Trish Knits.com

Tag: tam

  • Knitting Weekend and Catching Up

    Knitting Weekend and Catching Up

    Scarf Progress
    Scarf Progress
    I never quite know how to show a scarf in progress on my blog. For the most part, they’re long and unwieldy, and since I do most of my photos indoors at night, it’s not like I can take them out and hang them from the fence post to shoot them outdoors. So today, I’m enlisting my pal Hedda, my trusty hat model, so you can see the pattern in my scarf. Problem is, doing it this way doesn’t really show how LONG the scarf is, which is of what I am most pleased at the moment. It’s about 4 feet long at this point, which means, dear people, that I am nearly DONE, or at least about four-fifths done, and yes, I’m thinking of other knitterly things.

    At least one person has asked me if this scarf is of my own design. Well, yes, and… no. It’s a simple thing, really, in a basic seed stitch with a plaited cable in the center. So, nothing earth-shatteringly new there. But, someday soon I will write it all down for the curious and post in these pages. Perhaps when the thing is finished.

    I’ve been away from the blog for a long while. No good reason, really… but I will say that this summer I have been in a kind of a slump. It was just the scarf and me, all summer long, day in and day out… and I thought certainly it would be too boring to hear of this same project over and over, so, instead I’ve been quiet. While knitting this scarf I have been pondering my next one, which is a commitment I’ve made to do a Special Olympics scarf. In the meantime I’ve developed a strong love-hate relationship with knitting scarves at all, so I’m starting to lose hope a bit that the next project will ever get off the ground. What is it with scarves, anyway, and why does something that seems so simple take forever to do?

    A couple of other things to catch up on:

    A few weeks back I bought some new yarn that I had never heard of before:

    mink and cashmere yarn
    mink and cashmere yarn

    This is the Mink and Cashmere Yarn from the Great Northern Yarns company. The fiber content is 70% mink (sheared) and 30% cashmere. It sounded on the surface, like it should feel like the most amazingly luxurious yarn ever made. Well, let’s say that I was somewhat under-impressed for what I was thinking it should feel like. Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly soft, but I’ve had my hands on a mink coat or two in my lifetime and well? I guess I was expecting it to feel like that. And it doesn’t. Not really… but it did sort of remind me of this silk that I have, at least in the feel of it. I haven’t knit with it yet so I don’t know what it’s like to knit with. But I’m thinking maybe someday DH will get a scarf out of this to go with his dress coat. He can’t stand the feel of wool (“itchy”) so I think this will fill the bill for him, someday.

    I have something else to share:

    Jackie's Tam
    Jackie's Tam

    This is my friend Jackie, from knit group. She is a relatively new knitter, and she made THAT hat, from the book, Colorwork Creations: 30+ Patterns to Knit Gorgeous Hats, Mittens and Gloves. I’m very proud of Jackie. She came to us I think less than a year ago, learning to knit her first scarf, and now, she is fearless. She saw this book somewhere and I liked it and got one and loaned it to her, and off she went. Her very first hat looked as if it would fit a giant. If that had happened to me, I might have thrown the book across the room and stomped away in disgust, but not Jackie. She was undaunted, and tried again. I think, but I’m not certain, that this was her third attempt. And it was a huge success! Not only does the hat look great, but it looks great on her, a wonderful match to her coloring and hair. She says this hat is a gift for someone, but personally? I hope she gifts it to herself. I think Jackie deserves such a lovely thing.

    As for me, it’s back to the scarf. I must keep knitting, must keep knitting, must keep knitting… ciao for now.

  • Why I’m Not Meant to Do Tubular Cast On

    See this?

    Live knit stitch hanging loose
    Live knit stitch hanging loose

    Sometimes I wish my camera wasn’t so good at closeup photography. What you’re looking at is clear evidence as to why I should stay away from tubular cast on with small needles and fingering weight yarn. When joining the knit stitches with the live stitches in the waste yarn, I missed a few. They were SO tiny from being pulled and tugged that once in a while they got impossible to see. And I tried to think of a way to fudge and fix it, but I can’t. I’m sure there might be a way, but I think the safest thing to do at this point is to frog and go with a different cast on. Thank goodness I have the A Knitting Glossary DVD by Elizabeth Zimmermann and Meg Swansen where I can look for ideas on something stretchy and attractive for my tam. Wish me luck!

    So, my summer of knitting frustration and general slumpiness continues. Hopefully, things will get better soon. Until then I think I’m going to call it a night. Perhaps a fresh outlook and some sleep will do the knitting some good.

    Listen to this article
    Listen to this article

  • The Joys of Summer

    It was a dark and stormy night.

    And a hot and sticky day. But hey, it’s August, in the DC area. Hot and sticky with air quality somewhere in the wheezy crud zone is to be expected around here. The thermometer hit 99 and I had to chew my air upon inhaling. I would have stayed home in my air conditioning but I’d be afraid my office would think I’m allergic to Mondays. So I toughed it out.

    But, even on the crappiest summer days, there’s always something about summer to appreciate. For instance, this:

    Summer garden salad
    Summer garden salad

    My dinner. Isn’t it lovely? One of the things I love about summer is the vegetables. They’re fresh and flavorful. And pretty to look at! There was not one bite of my salad left, and it made me feel so much better about the crappy weather and the otherwise mundane leftover slice of cheese pizza I was eating.

    And you know what else? I’ve decided to start a new project. I am bored, bored, bored with the scarf. It’ll still be my takealong project, but for at-home knitting, I’ve decided to take on a challenge.

    Tam book with yarn surrounding it
    Tam book with yarn surrounding it
    It’s a knitted tam. I’m using the book, Knitted Tams, by Mary Rowe, as my guide. It’s more of a guide book, than a pattern book. Normally, this would excite me. But this time, I’m feeling a little intimidated. I don’t really understand all of the steps, but I’m hoping it will all become more clear as I go. We’ll see! I don’t know if what I see in my head is what is actually going to happen. I guess I’ll find out! Wish me luck!

    For now, I’ve gotten this far:

    First few stitches
    First few stitches

    That’s the cast-on edge. The waste yarn cast on edge. Yes, I’m setting up for my first tubular cast on, too. Thank goodness for Lucy Neatby’s video on the subject! I watched it a couple of times, and decided to just dive in. Wish me luck!

    I leave you with this tad bit of wishful thinking, on a night when it is 85 degrees at 11:00 p.m.:

    Wind up toy snow man
    Wind up toy snow man

    Listen to this article
    Listen to this article

  • Wow… I LOVE This Book!

    I just got the book, Knitted Tams tonight, and let me tell you–if you’re interested in knitting tams, this is the book to get! I really wanted to learn how to make my own designs, rather than follow someone else’s. And this book gives me enough tools to send me well on my way. There’s even a basic blank chart showing various gauges, and an explanation of how to chart the wedges to achieve various shaped designs on the top. I’m going to have fun creating something fun and colorful.

    Or at least I’ll be thinking about it… and dreaming. For now, I’ve got a baby sweater to knit. See ya!

    (Happy Birthday, Grace!)