This is how we do it

I've been asked many times when, how, and sometimes if I wear my handmade clothes.
During our last trip to London - city with a perfect sweater weather all year around - I asked my husband to take pictures of me in different knits just to prove that I REALLY wear them. Not as often as before, but still. So if you are curious to see my work and me together with London on the background - read on, but caution - a lot of pictures ahead!
I love visiting London - the only city where you can get a good tea anytime any place and nobody would ask you where you are from. One of the major London's attractions for me of course is my daughter who comes and stays with us for a while. And we have short but precious moments together.

London is a place where great theaters are, and we love theater. This time, for example, we were lucky to see Hamlet with Andrew Scott (if you live in London and haven't seen it yet, please, try getting a ticket, it is so worth it). I don't think I will ever want to see this play again - it was just perfect.

But let's get back to my "show and tell" and talk some clothes.
Prior to leaving for England we were told that the weather there was rather crappy - cold, windy, and rainy - and that warm clothes were the only clothes that we should bring. I packed accordingly.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, upon our arrival the weather changed and during the day it was mostly warm and sunny. Some of the sweaters that I brought turned out to be too warm and bulky. I packed only one cardigan, and a warm one to boot. Big mistake. Needed more cardigans in different shapes and forms - they are so easy to take off on subway and put on back on a street. And some sweaters proved to be perfect for this type of climate and urban lifestyle in general. So here I present my knits in London: hits and misses.
1.Black lace, or Wolfriver

 I wore it on the plane and it kept me warm, but it was too warm for walking on London streets, and absolutely suffocating on subway. Even hanging up behind my back. Should be used in winter or colder weather.
2. Loving

This one was worn the most and proved to be absolutely perfect for this kind of weather (low 70s, chilly mornings and evenings). Mandatory selfie in a store:

This garment is optimal for indoors and outdoors, light and effortless, ideal for day to evening transition. Wore it a lot.
3. Patriot

I like it because it is warm but not too bulky. It was cold and rainy for a couple of days and I had an opportunity to wear it. Its advantages - could be worn with or without a shirt, works well underneath a jacket, covers my butt and keeps it warm.
4. Japanese Sideways sweater

This sweater was also perfect for the weather and our activities. It is lightweight and airy, easy to wear hanging behind my shoulders. Was worn a lot as well.

5. Christmas sweater
The problem with this sweater was its length. I didn't pack any skirts, only pants, and in order for this sweater to look well on me in pants it needs something longer underneath, otherwise proportions are wrong. Yet, most of the times it was too warm outside to wear it with a shirt.
Here I am wearing it with jeans - and I am not particularly fond of this look.

6. Juno
This one was another hit during this trip - lightweight, could be tucked into pants, easy to take off and carry in a bag, perfect. And it goes with everything! Even graffiti on Brick Lane!

7. Riverband
The only cardigan I had in my suitcase (oh, how I regretted it later!), short and lightweight. Easy to take off and carry in a bag, real lifesaver in the evenings. I wish I had a thinner cardigan that could be worn under a jacket, but glad to have at least this one with me.

8. Swallowtail shawl by Evelyn Clark
Actually, I brought 3 shawls with me - I miss scarves and shawls, used to wear them all the time. My daughter promptly appropriated two of them (and I am so glad that she did because I don't wear them anyway), so I was left with just this one - it was knit many years ago and have been serving me well.

One night, when we were leaving theater after a play, I was even complimented on it (maybe not exactly complemented, but asked about it), so it is still in good shape.
Now, the main lesson from this trip: I need more cardigans. They are easier to put on and take off when you navigate through a crowd of people, and, unlike sweaters, could be worn in three positions - on, off, and unbuttoned.

Another takeaway from the trip: yellow and pink colors. I don't remember seeing so many different shades of yellow ever before.

This time yellow was literally everywhere. And I must admit that I loved it and developed an actual craving for yellow-green, yellow-brown, and neon yellow (I think, I've already mentioned that I have this physiological reaction to colors, that cannot be helped).

As to pink, only one shade was omnipresent on London streets - dusty pink or pale pink. Must admit that I started liking it as well and wanting to have more pink in my wardrobe.
I brought an insane amount of yarn from England this time. Yes, so unlike me, ha-ha!!! You can see on this picture just a tiny part of the lot.

In order to buy the new Rowan magazine we went to John Lewis (and I really wanted to buy it while we were there, because... we were already there!). We had to go there 3 times before I finally got it (my husband kept making jokes about John Lewis being the major tourist attraction in London).
I finally found it only by chance - not on display, but in a pile on a table for craftsmen under some other stuff (really surprising way of selling knitting books, if you ask me).
Yet, every time when we visited the store looking for the last Rowan I would find some new yarn without which I couldn't possibly leave and buy it. As a result we also had to buy an additional bag - a carry on - just for yarn. I feel so bad now but, I guess, it is a great motivation to knit faster.

Here is a little preview of my next project. It is a cardigan (didn't I tell you that I need cardigans?) from a Japanese knitting book and I've been eyeing it for quite some time. But to be a cardigan of my dreams it needed some changes. So changes were made and now it is almost finished. However, this is another story for another time. As for today's tale, it is finished. I do hope it helps you somehow when you plan your next trip to Europe.

This is war, Peacock! Casualties are inevitable!

In July we usually go to Canada for the Shaw festival. Every year I am looking to this trip with anticipation. It is a wonderful possibility for us to unplug, enjoy theater and each other, and just relax and eat great food. After spending many long months in Florida building a house, we deserved this break.

If you love theater (we obviously do) this is your place to come. Usually plays are very different. There is something for everyone: one play for children, one musical play, one or two experimental plays, one or two famous/classical plays. This year the festival new artistic director – Tim Carroll – brought in new ideas and interesting choice of plays as well as much more actors – audience interactions to re-energize the event.

The acting is superb:  in Pennsylvania, we don’t see performances of this level often. Everything else is also executed on the highest level of professionalism.

The Shaw festival takes place in a tiny picturesque town of Niagara-on-The-Lake from April till October and is getting more and more popular every year. If you live in a driving distance from the place I’d wholeheartedly recommend coming and checking it out. This year we saw 11 plays on 4 different venues in 12 days.

We discovered this festival about 6 years ago and since then try to go there every summer. The weather in Canada at this time of the year is much better than in Pennsylvania (to say nothing of South Florida). We can take our daily walks through beautiful and peaceful countryside. Usually our final destination is a farmer’s market where we buy some fruit that we eat on the spot and go back home.

 Next to the market there is a little chapel that is apparently considered the smallest church in the world. Every day buses and cars bring lots and lots of Asian tourists who relentlessly take pictures of the chapel. Apparently, they all have it in their tourist guides as one of the world wonders or something. Anyway, it was hard to get a picture of it without tourists, but I managed.

There are also vineyards and wine testing in the area, great food and quaint antic stores – what’s not to like!

Before leaving for Canada I got sick and spent a day in bed recuperating. Soon I got bored and decided to make something from the leftovers of Fanion that I used to make Bo. I chose Blue from Kim Hargreaves Crush. Not only because it is light and summery but also because my gauge was spot on and I had enough yarn to make it. Plus it was black and white – and this summer black and white became my knitting trend.

I picked size M because I didn’t want the tank to be too snug on my hips. Boy, was I wrong! The result is cute, but VERY revealing and stretchy. I like it on the pictures but am not sure how to wear it in real life.

More pictures - on my Ravelry page.

Military style jackets with multiple zippers have been always much-coveted but unapproachable designs to knit for me. Two reasons: they definitely look better when store-bought and they are too difficult to make because of the zippers.

Zippers are hard to insert in knitted garments: unlike knitting they don’t stretch. I did it successfully once many years ago but it was so time consuming and all over so much pain everywhere that ever since I avoided garments with zippers.

I don’t remember when I bought this Phildar pattern (it is not on their website anymore and not on Ravelry) but decided not to make it for above mentioned reasons.

Till this spring when I unearthed it, took a closer look and decided to try it with the leftovers of great yarn. Again my gauge was spot on. I used this yarn twice before – for a Kim Hargreaves cardigan for my daughter (didn’t photograph it but it looks and wears well) and this pattern, also from Kim Hargreaves (yarn held together with Rowan Kidsilk Haze).

Soon I discovered that the original pattern as it was written is rather tight fitting. Not exactly what I am looking for in a jacket. That is why instead of knitting the smallest size as I usually do I settled on size 42/44. Among other changes: full length sleeves and  3 garter sts at the front borders – but otherwise I just followed the pattern.

Yet, I got constantly distracted. I made this and this instead of finishing my zipper jacket. Which is not how I normally operate. After some soul searching and deliberations I figured that the main reason for my procrastination was the necessity to insert zippers at the end. Yet, unraveling everything that was already finished by this time looked also kind of stupid so I made a decision to take this unfinished garment to Canada with me, work on it in between walks and plays, and see what happens.

As a result when we came back to Pennsylvania I had all the parts of the jacket finished. And I got zippers in a close shade of green and required length (from this website). And 8 days before leaving for another trip.  

All this trouble was not in vain. I got myself a cute jacket that is light and soft to the skin, goes with all my clothes, and could be worn underneath other garments. The buttons were bought in an antique store in Canada and are from a real military uniform.

Again, more pictures - on my Ravelry page.

This is the Summer of Basics after all and what can be more basic than a jacket military style!

I wanted to call it Colonel Mustard (Clue is one of my favorite movies of all times and I know it by heart) but its color is greysh-green. So it is Colonel Not Mustard for now. Do you have any other suggestions?

This summer I managed to make already two projects that were postponed for several years. It is August and we are leaving on Tuesday but hopefully by the end of the month I’ll be able to finish at least one more knit that I’ve been wanting for ages (or two?!!!).

Japanese patterns (very personal thoughts)

I love Japanese patterns. The more I make garments following Japanese patterns, the more I admire them. Why? Because they are so compact and clear. Everything is there on one page (yes, one page, unless you need one additional page for schematics) with minimal wording. Words don't help me because I don't know Japanese but the numbers do. A lot. Once you figure out what they mean (and it is not difficult to figure out, or you can visit this and this websites for help) it is just a breeze.
Here is one of the last patterns that I bought from Brooklyn Tweed.

See how many pages? It is mind boggling how one pattern can be stretched onto so many pages! And why? Maybe because otherwise you won't feel satisfied enough after paying $9 and getting a measly one page with a pattern?
It seems that lately designers decided that we (knitters) need as many pages for our money as it is humanly possible... and impossible.
If you want to know my opinion (you must, otherwise you wouldn't be reading all this), all these pages are extremely confusing, to say the least. Patterns become cumbersome if printed out and totally unworkable if used on a tablet or other device when you don't have a printer close at hand. Plus you get in trouble much more often, because when you discover yet another "At the same time", you are too far gone already and have to unravel a big chunk of your work. Or maybe someone memorizes patterns like poems? I don't.
Another thing that I totally hate in written patterns is when being long and wordy they still don't give you all the information necessary and you need to go online and download some additional material. For example, when I was making Slope, the pattern had links to its abbreviations and techniques that I had to download separately. I was traveling at the time and was using my Kindle for references. It was a nightmarish experience because I had to close and open files back and forth till I memorized all that I needed.
In Japanese patterns you see everything at once and AT THE SAME TIME. Everything is given AT THE SAME TIME here.
I've been collecting Japanese knitting books for a while and made several patterns from them. Yet, some patterns - the best in my opinion - seemed too complicated at the time, or I didn't have any yarn that would work for them. So I had put them on hold.
Last month in Florida I was finishing Wolf River and thinking about next project for which I actually had yarn and a pattern when I decided to take a look at some of my chosen but postponed Japanese patterns. Bingo! I saw this adorable black and white sweater from Keito Dama # 128 (it is right on the cover, and the model is impossibly cute). Black and white seems to be basic enough (since we are having a Summer of basics Make-Along) plus I had Rowan fine tweed in black and white with me that I could use for this pattern.
The only problem - there was not much free time for knitting. All three weeks in Florida we were extremely busy. We moved all our stuff to the new house, cleaned the old one, cleaned and furnished the new one and did some work outside of the house. What project a normal person would pick while doing all this in three weeks? Right, something mindless, easy, if anything at all.
Yet, I started this uber-complicated fair isle sweater on tiny needles with thin yarn.  Honestly,I didn't mean to finish it quickly. I only wanted to try the pattern.

It is really whimsical, reminds me of the Rorschach test: sometimes you see squares, sometimes - circles in it. Actually there are several patterns. One is used on the back and sleeves, and two more - on the front.
I thought it would be something to look forward to between moving heavy objects and packing/unpacking things. I couldn't work all the time, could I? And during breaks I could make a row or two.
The pattern asks for provisional cast on for all pieces. And I made it in pieces, not in the round. Because, as I have already explained, I think that it fits better that way.

Previously, I used this simple device (circled in red!) to knit fair isle in the round. I never used it for knitting back and forth before. But, since time was an issue, I tried working with the device and it made my life easier and my knitting much faster. It is called "yarn stranding tool" and you can buy it in several places and try it yourself. It is extremely handy when you figure out how to use it properly.

To my astonishment I left Florida with a back and a sleeve finished, and half of a second sleeve on the needles.

Before I forget, I used needles in two sizes - 2,5 (US1 1/2) and 3 mm (US2). 2,5 mm - for all white parts, and 3 mm - for the color work.
I was really afraid that after washing the black color would bleed (it happened to this yarn in Bainbridge that I used for my Christmas sweater). And I didn't make any swatch. I just started knitting and kept going. I know, I know. Do as I say not as I do. Make a swatch and wash it - has been my mantra for many years now. Yet, it all worked out nicely.
Finishing the sweater took a while because all the details had provisional cast on that I had to unravel, pick up stitches and do the ribbing. In the original pattern there are 20 rows of 2x2 ribs on sleeves, back, and front, and a doubled collar with a color work motif.
Since I had an almost finished sweater on my hands already I was able to figure out that the collar with a motif wasn't needed. It would be too warm and thick for my taste so I omitted it. I finished all parts in 1x1 ribs, made only 10 rows for the body, 12 - for sleeves, 6 - for the collar, and used sewn in bind off for additional stretchiness.

While working on it I got a little bit worried that it would be too small for me - all the details looked so tiny! Again, I didn't swatch properly and it made me anxious. Maybe that was why I finished this project so fast - wanted to see if it fits me. And after washing, blocking, and steaming it does!

Actually, this is the only problem that I see in Japanese patterns - they are made for one size only. Yet, I think, it is not such a big deal - most of the times you don't even need to recalculate everything, just change yarn and needles to get bigger or smaller size.
I know, it is a stretch to call a project like this one "basic". It was rather a challenge and I made it on a whim, without any careful planning and preparation. But I loved every minute of the process and I love the result - isn't it the most important in knitting? More pictures on my Ravelry page.

Not so basic

Do you like to move to a new house/apartment/dwelling? Well, I have to confess that this is my least favorite activity. Many many years ago, when I was living in Moscow, my husband and I moved 21 times in 7 years. With a child. Maybe that was why moving to another country wasn't too difficult for us?
Anyway, knitting is my preferred passtime when moving. It helps me to distress and stay focused. The only problem - it is almost impossible to make anything complicated. I have to pick something straightforward. That is why the idea of Summer of Basics Make Along looked so attractive - pick something basic and have a purpose amid all the chaos and commotion.

 I picked the pattern, figured out its design, decided to make only minimal changes, and - voila! - the sweater was finished in no time. 

Pattern - Wolf River by Melissa Schaschwary.
Yarn - Rowan Kid Classic in black (approximately 7 balls)
I made the front and back the same as per pattern, and it still fits well (I was concerned about the fit but didn't have time to change the pattern). I really like the twisted stitch ribbing and how it divides the columns of lace. It is noticeable even in black.

I made some minor changes to sleeves though: knit them flat with only 7 decreases and added 4 sts in the first row of ribbing. And I did the 3-needle bind off from the inside of the garment.

Otherwise, I just followed directions which are clear and precise. There is a chart for the lace pattern in addition to the row by row explanations and you know how much I appreciate charts in patterns.

I didn't pay much attention while working on this sweater and made more mistakes than usual but even with multiple unravelings it was finished in no time. More - on my Ravelry project page.

Surprisingly enough I have already started the next project, this time not so basic.
Again I am using a Japanese pattern. It looks like a traditional fair isle sweater with a little twist. My last finished garments were in ivory and black. This time I decided to combine these two colors (I might add the third one at the end, but I am not sure yet).

I remember one day buying yarn in a yarn store and the owner asked me about my yarn choices: "Do you want it to be THAT dramatic?" This time I do. I go for as much drama as possible. Hopefully the yarn cooperates. Stay tuned...

Another sweater

My last project is finished and I am in love with it. It is from RichMore magazine # 128, 2016 and attracted me by its unusual construction and ribbing.
The ribbing pattern was easy and fun to make - not as boring as normal ribs are. After washing it really blossomed and looks like lace - light and breezy. The back and front are made simultaneously sideways. After making 1/3 of the top in one piece with increases for shoulder shaping I cast off one stitch in the middle and continued using two balls of yarn simultaneously, then cast that same stitch on and finished in one piece again, this time decreasing for shoulders.

All calculations and numbers are given in the pattern and are very easy to understand even if you don't know Japanese (I don't).
After finishing the body, I picked up stitches for sleeves and knit them straight gradually decreasing.

The sleeves are supposed to be tight. At first I tried to use ribbing for sleeves as well but soon it was obvious that if I wanted to follow the directions, the sleeve would be too tight for me. So I decided to just stick with the pattern and wasn't disappointed with the result.

The yarn is from Colormart. It is the same yarn that I got as a Christmas present from my husband some years ago and that I used for Cloudy (more details - here). It is hard to describe the yarn color - something between beige and oatmeal (maybe it is the same?). I didn't know if I had enough for the whole sweater but I figured that at worst it could be done with short sleeves and anyway it was worth the try. My gamble paid off. Not only I had enough for the long sleeves, there are some leftovers. One day I might combine them with the leftovers from the Cloudy cardigan and make something absolutely spectacular. Or not.
Here is another picture of this project on me. It is not form fitting, but the yarn, ribbing pattern, and construction together make it roomy without being bulky. And I love "roomy" when it is not bulky. It is easy to wear, especially in summer.

More - on my Ravelry page.
In other news I decided to participate in the Summer of Basics Make-along this year because... well, because I realized that some basics are missing in my wardrobe (I also think, that my kids wouldn't mind some basics as well).
The plan is to make a simple garment first and then a more difficult, sophisticated variation of the same idea to see which one I like better.
To start I picked Wolf River by Melissa Schaschwary. This is a lace pattern (and normally I don't do a lot of lace) adapted for thick yarn and rather big needles. I am using Rowan Kid Classic from my unraveled Echelon. Echelon was too big, long, bulky, and absolutely unwearable. One day it was unraveled, the yarn washed, rolled into balls, and stored.
I am making size L to get my size because my gauge is different from the original pattern. So far I like how it looks. By the way, I think black lace looks sexy:))))

There is also a cardigan with zippers in my plans for this summer. Yes, zippers in plural. And yes, I am terrified because I've sewn a zipper in a cardigan once before and the experience wasn't pleasant.
To fortify my resolution I bought a book with detailed explanations of how to insert a zipper in knitted clothes. If you know a good tutorial online about zippers, please let me know. I really need all the help and support that I can get. Any suggestions, recommendations, or just words of wisdom are welcome and much appreciated.
In other plans some simple patterns from good yarn and some color work.
I love planning my next projects, it is so much fun, right? Yet, I rarely follow my plans - so many distractions, new great patterns that call me like sirens. We'll see what happens. We are going back to Florida next week. Hopefully, it means more time for knitting.

Of hairdressers, horses, and other misfortunes

I go to see a hairdresser about once a month for a haircut and a touch up. At first, several months in Florida Keys away from my regular stylist seemed like a challenge to me. Then I discovered a salon in 15 minute walk from our place and promptly made an appointment there. After learning who I was and where I lived my new hairdresser asked a little bit unusual question : “So, what did you do with the stables?”

You see, the previous owners of our new property had horses and stables for the above mentioned horses.  At the moment of purchase these stables were already old and dilapidated. We don’t have any horses and didn’t need stables. On the contrary, we needed some space for a new house. So the stables were razed to the ground like all other old structures to make space for the new construction. I explained all this to my new hairdresser and thought that the topic of horses and stables was closed for good.  Yet, next time when I came for my regular haircut/touch up session, he asked again: “So, what did you do with the stables?”

I was a little surprised but then thought that he’d probably forgotten everything about our last conversation and said: “There are no stables anymore. They were razed to the ground"  

-  How come? – he asked with genuine surprise on his face. 

 - Because we don’t have horses, - I decided to be patient and explain the whole thing one more time.

If you think that it was the last time this topic came up in our conversations you are mistaken. He asked me the same question again and again; he kept asking it every time I saw him last year. And every time I restrained myself from a snarky or funny answer, didn’t even dare to roll my eyes – after all the guy was responsible for my hair – and repeated the same answer: “No more stables on our property… Because we don’t have horses.”

This year I was hoping not to hear about stables and horses again. In vain. We spent in Florida 7 months, and every time I went for a haircut I felt like in this old movie Groundhog Day – same questions, same genuine surprise. My Floridian hairdresser is a professional and he sees a lot of people on regular basis. He is used to have a small talk and remember pretty well all basic information about his clients (his memory about all other facts of my life is perfect). I don’t know why he cannot stop asking me about the stables and horses.

After a while I started dreading my monthly visits.Yet, every time I was too afraid to tell him anything back, even something along the lines: “I thought we covered this before” or “ I already told you that we don’t have stables because we don’t have horses”. I know. I am a coward.

Anyway, the reason I am writing all this is that I’ll be back to Florida eventually and am not sure what to do about the stables/horses situation. Here are the possibilities:

1)  Find another hairdresser (that would be farther from our place, and more time consuming)

2) Tell him that we did keep the stables and wait for his reaction. If he tells me something like “But you told me that you’d gotten rid of them” I could say “Then why do you ask?"

3) Tell him that we kept stables for zebras or giraffes that we are going to breed.

Which one from these answers should I chose? Any thoughts or suggestions? I would really appreciate your help in the matter.

In knitting news, I have nothing to show. Why? Because apparently when I move houses I become extremely distracted. Last year I was making my Blue disaster cardigan and it was such a disaster because I didn’t pay attention. 

This year I started making Pearls by Helga Isager from Rowan Fine Tweed. The pattern is amazing – very simple and clear. Yet, I didn’t have much time to really sit down and knit, so I kept knitting here and there till suddenly, when putting all parts of the sweater together, I discovered that the yarn that I was using was either from different dye lots or just different hues.

Imagine my devastation – the sweater was almost finished and I absolutely loved the result.

I couldn’t make myself unravel this garment. Instead I finished it and decided to dye it some dark color to cover the color variations. That is why I have nothing to brag about today. Because my wonderful, amazing, great creation died a sudden death during the process of dying. The yarn didn’t want to change color and just started disintegrating.  The whole thing ended up in a garbage bag. RIP, Pearls.  And now, after having tried it on, I want it really bad, and I want it in white!!!

Meanwhile, I turned 54, did some gardening and got all red, itchy, and scratchy from poison ivy, went to Boston, visited the famous Harvard University, came back, and started a new project. In that order.

 My 54th birthday - since there is nothing to celebrate, I didn't celebrate.

Boston is amazing, I'd love to be back and spend more time there.

I am not a big fan of gardening. We don't have much of a garden in Pennsylvania, just two flower beds. Not many flowers. Mostly beds. A lots of poison ivy though. 

My next project - a Japanese pattern. It is mostly ribbing and you know how much I love ribbing. So I had to make it. Hopefully, I'll have more success with this one. Yet, one never knows...