Cool beans

If you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. Here in Pennsylvania, we've been having an extreme heat wave for a couple weeks now. We hope it will break in a day or two, but you know things are messed up when 88°F (31°C) sounds cool.

Does this stop us knitting?

No it does not.

That's what air conditioning is for.

I've been making a sweater (Tempting II from Knitty, Winter 2005). Which goes to show that even 11 years later, a good pattern is a good pattern. Overall ribbing is flattering, and the yarn is a beautiful one-off colorway from Potlock Yarns called "Pools." My only change so far is that I'm making the sleeves long, figuring I'll get a lot more use out of it that way. If it's cold enough for a worsted weight sweater, short sleeves won't provide enough warmth.

Here's the "cool beans" part of the post. Remember Dewdrop Paths? I learned today that it was featured in the KnitPicks Blog as #1 in their list of "9 Things We're Loving for August." Go have a look - their other selections are summery items in shades of blue. I'm particularly fond of the stacking mug (#2) and the dark-blue semi-solid yarn (#4).

 

Happy knitting,

Caroline

A foray into crochet

glissando {ɡlisˈsando, plural: glissandi, abbreviated gliss}: A musical term referring to either a continuous sliding one pitch to another (a “true” glissando), or an incidental scale played while moving from one melodic note to another. Italian, from French glissant, present participle of glisser, ‘to slip, slide.’
It’s the sound many people think of when they think of a harp. “Perpetual Gliss” is a small soft-sculpture crocheted harp that can be used to decorate any area. Due to the fragile nature of an open harp frame, it’s more appropriate as a decoration than as a toy. Make it for yourself or for your favorite musician. Note: Does not actually play music.

 
I've been crocheting since long before I learned to knit. To be honest, most of my early crochet revolved around oddly-hued granny squares that didn't necessarily get used for anything after they were finished, and once I learned how to knit, crochet didn't figure in my crafting for a long time. At times, it still calls to mind salmon tinted or pale blue acrylic purchased on sale from the local discount store.

However, because crochet fabric can be thicker and sturdier than knitted cloth, there are some items for which it is far more suitable. Case in point: my newest pattern, Perpetual Gliss.

Concert harps have such a delicate silhouette that to make an open crochet harp that would stand up, the fabric needed to be dense and sturdy. My solution? Single crochet, and lots of it, stabilized with plastic.

So what do you need to know to make one of these sweet little harps?

1. Use any yarn weight you want with the appropriate hook. All the harps shown in the photo have the same number of stitches; only the yarn and hook changed.
2. It's not necessarily hard, there are just a number of steps to follow. Most stitches are single crochet with a few half-double or double crochet for shaping. All the pieces are both written out and charted.
3. You can use plastic canvas or sheets from the craft store for the stabilizing pieces, but it's not necessary. I used straws in the pillar and pieces cut from leftover food containers for the flat pieces. Just be sure the plastic you choose is clean, dry, and not too brittle - the kind with a little flexibility.
4. The smaller the harp, the more stable the finished item. All three sizes are free-standing, but the larger size is a little wobbly. Because of the delicate nature of the open frame, they are more suitable as decoration than as toys.
5. Each harp shown is strung with a single long length of jewelry elastic. Strings were colored with permanent marker. 

So are you ready to try making your own?
Perpetual Gliss, $5.95
View details at Ravelry | Patternfish  | Sylvia Woods Harp Center

Joyful Lace

Photo ©KnitPicks

So I know it's been ages since my last blog post. In between designing and knitting, life happens; I won't bore you all.

But in knitting news, I am excited to share with you that one of my designs is included in the newly released KnitPicks Joyful Lace Collection. This one has been in the works since its conception in June 2014. May I present to you: Dewdrop Paths. It's available in printed book, ebook, and individual PDF download format.

It's an honor to be included with such designers as Susanna IC and Stephannie Tallent. In fact, every pattern in this book is gorgeous! Have a look, I'm sure you'll find something you like. My design looks like one of the easier knits in the collection. I originally designed it to be a take-along project with a quickly-memorized stitch pattern. It truly turned out that way, and much of the prototype was knitted in waiting rooms and hospitals. I've made two of them so far.

KnitPicks chose a lovely dusky blue yarn for their sample shawl, but I've also made it in lavender and light brown. Delicate colors are a good fit for a light and airy accessory. Here's a photo of the lavender one:

You can see how the color changes the look of the design. I don't have any pictures of the brown one yet, but they should be posted on Ravelry eventually.

Happy knitting,
Caroline

Dewdrop Paths at Ravelry | KnitPicks
Joyful Lace Collection at Ravelry | KnitPicks