finished…

Remember my  trip to Salem last October?  I had the pleasure of shopping at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn, a lovely little yarn store run by the friendly Courtney over at A Yarn Tale.   She had so many great samples of knits all around the store, but I was particularly smitten with a set of knitted washcloths she had displayed on one of the tables.  I immediately recognized the pattern – the dishcloths from the White House layout in the Debbie Bliss Spring/Summer 2009 magazine.

I was impressed by both the generous size of the washcloth, as well as the softness of the yarn.  One of the helpful women in the shop said they were knit in Aslan Trends Glaciar Del Cielo, so I quickly bought 2 skeins.  6 months later, I finally got around to knitting them, and I do have to say that I love this yarn!  It has such a nice hand and the drape is just so beautiful.

The pattern is written as a dishcloth, but these are so soft and luxurious in this cotton, that they are begging to be used as a washcloth.  I wanted to give these as a set to my mother-in-law for Mother’s Day, but thought three would be better than two.  Unfortunately, I didn’t think I would get a third out of the remnants of the two skeins, so I chose a Sugar’n Cream Ombre from my stash that I thought would complement the solid Aslan colors:

This one is noticeably rougher than the other two, but the dusty-miller grays and greens and spring crocus flower shades really pull the set together.  This one is definitely more of a dishcloth.

I packed the three cloths with a bar of Burt’s Bees Milk & Shea Butter soap – she really loved them.  This yarn is definitely a good, solid cotton to have in your stash, and I will definitely be ordering more of it soon.

Here are the details:

• Pattern: Dishcloth, by Debbie Bliss
• Source: Debbie Bliss Magazine, Spring/Summer 2009
• Yarn: Aslan Trends Glaciar Del Cielo in colors #18 Gris and #114 Reno, 1 skein each.  Also, Lily’s Sugar’n Cream Ombres in #2235 Countryside, 1 ball.
• Needles: US Size 6
• Size made: One size

Hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing Mother’s Day – with lots of knitting! ~J

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debbie bliss magazine, spring/summer 2010 recap

Another season, another crop of knitting magazines, which I both love and dislike at the same time.  I love them for their beautiful, inspiring images and I dislike them because my knitting queue is now 600 projects long and three seasons behind.  I am just now getting to projects from her Spring/Summer 2009 issue.  So, what will I be knitting next Spring, you ask?  Well, let’s start out with the first feature:

Creme de la Creme

{pattern number 5, page 34}

This section has loose, lightweight sweaters in shades of cream and beige that are made for poolside lounging while drinking cool glasses of iced-tea.  Patterns include a hooded sweater (seen on cover), a cabled v-neck, two cardigans and a boxy sweater with an asymmetrical neckline.  My queue worthy pattern in this Striped Top, which in addition to the buttoned neckline, has a line of buttons going all the way down the back.  I would knit this in navy and white, to give it a little french-girl flair.

Simply Summer

{pattern number 7, page 36}

The next section, Simply Summer, switches to color – where she showcases a dress, two cropped cardigans and a cabled turtleneck tank knit in punchy shades of purple, green and blue.  The sweaters were a little cropped for my taste, but my queue-worthy pattern was definitely this lilac-colored, silk tunic dress.  I want to knit one so I can wear it down to the beach over my bathing suit!

A Hamptons Home

{patterns 12 & 13, pages 42 & 43}

As a fan of all things preppy and nautical, I pretty much think everything in this article is queue-worthy.  She showcases a beautiful cable knit blanket knit in Navy and Cream, and this comfy looking anchor pillow back with classic ticking stripes:

There is also this casual  summer tote bag, which would look awesome with real rope handles, don’t you think?:

She also gives us patterns for napkin rings, nautical flags and a couch full of pillows with intarsia maritime flag motifs.  Even though we are barely into spring, it makes me long for beachy summer days.  Next, Debbie takes us from the sunny Hamptons to a beautiful…

Moroccan Sunset

{pattern number 22, page 52}

This section had the most patterns – eight sweaters including four cardigans (two long, two short), three pullovers and my queue-worthy pattern, this cabled tank top.  The way the cables seem delicately braided together is just beautiful.  I would pair it with a white linen skirt, some metallic sandals and demure gold jewelry for an easy summer party outfit.

And if it’s tanks you want, then check out:

Top Tanks

{pattern number 29, page 59}

There are four simple tank patterns in this layout, a rib-knit tank with a plunging back, a stockinette stitch tank with a rolling neckline, a polo-style tank with a three-button placket, and my queue-worthy pattern – this raglan-shaped turtleneck.  I’ve been working on toning up my shoulders lately, and this sweater would showcase my hard work perfectly!

And finally, a little something for the kiddies:

Pure & Simple

Debbie’s baby sections are always sugary-sweet, and this four-pattern layout is no exception.  For the girls, there is a an a-line top with pleated yoke and a moss & stockinette stitch sundress.  And for the boys, a buttoned-down grandpa-style cardigan, complete with pocket and my queue-worthy pattern, this caftan-style pullover.  It looks so roomy and soft – oh, and get a load of his cute little feet!

She finishes with a lineup of the yarns used in her projects:

What fun it would be to have your own line of yarn and just sit and make up delicious things to knit all day!  Some other goodies in the magazine: a baby blanket with an entrelac tutorial, an article on Knitting in Elizabeth’s England, an interview with knitwear designer Jenny Watson, and a recipe for Raspberry Shortbread.

Happy Knitting!

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Fair Isle knitting…

My brother-on-law, Beau, asked me to knit him a skull hat way, way back in the day…and I would have knit one for him sooner, except I needed to teach myself how to do stranded color-work.  Luckily for him, that was a technique on my list of 2010 Knitting Goals (along with sock knitting, mastering the  kitchener stitch, knitting myself two sweaters, and starting holiday projects in June).

There was an article in the Fall/Winter 2009 issue of Debbie Bliss Magazine that gave a tutorial on stranded color-work, which was extremely helpful.  Basically, along the back of the work, I carried my main color (black) over my contrasting color (gray).   These long, carried strands are called “floats.”  It sort of reminded me of when you carry a color up the side of a piece of knitting, only this time you are carrying the yarn horizontally instead of vertically.

{Both one and two-handed fair isle techniques are demonstrated}

After finding this easy-looking-enough pattern on Ravelry, I dove in.  Once I saw the pattern come alive with each row, I couldn’t stop!  The hat was literally finished in two days.  Here is a close-up of the skull repeat:

One of the cool things about this pattern is the clever ear band – the first 24 rows of the pattern are straight stockinette, followed by a purl turning row.  This creates a flap which gets folded up and either sewn or knitted to the inside of the hat.  The flap serves two purposes – one, it covers the floats of the skull pattern running along the inside of the hat; and two, it creates an extra cozy layer of warmth around the ears.

You could either use a provisional cast on when you start the project and then graft the live stitches with the stitches on the 25th row, or you can do what I did, which is a traditional long-tail cast on, and then lightly stitch the flap to the inside of the hat.  Overall, this was a really fun project – I am excited to try more Fair Isle knitting, especially with more than two colors.  This was the perfect beginner project for trying out this technique…

Here are the details:

• Pattern: Skull Hat by Gina Doherty (free!)
• Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Black and Coast Gray
• Needles: Size US 8, 16″ circulars
• Size Made: Size 22″ circumference
• Helpful hints: If you are doing the long tail CO instead of the provisional CO, leave your CO tail very long, so that it can be uses to stitch the ear band in place.  Also, I did not use the smaller size needles to knit the ear band – the whole hat was knit using the 8″ circs.

Today looks like it is going to be another gorgeous day – maybe I’ll do some knitting outside this afternoon… ~J

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Jackpot.

{meet my new babies!}

My darling sissy took a little trip out to Oregon this past weekend to visit with Mom Jodie, and she was sweet enough to bring me back a few surprises!  Let’s have a look, shall we?

First up – two skeins of Misti Chunky Baby Alpaca:

{hello, big blue!}

Besides being super-soft, the colorway is fantastically quirky – it’s a tealish-navy with flecks of magenta.  It’s got a retro-80’s vibe to it and is begging to be knit into a chunky seed-stitch scarf for winter.

Then there’s this:

{Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk Aran}

This amazingly silky yarn will most likely be turned into a simple winter hat and mittens.  There is a certain luminescence about it, and it should do a good job of brightening up my pale complexion.

Next up:

{Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK}

I am debating what to use this for…maybe a lacy scarf or a special pair of socks.  Either way, this yarn is perfect for something worn right against the skin – it’s so soft!

And last, but certainly not least:

{Malabrigo Worsted, a.k.a - "crack for knitters"}

I am SO excited about this particular skein, as this yarn is exalted among knitters.  This will be knit into some Owlings, which are fingerless gloves based on the ‘Fetching’ knitting pattern.    This time, I’ll make sure they fit…

Speaking of Owls, Jaime also brought back a little something for herself:

{hoot!}

If I had to guess, this will most likely be made into something for Erin, as she is the resident night-owl.

In addition to Jaime’s amazingly generous offerings (thank you, thank you!), Mom Jodie was also kind enough to send back a few things.

She sent me a gorgeous cashmere sweater:

{vintage nordstroms!}

Which I think was a peace offering, because she also sent these:

{University of Oregon Duck Football Whistles}

Thank you for the sweater Mom Jodie!  I love it so much – it is the first cashmere sweater I have ever owned, so I promise to take really great care of it.  I cannot, however, promise the same about the duck whistles.  They will most likely be smashed with a hammer on the back deck before the day is out*.

Thanks again to both of you – I cannot wait to get knitting today! ~Jenny

*{just kidding.  almost.}

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debbie bliss fall/winter 2009 recap…

{Debbie Bliss Fall/Winter 2009}

So I finally picked up a copy of the new Debbie Bliss Fall/Winter 2009 magazine, and this issue is chock full of goodies!

There is the always inspiring ‘Blissful Life’ section, where Debbie gives us a glimpse of a few of her favorite things – and where she includes a recipe for her Fantastic Fairy Cakes…

{yum!}

The knitting stories start out with The Need for Tweed, which includes 6 patterns that highlight the subtle beauty of her Donegal Tweed yarns.  There’s a sturdy, over-sized cable knit tote, sweaters, and the dramatic red riding coat featured on the cover.  These pieces will take you from early fall all the way through to the last cold days of winter.

Queue-worthy pattern:

{Pattern: Curved Edge Jacket, knit in DB Donegal Luxury Tweed Chunky}

The next story is Putting on the Ritz, which gives you 4 elegant jacket patterns for covering up those fancy holiday dresses, but which will also keep you looking chic for when you are out doing your holiday shopping.

Queue-worthy pattern:

{Pattern: Herringbone Jacket, knit in DB Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran}

Perhaps one of my favorite sections in the magazine is the Berry Nice story, with 6 beautiful patterns in juicy shades of berry.  There is a lot to choose from in this section, from the cable-knit turtleneck sweater with beautiful openwork sleeves to an Alpaca Silk Aran wrap jacket with a double-ribbed shawl collar and ribbon ties.  You’ll immediately see the difference between my style and Jaime’s style when you look at our picks:

Jenny’s Queue-worthy pattern:

{Pattern: Shawl Collared Sweater, knit in DB Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran}

Jaime’s Queue-worthy pattern:

{Pattern: Kimono Jacket, knit in DB Alpaca Silk Aran}

There is a fabulous section on Fair Isle Knitting – which I am dying to learn how to do – and includes a pattern for a 1940’s retro-inspired secretary’s sweater and a sweet child’s beret.

{Both one and two-handed fair isle techniques are demonstrated}

For the kids, look no further than Animal Planet, which features adorable scarves with animal faces.  With 4 different animals to choose from, you are sure to find something that pleases your little zoo-creature.

Queue-worthy pattern:

{Pattern: Monkey Scarf, knit in DB Cashmerino DK}

The New Softies story really makes me crave the cool days of fall!   Knit in plush cashmere, these chunky patterns will fly off the needles before the leaves even start to change. They are all queue worthy but if I had to pick just one…

Queue-worthy pattern:

{Pattern: Moss Stitch Scarf and Daisy Stitch Hat, knit in DB Como}

The preppy side of me enjoyed the Britannia Rules story, featuring home accessories knit in British inspired argyles and plaids.  From throw pillows to dog beds, socks with leather soles and cozies for both your tea pots and water bottles, any of these knits would make wonderful holiday gifts.

Queue-worthy pattern:

{Pattern: Welsh Blanket, knit in DB Rialto DK}

The last knitting story in the magazine is Heaven-Sent, and includes three patterns for baby accessories.  Knit in beachy shades of beige and blue, they offer a nice respite from the dark colors of fall.

Queue-worthy pattern:

{Pattern: Bootees, knit in DB Baby Cashmerino}

Visit the issue on Ravelry, or pick one up at your local yarn/book store! ~Jenny

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Debbie Bliss and Vogue Knitting, Fall/Winter 2009…

Since my mornings are now kid-free, I think I’ll head over to my local Border’s tomorrow and check out the fall editions of my favorite knitting magazines:

{Vogue Knitting, Fall/Winter 2009}

{Debbie Bliss, Fall/Winter 2009}

*Update – check out my recap of Debbie Bliss Fall/Winter 2009 here!*

And since Jaime was so nice to make me that beautiful blue dress, I’ll be a good sissy and pick her up one of these:

{Quilting Arts, August/September 2009}

Magazines and coffee (hopefully pumpkin flavored!) – one of my favorite ways to relax…

~Jenny

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spring inspiration…

Have you seen the new Spring/Summer 09 issues of Vogue Knitting and Debbie Bliss magazines yet?  Vogue has some beautifully elegant pieces, as usual…knitting layouts include:

• Vernal Interlude – luxe knitting with eco-friendly yarn
• Fine Art – comtemporary lace knits
• The Sensual Side of Pink – elegant, beachy knits
• Designer Details – two sweaters by designers Anna Sui and Twinkle
• Easy Glitz – ethereal metallic knits for evening
• A Lacy Affair – glamorous knits for lounging at home

Possible additions to my knitting queue might be:

For dinner with my husband…

{Pleated Top} by Coralie Meslin

For Sunday morning lounging…

{Lace Shawl} by Shirley Paden

to be worn with these, bien sur:

{Lace Stockings} by Mari Muinonen

Debbie Bliss Spring/Summer 09 follows her inaugural Fall/Winter 08 issue.  Somewhat opposite of Vogue Knitting, Debbie provides plenty of inspiration for relaxed summer-time living.  She gives you glimpses of things in her world that inspire her, as well as a few of her favorite places to shop and knit.  There is an interview with British designer Louisa Harding, and knitting layouts include:

• Huggables – cute little rabbit with sweater
• Pretty Pleats – knits is sherbet shades with sweet little pleats
• Milk and Honey – casual cardigans in neutral tones
• Summer Breeze – beachy knits in shades of blue
• Watercolor – a silk sweater with the prettiest yoke
• Red, White, & Blues – adorable baby knits in a patriotic color-scheme
• Perfect Weekenders – casual sweaters for everyday comfort
• The White House – creamy white knits for your home
• Havana Nights – luscious, jewel-tone sweaters

Queue-worthy patterns include:

for walks on the beach…

{Yoke Detail Pullover}

a cozy sundress cover-up…

{Hooded Sweater}

for our sister, if she is having a little girl…

{Striped Baby Dess}

this cozy wrap, for everyday…

{Pleated Shawl}

Happy knitting! ~Jennifer

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