Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Success at K1 Yarns. The tie-dye sock kit was even better than I expected, because the colour is in the ties. The owner, who sounds transatlantic, like me, said that she found them in the States and then got together with the Knitting Goddess to make up the kits. So, no mess in the kitchen. You tie the skein, lovely alpaca, with various colours in various places, and stew it for a while.

My only mistake was buying IK’s “Holiday Gifts” without even looking at the cover price, on the theory that since I wasn’t buying yarn for myself, I could have anything else I wanted. It was expensive and I fear useless.

Here’s the ASJ, photographed in November's early morning gloom, mitres finished, superimposed on a favourite old jacket. Now comes the part where decisions will be needed:



1) how long? That should be relatively easy.


2) What to do about the sleeves? Mid-forearm, unshaped? Or tapered to the wrist? And if the latter, a ribbed cuff or more garter stitch? Knitter’s Fall 2000 (in the glory days of Nancy Thomas’ editorship) reprises the ASJ, with tapered sleeves and garter stitch cuffs. It looks as if they would drag in the soup.


3) A collar? That decision, at least, can be left until the very end.

The Mysterious Christmas Project has embarked on its final pattern repeat, so I think the thing to do today is polish it off and then start the ear-flap hat so that I can iron out any early problems before taking it to Strathardle tomorrow. I’m uneasy about the discomfort of knitting with a short circular. I did the swatch that way, back and forth of course – even EZ wouldn’t expect you to knit a swatch cap when planning a hat. And it wasn’t entirely comfortable.

(I was electrified yesterday by the Fishwife’s discovery of a comfortable circular sock needle. I quite like knitting with dp’s, I don’t like the Magic Loop or Two Circulars. A comfortable circular would be heaven, and output should double, at least.

So, since starting to write the paragraph above – it’s all happening before your eyes – I went to Pavi Yarns, following the link provided by the Fishwife, and ordered one for myself. And then I thought, why not? and also ordered one in the size I used for that hat swatch.)

Rosesmama, I fetched out the Summer 2007 IK you mentioned, and I can’t find the update on the Maltese Fisherman’s Hat, which I would very much like to see. Could you look again and give me the page reference?

6 comments:

  1. rosesmama11:28 AM

    Ah, you weren't able to find it because, with advancing age, I know longer know how to read. I checked the magazinne that is still sitting here under the computer table and it is, in fact, *Summer 2008*. The article is on page 20, right after a nice one about the history and future of Schoolhouse Press. I'm sorry about the wild goose chase. I'm guessing I will now need to triple check anything I say for accuracy.

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  2. re Holiday Gifts - i too picked it up at the LYS (getting yarn for nephew's hooded cable cardigan) and then saw the price - 15 bucks here in the states - for a MAGAZINE !

    unbelievable even if there are 60 patterns or so the ad emails they are sending out recently say.

    yikes

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  3. Gerri6:31 PM

    Count me in the group who grabbed Holiday Gifts for fun and about fell over when I saw the price they rang up. Should have listened to the voice that said, "cancel that purchase!"

    Franklin did a Maltese Fisherman's Hat--it's listed in his side bar. He cites Knitters Almanac.

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  4. Anonymous7:18 PM

    Those short Addi circulars are brilliant, especially for knitting socks on buses. No more crawling along the floor, trying to find the dropped needle!
    They are also good for knitting socks in darkened lecture theatres, as there is no need to look at them as you knit, just carry on round and round. The sock can then be quickly dropped into a handbag before the lights come back up!
    Jane-Beth, Edinburgh

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  5. =Tamar7:33 PM

    The Holiday IK is a _big_ magazine. $15 is a book price. I've seen $35 books with fewer than 60 patterns. So call it an oversized trade paperback anthology with ads, ahem, "appendix: list of sources"? There were a few patterns of interest; I recall putting it back with a mental note to look carefully again.

    I like the ASJ's looks but I think it needs a yoke to fill in the neckline, as well as a collar.
    I just found a bag of "Shetland" yarn (made on the Isle of Lewis), left over from someone's kit I assume, so I may be venturing upon stripes myself.

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  6. The ASJ is looking better and better but avoid putting the sleeves in the soup please!

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