What the Friday?

 In which I am trying to figure out what the friday I was thinking, when I started this or that UFO.

Actually though I completely forgot about, was not that big of a mistery. 

I knew it was supposed to be a sweater, or rather a cardigan, and I loved it, because of the pointy side seams, and that at least one of my knitting friends knitted it. 

I had a vague memory of it being a Knitty pattern (as like 10-14 years ago, many really good, and popular patterns came from Knitty, so dug around the Knitty archive. 

It took me a while to find it, but it is the Flaming June pattern 

Since I still like it pretty much, and I had the yarn packed with the piece on the needles, I will most probably finish this. 

New Year's Renaissance

 It seems all I do lately is knit, but the truth to be told, I am battling demons, and knitting is one thing I hold onto, because first of all yarn does not asks questions, yarn understand, second of all, I know how to do it. Mostly. Not to mention, that one of the thing is for the New Year's Good Luck sweater, that I only knit on that until it is finish.

I am thinking a lot about sewing, and I do things that takes me closer to sew, got some patterns printed, glued and cut, I have fabrics washed, but for the moment, I am the queen of procrastinating. 

In the meanwhile, as I said, I am holding onto knitting like I'd do it for dear life. 

You've seen, that I finished the New Year's sweater, and by now I managed to block it, and we even took some photoes of it on Saturday. 

Excuse for the missing smiles, part of the reason was that it was effing cold. Norbert even asked if I am sure that it is a good idea to take off my coat for photos in minus C°'s, but at least that I did not want to postpone longer. 

As you see, at the end, I decided on the almostred dark burgundy color, and Elenor Mortensen's Renaissance sweater.

Both the base color and the contrast color was variegated, both was a no-name second-hand find, the burgundy from year's ago, the light white-is/purplish from a few months ago. 

All through knitting, I was wondering, if it was a smart idea to mix not one but two variegated yarns together, because when I looked at my knitting, quite often I could not see the pattern.

However, when I looked it from farther apart, I could really see the lines more clearly: 

So, though, I am not unsatisfied with the results, next time, probably NOT use two colorful yarn, at least one of them will be a solid, or at least semosolid one. 

On the other hand all the yarn came from my stash, only small amount (a few meters) was left, and it blocked out nicely.

As for the pattern, it is well written, as usual (for Elenor pattern's), I only changed my usual added waist-shaping and the longer cuffs.

What I like about Elenor's pattern, that the later ones go beyond the patterned yoke, this one have the majority of the stranded part after separating the sleeves and the body.

Of course, I like the lines of the drawing, though for me it s more rococo than renaissance.

Pattern: Renaissance by Elenor Mortensen

Yarn: Sockyarn

Needles: 2,75mm, 3mm, 3,75 mm

Photos (modelled): Norbert Varga @Bodeszphoto

Weekly SO

 Underwear (as undershirts)

I've been listening to some knitting podcasts on Youtube, and when I first heard that one of the podcasters wears her (wool) sweaters without anything - maybe except a bra- I was like hmmm. She must be the odd one out. But then I heard another one, and then another one, and as we all know, one might be a chance but three is a trend. 

I was like WHAT? 

She did not like a certain yarn, because it is ever so slightly prickly (do not get me started on "prickly/itchy", etc yarn, LOL), but she does not wants to wear anything underneath... because she gets hot, but then she still sweats and she needs to wash her sweaters frequently... 

Now, I would NEVER EVER wear a wool/alpaca/angora/cashmeere (basically -mostly- protein based / animal fibers) sweater directly on my skin. I would always wear something, at least a T shirt underneath. 

I did not, even, before I started to study historical clothes, but after that, not even that much. Whenever I am asked, how do I wash my wool sweaters, my answer is usually that I rarely do. Not only, because I have many, and I do not go out that much, but also because I always wear something underneath them. It is one of the basic teachings of historical dress, and if nothing else, we should learn as much. Just as I am often asked about my sweaters and washing, we are often asked about how did they washed those big, natural fiber dresses, and the answer is the same. They did not. Were they dirty or smelly? Also NOT. Why? Partly because those clothes were hung out to air, (wind, sun and cold does wonders). Patly, because, they were undershirts (chemises) underneath, and they washed those. And washed those frequently. I also wash my T shirts, undershirts, etc rather frequently.

Things with cellulose based fibers (cotton/linen) are somewhat different, I used to have some summery tops, and I might even wear a cotton sweater with a tank top (instead of something with sleeves), but I still feel the urge to wear something underneath.

And let's not even talk about dressing appropriately to certain conditions, because climate change threw a lot of things  off its course, but we, I think, can agree, that it is not the swetar's fault (and not the yarn's) if we are hot?

SC (Short Comment)

Sometimes I do wonder that printing PDF patterns are really the most cost/paper-effective way, but compared to the time and cost, and uncertaintities shipping a paper-pattern takes... 

 

Weekly Pattern

Since I wrote about this idea, I keep thinking, how I should go about this? Two things I am sure: that this will be both knitting patterns and sewing patterns, and also, I will post positive and negative thoughts too. I might do a double take on some occasion, posting one positive, one negative, other times I take a look at just one pattern.

Let's start with a positive one, okay?

I usually stay away from those that keep popping up literally every darn knitting podcast, and this one did appeared in every "XX best colorwork pattern" "Colorwork patterns you must knit" and the like type of knitting youtube, but I still like it. 

Picture is from Ravelry © Katryn Seeburger

It is the Heirloom Quilt Cardigan by Kartyn Seeburger

Maybe because I am not only a knitter, but I also sew, and I did sew quilts for a while (back in the nineties, when we lived in Miami. I just found the album with some pictures, do you want to see them?).

This cardigan is something that speaks to me. Colors, interesting shape, a lovely mood. Yes, the colors of the original would not work with my hair, but there are quite a few finished ones I'd really love to try on, like Jilljudd's one with the blue and red, or the all blue Pinkpantherblau made.

It is designed for a fingering weight yarn, and because of the boxy shape, I think a bit off gauge would not hurt much, thus I can imagine using some sockyarns to make it. 

I think, using a basic and traditional quilting motif makes it look homey, comfortable, a bit chabby chic.

Would I actually make it? I would be definetly tempted, the only thing is something that makes this piece what it is, the cropped length and the boxy shape. 

Being somewhat overweight, I am not sure how the shape would suit me, and how changes, like adding a row of squares would change it. 

Gone to the movies (Nosferatu costumes)

To watch Nosferatu. 

My son asked "Since when do you watch horrormovies?" And he was absolutely right. I don't do horrors, I can't even watch a simple Dr. House episode... But then why? 

"Sweetheart, it is set in 1838. I was looking at the clothes, not the gore."

And I was. Of course I was interested in the story, back in university, I had a class on "fantasy" literature that took us thtough from The Monk through Dracula and Frankenstein to the Clockwork Orange and the Hungergames. 

But the clothes, the clothes! Did I tell you that I am a nightmare to watch a historical movie or a period drama? In fact, as Norbert said not long ago: "I kind of got used that you keep commenting on clothes in historical movies, but now we can't even walk around you doing the same?" (I was criticising a street-sculpture of a 19th century playwright, who was depicted in a modern suit.)

Anyhow, back to the Nosferatu costumes, the movie is set in the 1830-ies, and we know that 1830-ies fashion is often ridiculous, and that is why it is rarely used in movies, but here they did not shy away from the ridiculousness, but fully embraced it. The extremely puffy sleeves, the folds, the ruffs, the piping the lace, the underwear (did you see that fan-backlacing? I have to make a corset with those one of these days). They had headwear! Lacecaps, and even bonnets!

You all know that I am not a fan of black dresses, but that mourning gown...

I am tempted, I am tempted. 

(Take a look from a bit closer:)

There was only three moment, I drew a sharp breath of dissaproval. First at the yellow dress at one of the early sceenes. I get that they wanted to portray the calm (sunny?), but that shoulder???? 

The other time, toward the end of the movie, when she stands in the window in her underwear. While the corset itself is correct, and worn over a chemise (yayyy!), the place where Ellen's breasts supposed to be is empty.... It just looks so strange. I mean they should either used a smaller gore ("cup") or they should have used something to stuff this existing corset (They did do that historically). Though, come to think of it, it could be showing that she is loosing weight, because of the terrors, so much, even her corset (stays) is hanging on her (but only loosing weight from her breasts?).

The third time, the dressmaker in me (who have special craziness and OCD's to hang on, and criticize others for) gasped when the main caracter had a stripy dress, and on th eback of the dress the stripes were OFF, they did not match up. Once again, I know, that such a thing did happened historically. By the 1800's fabrics were a lot more affordable than even in the previous century, but they were still precious enough, that they often sacrificed pattern-matching to save on fabrics, but still... 

Otherwise, we could be happy, if the average historical movie would be halfway this decent. 

Now, I am going to plan an 1830-ies dress for myself, even if we don't actually do that period. YET. 

PS: After I wrote the above, I have found some interesting articles, like THIS one. Or THIS one.

Photos: from allover the web, probably owned by the studio. 

Start a shawl (knitting basics)

For most knitters who knitted their share of shawls, this technique may seem obvious. But then, a friend asked me for a very fast and very simple shawl pattern. As usual, I started to seach in one of the two obvious places, DROPS (the other is Ravelry, naturally), and while the DROPS Site has a handful of basic, top-down triangular shawls, that could be knit with as thick or thin yarn as possible, none of them had the garter tab start, that is small, simple, but elevates how the edge of a shawl look. 

What is this "garter stitch tab"? ever wondered how shawls seems to have no beginning, because it looks like it is knitted from the top down, but you cannot see the start, because it has a garter stitch edging... all the way? 

This is how it is worked.

Note: In my knitting, I always knit the first (edge) stitch, and always take the yarn to the front before the very last stitch and slip that last stitch without knitting it. The edge stitches are NOT counted in the pattern (usually, but if they are, then it is specifically mentioned).

Start with casting on five stitches.

Knit the three middle stitches with garter stitch, and the edge stitch on BOTH side, as above (knit the first stitch and slip the last one), until we have 5 garter ridges (that is 10 rows).

Now I slipped the stitches to the other side of the needle (so I would not have to cut and reattach the yarn).

Leave the first 5 stitches on the needle, turn the piece 90° and pick up one stitch at the end of each ridge (we pick up 5 stitches, where the arrows show).

It looks like this.

Now, turn the piece 90°again, and pick up 5 stitches in the "bumps" of the cast-on row.

You have 15 stitches on the row, it looks like this (I know, it is scrunched up a bit, but we will get though that phase).

Turn the piece, knit the edge stitch, 3 stitch with garter (knit) stitch, purl, until you have 4 stitch in the row, 3 stitch with garter(knit) stitch, and slip the last one.

When you finished, it looks like this:

If you use stitchmarkers, you should place them now, where the arrow shows them:

You have 1 edge stitch, 3 garter stitch, Marker, 3 knit stitch, Marker, 1 knit stitch (this will be the middle stitch), Marker, 3 knit stitch, Marker, 3 garter stitch, and an edge stitch. 

Now, knit the edge stitch, the 3 garter stitch, make a YO (yarnover), knit 3, YO, 1 knit stitch (this will be the shawl's middle stitch), YO, knit 3 stitch, YO, 3 garter stitch and slip the edge stitch.  Your piece should look like this, now. You have increased 4 stitch in every right side row.

The yarnovers are circled in the picture below.

On the wrong side row, you knit the edge stitch, the 3 garter stitch (knitted), purl, until you have 4 stitches on the row (careful, not to twist the yarnovers, as they should leave a small hole), 3 stitch garter stitch, and slip the last stitch.

Continue in the above manner.  In the below picture the black dot shows the middle stitch, the small arches show the place of the yarnovers (you increase 4 stitches in every right side row). The black arrows shows the way you knit, and the blue arrows show which way your shawl will grow.  

If you want a simple stockinett shawl with garter stitch edges, keep knitting until you achieve the desired size of the shawl (maybe the desired size of the shawl minus a few -3-5 cms-). Then knit all the stitches with garter stitch (knit in every row), while continue with the increases for about 6-12 rows (it is up to you how wide edge you want). Then loosely cast off the stitches. 

Also, you can knit the WHOLE shawl with garter stitch, then you will HAVE to use the markers, and still increase on every first row, and just knit all the way back in the worng side row. If you keep the middle stitch stockinett (knit on the RS, and purl on the WS), that can add some visual interest to your simple shawl.

So there you go, now you know (on way of) how to start and knit your very first, very simple shawl. 

Happy Knitting!