D Whynn Designs

What A Long Strange Trip It's Been

Why, what's this??

A lovely handknit sock you're thinking . . . but that would not be correct.

It's a SECOND sock which means I have a PAIR of lovely handknit socks.

How long did it take to knit that Second sock, you're wondering?

Oh, two weeks?  Nope.

Two months?  Nope.

Six months?  Nope.

Year?  Nope.

Two Years?  Quite possibly. 

So long I don't even remember back that far.  I found this knitting bag stashed somewhere and when I looked inside there was a sock and a half.  This has to be one of my longest hanging around UFO's. If I haven't finished something by a certain period of time, I usually rip it back out and reuse the yarn.

And the best part of finishing this second sock - aside from a pair of lovely handknit socks -- is that I now had a pair of empty needles.  What does one do with a pair of empty needles?

Immediately cast on, of course.  Jitterbug yarn by Colinette and so far I love it.

Yarn on the finished pair?  Not quite sure as the ball band was gone, but I would guess it's an Opal.  Vintage Opal at that.

And to think I've been blaming my sister all this time for stealing my needles!

About The Knitting

I have a couple, okay more than a couple, but I'm not posting a statistically correct chart of projects on the needles like some knitting buddies I know!

First project is the Bonsai Tunic from the Spring Interweave Knits magazine.

I wanted to knit this as soon as I saw the magazine but the recommended yarn, Berroco Bonsai, a bamboo yarn wrapped in nylon, was not yet available.  I tried it in a few different stash yarns and even bought something that I thought would work.  In the end I ripped them all out and finally ordered the Berroco yarn when it became available.

PROS:  Great pattern. I like the variety of lace, ribbing and stockinette.  So far I believe it will fit. The lace pattern is easy enough to remember but interesting. Yarn is easy to knit with, fabric has great drape which I think will be perfect for this top.  Love the bamboo.

CONS:  Yarn is wrapped with a thin thread of nylon which gives it some shine. The shine is fine; the nylon does snag when it gets caught on my fingers, etc.  Yarn is an absolute bear to wind and does not stay wound in a ball.  So far I've had to cut off two balls of yarn and un-knot and hand wind them back into a ball.

CHANGES:  The back is supposed to be in reverse stockinette, but I'm not a fan of reverse stockinette so I changed it to regular stockinette.  I'll change the front accordingly so it flows.

My other current project is Nicole from Chicknits.  Great pattern. Easy to follow and interesting.  I did add length to the bottom section because I like my tops a little longer.

I'm using Tahki Cotton Classic yarn which I love. Great cotton to knit with. Doesn't hurt my hands and it knits into a nice fabric.

I was also working on Vog On, the lace anklet sock, from the latest Knitty.  I don't know why because I rarely wear socks, but it looked like a great little summery sock.  I was working the gusset decreases and decided to try it on because it sure didn't look like it was going to fit.  Too small for my average size foot; the heel flap was way too short and I had lengthened it by several rows.  I didn't use Koigu, the yarn called for, I just used a sock weight yarn I had in the stash.  Perhaps that was the problem.  It's a great pattern and a cute sock, but I don't know if I'll start it again.

And as for all any other projects I have on the needles -- about every 6 months I go through things and rip the ones that I don't like the looks of or hold no interest and bubble the others back to the top of the pile.

Off to the drafting table, I was just struck with inspiration for a new bag design!

A Knitting Fool or You're Knitting What?

The stress level at the Bag House has been running on high for the past couple of weeks. I find that if I have way too much on my mind, sewing isn't always my best outlet.  My creativity is down and nine times out of ten, if I do sew something it's either all wrong or I'm not happy with it (see the daughter's recent spring bag post).

But knitting -- I find that very relaxing. You don't really need to think, just follow the pattern, round and round you go. No special equipment needed and you can sit (or lie down) just about anywhere and knit.

So what does one knit when the anxiety level is maxed out --- why a horse, of course!

Why am I knitting a horse?  I can't even answer that.  No little ones here. No little ones to gift.

My best guess would be that on a recent trip to my favorite store, I came across this book and had to have it.  It is full of the cutest knit toys - like the horse, and the pirate with his pet Ratty, and the cowboy, who would probably go better with the horse. (Decisions, decisions - a pirate or a cowboy??)My daughter wants a mermaid and you just have to check out the sea creatures.

   

I do have some "real" knitting to show.  I finished this Cropped Cardigan for the daughter out of Blue Sky Sportweight.

I'm working on this Eyelet Cropped Cardigan for me.

(And if you happen to be my Sister, and just happen to be reading this blog entry, really, this yarn is not blue - it's all the lighting . . . really, it is).

Yes, that's a plastic zip-lock bag holding my knitting. Figures, the queen of making tote bags, purses and whatnot with nary a shortage of fabric around here carries around her knitting in a plastic bag.

From The Archives -- The Clapotis, Revisted

My daughter was going through some old photos the other day and came across this one.

This is a picture of me taken a couple of years ago.  We were at one of her crew meets.  I'm sure it was probably February at about 7:00 in the morning and freezing cold. 

Look at my neck.  Why, it's a beautiful soft and drapey, UNFELTED, clapotis.

No doubt about it.  It's obvious to me now that I have no choice but to knit another one!

The felted one does nothing for me.

Ooops with a Big Bold Capital O!

Several years ago the Clapotis pattern was the hottest thing to hit the knitting blog world. I checked out the pattern - very cool indeed, but I had no desire to knit myself a Clapotis.  Nothing to do with the pattern or style, I just don't have much use for a knitted scarf down here in the "tropical" part of the States.  Heck, I'm too cheap to buy a real coat to wear the handful of days the temperatures are downright cold, so what could I possible want with a scarf.

Then my sister came to visit sporting her new Clapotis. It was knit in a beautiful wool, linen, silk and was so soft and drapey.  Just perfect for a climate when it's only occasionally really, really cold. I bogarted occasionally borrowed her scarf during her entire visit. You could drape it over your head like a hood when it was raining or wrap it around your neck or whatever other fashion statement you were attempting to make.

After that, nothing would do but I knit myself a Clapotis. So I ordered some pricey Cherry Tree Hill wool and silk and started knitting away.  And let me tell you that's a lot of knitting.  But viola, my very own soft, cool, drapey Crapotis that was a perfect complement to my jean jacket.

Fast forward to last week. Yet another pile of laundry to be done and while I was sorting some "better" things for a load there was the Crapotis that could use a freshening up.  Oh, this load will be okay, I thought, because this is all good stuff and of course, I won't put it in the dryer.

Now this is the part of the story where you are thinking:  No.  Stop.  Don't be stupid.  Because everyone who has ever knit knows that the key ingredients to felting are wool, hot water and agitation . . . .

Yep, that's right, I FELTED my Clapotis. Even though it wasn't Hot water, it was warm water and it was certainly wool and agitation. My scarf is only slighted felted, not a full-on make a purse felting, but a felting nonetheless.

This could certainly still be a scarf. In fact, a much warmer scarf, but I don't need a warm scarf - I need a soft and drapey fashion statement kind of scarf.

Anyone need a slightly felted Clapotis??

Major laundry error modeled by my witch dolls, Theodore and Pinki, by Annette Himstedt.

Now You See It

. . . . . .now it's just another ball of yarn.

Not too long ago I made a trip up to my Only Kinda Close Local Yarn Shop to get some yarn to make this great sweater pattern from Chicknits.  Love the sweater; the pattern is easy to follow; stitch pattern is enough to keep you interested but not so complex that you can't watch TV and knit and I thought the sweater would be perfect for the upcoming cooler weather.

My very nice yarn store owner showed me this beautiful Merino yarn. So soft, such pretty colors.  But beautiful yarn and great pattern do not equal perfect knitted garment. I wasn't crazy about it too start, but thought I needed to keep on knitting, give it a chance and so I did -- a whole 220 yard balls worth of a chance and I liked it less and less. In my mind, that sweater needs a yarn with some drape, and this wasn't coming out drapey, at all.

So this yarn has now become this:

Cabled Hoodie from Knitscene Special Issue Fall 2006.  Except that I don't think I want the hood on it. I'll have to figure out what to do when I get there. 

Left front, just about to start the armhole decrease.  Much better use of yarn, I think.

Just looking for a throw-on sweater instead of always putting on a sweatshirt.

As for the other pattern, I'm on the lookout for a yarn that will give me the look I want. 

And all those wasted knitting hours --- oh, well . . . .

All Together Now . . . .

. . . . . . .awwwwwwwwwww

Aren't baby gifts just the sweetest?

Handknit baby booties to match the hat I made a couple of weeks ago.

Handknit using Lorna Lace's Angel yarn in sherbert color (I think).  Gorgeous stuff. 

Pattern - No specific bootie pattern. Changed a generic pattern.

Hat pattern available here free.

I used 3 skeins of yarn for the hat and the booties with some leftover - although not enough to do anything with except for maybe wrapping a package.

Knit for A Baby

My mom's friend just had her first grandchild. When my mother called me with the news, I immediately asked if "she didn't need a baby gift or two?"  It's not often I get to make baby things, so I'm always looking for the opportunity.

Last spring Hubby and I took the kids out to Los Angeles to visit the grandparents. One cold, gray, wet and rainy afternoon Hubby kindly and without complaint accompanied me to the garment district, street after street of fabrics and laces, and then off to search for a couple of yarn shops.

In the sweetest little shop on Melrose Avenue (can't remember the name) I *had* to have this Lorna's Laces Angel yarn. This stuff is just exquisite and sinfully expensive.  I have been hanging on to it ever since waiting for someone to need a gift for a baby girl.

The hat pattern is a free on on the internet found at this site here. 

The yarn is available as well.

The pattern calls for one skein, but it took me about 1-1/2 skeins to finish the hat and then make the flower.

It's an easy knit and goes together beautifully.

I think I have enough yarn left for a pair of booties.

I knit about half a bootie from the bootie pattern in the Last Minute Knitted Gifts book.  Pretty interesting pattern.  You start by knitting the toe area with double knitting.  Goes together quickly but when I got to the part where you turn it right side out, I didn't like how wide and boxy the toe area was and ripped it all out.

Going to try another pattern - hopefully I can cast on tonight if I ever get all my "gotta get dones" done.

One more shot of my beautiful hat model.

This is Sina from my 2004 (I think) Annette Himstedt doll collection.

Much like the paper towel holder, Sina never complains when called upon to model.

And I'll be calling upon Sina again because I've got some great fabric and ideas brewing for the rest of the baby gift.