Bella Knitting

Channeling Creativity: Pumpkin Decorating

While knitting is still out of the picture for now, I am pleased to say that some small bits of creativity are sneaking their way back in to my brain.

I love this sophisticated version of pumpkin decorating. A bit of soldering wire, a pair of needle nose pliers and a twist of the wrist and you're all set to go.

A few tips:
- There are a few weights of wire. I like the thinner better.
- The tail of the spiral shape only needs to be about an inch long.
- Don't try to make the holes with the wire, it will bend. A very thin screw driver works well.
- Add some beads for fun. I went for the all silver look here.

And the best part ... do not throw them away. You can use these decorations year after year.

Avoidance

Laura

I’ve got a confession. I have been avoiding you. I know, impossible to believe but true.  You see, Sarah and I have worked really hard at making this a positive blog and we succeeded beautifully with one notable (but highly justified) departure for a rant about the Harmony Guide Eyelets and Lace.

So when I was hit at the beginning of the summer with some health issues resulting in a major case of vertigo and double vision I kind of just swept it under the rug and ignored its impact on the blog. After all how long could it be before I was back on my proverbial feet? My previous bought last October and November ended as quickly as it  began so certainly this one would as well. And after all if I told you about it wouldn’t that just jinx it? But it has not gone away and since I hate it when bloggers simply disappear off the face of the Earth leaving me wondering what in the world happened I write to say hello and I miss you.

And so what does a knitter do when she can not knit, read knitting magazines, or write blog posts? Why she explores her new home town. In my case the sunny and lovely San Diego area. I’ve discovered the peaceful and beautiful Quail Gardens in Encinitas just a mile from my home. The perfect place to take a stroll, meandering through the brilliant colors and textures of nature.  As a gardener raised in the northeast there is much for me to learn about warm weather gardening, however, as much as I love these lily pads and their little friend I think I’ll just visit them often while I wait to resume my knitting compulsion. It may be a while longer yet but at least my new yard will be beautiful.

Toe Up Sock Experiment

Laura

Like Sarah, I’ve been playing with some sock ideas, playing with cuff designs, cast ons, bind offs, sometimes working cuff down and sometimes toe up with variations that will appeal to both experienced sock knitters and those looking to become sock knitters.

A lot of toe up sock patterns use a basic Make 1 increase, a less intimidating that a short row toe for many knitters. While I can appreciate the simplicity of this design I’ve never been a fan of using a series of Make 1 increases because in spite of every effort to work the previous knit stitches loosely I find when I work these stitches they are much tighter than their neighbors. And so I decided to try an experiment; working two sock toes (on two circulars using the fabulous Magic Cast on by Judy Becker from Knitty) with just a quick variation in the increase instructions as follows:

Make One Increases:
1.    knit round
2.    [k1, m1r, k to last st, m1L, k1] repeat on other needle

Yarn Over Make One Increase:
1.    k1, yo, k to last st, yo, k1
2.    knit across making sure to twist the yarn overs so the loop is closed.

The difference being an extra length of yarn is added on the prior row via a yarn over so the stitches are not pulled too tightly. And yes, the stitches can be worked leaning to the right and left based on which way the yarn over is worked.

I’m sure some of you may have tried working an increase with a yarn over before, Sarah illustrated the increase here, but I thought that comparing the results of these two types of increasing might prove helpful. Look, the shape of the toe is less distorted in every way:
•    The sides do not bow out
•    the base is not pulled up into a curve
•    the top is flatter
•    and the swatch is a bit wider since it is not constrained by the tight increase.

I have fun with this little experiment, next time I will be more careful working the Yarn Over Make One increases with the correct slant and I think a reverse Star Toe could be interesting.

Graduation Time

Laura

It's that time of year when parents wonder where the time went. Even those of us not prone to sentimentality can't help but shed a tear or two when looking back at the progress of our children's lives and our role in shaping them.

Yesterday was our daughters 8th grade graduation. It's a very interesting time for these young men and women that we've all been watching during the three years of Middle School. They enter 6th grade as big kids and graduate as young adults. It's the first time we get a glimpse into what they will look like as adults. Jaclyn ran up to get dressed yesterday afternoon, a rag tag thirteen-year-old in her Old Navy shorts and tank top and descended the steps thirty minutes later looking four years older.

Parents with babies and toddlers often want to keep their kids at that so cute 'perfect' age. As my kids have gotten older I have found that each age is the perfect one. Having older kids means there's no more Barney on the TV, they put them selves to bed and most importantly they have interests that you can share. It's been a delight, but then again high school starts in just a few months.

Stash Exposed! Yikes.

Laura

OK, time to pay the piper. My house did it's job and coughed up lots of yarn . . .  too much yarn. My sins are now exposed to all (read 'husband in shock'). It is not really my fault. Before I left my job at IBM I worked part time in my LYS. It was an opportunity to learn more about my craft, fondle new yarns and meet other knitters. I had a blast. However, since I had that other job I took my yarn store salary in the form of yarn credit. So combine a regular Friday schedule, an employee discount a few extra hours on special projects and ta da massive yarn stash all carefully hidden stored in various bins and bags around the house.

The trick to moving without losing your mind is to get organized and decluttered before you move so you're not packing, moving and unpacking unnecessary items. While I would never ever categorize stash as an unnecessary item it was time for me to admit I would probably never knit with most of it. The next best thing to keeping yarn in stash for yourself is finding someone else to love it. And so my eight bins went into the Garage/Moving Sale inventory. Thanks to Craig's List I was able to advertise the yarn content and got to meet many nice local knitters I had not met before. A woman from Russia, a grandma knitting preemie caps and a 7-year-old anxious to learn. We chatted about yarn content, gauge, designs and stash.  We also sold a few chairs, some clothes, outgrown kid's toys and several flower vases (do they procreate inside my pantry?)

All in all a delightful afternoon. Don't worry I saved some of the best items (like my Brooks Farm, Tess) for a blog destash. As soon as I get my head above water I will list a few of those items. What would happen if you collected all your stash in to one place? Would you be surprised by what you find? What would your family's reaction be? For my family I think this just confirmed Mommy is off her rocker! :)

A Plethera of Braided Color

Laura

School art projects are often times very 'interesting'. At least in my house where artistic talent seems to have passed us by. Give me some yarn and I can play for hours, give me colored pencils or paint and my attempts at art work will look like a kindergartener's first project, therefore,  what can I possibly expect from my gene-challenged children?

And so like many supportive parents faced with questionable school projects, we slap on impressed smiles, show our real enthusiasm and carefully pick appropriate adjectives; ones like interesting, creative, imaginative and impressive being careful not to use specific descriptions (like 'that's a fabulous dog honey" only to find out it was an elephant) or to use overly effusive praise that will only have them applying for art scholarships or trying out for American Idol in years to come. 

So imagine my surprise when I found myself coveting my son's art project the other day. No drawing involved in this project thank goodness just seven vibrant colors of yarn. Maybe I am the only one who has not seen this Japanese Braid but I just love this alternative to an i-cord or one of those funky knitting bobbin gadgets.

• Start with a cardboard circle about 3 inches in diameter.
• Cut eight slits to hold the yarn and a hole in the center.
• Cut lengths of seven colors of yarn at least a yard long
• Tie a slip knit at the end, drop it though the hole and attach yarn to circle slits.
• Starting at the blank spot, count three strands to the right (counterclockwise) and move than color clockwise to the empty spot. In this case the yellow will move between the orange and pink.
• Count three more strands from the new empty spot and move that yarn over. Here the green will go where the yellow used to be.
• Again and again making sure you pull the cord down as you go for even tension.

The result is a multi-colored intricately braided cord that is super easy to make. We've been taking turns while we watch TV. It's fun, hypnotic and great for all ages. Perfect party favor or carry along entertainment for parents with easily bored little ones. I may leave a few in the car in a zip lock bag.

Just look at how those colors all intertwine!

Remember those color palettes I told you about the other day?  How about digging through your stash looking for some of those fabulous combinations?  I think you'd have a lot of fun and you just might end up with a new purse strap, pillow trim, sweater edge, or curtain tie, towel trim, plant hanger, hair ribbon, belt  ... the possibilities are all there waiting for you to discover.

Hidden Yarn Stash

Laura

Dear House,

You may have heard we are moving. Don’t worry we’ve found a nice family to take our place, one without two large dogs to pound your lovely wood floors and shake your rafters with their barking. A family with two small children who will crawl on your floors, grind dropped Cheerios under their toes and consider your steep stairs their play ground.

The thing is when I leave I’d like to take my yarn with me and I could use a bit of help finding it all. It’s hidden it in nooks and crannies in almost every room. The Realtors made me put it all away; categorizing it as 'personal clutter' as if buyers could not appreciate its obvious beauty. Crazy huh?  And, if I’m really honest, some of it might be hiding from my husband for whom the concept of ‘stash’ means under a dozen skeins of yarn. Clearly he does not appreciate the creative process.

So I’m missing a few items like that Scarf Style lace leave scarf I started in bright olive green but did not finish. It’s in a red silk knitting bag somewhere. Then there's that pretty Moroccan blue cardigan I designed that’s still missing sleeves, the size 8 sweater I knit for my now 12-year-old son but never put together, and the wound skein of Handmaiden Camelspin just waiting to be turned into a lovely lace shawl.

Oh, and while we at it it seems that I’m also missing a few knitting needles. Surely they can’t all be with UFOs. That would mean I have at least a dozen projects on needles – surely that can not be the case. Surely I have some self control when it comes to buying new yarn and finishing projects. Surely I am lying to myself.

Thanks for coughing up this long hidden treasure. Eight skeins of cotton-silk that were my very first purchase from a 'real' yarn store about fifteen years ago. A swanky knitting store in mid-town Manhattan that did not yet understand the idea of a LYS and whose doors closed over a decade ago. Never one to shy away from projects over my head it was meant to be an intricate Irish Fisherman's sweater. After weeks of knitting our new puppy pulled it apart and I never could get back to it. I knit this intartia swatch several years later but it too never went anywhere.

Thank you House, your help is greatly appreciated. I'll let our new place know how helpful you were.

Moving on Down

Laura

I seems both Sarah and I have travel plans this summer. Mine are a bit more permanent. It looks like the family will be moving in a few weeks to San Diego! Yikes!  This is the third leg of our westward migration over the past ten years; from New York to Chicago to San Francisco and now to San Diego.  Since we couldn't go much further west I guess San Diego is the last place left to go before we start circling back. I think we've been pretty lucky to live near all these fabulous cities.

My family is thrilled. I've got my parents, two brothers and their families in the area. The kids are thrilled they will be living near grandparents and cousins for the first time. There is a lot to be said for living near family as long as you all get along as well as we do. And who can complain about being transferred to San Diego?! This is how we spent the day last weekend when we went down house hunting - on my brother's new boat. You can see the kids waving at me on shore (I took the quiet time to knit). Good time had by all.

There won't be any visible changes at Bella, we are an online store after all. I' hoping to make some new knitting friends in Southern California (hello Yarnhog!), Sarah will be guest blogging from San Fran. So with only two weeks to pack up and go I'll be busy organizing and de-cluttering. We're good at this by now.

Life is ever changing and so here is one more opportunity for us to try new things. Each change seems to lead to others, I can't wait to see where this brings us.

Bon Voyage

Sarah

Writing for the blog this past year and a half has been a great experience. I've gotten to know (virtually, anyway) so many great knitters and bloggers, and I hope I've managed at least occasionally to entertain you. Don't worry, I'm not leaving forever -- I'll still pop in with an occasional guest post -- but life (ahem-Measure-cough cough) has been keeping me so busy that it is just time for me to take a break.

Laura will, of course, continue to hold down the fort here at the Bella blog, and keep you supplied with regular doses of inspiration as well as updates on the doings in the world of BellaKnitting.com. One of the reasons I am stepping back from the blog is to give myself a little more of my meager spare time to work on the many knitting designs which are rattling around in my head, clamoring to be knit up and written into patterns. You'll still be able to find me at my personal blog, Nibbling Along, on Flickr where my username is (caryatid), or on Ravelry as Caryatid.

For the next few weeks in the real world, though, you won't find me at home -- Jason, Measure and I are all going on a trip to England and Ireland. Jason has to go to the London area for work, but when he's done with that we're going to take a little vacation, and spend a few days in Dublin and Cork as well.

Because I don't have enough to do already to plan for a trip that was sprung on us really short-notice (imagine I said that sarcastically), I sewed up a couple of passport covers from this cute little tutorial by Bunnybum. I think this will make them a little easier to keep track of, and it was a fun, quick little project -- it would be a cute way to cover a plain notebook, too.

Here's hoping I manage to get some knitting time in on vacation! I'm bringing bamboo sock needles for the trip, since they tend to be most likely to get the OK from security, though I hope anyone doing any air travel remembers to bring an SASE with enough postage to send their needles home, just in case. Bon voyage!

Design in Progress: Heritage Sock Yarn

Sarah

I was really excited when Laura said she was going to start carrying the Cascade Heritage sock yarns a while back. I mean, who doesn't love sock yarn? It sent my mind reeling with design ideas, although for me, nothing really firms up until I have the yarn on the needles. You can buy the yarn a la carte from Bella Knitting here; the color card is here.

I've been working on a sock pattern in the yarn using the "Forest" colorway (#5619) and I figured that since I now have some experience with the yarn, I should share some of my thoughts on working with it.

First off, the yarn has four plies, so it has a nice roundness to it, creating tidy, even stitches. I'm using a multicolor, and I was pleased with the way the colors stack up -- the colors don't pool in big blobs, but I've got a zippy little almost-stripe thing going on. Of course, these variegations are all pretty much in the same color family, so you'll get a different result with a shade like Londonberry, which combines green and purple hues for greater contrast. Overall, I think that the way the colors shift as you knit suggests that this yarn will work great in a pattern which makes the stitches move. That's what I'm doing, anyway, but the design isn't ready for the big reveal just yet. To give you an idea of what I mean, look at Cookie A's Monkey sock pattern -- the increases and decreases create a pleasing movement in the fabric which shows off yarns like these quite nicely.

I know that I haven't seen this yarn in any of my LYS yet, so you may not have had a chance to see it in person. If I were to compare it with other yarns in my stash which you may be familiar with, I'd say it is most like Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock and the Regia Design Line Kaffe Fassett yarn by Schachenmayer Nomotta. Both of those are constructed of 4 plies as well. Based on what's in my stash, it looks like the Regia yarn may have the most loosely-spun plies and the Lorna's Laces the most tightly spun, but I think I'd need a microscope to be certain. The Heritage sock yarn certainly seems to be of comparable quality, will stand up to a machine wash and tumble dry, and is definitely a good deal at $16.50 for a 100 gram, 437 yard skein -- enough to make a pair.