Contest winner!

Today is our fifth wedding anniversary! We went for dinner at a nice restaurant and came home to this beautiful bouquet from Boy's parents from our favorite florist.

But you want to know who the contest winner is and what was in the mystery box, right? No one guessed correctly, which I attribute to my somewhat misleading clue #2. Yes, I ordered from Spunky Eclectic but it was a special order so the item wasn't listed on Amy's website...

A new lazy kate! After taking a spinning class with Barb Parry, I realized that I was "fighting" with the lazy kate that came with my Victoria. This one has an adjustable brake so the angle is more convenient when plying and it still fits in my carrying bag. Now I can make 3-ply yarn!

I used Random.org to choose one of the 14 comments. The output was 10 and the 10th comment was Kathleen's. Congrats Kathleen! (I'll get your prize preferences via KR)

Thank you everyone for participating! (Anna, I really think you should mention to Louet your idea of a kit for making yarn lollipops for toddlers) Your guesses gave me ideas for future gifts and my birthday is not too far away...

Contest

Mystery box
Originally uploaded by miminh3

In one week, Boy and I are celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary for which the traditional gift theme is "wood". Of course, I asked for a knitting/spinning related present and it arrived today!

The contest is simple: leave a comment with your guess as to what's in the mystery box by Sunday, March 28 11:59pm EST.
Clue 1 - it is a Louet product
Clue 2 - it was bought from Amy at Spunky Eclectic

I will pick from the correct answers (if there's no correct answer, I will pick randomly) and send the winner a box of goodies based on his/her preferences.
- If you're a beginning spinner, I'll send you a Golding spindle and roving.
- If you're a knitter, I will dive in my stash to find yarn in your preferred color family and preferred weight (lace/fingering/sport/worsted).

Thanks for playing!

Défi 13 de mars: Croisière

La Novia scarf
Originally uploaded by miminh3

Hissez haut matelots! J'adore le thème de ce mois-ci parce que je vais partir en croisière au mois de mai. Pas n'importe quelle croisière non plus: une croisière en Alaska avec des cours de tricot! (cinq cours en tout, avec Donna Druchunas et Lucy Neatby)

Ma création est donc une écharpe pour me tenir chaud sur le pont, un merveilleux mélange de douceur (le fil est un mélange d'alpaca, soie, et de laine cormo de Foxfire fiber) et de vagues (modèle "La Novia" d'Anne Hanson). J'adore avoir des écharpes super longues, celle-ci mesure plus de 2m60! Grâce aux motifs de dentelle, elle n'est pas trop chaude.

Larguez les amarres et allez voir la galerie de mars!

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I used two skeins of Foxfire Cormo/Silk/Alpaca in "bluebird" and alternated them when knitting -- I bought the skeins from Barb at two different events (silly me!) so they were from different dye lots but luckily, they were quite close in color. The yarn is quite warm so a lace pattern is great for showcasing the color without losing warmth.

This scarf is the sibling of the "Patricia's shawl" (pattern by Lisa Lloyd) I knitted a couple of years ago out of Foxfire Cormo/Silk. I realized that I never posted a picture of it so here it is!

Défi 13 de février: Blanc

Défi 13 de février: Blanc
Originally uploaded by miminh3

Ma création de février est un éloge à Clara Parkes. Les deux modèles sont extraits de son nouveau livre, The Knitter's Book of Wool et ont été tricotés avec la laine mérino organique de Swans Island.

J'ai suivi les conseils de Clara et tricoté les mitaines, "Sweet Fern Mitts", avec des aiguilles de 3.75mm. Pour le bonnet, "Hill Country Hat", j'ai utilisé des aiguilles de 4.5mm.

Verdict? Trente dollars pour une pelote de 230 mètres, ce n'est pas si cher si l'on considère les mailles presque parfaites, la douceur de la laine, et le fait qu'une pelote suffit pour un bonnet et une paire de mitaines.

Mille mercis à Emma, Faustine, Aurélie et Fred d'avoir tout organisé. Vite, je file voir les créations de tout le monde ICI!

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Défi means "challenge" in French. The idea is to show a finished project on the 13th of the month (with a different theme every month) in order to ward off bad luck, but really it's about having fun and trying something outside of your comfort zone. Défi 13 is the sequel to Trico'13 which occurred in 2009 and only involved knitting. For Défi 13, you can either knit or sew. The theme for February was "white".

My February finished object is a tribute to Clara Parkes. The two patterns are taken from her new book, The Knitter's Book of Wool, and were knitted with Swans Island Organic Merino. I followed Clara's advice and knitted the Sweet Fern Mitts using US 5 needles. For the Hill Country Hat, I used US 7 needles.

My opinion? Thirty dollars for 250 yards is not so bad once you take into account the stitch definition, the softness of the yarn, and the fact that I was able to get a pair of mitts and a hat out of one skein. Many thanks to Emma, Faustine, Aurélie et Fred for organizing this. I'm off to look at everybody's finished projects HERE!

A typical weekend day

Fiddlehead mittens at Quabbin
Originally uploaded by miminh3

I finished the Fiddlehead mittens during the snow storm that never materialized while watching an episode of Foyle's War. These mittens are toasty and sinfully soft on the inside.

Today, I took the mittens for a little roadtrip. Actually, it wasn't so much a roadtrip as a typical weekend day for Boy and me during winter time. February is the best month for Boy to spot bald eagles and I come along on his birding trips on a simple condition: each birding trip must include a stop at a yarn store.

After meeting Shaili for brunch, the mittens walked around Harvard Square and visited the Old Burying Ground. We then headed to western MA to go birding at the Quabbin reservoir. We finished the day in Northampton at Webs (yarns and books were purchased, courtesy of a gift certificate from my in-laws).

Among my purchases was Gail Callahan's book Hand-Dyeing Yarn and Fleece. During Melissa's class at the KR retreat, I was able to see some of the gorgeous yarns and fibers that Gail (aka The Kangaroo Dyer) had generously donated. Gail happened to be in the store this afternoon, she was all smiles, and signed my copy of her book!

Unfortunately I'm not able to attend her dyeing class at Webs this spring. My schedule is also in conflict with the spring classes taught by Melissa Morgan-Oakes and Kristin Nicholas but I hope that their classes will be offered again in the fall. I don't know if I will hand-dye much in the future but it is something that I want to try at least once so I signed up for Barb Parry's two-day "Dyeing to Spin" class this summer. It promises to be a lot of fun!

Yarn shop travelogue: Paris

Paris
Originally uploaded by miminh3

You would think that having spent the first 20 years of my life in the Paris area, I would know the Parisian yarn shops like the back of my hand... Unfortunately I only really took to knitting after moving to the US so many of these shops remain unchartered territory. I do go back once a year so I hope to explore more locations. Until then, here are some stores that I am familiar with.

In the "most accessible" category, the winner is ... Phildar

Phildar is a yarn brand with many stores throughout France but it is also distributed in other countries. There are plenty of locations in the Paris area but the location I prefer is the one on the Rue Monge, as it is close to the Rue Mouffetard and the Jardin des Plantes.

They used to mostly carry blends containing acrylic (yet very nice to the touch) but started carrying natural fibres such as silk and cashmere in the last few years. Even though you can flip through the pattern catalogs and pet yarn at the store, I would recommend looking at their website before going to the physical store in order to narrow down choices.

In the "most diverse" category, the winner is ... Le Bon Marche

Le Bon Marche is a department store whose setup is reminiscent of Zola's "Au bonheur des dames": each yarn brand has its own counter, the counter's salesperson writes up a sales slip then you go to the cashier station to pay for your purchases. The advantage is that you get to see many brands in one spot (Anny Blatt, Rowan, Bouton D'Or, Noro, Plassard, Phildar,...). The drawback is that a given counter has a smaller selection than what the corresponding "brand store" would carry.

Warning: the counter of "La Droguerie" does not sell yarn except in a small number of kits. They do sell pattern books, ribbons, buttons, and all the supplies you need to make jewelry. If there's a line, write your name on the list and the salesperson will call your name when they're able to assist you. I've always had a very good experience there, especially when they helped me customize jewelry.

In the "eye-candy" category, the winner is ... Entree des fournisseurs

This gem carries fabric (such as Liberty), awesome haberdashery, and yarn. If you're like me and need time to shop, just send your traveling companions to one of the cafes at the Place des Vosges. The last time I was there, you couldn't pet the yarn to your heart's content unless a salesperson handed you the skein behind the counter. But the people are awfully nice, there's a nice selection of yarns (Fonty, Plassard, Anny Blatt, Debbie Bliss,...), and the store is just lovely.

In the "one-of-a-kind" category, the winner is ... La Droguerie

There are several La Droguerie stores in France and Japan. They sell their own yarns (available in a very wide range of colors) as well as buttons, ribbons, jewelry supplies, and fabric. Yarns are sold by weight, which means that you tell the salesperson which yarn, which colorway, and which quantity you want. Single patterns are only available with yarn purchase, but you can buy their pattern books without the yarn.

Let me explain the shopping process at the Paris store as it can be confusing for novices. If you want to buy yarn, wait in line on the left part of the store. If you want to buy beads, wait in line in the right part of the store. While you wait in line, you can look at the yarns or the knitted samples. This works much better as a two-person operation, provided you find a sympathetic non-knitter who can stand in line while you browse. Once it's your turn, tell the salesperson what you want and he/she will go in the back to wind the yarn for you.

If you want to minimize your wait time, don't come in November or December, avoid Saturdays, and come in the morning. Unfortunately, I don't really get to choose when I go there -- the last time I shopped there was on the first day of "les vacances de la Toussaint" and I waited for over an hour. But it's worth it! To make this experience as painless as possible, I recommend:
- looking at the yarns and colors posted on the blog
- browsing French blogs and Ravelry for patterns you might be interested in
- bringing Ann Budd's The Knitter's Handy Guide to Yarn Requirements so that you know how much yarn to buy if you don't have a specific pattern in mind

Road work ahead

Fiddlehead mittens in progress
Originally uploaded by miminh3

The outer part of the Fiddlehead mittens is knitted, so it's time to weave in the ends... now I understand why Purlewe was working on weaving the ends of her multiple pairs of Fiddlehead mittens at the retreat! Tanis' kit includes merino yarn for the lining but I have two skeins of Rowan Kidsilk Haze in dark blue in my stash so I will use those for the lining. I have enough leftover yarn in the contrast and background colors that I can use them along with the unused lining yarn to knit a cute child hat.

My next project is a secret! I was sitting on the sidelines of Trico' 13 in 2009 but decided to join in the fun for Defi 13 in 2010.
- I'll have a finished object every month
- the monthly theme will force me to think outside the box
- I'll be able to connect with the French-speaking knit-bloggers that I've been admiring from afar and discover some new ones
The first theme is white and I've already chosen the yarn and the pattern. The secret project will be uncovered on February 28!

Yarn shop travelogue: Hawaii

Yarn purchases while in Hawaii
Originally uploaded by miminh3

To me, a trip to a new location requires a visit to the local yarn store. This might explain why I have been to 107 yarn stores so far!

I would like to record my impressions of some of these yarn stores on this blog. Keep in mind that my perspective is that of the travelling knitter who might want to pick up some souvenir yarn, rather than the local knitter who needs sweater quantities of yarn in various weights and fibers.

The first destination in this yarn shop travelogue is Hawaii where I just spent ten days. You might not associate Hawaii with knitting but I was able to stop by four yarn stores on three islands!

The Needlework Shop in Lahaina (Maui)
You will find knitting, cross-stitching, and quilting at this store. The yarn selection emphasizes bamboo and other non-wool fibers and was on the small size *but* there were lots of nice goodies such as project bags that are quilted by the shop staff. The store is located in downtown Lahaina; as a tourist would undoubtedly walk around in that area, it would be a shame not to visit this store.

I picked up a skein of merino wool by Maui Yarns (right skein in picture), one yard of batik fabric (background of picture) that I might ask Amy to use for a custom bag, and some turtle-shaped buttons made out of coconut.

The Yarn Basket in Hilo (Big Island)
Holy moley, this store has an inventory larger than many of the East Coast yarn stores I've been to! I'm pretty sure that you could find there a yarn that is not carried at your LYS (except if your LYS is Webs perhaps). I was especially impressed by the wool section and the sock yarn selection. Once the owner mentioned that some of her customers spend time on the mainland or have grandchildren on the mainland, her wool inventory made sense to me.

Before my trip, I realized that I would not be able to see the Hawaiian Homegrown Wool Company at the farmers' market but lo and behold, there was some of their Romney wool that is raised, handspun, and handdyed on the Big Island at the store (middle skein in picture).

Tink and Ink in Kailua-Kona (Big Island)
This yarn store just opened a few months ago but it already has a nice selection of Aslan Trends, Berroco, Blue Ridge Yarns (from Virginia), Freedom, Noro, etc... When I was there, the ladies were sampling the various Malabrigo yarns (the chunky yarn is so squishy) and talking about which ones to order. I bought some Freedom Sincere organic cotton, Blue Ridge alpaca lace, and a pair of oak DPN needles made in Hawaii.

Hanalei Music's Strings and Things in Hanalei (Kauai)
This is a store that combines musical instruments (ukeleles) and yarn -- how fun! The owner has excellent taste and was able to pack this space with a lot of yarns: Frabjous fibers (from Vermont), Aslan Trends, Artyarns, Berroco, Noro, and many many more. There are many beautiful pins, unique buttons and handles for knitted bags.

What caught my eye was a line of yarns that are handdyed in Kauai using botanical extracts. There was cotton and merino but I bought a skein of baby alpaca with silver thread dyed with hibiscus flowers (left skein in picture). It is sinfully soft and will make a gorgeous buttoned wrap with the matching coconut buttons I got there.

Well, that's it for my knitting adventures in Hawaii. Aloha and Mahalo!

Mischief managed!

Right twist cable socks
Originally uploaded by miminh3

My only holiday knitting project was finished with plenty of time to spare! The pattern, "Right twist cable socks" by Ann Budd in Getting started knitting socks, was easy to follow and the yarn had great stitch definition as well as a high "squeeze factor". I am definitely starting a love affair with the yarns dyed by Tanis. First there were these socks. The Fiddlehead mittens kit is currently on the needles and I've already received the matching Dipped Infinity Scarf kit.

I've received the advice of spinning a little every day to reinforce my muscle memory, so I've been spinning more often. I spun this Corriedale top dyed by Spunky Eclectic (in the "orchard" colorway) using a short forward draw and then plied it - all in one evening. The yarn is not as balanced as I would have liked but the colors should be nice for a child hat. I am signed up for a handspinning class with Barb Parry at Webs in February so I am very excited!

Boy and I will be off to Hawaii (or more precisely Maui, Kauai and Hawaii) over Christmas and New Year's. I might be able to visit a yarn store or two while we're there...

The loot of the century

Marketplace
Originally uploaded by miminh3

Since we (Wendy, Luann, and I) had filled the car on the way to the retreat with our contributions to the Stash Lounge, any non-knitter would assume that space would not be an issue on the way back. This assumption is unfortunately flawed: yarn, like gas, fills all the space available to it.

We visited the Stash Lounge and shopped at the marketplace. We brought back yarn and fiber donated by Martha to raise money for KR (little plug here: please go to the KR forums and see if anything strikes your fancy). As Luann said, I definitely tried to break several laws of physics to make my acquisitions fit in my luggage. Among them were:

- from the goodie bag: a skein of Sundara worsted merino in "crushed cherries" destined to become either a Koolhaas hat or Thanksgiving Day Mitts
- from the Stash Lounge: a trio of Shibui yarns in "wasabi" left by Clara that I hope to use in a textured shawl, as I did a couple of years ago with various Mountain Colors yarns
- from my Winter share and the marketplace: Foxfire Fiber cormo alpaca lace in two different colors for an Ishbel and a Swallowtail shawl
- enough String Theory caper sock in "viola" to make a sweater or a vest
- Spirit Trail's new yarn "Sunna" for a pair of socks and some "Frija" for a pair of Hedgerow mitts for myself

I set aside my new goodies as I am working on a Christmas present. When my in-laws were visiting us this fall, I lent my mother-in-law a pair of socks I had knitted out of STR lightweight. She liked them so much that I offered to knit her a pair of socks for Christmas. She wanted a soft variegated green so I found a skein of fingering weight yarn from Tanis Fiber Arts in "spearmint" in my stash.

The pattern is "Right Twist Cable Rib socks" by Ann Budd. When trying to lure non-knitters to the dark side of handknitted socks, I think it's better to start with a simple non-lacy pattern. This gets them hooked on the warmth and softness. After that, you can sell them on the color-coordinating possibilities and the coolness of the designs. If all fails, I can always buy the pin that Kathleen was wearing at the retreat "yes, I know that I can buy socks for $2 at Walmart".

Once I am done with these socks and the Fiddlehead mittens, I would like a matching Tanis kit for the Dipped Infinity Scarf by Laura Chau. I also want to tackle La Droguerie's latest hit, le Carre Magique Dentelle (in purple, of course!).

KR retreat - part 3

"Wedding" ceremony
Originally uploaded by miminh3

During Sunday breakfast, I tried to take pictures of all the tables (wedding style) so that I would be better at remembering names and faces. I wish we could mouse over the pictures to see the name of the knitter and the pattern/yarn used in the garment he/she is wearing... Next time perhaps!

That morning I was lucky enough to win an antique darning egg as a door prize (it is rather heavy so I'll have to figure out how to use it without damaging it nor the sock). And I got the courage to ask Ann Budd to sign my copy of "Getting Started Knitting Socks". She's such a fun down-to-earth person! I hope that she will join the retreat again next year, perhaps as a teacher.

(I tried to explain to Boy how much Ann has contributed to the knitting community with her books and while working for Interweave. I said "imagine the KR retreat is like a violin master class with Gil Shaham and Anne-Sophie Mutter. Having Ann Budd there is like Itzhak Perlman coming at the last minute". I think he got the picture.)

I chose the Fiddlehead mittens by Adrian Bazilia (kit by Tanis Fiber Arts) as my New Beginnings project. We all cast on (OK, maybe not everyone since some people were "protesting" and some people had already cast on) while Clara presided over a very special wedding ceremony between us and our projects. Let's see how that relationship blossoms over the upcoming year!

The Spirit Trail tailgate sale morphed this year into a full-fledged marketplace as we were able to buy from the vendors who had not yet packed up (is there anything as heartbreaking as the thought of the yarn you let go?). I hugged everyone one last time and promised Mary and Louise that I would do the dance of the seven veils next year (if sufficiently liquored up and in exchange for a bird house).

I remember how (unnecessarily) scared and shy I was at my first retreat. As each year passes by, I become more outgoing and get to learn more from the knitters around me. This is the weekend where I fill up with the good vibes from my knitting friends and they keep me knitting throughout the year!

KR retreat - part 2

Clara signing copies of KBOW
Originally uploaded by miminh3

Almost all the retreat participants had arrived by Friday dinner and we had our usual "Show and tell" after dinner. Clara asked us to describe our philosophy of knitting and where we were at with our knitting. We heard the themes of knitting for community, having too many projects at once, wishing we had more time to knit,... all of which I can sympathize with!

On Saturday morning, we gathered outside to take our group picture and an additional special picture for Fran. We then proceeded to our classes, mine was Melissa Morgan-Oakes' class on finishing techniques. I really liked her sock class last year and since I have issues with finishing (let us not speak of the sweater that only needs to be seamed and has been languishing in a basket for the last year), this was the right choice! Our homework had us knitting nine swatches in various stitch patterns and we worked through the different seaming possibilities during the class (horizontal stockinette, vertical stockinette, ribbing, seed stitch). I just have a few more seams and I'll have a snazzy pillow cover!

I was (of course) first in line for the afternoon marketplace: don't let my small stature fool you, I can be pretty feisty if you come between me and the yarn I love! (I will post about my loot in another post). One of the highlights of the marketplace was Clara signing copies of "The Knitter's Book of Wool" (while we petted the sample garments from the book). I was a little star-struck when asking Melanie Falick (former IK editor, author and designer extraordinaire, the force behing STC craft books) to sign my copy of "Weekend Knitting". Melanie also had the swatches from Lynne Barr's new book, "Reversible Knitting", for us to look at (the techniques in "Knitting new scarves" had already bowled me over, wait til you read her new book).

Storey Publishing was kind enough to open its doors to us for a few hours so I was able to buy various knitting ("101 Designer one-skein wonders") and sewing ("101 One Yard wonders") books at wholesale price. I also bought a birding book for Boy so that he wouldn't feel left out.

After our traditional Thanksgiving dinner, we reconvened for Melanie's presentation. I dutifully took notes as she explained how she got into knitting, her path from writer to editor, and how the books at STC Craft come to life. We even had a preview of the 2010 books (seen here - I am looking forward to Veronik Avery's "Knitting 24/7").

After the presentation, Luann happened to be at the right time at the right place (aka in front of the locked Stash Lounge as Karen of String Theory was dropping off her destash). Somehow Sara, Vicki, Luann, and I found ourselves huddled in the dark corridor using Luann's little flashlight to identify the various balls of yarn ("is this Rowan Felted tweed?" "No, I think it's Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool." "This is so soft, it has to be Malabrigo lace!"). Vicki even took what I thought were "blackmail" pictures, which would make a lot of sense had she not been guilty of taking some of Karen's yarn like the rest of us!

For next year I propose a "Yarn Off" (TM): 10 unlabelled balls of yarn which need to be identified.

KR retreat - part 1

Stash lounge
Originally uploaded by miminh3

A week has passed since we left Williamstown but I'm still high from the wonderful (extended) weekend I spent in the company of my fellow knitters.

The excitement about the retreat started long before Thursday afternoon, as Wendy, Luann, and I were emailing back and forth about our carpool. Luann had warned us that her destash would be of gigantic proportions and indeed, I think it was probably only second to Rosi's destash. In any case, we were able to make everything fit in Wendy's Camry though we could have spared ourselves some of the trouble (at the end of the weekend, we realized that the three of us just took from each other's destash in a very nice cyclic permutation).

Being part of the Thursday extension not only allows you to take one extra class but also to relax and fully enjoy the atmosphere. There's nothing quite like arriving at the retreat, being welcomed by Martha and Kendra with our generous goodie bags (more on that later), and being hugged by fellow knitters whether you have met them in previous years or only online. You let go of anything that your mind is preoccupied with (work, family,...) and just happily chat and knit away. You giggle as you go one more time to the stash lounge ("I'm walking there purely to get some exercise"), pet other people's garments and ask them what yarn and pattern they used.

On Friday morning, I took Shelia's beginning/intermediate spinning class. It was a lot of fun to see people have a "aha moment" when doing park and draft with their spindles. Shelia lent us square spindles from Spindlewood Co. (which I had never tried before, they're beautiful and perfectly balanced) and gave us different fibers to use including roving from her own Shetland/Gotland sheep Ingamar (who now has many fans -- let's hope it won't go to his head). I reacquainted myself with my wheel and Shelia showed me how to spin long-draw. I hope to practice often enough that I'll be able to spin both short forward draw and long-draw.

On Friday afternoon, Eva and I were lucky enough to help Jen of Spirit Trail set up her booth for Saturday's marketplace (what passes as an act of altruism is really a self-serving way to fondle the yarns and "pre-shop"). Chris (Roosien, not to be confused with "the other Kris") and Anne Hanson of Knitspot made a homey Briar Rose corner by the fireplace, Kathryn Alexander showcased her colorful bundles of yarn, her books, and her sock pattern in "The Joy of Sox", Jane was setting up the book signing tables for Clara and Melanie Falick while Barb and Holly took care of the Foxfire booth (including the luscious new Cormo Alpaca that was part of my Winter Sheep Share).

Lost in translation

Back in February, I heard Jenny and Nicole's podcast on Japanese knitting patterns and was quite intrigued. Clara has reviewed Japanese stitch dictionaries in Interweave Knits. Knitters post on KR about beautiful lace patterns or aran sweaters they have seen in Japanese books. Several of the French blogs I read regularly use Japanese sewing patterns. Judy Sumner mentions in her book, Knitted Socks East and West, some never-seen before stitches. Here was this wealth of resources that I had not yet looked into, I had to remedy to it! So I'm signed up for a class entitled "Explore Japanese Knitting from Charts" with Donna Druchunas next May, during our Alaska cruise.

But before then, there are plenty of things for me to explore. Because Japanese patterns only give one size, the easiest thing is to start with accessories: there's just one size and gauge doesn't matter as much as for sweaters. So I am building a library!

While visiting String Theory this summer, I picked up a copy of Aran Knit. As I was already ordering yarn from Julija's shop, I had to order this book of socks. De Afstap in Amsterdam had a copy of the very handy Clear and Simple knitting symbols.

On the fence

Fence row socks
Originally uploaded by miminh3

While in Europe, I knitted nine swatches (my homework for the KR retreat) and finished a pair of socks, the Fence row socks. The pattern is by Lisa Lloyd and the yarn is Fox Sox from Foxfire Fiber designs in "Willow".

The 4 round repeat is easy to remember and I am looking forward to knitting more patterns from Lisa Lloyd, especially the ones from "A Fine Fleece". Unfortunately, I haven't seen her patterns in Wildfibers magazine lately but I hope she will be back with more patterns.

I believe that Barb Parry is no longer dyeing the Fox Sox yarn, as she is focusing on her Farm Yarn collection from her own flock. The textured stitch of the socks showcases the yarn color beautifully as the little purl bumps reflect the subtle color changes. Taking a dyeing class with Barb is on my wishlist for 2010!

I had plenty of Fox Sox yarn leftover so I was able to knit a charity hat to bring to the retreat. That's four hats so far so I'm hoping to knit a few more between now and the end of the retreat.

"Purple is a fruit" (Homer Simpson)

Waves in the square shawl
Originally uploaded by miminh3

I was going to post about this project earlier this week but my laptop screen unexpectedly died after six years of faithful service. Also forgive the horrible indoor picture -- I will try to take a better picture of the shawl outside this weekend (it gets dark around 5pm in Boston so no sunlight when I get back from work),

I started this shawl almost two years ago as my New Beginnings project at the KR retreat. It was the lack of portability, not the pattern, that made this such a long process: I needed to see the chart, the rows were very long, and silk lace is slippery. I credit Fran and her "ten minute rule" for helping me see this project to completion.

The pattern is "Waves in the square" by Sivia Harding. Like the Diamond Fantasy shawl, it is very clear and easy to follow with both charted and written directions. The construction is quite clever: this is not your regular triangular shawl but a trapezoid with two adjacent triangles (but knitted in one piece). The triangles allow you to tie the shawl in the front and the trapezoid corresponds to your back (the straight edge doesn't empasize one's behind, as a triangular shawl of this size would).

The yarn is Sundara silk lace in "black over violet" which first intimidated me because of its fineness and slipperriness. But I got used to it and switched from the Addi lace needles to the regular Addi turbos to knit faster. Sundara did a fantastic dye job (as usual), there was no excess dye when I was knitting. When I blocked the shawl however, a large amount of excess dye came out. Following Sundara's recommendations, I left the shawl soak in very hot water for at least an hour and rinsed it afterwards. The water was still colored after a dozen of rinses but I had no dye on my blocking board.

I am quite happy with the finished project and will proudly wear it with my new purple coat to the KR retreat next week!

Next post: a pair of finished socks and my foray into japanese knitting books.

Bling bling

Gilet a rangs raccourcis
Originally uploaded by miminh3

I finished my GRR (the famous Gilet a Rangs Raccourcis) months ago but I only made the fastening brooch yesterday so at last, here's the finished set!

I haven't dabbled much in wire/jewelry/beads things except for making stitch markers. The brooch only took me a couple of hours so I'm hoping to make the matching necklace before the end of the year.

The gilet is knitted with La Droguerie's "alpaga" and "plumette" yarns. "Alpaga" is of course 100% alpaca, it is very close to Drops Alpaca and available in many colors (the heathered ones are especially stunning). "Plumette" is a kid mohair/polyamid blend whose colors often match the alpaga. The alpaga/plumette mix was soft but my fingers tell me that if I'm going to knit with a mohair blend, then I might as well knit with Kidsilk Haze so I will probably knit La Droguerie's patterns with an alpaga/KSH mix from now on.

I'm heading to Paris and Amsterdam in two weeks. It just so happens that:
- La Droguerie is releasing a new book at the end of the month (you can see a preview as an Advent calendar here)
- Amsterdam's main yarn store is the Rowan distributor for the Netherlands. Perhaps Kim Hargreaves' new book, Winter Blooms, will be out by then?

Stepping Stones scarf

Stepping Stones scarf
Originally uploaded by miminh3

Someone I know is taking a two year sabbatical so I wanted to give her something to wish her good luck. She's always commented on my knitting -- I even knitted her a pair of Mac and Me yoga socks a few years ago. I wanted a scarf that would be soft like a big hug, something that she could wear indoors as well as outdoors. The answer was a Stepping Stones scarf.

I finished it way ahead of the deadline: it only took me two weeks. The pattern (by Jane) was easy to memorize and the yarn (Ixchel by Spirit Trail) produced a nice and colorful "meandering". I hope the recipient likes it!

Notice the nifty blocking contraption? I was getting tired of using the guest bed and wet towels every time something required blocking so when I saw the Knitter's Block at a LYS, I splurged.

My next blocking adventure: the shawl that was two years in the making...

The Quad
Originally uploaded by miminh3

Don't you wish you were sitting in one of those Adirondack chairs and knitting? I do!

In my next post: two finished projects!

Mmmm... Fall

Foxfire Fiber studio
Originally uploaded by miminh3

It's fall foliage time in New England - though I am sad that the summer was so short, I love fall as it means perfect knitting weather, new yarns in the shops, and the KR retreat (among other things).

In between day trips to admire the leaves and studying, I've been able to stop at the Green Mountain Spinnery (their new book, 99 Yarns and Counting, is out and I highly recommend it) and attend the autumn open house organized by Barbara Parry for the Sheep Shares members.

Unfortunately, I came a little late so between that and the rain, I did not get to see the sheep but I caught a glimpse of Caitlyn (I think), one of the two llamas. It was great to hear Barb talk about the year and the exciting plans she has lined up for next year. She had many treats for us, both of the sugary kind and fibery kind (I won two skeins of Cormo Silk Alpaca in variegated purple/brown)! I touched some of Teaberry's winning fleece... I might have to add a fiber share in 2010 :)

Project-wise, I'm knitting on a deadline! The goal is to have a finished Stepping Stones scarf by the end of October. The pattern is by Jane Cochran and I'm using Spirit Trail "Ixchel" in a beautiful blue/purple. I'm about halfway done so let's see if I make it on time!