But as far as incorporating dominant trends in how the handknitting community actually practices the craft?  Fuhgettaboutit!

Entering Rowan patterns into the Ravelry database?  Nope, can’t be bothered. Although, curiously, Rowan IS aware of social media and provides links on their website so you can interact with Facebook or Tweet about one of their patterns.

Bizzare, will someone please tell these guys that Ravelry is the social media network par excellence of the handknitting community!!

Construction in the round?   Sorry, the instructions for many Rowan patterns indicate even hats should be knit flat and seamed.

Basically Rowan is machine knit style for the ready-to-wear business. We’re lucky that they give us handknitters a taste of the knitwear business and high fashion.

For myself as a handknitter this came to a head recently when I purchased the recently published gorgeous magazine Rowan Lace.

I got this home and my eye alighted on the incomparable Fragile Wrap from designer Lisa Richardson. It had a distinctive and eyecatching circular lace element, but otherwise was not too complicated, a rectacular stole.

I turned to the construction pages. The lace motif is relatively complicated and repeats over 24 rows.

But get this people, there was NO CHART. not only was there no chart, but the written out pattern used very old-fashioned knitting language. This pattern uses three different words just to indicate the same thing; a simple yarnover – yfwd, yon, yfrn.

Somebody really needs to tell these people that yfrn (yarn in front of needle) is now a term used when we’re doing Brioche knitting.

I found this irritating, but I thought “Let’s at least give them credit for bringing back to life an old knitting pattern, even if they can’t be bothered to update it in a manner that is more accessible to the modern knitter.”

But then, I realized, I had seen this pattern before. In designer Shui Kuen Kozinski‘s Moonlight Sonata Scarf or Shawl, available from Elann. She acknowledges Barbara Walker who published the stitch pattern as Sunspots in the Third Treasury of Knitting Patterns – Charted Knitting Designs.

I have no idea if the Rowan people knew about the Barbara Walker pattern or not. They probably should know this as Barbara Walker is considered one of the giants of the handknitting craft in the English speaking world.

The pattern for the Moonlight Sonata Shawl adapts the stitch pattern into a top-down triangular shawl in a clever and beautiful fashion. It is available in both written and charted formats. The Rowan pattern is basically a giant straight-edged swatch, nothing of particular accomplishment in the adaptation of the design.

So here we have our latest in the “Separated at Birth” series:

Fragile Lace Wrap by designer Lisa Richardson, knitted on 2.5 mm needles in Rowan Fine Lace, and the Moonlight Sonata shawl from designer Shui Kuen Kozinski knitted on 4.0 mm needles with Elann Peruvian Baby Silk.

I have made my own chart adaptation of this stitch pattern as a swatch with no shaping bordered by 3 garter stitchs on each selvedge edge. Here is the chart, hopefully this will make the pattern easier for others to knit, if you’re like me and love charts. I’m going to enjoy swatching with this and seeing the pattern’s reversibility. I’d also be curious to see what difference it makes if the  center oval is St st rather than the garter st in the current design.

I signed up for a mystery KAL, Kinetik from designer Laura Nelkin.

Laura Nelkin is a noted knitting designer who particularly specializes in beaded knitting and this will  be my first time using beads in knitting.

Laura Nelkin also just happens to be a Cayuga local, plus a LYS is hosting some gatherings for participants of this KAL so this is kind of like locavore knitting so to speak, or a locaknit as I am calling it, which should be fun.

The mystery part is an interesting touch for me as somebody who pours over photos of a pattern before deciding to knit it myself and I’m looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

Incidently, noted fiberista and author of the abecedarium of knitted letters is also a local resident, a pretty good couple of knitterati for such a small place don’t you think?

And now I’m off to figure out yarn choice. On her blog, Laura Nelkin is giving away the yarn and beads she used for her own Kinetik if you leave a comment by Jan 10th. I’m not holding my breath, but you should hop over there and leave a comment if you’re feeling lucky!

Everybody needs one; perhaps the hats you made a few seasons ago are piling, perhaps their recipients accidentally felted them, lost them, or grew out of them (the subtle message you hear when your sister calls you to let you know that a younger niece is wearing the hat you made for an older niece).

Perhaps their sartorial tastes changed (how can one resist this? “You’re such a great knitter, can you make me a hat with cables?”).

Perhaps someone you owe zillions of favors to suggested themselves as a hat recipient, perhaps in a moment of weakness you promised a hat to an acquaintance (no problem, I can just KNOCK one out and forget all about my truckload of WIPs).

Even I want a new hat, it’s been about 2 years since I acquired new clothes (not a plea for sympathy, truly all my discretionary income has gone on yarn and sewing paraphenalia).

Plus there is always great hat inspiration around. New patterns pop onto the radar screen, and there are also patterns I’ve had my eye on for ages.

Take for instance, the big pom-pom hat which is all the rage this year apparently. Here are the quaintly termed “bobble hats” annointed by the Guardian as the hats of the moment.

In order, these hats are from left to right, top to bottom. I have tried to add the list price and fiber content where possible.

1. Striped wool PS by Paul Smith, list price £68, 100% wool.

2. Red and blue By Lyle and Scott, list price £39.95, 50% wool 50% acrylic.

3. Navy Fair Isle Polo Ralph Lauren, list price $95, 100% wool.

4. Fair Isle Superdry.com, list price £19.99, acrylic 40%, cotton 60%. Features embossed leather and printed logo patches, would be a nice touch to jazz up a handmade.

5. Navy and yellow at chintiandparker.com, list price £55, 100% cashmere. Even has its own matching scarf.

6. Wool intarsia knit by Jago, list price £35, 70% acrylic, 30% wool.

7. Oversized striped asos.com, list price £15, 100% acrylic. Pretty simple hat. The only neat feature about this hat is the care that they took to lose the purl blip when changing colors, this is a classy touch in such a simple hat.

You can see in this close-up that the Paul Smith hat did not go in for such details:

(Yes, yes I know that this is part of its eccentric charm)

8. Raasay zaini.com, list price £24.99. The only hat in the group that looked crocheted, this hat is also lined with fleece.

9. Cream Gap, list price £15.95. Do not know fiber content, does the Gap do any hats that are not predominantly acrylic?

10. Navy and faux-fur marc-cain.com, list price £119. I like the subtle touch of the faux fur and have some eyelash yarn in the stash that would be suitable for a fur look.

11. Orange by Ikou Tschuss, list price £109. What’s to this? Just a seed stitch cap. I hope this is a pure wool garment given the price.

12. Oversized zigzag Missoni, list price £130, 100% wool. These guys do know their knits and their colors. Just gorgeous.

13. Polar bear and snow by Moncler, list price £77, 100% wool. This might be the best value of the high end with the double knit brim.

Note the back seam. I’m always pushing myself to make things seamless but the reality is that we’re attuned to tuning out a well-done seam and it’s the rare creature beside myself who would be alert to this.

14. Yellow contrast Topman, list price £12.

Well, this survey confirms my belief that it is fun to be a knitter, not only can you churn out exactly what you want but you can do this in a fashionable manner.

Knitters can use the most gorgeous fibers to get the same result as one of the cheaper RTW hats, and have their own designer hat for a fraction of the cost (never mind the cost of your labor or the fact that you would not purchase the designer hat to begin with).

Even if you are just a babe in the world of knitting, you can produce one of these:

The hat on the left is Von Sono priced at £70, the fiber content is described as 50% wool, 50% other (?!?).

On the right is a hat from designer Eugenia Kim, available at Neiman Marcus, made from Peruvian Highland wool and retailing for $210.

A very similar color of bulky Peruvian Highland wool (wine) is available form KnitPicks at $4.99 per 137 yd hank.

This hat, a bulky knit 1×1 rib with a big pompom would take approximately 2 hanks. A very simple knit, ideal for a beginner and a fast snip to create for a knitter with more experience.

Enter “Stitch ‘n Bitch Superstar Knitting: Go Beyond the Basics” by Debbie Stoller.

This book is fabulous. Debbie Stoller has nicely packaged a whole ton of information with incredibly clarity in her distinctive style. Her eye and editorial talent are beautifully discriminating and the patterns are gorgeous. The vibe of this book is first rate; it’s a darn good read combined with fabulous instruction plus visual delight.

I was particularly smitten with the Rococo shawl (blogged here) and have just found the perfect yarn for this project, Classic Elite’s Princess in a gorgeous wine color, aptly named Cotes du Rhone.

As well as chic knitted fashion there’s fun stuff; no Debbie Stoller book would be complete without a pattern that incorporates skulls, in this case the Skull Isle socks by Chrissy Gardiner and Steeks and Stones sweater by Mandy Powers.

I do note a couple of quirky aspects to this book. When I first saw the book cover I thought “How cool, Debbie is on the front cover wearing a half-knit cardigan that she must be knitting from the top-down. Trying on as you go has never looked so cool, I can’t wait to get the Debbie Stoller explanation of top down knitting and how to adapt it for different body shapes.”

Well …….. this book does have a section about designing your own sweaters. But there’s very little emphasis in this section about seamless knitting. It’s mostly about designing and knitting flat pieces that are sewn together. The cover photo is just a shortened cardi, not a garment that’s in process! This was a bit of a disappointment to me because I think there would be a real audience for a modern “can-do” book a la Ms Stoller that covers sweater construction in the round.

My only other quibble with the book is the way it covers cabling without a cable needle. It touts the “rearrange your stitches before knitting them” method. I have previously discussed in this blog post why this method doesn’t work quite as well as “knitting in the process of rearranging”.

However, these are very minor quibbles. This book is a classic and I know I will be using it so much that the pages will start falling apart.

Congratulations Ms Stoller. Please keep going. I hope you have many more books in store for us yet.

Details:

• Fabric Content: 100% Wool
• Detail: Knit, Fingerless
• Product Care: Dry Clean Only
• Fit Guide: True to Size
• Designer Style No. 07-11-K16

From the couturecandy website:
“The Twinkle by Wenlan collection was born from designer Wenlan Chia’s affinity for design, love of art and prolific imagination. The collection is well known for whimsical and feminine designs that blend pop culture with the exotic. The perfect addition to your winter wardrobe, these arm warmers complete any casual outfit!”

Want a pair of these? Even if you had the between $84 and $124 needed to purchase these you’d be out of luck, because…..

But Twinkle loves knitters and the love is mutual. In the Holiday 2011 issue of Vogue Knitting magazine we have pattern #21 Arm Warmers Designed by Twinkle.

What is particularly generous about Ms Chia in making this pattern available is that this design isn’t merely last year’s item. It is hot out of the Twinkle by Wenlan Fall 2011 collection.

I just cranked out the first arm warmer for the right hand. The photo is unblocked right off the ndls but I’m not sure if this really needs blocking and, in any case, I don’t want to take it off (temperatures are starting to plummet around here). I love it and am super motivated to avoid second arm warmer syndrome (a malady from the 2nd sock syndrome group of diseases).

The pattern in the magazine does need a wee bit of tweaking. I knit it using magic loop ITR and need to mirror image the pattern after thumb placement for a truly symmetrical pair (further details on my Rav page).

Practical and stylish, it’s a quick knit, one of those deceptively simple patterns that give a tremendously sophisticated result.

THANK YOU TWINKLE!

It was a way to chronicle my burgeoning crochet and knitting skills so I would remember the ongoing experience and especially the initial learning curve.

At that time, I imagined that my being beyond beginner status was all I needed to churn out great projects. And I have churned out projects, no mistake, and had a lot of enjoyment doing so.

But now, in 2011, I FINALLY made something that I am COMPLETELY happy with.

It is very simple, it’s only a hat. There are no complicated stitches, no fancy colorwork. Just a single skein of heavy worsted weight yarn.

But it fits my head perfectly and hugs it exactly the way I like.

And then I realized how long it took to generate something that I am totally happy with. The item itself did not take long to knit but it took an amazingly long time to acquire the knowledge that led to the point where I could knit something that I liked. I found that realization kind of shocking.

But then I saw this quote from Ira Glass. And it made total sense.

I’m glad I fought through. And now I want to go further. Knitting and crochet are amazing hobbies and I feel very fortunate to have discovered them.

The Teva Durham design is a double knit with two different yarns and is reversible.

One of the aspects I love about these patterns is their use of special yarns. What started me off thinking about these patterns is that I saw the Artful Yarns Lustro on sale at Elann.com. It bears an uncanny resemblance to Shale, one of  the designer yarn used in the Loop-d-loop designs.

The actual specs of the two yarns are listed below:

Shale is bulkier than Lustro but it does seem as though the biggest factor that distinguishes these two yarns is the extra mohair in Shale. Perhaps Lustro could be a good mimic for Shale if carried along with a strand of mohair.

The Aprés ski vest knit from Techno, which is such an avant-garde yarn, it is not even spun. Apparently it is created by “blowing” baby alpaca into a mesh tube of silk yielding a bulky, yet lightweight yarn. I have not yet met this yarn in person but the concept is incredibly intriguing and I’m very curious to see what it is like.

On this blog, every day but especially on this special day, I want to say a huge enormous THANK YOU to Jess and Casey, the founders of Ravelry.

Even if you are not a knitter or crocheter, you can learn a lot from this amazing online site. Read the article at Slate magazine to get an inkling of what you’re missing. Sites like Ravelry make one feel very optimistic about the role of the internet in building a better future.

I completely agree with WonderMike of Fiber Beat:

“You can take my Facebook, you can take my Twitter, but you’ll have to pry Ravelry from my cold dead hands”

Thank you Jess and Casey, I am forever in your debt.

One of my challenges in life is climbing the boundaries to the finish line. Once a project is started and I have mastered the learning curve needed for completion, I’m easily distracted and falter in actually completing the task.

Of course, identifying one’s own character traits and actually fixing the things you’d like to fix it are two different things entirely!

But it is never to late and I have really been working to develop improved strategies. Crafting is a surrogate where I can practice some of these strategies and hope that they will spin off into the rest of my life.

All of this is just a preamble for tackling the pile of WIPs. here is one I just finished. It’s languish time was “only” about  11 months. It is amazing to me that once I decided to tackle it,  even with some frogging, it went to completion with a little bit of attention over the course of a single weekend.

The other curious aspect about working on the WIPs is that it feels really good to be crossing them off one by one. Not even becuase of finishing them, but making a decision about whether or not to frog is strangely liberating. Not to mention certainly liberating on the needles!

I know there must be some powerful psychology behind this and I would love to find out more about this topic.

And now I’m thinking about my next challenge which is roughly along these RTW lines:

This is j.crew Chunky-Knit Fair Isle Sweater, $220.

I’m pretty sure that the design is Scandinavian, but never mind the pesky details.

The issue is that a somebody in my family has put in a request for a Lund sweater.

A Lund sweater is a sweater worn by Sarah Lund, the heroine detective of The TV series The Killing. Lund sweater lust has been sweeping the nation. I have since discovered that there is a US version of this series set in Seattle, but I think the US heroine is more Patagonia styled.

The sweater is a loosely knit raglan with Nordic snowflake patterning in bands across the sweater and sleeves.

The actual garment is from a Faroe traditional knitwear line, Gudrun & Gudrun; in addition to the version featured on TV there are other gorgeous versions available.

It seems that the sweaters may not blocked, the website states “Be aware that the sweater will get almost one size bigger when used. The sweater is supposed to be tight – we use to say that the sleeves are to be smeared on to get the correct fit. ” This might also have something to so with the chunky loose knit.

So I want to have a go at creating something akin to this sweater. This will be my first stranded knitting and also my first raglan sweater. I have started by charting out the snowflake motif.

I’m going to go with one of my favorite yarns, bulky Lopi.

Now I have to swatch and figure out things like how the pattern fits into the part where the sleeves meet the body and if it should be top down or bottom up. If you have any suggestions, please drop me a line.