting with it, I'm dreaming of some in-the-round knitting with steeks - something simple that shows off this beautiful wool. For now, though, I'm happy with endless plying.


I've said it before, but Shetland is one of my all time favorite things to work with on the wheel. I think it gets lot of flack for being typically scratchy and unwearable, but I think it is quite the opposite - so light and lofty, it spins up into a yarn that is fluffy, soft and warm - not to mention looking beautiful. I never tire of it.

In other news, as I was trying to physically organize my knitting this week, I was able to collect up all my swatches from this summer into one place (they were stuffed in many a nook and cranny) (oh the places you'll go, little swatches!) and had to take a photo. Is this a way to measure progress?


I have a scarily low number of projects on the needles (that's a relative "low"). After having finished up some design projects that were needing attention, I realized I may be closer than ever to digging myself out of the deep ditch of WIPs I seem to have created for myself last year.

Oh yes, and the woolly lace is progressing without delay and should be all ready for the click of the seasons that I'm expecting here any day now...



Until then, though, I'll be doing my share of knitterly spring-cleaning in hopes of reaching a balance which I can ride right into the thick of our favorite season for wool-wearing. It really is just around the corner.