March is Crochet Month!

Hello Everyone! This month we take a diversion from our knitting for one of our projects and delve into the world of Crochet! Knowing how to crochet broadens your fiber versatility. I learned how to crochet in 2008 by going to an adult education class held at the local high school. I crocheted almost exclusively for a few years and then went back to all knitting all of the time. Our project, Cache Basket by Yarnspirations, is my first crochet project in several years so I had to refresh my crochet skills. According to Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crochet, the word crochet is derived from the Old French crochet, a diminutive of croche, in turn from the Germanic croc, both meaning "hook". Crochet is a process of creating fabric by interlocking loops of yarn, thread, or strands of other materials using a crochet hook. The name is derived from the French term "crochet", meaning small hook. These are made of materials such as metal, wood, or plastic and are manufactured commercially and produced in artisan workshops. The most noticeable difference between crochet and knitting, beyond the implements used for their production, is that each stitch in crochet is completed before proceeding with the next one, while knitting keeps a large number of stitches open at a time. (Variant forms such as Tunisian crochet and broomstick lace keep multiple crochet stitches open at a time.)  Any yarn can be either knitted or crocheted, provided needles or hooks of the correct size are used, but the cord's properties should be taken into account. For example, lofty, thick woolen yarns tend to function better when knitted, which does not crush their airy structure, while thin and tightly spun yarn helps to achieve the firm texture required for Amigurumi crochet. There are five main types of basic stitches (the following description uses US crochet terminology which differs from the terminology used in the UK and Europe). 1. Chain Stitch - the most basic of all stitches and used to begin most projects. 2. Slip Stitch - used to join chain stitch to form a ring. 3. Single Crochet Stitch (called Double Crochet Stitch in the UK) - easiest stitch to master Single Crochet Stitch Tutorial 4. Half Double Crochet Stitch (called Half Treble Stitch in the UK) - the 'in-between' stitch Half-Double Crochet Tutorial 5. Double Crochet Stitch (called Treble Stitch in the UK) - many uses for this unlimited use stitch Double Crochet Stitch Tutorial hile the horizontal distance covered by these basic stitches is the same, they differ in height and thickness. The more advanced stitches are often combinations of these basic stitches, or are made by inserting the hook into the work in unusual locations. More advanced stitches include the Shell Stitch, V Stitch, Spike Stitch, Afghan Stitch, Butterfly Stitch, Popcorn Stitch, Cluster stitch, and Crocodile Stitch. Check out the rest of the Wikipedia site on Crochet. The site covers the history and various types of crochet, hooks, and knitting as compared to crochet. Crochet has seen a resurgence in popularity. Crochet is very popular for charitable organizations. The original group of students in my basic crochet class ended up taking other classes together. We then moved onto charitable crocheting and were able to crochet hats, mittens and blankets for our local homeless Veterans Home. Nothing makes a project more worthwhile than it does making it for someone who really needs to stay warm. I really like crocheting for home projects, such as for an afghan or a basket, but this is by far one of the best crochet pieces to reawaken my crocheting skills. I think the combination of the rustic yarn and large hook using the single crochet stitch make this project attractive and useful. The pattern offers variations in size, which opens up many possibilities. But, first things first, I had to dig out my crochet tools and books. My go-to book when I was learning crochet is the now updated "Teach Yourself VISUALLY Crochet (second edition) by by Cecily Keim and Kim P. Werker (I have the 2006 first edition). As with other Teach Yourself VISUALLY books, the pictures and descriptions are very helpful and offer excellent reference material. In reviewing my hooks, I could see the evolution of my interest in crochet, from the metal hooks everyone starts off with to the smooth bamboo hooks. In my crochet hook stash, I found the perfect N-15 hook in bamboo by ChiaoGoo. It's the right length and feels great in my hand.  I chose the largest size basket so you know I would be crocheting for some time. I found that preparing and positioning my yarn to accommodate the four strands was key to avoiding tangling. I made two "cakes" and used a center pull and well as an outside pull. After the yarn was all set up, I did have a few starts and stops as I was trying to remember how to crochet. But once I "got it back", the flow of stitches grew with each round. When I arrived at the "crochet through the back loop" to create the bottom of the basket, I was excited that I would now be working on the body of the basket. The pattern says to use a stitch marker and I highly suggest it as well. Stitch markers for crochet are different because you attached the marker to the stitch and not have it on the hook as you would on knitting needles. I recommend markers that can be attached to the crochet stitch using either an open circular marker (Clover) or one with a lobster hook. As my basket "grew", I could see all types of possibilities for when I was finished. Once I got my crocheting rhythm down, I could watch television at the same time, or at least until I came to the end of the row to move the marker up one row. I attached my marker to the Chain 1. When it came time to change yarn colors (I have gray and cream colors), I used two strands from each color so the changed color blended rather than going to an abrupt change to a new color. In a sense, I eased into the new color. I can't wait to use my basket once it's done, that is once I choose how I will use the basket. I think this pattern makes a great, relatively quick gift. And that's another thing I like about crochet. If you want to make a baby blanket or an afghan, you can do so more quickly. Ravelry has some great patterns. Check out the Chevron patterns. They look more difficult that they actually are. Also, if you want to explore crochet using finer weight yarn with a large hook, beautiful, "bohemian" type shawls or cover-ups can be created.  One of my favorites is Amigurumi, the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small, stuffed yarn creatures. There are some very adorable patterns. I like The Friendly Red Fox Crochet at http://www.thefriendlyredfox.com. Explore the possibilities that crochet offers. Crochet is versatile and most of all, it's fun!

Knit and Crochet On! Lisa

Look for my upcoming blogs in the next few days on our knitted projects.

Kit Knitting, Yarns by HPF Style

Hello Everyone!
While I am waiting to start our March projects, I wanted to share knitting two of our kits from January. The first kit is the Brother Hat, pattern by Elizabeth Felgate. This pattern is actually part of of an overall booklet, The Hat Family. There are hat patterns for every member of the family. We used Lotus Yarns Mya, and doubled the yarn. You can use the double yarn method of your choice, either by using two balls of yarn, by making two balls out of the one, or even by taking one strand from inside and one from the outside. I used the latter, but use whatever works for you. Using such fine yarn can be a little challenging so doubling the yarn makes knitting this hat much easier. This pattern calls for the German Twisted Cast On. The pattern contains written, video and pictorial tutorials. I also used knitpurlhunter.com German Twisted Cast On http://knitpurlhunter.com/blog/?p=142.
This is a stretchy cast on and it does take some practice to master, but I think it is worth the effort. It did take a few tries, but this cast on is a great addition to the usual go-to Long Tailed Cast-On. The knit/purl pattern comes makes a very attractive hat. The geometric step ladder pattern offers a lot of texture. If your "Brother" has a larger head, in addition to using the largest circumference, we suggest lengthening the body of the hat, prior to the crown, to 6" to 6 1/2". This pattern is excellent for sharpening your chart reading skills. The chart is very clear and is a good starter for those more intricate charted patterns. The pattern has one area of possible confusion on page 5, Round 18. You will see the initials "NB". NB is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase nota bene, meaning “note well.” It is used to emphasize an important point. We all learned about using NB in high school or earlier, but having not seen this term in many years, it's easy to think this might be some obscure knitting abbreviation (I did for a few minutes!).  But no, your first inclination was correct. So, like other things we learned in school and wondered when we'd every use them again, here is an example where you never know what might pop up and you have to recall an old lesson or two! The finished hat has an interesting and modern-looking pattern that goes beyond  typical ribbing. And while this hat is for the Brothers in your life, my Sisters also loved the hat for themselves. This interesting hat is a big hit for anyone.
Here is my finished Brother Hat which is currently warming my Dad's head (and yes, he is a Brother).

The second kit is from our January designer, Joji Locatelli. The pattern is 3-Color Cashmere Cowl. We used a cotton-cashmere blend as an alternative to pure cashmere yarn. We knitted with Lotus Yarn Autumn Wind and Katia Concept  cotton-cashmere blends. This is a long, draped cowl that can be pulled up on your head as a hood. The yarn feels so good in your hands, you won't mind that you'll be knitting a series of bands, each beautifully elegant with clean lines. Joji gives instructions on how to avoid the jog when changing colors. I found the particular method of slipping the first stitch on the second round to be particularly helpful on the entire pattern, to include band changes and striping, over other methods previously discussed in our January blogpost. I also used the ribbing technique from our January blogpost. The tighter ribbing lines work especially well with the lighter weight yarns where loosely knitted stitches are much more visible. This cowl looks deceptively simples. There is a lot of detail, different stitch patterns, and color changes to keep your interest and surprise you as your cowl grows.
The combination of lace and stripes look great with work or casual wear. It even goes with your favorite jeans, workout or yoga attire. I think all JoJi Locatelli's designs are amazing. I look forward to exploring her other patterns.

 I hope you enjoyed knitting our kits. Don't be surprised if you are asked to knit the hat or cowl for a friend or relative. They are that striking. See you later in the month for our version of March Madness.
Knit On! Lisa

Fair Isle February, Part 2!

Hello Everyone! Part 2 of Fair Isle February is on! I thoroughly enjoyed knitting our beginning and advanced hats and cowl kit. The cowl kit is a perfect project if you are new to colorwork. The pattern only has a four stitch change and uses only two colors. The chevron design is classic and trendy at the same time.  The Patons Chevron Cowl pattern is from Yarnspirations.com and has three versions for different weight yarns. I knitted Version C with chunky yarn, using Cascade Yarns Pacific Chunky and Tivoli. Since I live in New England, the chunky yarn version works well with the winter season. Of course, New England is known for its ever-changing weather, so I look forward to working up the other two versions with lighter weight yarns since we went from over three feet of snow to temps in the high 60s in a matter of a week’s time. The cowl kit is great for getting down the Scandinavian knitting technique. A great tutorial can be found at one of my favorite websites, knit purlhunter.com at Two Handed Two Color Knitting, http://knitpurlhunter.com/blog/?p=212. So now that you are using two yarns, how do you keep yarn so you don’t get a tangled mess? There are various ways to avoid tangles. You can separate the yarn on either side of the project or leave one skein/ball out with one in your knitting bag. Find what works for you and don’t get frustrated if there is a tangle or two. It does happen, even with the best of planning. I use the tried and true (for me) plastic food storage bags method. Linda’s Dad (my patient Husband) thinks I must have stock in Ziploc! The cowl kit gets you in the mindset for stranded knitting and prepares you for out beginning and advanced hat projects. And, as a bonus, the cowl kit knits up quickly so you can experiment with other yarn weights. Linda told me that one of our Knitters used a solid and a variegated yarn for her cowl. The versatility is endless!

Here is my warm and thick dark charcoal and red tweed cowl.

Onto the Quick Ombré Hat, pattern by Emily Dormier.

This is a fantastic project for advancing your colorwork skills. This hat can be from light to dark or dark to light. It’s really up to you. I chose to do light to dark. My colors are a beautiful camel with a grey tweed. Not only does this hat live up to its billing, it does knit up quickly, it also has the added benefit of teaching you how to position your yarn so one of the colors is dominant. I changed the positioning to have the dark color be dominant in the bottom lighter part of the hat and the lighter color dominant in the darker part of the hat. Again, knitpurlhunter .com has a very good video that explains how to position your yarn for the desired effect. Check out Stranded Knitting – Positioning the Yarns, http://knitpurlhunter.com/blog/?p=1675. One of my Sisters (I have four!) fell in love with my finished Ombré hat. So, of course, I gave it to her. And that’s another thing about knitting. It gives you a certain degree of satisfaction when someone, especially someone you love, appreciates your creation. Here’s my Quick Ombré Hat. I do love this color combination. I wonder if I can get it back from my Sister??? Did I tell you that this Sister is a Twin? Well, when my other Sister saw her Twin's hat, she had to have one. It had to be a the same, but different (a Twin thing, I'm told). So, I quickly knit a second hat using the original pattern with a definite yarn departure by using stash Noro and alpaca. 

Here they are!

And now, onto the advanced hat, the incredible Norwegian Snowflake Hat by JackFrost on Ravelry. This hat is based on traditional snowflake design, inspired by a holiday there. The hat is worked in the round, carrying unused yarn behind. There are not long floats, but you will have to catch your floats so your hat looks as break taking on the inside as it does on the outside. Although the pattern calls for double point needles, I always use my circular needles and Magic Loop. I knit with interchangeable circular needles and I change my cord to accommodate the decreases in the crown. It works very well for me and it may for you, too. There are multiple colors for this hat, four in all, dark grey for the body, white for the snowflake, and dark red and dark blue for the border. Your kit contains the four colors and you will have the opportunity to keep the yarns separated, position your yarns and carrying unused yarn up the side, and capturing floats. If you don't want to carry the border yarns up the side, you may cut the yarn and join again when you reach the crown of the hat. When I knit this hat, I broke out my stitch markers. Of course, any excuse to use my stitch markers is always welcomed. I also use a Post-It to keep track of what line of the chart I am on. In this pattern's case, I put a Post-It above and below the line I am working. I use this method after many mistakes when I first learned colorwork.  Use whatever works for you in keeping track of your rows. This is especially important when following a pattern with a motif. 

Carrying your yarn up the side of your hat can be tricky. There is another great video fro knitpurlhunter.com where you can see how to carry your yarn without tugging or bulk. It is suggested the carry is done every four rows.  

Carrying Yarn Up the Side http://knitpurlhunter.com/blog/?p=1306.

Another great tip on this website is how to carry floats. And yes, it depends on the direction of the yarn. I found this video particularly helpful and I hope you do as well.

Stranded Knitting – Catching Long Floats http://knitpurlhunter.com/blog/?p=1678.

I loved working on this hat and it felt like I was creating a piece of art. Explore other color work motif designs. You will find endless enjoyment to challenge your new advanced skills! 

Here is my Norwegian Snowflake Hat. 

Inside view

I hope you enjoyed Fair Isle February as much as I did. Please check our Facebook and Twitter Pages for our March projects. See you next month for our own version of March Madness!!

Knit on! Lisa

Fair Isle February!

Hello Everyone! It’s Fair Isle February! Please see our newsletter for beginning and advanced hats and cowl kit.  The projects will take your knitting skills to new levels as you learn how to master Colorwork. When I first learned Colorwork, I was introduced to its history prior to picking up needles and yarn. The history is very rich and detailed and the following information provides an interesting background for this wonderful knitting techniques.  So what is Fair Isle Knitting? According to Wikipedia, Fair Isle is a traditional knitting technique used to create patterns with multiple colors. It is named after Fair Isle, a tiny island in the north of Scotland, that forms part of the Shetland Islands. Fair Isle knitting gained a considerable popularity when the Prince of Wales (later to become Edward VIII) wore Fair Isle tank tops in public in 1921. Traditional Fair Isle patterns have a limited palette of five or so colors, use only two colors per row, are worked in the round, and limit the length of a run of any particular color.

HRH Edward, Prince of Wales in a Fair Isle pullover

According to Wikipedia, Norwegian knitting has a long history starting from about the 1600s, where it has been speculated that it was adopted by knitters traveling there from Denmark. Knitted garments found in Norway have been dated as far back as the 1500s. The heritage of Norwegian knitting has been preserved, documented and translated into English language history and pattern books that are available to modern knitters, mostly notably by Annemor Sundbo. Some of the most well known sweater patterns attributed to Norwegian colorwork knitting are the setesdal lusekofte and fana cardigan sweater patterns. The region is also well known for their "Selbu" mittens, which first appeared as a vertical column of two snowflakes on the front side of the mittens, and which remains the pattern motif (selburose) most closely associated with the region. The origin of these mittens is attributed to a young girl named Marit Emstad who in 1857 attended church wearing what we now know as Selbu mittens, effectively sparking the imagination of knitters at the time who had never seen anything like it before. Today there are over 300 "registered" mitten patterns attributed to the Selbu region of Norway.

The selburose design.

^{An excellent resource is the following book from the Dummies website at http://www.dummies.com/crafts/knitting/designs-patterns/knitting-stranded-colorwork-explained/}

KNITTING: STRANDED COLORWORK EXPLAINED

Teach Yourself VISUALLY Color Knitting

By Mary Scott Huff:

"The secret behind knitting the beautiful designs in stranded colorwork is in the stranding. Using two strands of yarn at a time enables the knitter to create designs, or motifs, in the knitted fabric. It also creates fabrics that are warmer and more durable than single-color knitting. The vast majority of stranded colorwork uses only two colors in each row, and only one strand is used at a time. Here are some examples:

Fair Isle: Made famous by knitwear from Fair Isle, one of the islands of Scotland, the Fair Isle technique is one form of stranded colorwork. Fair Isle is typified by its use of symmetrical geometric motifs, two-ply Shetland yarn, and muted, sophisticated colors.

Scandinavian: Stranded colorwork originating in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland) is very different from Fair Isle, though the knitting techniques are similar. Scandinavian colorwork is distinctive in its large, often asymmetrical motifs, three-ply yarn construction, and bright, clear colors."

Another detailed source of the history of the related knitting styles can be found at Beth Brown-Reinsel Knitting Traditions. For Fair Isle see http://www.knittingtraditions.com/knitting-resources/knitting-traditions/scottish-fair-isle/ and for Norwegian see http://www.knittingtraditions.com/knitting-resources/knitting-traditions/norwegian/.

Our projects for Fair Isle February bring together the different styles to progressively increase your colorwork skills.  Linda will be teaching the Scandinavian method of knitting colorwork. This is where we will knit using both hands, one Continental and the other English. In my next blogpost, I will share knitting of our three projects. I found some great videos and knitting hacks that will reinforce our newly acquired skills. Knit on! Lisa