Sea shanties and beach car rock

 Hello again everybody! I've fallen down the rabbit hole of sea shanties. They became popular earlier this year, but I've only started really listening to them recently because I'm learning to play the bodhrán (Irish frame drum), and the regular rhythm of a sea shanty makes them perfect for drum practice. The family music collection already has a surprising number, and then of course there's YouTube. A few of my favorites:

Stormy Winds Do Blow (Charlie Zahm)
Sea Shanty Medley (Home Free)
Soon May the Wellerman Come (The Hound + the Fox featuring Adam Chance)

And these aren't really sea shanties, but they're also great for drumming:

Tighinn air a' mhuir tha fear a phòsas mi (Capercaillie)
Alasdair Mhic Cholla Chasda / Rory MacLeod (Capercaillie)

Basically, songs and instrumentals with a steady rhythm work well, especially those with a moderate beat - not too fast or slow. In fact, the word "shanty" comes from the French "chanter," meaning to chant. If you're thinking about learning bodhrán, some YT tutorials that have been exceptionally helpful are those by:

Ruiari Glasheen
Nicolle Fig

If you're interested in the origin of sea shanties, this article at ClickAmericana had tons of interesting facts, including the abovementioned source of the word shanty.
 
To get back to the point, I have a theory. Traditional sea songs and modern beach-rock car songs are related. The more I hear of the shanties, the stronger the evidence. Please consider:

There's the new built "Terra Nova", she's a model with no doubt
There's the "Arctic" and "Aurora", you've heard so much about
There's Jacklin's model mail-boat, the terror of the sea
Couldn't beat the old "Balena" boys, on a passage from Dundee.
- The Balena, Traditional sea shanty

Just a little deuce coupe with a flathead mill
But she'll walk a Thunderbird like she's standin' still
- Little Deuce Coupe, The Beach Boys

---

The wind is on her quarter and her engine working free
And there's not another whaler a-sailing from Dundee
Can beat the old "Balena," you need not try her on
For we challenge all both great and small from Dundee to St.John.
- The Balena, Traditional sea shanty

When I take her to the track she really shines
(giddy up giddy up 409)
She always turns in the fastest times
(giddy up giddy up 409)
Giddy up 409...
Nothing can catch her
Nothing can touch my 409
- 409, The Beach Boys

---

For twenty-five long years she ruled the Northern sea
Riding like a queen on the tide
In the Caribbean one dark and stormy day
She ran into a reef and died
Bluenose, the ocean knows her name
Sailors know how proud a ship was she
Bluenose, leading in the wind
Racing ev'ry wave on the sea
- Bluenose, Traditional sea shanty

She had a classic beauty that everyone could see
I was the last to meet her, but she gave her life to me
She may be rusted iron, but to me she's solid gold
And I just can't hold the tears back
'Cause Betsy's growing old
- Ballad of Old Betsy, The Beach Boys

Not a million miles apart, am I right? Any minute I expect one ship's captain to offer to race the other ship's captain for pinks.

And what does this have to do with knitting, you ask? Nothing at all. Except that maybe the sailors wore sweaters.

Anyway, happy knitting (and drumming and shantying), and please stay safe.
~ 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

Bad Blogger

Hello and welcome to January 2014 at With Strings Attached. Since you're reading this, may I just say thank you for your persistence. I logged into my blog software and discovered that in all of 2013, while I managed to keep the pages for Patterns, Freebies, and Errata up-to-date, I only gave you three blog posts for the entire year. Obviously, I'm not the most frequent of writers.

When you were in school, were you required to keep a journal for any of your classes? I was, for a couple years at least. We were supposed to write at least 6 times in the space of two weeks. It didn't matter what we wrote. When I couldn't think of anything else, I'd play Word Association against myself. I was very glad when we weren't required to keep a journal anymore.

I still enjoy Word Association, though, but in a form I like to call Song Chain. It's a fun game to play with yourself if you're bored, or with someone else whether you're bored or not. Unless you're Sherrie (who co-invented it with me), you've most likely never heard of it, so here are the rules. If you're playing by yourself, you're both Player 1 and Player 2.

Player 1: Sing a phrase of any song - at least 8 words.

Player 2: Choose one word out of what was just sung. Sing a phrase (at least 8 words) of another song that contains that word.
Player 1: Choose one word out of what was just sung. Sing a phrase (at least 8 words) of another song that contains that word.

See the pattern? Keep it going as long as possible. Make your own additions to the rules: continue the song that was just sung, or sing another by the same performer, allow (or don't) songs with words in other languages or different phrases in songs already used. You'll be amazed at the amount of lyrics you didn't know you knew! (On short notice I can come up with lyrics containing the words residuum, hippopotami, or liverwurst. They're not the same song.) It's also fun to see how widely varying the songs can be. Start with a nursery rhyme, and the sky is the limit as to where you end. Play it with kids on a long car trip - you don't need any extra items, no reading or writing is involved, and you don't have to wait for a license plate with a Q in it.

One of the nicest things about this game is that it's non-competitive. Don't keep score, harmonize when you both know the words, and just have fun!

So what did this post have to do with knitting? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. If you're looking for recent patterns, check out the Patterns Page - the newest ones are listed at the top. And even if you don't find new blog posts here too often, the informational pages are kept up to date. You could also follow me on Pinterest or Twitter, both of which I update more than I write blog posts.

Happy knitting (and singing!)

~Caroline

Put a bead on it

Yukiko Cowls & Scarf - $5.95
Ravelry | Patternfish

Miyabi Collar - $5.95Ravelry | Patternfish

So, over the winter I got temporarily obsessed with this interesting stitch pattern out of a Japanese stitch dictionary. It has graceful leaf forms divided with seed stitch. It's versatile, too - as you can see on the left, it works well in rectangular form for cowls and a scarf, and on the right I adapted it for a circular collar.

In addition to its other merits, the leaf and diamond shapes also lend themselves to embellishment,which led to another obsession - knitting with beads. Large-hole beads (size 6/0) work wonderfully well. I also have a fairly large bead stash from my jewelry-crafting days, but most of them are seed-beads (10/0). They'd probably work well if they were pre-strung, but the beads on all of my designs so far have beads added with a crochet hook during knitting. With some trial and error, I found a way to get the seed beads on the stitches without too much effort using fishing line. Here's my little graphic and explanation:

Working with small beads: Are you using seed beads with very small holes? It can be very hard to get them over a stitch, even with a crochet hook. Try this: Cut a piece of fishing line or beading wire about 8" / 20 cm long. When you reach the stitch to be beaded, thread the fishing line through the stitch and hold the ends together. String the bead onto the fishing line. Holding the fishing line tightly, take the stitch off the left needle and push the bead down onto it with space at the top. Return the stitch to the needle and remove the fishing line. Knit or purl the stitch.

Carry A Tune - $6.95
Ravelry | Patternfish |
Sylvia Woods Harp Center

Once the beading was done, it was time for another type of stitch pattern: double-knitting. It's been awhile since I gave y'all a musical pattern. I asked myself, what does every musician need? I answered myself: a music bag. So here I present to you Carry A Tune. It's knit in mega-sturdy Cascade 220 with harps on the front and musical symbols creating a brocade-like design on the back and inside. It was fun to design and is absolutely HUGE inside. There are two large interior sections and one small pocket, and the layers of fabric make a cushy and protective carry-bag for anything, not just music.

Even though the cold weather is on its way out (yay!), that's no reason to stop having fun with yarn. Small projects aren't oppressive during the hot weather, and they'll come in handy again all too soon. Best get started now. :)

Happy knitting!
Caroline

Happiness isn't always what you expect

Well hello there! I'm back, and with three new patterns for you. To thank you for your patience between posts and patterns, the first one is a freebie - Georgina's Pin Pillow, shown at left. It's a very easy, infinitely customizable pin cushion pattern available here. (Ravelry link here.) It was made and named for my mom, whom I love very much and who taught me to knit. It only takes a small amount of yarn - I used the extra from the Felicidad cardigan, and there was still some left over. (Don't you just love the Flying Whirl pin-wheel that the pins came in? I do!)


In addition to the pin pillow, you have two new sweater patterns to choose from. The most recent is Felicidad, which is Spanish for "happiness." It's a versatile cropped cardigan striped with variegated and solid laceweight yarn, which harmonizes the colors and prevents pooling and flashing. Would you guess that the two colorways are the ones shown in the pin pillow photo? The Diamond Trellis Lace pattern is an authentic antique from The Jenny June Manual of Knitting and Crochet, published in 1886. The sweater has been in my mind for some time, and it has only now come to completion. It was worth the wait - it's very light and comfortable to wear, and I think it will become one of my summer staples. (And I'd say that even if I hadn't designed it myself.) Now I want to make one in a solid or semi-solid yarn. The pattern includes 9 sizes, XS-5X (to fit bust 30"-62" / 76-157.5 cm).

The Saga of Felicidad

As today's post title suggests, happiness - or felicidad - isn't always what you expect. Designing Felicidad was an adventure, and there were times I wanted to throw it across the room. The yarn had a peculiar affinity for the floor, and it kept jumping off my lap as it was being knit until I eventually corralled it in tupperware. (Yup - gravity's workin'.) The sweater was originally supposed to have 3/4 length sleeves, but I didn't have enough yarn. (Note: the XS, S and M - mine is M - can be knit with only one skein each of the Ella Rae Lace Merino!) They were originally going to be the same lace as the body, but they didn't want to be; they fought me, and I tore out more inches than I care to remember. Looking at it now, I believe that the stockinette with picot border works better anyway.

A suggestion for when you knit this or any lace garment that needs to fit: make a big gauge swatch and block it aggressively. Wash, stretch, pin. I made one and blocked it, but not aggressively enough. My first row gauge was 11 rpi instead of 9. This made the back and fronts about 4 inches too long on the first blocking, and I had to rip out a lot of lace. Save yourself the pain. The Ella Rae Lace Merino held up very well to repeated frogging, though, and I would happily use it again.

Light Lyric Coloratura

Here is sweater pattern #2: Light Lyric Coloratura. (Here on Ravelry; Here on Patternfish.) It was completed several weeks ago and somehow escaped blogging. It's another lightweight garment that can be dressed up or down. Though the lace looks complex, you only need to follow one chart at a time, and much of the body and sleeves are simple stockinette. Yes, there's seaming, but that adds to the stability of the sweater. Another plus: the pattern includes 9 sizes, XS-5X (to fit bust 30"-62" / 76-157.5 cm). Curvy girls, rejoice! I particularly like the way the hem lace skims the hips and thighs, which are my particular trouble spots. Also, an open cut with no buttons means no pulling at the front - just flattering drape.

Are you wondering about the name? Here's the story. Operatic voices are categorized according to their range, weight, and color. A light lyric coloratura soprano has a very agile voice which is capable of fast musical acrobatics and clear high notes. Think of Beverly Sills or Kathleen Battle. This type of soprano may sing such light roles as Adele in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus or Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto, occasionaly crossing over to more dramatic roles, such as The Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte by Mozart. My favorite description, from Opera for Dummies, is that they are "the tweety-birds of the musical aviary." I love to sing opera, though with an untrained voice I do it only for fun, and usually not in public. :) The light lyric coloratura songs are an incredible amount of fun. I also like to sing Gilbert and Sullivan, who added humor to the operatic type music. Fun x 2, at least! The Mikado & Patience are my favorites, though there are also some great songs in Ruddigore and Pirates of Penzance. Come to think of it, some of their soprano characters (Yum-Yum, Rose Maybud, and Mabel) can fit into the light lyric coloratura category as well.

So there you have it - a free pin pillow and two new sweaters. I hope you enjoy them. Happy knitting!

Georgina's Pin Pillow - free!
Download PDF here  |  Ravelry

Felicidad Cardi - $6.95
Ravelry  |  Patternfish

Light Lyric Coloratura - $6.95
Ravelry  |  Patternfish

Florence Foster Jenkins

"Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." ~ Henry Van Dyke

So I was thinking about Florence Foster Jenkins yesterday. Here's the Wikipedia article about her. She lived from 1868 to 1944, and she was a singer.

By all accounts (and some extant recordings bear this out), she wasn't a very good singer, but she didn't let that stop her. She enjoyed it, and she was determined, and she performed at Carnegie Hall on October 5, 1944, when she was 76 years old.

Asked to compose her own epitaph, she stated: "Some people say I cannot sing, but no one can say I didn't sing." To which I say, "Brava! You go, girl."

Knitters may or may not be singers, but we can (and should) be fearless when it comes to our projects. Remember, it's only sticks and string, and you're the boss of it. If you need inspiration, laminate her photo and put it in your knitting bag. (Click the picture at right for a larger version.) I think she'd approve.

Harmonic Curves

As you may have guessed by now, I like (and play) the harp. As of today, I've designed, knit and released into the wild two new coordinating patterns: the Harmonic Curves Tam and Harmonic Curves Wristwarmers.

“Harmonic curve” is a mathematical term describing a parabola, or a U-shaped curve formed by the intersection of a plane and a cone. Musically, it is the term for the shape of a harp’s neck (the piece across the top). A curve is necessary so the harp’s strings can change in length rapidly as the notes get higher. The exact shape of this piece varies depending on the luthier (harpmaker). On both pedal and lever harps, the harmonic curve will resemble the design depicted in the new patterns.

One of my favorite things about the design is the difference made by a change in fiber and color. The tam is very floppy, so choose your size accordingly. The brown and white hat is size medium, the black/multi tam is small. Blocked over a bowl, it would be a regular slouchy hat; blocked over a dinner plate (as these were), it becomes a tam. The wristwarmers have a finger loop that keeps them in place without getting in the way of the fingers.

Harmonic Curves Tam: $6.95 at Ravelry
Harmonic Curves Wristwarmers: $5.95 at Ravelry

You may be wondering about that book I mentioned in my last post, The Bride of Newgate by John Dickson Carr. I wouldn't rank it among the great literature, but I did rather enjoy it. There was lots of swashbuckling, and I did not see the ending coming. Set in Napoleonic England, it is considered to be the one of the first historical mysteries. The author includes an afterword of explanation as to how much of the novel is fiction and how much is fact. While the main characters are all fiction, there are quite a few historical personages who make appearances in the background. He also researched speech patterns of the time to make the dialogue as realistic as possible. There's a good no-spoiler summary of the mystery at classicmystery.wordpress.com, and I mostly agree with the reviewer's opinions of it. Wikipedia also has a page about the book. The book reminded me on a very small scale of The Count of Monte Cristo, a massive and sweeping historical novel which I much enjoyed. As thick as it was, I couldn't put it down.