Cable Brannigan Shawl

Awhile ago, and by that I mean about a year, I designed and knit a shawl using bulky weight yarn and US13 needles. This shawl is knit side to side and the edging is knit as you go. So when you get the body of the shawl done — it’s all over — no going back, just bury the ends and you are done. This is my favorite kind of knit. Some people have second sock syndrome; I have: can’t get that edging done-itis.

Jamie bought the yarn right away. Problem: I wrote my notes in pencil and they were too light to copy. Yes, I kept promising, I will get them typed up. They are next on my to-do list.

Charlotte has also decided she would like to knit the shawl. And, it is just the kind of knit Jan loves because it can be done on straight needles.

Today, it got typed, proofed, edited, and published in my online Ravelry store (you can search Mary Ellen Langieri or TheHumanLoom to find me). The name of the pattern is: THE CABLE BRANNIGAN SHAWL.

The specific yarn is at the store, and if you buy the yarn from the Studio, I will be happy to gift you the pattern!

Here is a photo:

I look forward to seeing you soon at Summit Yarn Studio!
xx M.E.

 

Mystery Project Bag KAL: Part Five

Here is a photo of one repeat of Part Four:

Part Five:

Rnd 93: (yo, ssk) rep ( to ) around
Rnds 94, 95, 96, 97: knit
Rnd 98: [k1, (yo, ssk) x 7, k1] rep [ to ] around
Rnd 99, 100: knit
Rnd 101: [k1, yo, k2t, k10, yo, k2t, k1] rep [ to ] around
Rnd 102, 103: knit
Rnd 104: [k1, yo, k2t, k2, (yo, k2t) x3, k2, yo, k2t, k1] rep [ to ] around
Rnd 105, 106: knit
Rnd 107: (k1, yo, k2t, k1) rep ( to ) around
Rnd 108, 109: knit
Rnd 110: [k1, yo, k2t, k2, (yo, k2t) x3, k2, yo, k2t, k1] rep [ to ] around
Rnd 111, 112: knit
Rnd113: [k1, yo, k2t, k10, yo, k2t, k1] rep [ to ] around
Rnd 114,115: knit
Rnd 116: [k1, (yo, ssk) x 7, k1] rep [ to ] around
Rnds 117, 118, 119, 120: knit
Rnd 121: (yo, ssk) rep ( to ) around
Rnds 122-129: knit
Rnd 130: (yo x 4, k2t x 4) rep ( to ) around
Rnd 131:  (in the quadruple yo do k1 in the first loop, p1 in the 2nd loop, K1 in the third loop, and p1 in the fourth loop, k4) rep ( to ) around

Rnd 132-139: (8 rounds): knit

 

Sweater Recommendations Anyone?

Does anyone have a good sweater recommendation? One of my knitters is looking and looking and uninspired. She looks great in anything with an empire waist or with torso shaping. She dislikes purling and bulky knits are generally not her thing. Please put your suggestions in the comments below and thanks!

Keep your eyes peeled on Pinkhairgirl’s Ravelry store. She has the cutest EVER baby hat coming out soon. I like it so much I may just knit an adult version of it for myself. That said, I finished the brim on the Woolly Wormhead Hat KAL today (photos below) and found the perfect button for it at the studio. I also thought today was the next installment so I kept checking my email…and nothing. Turns out, tomorrow is the day. I was SO ready! I also checked out some of this designers other hat patterns and she is to hats what Romi Hill is to Small Shawls. Defo go look at her online Ravelry store (photo below).

Thanks to DH (dear hubby) and his help last weekend, the scarf knitters room at the studio is now so organized I could weep. Everything has a place…not in bags on the floor. There is something for every taste and reasonable price points and markdowns to move inventory this holiday season. Please come soon and have a look for yourself!

For those of you doing the building blocks blanket KAL with me, I got ZERO done today because we were so busy with customers. Be sure to watch the 6pm news! Our own Trish Hartman will be anchor tonight and for awhile! (She just finished her first lace shawl–Live Oak by Romi Hill in Findley lace weight.)

Movie watchers: Bond, James Bond THIS WEEKEND! Need I say more? I think not.

 

Eyecatchers On Ravelry

I save a screen shot whenever I find something on Ravelry that looks like its good or something my customers are asking for. I have gotten behind, so there are a bazillion photos…but all good! Loads of Love, M.E.

 

O CANADA!

Since I put in the map and flag counters, it has been amazing to see where this little blog is read.  Canada has always been on the list, but at first, just Ontario.  Slowly, other provinces of Canada added their flags, until August 7th when all 13 provinces and their flags made the list.  BIG SMILE!!!  Thank you Canada — !

On Ravelry, Anna Dalvi is giving Rosemary Hill a run for her money, with some amazing shawls.  In fact there are a dozen in an ebook collection for $16.95.  Every single shawl is beautiful and interesting.  MARTHA:  you will love these, I am sure.  My favorite so far is “Fields of Malachite” and if you go look you will see why.  Also on Ravelry:  a free download of an old McCall’s pattern from the 1970′s — Aran Baby Set.  See http://www.box.com for more great downloads.

My Camino training continues.  Wednesday was my best 10 mile time ever: 3 hours and 25 minutes — and I only had to minimally climb the stairs to get to bed that night.  All through my training I have read travelogues and followed my mileage with a travel guide as though I was walking the Camino Itself.  Wednesday was also the day I made my destination (virtual destination) of Santiago de Compostela.  As I looked at my map, I could see scribbles and fingernail marks as I made certain landmarks along the way.  It seems like once I crossed from triple digit mileage down to double digit miles left to go the rest of the walk just flew by.  Now, I am maintaining and avoiding injury at all cost with less than a month to go until departure.

A map of the entire Camino de Santiago starting in France at the Pyrenees.
788 kilometers

 

My trek will be the 112 km from Sarria to Santiago.

 

Here you can see indentations from fingernail marks as I made distance and trained to walk the Camino in Spain.

FACT OR CRAP OF THE DAY:  OMG was invented and first used by Winston Churchill.

Lake Scranton (3.5 miles around) in the rain.

 

 

SWATCH!!!!! YOU AND YOU,TOO!!!

I had a very different blog planned for today.  Then a customer came in with a project, a blanket, that she is now ready to begin.  She came in for my best, most professional advice…not really.  She came in wanting me to say what she wanted to hear…and every time I said the word SWATCH, she screwed up her face like she was being forced to swallow the foulest of all medicines.  This swatch will take all of ten minutes and really decide for her what to do to make the blanket look the way SHE WANTS.  I could make sh@t up and say it, but the customer would then blame me and be unsatisfied.  So, I remain honest and stick to my guns.  I have lost customers over this.  It makes me sad, but I would rather you walked out with the best answer, than one that is half-assed and wrong.  EVERY PROJECT STARTS WITH A SWATCH.  WHEN YOU ARE DONE YOU CAN RIP IT OUT TO CONSERVE YARN AND MONEY — BUT PLEASE — DO THE SWATCH IN THE STITCH PATTERN THAT MATTERS MOST.  Got it?  Good.  Other than THE SWATCH, all knitting and fiber-crafting is your artwork.  EVEN SPINNERS DO SWATCHES.  Can you tell, I care about this subject?

Spending some time on Ravelry yesterday yielded some great results.  I found a blog:

http://shneckenstrick.blogspot.com/   (you may have to click on the translate key in the upper right hand corner for the language you need) — this designer focuses on children’s clothes and has great patterns both for free and for sale.  Make sure to check out her latest:  The Bluebell Cardigan, a free download.

Chris: There is a beautiful hat and since I know you love leaves, it is called “Shoots and Leaves Hat” by Jen Barley.  It is beautiful.  Clearly, however, I have been watching too much NCIS because that name could be read quite differently depending on your point of view.

Suzy has been knitting a sweater and wanting to make bust darts.  We have had several discussions, until I found a new pattern by Melissa Leapman and sent Suzy a photo of the boob dart.  The book is called:  Knitting the Perfect Fit and has more than one sweater I would want to wear.  In fact, Donna A. — this book must have been written for you because it has all the shaping you LOVE.

Go to the blog for Kelbourne Woolens and you will find directions for a small scarf  based on a previous pattern called the “Springtime Bandito” — requires about 100 yards of fingering weight yarn.  Follow the Set-up and Body Charts of the original pattern and then finish off with Rows 1-22 of the edge chart.  Bind off knit-wise.  It is adorable.  I would however, budget enough yarn for a few garter ridges because that edge looks like it will roll sooner than later to me.

The Classic Elite Blog is also a great place for error-free patterns by great designers.  Currently there is the Stripie Scarf by Amy Loberg of FiberWild!  If you go to her site, check out the Sugared Violet Shawlette — quite lovely.

I also downloaded a free hat pattern based on Old Shale lace — The Sea Waves Hat.  I love it.  Now I have to find just the perfect yarn to play with.  Wherever shall I find it?

LIVE LONG AND SWATCH,

Mary Ellen and Summit Yarn Studio

 

Half Circle Sweater Pattern

What a 24 hours this has been! Yesterday Martha told me there was an ad in the Fall Interweave Knits featuring one of my patterns. Well, I am just enough of a newbie designer that I was THRILLED!

I posted the details of the pattern on Ravelry and how it could be purchased, last evening. At eleven p.m. the sweater had made the bottom of the Top Twenty List on Ravelry.

This morning…it is in the number three position. I am beside myself with pleasure. It will be fun to watch this story unfold.

The sweater is a complete Half Circle with raglan sleeves knit in Stockinette Stitch with a Seed stitch border. It is meant to be easy knitting and approachable even for new knitters. Because of its drape it is flattering to any figure and has a natural movement that feels so feminine!

Here are some photos:

 

EWETOPIA — New Yarn from Frog Tree Yarns

The yarn has been on special all week here at Summit Yarn Studio, regularly $8.50 a ball, it has been $6.50 a ball and will remain so through end of business day tomorrow at 2pm.  Ewetopia has received Cat Bordhi’s recommendations and after having worked with it in every color, I love this wonderful, lofty, sproingy yarn.  Another good name for this yarn would have been — Bounce — because it has so much life, bloom and drape.  The yarn is composed of two plies, one of extrafine merino (at the finest micrometer) and one of superwash extrafine merino — for the purpose that the two plies would take the dye color differently and create a marled yarn.  Some of the marls are more obvious than others and some of the colors have a resplendent mutable quality to them — they are different colors in different light — like the stone Alexandrite.

This is a simple afghan I am knitting using one block in every color (there are 18 colors in all) of this soft and pleasing yarn. As I knit the second strip, I am attaching it directly to the first by a sort of SSK through the back loop involving the new square and the Garter bump on the edge of the old square. I also cast on the second square connected to the first by drawing up my first stitch at the corner of the first old block and then doing a long tail cast on. Come to class if you are interested in learning sew-free techniques!

 

Everyone who has “met” this yarn has immediately wanted to do at least one sweater with it.  Robin has completed two out of three sweaters, Chris is nearly done with her first, Suzy purchased by Pink for a Pullover (ala Simple Summer Tweed by Heidi Kirrmaier — free on Ravelry), Barbara and Charlotte are both waiting for “The Angel”, my newest design and have their yarn tucked away.  Here are some photos:

Swatch by Chris for a sweater with eyelets in the Green Ewetopia.

 

Vee-Neck knit in the round by Robin using Ewetopia — a 43″ chest circumference took 12 balls.

 

Robin used the Simple Summer Tweed pattern without joining at the front to create a Cardigan in the Claret colored Ewetopia.

 

This is a close up of Red Ewetopia for a sweater called: “Shadow” ( also available on Ravelry ) being made by Chris.

 

This is “Warm Me UP”, a vest which can be worn three ways — as above, crossed at the front like a ballet sweater, or with one side (the cable — which runs up the back, over the shoulder and down the front) thrown over the opposite shoulder, like a shawl or Ruana. This pattern is available from Frog Tree Yarns and was designed by yours truly.

 

The sleeve of this sweater is knit in the DARKEST GREY of EWETOPIA and still the texture shows, even in not so great lighting. What appears to be a one stitch rib is much more, but all sucked in because this was obviously taken prior to blocking. The rest of this sweater can be seen in the Frog Tree Booth in Columbus at TNNA, or request the pattern called: “The Admiral”.

 

There are many other new designs available for EWETOPIA, all of which will be available at this June’s Columbus TNNA at the booth for Frog Tree Yarns.  The is the most popular new yarn here at Summit Yarn Studio.  If your LYS does not yet carry Frog Tree Yarns, a minimum order is just one bag of any of their wonderful yarns.  Bear in mind, this is a not-for-profit company, so purchasing their yarns does good on both your needles and in this world.

over and out for today, Mary Ellen and Summit Yarn

 

Tales of TNNA Phoenix 2012

When Frog Tree Yarns called and asked if I would be able to come help out at the Phoenix TNNA, I didn’t even blink before I said: “Yes!”.  This is such a wonderful company!  They are completely non-profit, they give back to the world in many and diverse ways and they are just completely on my list of favorite people in the world.  They also support COMMUNITY LINKS, a 501c(3) not for profit organization that reaches out to South America.  Please Google this awesome Organization…nothing but impressive.  Anyway, back to TNNA.  My husband and son were completely supportive, and perhaps just as ready for a little break as I was.  The trip out to Arizona was easy peasy and I arrived without incident.  If you go to the taxi stand at the Phoenix airport, ask for a price comparison between the Limos and the Taxis…it is kind of like Let’s Make a Deal.  This way you get a flat rate and no surprises.

I stayed at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown (now a Marriot Hotel, used to be something else) and it was just a block walk to the convention center.  The weather was breezy and 70 degrees the whole time — just perfection.  On my way to my room I picked up the Ski Warm-Up (now renamed:  WARM ME UP!) because the snaps were hard to open and needed reworking and handed over completed sample work for the show (check out the wonderful NEAP TIDE SHAWL on Ravelry by Mary Lou Egan;  I also made a hat, mitts and swatches in their newest yarn:  EWETOPIA — having knit 13 balls/1420 yards of this yarn I can honestly say IT IS AWESOME!!! IT DOES NOT SPLIT AND HAS A WONDERFUL HAND — which I missed the minute I started knitting with anything else.  Ewetopia is two different plies of extrafine merino wool with a loft unmatched by any other yarn I have handled to date.  More about this — with photos of the 18 color ways later.)

My roommate, Joan Fish, was there waiting in the room (we met last June at the Columbus TNNA) and we had a great visit.  Shower and off to bed so I could get up early and play “wrangle” with the snaps on the vest.  I brought several alternative snap solutions with me and started at 7:30 in the morning.  I even brought magnetic snaps which I thought were the right solution.  They were too heavy and I could not get them open any easier than the other snaps.  I was so frustrated I cut those tabs off.   None of the snap alternatives worked.  I admit to some sailor-like cussing at this point…none of which can really be proved by anyone other than the cleaning ladies.  I got up, paced the room and then started looking through the clothes in my suitcase.  Yup, there is what will work on that brand new shirt…nice little dark buttons…more than I need.  I cut them all off and went to work.  I used the top of the snaps as decoration only and knit a facing to cover the bottom of them and sew the buttons onto (this way the buttons would remain hidden).  I did not even need to make buttonholes as the buttons fit neat and snug between the stitches on the opposite tabs.  Yay!!!

The above process took from 7:30 a.m. to Noon.  I was supposed to be there at 10 a.m. but without the vest would have been no good and sitting there cussing while working on the vest also = no good.  I have a total THING about being punctual so that added to the feelings of frustration.  However, I was there in just a few minutes and they totally understood.  Shortly thereafter a customer came up and was so enthused with said garment that she insisted she wanted the pattern ASAP so she could knit it on the way home.  Not having my computer, I spent the rest of the day taking yarn orders and writing the pattern out longhand.  Feels pretty darn good when someone likes one of my designs that much!

It was more than humbling to see my work displayed in the booth…all the things that have been created with their inspiration in the last year.  Flock Wooligan is still very popular and some people went on so that I blushed (not an easy feat).  Meanwhile, this company is from Massachusetts and of course has sports team preferences not in accord with mine. While the Patriots were playing, I was gracious…kind of.  While the Giants were playing (my team…GO GIANTS!!!)…all bets were off and the gloves were down.  Then we made the mistakes of discussing Ice Hockey and Baseball…I have to admit it was hysterical to play stupid like I did not know what the baseball team was in Massachusetts (my apologies Donna — the end.).  All I can say is:  we had fun and now that both our football teams are at the SuperBowl — it is on like Donkey Kong!

There is a new hand dyer out there — the company is called:  Baaa! and besides placing a large order with Frog Tree, I also placed an order with this company.  The colors are all beautiful and some (my favorites) are even non-pooling (I happen to like pooling of colors…but not everyone does).  The non-pooling colors had a magic to them.  The secondary underlying colors kind of shimmered into existence in the sample pieces.  My particular favorite color with this ability is called:  Brazilian Emerald.  Make Multnomah in this and you will rapidly see what I mean.  I have a color card and a sample skein at the studio in case you would like to have a peek!

I came home with more orders for sample knitting:  a baby blanket for the well-known and well-loved Steven Be from Minneapolis, two cable vests (by Lisa Ellis and just spectacular) in Meriboo, and another Hearten Wrap.  I also have a new sweater pattern on needles that I am working the details out for…I am working it up in Pediboo (Suzy is working up the worsted version in Noro Silk Garden).  Send me good vibes…it is going well so far.  I still have to complete an Origami Cardigan (by Linda Daniels — this is on Ravelry) in Meriboo…only 30″ to go on the front and one Heirloom baby blanket in Pediboo (quick easy knit by yours truly).  Nice to have work that pays and keeps me busy…and helps with the rent!

We of course all were busy in off moments sharing our latest favorite videos on YouTube.  I was having trouble with my phone so I started by sharing my funny photos and narrating the stories behind them.  I had trouble finding the one Siri spoof video…we randomly played a few…but one was really embarassing…so much so that Sharon giggled till she cried and just hid her head in her arms.  My favorite links are:

My Blackberry is Broken (BBC — The two Ronnies),

The Last Knit,

Patrick Rothfuss:  Guinea Pigs are Fish

and the Siri commercial under collegehumor:  Siri Argument (there are numerous F-bombs at the end which get tiresome), and finally,

Goats Sheep Surfing by bubblescubed.

The second night Sharon, Susan and myself went out together to dinner.  We used the GPS on Sue’s phone…since she could not see the map I navigated and they kept me from walking into poles.  I got us to where the little green “pin” was…however, nothing else was there, including the restaurant.  However, there was a woman and her Pedicab (think bicycle and trawler).  Her name was Zora.  She drove the three of us stalwartly over to the restaurant…which was closed.  I got out.  I guess I thought if I stared at it long enough it would magically open.  I was wrong.  Zora graciously drove us all the way back to where we began with her and them some to an open restaurant of her liking.  It was great.  We laughed all the way.  Admittedly, we had some concerns given the tally of our collective weight…momentum being what it is and the laws of physics and all.  The looks from younger thinner women of less character were just charming…especially given that we had already walked a distance…you could just see it in their eyes:  if those three just walked they would be thinner!  Dearies, we did and failed.  We even watched as an Orthodox Family — husband and wife — burst into raucous laughter at the sight of us.  We laughed back and loved every moment!  We could have easily been our own little sitcom.  We had dinner at a place called:  Sam’s Cafe and I do agree with Zora…it was the bees knees.

Travel Day #2 was…well, just special.  The air traffic was backed up big time at the Phoenix Airport.  When my flight was going to land in Chicago just three minutes before my connection departed I got on line to reorganize my day.  We waited and waited.  We learned to do this in Kindergarden, right?  Everybody was in the same boat, may as well suck it up and deal.  Either I would be able to be rerouted to an airport within driving distance of home or I would be spending the night in Chicago.  While we were all waiting, a very large muscular man gets up, totally bypasses the line and starts screaming at the ticketing agent.  She was just tiny.  I couldn’t help myself.  I cut in and said:  If you have anything to say, go to the back of the line and wait to say your piece like the rest of us.  Then he started screaming at me.  I told him to choose the back of the line of go sit down already.  Most of the people looked pretty shocked, but the two ladies behind me, though red in the face began to snigger.  (He chose to sit down).  Then I made some comments about Kindergarden to shake it all off and get myself calm.  The ladies behind me sniggered more and I turned and we all had a good laugh.  The ticketing agent later thanked me for pulling him off.  I have to admit it was not entirely altruistic…he was slowing her down.

The waiting area at the Newark airport took some finding.  I guess God decided to mess with my head for the fun of it.  There was a sign I followed pointing one way towards the beginning of the terminal.  It said:  gates C70 to C139 this way.  Well, I ran out of effing gates.   I walked back and as I did so became positioned between the first sign (to my left) and a second pointing me in the opposite direction to gates C100-C115.  I took pictures.  I have proof.  Really, I do.  Anyway, long story shorter, the flight home was hilarious.  I had the poor flight attendant in stitches.  Something in me kind of cracked when I went to board with my assigned seat on my boarding pass and the machine said: DENIED.  They did get me on the plane, even with my wide-eyed look of craze.  After that I decided to help the flight attendant point out the exits and floor lighting.  I asked questions.  When there were two empty rows and he wanted me further back in the plane I asked: Why? Because I am Fat?  I thought he was going to die on the spot.  I started laughing and so did the plane.  We had a great time and I made some new friends, Wendy and Cindy.  Wendy has Keen Flowers in Scranton and Cindy (HI ABBY!!!!) has the Ty-Dye Cafe in Honesdale.  They were great fun and always laughed on cue.

Lesson:  Laughter really is the best remedy.

I Have a bunch of photos that will not upload.  will try tonight.  love and laughter, Mary Ellen

 

Free Pattern Day: Both KAL and CAL Pages Are Updated!

Updated Knit-A-Long and Crochet-A-Long Projects

 

Though you cannot see the patterns well, here is a photo of both the KAL:  Grandma’s Garden Afghan and the CAL:  Take A Journey Afghan.  If you look carefully at the KAL you can even see a teaser for something I will post later this week.  For your patterns just go to the appropriate page above and your pattern link is there.  Have fun and let me know how it is going!

with love, light and laughter,  Mary Ellen and menagerie!  ;-D