A Tam Proposal in the Pipeline

I don’t know whether the editorial committee will choose to include my pattern, but I’ve sent 2 swatches to Cast On magazine for possible inclusion in their summer 2011 issue.

in Ultra Alpaca

in Kidsilk Haze

.

Same design in each, but different textures due to different yarn choices.

I would make a tam similar to this one, below, made by me for DD several years ago.  But the straight portion would be longer, instead of the short section of purl rounds in the middle of the pink version.

Pink Swirl Cap -- top view

Pink Swirl Cap -- side view

I won’t know until the 2nd week of December, at the earliest.

Then, if accepted, the committee would send me the yarn they select for the project and tell me my deadline — probably around the end of January or beginning of February.

The work and pattern writing can get pretty intense, but I’ll be sure to let y’all know what’s up!

Little Things: An FO and some new WIPs

I don’t think I’ve shown you this yet (I finished it between the 2 Saturdays of the Craft Sale, 11/13 and 20, and gave it to coordinator Julie to put out):

youth size? . . . .

. . . or adult size? OK for either!

I used a label-less acrylic boucle yarn; I think it’s “Amore” by TLC/Red Heart.  Deep burgundy color cap.

Since then, I’ve done a bit towards rehabilitating Robert’s first pair of kilt hose — the ones I overdyed that came out with still-too-bright-green stripes in the ribs.  I picked out a new, firmer pattern for the cuffs, reconditioned the ripped cuff-yarn, and got one sock back on the needles.

And I’ve cast on for some little, gift-able projects:  2 coffee cozies (designed by Ann Budd — Ravelry link to my project page here, and to her design page here) and a ruffled headband (designed by Sally Melville, adapted for different yarn and for a child’s size — Ravelry link my project page here, and to her design page here).

1 and 1/10 coffee cozies in Lion Brand "Fisherman's Wool"

about 1/4 of a headband, in Patons "Brilliant"

When I read a recent post from Knitting Daily, with the coffee cozy featured, I just cast on rather spontaneously, thinking, “This’ll be quick!”  (Have YOU ever done that?)  And it was quick — comparatively.  Still took me almost a week, though (4 hours?), and I may tweak the pattern a bit for #2.  I’m hoping these will make a nice his/hers set, with the two complementary marled yarns:  first is 3 strands brown to 1 strand white; second is just the opposite.

The headband pattern comes from a book I have on loan from the library:  Sally Melville and Caddy Melville Ledbetter’s Mother-Daughter Knits:  30 Designs to Fit & Flatter.  I had been planning to make something along this line for a neighbor-friend’s DD (Isaiah’s sister, Susanna), so this may end up going to her.  Not sure yet.  That book has a lot of interesting ideas about proportions, illusions, and “ideal” sweater lengths.

Sadly Unfavorable Yarn Report

Sorry to report that, having worn my new DK-weight kilt hose twice, as I prepared to wash them for the first time, I observed this:

yarn wear after 2 days

Can you see the shredding and pilling?

So sad!

And after it took me over 2 years (on and off) to knit them.

Definitely a good argument for buying the best yarn for the job, to save grief.

These were knit in Knit Picks Bare, 100% merino, DK-weight undyed yarn, 2 skeins of 100 grams each.  Very soft to work with, but, unfortunately, very soft when it comes to durability as well.  A more firmly-spun yarn would have been a better choice.

Perhaps you all can benefit from my experience.

Twisted-Stitch Article published and New Videos posted!

The November — February issue of Cast On magazine is arriving in mailboxes; I got my copy today.  I wrote a technical article for this one — my first!  It tells how to work Bavarian Twisted Stitches without a cable needle.

Back in August, and again in October, I filmed videos to demonstrate the techniques I describe in the article.  If you check the Tutorials page (see those tabs along the top of the page on my blog. . .), you’ll see that I’ve started posting them there.  Hope you enjoy and learn from them!

For more videos, see the right sidebar or my YouTube channel:  MtMomDesigns.

We have had some “white stuff” here.  Snow was seen high up on the Peaks; at lower elevations (7000 feet) we got some sort of frozen rain that hurt when it struck my face.  (Sleet?  I didn’t grow up with such precipitation, so I’m not sure what to call this. . . .)

San Francisco Peaks, 9 November

Frozen stuff in our backyard, 9 November

More Fall Foliage and Finished Scarf

Autumn is such a beautiful time of year here on the Colorado Plateau!

The girls and I took an extended walk through our neighborhood this week.

I had the camera with me.

These photos are a sampling of what we saw on our way.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

The colors of the aspens are changing fast.  Two near-matching poses, two days.

1 November

1 Novermber

5 November

5 November

I do also have knitting news to report:  I finished the seed-stitch scarf, knit long-wise in many and varied red yarns.

in progress

I have also gotten back to working on my Master Knitter Level III — hurray!

Robert reports that his new pair of forest green kilt hose are too large.  Arrrgh!  Sniffle!!  We will see to the alterations when he is back here in July.