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D'oh!

A kind reader sent me an offline message yesterday regarding the yarn-yardage required for my Adult Surprise Jacket. I merrily replied that I had 20 balls of Noro Kureyon, and surely that was enough to knit anything! I believe I may even have added a LOL to that wanton act of knitting hubris. Well. The question remained with me, especially since (after acquiring the 40" US size 7 circular) it appeared most probable that I had knit an inch and used an entire ball of the Kureyon, or ~109 yd/100 m. (The upside, of course, is that it looks pretty cool!)

I consulted this, and thought about my yarn requirements. I consulted the nice Yahoo group of knitters that have already knit the Adult surprise. Finally, I dug out the Fall 2000 Knitter's that contained the Adult Surprise Revisted. Yep. There it was in hideous black and white—yarn requirements of 34 balls of Karabella Aurora 8 (96 yd/87 m) for the same size I'm making, which is oversized-jacket-sized. Eeep! and D'oh! I'm 14 skeins short of the Kureyon! I must have been asleep at the needles when I blithely cast on for this without checking yardage, but gee! 2100 yd seemed like plenty. Knit and learn, right? But it was a major D'oh! moment, with much slapping of my own forehead.

D'oh!!

I have 20 balls of color 57, too, so Friday I'm hunting around for the additional skeins I need, and I'll go with either color 71 or 57. Wish me luck! I believe that neither of these colors is discontinued (but I've been wrong before).

Pups

Della and Dyna went to class last night prepared for their Level II testing, but instead it was just a regular class, with the testing promised for next week. Della loathes the new big dogs in her class, and gave a very good demonstration of passive resistance by refusing to do anything except turn her back on the class with dachshund-disdain. Dyna romps with the big dogs; she wants to be friends with everyone and is completely fearless. When the cooperative pups were all doing chutes? And Della was persuaded to try? She went flying in, and then refused to come out. For what seemed like about a half-hour. I hope we don't have a(nother) puppy-school dropout on our hands.

Friday! Geoffrey says Be Cool—Stay in School. The pups say More Belly Rubs, Less Chat. I say Happy Friday to all, and to all a good weekend.

Chances Are

Even though we have this filled with knitting needles in practically every size you could imagine, especially at the smaller end of the mm range,

what are the chances we would only have a single US size 7, 24-in long? We can't tell if our 400-st Surprise Jacket is working out in Kureyon no. 71, because we can scarcely see what we are doing as we push stitches aside and around and around.

I *think* it's going to be extremely awesome (how could it not be?), but I won't be able to sing about it for sure until I get a longer needle Thursday afternoon. I pick up my nephew on Thursdays, and his school is located exactly two blocks from the local—is that lucky or what?

Flora

Oh right! Flora! A note from my blog-buddy Kaori reminded me that the vest had not made a completely finished appearance on the blogola. I've linked a Flora page from the sidebar under Finished Stuff. It is a pretty vest, but much too hot and muggy here for a modeling session (and it's only the end of April—yikes!). You can look at this image:

Or go look at the Official Photos on the Flora page. Knit-blog readers' choice.

Pups

The pups love Thursday because that's when their excellent boy Geoffrey (my nephew) comes over, and he is an enthusiastic giver of pup belly-rubs and ear-scritches.

We hope you have an equally enthusiastic and affectionate person on your radar screen today. The pups, with their eclectic musical sensibilities, quote Janis Joplin, and say Get It While You Can.

Cheers, and happy knitting!

So Far So Good So Cast On

While most of my evening was taken up with a pesky OS upgrade, then installing new drivers, and hunting for software, etc., I still made time to cast on for the Adult Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann. I'm planning to make this leisurely project-knitting, just enjoying the colors unfurling upon the mysterious design.

My jacket is being knit in Noro Kureyon, color no. 71. (Terri's clever idea.)

It's a heady mustardy-mossy-foresty-fuschia-magenta explosion of colors, and I think I'll like it very much. Plus, no purling! All knitting, all the time! Did you know there was an online group devoted to knitting Elizabeth Zimmermann designs? They've knit the Baby Surprise, the Adult Surprise, Ribwarmers, a shawl, hats and other items, and they're a very friendly and enthusiastic group. I'm primarily a lurker, but I love to listen to the chatter about EZ designs by knitters who are so prolific and pleasant. Blogdogblog awards them Snaps and Woofs!

A Little Wistful

As knitblog-fever builds for MDSW, I find I feel quite dis-located at different times during the course of a day; it seems so far away, when it was just a three hour drive before. Of course my dear guild knit-buds in NJ would let me crash-knit with them, but the Festival simply isn't in the cards for me this Spring. Still, I feel displaced, or something. It's a curious feeling. Oh well. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that Rhinebeck will be my festival in 2004. Virginia, be looking for me in October, okay? The rest of you, I hope, are sharpening your credit cards and packing your comfy shoes and sunscreen. Pet some sheep for me!

Pups

Della is still making faces, but Mikey is always a happy hound. He's feeling particularly fluffy this week.

We wish you a fluffy sunny happy day with time to knit something wonderful. Happy Wednesday!

Someone to Swatch Over Me

Monday night was not our most prolific night of knitting ever; in fact, we only swatched. Swatches! I dislike knitting them, but rarely proceed without one. And now I'm ready to begin to knit my Adult Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann per Terri's clever idea, in Noro Kureyon at 5 st per inch on US size 7s.

And, I'm swatched and ready with Rowan's Yorkshire Tweed 4ply at 7 st per in on US size 3s for my Knitted-Stitch Pullover by Meg Swansen. It's practically a Wool Gathering festival around here! By the way, you can see a photo of the Knitted-Stitch Pullover by scrolling down a bit on the Wool Gathering page link in the previous sentence. The pullover (I'm thinking of making it a cardigan) features a knitter's joke: the charted pattern is actually composed of stylized knit and purl stitches. I love it! I couldn't find a photo of the Adult Surprise Jacket online, so just see yesterday's entry and imagine it bigger and in Kureyon :-)

Swatch. Etymology: origin unknown. Where do you suppose this word came from? I don't know, nor does Merriam-Webster. But my swatches are done and now all that's left is to decide if I want to knit both projects at the same time, or work dutifully on one and finish it, then work on the other. Tough choice, right? Thinkthinkthink. I also have a heap of plastic grocery bags that I want to turn into Amber's coinpurses. For the record, I did make an attempt to get back to work on the Morning Glory Vest, but apparently I'm still not ready to return to it.

Pups

Della seems determined this week to not allow any pretty pup pictures except on her terms, and she hasn't clued me in to what those terms are yet. I imagine they will involve peanutbutter.

Tuesday! Della says something unfathomable but I suspect PG-17. Please enjoy your day, and your knitting. Don't look at Della, she's misbehaving.

"Hey presto eureka"*

Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Surprise Jacket (Special Spun Out 1 - B) is the most fun I've had knitting since my mania over Scribble Lace. This design, first published in 1968, is pure genius. I enjoyed the knitting very much, and I never picked it up without thinking about the mysterious construction, and how astonishing I found it that anyone could conceive of such a clever all-in-one-piece bit of knitting. I knit the Baby Surprise to understand the construction; I'm planning an Adult Surprise (Spun Out 1) for myself. But I can see how knitting these little jackets might prove as addictive as knitting socks or gloves.

Here's the knitting finished, with Little Jack thoughtfully providing some scale for you:

After shooing Jack out of the way:

After folding A to A and B to B:

Isn't that cunning? And very cute.

Cute shaped neckline:

I used Plymouth Yarn's Le Fibre Nobili "Opera" in two different marled shades, and a US size 6 bamboo circular needle. Smart. Cute. Fun. Useful. What a lot is packed into this little jacket! Two thumbs up for a classic.

* "Hey presto eureka and lo—a baby sweater!" E. Zimmermann, writing in Wool Gathering, Schoolhouse Press, 1968.

Unexpected Vest Weather

According to TWC, it's going to be cool enough to wear my 1993 Flora vest to work— possibly as cool as 58 degrees (F)! It will be 80 plus degrees by noon, so it will be a short outing for the vest, but I *will* get to wear it in the morning, and that's a happy surprise. So I'm glad I finished the armbands over the weekend. I went with the corrugated ribbing, as in the original from A Scottish Garland; the leaves would have been very pretty, but after thinking about it, I decided that I wanted to stay with the design as originally conceived by A. Starmore.

Pups

It was rainy off and on all through the weekend; the pups were vexed.

Monday. Della says We Are Not Amused.

We hope you have something amusing to think about today. Happy Knitting!

Plastic Knitter

I stopped in at the pet store to pick up some treats for my pups on the way home yesterday, and what do you know? Before it even registered with me, the clerk had bagged my purchases in five plastic bags, and I only bought a couple of small squeaky toys, some chewies, some Greenies, and a box of tartar-control biscuits. Five more grocery bags = 1.5 knitted grocery bag coin purses.

Working on my recycled coin purse (thanks to directions by Amber) made me think about how much stuff there is to use up! While I did augment my grocery bag stash with Sister's, between us, there are enough bags to knit dozens of coin purses. Thursday's ordinary purchases brought my total number up even more. I thought about my new plastic "yarn" quite a bit in terms of knitting labor and landfills, and I've resolved to start bagging my own groceries with my own reusable canvas bags for a while. (Although I'm not ruling out knitting some big bags out of grocery bags to carry groceries in—hmmm.) I'm determined to get my planet count down!

The Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann is humming right along on my needles. I'm making this little jacket in preparation of making a big Surprise Jacket. The construction-idea is amazing; you knit one oddly-shaped bit of fabric that cleverly turns into a jacket with only a seam or two. Elizabeth Zimmermann's engineering genius manifested through knitting blows my mind every time I pick up this project, but that's okay, because the Surprise Jacket is nice relaxing knitting for my hands. And there's bound to be a cute new baby around that can use it. You can see I'm nearly finished with my little jacket, and you can also see future plastic yarn waiting to become something brawny and useful :-)

Pups

Cousin Dyna and Della worked on slalom stuff last night at their Good Canine Citizen class. Next week they test for Level Two; I'm not sure Della is going to condescend to be tested on Good Canine Citizen concepts. When we get to a part of class she doesn't think suits her dignity, she resolutely turns her back on all of us and refuses to participate. It's pretty amazing how solidly a little dog can plant herself.

Friday! Little Jack is glad he doesn't have to be a Good Canine Citizen. Yeah! Enjoy your Friday, have a marvelous weekend, and don't forget to woof it up!

Knit Planet

Sometimes everything happens correctly at once.

I've previously mentioned the nice online group I belong to, and that we have project-alongs every month or so. The Sanquhar gloves, the tam, a whimsey, and April's project: a bag of some type. I've done beaded bags, and felted bags, so I was thinking I might skip-along this time.

However, a week or two ago, Sister posted this link to a very thought-provoking quiz from EarthDay. I found it troubling, because even though I try to be a conscientious person, my answer on the quiz was an alarming 8.5 planets (How Many Planets Do You Need?).

So I've been trying to think of ways to conserve and cut back and re-use and recycle, and somehow incorporate knitting into all that, and then I remembered Amber's wartime grocery bag coinpurses. Two solutions in one! A bag to knit for the bag-along, and a creative solution to an environmental problem.

I cleaned out my stash of plastic bags, as well as Sister's, and was merrily knitting along when the mailman stopped by and dropped off a package from ~dramatic pause~ Amber! What a cool coincidence, right? Amber sent some goodies to me that are much nicer than I deserve :-) So much nicer, in fact, that I'd like to show them to you in a separate entry. But here's a hint: Habu. Habu!

With only a bit more babbling, I'd like to present (as an homage to Amber's artistry and creativity) my new coinpurse, made from used plastic grocery bags, complete with requisite previously-unloved plastic button.

Open:

and closed:

Amber has written that she makes these from her used grocery bags and then gives them away. I love that as a positive and life-affirming action, and plan to do likewise. The coinpurses (or made a bit bigger, CD holders, or made a bit skinnier, cellphone holders) are a visible reminder to recycle, and a visual reminder that something useful and lovely can come from something as mundane as the ubiquitous plastic bag. And, they're knitted! Completely satisfying, and a coinpurse takes only a couple of hours.

My grandparents had a sampler on their kitchen wall that read: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." I remember my teenage self passing it on a daily basis and thinking how corny it was as a philosophy. Today, though, I wish I knew where that sampler was. Thanks, Amber, for reminding me of this and many other things.

Pups

Thursday. Little Jack says Hurry Up Friday.

And we all say enjoy your planet today!

Colors

Hiho, blog readers. We have color joins to discuss today, but first! An important public service announcement for knitters. I'm woefully uninformed regarding this knitter's name, but you must go see her Princess sweater from Norsk Strikkedesign: A Collection from Norway's Foremost Knitting Designers. She knits so quickly and does such beautiful work! She's the same knitter with the fabulous blue foxes that I pointed you to last week. The Princess sweater is my favorite in the book, and her version is gorgeous.

I haven't seen much knitted from Norsk Strikkedesign (ISBN: 1893063011); Wendy knit the very cool Virgins sweater, but I haven't heard of any other knitters finishing sweaters from the book. And it's such an inspiring book, too. Go figure! But do go and look at the Princess sweater.

Joining in New Colors

Jo prompted a small discussion about joining colors in Fair Isle work; she said she was inconsistent sometimes about where she joins, and I'm almost always inconsistent about where I join, except that it's somewhere within the steek. I spit splice, as I mentioned yesterday, so I don't have to deal with a lot of ends. Later in the day, Jo wrote the following:

I reread the blog tonight and realized that you said you spit join color changes. I spit join when putting in a new ball of the same color. How do you get it to turn out right? Your knitting is too neat and precise for me to believe that you would tolerate being off a couple of stitches of the wrong color. My mind is turning over that one.

I have to issue an immediate disclaimer about being a neat knitter; I'm pretty sloppy :-) My experience with adding in new colors comes from reading Meg Swansen. I checked my favorite reference book, Sweaters From Camp, to see what she had to say about joining in colors. She says that when you splice in the new color that's similar in shade to the old color, there's a magical shift to the new color over the first few stiches. If the colors being changed are high contrast, you get what she calls a barber pole effect, but it only happens for a few stitches. Here's a section from the edge of the front steek of the 1993 version of Flora:

The new colors in these rows were spliced in. I tried to find a really clear example of how little the splicing affects the color changes, and this image turned out to be the most illustrative. You see the light greenish yarn row, and then just above it, a color called Sunset is spliced in at the right edge of the photo. Sunset is the peachy-rosey color. You would think that splicing light green to peach/rose would be very obvious, but as you can see, it's scarcely discernable, except perhaps a tiny bit in the first peachy/rosey stitch in the row just above the green. At least it seems scarcely discernable to me. So. Sometimes I sits and knits, and sometimes I spits and knits. But I never worry about changing colors in the steeks anymore.

Oh! And Caroline F? I think you only need to be worried about having three knot-free stitches all the way up, because you only need three to do the crochet steek.

Color Fun

Find some time today to play with Pantone's Birthday Colors, a very cute mix of astrology and color. Mistletoe is my power color (as well as Cari's!). What's yours?

Pups

Ho! It's Wednesday! Mike and Jack say Smile. Smile. Smile.

I'm not sure what the pups are so happy about, but I join them in wishing you a good mid-week. Have a colorful day!

Random Bits

Today's entry features completely random bits of information with no apparent connection! Yeah! Proceed to what you need, or just scroll down and look at that cute Little Jack.

Props!

First, thanks very much for the compliments on the nearly-finished 1993 version of Flora. I enjoyed all the comments! And, in my mailbox this afternoon was my extra emergency wool. The very kind and always helpful Anne had it rushed to Austin, and I'm most grateful. It's hard to wait for wool when you just have the armbands to knit, and SheEweKnits ensured that I didn't have to wait long at all. But of course, I've never ordered anything from her that didn't arrive almost immediately. I don't know how Canadian retailers do that. It seems rather magical.

Crochet Steeks, or Where To Change Colors

Jo asked about how the crochet steek holds if you are not always consistent about where you change colors. Many books on Fair Isle instruct the knitter to change colors somewhere outside of the steek. However, similar to a machine-stitched steek, the crocheted steek isn't going anywhere, so I just spit-splice in new color wherever it's convenient for me, and that's often right in the middle of the steek. I don't notice any instability. But, *if* I were going to leave the steek unfinished--just cut it open and pick up stitches from the steek edge stitches--I suppose the wooly changes might be sloppy? or the wool less likely to stick to itself? I don't know why you are not supposed to change colors in the steek. Anyone? Where do you change colors, and why?

Garter-Stitch Toe Sighting!

On a fabulous sock, too. Go take a look! Very cool, I must say.

Beautiful Stranded Knit Sighting!

Caroline F. is knitting Rosarie, designed by Jade Starmore. I have the checkered bottom band finished on this vest, as I ordered it and started it almost as soon as it appeared on the VY website; seeing Caroline's makes me want to get back to work on it. Meanwhile, Morning Glory is finished up to the armholes. And then there are the "Pansies in the Snow" gloves. And Vannalin gloves, and everything else Nanette knits. Hmm. I hate making decisions of this type.

Pups

Tuesday! Little Jack says Yakkety Yak.

Austin is full of flowers right now; it seems as if every fence I drive past is heavy with pink and red climbing roses, there are seas of bluebonnets everywhere, and a colorful palette of native wildflowers splashed over every open space. How profligate springtime in Texas is! We hope your day includes lots of gratuitous loveliness and excessive happiness.

Bands on the Run

This weekend I worked up the nerve to knit with the remaining yards of color-shade Sunrise to see if I could finish at least the front bands of the 1993 version of Flora by Alice Starmore. First I crochet-steeked (with blue-greenish Blue Lovat):

Then set to work on the front band. I had just enough of the Sunrise to finish them, plus another 11 inches (!) left over.

The bands are so lovely on their own that I don't know why I was thinking I wanted buttons. I'm going to leave them alone, as they are presented in A Scottish Garland. Aren't they pretty?

This is the first time I've ever knitted a facing for a front/button band, and I think that, while tiresome, it gives a nice effect. I did pause a moment to think if I wanted to just finish the bands with applied I-cord, à la Elizabeth Zimmermann, but decided to try the facing. You can see a bit of it at the back of the neck of the first Flora photo above.

The armholes are steeked and ready for their corrugated ribbing, and once my emergency-order wool arrives, there will only be a couple of hours of knitting left to this project. It was great knitting along with Wendy, and I'm glad she encouraged me to knit along. I repeat what I've said before: Ingeborgers, you are going to have tons-o-fun!

Pups

The pups had a pleasant weekend, and we all had fun with a training exercise to teach them how to STAY (not one of their strong points by any stretch of anyone's imagination). But I'm very happy to report that, if an especially nice treat is the reward, all three pups will now sit still at the same time for ~3 seconds! A huge improvement over the previous ~0 seconds!

Even more fun was had when Cousin Dyna came over for a visit. Much romping ensued. Here's Dyna and Della sharing a cousinly moment:

Monday! Hooboy. We hope you had moments over the weekend that will sustain you through the start of the work week. Happy knitting!

Levels

Level III

Have you been following Nanette's swatch progress this week? Nanette is within days of finishing TKGA's Level III course. Finishing this level makes her officially what we've always known she was: A Master Knitter. Congratulations, Nanette!

Level I

Della and Dyna both passed their first level of Agility/Good Canine Citizenship Thursday night. Well, luckily for Della, it was an automatic pass, but still! Dyna and Della did chutes and tunnels last night. Dyna is the tiniest little social butterfly; she charges with all 4.5 lbs at all the other dogs, tail a-wagging. It's so funny to watch that I think I'd have gone along for the class even if Della weren't participating! Sister needs to post more Dyna photos, right?

Level

Amber has turned me on to the most wonderful thing: active sitting with a Theraball. Theraball-sitting strengthens trunk muscles, and just the act of sitting on one helps build strength and balance. I'm using one at my office, and I have one at home that I'm sitting on now! I can even knit on one, and I'm finding that it's a great good-posture-builder. Something to think about if, like me, you need stronger back muscles, or tend to slump at your desk or your knitting. Thanks Amber! And blog-readers? Amber's got some cool knitting you should go see.

Loveable

So! Eyelash yarn is a great thing to knit teddy bears with; they're adorable in this medium, in fact. But the pink one is my favorite!

Update! 6:55 a.m. — Christine, our bear knitter, has written to say the pink bear is made from Brazilia, by Schachmeier! Thanks, Christine!

Pups

Friiiiidayyyyy! Little Jack says Ease on Down the Road. Have a good one, and a great weekend.

Check Please

What a lot of stuff to get done in a day! Wednesday hummed from start to finish. First on my list was ordering my extra wool from Anne. BTW, if you're ever trying to put together a knit kit from an older design by a Scottish designer ? Anne can fix it up for you in nothing flat. Melissa asked about this extra wool, whether I needed a specific dye lot, etc. Since I'm working bands-only on a blended color Fair Isle, I'm not at all worried about dye lots. I know it will be near-enough, whatever lot Anne sends it from. Oh, before I forget, I have one more note re: the 1993 Flora. I have knit my version not-exactly-on-gauge. I knit a bit "taller" than the gauge required; that is, my row gauge isn't spot-on. Had I started out with exact gauge, I'm not sure I'd be worried now about running out of wool.

Second! My latest and greatest gadget arrived, so I had to test-drive it. Remember this horrible thing? (No! Not the sleeve, silly! but the giant monster science fiction bug!). Well! Now I have this, and the pups and I feel quite liberated from our fear of Texas bugs. In case you don't feel up to following the link, it's a bug-vacuum, a bug-buster. It's a tube with which you can vacuum up a bug, cap the tube, then relocate your critter back into the wilds from whence it came. Excellent humane gadget. Two thumbs up!

Let's see. What else. I worked some more on my Physical Therapy sock, also known as the Bosnian Toe sock by Lucy Neatby. Emma is working on the same design in nearly the same wool, so you can go look at her Bosnian Toe sock to see a facsimile of my progress. I only work on this sock while I'm waiting on the physical therapist, and I'm surprised at how it grows while I wait. Thank goodness for the ability to knit in waiting rooms.

Hmm. More wool. Cool gadget. Bosnian Toe Progress. Yep. That's about the size of my day. Oh yah, I also picked up my taxes from my excellent accountant. How was your Wednesday?

Pups

Della has her agility and Good Canine Citizenship class Thursday night; I hope she is less shy than she was last week. In the meantime, she's just sitting around, looking like a beautiful dachshund.

Thursday! The pups say Get it Postmarked!

25 Grams Sunrise, Stat

I've finished up the body of the 1993 version of Flora by Alice Starmore, but I'm afraid I'm not going to have enough of the color Sunrise left to do the bands. And, in a similarly distressing development, I found I was unable to crochet a straight line Tuesday night, so we do not have our steeks crocheted as yet.

I'm planning on setting Flora aside for a few days while I await delivery of a bit more wool to use as a safety net. The shoulders are very lovely on this vest; observe this one, please:

Pretty? Yes, I think so.

Some other pretty knitting is happening around the blog rings. Remember my Dale 10706, the Foxes sweater? There's a simply gorgeous version with blue foxes at the tricofranco blog Au Fil des Mailles. Blue foxes! Fabulous! Don't miss the blue fox face close-up; scroll down!

Meanwhile, Noriko-san has finished some lace socks that I think are splendid and completely irresistable. Noriko has links to the Japanese pattern by Mihoko-san, who appears to have named her pattern "Godzilla Socks". At least I think that's the name; I very much hope so. I also think I must make a pair immediately in my favorite green. Thanks for the link, Noriko!

While several knit-blog readers asked about the wool I was using for the Elizabeth Zimmermann Surprise Baby Jacket design, I'd especially like to direct Terri's attention to this image,

which I hope clearly shows that I am not using Noro Kureyon, even though I wanted to. Real bad, in fact. But I refrained. :-) This not-Noro wool is Opera, by a subsidiary company of Plymouth Yarns, and that's been sitting in the stash for several years now. Doesn't Terri have great ideas? Baby Surprises and Bog Jackets in Noro Kureyon. Knitters rock!

Pups

Wednesday! Little Jack says Keep Your Chin Up.

We're halfway there!

News. Tues.

Sarah heard, and then filled us in; if you haven't heard yet, Sweatergirl had the Sweaterbump on 12 April! Yay! And thanks to Sarah for spreading the good news. Isn't the knitting blog ring an exciting place, what with new babies and Amber's 18th century printing press and Wendy's temperamental teenager. . . it's hard to think of anything to add to all of this interesting stuff! But! My dull-by-comparison blog news for Tuesday follows as per usual.

My hands were still a bit sore from working so much on Flora over the weekend, so I went ahead and cast on a Baby Surprise Jacket; the one designed by Elizabeth Zimmermann. Terri sent me the most awesome idea for a Baby Surprise Jacket; I can scarcely control my urge to take her idea and run run run, but I'll be polite and wait until she has an opportunity to talk about it herself. You should go look at the new photos from her latest hike, though. Very pretty.

Oh Right! The Baby Surprise Jacket!

I honestly can't imagine how EZ arrived at this design and construction; I'd love to know the story behind the Baby Surprise Jacket. It's like nothing else on the needles. Truly an original from an extraordinary mind.

Pups

Three cute pups wish you a happy Tuesday. Why not leave Sweatergirl some happy comments to read for when she's back home and online?

Mañana!

Bartender, Another Round

Actually, about six more rounds. But my hands got tired of Flora this weekend, so I'll finish up the shoulders and then three-needle-bind-off and then be ready to do the front and arm bands.

This has been an enjoyable knit. The colors are wonderful in person, the design is intricate enough to remain knit-interesting, and it's almost guaranteed to be a wardrobe classic. It's been excellent watching Wendy's VY version as I knit. I'm tempted to Ingeborg-along just for the fun of knitting with Wendy again, but I have too many gloves waiting! Those of you who are Ingeborging, though, are going to have a blast.

Textile Arts

Martha Bruin Degen has created some incredible art quilts. When people ask: What *is* a Fiber Artist, surely Degen is an exemplary answer. (via BoingBoing)

Pups

Monday again. Mike and Della would like to remind you that everything feels easier when you chat it up with a friend. Happy knitting, and happy chatting.

Mix and Match

Heads-up! There's not a lot of knitting content here today!

Della and Dyna stayed too long at agility class and so our regularly scheduled knitting took a back seat to Good Canine Citizenship.

However, I did think about several knitting-related things.

First, I think I've decided on buttons for Flora. What's your take on this one?

I like the way the scrolly floral-bits echo the scrolly-Flora-bits. But it's so hard to decide on buttons. I might decide that I just want Flora-background-colored ones.

In other random thoughts, I was looking at this site about psanky and was thinking that those Ukranians really know a thing or two about design. This one

reminds me of Marianne Isager designs. Isn't it amazing the way geometrical designs travel through time and cultures?

And for additional mental diversions, many of you left comments about Baby Surprise Jackets Thursday that really set my knitting-mind in motion. Who around the blog-ring needs a baby jacket? I don't have any babies to knit for.

Finally, a question from Angela about what I used to make the Scribble Lace designed by Debbie New, to be found in Unexpected Knitting. The expensive Collinette Point 5 was paired with (blush) cheap crochet cotton from the craft store. Worked perfectly!

Pups

We're all delighted that it's the end of our work week. Mikey says Let the Yodeling Begin!

Enjoy your knitting!

Engage Imagination

I must immediately tell you about the most awesome photo in my new stack of Spun Outs. In Issue 22A, which contains an "Exposition of Fair Isle Jerseys," there is a photo on the flipside of Mary Walker Phillips, Elizabeth Zimmermann, and Barbara Walker all sitting in a row and knitting up a storm. Can you imagine what a day that was? Mind-boggling.

While on the subject of EZ, I read something very interesting on a yahoo list recently; someone had taken heavy mohair and size 15 needles and made a Baby Surprise Jacket (BSJ) for her 11-year-old daughter, with no significant changes to the pattern directions. That sounds rather like a knitting challenge, doesn't it! How big can a BSJ be made? I'm not sure I'll be able to resist trying to make a BSJ for myself, just to see what happens. If you are unfamiliar with the BSJ, it's the sweater that, in EZ's words "...looks like nothing on earth when you have finished knitting it." But when you sew up two seams, you realize you've created an adorable little jacket with no side or arm seams. You can see an illustration of it if you scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page.

Gigantic Baby Surprise Jackets. Too Cool.

Flora Update

Moving along slowly and carefully toward the shoulders. I've finished the arm decreases, and will be working my way through the final pattern repeat over the next few days. Here it is, just past the armholes.

The decreases at the arms aren't actually as steep as they look here, and the colors are not quite true. I'll definitely be looking forward to photographing it in natural light, so that you may see how lovely the colors are. And, I'll be glad to have that last pattern repeat finished.

Textile Silly Business

Did you see these odd yet appealing scary clothes? (via Metafilter)

Pups

The pups join me in thanking you for your kind comments yesterday; it was delightful to hear from all of you. Thanks for helping us celebrate our blogdogblog milestone.

Thursday! Mike and Jack say Get Ready!

Cheers, and happy knitting!

A Year of Knit-Blogging

Today's entry marks exactly one year of knit-blogging. What a lot of nice knitters and knit-bloggers I've met, too. This time last year I was working on Laura's Skull Vest, and it didn't occur to me then that I'd still be knit-blogging a year later.

Daily-weekday blogging has added another dimension to my life, I find. It's very different to knitting in public, but it's quite public knitting, isn't it! I know I stay more alert for news about knitting, and for photo-ops about knitting. I keep an eye out for new techniques and interesting designs. I'm always listening for approaching new books about knitting. Taking photos nearly every day has brought an appreciation of the way colors combine in nature, something I didn't think about too much when I worked in the urban Northeast and never wore anything but black. I've gained a lot of inspiration for wooly color combinations by examing the background of dachshund photos. I certainly knit more, because the impetus to show you progress is very strong. And, it's been good discipline for me as a writer to write every day, even if only about knitting and my pups.

I'd like to have written a solution to world hunger; a prayer for world peace; or poetry to rival Rumi's. Instead, I Knit On, as EZ directed, and knit-blog for a half-hour or so each day. With each entry I have felt tremendously supported through my connections to our online community. You've seen me through steeks and gloves and trips to the vet. Thanks for reading, and thanks for the ~1500 comments you've left here over the space of the blogdogblog year.

Flora

I found I was quite relieved when Wendy announced that, once her sleeve was completed, she was setting her Flora aside until 14 April. While this isn't a competition, it would still be unsettling (in a number of ways!) to watch Wendy start and finish a long-sleeved jacket in the same amount of time it took me to knit up to the arm steeks in my version! If knitting were a competitive sport? I think I'd have to have a handicap, as golfers do.

No Flora photo; I'm just past another row of leaves, and knitting slowly up toward the final third of the vest. Credit-where-credit-is-due-Reminder: My version of Flora is from the book A Scottish Garland and was designed by Alice Starmore. The wool is a mixture of vintage Campion and new Jamiesons' shetland.

Pups

Della says Happy blogdogblog Day to all, and to all a good Wednesday.

Treats

An excellent mail day here. But first! A question from Nathania, who is wondering which image of Flora in yesterday's post most accurately represents the real-life colors. The answer: I'm not sure. I think it's actually somewhere in between. Not as purple-y plummy as the pic on the deck chair, and not as bright as the image on the concrete. Both photos were taken within about 10 min of each other toward the end of daylight, so neither is completely true. And of course your monitor is another variable to consider. But I'm working towards the top of the vest now, so I'll try to get a nice shot in daylight soon.

Now. About the excellent mail. First were the Sandnes accessories booklets that Nanette so easily convinced me I must have. And she was right! Worth the money; get your copy(s) here.

The bonus mail was a package I was waiting eagerly for from Schoolhouse Press. It's a complete set of every issue of Spun-Out, the instructions from sold-out issues of Wool Gathering.

I love everything about Wool Gathering; the format, the designs you won't find anywhere else, the tips, the tricks, and the news of upcoming books. To have all the issues all the way back to Issue 1B, The Baby Surprise Jacket, is a complete treat. The Pelerine! The Badger Afghan and Sweater! The Horde of Hats! Huzzah! They're all here! Now I have this stack of photocopies, and as with Knitter's Almanac, the reading is such a pleasure that I don't actually have to knit anything until I am good and ready. Get this, from Wool Gathering 17 in 1977:

"Dear Knitter, Although I sit writing this under the grateful shade of the white pines of a very hot July 5th, my thoughts lean toward winter and our cooler houses . . ."

Isn't that lovely? "The grateful shade of the white pines"? I love it. And I have a complete stack of EZ writing for Wool Gathering now. I'll stop by Office Max or Staples tomorrow for a secure binder, and then be set for months and months with bedtime reading.

Once, during a very stressful period in my life, I kept Knitter's Almanac on my night table, and never went to sleep without reading soothing pithy directions and digressions for the Snail Hat or the Pi Shawl or mittens or jackets by Elizabeth Zimmermann. I still keep a copy within reach, just in case of emotional emergencies :-) I rate it very high in medicinal and restorative value.

I've noticed the Knitter's Geek Code popping up around the knitting blog circuit; one of the things that tickles me most about this clever bit of code is the "EZ worship quotient." My worship quotient is very high! I love the artistic engineering and innovation that went into EZ designs; what an inventive and exploring mind. The Bog Jacket, for example. Who else would have thought of that and recreated it in garter stitch? I would love to have met her.

Pups

It's Tuesday! Little Jack says Stay As Cute as You Are. The rest of us hasten to add that we are wishing you peace, prosperity, perfect health, and knot-free skeins of wool.

Still Life with Flora

We had some leisurely knitting time this weekend; the weather was fine and the pups and I got some sun.

Doesn't the 1993 Flora Vest look plummy and moody on the arm of our deck chair? We've set the new steeks for the arms, and the neck is decreasing into a polite V. I need to start looking for buttons! Favorite pointers, please.

The part I like most now about stranded knitting is the part I used to fear the most; the dreaded Keeping Continuity in Pattern. Wendy showed blog-knitters her method of keeping on track, though, and with magnets at hand and a photo of the Wendy-way, I've never looked back (really! I never have to look back/count back in the pattern, because it's easy to know where I'm supposed to be). Nowadays I find I like Keeping Pattern Continuity, partly because it's a bit of a mental break from knitting the same motif around and around, and partly because it pleases me that I can do it so easily. Thanks as ever, Wendy!

Pups

The pups spent some quality time outdoors, but we also had to spend some time indoors because of dastardly comment spammers. Sheesh! As of Saturday evening, all comments are closed except on the current entry. Sorry; it's just too much to keep deleting spam comments and rebuilding files. I know this was a big spammer weekend all around the rings. The unusual thing was getting hit hard on last week's entries. Usually comment spammers stick to entries more than 30 days old.

You know what day it is. Mike and Jack say Put your Monday in Motion. Woofs-out, happy knitting!

A Rows is a Rows

But a single round does not a Flora make. Not a lot of knitting time Thursday, but we did have time to revisit the Bosnian Toe from Cool Socks Warm Feet. When has Lucy Neatby ever steered us wrong?

This toe, now that there's a bit of foot added to it, is very softy-squishy-comfy and not at all bulky. I think I'll like it very much after all. And Emma has one too! I am enjoying having a sock-in-progress again.

An Bloggy Interesting Idea

This sounds very interesting; and yet, what an odd thing, too. Feels sorta backwards, doesn't it?

Pups

Sister and I went to Obedience Class last night, and we sat and stayed an hour and a half for our orientation. Dyna and Della will go next week, and I hope they do half as well as Laura and me. This place has a very cute agility training course—will the pups like it? They can graduate to agility training once they have their Good Canine Citizenship Certificates :-)

In the meantime, Della is practicing looking beautiful, and that should count for something, right?

We already know that you are looking beautiful. Woofs! Happy Friday! We wish you good knitting, a great day, and a fabulous weekend.

Stripes or Speckles

Observe the speckled steek:

I speckle my steeks because I will be crocheting them prior to cutting, and the half-stitches I'll be picking up are easiest to see in alternating colors. Wendy's fabulous Flora has striped steeks. I think the big advantage to striped steeks is that you create clear cutting guidelines (quite cleverly) right within the steek! Structurally, I don't think that one method has advantages over the other. It all depends on how you plan to finish the steek.

Wendy's updated VY Flora has the most beautiful purl-when-you-can border; I think I prefer it to the corrugated ribbing in my version. And I think the collar on her version is going to be seriously glam. However, I also think the original version holds up very well for an older style; it's a future classic.

I'm almost ready to begin the neck and arm steeks.

I'm knitting the second size (Large), and I'm a little worried about how Very Large it seems on the needles. I'm working up my nerve to take it off the needles and see how the actual measurements compare to my measurements. In stranded knitting, I'm very average—not tight, not loose—and thus have never had trouble matching gauge in Fair Isle patterns. But this time, I dunno. It seems Very Large.

Knitting Kit

I hadn't seen this before today. It's cute!

Pups

Thursday! Mike, Jack, and Della say April Dachshunds Bring May Flowers.

We wish you a happy April 1st.