Knitting and Reading for Today's Ecomonic Climate: Installation 1

Watching the decreased revenue and layoffs at my jobjob, and meeting people who have recently been laid off every time I go out, I've decided it's time to take action in the only way I can: Book recommendations and knitting patterns! I've decided to work up a few free ones I've had in mind over the next few weeks.

First recommendation: The Clash. Maybe, like me, you liked The Clash's music when you were younger, because of the sound, and the attitude. Maybe you too rediscovered it when you entered the world of jobjobs and suddenly appreciated it on a far deeper level, the level of someone who actually lives the drag of existence that The Clash describes. Anyway, the band's official book is my first recommendation.

On top of the book is the hank of Malabrigo lace (from Little Knits; they have a LOT of colors) that I'll be using to create the first in my series of simple, free, cheap-to-make patterns. More soon!

Other than hatching this plan, I've been working on a sweater for Mom Bergh, the Lady of the Lake Jacket (I got the kit from Colorsong Yarns). While the construction and stitches required are simple, the directions are very spare, so I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner unless you have someone to flesh out the instructions for you.

It's made from a combination of a soft wool/little bit of mohair yarn and a mohair boucle yarn. As one would expect from Handmaiden, both are very soft and the resulting texture feels like a blanket but looks far more elegant.

Next time: Free pattern in progress. Until then, don't be complacent!

Reflections of Happy Holidays

As the vacation time winds up, here are a few shots that represent the relaxation of the holiday time here at Haus Weaver-Bergh:


Me, wearing a Honeycowl that was gifted to my Secret Santa recipient at work before any decent photos were obtained, and Chinaski, looking deceptively tolerant and peaceful.

Max and Chris. Max really is this peaceful. They were like this for hours.

Just a few of the calculations for a pattern I finished while on vacation. I need to design some hats and shawls and stuff... why do I gravitate toward women's sweaters???

Another Honeycowl, this one in some of my handspun Merino/Tencel singles. This was gifted to my sister, who will hopefully send a modeled photo. These fast projects have a way of disappearing before documentation... I actually make a lot of things that I never talk about here.

Thanks for all the lovely compliments on the Minimalist Cardigan, and my mom, and the Baby Surprise Jacket. Northwest Airlines was kinder to us on our Grand Rapids MI to Boston trip... only a 1.5 hour delay! Hooray?

Dear Northwest Airlines,

It was lovely spending 9 hours of December 26 at Detroit Metro Airport thanks to your non-weather-related , completely unexplained delays and cancellations and meeting so many of your employees of varying competence. Above, Chris and I make the best of the Airport Bar experience.

Below, I get quite a bit of knitting done on my second Baby Surprise Jacket. For those of you who noted that this was an addictive project, you were absolutely right. This one is for a baby of as-yet-undetermined sex whose parents are serious deer hunters and all-around outdoorsy people.

To the right of it is a rusty nail. Thanks, Northwest!


Once the Northwest bit was over, however, we had a fun Christmas in Michigan. My mom's Minimalist Cardigan was a perfect fit. Here she is, full length and doing a sort of serious elegant look:


And here is the happy look:

And the first Baby Surprise Jacket was given to the mother-to-be. That baby girl will be fabulous!

We're heading back to Northwest Airlines in about two and a half hours. Send good thoughts our way!

On Babies

First of all, THANK YOU for all the lovely comments about my last design! I'm actually wearing it now. I wear it all the time. To answer some questions, the buttons are from Windsor Button in Boston -- give them a call and they'll send you some, I'm sure! The boots I'm wearing are Frye "Campus" boots, an investment I recommend. The hat is a Felicity from the lovely Wanett on Knitology. You know you want one (I've made four and kept two).

While holiday knits continue to cross the finish line, I've had some time to think about all the little guys that are going to be born this spring in the extended circle of my family and friends. One cousin and one cousin-in-law are pregnant, as is a very close family friend. For the family friend's little person, I'm making my first ever Baby Surprise Jacket, in a mod black-and-pink combo I think will really stand out:


That's Blue Moon Socks that Rock Heavyweight in one of the Raven colorways (Grawk?), with accents of Knitpicks Swish Superwash and Classic Elite Waterlily. All machine washable, of course, and the variegated black will hide stains nicely.

Though I won't be having kids of my own (for medical reasons, so no, I won't change my mind), and while I don't like babies in general (there! I said it!), specific babies tend to grow on me, especially when the parents are people who I know will do a bang-up job of it. And these babies need something cool to wear, so that's what I give. Later on Chris and I will be the eccentric aunt/uncle figures for some of these little guys, and I think that will suit us well, too.

Everybody Knows

the dice are loaded

Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed

It's a new design in the Winter Knitty! For excellent modeled photos and the free pattern, go here (the photos died with the hard drive on this machine). Enjoy! I've been wearing it just about every day since I finished it in October, aside from the days that friends of mine were borrowing it. Though I borrowed the name from Leonard Cohen, it was inspired by a photo of Joe Strummer wearing a jacket with the collar turned up.

The yarn I used, Fly Designs Woolly Singles, is what would happen if Malabrigo and Manos had a child: Far softer than Manos, far less pilly than Malabrigo. The flat photo of the sweater published on Knitty was taken after over two months of solid wearing and several hand washes, just to demonstrate how it holds up.

Enjoy! It's the simplest, warmest, and most versatile thing I have ever made.

Strong Finishers

TA DA!!!! FINITO! PUT A FORK IN IT!!!!

A little over 60 inches of garter stitch handspun for a friend's Christmas present and one big book.

How about a closeup of that handspun?

I am the Finisher. I Finish.

Thankful

This year I'm thankful for a lot of things: Being at one job for an entire year without hating it too much, having a functional new to us 1998 Volvo (New Mulva!), not being at work from Thursday through Sunday this week. Lots! And lots of Christmas knitting progress. First, the handspun. I've been on a 2-ply barberpole heavy worsted kick.

All but the pastel skein are going into a long striped garter stitch scarf that will be a gift.

And the Minimalist Cardigan: Here shown in pieces. I haven't been showing progress on this sweater because there's really nothing to tell. I knit exactly according to the pattern, with the exception of choosing a lighter-weight yarn (Reynolds Soft Sea Wool) than that suggested (Lily Chin somthin somthin I've never heard of) but that knit to gauge, to create a drapier, lighter, stretchier garment. It's a perfect pattern as written, really lovely, and I can't think of anything else to say except you should absolutely at least consider making one.


Oh hey, AND I'm thankful for all this Terra that I bought on sale at A Loom with a View in Newburyport, MA, which I highly recommend visiting (I mean, Terra. On sale. No more of this color though, heh).


It will be a new design, a jacket I'm modeling after one that Nick Cave wore at a concert I saw several years ago, which was velvet and greenish-blue and fabulous. I'll call it The Jacket Like That One Nick Cave Jacket. If there's interest for a pattern designed after a wiry man with ecelctic style, well, I'll write it up.