Trish Knits.com

Category: Knitting

  • Book Review: Knitting Brioche

    I’ve been a fan of Nancy Marchant’s Brioche Stitch Site for a long time. Early in my knitting life I discovered this stitch, and sadly, I have yet to master it. Nancy’s site gives information on this lovely stitch, its variations, and for me, how to fix it when you drop a stitch. This is the part that always gets me–how to re-seat the stitches on the needle if they find their way off the needle unexpectedly. I never could read the stitch well enough to know how to reposition the pesky yarn-overs. I visit the site periodically, hoping to get up my courage to try again.

    Well, yesterday I was in the bookstore with my knitting group and guess what I found? Nancy has written a book on Brioche stitch, aptly entitled, Knitting Brioche: The Essential Guide to the Brioche Stitch. It’s like having the website in a book, only there’s more. More variations, more increases and decreases, and patterns. Lots of patterns. I can hardly decide what to knit first.

    I don’t think I fully realized how many ways brioche stitch can be used. It can be an interesting way to use color, or to display interesting and creative geometric shapes.

    The book contains detailed instructions for brioche stitch basics, a fabulous brioche stitch library that shows the numerous way this stitch can be implemented in its variations, and a pattern section, offering unique designs that range from the simple to the simply stunning. My favorites are the Zandloper Scarf, the Rembrandt Neckpiece, and the Hedera Jacket. (All of the links to the patterns are Ravelry links; you need to be a member of Ravelry to see them. By the way, if you’re a knitter or crocheter, and you’re NOT a member of Ravelry? Go. Sign up today! You’re missing out if you’re not there. Really.)

    I paid full list price for this book but I am happy to have it. It is chock full of stitch patterns, techniques, tips, and designs. If you’re interested in exploring the world of brioche, definitely add this book to your library. And prepare to be amazed.

  • ‘Nother Sweater Report

    Are you sick of it yet? What’s that you say? You are?

    Too bad! Look at my progress:

    My February Lady Sweater in progress
    My February Lady Sweater in progress

    I have separated the sleeves from the body and started the lace pattern. Lookie!

    Closeup of lace pattern
    Closeup of lace pattern

    In the end I did not do the eyelet increase row, and I did not cast on extra stitches at the armpit. I think I am something between two sizes, and the sweater was starting to feel too big already, even without the increases, so I’ll knit for a bit longer then try it on to see if I like the fit. Also, I plan to knit the sleeves in the round, so I will pick up stitches along the underarm when I am ready to do the sleeves. Then I’ll knit a couple rounds in garter stitch and decrease back down a little so the sleeves aren’t so poofy. That’s my plan, anyway. I hope that what I see in my head works out! I’ll keep you posted on the fit.

    Tomorrow is the first day of Spring. Yay! I don’t think I have ever been happier to kick Winter in the behind on the way out the door. And I’ll be celebrating by going to my knit group. What a great day it will be!

    That’s all for now… I’ll write more later this weekend. Ciao!

  • Please Tell Me It Looks Bigger…

    My Sweater in progress, after a weekend of nonstop knitting
    My Sweater in progress, after a weekend of nonstop knitting
    I’ve been knitting like crazy. You know how it is when you get to a point where you knit and knit and knit, and feel like the product isn’t getting noticeably bigger? That’s where I am with this sweater. I knit every chance I get. I’ve been ignoring e-mails. My addiction to Bejeweled Blitz has gone mostly unanswered. I did go shopping with my daughter in the rain yesterday; school pictures are on Tuesday and the princess who wears hoodies and high tops requested a new dress. How could I say no to that? But, other than that, it’s been about the knitting. Does it show? Can you see a difference?

    I keep hoping that I’m almost to the end of the yoke section. I keep trying it on, and it still looks huge, but sadly, it’s not big enough yet to be called “done”. So I keep doing the raglan increases. I secretly was hoping that it wouldn’t be necessary to do the number of increases stated in the pattern for the largest size. Well, shoot. I’ll have to diet, so I can make a smaller size someday. That should be a dieting incentive, right? Get smaller so I can use less yarn and be done with my projects faster. You’d think that would work…


    Filati Infanti magazine by Lana Grossa
    Filati Infanti magazine by Lana Grossa

    Look what I found yesterday on the magazine rack at Barnes and Noble. It’s a magazine by Lana Grossa, called, “Filati Infanti.” I don’t really know much about this, if this is a special issue, or if they put this out periodically, or what. But it’s made with heavier paper than a typical magazine and it is loaded with the most adorable patterns for babies and little kids. I’ve never really purchased their yarns, but I am hoping that there are lots of appropriate substitutes already in my stash. There are lots of babies coming or already here in the extended family, and I’ve been meaning to knit for them. I’m hoping this little book will lead to some inspiration.

    But for now, I’ve got a sweater to knit. And knit. And knit. And knit….

  • Knitting Away on the Sweater

    Yet another shot of the sweater yoke in progress
    Yet another shot of the sweater yoke in progress

    I hope you’re not sick of seeing photos of my sweater-in-progress, because it’s probably going to be around a while. I’m about three weeks in, and I only just finished my first ball of yarn today. So today was a milestone. I did the third buttonhole, and I joined a new ball of yarn. I guess that means I’m into this sweater for the long haul.

    Reaching the third buttonhole has made me ponder what sort of buttons to get. Then a friend of mine from work (also a knitter) showed me this fabulous website: Bergschultz Buttons. Turns out, if you send this lady a bit of your yarn, she’ll make some buttons to match your sweater. I’m thinking of the circle-in-circle ones. Something simple, because the yarn itself is uber-busy. But we shall see.

    I think it must be the purple in the yarn, and the amazing way it blends with the blues, that’s making me so excited and happy about the project. It feels nice, and the colors are just amazing. I can definitely see why so many people are so in love with Lorna’s Laces. Now I can count myself among them. It’s been a while since I’ve been so happy with my knitting, and I don’t know how long it will last. So I’m on a quest to get as much knitting done as quickly as possible, before the feeling passes. I’m almost sure that it will, but I can’t think about that now. For now, the knitting is great, and I’m attacking it. Am I knitting manic? Haha… maybe. But for now, it’s a good thing.

  • Friday Night Sweater Update

    It’s late on a Friday night and I’m dead tired, but I couldn’t let the weekend kick off without showing you this:

    Yoke of sweater in progress
    Yoke of sweater in progress

    Yay! It’s starting to look like the top of a sweater! I am quite proud of myself. I have been knitting and knitting at spare moments as much as I can–lunchtime at work, riding in the car, TV time, you name it. I’ve been really good and really focused this week.

    I have a technical question for those of you that have made this sweater, though. I’ve read, and read, and read about the sizing. And, as educated as I am on the subject by now, I have to admit, I’m pretty confused.

    Let me start by stating the obvious. I’m not a skinny girl. To top it off, I’m pretty short. Under 5 feet tall, to be not quite exact. I keep reading that you should not let the garter stitch section go below the bustline. But, given how much I have to add to the sleeve sections yet before they hit that critical “almost” around the arm, I’m pretty sure that the rest of it will fall below my bust. Also, my bust is not the biggest thing on me.That prize goes to my waistline? Wait. What waistline? I haven’t seen that since I was 24. So, when do I stop increasing in the yoke? I honestly think that because of my short but wide self, it’s hard to just apply a set number of rows or stitches. How will I know when the fit is “right” for me?

    As always I will appreciate your wisdom.

    And on that note, I’m headed to bed. BIG day tomorrow, including a birthday bash for a daughter who is moving squarely into the realm of teenworld. Last year, we were just starting down the road. This year, we’re definitely in the mosh pit that is the middle of teen life, and I’m just hanging on til somebody throws me out at the other end. Wish me luck.

  • Cute As a Bug in a…

    Hand-painted ladybug corder with two pegs
    Hand-painted ladybug corder with two pegs

    Isn’t it adorable? I got this little corder from Noreen Crone Findlay at http://www.crone-findlay.com. I don’t know why but I have a thing for do-dads that make i-cords. Sure, I can just knit them myself, and I usually do. Or, I crank them out with one of any number of the crank style that I already own. But someone posted this link on the KnitList last week and I couldn’t resist. I even got a couple of idea books that show how to make animals and dolls out of i-cord. I’d never seen a 2-peg corder before, and the lady who makes these does them all so cute, I just had to have one! It was actually pretty hard to decide.

    This weekend started out with a knitting disaster. For some reason, the stitches around my second buttonhole started to unravel. No photos to show of the event, but I estimated that I had about three days worth of knitting that I lost. Not that I typically knit a lot in one day, but I hate having to rip out. I tried to avoid the ripping, but since I couldn’t really see the problem, fixing it was not possible. So I ripped to below the buttonhole and re-picked up the stitches. And I knit, and I knit, and I knit. It was a marathon knitting weekend. And you know what? I managed to knit past the point of my mistake. Still, visually, it doesn’t look much different than the picture I took the other day so I’ll spare you another one for now.

    My friend Steve was over for supper yesterday too, and he wound the rest of the yarn that I had bought. So now all the balls of yarn are just ready and waiting to be knit. I have no more logistical issues that will keep me from progressing on this project.

    Alas, it is a work week again, so time for knitting will be sparse. But I have a renewed commitment to knit at least a little, every single day. What’s that I hear? An audible gasp from the readership? Yes, it’s true. There are days, especially lately, that I have not knit at all. Sometimes for two or three days in a row. And yet, I wonder why it can take me three months to finish a hat. Well, no more. I have no illusions that this sweater won’t take at least half a year, but hopefully it won’t be because I simply don’t knit. If I ever expect to get anything done, I just have to keep on knitting.

    And on that note, I’m off to bed. Ciao for now!