Summer Wrap Up 2017

Hello Everyone!

Can you believe we are already in September?! It seems that no sooner the Summer started, we are into September, past Labor Day, and heading into Fall. That means crisper temperatures in New England with glimpses of the warmth still enjoyed in the South. Summer is a great time to knit and crochet and we were quite busy keeping out needles moving during these past three months. We started off with “Juvie June”, onto “Christmas in July”, and then to “A is for August, B is for Brioche, and C is for "Can-Do Attitude.”

Juvie June was all about knitting for the smaller set. So much of clothing for children are miniaturized versions of adult clothing. We saw this play out with our adult sized Camden Cap by Wooly Wormhead and our child sized Newsboy Cap by our very own Linda B. While these caps look similar, they were constructed differently. The Camden Cap was wrong side knitted and purled with bulky yarn, turned inside out to the purl side, with a sew on brim. The Newsboy Cap was knitted and purled on the right side with a knitted on brim. The techniques both have their merits. The Camden Cap definitely knitted up faster and sewing on the brim stiffened with internal mesh, was easy. I made a braided trim but did not add a button on top of the cap. By contrast, the Newsboy Cap went a bit slower, but I actually liked knitting it better, Because the cap is knitted on the right side, purling does slow the process somewhat. I think the knitted in brim looks great. Not only do you get a brim, there is also a band in back of the cap. I did top the cap off with a covered button mostly because it just looked so cute!

Our other projects included the Seamless Baby Hooded Pullover by Maggie van Buiten, the Milly Tank Top by Millamia Sweden, and Work Sock baby (Monkey) Snuggler by Shelley Hilton. I knitted both the pullover and tank. One of our knitter, Shronda, knitted a beautiful snuggler that she posted to our Facebook page and featured in this blogpost.

The pullover pattern is very well written and to see the pullover grow as I knitted was a lot of fun. My grafting skills came in handy for the hood. I have not knitted buttonholes before but the instructions were very clear and my sheep buttons with the dangling feet fit perfectly. The tank, on the other hand took patience on my part (not well developed in me!). Colorwork flat takes concentration, but the results are worth it. Working the tank flat ensures that it fits properly. The pattern accommodates seaming through stitch placement. I came to this revelation of knitting flat because I did try to knit this tank in the round. No matter how loosely the carried yarn is, it still pulls enough to affect the fit and pattern definition. Knit the tank flat and you will have a tank that not only fits but is very adorable.

Christmas in July embraced taking advantage of time in the Summer to knit for the very busy holiday season. Although July proved to be quite busy all by itself, we held Design Your Own Stocking, Sock Hat, and Fa-La-La Fred & Fanny or Fritz Ornament Classes. I opted for the knitting the Sock Hat and Fa-La-La Fred (or Fat Freddy as my Husband, Linda’s Dad, calls him). The Sock Hat is called Aipfelmuetzen-Bommelscarf by Sabine Vogelpoth. This hat does include endless knitting, with a twist. The design is a traditional German style. Using sock yarn makes for a soft hat/scarf and will be perfect for the New England snow that is just around the corner. The twist in knitting the Sock hat is centered around the stitch decreases shaping the hat. I use circular needs over double pointed needles. Circs work better for me with my 4 inch interchangeable and 8 inch cord. And did I mention I get to use my favorite knitting notion, stitch markers?! I have a great affinity for stitch markers and the ones I am using are now carried in the store. A very creative designer beautifully creates them in intricate detail. I’ll bet you can’t stop at one set. I know I can’t!! I am still knitting my hat/scarf and it is one of my Works In Progress (WIPs). WIPs deserve their own blogpost. Interchangeable needles and cords greatly help with managing WIPs, but more on that in a later blogpost.

Perhaps one of my favorite things to knit are stuffed animals, ornaments, or “stuffies”. Fa-La-La Fred is happiness on your needles. My Fred is chubby, because he needs the extra stuffing to keep him warm while he’s making all those toys. I used a cotton blend for his skin and variegated yarn for his body, feet and arms. I did some striping and color work for his had and he now hangs on my knitting light, waiting for me to knit Fanny and Fritz. They’re in the queue, Fred, I promise!

“A is for August, B is for Brioche, C is for Can-Do Attitude!” brought us Brioche!!!! Brioche is beautiful, intricate, and reversible! We had the Brioche Bandana Cowl where you knitted Brioche in the round and flat, and three different Brioche Hats 0 Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.  I am new to Brioche so I knitted the DK Brioche Bandana Cowl by Lavanya Patricella and the Cappuccino and brioche hat by Knitting for Breakfast. I knitted the hat first because it is the perfect project for beginning Brioche. The pattern’s detailed instructions and pictures makes Brioche easy to understand while wading through “barks” and “burps”. For me, it was exciting to see the pattern come to life with the gray and ocean colored variegated yarns I chose. The key for me again is patience. Knitting Brioche too quickly means backtracking or ripping out, with neither an option I wanted to repeat (as I did a few times!). Once I got the rhythm though, the attraction to Brioche became very clear. I love knitting Brioche and I found patience pays off – an ongoing lesson that keeping Brioche and Yoga in my life will continually reinforce. I had to pay close attention when decreasing because that is where losing stitches can easily happen, but is not inevitable. I am happy to say that I did not drop any stitches, but my powers of concentration were in full gear. The DK Brioche Bandana Cowl would further my skills by knitting Brioche fat as well as in the round. I chose more muted colors but they were still distinctly displayed in the Brioche stitches. I suggest adding cast on stitches for a more draped cowl. I know my cowl will be warm and soft once those cold New England winds blow (not yet please!).

And so, when asked “How did you spend your Summer?”, look back and take stock of all the knitting and creativity you brought to  a season not necessarily associated with knitting and crochet. The variety of yarns and projects lets us knit and crochet all year ‘round. And knitting (and crochet) brings happiness and nothing says Summer better than happiness!!

Knit On! Lisa