I’ve decided to knit a lace shawl for the Fall Shawl Competition at The Recycled Lamb here in Golden, CO. And rather than do a pre-existing design (because that’s too easy), I’ve decided to design my own.
I’ve picked up a gorgeous green silk (Kiku 100% Bombyx) that isn’t done justice here:
A rather bland picture of what is a very vibrant green silk.
Then I mapped out endlessly and sat with a calculator as I worked out how my pattern would “work” so that all the elements played nice together. I switched patterns partway through and juggled how I was adding the crown prince pattern due to numbers not matching.
I’ve ended up with a row of the crown prince pattern, then a inner “box” of one of the sampler patterns and an outer “box” of another. I’ll take some notes and write it out as I go so that I can publish it as a PDF on Ravelry in case anyone wants it (assuming it turns out).
I’ll take some pics as I progress. First, I must finish a tunic for my niece in an amazing cotton/linen I picked up at the same time. I’ll post that shortly. It’s a beautiful purple. And I have to rush as it’s her birthday next week.
I recall, vaguely, that the weaving teacher mentioned something about counting heddles. But I’m a rushing in where angels fear to tread sorta person.
Now, after sleying my reed and starting to thread my heddles I had a come-to-jesus moment where I realize that I’ve not just not considered that I’ll run out of heddles, I’ve, on a mammoth-like scale not considered that I’ll run out of heddles.
The Full Insanity. Lots and Lots of Threads in Different Colors and an Odd Threading Pattern
Here’s the lay of the land. I just bought an Ashford 8-shaft table loom. It came with 640 heddles. When putting the loom together I (logically) put two bunches of 40 on each shaft.
Then I decided…hey…it’s my second project..I’ll do a waffle weave kitchen towel in two different colors. Why not? (I went from a basic scarf to this insanity). It made perfect sense to me because (as the book helpfully pointed out) switching colors would help me figure out the threading. And there is a lot of threading. 578 ends to be exact. I thought, no problem, I have 640.
Then I realized after threading the heddles for the first five bunches that due to the strange threading pattern (2,1,2,1,2,1,2,1,2,3,4,3) I actually (this is the actual logical part) need 192 heddles on shaft one, 240 on shaft two, 96 on shaft three, and 48 on shaft four.
Now in my class I ran short of heddles. At the beginning of a project. but that was a Scacht loom and removing the metal bars was easy. The Ashford doesn’t seem so easy and I have a sneaking suspicion I’ll need to lay the castle flat, remove the shafts and pull them out to add more heddles. Kind of difficult now that I’ve started.
So the Internet research began. The a-ha moment came when I read a posting someone wrote about having an 8-shaft loom and a 4-shaft project.
I realized to get extra emergency heddles I just needed to use the extra shafts and remember to pull the extra shafts up for the initial shaft. All doable and solves the majority of the problem.
I could now use Shafts 7 & 8 to get Shaft 2 to 240. And I’ll use 5 & 6 to get Shaft 1 to 192. BUT what to do about Shaft 3 which is still short 16?
In my class I used the store loom and when I’d started in the midst of the metal heddles was some string ones. The instructor explained that someone had “run short” or missed some threads and added some in the middle.
The final solution was at hand. It was much easier to make 16 extra heddles out of string and add them in than it was to stop mid project, tear it all back, remove shafts, and re-thread them all.
So I move forward making 16 heddles as I go (mixing them in so they don’t own a section) and adding in the extra shafts to make my waffle weave work.
Loom with Homemade Heddles (Used Hemp and The Homemade Ones are Brown)
Fingers crossed that the next problem is as easily solved.
I’m almost done the nautical blanket (started here). The whole project delayed by a move and renovations, but finally I have my knitting room done. A long wait, but worth it as I have a set room and a custom desk with space for all my toys.
I’ve sold the Singer 560 in the move from Canada to US (the thing weighed a ton and I admitted defeat…I never bothered to hook it up).
And it made room for my newest obsession….weaving!
Denver (and Golden) are hotbeds of weaving and I tracked down a class (not hard) with the incredible Pamela Bliss (great teacher) and am hooked. I just got an Ashford 8-shaft, 32″ table loom and am ready to start my first project on my own machine.
In the class I made a scarf and a cover for my knitting machine (pictured below). Now I’m on to some dish towels in a waffle pattern using up some 8/2 cotton and cotton/hemp. I have a lot of 8/2 from previously having the finer gauge knitting machine.
Hand-Woven Knitting Machine CoverClose Up of Cover
I’ll hopefully update this post with some images of the sweaters I made over the previous winter as well, as I made another on the LK150 that turned out quite well and I could post the modified pattern if people are interested. It’s the second time I’ve made that pattern on the machine (in two different types of wool) and it turns out very nicely.
But first…finishing the nautical blanket and waffle dish towels!
I cheaped out. I bought a set of the KnitPicks interchangeable needles (these ones) and for a while they became my favorite set. But really only because I was too lazy to get up and go sort through needles to find the pair I needed to change to, with these just pop off the old ones, pop on the new.
I get that.
But I was in the middle of an alpaca sweater (find 2-ply at that) and the needles broke. Snapped off at the connection point. Alpaca snagged. Stitches dropped. Grr moment.
I bought my mother-in-law a set of Denise ones so I hope those hold up better. But not happy with the KnitPicks set (and for that matter the fact that the screw kept coming loose on them and snagging the wool: also not cool).
This is the insanity of it all. I started this massive Karukell Shawl a year ago (if I’m honest with myself, two or three). It’s taken up space in my knitting bag and slurped up one of my two project bags (bought here cause they are so damn amazing) that allow myself for “live” projects.
I’ve “sworn” to finish it through the last two years (see, the truth will out) of vacations and finally pushed through this year with some handy work trips (thank goodness they allow knitting needles on planes again) and some real doggedness (I picked up this gorgeous blue wool blend in a lace weight and some amazing red as well) to START. SOMETHING. NEW.
Yesterday the day arrived. I double-casted off and threw the shawl on the floor to take some pics with the iPad.
Even unblocked, I kinda really like it.
What really amuses me is that after years of torturing myself with this massive lace knitting project that I alternately cursed and revered I am now going to rush out and start another. The Estonian Book of Lace has this massive shawl (Crown Prince I believe) that is perfect for the wool in blue. And I’m thinking there is a smaller shawl in there for the red too….
I just have to pick which color and the pattern. I only hope the thrill of that…carries me through the next three years of knitting it.
Finally back to knitting on the machine, as I (sadly) sold my Singer 560 and Ribber and Yarn Changer this weekend. This allowed me to re-arrange the knitting room and set up a better layout for working on the LK150.
I had to admit to myself that this is the machine I use the most. I’m a quick project machine knitter. The Singer required a more in-depth commitment to the process than I was willing to give on any given day. PLUS (and this is a big one) sewing together those tiny little knitted garments? Not my thing at all.
I knit one sweater on the machine and could never get around to sewing it up. Big #knitfail for me.
Having cleaned up and re-arranged the knitting room, I was able to happily start on the KnitPicks Nautical Blanket.
This is the perfect project for the LK150 as each square is knit separately (I will ignore the sewing part for now) and in intarsia. As I have the Intarsia carriage (smartest thing I bought)…this is ideal.
I (as a rule) hate intarsia. I love fair isle. No problem there. But I HATE intarsia. But on the LK150 Intarsia is a dream. It’s easy to do and it knits up flawlessly. None of the terrible twists and bulks that I get when I handknit intarsia at all.
See the detail? It works great and it’s effortless. Love intarsia on the LK150. If you don’t have the carriage….you want to get it.
I finished two squares this weekend, rolled up a few more balls ready to go and am sit to (hopefully) do a square a night. I’ll take the finished squares and start sewing up the ends and sewing them together as I finish each one (hoping this will break up the monotony of the sewing). Looking forward to the completed project.
(NOTE: Not that thrilled with the wool right now. It’s a bit catchy and rough. But good for a blanket. Though I really do wish it was a Superwash. Oh well.)
I have used a plastic bin for my “to go” knitting projects for years. But recent frustrations with “dropping” and “tipping” during transport made me rethink that strategy. A couple weeks ago I thought a canvas bag, sturdy, that stood upright, might do the trick. So I ordered a Lands End canvas bag, in large (I measured my requirements), had it custom embroidered, and anxiously awaited its arrival.
Thankfully, with the handy dandy embroidering no one should be mistaken who it belongs to! 🙂 I then proceeded to fill it with my treasured contents. I actually own classic tupperware that was, I think, supposed to be a pencil case or something.
Whatever its intent, it is now my knitting notions kit. The bag I purchased needed to fit it. So I measured carefully. It sits neatly on the bottom, with a lulu-lemon bag (why else would I shop there other than to use the bags to fit smaller knitting projects?). The little bag holds my lace shawl I’m knitting, protecting it from the other stuff in the bag. My larger project (in this case the Victorian Throw I’m working on) takes up the rest of the space. Patterns and crochet and dpn kits sit in the interior side pockets with a notebook and more pens.
I particularly enjoy the “supposed” keychain clip…it handily holds my scissors. I never have to dig for those again.
The longer straps make it easy to carry the bag around with me and still grab other stuff, and though sturdy enough to stand upright, it’s also squishy enough that I can tuck it in between other items when travelling (or even place it at my feet).
Anyone looking for a great knitting bag for a reasonable price…consider the Lands End canvas bags. Love it.
Finally finished the Dale of Norway baby outfit I was making for my new niece. She’s small. As you can see from above. Came in at 5 lbs. Wee.
On the other hand, I decided to make the Dale of Norway outfit for her in a 12 month size. And I knit LOOSE in Dale of Norway. If she keeps going at the rate of growth she experienced in the womb…she’ll fit it when she’s five.
I’ve always knit loose in Dale of Norway. When I made myself a DoN sweater…I ripped it out and restarted it five times until I finally gave up and just kept going. I was getting down to the zero size of needle and the pointlessness of it all was becoming evident. My DoN came out great. Perfect fit. But the baby outfit (knit on 2mm needles) is a bit wider and looser than I’d prefer. BUT, being a baby outfit (and likely to be worn maybe 3 times) I can’t be bothered to do endless rip and repeats. So she’ll wear it when she’s five. That’s fine. It’ll still be cute!
I recently discovered Etsy too and now…when I search for buttons I choose buttons from there. These buttons (zebra pattern that you can’t quite see) were custom made for me by Buttons by Robyn. Here’s a better pic.
They are pretty great! So, I’m happy with the outfit and here’s hoping little (and I stress the little) Olympia (big name for a little baby) wears it with pride!
I hate intarsia. But, I believe it’s like childbirth, though I’ve never embarked on that twice. But, people tell me that you forget…and you go back in to it with little or no fear of what is coming. Then it hits, and you go, oh…crap. And that sounds about right.
Six years ago I decided, in a moment of color frenzy, to make an intarsia sweater out of an Alafoss Lopi book. You complete the sweater in small sections, and then join them. So, as if the intarsia wasn’t bad enough, now I had to not only sew in all the little strands of yarn, but I also had to put the whole sweater together. I hate finishing sweaters. I hated this sweater. It took me two years to finish.
Time passed.
Last year I saw Nonna’s Garden Shawl from Knitpicks.com. And all I could think about was, color, I like color. And stupidly I purchased it. (That and an intarsia purse kit…more on that to come).
Let me be very frank…..
This shawl is the shawl from hell. It’s a present for my mother, and now I’m starting to resent my mother for it. She doesn’t know about the shawl….but I blame her all the same. I am on row 32 out of 160 something rows. It has taken me HOURS to get this far. I’ve timed it. On average it takes about 45 minutes to complete a row. So far, I’ve wasted 24 hours already. And that’s not counting the repeated (and I mean at least five) trips to the wool stores to get bobbins. I cleaned Ottawa out of bobbins. You need a lot of them. Trust me.
To make matters much much worse, they warn you ahead of time to be careful with the yarn as there is just enough to complete the shawl. For me, I can tell you, there is not enough to complete the shawl. I will be ordering more shortly. Or I will be giving up. Or at row 78 I shall just sit curled up in a corner crying. I don’t know.
I’m already dreading the finishing…all those little strands…they tell me to knot them, but that goes against every knitting bone in me.
For in truth, in the beginning, there was the word. The word of truth, the word of power and heroes, and the word of lies. But more on that later. First, the story…..
W.L. Doornik. A person, a parson even, he is allegedly the creator of the sock knitting machine due to the irascible nature of his wife-to-be. For, she seemed more distracted and charmed by her knitting than by him.
Like some people, he thought he could solve this little problem (the world’s refusal to bend to his will) with technology. So he created a machine that he believed would free up her time (ah, that pesky industrial revolution….so foolish….so young….) and voila, the knitting machine was born.
Of course it did nothing to free up anyone’s time, but rather created (those of you who tread in both the waters of hand knitting and machine knitting know this well) a whole new set up fascinating possibilities.
And even less time to spend with our assorted companions.
True or not, it’s a great story. And even better, Doornik, was Dutch. I can’t make this stuff up. Or I can.
But W.L. Doornik, true or not, is the name I’ve chosen to represent my putting out there assorted knitting whodunits and patterns that I’ve created, some on machine, some by hand. All through trial and a whole lot of error.
