NEPA Fiber Festival: Annual Design Contest

Every year for the last few years, Summit Yarn has sponsored a design contest for the Fiber Festival.  One year was hat design, another year was scarves.  This year the challenge was mitten design and we were not disappointed.  There were nine entries, each one gorgeous and hand-crafted.

This year's nine entries!

 

We had three independent judges, Lisa Tizzoni, Martha Wells, and Kathy Rautenbach.  Each pair of mittens was looked at by each of the judges and scored by a list of criteria.  The pair of mittens with the highest score won first place.  I always feel that every entry is a winner and this is why everyone is awarded a ribbon.

The first place pair of mittens. Not only were they knit from handspun yarn; but the yarn itself came from sheep owned by the knitter! I especially love the Celtic knot I-cord detail.

 

close-up view of palm and top of hand side of the first place mittens

 

Second Place Classic Selbu mittens worked with a contrasting pop color to great and ORIGINAL effect....well-done!

 

Decoratively Thrummed crochet mittens with crocheted rib cuff...Third Place and awesome!

 

Thrummed pieces have fleece or roving (sheep’s wool before it is spun) worked into individual stitches with the bulk hidden on the inside of the piece for extra warmth and dryness.  Here is an interior view of these creatively thrummed mittens:

note the wool on the inside of the mitten

 

Very traditional and beautiful mittens...Thank you for your entry!

 

The pattern for these mittens is available on Ravelry. It was written by a woman in honor of her cat who had heart disease. I especially love the mittens on the cuff.

 

The motif on top of the mitten is a beautiful decorative effect!

 

I love the combination of the spiral rib with the horizontal stripes....a wonderful use of color and texture!

 

The combination of intarsia with stripes is INSPIRED! I love the idea and can't wait to play with it for other items...like maybe a TEA COZY?

 

These pink and grey Selbu Mittens were knit from Debbie Bliss Rialto 4 ply...this is one of my most favorite color combinations for just about any project.

 

Two of the judges finishing up...the third judge was hiding behind her camera!

 

There are a bunch of free patterns for Tea Cozies on Ravelry.  I have more at the studio and stacks of stitch dictionaries to help you design your own piece of artwork.  Come in and visit me with your ideas and inspiration.  We are all looking forward to next year’s contest.  Please join in the fray with us!

loads of love, light and laughter,

Mary Ellen

 

 

 

Yarn and Book Review: The Fine Line by Grace Anna Farrow and Isager2

Along with the full line of Juniper Moon Farms yarns, this Fall I am also bringing in Isager2 Yarn.  It is a 50% Alpaca 50% Wool blend with a soft pleasing hand and once knit, great drape.  This yarn is meant to fill the gap between the beautiful Laceweight Juniper Moon Yarn (I made my Live Oak Shawl from this yarn) and the next weight up in the same brand, a worsted yarn. (Go to Knitting Fever on the internet to see all the beautiful colors and the three yarns for this season!)  I am a big fan of Scandinavian Knit Designers, especially Hanne Falkenberg and Marianne Isager.  It is obviously not a stretch to conclude that I am also a fan of the yarns they love.

That said, the book I am bringing in with the Isager2 yarn is called:  The Fine Line.  It is the Artwork of a knitter and designer, Grace Anna Farrow.  Ms. Farrow hails from Philadelphia (after Santa Monica, CA…my next favorite place in the U.S.) and has put together a TOP NOTCH collection of enjoyable and knitworthy shawls.  When you see this book, take time to sit and read her inspiration.  DO NOT READ IT LIKE A PLAYBOY/GIRL MAGAZINE…i.e. don’t look at the pictures first…go read the articles which explain her inspiration.  THEN go look at the schematics (again not the photos of the shawls themselves) for each shawl.  She has elevated the concept of the rectangular stole beyond the expected to the sublime while keeping the knitting process approachable and the garments must have additions to your wardrobe.  LAST, GO LOOK AT THE PICTURES of each garment BUT: as you look at the garments think “What COLORS would make this MINE?”.

EVERYTHING you knit or create in any way, IS YOUR ARTWORK.  Just as your life is created by you and is your artwork, so is your knitting, your home, your food, and anything else your hands grace.  I love the music of J.S. Bach — the simple melody woven deeply into intricate textures until it disappears and remerges later even more glorious.  I also love music as simple as Tibetan Singing Bowls.  Some people love the Impressionists, while others prefer Modern Art; I like both.  Knitting works the same way for me.  Sometimes I like to knit something so complex there is no room in my mind for any other thoughts than the pattern itself.  Sometimes I want something that only my hands need to think, not my head.  These shawls fall inbetween…depending on what you decide to create with the base pattern.

Right now I am working on the shawl called: SMOLDER.  I have changed the colors completely to suit my own aesthetic and I am using the colors of Isager2 which will be coming into the studio.  The next shawl in this series I would like to play with is called:  HORIZON.  I called HARRISVILLE YARNS and ordered their classic shetland weight wool for this project in colors mostly blue, ranging from midnight to palest blue, but also two pale earth tones and a deep Cypress Green.  Instead of set striping, as in the book, I am going to move from Earth colors into deepest Sky across the face of this stole.  Is the knitting hard?  NO, it is stockinette with an I-cord edge (or whatever edge I decide on later).  Why?  Because, it is my artwork.  LUISA, from Harrisville Yarn, was a HUGE help and very patient.  We had lots of fun choosing the colors for this next creation.  She totally gets “WANT” and “NEED” and how those terms have meaning for knitters and their yarn.

It is my hope this post leaves you inspired.  Allow yourself to play with color.  You don’t need to swatch.  Just stack balls of yarn together. Or, wrap yarn in different widths around a piece of cardboard.  Explore how colors impact on each other and how they force you to look in certain places (how colors make your eyes “move”).  I also love working with crayons or oil pastels when I am dreaming up color pallettes.  My moods and my colors change all the time — in good ways.  How do your color choices change?  Maybe keep a monthly diary this year…once a month put together the colors that speak to you most and then put it away in a box.  At the end of the year you may be surprised and even more inspired by the results.

with loads of love, color wishes and light,

Mary Ellen aka TheHumanLoom

 

Thrummed

We made some new friends over the last few weeks, especially this week as we all prepared to hunker down for the hurricane.  I am still surrounded by knitting and most of the pets, at least those pets my son hasn’t snarfed into his room with him.  I spent most of the day on a wrap called: Serenity by Frog Tree Yarns in their delicious Alpaca Sport Melange.  I also played Words With Friends so much so that my phone spent most of the day on the charger…good thing we didn’t lose electricity.   Tomorrow we, my son, my husband and myself are making our annual pilgrimage to the US Open.  I am trying to decide what to bring along to knit on and I think a pair of socks is going to win the battle.  I am hoping to finish the Serenity Wrap in the car.

You may still be wondering at the title of today’s blog.  I love words.  I collect them…in my head…sometimes because of what they mean, or how they sound…or for no specific reason at all…kind of like a collection of arrowheads.  Judy, one of our new knitting friends, wanted to make bed socks like the ones her mom had made “back when”.  She described them and I was stuck.  I knew there was a word.  I pulled out my mitten books and found it…THRUMMED.  A piece of knit fabric with pieces of fleece or roving knit directly in…hidden or decoratively.  There are several free patterns for this on Ravelry as well as around the internet with both verbal and video descriptions of how to do this.  Judy has a specific idea in mind and when we hammer it out, I will make it available here on the blog and in my Ravelry online store.

Following are photos of projects and pets for your amusement:

This past Thursday at Football practice.

 

Mimi says: Sign in here please.

 

Reversible: The Plan B Baby Blanket from Summit Yarn.

 

another photo of Plan B: The Baby Blanket, makes you wonder what Plan A was...

 

sputters not yet awake

 

WHAT?! DOESN'T EVERYONE SLEEP IN MOM'S PURSE?

 

my Stephen West Mystery KAL so far...

 

with light, love and laughter, Mary Ellen and Zoo

 

Customer Projects and Cats

In no particular order:

Fauxberry and Durga (my son's cat)

 

Ad in the new Debbie Bliss Magazine...now available at summit Yarn...look for my ad there (also in the current Vogue in the Brown Sheep Ad)!

 

could this be a Martian Knitter?

 

This cowl is made with Kollage's Riveting (made from recycled blue jeans)...I am about 1/3 of the way through this sample. Each skein has 350 yards per 100 gram skein and retails for $14.

 

Pinkerton O'Reilly, one of Lisa's adorable cats

 

No more computer for you Mom!

 

Smidgen and Sputters....this never happens!

 

Chris is nearly done with the June Full Foliage Sock! Woot!

 

Suzy is knitting Mercato dei Fiori and Ellie is SO BORED!

 

Joan, our intarsia expert and Artist, models her newest piece, a black Ruana with floral motifs! Amazing and Beautiful!

 

That is all for today but I have some news…very exciting and a real honor…come back tomorrow for the whole story!

with love, laughter and light always,  Mary Ellen Langieri

 

New Patterns From Frog Tree Yarns

This morning I received the go-ahead to post the first four patterns to join the Frog Tree Family of my design.  There is also hope that in about two weeks there will be a new scarf/shawlette pattern ready to post on Ravelry…fingers crossed.  I also have a new shawl in the works…not lace…but knit side to side with a new edging.  It will be knit out of Frog Tree Yarns Chunky Alpaca.  I have test knitters on the pattern right now.  For the time being, it can be referred to as the Sea Green Thing.  Here are photos of the newest patterns you can find at your LYS or order from me and I will ship them to you (just drop a note in my email!):

The FiddleHead sock...so named because it resembles the ornate carvings on the head of a violin. Ribbing is combined with rope cables and a floral lace stitch in an easy to remember stitch pattern, both written out and charted. The test knitters at Summit Yarn were very enthusiastic about this pattern and I do hope you enjoy it too! When ordering ask for pattern number FT-245. And...Thank You!

 

The Lady Jane Wrap came into being in answer to the requests of knitters frustrated with trying to guess how much yarn to budget for the final edging of shawls. In answer, this shawl is knit side to side and both top and bottom lace edgings are knit at the same time. Though it resemble Whipped, it is a completely different construction and not an update. Please remember the body of the shawl can be knit with any stitch you choose: Stockinette Stitch, Garter Stitch, file:///Users/maryellenlangieri/Downloads/photo-17.JPGSeed Stitch...etc. This becomes a lovely knitting experience, and leaves you with an elegant piece to wear when the knitting is complete. When asking for this pattern at your LYS, as for pattern number FT-244.

 

FLOCK WOOLIGAN PART ONE

 

FLOCK WOOLIGAN PART TWO...A FLOCK OF 24 SHEEP FOR EWE TO COLLECT!

 

Meet Winnifred Wensleydale Wooligan...the minx who began all of this. She is the matriarch of the Wooligan Clan. The pattern is now available with the names of all 24 sheep just for Ewe to knit. When asking for this pattern at your LYS, please request FT-261...and Summit Yarn Thanks You!

 

The Heirloom Baby Blanket is a reversible and easy-to-remember stitch pattern using only knits and purls. The texture appears lightly embossed for a classic look. The Heirloom Baby Blanket is a quick and pleasurable knit you are going to want to do again and again for those much loved little people in your life. When requesting this pattern, please ask for pattern number FT-257...and I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

 

and finally, today’s cuteness:  I was getting my son ready for football the other day and I kept hearing “Mouw…Mouw Mouw!”, louder and louder.  I finally looked up to see Nikkers flirting with me shamelessly on top of the stair bannister over the foyer.  Here is the same photo from this morning from a higher vantage point, in case I needed to resue the little rascal:

Nikkers, the netless trapeze artist, and his brother, Sputters in the foreground. I apparently am "MaaouwMaouw".

 

with love, light and laughter always, Mary Ellen and all things Summit Yarn  xoxox

 

 

 

A Good Six Inches

Oh, I’ll bet you thought I was talking about something else.  Nope.  Still ranting about swatches.  I am working on a new design project in Frog Tree Alpaca Sport.  I worked two inches and checked my stitches to four inches and rows to two inches.  I thought about letting it rest there but I went ahead and knit past four inches like a good designer.   Good thing too, because I would have been off in my row gauge per four inches.  It seems obvious to me that gauge is best measured in the middle of the fabric…not including the edges which tend by their nature to be “off”.  Don’t cheat yourself or your project.  Do your gauge swatch.  Buy an extra skein so you have more than enough yarn.  Save your swatch.  That swatch could later be the inspiration for a new design.  If nothing else, the swatches can be put together into a wonderful afghan of memories and good knits (and maybe some knits best forgotten…but because you swatched you knew, so you didn’t get sucked in…right?  Right.)

Speaking of a good six inches…I learned a new term today:  “…having a Prince Albert…”.  This makes me officially old.  I really thought I had seen every form of human ornamentation thanks to working in emergency rooms in Newark, NJ and Philadelphia, PA.  Apparently, there is more to learn.  If you know the ETIOLOGY of this term, I would be very interested.  I just can’t fathom how that gets named after royalty.  Send said intel to my email:  summityarnstudio@aol.com  and thank you in advance.

The new Vogue Knitting issue arrived today.  Usually I read knitting magazines like a teen boy reads a Playboy…straight to the patterns.  However, I would encourage you to read the articles at the beginning.  Ten years ago, it was almost impossible to get a straightforward explanation of how to do short rows with wraps.  Now, in this issue, there is a column written by Meg Swansen with not one but three ways to do this technique  WITH PHOTOS.  My favorite pattern is the lace shawl by Candace Eisner Strick but I also LOVE the green lace cardigan and the two-color brioche hat.  There are issues available at the studio if you do not have a subscription.  Don’t miss this issue.  OH, there are a TON of free patterns to be downloaded cited in this magazine…especially really good sock patterns.  FREE!

All that aside, take care, enjoy your knitting and know that my son grows the best tomatoes I have ever had.  Period. The end.  with love, light and laughter always, Mary Ellen

 

August Summit Sock Club — Customer Project Abundance — Brian’s Garden

Everyone is coming by to pick up this month’s new sock, inspired by flowers in my son’s garden.  I am almost done with the first of my two; I turned the heel last night.  Usually, after turning the heel it is a quick journey to the end of the sock.  This first sock is the prototype that I created/knit in Cookie A’s class at Sock Summit 2011.  I am looking forward to knitting the final pattern that evolved from this first spiraling sock of random ideas.  I should mention this:  often my socks although they are a “matched pair” do not match stitch for stitch.  While knitting one sock, I get an offshoot idea and then I use to second sock to see what happens.  Sometimes I like them both and sometimes one is just better than the other.  This willing randomness makes some of the Summit Yarn Knitters nuts (like how I feel when I see tangled yarn) and others, like Cat Bordhi say things like: “That is just so right in so many ways.”

The Knitters that ARE Summit Yarn have been very busy indeed this summer and here are some photos to show you what they have been up to.  Franklin Habit’s Giovannina Shawl is gorgeous — he has a real talent for all things lace but especially for finding a way to put elegant lace in a meaningful frame…really, look at the following photos:

notice the edging and look closely at the line of lace that surrounds the central motifs...there are not many lace designers who take the care to frame their work in this way.

 

This is Debbie's Giovannina Shawl in Filigran.

 

Suzy has absolutely outdone herself with one of Kieran Foley’s new patterns, Mercato Dei Fiori…she chose Zauberball Crazy as the background in hues of oranges and other brights with three other bright contrasting colors of Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool.  The result is outstanding:

In fact, her photo is going to be displayed on the actual pattern page by the designer! Yay Suzy!

 

Chris finished the Mayflowers Socks from our sock club and the texture in any yarn plus the stretchy rib has a great look.  I love the budded brocade pattern and how it works up into the stranded colorwork cuff.  The colorwork is co cleanly done it looks embroidered not knit into the fabric.

Chris's completed socks.

 

Lourdes is nearly done with her July socks…she reinterpreted the stitch but I like how it works because it is more elastic than the stitch I wrote.

 

Tracy, Lilybelle and Tucker put in an appearance today and it was awesome to get to hug and visit and catch up today.  She has been knitting baby garments, one cuter than the next:

baby tux

 

Hoody

 

My husband spotted knitting catching on in a local gym:

and the rest is our beautiful garden, an endless source of inspiration:

we didn't remember what kind the peppers were until they spent the afternoon in my car...so spicy...we think habanero!

 

Gotta run…the kid has football practice and I need to get my plump tush on the treadmill.  I tried to upload more photos but the computer said no.  More tomorrow.  Loads of love and light,  Mary Ellen

 

Budding Vines Socks — new pattern on Ravelry

It has been awhile since I added a new pattern to my online Ravelry store.  It really does take a bit of courage and moxi to put myself out into the world like this, but the knitters here test knit and loved this pattern…so I make an offering to you.  There have been a couple of requests for my sock patterns.  This will be the first.  The stitch pattern is NOT bobble/popcorns or nupps.  It is worked as you go and does not require you to flip the fabric back and forth to form the buds.  I LOVE THIS feature of this stitch pattern and I hope you will too.  I have a baker’s dozen of new patterns for you, which I will offer later as an eBook, but will offer them singly first to test the waters.

The same sock two ways: in a solid color of Pediboo and in stranded knitting (only at the cuff) in Colinette Jitterbug Java Plum.

close-up of two-color cuff

Solid color cuff in Pediboo by Frog Tree Yarns

Budding Vines is inspired by my son’s vegetable garden which is currently running amok with vines, buds and reaching curlicues everywhere.  To find what he has grown we have to  under leaves and almost crawl along the ground.  It is beautiful and I love pulling up to it everyday as I come into the the studio.  For me, it is an endless source of inspiration.  These socks are part of that and I have my fingers crossed.

Budding Vine Socks Purchase Now Link

The above link will enable you to purchase the pattern here (click on the above buy now button and your computer will link you to purchase the pattern using Pay Pal) and the pattern is definitely available in my online Ravelry Pattern Store.

Have a great day!  I have more to blog later…so stay tuned!  with light, love and laughter, Mary Ellen

 

Sock Summit ’11: Fleece To Foot Challenge

What a challenge this was from start to finish.  It was hard on the spinners and their wheels to spin in the grease (with unprocessed wool freshly shorn).  The knitting was slow and none of the teams were able to finish.  World Wide Mash Up was determined to have completed the most knitting and was declared the winning team.  They won and donated $300 to the Yarn Harlot’s favorite charity — MSF (Doctors without Borders).  This is the contest I designed Sock Wooligan for:

Sock Wooligan...pattern to be available shortly in my Ravelry Store.

The Fleece To Foot Challenge was way in the back of the Market Place at Sock Summit — spinners, knitters and sheep.  The energy was high but indrawn, as you would expect for such an event.  There were great support friends, hand-feeding the contestants who were so clearly focused.  It was a beautiful space to pass time.  Far in the back corner was a pen with the sheep who had donated their beautiful fleece.  Here are the photos I took as I had a meditative stroll around:

the first of six teams hard at work

I loved watching the spinners and the yarn winding onto the bobbins without effort...at least to my perception

 

 

 

 

 

loved these spinning wheels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Winning Team: World Wide Mash

 

 

 

 

one of the teams

The opportunity to see the teams in action was awesome and to visit the sheep was wonderful since I was in complete pet withdrawal at that point.  One of the sweeties even kissed me!  Here are the many photos of the fleece donors:

this was the most affectionate baby there

 

I have noticed most of the patterns that competed in the design for glory contest are available on Ravelry…so if there was one you liked make sure you go look for it…they were all awesome.  Mine will be there after a quick rewrite for knitting all in one piece.

with love, light and laughter always,

Mary Ellen Langieri

p.s.  if you have not read The Panopticon Blog or Yarn Harlot Blog recently…go now…really funny updates!

 

New On Ravelry: recent uploads in review

It seems to me as I scan both the new uploads to Ravelry, other blogs, and the search items here on my blog there are a few things you guys are looking for:  Shawls Not With Lace, Always an Interesting Scarf, Blankets of Note, Anything With Leaves and a Good Sock To Knit.  The hunt has been fruitful this week.  Some of the patterns are unbelievably free and those that are not are clearly worth the purchase price.  I hope you find this helpful and inspiring!

For starters:  STEPHEN WEST’S mystery kal is up to clue #2 out of 4 clues but the first two clues don’t have you doing very much.  If you have not yet begun, you can this week and stay in the fray with ease.  And FYI, if you have wound your balls on a ball winder, then just work from both ends of the balls for now.

I love the whole concept behind these socks and have been going through my beloved scraps of BMFA to do a pair of these.

love the texture in this cowl!

support a great cause...I will always be a child advocate!

love the use of the sunspots stitch pattern here

Here is a NOT LACE SHAWL which is fun, easy to knit and reversible! YAY!

This is MY TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: colorful (or not if you choose), pleasing to the eye, interesting to knit, exceedingly portable. Undeniably great!

Clearly, this is a designer to keep an eye on in the future...and did you notice the word "FREE"?

Another NO LACE SHAWL with beautiful Celtic Cables...this is in my queue.

Ahh, Fighting the Vertical Oppressors...an interesting sock to knit and full of inspiration!

LOVE this knit sideways shawl, especially the play of the diagonal design against itself at the central point of the shawl!

Other patterns to go look at:

• The Sofya Cowl, a two-color knit by Jennifer Dassau
• Fair Isle Hat by Mary Ann Stephens coming in this Fall’s Vogue Knitting
• Lace Shawl by Candace Eisner Strick, also in this Fall’s Vogue Knitting
• American Brilliant by Sharon Winsauer — if you liked or loved Arsenic and Old Lace then you will LOVE this
• Men’s Swimsuit by Dale Peterson…let me know what you think.
• Soap Sachet by Sara Gresbach…a great last minute gift to let someone know you care!
• Knittens by Wendy D. Johnson…LOVE THEM!
• Shipwreck Shawl in Knitty Spring 2009…saw this at Sock Summit and fell in love!

Here is some final wool to love!  Take care and more later…love and light always, Mary Ellen