There’s a fair amount of similarity between last week’s WIP Wednesday/Yarn Along post and today’s post.

I took a break from the Pineapple Doily Shawl since I didn’t take it on vacation with me and then promptly forgot to bring it to class with me on Saturday to work on along with my students.

It still looks like this.

My cabled hat has seemingly travelled backwards in time, going from this last Wednesday afternoon…

(That's me enjoying the sunshine on my vacation.)

… to this yesterday.

If you are/were a fan of the show Seinfeld,  you may remember this scene from “The Muffin Tops” episode.

Click here to view the embedded video.

That pretty well sums up what happened to my hat.  I noticed an irregularity a few rows down and started ripping back.  And then, one thing led to another, and I was casting on again.  I’m not too stressed about it, though, because this is part of my Holiday Stashdown Challenge to make my winter holiday gifts slowly throughout the year rather than frantically in December.

And, finally, I’ve started a new secret project.

A tiny detail from my secret project.

This is a sample for a freebie pattern I’m working on for Galler Yarns in Inca Eco.  I’m having a lot of fun with this one, so I’m looking forward to unveiling it soon.

On the reading side of things, I finished Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain last night.  I really enjoyed it and want to thank Evelyn from Project: Stash and Stacey from FreshStitches for introducing me to the book.  I’m taking a short pause as I contemplate what I’d like to read next.

For more WIP Wednesday posts, visit Tami’s Amis.  For more Yarn Along posts, visit Small Things.

I’ve reached the point in life where I’m feeling overwhelmed by stuff.  This might be due to the fact that we’re living in a one-bedroom apartment in New York City, or it might be because I’ve been trying to live more minimally.  Although I’ve reduced my stash by one full 60 quart plastic tub so far this year, I still have quite a few yarns with no intended purpose that I’m putting into the maybe list for gifts.

From left to right: Dream in Color in Spring Tickle, Malabrigo Rios in Glazed Carrot (in progress as a hat for JP), Malabrigo Rios in Primavera, and Dream in Color in Happy Forest.

Ron by Nude Ewe.

Back to front: Bitsy Knits Aquamarine and mystery colorway.

Nancy's Hair by No Two Snowflakes.

Emerald Forest by A Stash Addict.

Joseph Galler, Inc. Hirten-Tweed, a vintage yarn from my grandmother's stash that's being made into the Pineapple Doily Shawl by Laura Garsten.

LB Collection Superwash Merino in Cayenne and Spring Leaf.

Other yarns that aren’t pictured include:

• Two full skeins of Lion Cotton and several partial skeins of Lily Sugar’n Cream,
• One skein of Lion Brand Homespun in white,
• Various partial skeins of Lion Wool and Patons Classic Wool in assorted colors,
• Two skeins of Moda Dea Tweedle Dee,
• A skein of Tahki Yarns Jackson in a dark green tweedy color,
• A skein of Prism Merino Mia in moss,
• A ball of Bernat Soft Boucle in a brown with blue flecks,
• Two skeins of Be Sweet Merino in natural, and
• Several small balls of 100% wool yarns that I’ve dyed using Kool Aid or cake dyes.

Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume One: Knit & Purl

This is a paperback version of the previously published Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume One: Knit & Purl.  (I assume the content is the same, but since I don’t own the hardcover version, I haven’t verified that assumption.)  After a foreword explaining the original motivation for publishing what were to be three volumes of the Stitchionary, the book opens with the How to Use This Book section.  This section explains that stitches in each chapter are arranged in order of difficulty and that selvage stitches and rows were added to each swatch to keep them relatively flat with minimal blocking.  The yarn used in this book is Lana Grossa Cool Wool 2000, and all the swatches were knit with Lantern Moon size 6 (4 mm) needles.

The stitches are organized into four chapters: Knit & Purl, Lace, Traveling, and Unusual. Like other books in this series, it ends with Abbreviations, a key to the pattern abbreviation terms which includes a US/UK conversion chart for the crochet terminology; Yarn Overs, an illustrated guide to forming different types of yarn overs; and Glossary, which explains pattern essentials like “rep from *, end…” and “stockinette stitch.”  The book is beautifully presented with great colors and photography.

What I like about this book

• Each stitch includes a large swatch which is clearly photographed. Each chapter uses one color of yarn for all of the swatches, so there is a uniform appearance which makes comparison between similar stitches easier. The book’s color palette is in the green family  and feels very springlike.
• The book is well organized (by stitch type, and then by difficulty level through each chapter), so it would be easy to find a stitch you like later.
• The book is beautiful to look at, and is one of those stitch guides that makes you want to pull out your needles and start experimenting.
• Although the book is paperback, the binding allows it to lay somewhat flat.  That combined with generous white space around each pattern allows you to knit and read at the same time.  And, just in case, each cover also has a flap that you can use to hold your place.
• You can find errata online at the Sixth & Spring website.
• I’ve brought quite a few stitch guides to my knitting classes, and this is the only one a student has ever asked to borrow.  I think that says it all.

What I don’t like (or what’s missing)

• I’ve mentioned in previous reviews that I prefer when a stitch guide includes basic information for a newbie (e.g., illustrations of how to form basic stitches). The book is written with the presumption that you already know how to knit.
• The patterns are written very concisely (perhaps to keep the generous white space around each picture).  It can sometimes be unclear what is happening at the end of a row as a result.  For example, a pattern might say: K5, *p3, k3; rep from *, end k1.  I would prefer a more detailed description (such as K5, *p3, k3.*  Repeat from * to * to last 4 sts, p3, k1).  I have been bringing the book to my knitting classes and this has been a point of confusion for some students, too.
• There are no stitch charts used in this book.  This isn’t a concern for me, but I know that some knitters prefer charted patterns to written patterns.

Summary

This book is a great addition to the library of any knitter who has already mastered the mechanics of forming the knit and purl and has  familiarity with written patterns.  A more experienced knitter might think the book is geared towards beginners, but there is actually a range of stitch types which include slip stitches, increasing, and decreasing to create interesting textures and designs, though the patterns are limited to one color.  If you love symbol charts, you will wish they were included. If you are a relative newbie, you may want to hold off on buying this until you feel more comfortable with pattern reading (or be prepared to jump onto Ravelry with questions). I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Before I tell you all about my hairpin lace adventures, let me just show you my painted crochet trivet after I blocked it.

And now on to the hairpin lace.  You may recall that I’m not overly excited by the look of hairpin lace.  Nonetheless, hairpin lace is a chapter in Crochet Master Class and I have two hairpin lace looms at home.  When I left for my vacation on Monday, I packed my Clover Hair Pin Lace Tool, Learn to Do Hairpin Lace, the May/June 2012 issue of Crochet Today! (with a hairpin lace tutorial), and the Hairpin Lace Coaster tutorial and pattern by Ferosa Harold.

I tossed a partially used ball of Lily Sugar’n Cream in Faded Denim into my suitcase, intending to make yet another trivet.  And then… all of these things sat in my bag for my entire trip.  On Wednesday night, when I was packing to come home, I realized that I had to try the hairpin lace, if only because I had carried the supplies to Pennsylvania.

It might be because I was exhausted and it was late at night, but I found both Learn to Do Hairpin Lace and Marly Bird‘s tutorial in the May/June 2012 issue of Crochet Today! incomprehensible.  If you were outside of my room that night, you would have heard a lot of “Turn it how?”  ”What the…??” “Flip it which way?” coming through the door.  I decided to give Ferosa Harold’s tutorial a try.  And suddenly, it all made sense.

Me trying to get 48 loops onto the loom. It was a snug fit.

I didn’t notice this on the package until the next day.

D'oh!

Here’s my hairpin lace “strip” joined into a circle.

My first hairpin lace coaster, partially completed.

At this point, the coaster was looking super ruffled.  I assume this is because I used yarn (intending to make a trivet) instead of thread (for a coaster).  Since it was now after midnight and I still had to pack, I decided to restart with half the number of loops after check out the next morning.

Why yes, those are my jeans in the background. By now I was in Swarthmore, waiting for the LYS to open so I could visit on my way back to New York.

This one seemed a more appropriate length.  But then, disaster struck.

I called this my Mobius coaster on Ravelry. You can see at the top where I twisted the strip when joining it.

(Project page here.)  At this point, it just seemed ridiculous to start again – I mean, it’s a trivet, not a fitted sweater.  The point of this exercise was to learn to do hairpin lace, which was definitely accomplished.  So I followed the pattern through to the end.

I would definitely recommend Ferosa Harold’s tutorial if you’d like to learn hairpin lace.  There are step-by-step photos (for right- and left-handers), it’s free, and you can make a small project in a very short time.

As for me, I’m not sure how I feel about hairpin lace.  I prefer the look in circular objects like this trivet, but I’m still not sure it is worth the effort.  It’s true that it is quite simple to do (once you figure out what the heck you’re doing!), but it is fairly monotonous and the loom is a bit cumbersome.  The idea of making a hairpin lace blanket like Yarn Berry is doing kind of makes me want to run screaming for the hills.  And yet, I’m sure I can find a good use for this skill now that I have it.

According to Random.org, the winner of the 101 Crochet Stitch Patterns & Edgings giveaway, courtesy of DRG, is number 26…

Rachelle

I “know” Rachelle via Ravelry, since she has helped out with several pattern tests for my designs.  I’m sure she will have a blast with this book!

Congratulations to Rachelle, and thanks to everyone who entered.  If you haven’t had a chance to see my review of the book, check out this post.

If you’ve been wanting to try out the brioche stitch, or wanting to make socks without dealing with heel shaping, (or both) then this is the book for you!

Summary: A short and sweet booklet (48 pages) focused on making tube socks in the round using 5 double pointed needles with the brioche stitch.

What I like about this book:

• If you are a brioche stitch newbie, you can learn about how to form the stitch through a four-page section which includes step-by-step photos and instructions.  If you are familiar with brioche stitch, you can follow the pattern for the basic and half brioche stitch.  (I used the photos and was brioche stitching in no time!)
• Barbara includes pictures about how to arrange your stitches on the double pointed needles, which would definitely be help if you haven’t had a lot of experience with DPNs.
• Even though all of the patterns are for tube socks, there is actually quite a bit of variety.  I’ll admit that I was skeptical about how knit tube socks would look, but there is photography from a variety of angles, so I feel confident that socks knit with this technique would actually look great.
• The book is very portable, since it measures 9″ x 6″, and is perfect for knitting on the go.
• There’s a wonderful sock sizing chart in the back of the book which tells you how many stitches to cast on for different yarn weights and sizes, how many stitches to keep on each needle, and how to shape the socks.

On Saturday, several students in my crochet class started on the Pineapple Doily Shawl by Laura Garsten.  I first heard about this pattern on the Crochet Chat Podcast and several of my students decided to give it a try.  Usually, I don’t make a project with the class (or I’d have even more WIPs than I do now), but I was inspired to try one along with them.  So I jumped into my stash to find worsted weight yarn and there was only one type that I had in enough supply.

Hirten-Tweed, imported from West Germany (!).

When my grandmother was in the hospital in 2007, right up until the last few days of her life, she was knitting a sweater in this yarn.  One of my aunts kept the partial sweater, and I took the (many) remaining balls of the Hirten-Tweed yarn.  I thought this would be a good fit for the project.  But here’s the weird part.  When I was looking on the label, I saw that it was imported by Joseph Galler, Inc. — the same small yarn importer I’ve been working with since last year.  When I told my mom about this on Mother’s Day, she said, “I like that story.”  I think my grandmother would have, too.

Since this was the only “fancy yarn” in my grandmother’s collection, I was wondering how it came into her hands.  Well, according to a tag on one of the balls, it was on sale at Woolworth’s for 2 for $1 (with a retail price of $1.29).  I can only imagine how old this yarn is, but it is pretty awesome.

The pineapple doily shawl so far.

This was as far as I was able to get in class on Saturday and with another hour or so on Sunday.  I didn’t bring it on the trip with me since I plan to bring it to class again on Saturday.

The other coincidence involves a different project.  I recently had two crochet designs accepted into a pattern booklet series that will be distributed by Joann Fabric and published by F+W Media.  Unlike most publications I’ve been involved with, there are no restrictions from the publisher about sharing information about the project before publication, so I can tell you this story now .

One of the designs is my Wide Ripple Scarf pattern.  I’m working on a new sample in a different yarn, Stitch Nation Bamboo Ewe.  There were limited color options when I went yarn shopping, but I was happy to find several skeins in Periwinkle.  I decided to work on this project during my trip, and when I got to Pendle Hill, guess what color my bedspread is?

What are the odds?

Those are my crafty coincidences for the week.

If you’re looking for moral support for advanced holiday crafting, you might want to check out my Holiday Stashdown Challenge.

For more WIP Wednesday posts, visit Tami’s Amis.

Welcome to Week 1 of the Holiday Stashdown Challenge!  (For more details, read this post.)  This week is all about making “the list.”

Over time, my philosophy about handmade gifts has changed a lot.  I used to make gifts for everyone in my family and most of my female friends each year.  And then I heard about the concept of someone being “crochet-worthy” or “knit-worthy,” and now I’m looking at my gift making in a different way.

I’ll share a story that will help illustrate my point.  I usually make baby blankets for my friends when they are expecting.  I love handmade baby stuff from my own childhood and a blanket makes for a very personal and unique gift.  When MC’s friend was expecting his second child, I was all excited about making an awesome blanket for the baby-to-be.  But before I went yarn shopping, MC reminded me that I hadn’t really received a thank you for the blanket given to the first child, and that he hadn’t really seen it in use or on display.  He asked me why I wanted to spend all that time making something for someone who wouldn’t appreciate it.  I had to admit that even though I love making baby blankets, I would rather make them for people who want them, or even for charity, than for people who don’t appreciate my handiwork.  (Not to mention all the money I saved on buying yarn to coordinate with their decor!)

I also had the pleasure of winning a copy of The Official Guide to Super Awesome Gift Giving: (Or how to survive to the holidays without going insane) by Laurie A. Wheeler (also known as the Fearless Leader of the Crochet Liberation Front) last winter, and it was definitely an eye-opener!  Laurie gives some great tips about how to identify the best handmade gift projects for those on your list, and also advises you to feel comfortable about taking people off your handmade list if they don’t appreciate your gifts.

And, finally, if you need some moral support for editing or shortening your list, don’t hesitate to stop by the Selfish Knitters & Crocheters group on Ravelry.  Their tagline is “No more knitting/crocheting for people who don’t vote for your sainthood as a result.”  ’Nuff said.

Ok, so on to my list.  I don’t think I have any family or friends reading my blog today, but if this describes you, here is your last chance to avert your eyes!

The List (or, it’s official now and there are 21 people on it!)

• Mom
• Dad
• Dad’s partner
• Sister
• MC, my special guy
• JP, my friend and former colleague
• CG, my BFF from high school, who is an artist and very fashion-forward
• OB and JS, two of my friends who are also my crafting buddies
• JM, another BFF from high school, who is tougher to make something for since he’s more of a minimalist
• RP and CA, my two colleagues and work buddies for the last four years
• My great aunt and uncle
• My cat, Mom’s dog, and Dad’s cat (that makes 21 people and 3 animals!)
• My grandparents
• My aunt and uncle (Dad’s brother and sister)
• My two cousins (aunt’s sons)
• My little cousin (my cousin’s son who will be 4 years old this fall)
• My cousin’s wife (mom of little cousin)
• My cousin (uncle’s daughter)

Now before you freak out, let it be known that the folks in my Dad’s family (the last six bullet points/nine people) will probably receive something really small, like a Christmas stocking or washcloth.  And, I’ve already finished a hat for my Dad and started a hat for JP.

A hat for my dad, finished back in March.

A hat for my friend, JP, started at the beginning of May.

But yeah, that’s still a lot of people…

I’m looking forward to seeing your lists!

(Note: I scheduled this post because I’m traveling, and since it is my first time using InLinkz, if it doesn’t work, just add your link in the comments section.  My comments are moderated so if this is your first time commenting, I will be checking in throughout the day to approve comments.)

Prompt for the next post on Tuesday, May 22 (If you need some inspiration): Let’s take a stroll through our yarn stash, to see if there are any suitable yarns in there for gift-giving.  Don’t worry about matching these up to projects or people yet.  Are there yarns you like enough to work with but are willing to part with as gift projects?  If you don’t have a large (or suitable) stash, where do you think you will be doing your yarn shopping?  Tell us all about the glorious yarns!

Vivian Osborne at the Arctic Qiviut booth at a trade show.

Underground Crafter (UC): What are your personal favorite fiber crafts? How did you get started with these crafts?
Vivian: I admire all fiber crafts. Two of my grandmothers taught me to crochet. As a teenager, I crocheted show horse blankets and braid reins. I set up shop at horse shows and made a bundle. My focus now is to create beautiful luxurious yarn out of the downy underwool of the Arctic Muskox – “qiviut.” It’s such a soft, exotic fiber that’s perfect for heirloom creations.

UC: What inspired you to make yarn out of the underwool of a musk ox?
Vivian: I was running my nonprofit organization, Just For Kids, Inc., as part of the Choosing A Safe Camp For Your Child Program.  Someone donated one pound of raw qiviut fiber, stinky and complete with guard hair and vegetation, and matted in a sheet.  It was an absolute mess.  Some local Boy Scouts helped me, and we spent a year hand cleaning the raw musk ox fiber.  I learned how to use a drop spindle at the local guild.  It just grew from there.  (UC comment: Wow, that is some start!  It makes me want to learn to use my drop spindle even more, just in case I unexpectedly receive some awesome, mystery fiber!)

Vivian cleaning those guard hairs, about 12 years ago.

UC: You’ve had the opportunity to visit various fiber events to promote Arctic Qiviut Yarns. Tell us about some of your favorite experiences at these events.
Vivian: My first event was the NW Needle Market wholesale show in Seattle. Everyone was so excited about what I had to offer. They liked that I’m from North Pole, Alaska; that I use the underwool of the arctic musk ox to make 100% qiviut yarn and 5 exclusive qiviut yarn blends; that my yarn has a beautiful twist; and that it is available in 28 incredible hand dyed and hand painted colors. I have also exhibited my yarn at TNNA wholesale tradeshows in Long Beach and Columbus,  Knitters Connection, and at Vogue Knitting Live in New York. People love learning about qiviut. Vogue Knitting Live was fun because I met the knitters, crocheters, and weavers. They truly enjoy touching the yarn and seeing all the colors. They liked meeting the manufacturer – me! They liked that I manufacture something different not found anywhere else in the world. My qiviut sock yarn was a hit at all the shows.  (UC comment: As one of the crocheters who was visiting Vivian’s booth at Vogue Knitting Live, I can tell you that the yarn is really amazing to feel and that people did respond very well to the colors!)

UC: Not many crocheters and knitters are familiar with qiviut fiber. What are some of the properties of your yarn that you’d like people to know about?
Vivian: Qiviut is truly an amazing fiber. It is the delicate underwool of the Arctic muskox. It is one of the most sought after fibers in the world because of its rarity, softness, and warmth. Qiviut is softer than cashmere and is light as a feather. It’s an insulating fiber and is comfortable to wear in any climate.

Qiviut is the only fiber in the US that is an heirloom fiber that can be treasured for generations. The value goes up over time. Qiviut yarnwear or yarn is a unique gift for yourself or that special person. Only the best delicate underwool of the Arctic muskox is used to produce Arctic Qiviuts’ yarn. We offer 100% qiviut and qiviut blends. We only use the highest grade, finest quality German angora, cashmere, baby alpaca, cultivated Bombay silk, superwash merino, bamboo, and nylon in our blends.

A musk ox.

Muskox is a very old species they have been around since the time of the woolly mammoth. Most live in the Arctic, in Canada, Alaska, and Greenland. Qiviut is not another term for the muskox but refers to the soft, downy undercoat. A mature male produces around 6 to 8 pounds of muskox raw fleece fiber. After processing the raw fleece fiber you will yield about 2 to 3 pounds of cleaned qiviut ready for spinning into yarn. It is one of the lightest and warmest of all the natural fibers. Qiviut feels wonderful next to the skin.

Some of the characteristics and properties of qiviut:

• It is 8 times warmer than wool,
• Very light weight,
• It is comfortable in any climate,
• It doesn’t shrink, felt, or inch,
• It is safe for people who suffer from wool allergies,
• It is softer than cashmere
• Wild muskox averages from 16.5 microns in yearlings to 18.2 microns in adults,
• The undyed color is gray-brown, but qiviut dyes easily, and
• The staple length is 3.5–7 cm (1.5–3 inches).

UC: What are your plans for 2012? Will be you be at any other events?
Vivian: On May 24, I will be meeting and greeting passengers from a knitting cruise ship in Anchorage, Alaska at the Quilted Raven. I’ll be at TNNA from June 21 to 25 in Columbus, Ohio and at the Twisted Thread Knit and Stitch Tradeshow at Alexander Palace in London, England from October 11 to 14.

UC: Is there anything else you’d like to add about Arctic Qiviut?

Vivian: I am the exclusive manufacture of hand dyed and hand painted 100% Qiviut yarn and 5qiviut yarn blends. I only sell my yarns wholesale and at special events like wholesale and retail tradeshows. I also do trunk shows at retail shops that sell my yarns. On my website, you can find a worldwide list of shops that sell my yarn, properties of all fibers used in Arctic Qiviut yarns, more information on qiviut, free patterns including one designed by Alaskan designer, Beverly Shannon, and patterns using 1 skein of Arctic Qiviut yarns that you can purchase directly from the Alaskan designer, Nancy Davidson. On my website you can see all the beautiful hand dyed and hand painted colors of our yarns. Our slogan is “Experience the journey of the qiviut, from the muskox to your fingertips.”

Thanks so much for stopping by for an interview, Vivian, and for sharing so much about the qiviut fiber with us!

(This post is part of my Year of Projects: Crochet Master Class series. You can read the other posts in this series here.)

I just have a quick update today, since I’m packing after celebrating Mother’s Day with my mom to get ready for my vacation.  I finally finished my painted crochet trivet!

When you last saw my trivet, it looked like this:

I was trying to decide what to do next after running out of the orange I started with before the orange and red round.

I ended up choosing a relatively dark orange and a red from the collection of solid embroidery floss I had on hand.

You can see that the orange and red are different than the other colors I used.

Then I did another round with both strands of red.

Yep, I ran out again.

I really wanted to end as I started, with rounds of double crochet instead of single.  But I just didn’t have enough of the embroidery floss.  At this point, I just said to myself, “This is a trivet, not a wearable.  Just finish the thing already.”

You can see the last few stitches are in another red.

I still have to weave in the ends and block it.  (Yes, I am blocking a trivet.  It’s for me and I want it to look right!  With all the different threads, stitches, and tensions I combined as I tried to make a rainbow of color on this trivet, it ruffled quite a bit.)

So, what did I learn about painted crochet from this experience?  Well, it is much easier to do than it looks.  Basically it is just a matter of holding multiple strands of a thread, embroidery floss, or thin yarn to make slow color effects.

On the other hand, it requires a fair amount of planning, since the impact of the color changes is dependent on you have the right amounts for each color change.  I don’t see myself using the technique frequently because I don’t really like buying a lot of supplies which are mostly unused.  But I definitely will be making some more scrappy trivets with my embroidery floss – I have way too much and so rarely embroider.