Comfort Food

I've been thinking about food more than yarn today, and it seems that what we eat is on the brains of more than one knitter these days. Stephanie can't get home from the store without her lettuce freezing, Hannah had a post yesterday about Vegetarian Times magazine and their article about non-vegetarian ingredients that sneak their way into foods.

On my other blog, Comfort Kitchen, you can see a link to a video investigation about turkey factories.

I bought Jerusalem Artichokes (sunchokes) at the coop yesterday because they looked so fresh and the sign said they were local (local produce is a rare thing around here in February), but I've yet to find a recipe for them online or in any of my many cookbooks that strikes my fancy.

Jay (who's two) studied bugs in his playing with dirt "science" class this morning, so we had butterfly pasta for dinner.

The eye of the storm

Selma Making a Snow Angel
Originally uploaded by John's and Amy's Dad.

Things have been quiet here because a WHOLE WEEK of snow days (caused by things like icy sidewalks, no plows to clear school parking lots, not actual snow drama), meant I was doing a lot more kid stuff and a lot less of anything else.

This weekend, we decided the iciness that was pretending to be snow here in Maryland wasn't good enough, so we drove north, 400 miles to my parent's house in central New York. Drifts were above my head, and the kids got to ski and sled and hang out with the grandparents.

Even the drive was fun--I finished my second sock.

Today, if I ever dig out from the avalanche of e-mail, I got while I was away, I get to swatch. First, with O-Wool's new Balance--a organic cotton/wool blend, and then, with Tilli Tomas. Yum!

"What are you DOING here?"

Comfy Crocheted Sock
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

That's what Walter, the owner of Adega Wine Bar, where SSK, (Silver Spring Knitters), meets, said when Debbie and I walked in. It was sleeting a little outside... Carol also appeared a few minutes later, but we were the brave few. We had a great time eating and knitting and sharing stories--Carol is last in the line of afghan crocheters in her circle of friends and she gets nominated to make one for every big life event--she makes sure to throw in a color that wouldn't go with anyone's decor so they still look like those that a grandmother would have made.

I finished this sock on Monday night when I should have been working on a sweater design. I've told myself I CANNOT crochet the second sock until I've finished the back of the sweater. I figure in typical reverse self-psychology, telling myself I can't make it will help me avoid any "second sock syndrome." (Actually avoid isn't exactly the right word, I'm drowning in SSS, I've never actually made a pair of socks knitted or crocheted, but this one was so fun and easy and it fits so well, I'm determined to finish the pair).

I got the Domiknitrix book today. It's fun even before you open it--it has a rubber cover. The book itself is organized in two parts--technique and patterns. Author jennifer stafford uses her "domiknitrix" persona to teach basic and advanced techniques and there are clear instructions and lots of color photographs. The patterns in part II fun and campy with lots of intarsia graphics, slinky tops, a mens vest with a pipe-smoking head on it, a bright green "mohawk hat." Patterns include lots of charts and schematics and a list of what you'll learn by completing the project.

Sneak Peek Monday

Alpaca Silk Scarf
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

Here's a bit of what I finished over the weekend (while battling the ever increasing barage of viruses weilding their way through my neighborhood, no less!) It's a little one-skein scarf for Amy Swenson's upcoming Sensual Crochet book. I'm only helping out by creating a couple of tiny patterns--she's designing some amazing things for this book all our of super-luxe yarn.

Behind the Scenes at Knitty Gritty

Amy on Teevee
Originally uploaded by such sweet hands.

Cecily was an awesome friend/host/tour guide while I was in LA for Knitty Gritty--she's posted a set of pictures on Flickr of the filming and hanging around back stage.

She also documents our amazing trip to the Japenese $.98 store.

In the mail today...

0208071707.jpg
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

The new Interweave Knits in its redesigned loveliness (including a fantastic piece about Camel yarn from Mongolia), some swatching balls (merino with beads, silk with sequins, yum!) from Tilli Tomas that came in the most lovely silk drawstring bag, and a complete set of Crochet Lites from the lovely folks at Clover USA. The Crochet Lites are shaped like Clover Softtouch hooks, but they're acrylic and the entire hook part lights up (unlike they're knit counterpart where only the point lights up). It's particularly exciting to me because I don't have a complete set of any type of crochet hook (I'm working on a set of addis, one by one), I may have to make a special case just for them.

UPDATE: I've discovered, since I'm up too late, that the crochet lites are bright enough to serve as a small flashlight (yeah LEDs!)--I wouldn't use them in a movie theater, they'd probably distract other viewers, but they'll be great for late-night car crocheting.

Sweet Shrug

shrug front
Originally uploaded by Erin Bee.

Erin Bee has crocheted the Sweet sweater as a cute shrug. I may have to try this version myself. I I love how the sleeve caps fit her shoulders just right, and she's lengthened the V-neck to fall right at the closure. Great job Erin!

Doris Chan Top

Doris Chan Top
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

On Monday night, I was teaching a crochet class and one of the students wanted to make this top (The Abydos Vest from Amazing Crochet Lace: New Fashions Inspired by Old-Fashioned Lace), so I thought I'd try it out too. I bought a ball of Lana Grossa Millenweit sock yarn (which happened to be on sale), and got the whole thing out of one ball. It was a quick and fun crochet, and I love how the garment was worked down from the shoulders. I may try another tunic with this construction style using a slightly less open pattern (but of course, that would use more yarn!). Also, if I were to do this particular one again, I'd probably add waist shaping--but I've tried adding a belt to the top as is, and I like that too.

The sock yarn has so much "memory" that it was pretty scrunchy before a vigorous steam blocking, but now it drapes and swings just fine. Actually, that "memory" would be useful for other types of garments that I didn't want to drape so much. Sock yarn is the perfect weight for crocheted garments, and even the so called "self-striping" varieties end up with nice random bits of color when crocheted.

Crochet Rescue

We have some great thrift stores near my house... When I go, I often find myself rescuing handmade items. I share this penchant with Jennifer Hansen who wrote a great essay about it in the book Hooked: A Crocheter's Stash of Wit and Wisdom. I haven't had a chance to go thrifting in a while, but last night, at SSK (Silver Spring Knitters), Hannah and her family had just been. She gave me the dress you see the detail of here. You can see more pictures of the dress as well as her other finds on her blog. Thanks Hannah!

Google Reader

I have a new favorite tool--it's Google Reader. I've been using it to keep up on blogs for the past few days, and I like it better than any other tool I've used (like Bloglines or Net News Wire, etc.). Google Reader easy to use and it lets you share your favorite posts. I've also put a sidebar list of posts I'm sharing--you can see it by scrolling down below my profile. I also like the interface--the only thing you can't do within the reader (and you can't do this in any reader I've found), is comment. That's ok, because I like to click over to folks' actual blogs too, so I can see their sidebars, etc. I love to read lots of blogs and keep up with commenting, but sometimes I feel like I'm just dealing with too much digital information. I've done a lot lately to lighten the load. I've unsubscribed from almost every opt-in I receive via e-mail and I changed all my yahoo group subscriptions to web only. Now, I don't get e-mail all day long, and most of what I get I really need to read. It's refreshing and it leaves me more time to blog and read blogs.

Of course, the stark reality of it all is Google Reader loves me too. As with GMail, they track everything I do--it helps them sell targeted advertising that keeps the whole Google behemoth moving. Interestingly, they're not subversive about the whole tracking thing. In fact, you can see your own blog reading statistics by clicking on their "trends" link on the google reader home page. It tells you what you read most, etc. I haven't been using it long enough to have much data, but my curiosity was piqued.

How do you manage all your digital information?

Debbie's Pie

Debbie's Pie
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

Debbie, one of the knitters at SSK (Silver Spring Knitters, our weekly gathering), is actually a chocoholic. Last night she had hot chocolate and chocolate cake at the same. time. (I also am chocolate obsessed, but I would never do this... why? The richness of the chocolate cake would make the hot chocolate pale in comparison). She made these slices of fiber goodness for a friend who collects fake food. Debbie is probably one of the most prolific and generous knitters I've ever met. She's fast and turns our impeccable work, then most of the time, gives it away. She has plans to knit cake next.

Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us

If you ever wondered what Web 2.0 is all about, check out this piece put together by an anthropologist.

Thanks to my brother for the link. (It is he who keeps me up to date on all things technological).

Knitting for Therapy turns into High-End Cooperative Business

This article in Reuters is making the rounds today, and you can see and buy the beautiful creations made by the cooperative online directly from them (or through the Sundance and National Geographic Catalogs). The women creating the designs often earn more than the average national salary in Bosnia and at the same time, they get support for the emotional damage war has ravaged upon them.

Swatching Balls and Color Cards from Lornas Laces

Swatching Balls and Color Cards from Lornas Laces
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

I got this box of loveliness in the mail late last week. It's tiny little balls of Lorna's Laces for swatching, plus all the color cards! My mind is spinning already with ideas, and I haven't even started swatching yet. I'm currently spending a lot of time playing with sock yarn (for things other than socks) so I can't wait to give Lorna's a whirl.

"Baby, It's Cold Outside!"

That's what my two-year-old, Jay, sings when we step out on a particularly brisk day. Today, the thermometer read 12 degrees when we were getting ready to go. My new hat kept me warm.


If you've been to the Fair Isle February blog, you'll see that members are producing whole sweaters in a weekend, but I've never been one for speed.

I frogged the fair isle part of the hat twice. The first time, I decided that the chart I originally chose was not taking well to crochet's natural tendency to lean leftward. I rifled through Carol Ventura's More Tapestry Crochet for a different idea, and found these nice simple blocks.

I frogged it a second time because I had forgotten one of the things I learned about colorwork in my class with Carol--when you're switching colors--start the new color 1/2 stitch before the color change--that is, in single crochet, dig into the stitch one stitch before the color change with the old color, pull back a loop of old color, then yarn over with the new color and pull through. That way there's no jog of color from one stitch to the next.

I finished it off with a 2-color rib... I had originally wanted to change color every row on the ribbing, to get the green only in the "valleys," but that would have meant 2 balls of color for each end of a 6-stitch rib, and that was too fussy for me. I might try that some other time. I love adding ribbing to anything crocheted now that I don't have to sew it on when it's done. Robyn Chachula has come up with a great method of working the ribbing right onto the garment--she describes the method in her Summit Hill pattern on crochetme.com.

I've gotten permission from Carol to incorporate her chart into a pattern for the hat, so stay tuned. I'll let you know when I write it all down. I"m hoping to make mitts to match the hat, but for now, I have to get back to work projects--I'm crocheting a sweater with this amazing suri alpaca/merino from Blue Sky.

Book Review: When Bad Things Happen to Good Knitters

I got this little book in the mail yesterday: When Bad Things Happen to Good Knitters: An Emergency Survival Guide. It's written by teachers at New York's Purl Soho yarn shop. It's "an emergency survival guide" for knitting problems. The book has a fun, campy feel and it's got lots of good beginner information. There are also great fixes for problems like "my cast on is too tight," "or my sweater is way too long," (also useful non-emergency tidbits like how to do Kitschner stitch or duplicate stitch). Instructions are illustrated with 2-color drawings. The book is small enough to fit in your knitting bag, but it seems to be more geared towards fixing problems you'd have at home, not at the local Stitch and Bitch.

Meet the Croquis

Amy was writing about a design she's working on, and linked to a picture of her sketch which she made from one of the Croquis Family, fashion drawings of standard body sizes (including a women's petite and plus size drawing).

These images are from Threads Magazine--they'll be great for sketching--I was just wishing that they were on a grid (I may try printing them onto grid paper) so I could imagine measurements at the same time I'm sketching. I usually draw my own bodies on graph paper, but they're not as nice looking as this.

Poetic Convergence

In honor of Groundhog Day, Selma (she'll be seven in March) wrote a poem. (There was a 2-hour delay this morning because the folks in Maryland forget how to drive even if there's too much talk of snow.). It also happens there's a blogger's silent poetry reading happening in honor of St Brigid's day, so Selma and I thought we'd contribute her poem:


Spring is coming, I know it, I know it
Spring is coming, I know it, I know it
I know it, I know it
Spring is coming
The clouds are out
Spring is near
The groundhog will come out
Because his shadow isn't here

By Selma Jesse Houck, February 2nd, 2007

Technorati Tags:
spring, poetry, St Brigid, Groundhog Day

Stranded with Crochet

stranded crochet
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

When Hannah proposed a Knit Along called



I thought it would be a great excuse to practice my stranding techniques. But when she said there were no rules, I got it in my head that I should crochet a fair-isle pattern instead.

Normally, when crocheting with two colors, you crochet over the color not being used making a very dense and stiff fabric--its great for bags and tams, and its called Tapestry Crochet. Carol Ventura has written several books about this technique which is popular in Central America. (One advantage of tapestry crochet is, it's reversible). I thought, if I stranded the yarn, instead of crocheting over it, I'd get a more supple result. It worked. The fabric is a little thicker, but not at all stiff. I'm using Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport (that I got at the new yarn store, A Tangled Skein, in Hyattsville, MD).

As you can see, the inside of the fabric looks a lot like stranded knitting. Now, when I knit fair-isle, I do it two-handed. That just doesn't work for crochet (you can't easily throw the yarn), so I ended up holding the main color over my index finger of my left hand, and the green yarn over my thumb. It's working well, but my tension isn't perfect.

The hat is a simple toque crocheted from the top down in single crochet. I started with 6 sc, and added 6 per row until it fit my head--ending with a multiple of 12 because that's what my chart calls for. I actually like the pattern so much, I think I'll knit it again after I've finished the hat, maybe some cuffs.

A Yarn Over

Yesterday, I was teaching my class of middle schoolers, and I was describing an increase, "now you do a yarn over," when one student piped up... "A yarn over? Is that, like, when you knit too much the night before? Like, oh, man, I've got such a yarn over!"

In other news, I'm contemplating reorganizing my stash. Like Robyn, I've been doing lots of swatching for book projects, and I've decided it would be useful if my yarn were organized by weight. Right now, it's by fiber content. I have kind of a wierd stash. It's more like a collection. With the exception of the yarn I use for teaching, I don't have large quantities of any one yarn. I have a ball of this and a ball fo that. I keep it on hand so I know what it's like and I can swatch with it if I'm considering using it in a project. And, when I'm designing, I often think about the weight of the yarn before the fiber content so I'm hoping this re-org will be helpful. (It should also give me the opportunity to de-stash a little. There must be some balls in there I just don't need. Like maybe my collection of various types of twine. Then again, I love knitting and crocheting with stuff from the hardware store, so those may be hard to part with. I may need to take a trip to the container store. Dont' you think more bins would help? That always helps. me. procrastinate. starting.