The Olympic Games: Special Scandinavian Knitting Edition

February 11, 2014February 11, 2014 Kate3 Comments

I’ll admit — I’ve never been that interested in the Olympic games. Of course, I admire enormously the athleticism, grace and almost inhuman dedication of the participants, and I can only imagine all the hard work and sacrifice that’s gone into their training, but it’s never really been my cup of tea. I’m the classic fairweather fan; I watch the Winter Olympics for the figure skating. And the knits, of course. Can you believe those US Olympic team sweaters are selling for up to $3000 on Ebay?

However, during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, I participated tangentially in the Ravellenic Games, the non-copyright-infringing knitathlon organized by some members of Ravelry. I was specifically, supposedly, participating in one with my favorite local knitting groups, the West Hollywood Stitch n Bitch (WeHo SnB) group. While I cast on faithfully just as the US team was entering the stadium for the opening ceremonies, I didn’t finish my tribute to England and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee until months later:

Cool Brittania! Long live the Queen! — Debbie Bliss Union Jack Cushion, my 2012 Ravellenics project

In related news from this year’s games, this story of Olympic KIP (that’s “knitting in public,” for my stitching friends) has been making knitters sit up and take notice all over the world. The coach for Finnish snowboarder Roope Tonteri (now my favorite snowboarder in all the world), Antti Koskinen, has been filmed knitting while Tonteri is competing and performing his flippy-doodles and twirly-gigs (you can tell by my clever use of snowboarding lingo that I really know what I’m talking about). What a multitasker! I always get a little burst of joy when I see displays of knitting in public (KIP) and, frankly, this one couldn’t make me happier. I mean, seriously now.

It also makes me happy to see a man knitting in public. Sadly, I think the entire story would have been treated with such condescension (and numerous references to grey-haired grannies) if it had been a female coach or even a female snowboarder. From the photos, it looks like he has his own knitter’s assistant, too, to feed him the yarn as he knits his little garter stitch masterpiece. Where do I get one of those?

It turns out the project is part of a larger scarf project that will eventually be given to the Finnish Olympic team going to Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Why anyone would need a thick knitted scarf in Brazil in the summer is another mystery altogether. But I wouldn’t dare rain on this parade. And now there’s a reason to watch the next Olympic games!

And, to brighten your day even more, I bring you this picture of an enthusiastic Norwegian fan and his crocheted ensemble:

If only they gave out a medal in outrageous crocheted fashion! Go for the gold! — Brought to you by Ellen Bloom of “L.A. is my Beat” and WeHo Stitch n Bitch fame

Happy National Sweater Day!

February 6, 2014February 8, 2014 KateLeave a comment

Coincidentally, right on the heels of my last post on John Watson’s jumpers, today is National Sweater Day in Canada. It’s also the opening day of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. There’s a lot of controversy surrounding the Olympics this year, but I think, in the spirit of international cooperation with which the Olympics began (as the legend goes), that we can all agree that Canada is pretty darn great. Our neighbors to the north are also big fans of knitting; if you haven’t already checked out the blog of Canada’s most popular blogger, the amazing (and supernaturally fast) Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (a.k.a. the Yarn Harlot), you’re really missing something. Her knitting blog has, off and on, been the most popular blog in all of Canada. Yes, a knitting blog. I kid you not. She’s a national treasure right up there with hockey and publicly-funded health care.

Here are three great Canadian-inspired patterns to celebrate America’s best friend; all patterns are, of course, available via Ravelry:

Maple Leaf Knit Shawl by Natalia @ Elfmoda — This “Maple Leaf Knit Shawl” by Natalia @ Elfmoda is gorgeous, and there’s a crochet version as well.

"O Canada Mittens" — These “O Canada Mittens” by Vicky Taylor-Hood even have an Olympic-ring-styled design near the cuff, and I love the Latvian braid detail

"O Canada! Maple Leaves Hat" by Cheryl Andrews — This “O Canada! Maple Leaves Hat” by Cheryl Andrews also has a cute Latvian braid detail

Knitty Gritty (the former Vickie Howell-hosted television show, not to be confused with the current Vickie Howell-hosted television show, Knitting Daily) also has a pattern for fingerless gloves and a slouch hat with the maple leaf design.

On an only tangentially related note…. While knitting isn’t a sport (yet), this article by Katherine Martinko from Treehugger.com explains how knitting can help keep you healthy.

And, finally, last week’s episode of Sherlock, “His Last Vow,” was the last of series/season three, so as part of my increasingly futile efforts to stave off withdrawal, I’ve been trolling the internet for knitting references to the episode. While an excellent episode in many ways, there weren’t any blogworthy knitting references. However, Annie Modesitt’s latest colorway in her 221B series is, like all the others, gorgeous. In this case, “Straighten Your Knocker” a blend of “Deep browns, bronze yellows, black and a hint of scarlet; all wrapped up in a rich palette that would please any gift recipient who only wants “brown” (while also satisfying the knitting partner who wants a bit more excitement!).” The name is a reference to Mycroft Holmes’s compulsive habit of straightening the doorknocker whenever he comes to visit little brother Sherlock.

Well, that’s all the knitting news for today — tomorrow, my knitting and stitching goals for the year.

Jumpers and Mary’s Maids and Sherlock, oh my!

February 4, 2014February 5, 2014 KateLeave a comment

This is a bit of a “catching up” post since I am going to try to cover a few different topics about last week’s Sherlock, “The Sign of Three,” before discussing (briefly) the latest episode, “His Last Vow” in a later post. I have also realized that, in my Sherlockian zeal, I have allowed the entire month of January to pass without announcing my knitting and stitching goals for the year or explaining the enigmatic “2014 Smalls SAL” banner in the sidebar. Yikes.

First, in my last post on the Sherlock episode, “The Sign of Three,” I neglected to mention Annie Modesitt’s latest colorway devoted to this episode. Called “Mary’s Maids,” the colorway is based on the dresses Mary (and Sherlock — I love how they bonded over wedding arrangements) chose for her bridesmaids. The dresses are your typically unfortunate, ill-fitting bridesmaid’s fare, but the colorway is a gorgeous “celebration of purple (sorry, Lilac) in subtle, semi-solid beauty” and you can view it in all its splendor (sorry, splendour) here. And while lilac bridesmaids’ dresses are an abomination unto the Lord, Annie Modesitt has managed to make all the shades of purple (one of my favorite colors) work together.

Second, inspired by my favorite quote from Sherlock’s best man speech — “I could go on all night about the depth and complexity of his [Watson’s] jumpers” — I realized this would be a good opportunity to showcase some of my favorite patterns for men’s sweaters (or “jumpers”). I can’t guarantee they would all be favorites of John Watson, but I could see him looking bemused yet fiercely loyal in some of them.

John Watson's Jumper — John Watson’s Jumpers have two Facebook pages, a Tumblr, and their own fan fiction page. I’m not kidding.

So, in no particular order, I present:

“Rhapsody in Tweed” by Kathy Zimmermann
“Slade” by Michele Wang from BT Men
“Brownstone” by Jared Flood
“Straboy” and “Terry’s Pullover” by Carol Feller
“Cambridge Jacket” by Ann Budd*

I promise that my next post will have actual knitting and stitching content. Time to set some goals! Til then, the game’s on!

*I’m going to avoid showing all the pictures of these beautiful sweaters, partly out of respect for copyright and partly so as not to clutter up this entry with pictures. So enjoy a little “action shot” of Martin Freeman, as John Hamish Watson, wearing a jumper. Pattern available on Ravelry, of course.

The Return of Sherlockian Adventures in Knitting

February 1, 2014February 3, 2014 KateLeave a comment

I could go on all night about the depth and complexity of his jumpers — Mary Morstan (Amanda Abbington) and John Watson (Martin Freeman) anxiously listening to Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) give the best man speech in the BBC *Sherlock* episode, “The Sign of Three”

First things first — I apologize for the “belatedness” of my update on last week’s tightly plotted and unexpectedly touching episode of Sherlock, titled “The Sign of Three” (I love how the writers of the series play off the titles of the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories as they do in this case by referencing the novel The Sign of Four). I got caught up in my “real job” and fell behind in my all-important television viewing. Bad me.

Unfortunately, this episode was scarce on knitted items and knitting references. The wardrobe choices continue to be, as they have been this entire series, spot-on, as the Brits would say, with many of the outfits speaking volumes about the characters themselves. My favorite example of this is Mary’s “thumbs up” blouse which she wore for the scene in which she discusses seating arrangements and serviettes with Sherlock. A great addition to this iconic duo, Mary nimbly juggles the needs of both characters to spend more time with each other in such a way that neither of them feel handled. The scene ends when the two agree to take a case together and Mary send them on their way with a knowing smile and a simultaneous “thumbs up” gesture framed through two open doorways in such a way that neither Holmes nor Watson can see each other’s response.

She's smart, funny and she knows how to handle her men. Lucky John! — Mary Morstan (Amanda Abbington) gives the “thumbs up” to Holmes and Watson separately but simultaneously

I also learned a lot about British wedding customs (and not just the outrageous hats), including telegrams (which reminded me of the segment on Prairie Home Companion when Garrison Keillor reads messages from friends and family of audience members) and the phrase “Pray be upstanding…” Overall, this was a very good episode which focused almost entirely on Sherlock Holmes’s best man speech, including flashbacks to relevant past cases, in which he manages to be heartfelt, funny and exasperating all while solving a murder in progress.

For the purposes of this blog, one line struck me: “I could go on all night about the depth and complexity of his [Watson’s] jumpers.” “Jumpers” are, of course, the British word for sweaters and the line precedes a flashback to Watson wearing kind of a plain, characteristic button-up sweaters over a gingham shirt with a brown corduroy jacket. I spent the rest of the episode paying very close attention to Watson’s sweaters. I will have to review past and future episodes with this detail in mind. What exactly does each of Watson’s sweaters, seemingly so ordinary, tell us about this fascinating character and series? What are some of your favorites of Watson’s jumpers? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Until next week! Well, actually, tomorrow.

It’s official, I’m a knit-iot. But here’s a giveaway!

January 25, 2014February 8, 2014 Kate3 Comments

This story falls under the category of “You know you have too much stash when…”

The other day, I needed some size 5 double-pointed needles for the Susie Rogers’ Reading Mitts, so I headed over to Skein, my LYS in Pasadena. While I was there, I also picked up a copy of the latest Debbie Bliss Knitting Magazine (Fall/Winter 2013), after carefully checking my Ravelry library to see if I already had it (there are some cute Christmas patterns in this issue, including one for a Santa-style coat for dogs. Awww…). Anyway, after I got home, I discovered that I already had this issue. It had been sitting on my bedside-table, staring me in the face for two months, and I had just never gotten around to recording it on Ravelry. D’oh!

If you have so many knitting magazines you can’t keep track of them all, it’s time to take stock of your life. Or, better yet, host a giveaway contest.

Congratulations! My “knittiocy” (like “idiocy” except for knitters… do you think it will catch on?) is your gain! The first person to comment on this post and tell me something “knittiotic” that he/she has done will win the magazine. Good luck!

UPDATE: The prize has been claimed by reader chickinboots! Feel free to leave comments though — I’d love to hear from you.

Knittin’ Mittens

January 24, 2014January 26, 2014 Kate1 Comment

Evenstar Gloves, the back-of-the-hand view

Evenstar Gloves, posed “artistically”

Evenstar Gloves, palm-side up

Evenstar Gloves, posed “artistically” from another angle

Today’s post contains actual knitting content. Today is all about knittin’ mittens (well, gloves actually, but let’s not quibble). I just completed a pair of fingerless gloves for my Aunt Janet who, with my Uncle Tim, moved from Los Angeles to central Wisconsin just in time for the polar vortex. Janet and Tim worked in the film industry for years but they never really came to love Los Angeles. They are Midwesterners at heart and after years of designing and re-designing, they finally built their dream home in Wisconsin, complete with their own ponds for fishing (but sadly no alpaca farming). Of course, as soon as they “retired,” they both got hired for new jobs in two different cities in the South.

This is the second time I’ve knitted the “Evenstar Gloves” by audreym; both times, I’ve used Rowan Felted Tweed DK. This bright green is color #161, “avocado”; the last pair I made was in a light gray-blue (color #165) called “scree,” which is a word taken from the Old Norse word for “landslide” and means “a steep mass of detritus on the side of a mountain.” In spite of its unpromising name, the color was deep and full of tweedy details, just like “avocado” (look closely, for example, for the little flecks of marine blue, dark gray and white tucked here and there in the lime green background). One skein makes two mittens with size 4 needles, and the pattern is well-written and easy to follow. If you are comfortable working cables in the round, you’ll do fine and I think you’ll love the results as much as I have (twice).

I’ve also just cast on a new pair of “Susie Rogers Reading Mitts” — for myself this time. What does a woman living in Los Angeles (which is currently setting all kinds of records for heat and drought) need with a pair of alpaca “reading gloves”? Good question… but I guess the heart wants what it wants. I’ve been itching to make something out of these two balls of sport-weight alpaca from Blue Sky Alpacas that I bought several years ago simply because I loved the color so much. I’ve had these two skeins for so long, they don’t even use this labeling or logo anymore. Too bad… it’s adorable.

Susie Rogers' Reading Mitts, in Progress — Susie Rogers’ Reading Mitts, in Progress

More Sherlockian Adventures in Knitting

January 20, 2014February 15, 2014 Kate2 Comments

MYCROFT: This is a chullo – the classic headgear of the Andes. It’s made of alpaca.
SHERLOCK (smirking): No.
MYCROFT: No?
SHERLOCK: Icelandic sheep wool. Similar, but very distinctive if you know what you’re looking for. I’ve written a blog on the varying tensile strengths of different natural fibres.
MRS HUDSON (coming back into the room with a teapot): I’m sure there’s a crying need for that.

Last night’s episode of the BBC Sherlock, “The Empty Hearse” was not only clever and well-written, it also contained several little “gifts” for the series’ devoted knitterly fans, including the little exchange quoted above as Sherlock and his (even smarter?) brother, Mycroft, play a game they call “Deductions.”* The goal of Deductions is to extrapolate as much information as possible about the origins of an object — in this case, a chullo left behind by one of Sherlock’s clients. The game begins as sibling rivalry and turns when Sherlock unexpectedly turns the tables by expressing concern that his brother’s intellect has made him lonely.

However, before I talk about this hat the other knitterly-related moments in the episode, I must mention how much fun it was to follow Annie Modesitt’s hilarious live-tweeting of the episode. Annie Modesitt is not only a great knitter and designer, as we all know, but she’s quite a character. She is also launching a line of yarn based on Sherlock, 221B Colors, and each colorway is inspired by “the rich, saturated colors that the art director and lighting designer put together to further the plot and create mesmerizing atmospheric settings.” She’s going to introduce a new color for each episode in the upcoming season; I will be waiting with bated breath and knitting needles at the ready.

If the interwebs haven’t already done so, I am going to dub the hat from this delightful brotherly exchange “The Chullo of Deduction.” Annie Modesitt has already released a kit called the “Well Traveled Chullo” (I’m so resisting the urge to add a hyphen, ’cause I’m geeky like that), that can be made in her “Pearl” and “Bristol South Pool” colorways (the latter is named after a famous showdown scene in Season 1, episode 3, “The Great Game”). And here’s Professor Fonz’s version, dubbed the “Deduction Game Chullo.”

Molly Hooper's Striped Scarf — Unrealistically, Molly wears this super-long scarf to several crime scenes, contaminating everything it touches.

Unappreciated police pathologist (and fan favorite), Molly Hooper, gets her moment of recognition in this episode and even gets to spend a day sleuthing with Sherlock since Watson is still too angry at him for lying about being dead. Throughout that day, she wears a long pink-and-brown (or possibly purple) striped scarf (see the bad screen cap on the left). Rumor has it that the scarf was from the actress Louise Brealey’s own closet, so provenance will be hard to research. Nonetheless, I am sure that somewhere there’s an enterprising knitter working on a pattern right now. And here’s Annie Modesitt’s “Molly Hooper Cowl” (because the long scarf version just isn’t practical for a pathologist/partner in crime).

Molly also wears a particularly unflattering, multicolored sweater you can see here. I’d like to think no one will try to replicate it (except for cosplay purposes), but I’m not that naive. The only mystery with this sweater is why it was sold at an actual store–for money–in the first place.

Watson’s new fiance, Mary Morstan, wears a long, fluffy pink scarf for part of the episode, although I have yet to find a pattern for it online, although it was available for sale here (now, sadly, sold out). It’s pretty basic, but it’s a good color on her and it fits the character’s style which is much more traditionally feminine than Molly’s.

I promise my next entry will have actual content related to my actual knitting or stitching. Until then…

* Thank you to Ariane DeVere for the transcription of the dialogue.

Sherlockian Stitches

January 19, 2014January 19, 2014 Kate4 Comments

Come, Watson, come!’ he cried. ‘The game is afoot.

Not a word! Into your clothes and come!

Like many a Sherlockian*, tonight I will be watching the latest installment, the first episode of the third season, of the BBC Sherlock series starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. This is one of my personal favorites, and I could go on and on about how much love I have for this modernization of the Sherlock Holmes stories, but since this is a knitting and stitching blog, I thought I’d celebrate with some links to Sherlockian sites for the knitter, crafter and stitcher.

The BBC Sherlock series tumblr devoted to SherlockCrafts.

Professor Fonz is not a woman at all. She is a spider. A spider at the centre of a web. A knitlock web with a thousand threads, and she knows precisely how each and every single one of them dances. And she’s knitted an amazingly detailed, colorful, unique, custom Sherlock infinity scarf based on the My Favorite Things infinity scarf pattern by Jill McGee (here’s the Ravelry link). And here’s a cowl version called “The Only One in the World.”

Klat/Talk has gathered together several links to knitted interpretations of popular Sherlock set-pieces, including the famous hideous/fantastic wallpaper, Watson’s cream-colored cable sweater, the orange Shock Blanket, and the iconic/ironic deerstalker hat.

“Our wall is not for target practice” Mittens by ampersand designs

To the right, you can see the famous hideous/fantastic wallpaper as mittens (designed by ampersand designs, who does fabulous, fan-inspired knitting designs not just for Sherlock fans, but for Anglophiles and proud nerds of all descriptions). There’s a slightly different, updated version of these mittens here. But there’s a special place in my heart for these “Johnlock Mittens” by Therese Sharp, which add the faces of Holmes and Watson on the two mittens.
And, of course, Knitty has a great hat pattern by Sami Brooker, complete with graffiti happy face. Read her mother’s proud blog entry here.

And I haven’t forgotten sewing. The apron and infinity scarf are by Nerd Alert Creations.

I haven’t forgotten embroidery.

Or cross stitch. This kit by Etsy’s JumblePie is cray cray adorbs, as the kids say, and it’s quite a deal, if you ask me. And the hideous/fantastic wallpaper pattern makes a wonderful bookmark. As does this design.

Sadly, the cross stitch world’s response to this current cultural trend is lagging far behind that of the knitting world, which, let’s face it, loves Sherlock (and Benedict Cumberbatch) and Dr. Who almost as much as it does kittens. Or is that just the internet in general? It’s time for cross stitch and the other needlearts to get their geek on and leap into the twenty-first century. If only someone, somewhere would start charting designs for this untapped audience…. But where would that designer be?

*No really, I wrote a dissertation and published an article and everything. Ah, my misspent youth…

All the News That’s Fit to Stitch, Premiere Edition

January 10, 2014January 10, 2014 KateLeave a comment

One of my favorite bloggers, Adrienne Martini of martinimade, has a regular blog feature called “Many Things Make a Post” where she collects a variety of links on subjects that interest her. When I click on one of her links, I’m never disappointed, even when it isn’t, at first glance, a topic that looks like my cup of tea. I always find something new, fascinating and (often) hilarious in her links. And, by the way, if you haven’t already read her book Sweater Quest: My Year of Knitting Dangerously, in which she chronicles a year spent knitting Alice Starmore’s “Mary Tudor” sweater, you’re missing one of the rare knitting memoirs that is simultaneously well-written, humorous and informative.

So, I am shamelessly “borrowing” her idea and limiting it to the knitting/stitching worlds with this recurring segment, “All the News That’s Fit to Stitch,” which will focus on any interesting, relevant, infuriating, humorous, amazing, or puzzling links from the knitting and stitching worlds that have crossed my path recently. If you have any links you’d like me to look at, send me a message; I will always give credit where credit’s due.

For the Premiere Edition, I offer these links for your edification and amusement:

From one of my quilting faves, Elizabeth Hartman, comes a cross-stitch version of her Tokyo subway map quilt.
From The Globe and Mail, knitting is hot again (again). It’s the “new yoga” again (again). And celebrities are doing it too (again). Still, this article is better than most, and the “granny count” (thanks, StitchBitch) is only one.
From Buzzfeed (via martinimade), which is surprisingly friendly to the knitting community, we get this reflection on the hope and trepidation that comes with knitting for babies, and we learn two important lessons: first, “Don’t worry too much about size; babies vary, and knitting stretches” (via the inimitable Elizabeth Zimmermann); and, second, “it was easy to forget that life can come into the world just as it leaves it.”
The world of illusion knitting. Excuse me, illusion *art.*
From treehugger.com, the answer to the question: “Why bother knitting a scarf?” It turns out we’re not just saving our sanity, we’re saving the planet, investing in the local economy, and preventing the exploitation of the developing world. Get on board with the “slow clothes” movement!

I hope you enjoyed the first edition of “All the News That’s Fit to Stitch.” We’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming soon.

A Repurposed Christmas Present

January 6, 2014January 8, 2014 KateLeave a comment

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Several years ago, I bought this size 2T cropped sweater on clearance at Suss Design‘s boutique in in Hollywood during her big moving sale. At the time, I had a cousin who had just had a baby named Thomas, so the “T” design (on the left) was perfect. Needless to say, I promptly forgot to give this sweater to my cousin and that “baby” is now in elementary school.

Fast-forward a few years and my brother had a little girl named Lauren who is almost two years old (and she’s big for her age). I remembered this sweater and I realized there must be a way to repurpose it for my niece as a Christmas present. A little time with a thread ripper (the “T” patch had been sewn on with a sewing machine) and — voila! — a blank canvas to work on (see center photo).

I looked through the Ravelry patterns for an applique heart pattern and I chose Yarn Over Mo’s “Fancy Lace Heart.” Overall, the pattern was easy to follow, although I did get a little lost a couple times, but I attribute that more to my inexperience with crochet patterns rather than the pattern itself. I’m a self-taught crocheter and sometimes I have trouble keeping track of the number of stitches.

I think the cornflower blue will not only bring out my niece’s beautiful blue eyes but will also mitigate some of the “girliness” of the lacy heart pattern. It turned out great and I feel good knowing that finally this sweater will be worn and loved properly.