Seaming Made Simple

 Knitting Related, teaching  No Responses »
Apr 272013
 

On Saturday, May 25, I’ll be teaching a class at Penelope Craft in Amsterdam – Seaming Made Simple.  If you’d like to learn everything you need to know about successfully putting your sweaters together, beautifully, be sure to sign up!

It’s a 3 hour class which will be mostly hands on practice.  You’ll have to make some swatches ahead of time, so be sure to ask about homework!

You can sign up at Penelope Craft, Kerkstraat 117, Amsterdam or on their web site.

There are a lot of other great classes planned for this summer.  Here’s the first few months’ schedule.

I’m also teaching Sock Design Studio on June 8th.  In this class you’ll learn how to make socks fit YOU, how to design your own socks using your favorite stitch pattern, and how to design socks for others.  What things do you need to take into account when designing socks?  Do’s and don’ts.  Hints and tips.  It’s going to be amazing.  I’m VERY excited about it.

Hope to see you there!

Healing

 Amsterdam, food, Health, Knitting Related  1 Response »
Apr 072013
 

I had a very nice Saturday, day 10 after The Fall.  In the morning I made the above Flourless Chocolate and Pear Cake.  I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect.  You can’t really tell from the photo, but there are big chunks of pear in there.  And no flour!  I highly recommend this recipe.  The only thing I did differently was to add the chocolate fondant on top.  Had to.

After making the cake, DB and I went to Amsterdam.  I had to see how tired the trip would make me and how confident I would be to do it on my own this coming week in order to get back to work.  AND it was the grand opening of Penelope Craft‘s new location at Kerkstraat 117, Amsterdam.  There would be cupcakes! And yarn! And knitters!  I had to make the effort to go.

We went by bus, then train, then tram, then a two block walk to the shop.  I didn’t even think about taking photos at the shop, which goes to show how tired and spaced out I was.  I sat and knit with friends and pet some yarn and picked up a couple of skeins of super giant fat yarn to make demo materials for the class I’m going to be teaching there.  It was lovely to be out and with my peeps.

When we got home I kind of collapsed on the couch, fell asleep for a while and was woken up to the delicious smells of DB’s spaghetti.  We then spent the evening watching episodes of Justified, season 4.

All in all, a great day.

Preparations

 Knitting Related  No Responses »
Mar 272013
 

I’ve been signed up to teach a couple of classes in May and June and preparations have already begun!  I won’t say much about the classes yet because they have not yet been announced and I think it’s only right if the shop owner announces them first.  I will only say that, as the photo above hints at, one class involves socks.  I’ve started on the demo socks already.

See those shiny new needles sitting on my laptop?  Those are my brand spanking new ChiaoGoo circular needles.  I have been using KnitPro wooden needles for sock knitting for the past several years but they are just too fragile.  They break easily.  I totally gave up using their 2mm size because they would break if I looked cross-eyed at them.  I had searched Ravelry for needle recommendations and decided to give these a try.

Since the above photo was taken, I’ve knit about half a sock with these 2.25mm needles.  So far I like them a lot.  What I like the most are the very pointy tips.  In fact, I LOVE the pointy tips.  They make knitting with small sock yarn so much easier!  Also, the metal has just the right amount of slip – not too much – just right.  The one thing I’m having to get used to is the cable.  The lovely red cable is actually plastic covered metal.  You can see the metal inside through the clear plastic coating.  They are stiffer than I’m used to.  The stiffness is not causing me any problems with knitting, it’s just something to get used to.  So far though, I really recommend them.

I also recently got a set of HiyaHiya SHARPS interchangeable needles.  I got the SMALL 5″ set, which gives you needles from size 2US through 8US.  Honestly I rarely knit with sizes bigger than this so it seemed like a perfect set.  Again, I got these as a replacement for my KnitPro set that kept falling apart.  And also with these metal needles, so far I love them!  The tips are nice and sharp, the metal has a very nice feel to it and different from the ChiaGoo needles, the HiyaHiya’s have a thinner more flexible cable.

The HiyaHiya set was a Christmas present from DB, but I didn’t actually get them until the end of January!  They were stuck in customs all that time.  What a pain.  He ordered them from a shop in the U.S. because he didn’t find them in stock anywhere locally.  Are you listening local shops??

So, I’m going back to my teaching sock knitting.  And I’ll post more about the class once it is announced.  It’s going to be so fun!

Look What Came in the Mail Today!

 Knitting Related  1 Response »
Mar 132013
 

In order of appearance:  Madelinetosh 80/10/10 worsted weight in color Edison Bulb; Madelinetosh 80/10/10 worsted weight in color Sand Dune; Madelinetosh 80/10/10 fingering weight in color Spectrum.  The 80/10/10 is 80% merino superwash wool, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon.

It is really hard to capture the true color of this fabulous yarn.  It should be easier once it is knit up into something that is worn outside in daylight.  It was snowing this morning so no outdoor photos for me today!

The first of these to be used will be the Sand Dune and the Edison Bulb.  I’m designing a vest and will knit one in each of these colors plus another color, Terrarium – MT Vintage yarn.  I can’t wait to get started!

On the rest of the knitting front – I’ve finished the baby gift I’ve been knitting for a while but won’t post photos here until the parents have it in their hands.  Don’t want to spoil the surprise!

I’m also working away on my second worsted weight sweater in the 6-sweater series I’m designing.  I’m over half way done so should be finished and ready to look for test knitters just after Easter (first week of April time frame).  I think Andy will be finished with his manly version at the same time.

It’s been so cold here lately that everyone is 1) complaining and 2) still wearing lots of heavy hand knits.  I’m looking forward to warmer weather and cotton sweaters and lace shawls!

More Mandy’s Heart Sweaters

 Knitting Related  No Responses »
Feb 222013
 

This past Monday night at de Jaren, C. and C. brought/wore their Mandy’s Heart sweaters.  The red one was made for C.’s daughter.  Aren’t they lovely?

The light in de Jaren is just AWFUL for photos (and for knitting too).  I did my best with photoshop to improve the light and color.  They both seem very happy with their new sweaters, and you can’t ask for more than that!

I’m busy working on the next sweater design, which will be perfect for a beginning sweater knitter.  Andy is also knitting a sample sweater for me.  I’m about half finished with mine so I hope to get test knitters started in another month.  There’s also another new project that is 2/3 finished which I NEED to finish in the next 3 weeks.  That’s a lot of knitting to get done soon!

But at the same time I’m itching to start something small and new.  I really want to make another pair of Mandy’s Heart socks in a bright shocking pink and it’s taking all my willpower to hold back and finish these other 2 projects first.  I used to be such a monogamous knitter too!  Looks what’s happened to me!

Oh, one other bit of knitting news – I’ve started using my new HiyaHiya sharps, interchangeables, 5″, and I LOVE them!  I swear I’m knitting faster with them.  They feel great in my hands, nice and light and the finish on the metal has just the perfect amount of slip.  I think I’ll post a more extensive review of them in a few weeks when I’ve had a chance to work with them some more.

Happy Knitting everyone!

Mandy’s Heart – Sweater & Socks

 Knitting Related  2 Responses »
Feb 142013
 

My sweater pattern, Mandy’s Heart, is now available on Ravelry!  Yay!

I’m really happy with how the sweater turned out, how the pattern has come together, and how my test knitters have taken to the task.

And also, to match, Mandy’s Heart Socks! I had this Madelinetosh Tosh Sock in Tart in my stash for a very long time, just waiting for the perfect project.  I decided to create the perfect project myself.  The stitch pattern from the sweater worked perfectly for socks.  It has all the right characteristics – stretchy, interesting, and a lovely cable running down the middle.

Both pattens are available only on Ravelry.  And if you are a knitter, you should be a member of Ravelry.

Happy Valentine’s Day Mandy.  You have my heart every day of the year.

Perfect Seams

 Knitting Related  No Responses »
Feb 092013
 

Yesterday I went to Carol’s house to help her with seaming her Mandy’s Heart sweater.  Carol had never sewn up knitted seams before! I showed her the first few stitches and the rest she did completely by herself.  After just 5 minutes she was sewing up her own perfect seams.

Look how happy she is!

And look at how perfect her seams are!

The above photo is Carol sewing in a sleeve, which is normally the part people are most afraid of.  Look how easy this is! Don’t be afraid of the seam.  It’s adds strength and almost no bulk at all if done right.  By the end of the afternoon Carol couldn’t keep her eyes or hands off her impeccable  seams and was just so pleased with herself.  Good for you!

By the way, only 5 more days until Mandy’s Heart sweater and sock patterns are released.  Stay tuned!

Sweater ONE

 Knitting Related  1 Response »
Jan 312013
 

Today, the last day of January and the last day of this “blog post a day” schedule, I’m announcing a new sweater design – Sweater ONE.  Sweater ONE is a very easy, basic, perfect first sweater for a new knitter.  It is knit in worsted weight, in pieces and is sewn together.  There is almost no shaping which makes the knitting even easier.  There are ribbing patterns in strategic places to make the sweater less boxy and more modern.

The above is a part of the sleeve I’m knitting.  The yarn is Lorna’s Laces Worsted.  Andy is going to make a sample sweater in Cascade 220 Superwash in a size to fit himself.  The pattern is written for 8 sizes from blocked sweater size 35, 38, 41, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60 inches (89, 97, 104, 112, 122, 132, 142, 152 cm).

As soon as the 2 sample sweaters are finished I will be searching for test knitters.  I hope that I can find as many and as wonderful test knitters as I have for Mandy’s Heart.  They have been so helpful!  Since this sweater is designed for the first time sweater knitter, I’d love to find test knitters who have never knit a sweater before or only 1 sweater before.  It’s not so easy for me to judge the difficulty of patterns since I’ve been knitting so long and have managed to knit from any kind of pattern you want to throw at me.

So, stay tuned for more information about Sweater ONE.  I’m hoping to get test knitters working before April.

Seeing Red

 Knitting Related  No Responses »
Jan 292013
 

I finished my red Mandy’s Heart Socks!  Yay! I will do my best to have a real photo shoot this coming weekend.  I’m really hoping to publish the pattern on 14 Feb just like the sweater.

I do LOVE this yarn, Tosh Sock, and the color, Tart.  I’ll have to get my hands on a sweater quantity at some point.

Almost Ready

 Knitting Related  2 Responses »
Jan 272013
 

This is the first page of my new sweater pattern, Mandy’s Heart.  Just a few final reviews and it will be ready to lease into the wild.  Pretty exciting!

Unfortunately, I had to be my own model.  I’m not happy about that.  It’s not ideal.  But I’m cheap and I was available.  For now I will have to do.

My test knitters are in the final push to finishing their sweaters.  I have 8 test knitters working diligently and I will be eternally grateful to them for their willingness to take on this task.

Launch date is set for 14 February.  The sweater is named Mandy’s Heart for my niece Mandy and Valentine’s Day seemed the perfect date to release a pattern with cabled hearts running down the front and sleeve.  The pattern will be available on Ravelry, and if I can get things set up in time, here on this blog.

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