Elvish Has Left the Building

I don’t usually name anything I make, but it seems fit for this hat to be called “Dol Sindar” (Tolkein’s Grey Elves), which best describes my friend XXX and his new cable hat. I swore on my life to keep his identity a secret.

Here's a description from L.L. Bean's Unearthed Aracana-logue:

"Dol Sindar", the Level-12 Theif''s Kufi, will keep your head warm like dragons breath on a cold night of adventure. Light and strong like mithril, it resists moisture, magical arrows, and bladed attacks yet it folds neatly into a stealthy daggar sheath — it' s perfect for back-stabbing as one never expects to be killed with such a nice hat. Dol Sindar is trimmed with silken gold, just what every Theif desires. No air freight deliveries availabile to Outer Middle Earth, Hawaii, St. Thomas /U.S Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Saipan and Guam.



It can be worn high on the head like a crazed Ranger's helmet or pulled down like an unsuspecting Cleric's cap. There is no particluar way to wear it, but I prefer the wide cable worn up the front. This is James, the morning barista from Prospect Perk. He was kind enough to lend his head while on his cigarette break. Although James resemebles an Elvish soldier, he is actually a second-year medical student. That's good to know because if you're choking at the café... well, there's James to the rescue. These headshots were taken by Dan Sagarin.



This hat is made from two balls of Reynold's Rapture "Charcoal". This highly-spun merino/silk blend gives it a soft gun-metal sheen, it also makes for sproingy cables. It’s trimmed in I-chord with Reynold’s Rapture “Gold”. Ram’s horn cables emerge and cleave their way between columns of ribs that twist like Elvish rope. They turn under and into each other in a dangerous dance and meet at a runic Evenstar at the crown. Dol Sindar is not available in Quenya sizes.

Knit PH at Freddy's Oct. 18

I sat and listened to the Karl Walter Jr. Tio after the group left — very smooth experimental jazz. Cool stuff, I felt like I was in a Jarmush movie about knitting. I’m marking them down on my calendar.

Jane, Penelope, Jennifer, and Frank came out on a cold wet night for beer and balls. Randy and Marian are new to the group. Randy was getting the hang of casting-on and basic knit. Learning is a good thing to do with a group. It beats watching Channel 13 documentaries while eating cereal out of the box.

Penelope just got back from her Midwestern trip. Filipinos are from the Midwest? Don’t they usually come from Queens? I'm glad to have Jane and Penelope on board, they don’t mind lending a hand to the newbies. Jane is looking at colleges (Stony Brook). Penelope rolled her eyes and quipped “For what, medicine?” Jane is from Long Island, which means she’ll probably follow the ancient Chinese tradition of Science, Math or Legal professions. I went towards the arts, I’d make a terrible doctor — sick people totally gross me out. Marian worked on her neck warmer, she learned to knit but never learned to cast-on. Her mother always did that part for her. Knitting has inherent co-dependant qualities, this group encourages independence.



Jane finished one sock from "Favorite Socks, 25 Timeless Designs" (Interweave Press) — a beautiful lace pattern knit top-down. She tried it on and showed the group. Frank peeked over his orange ribbed hat and said “I want to make something like that.” With time Frank, get through that hat first. I asked about what everyone thought about Yuni Jang, the new 20-something ME at Interweave Magazine. The consensus was luke-warm. Former ME, Pam Allen seemed to have more progressive ideas. Yuni Jang is more traditional and more technically challenging. I leafed through a winter issue the other day and noted there’s less focus on men’s stuff. I'm not sure what the new visions is for Interweave. Jane preferred Knit Simple.



Jennifer’s cable hat was reaching it’s end, she got up to swift a skein for a new project. Randy did well for a beginner, he made 3" of garter. By 10:00 the band showed up, some of us stuck around to listen but it was a school night. Penelope packed her bag, she teaches in Westchester. Everyone seems to have these incredible knitting bags. I have a duffle bag that I used for RCA plugs and mike chords, and a fine selection of plastic zip bags. I admit I’m a bit jealous.

Knit PH at Perk: Nov 15

Dammit! I kept making the same mistakes — twisted spines, wrong stitch count, cables traveling in the wrong direction. Usually I correct these same mistake when I teach at Stitch Therapy. Maria said it was good to see the teacher mess up now and then. Jennifer worked on her first cable hat. Edna plopped down her Organic Chemistry textbook and pulled out her baby sweater. Archie started another "Koolhass" hat. Eliza worked on her cardigan with the ruffled edge. Maria brought her friend Jackie along with their loot of Koigu and Tahki “Ghost”. Kate abandoned the Louet Sales “Euroflax” tunic and started a new blue pullover. It was a brisk evening, but it was warm at Prospect Perk.

I like the Perk, it feels a bit like home, but much cleaner — it's cozy and warm. It’s become integral to our neighborhood corner. The owner, Murat, keeps the café open until 9:00 for Thursday night knitting.

Emily finished her fingerless cashmerino mittens but they were a bit loose. She let them sit in warm water but there was no visible difference. Since they were only 50% wool I suggested boiling (but not felting) for 40 minutes. Emily made a test swatch to boil. Good thinkin’ Lincoln, there is no going back after that.

Edna found a yarn spinning service. She plans on spinning yarn from her cat — to make it a small blanket. Is she serious? She’s studying to be a vet, I guess that’s OK.

VIP Fibers, Inc. in Morgan Hill, CA will spin your precious pet into luxurious yarn. LOT #1581D is made of pure Newfoundland. LOT #1580D German Shepherd and Main Coon Cat. With the proper care instructions you can keep your pet "Fur-Ever™". It's the harvesting that breaks your heart. We laughed about other exotic yarns you can have spun, like dog hair/dryer lint — imagine a Puggle/Persian sweater. I also found Blackberry Ridge, a family owned spinnery in Vermont, WI. They will spin anything as long as you have a minimum of 50 pounds. A treasure waits in every vacuum cleaner. Jackie bought some very soft bison/yak yarn upstate, but said it was very expensive. I assume that “Buffalo Shaver” is a high-mortality profession. There is one spinner in our group, Toko. She bought a small wheel in Rhinebeck at the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival — the woolen version of "Burning Man".

Never Look Back in Angora

"I can't go there, I get so angoraphobic." I couldn't see her face, but I admired the back of her long cabled coat. Did I hear correctly? How could a woman with such a smart coat say something... well... so stupid? She paid for her coffee and turned to leave — her face blocked by her cell phone clad hand. How did she look? I wasn't willing to lose my place in the coffee line to ask "Are you really afraid of long-haired rabbits?" Angora is a fiber of great antiquity, it's noted for it's light-weight warmth and soft silkiness. Named after the Turkish capital of Ankara, it's popularity came about during the Ottoman Empire (13th century). It's made from the fur of the long-haired Angora Rabbit.

ARBA (American Rabbit Breeders Association) recognizes four breeds of this luxury Lapin: English, French, Satin, and Giant — each varying in cuteness and productivity. Weighing in at 10 pounds, the Giant Angora Rabbit is the most popular. But this big-ass bunny is prized for its its ability to produce three types of wool from it's fur. Underwool, Awn Fluff, and Awn vary in paramount degrees of flufferocity. The Giant breed is also albino which makes it ideal for dying. 100% Angora Rabbit yarn is hand-spun due to its "slick" quality. It requires almost no tension to the wheel and a skilled hand. Commercially, it is spun with up to 30% merino wool, or run with nylon or cotton chord to give it tensile strength.

Gimme Mo' Hair

The word "mohair" comes from "mukhayyar", a type of head covering worn by the Arab men woven from the fine fibers of the Turkish Angora Goat. The use of Mohair precedes the use of rabbit fur. Mohair fibers increase in diameter with the Angora Goat's age. The younger goats yeild a finer quality fabric, and the thicker hair from older animals are used to weave fine carpets and heavy fabrics. Despite the suave quality, mohair can be irritating to the skin.

Angora and Mohair conjure glamorous images of the1950's sweater girl or starlets like Lana Turner. But during WWII, the U.S. Government subsidized wool and mohair farmers in an agreement to outfit our military. The Angora/Mohair/Wool blends were used to make blankets, uniforms, bomber jackets and socks. This blend had a "wicking" property that carriesd moisture away from the skin of the wearer. It kept our troupes fabulously warm and dry. B-movie maven Ed Wood would agree.

The Turks also bred a variety of domestic cat also known as the Angora. This fuzzy feline is not used for fiber, but I'm certian that somewhere out there there's a crazy old lady who has made an entire winter wardrobe from a few generations of these lazy lap creatures.

Wide Open Spaces

Agoraphobia is a serious anxiety disorder brought on by public places where one might not feel safe. An agoraphobic might have an episode in a stadium, a bar, or an East Village poetry slam. Drug company research has found it might be linked to Serotonin Deficiency Syndrome (SDS). On the other hand Claustrophobia is an irrational fear of confined places such as a an elevator, a car trunk, an airshaft— almost anything a shifty realtor would sell as a "cozy" one-bedroom.

Angora Anxiety Disorder (Angoraphobia) is brought about by "sticker shock". Rowan Kid Silk Haze goes for about $14.00 per 25g ball. Treatment may be found in taking incrimental steps — such as wearing mohair blends or baby alpaca, or perhaps visiting the rabbit pen at a petting zoo. But most anxiety disorders can be managed with regular therapy and same the SSRI medication used to treat chronic or mild depression.

There is no cure for Shifty Realtor Syndrome (SRS).

Knit PH at Maha's: November 7

Every time a plastic snow-flake light blings, a realtor get's his or her wings. The Flatbush Development Corporation had already hung the Holiday illuminations to remind us that a Brooklyn Renaissance is happening. It's as if Unitarian elves snuck in and did their deed while I was watching the news. I wondered what was hanging over the streets of Redhook. I paused at the corner to light my cigarette when someone waved at me and crossed the avenue. “Pappi, how you doin’?” It was no one that I knew. “Look, I just got out of Federal, and I just need some money.” He held out his leathery hand, I shook my head no and gave him a cigarette that he put it in his pocket. “You got any money, pappi…”



Meanwhile down the street a renaissance has already been happening — Wednesday night knitting at Maha’s Café. Tawni was already there, I introduced myself and we both got something to eat. Eliza showed up, but said she had to leave early, then walked in Jane, Emily and Archie. Tawni works in the food service industry, Eliza designs for the theatre. Emily is an industrial designer.

Archie finished one of those beautiful "Koolhaas" BrooklynTweed hats and then started the next one, he teaches Trig. Emily finished her baby hats “but anther friend is having a baby.” She’s working on her first pair of mittens. Eliza was working on a very petite plum colored cardigan with a delicate ruffled edge. I was working on a swatch and my chicken dinner. I think Jane is in school, but she teaches knitting at a swank UWS yarn shoppe. She made the heather pink sweater that she was wearing. She lives in the new China Town near Bayridge.

The conversation revolved around different yarns, new patterns, classic patterns, work, the weather, family, and the Holidays. Tawni started knitting about a year ago but gave up. She felt a group would help to inspire her. I showed her a better cast-on method (the long-tail) and then guided her through the basics to make a small garter stitch scarf. But over the course of the evening it grew from a square to a triangle. Emily took a look and pointed out that Tawni was knitting the last loops on each end twice. Then Jane showed her where a few stitches were dropped, then I pointed out that some of the stitches were taken from the row below, then Archie reached over to correct the dropped stitch on the end. Jane asked her if she wanted to learn how to purl. I don’t think this is what is meant by word “knitting group” — Tawni was a real trouper. She said she'd eventually wanted to learn style of holding that Jane and I were using: Continental.

Making Our "Standards" More Standard

Some knitting terms are inherantly confusing. The rice stitch is the moss stitch is the seed stitch, which is not the tick stitch. Cable instructions vary by author — C4R, C4B and T2B all describe a four-stitch cable that leans to the right, 2 over 2. There is no top or bottom selvage, the word only describes left or right margins. Let's just call them edges.

Styles of holding a needle don't describe technique, instead they evoke countries of origin: Contintental, English, German, Finnish, Greek/Peruvian, and the American "throw-over". I always thought they needed more demonstrative names like the Drunken Monkey, Windmill Tiger, Dragon Fingers of Steel, Death Lock, and Blind Monk. Some knitting terms are just arcane and confusing, for instance rows describe the width across (left to right) and rounds describe height by the number of rows (botton to top). Then some refer to width by stitches and height by rows. Why aren't they called columns and rows? People often ask "Do you mean rows left or rows up?"

The word "worsted" describes both a type of yarn and a unit of measure. Worsted-Weight Yarns vary in thickness depending on the brand and material, but fall under the "medium weight" category. A Worsted Yarn is made from longer, straight strands of wool that have been combed and twisted tightly. Brown Sheep and Lopi are typical brands of worsted yarn. The word "worsted" actually is named for the town of Worsthead, England, which produced a stiff, tightly-twist yarn suitable for weaving thick fabrics.

Maha brought out some cookies for us to share and finally took a break to sit with us. It was a busy night for Middle Eastern home cooking. I do like her falafel though. Eliza was the first to leave — prior dinner engagement. Then at around 9:00, I called time and we all packed our things. It’s a good group we got here in Prospect Heights.

On my way back up the street a familiar voice called out from the dark “Hey pappi, how you doin’, my son just died and I’m trying to bury him…” Now that's old-school.

The Wrath of Raglan

War: a necessary evil — but in its wake necessity gives birth to innovation. Canned food kept French troops alive during the Napoleonic Wars (1795). The Pacific War (1945) gave us Japanese transistor radio technology. And of course The Vietnam War (1975) gave us Vietnamese restaurants.

FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, the 1st Baron Raglan (September 30, 1788 – June 28, 1855) was a promising young soldier who rose through the ranks to become an infamous British General. As a younger man Baron Raglan lost his right arm at the Battle of Waterloo, after which he assumed a long secretarial career with the military. Later in his career he was promoted to Field Marshal, but his promotion would become his great undoing. In 1852 Lord Raglan was appointed to lead England through a winter campaign in the Crimea, he was 64. He was a well respected man but It soon became obvious to his comrades that he lacked the ability to coherently command his troops.

As the campaign progressed camp conditions grew unsanitary and food rations ran low. Although Lord Raglan fought well at Alma and Inkerman he is notably blamed for his tragic failure in the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava. Lord Raglan's lack of tactical skill brought certain defeat on his weary British soldiers as they charged into the Russians. This legendary blunder made a bitter enemy of his long-time friend Lieutenant-General James Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan. But that’s another sweater story. In the summer of 1855 Lord Raglan succumed to dysentery at the age of 67 while at battle.

From Dirty Ashes Arose a Smokin' Sweater



After loosing his right arm at Waterloo, Lord Raglan's tailor created a new style of over coat. The innovative sleeves taper from the body and converged diagonally at 45 degrees towards the neck. The shoulderless construction of his coat made dressing much easier for a less-able man. A thought, shouldn't his tailor have designed a one-armed coat? Lord Raglan later outfitted his own troops with pullover sweaters that used the same signature sleeve design.
Raglan sweaters have an easy-going appeal that I like. I find the raglan construction is easier to design and it takes less time to make than other traditional men's sweaters. They can be knit down from the collar, knit upwards and joined at the sleeves or made as separate components to be sewn together. The raglan sweater has a few variations: Square-back, Half-raglan, and Saddle Shoulder to name a few. I don’t care much for its homely stepchild the Yoke Neck Sweater (inset right, from the film “Ordinary People”).

I made this raglan from different left over yarns. I’m never really sure if I like this one. It rides on the border of being a Bill Cosby sweater, but it’s a good exploration of texture, color and different gauges. I made it with a selection of left over yarns in varying weights: Reynolds Rapture, bronze (silk/wool) and Brown Sheep, walnut, charcoal, brown heather (cashmere/wool). I actually thought I had more Rapture yarn until I was about a third way down the sweater. I called the distributor in Boston, but they didn’t have the same dye-lot number, and someone on E-bay only had two skeins of bronze to sell. End of story, I frogged another sweater to make up the difference. Overall I think the colors go well together.



Here’s my buddy Tyler showing off with his bass. The thumb holes on the sleeves make playing out on a cold night a warm experience, especially when your audience consists of two people texting each other. omg rufkm :-( rotflmao oao



This sweater is knit from the collar down on #4 circular needles, then switched to #8 for the upper body keeping the "scale" pattern that runs down the neck into the shoulder seams. The wide mock-turtle collar is turned for more stability. I started the ribbing high on the body on a #6 needle for a better fit to the body and arms. These photos were taken by Doug Todd in Freddy’s Backroom here in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

A Simple Gift

"Konichiwa Yasua-san. Kono yarunu wa Mia-chan ni." "Hai, arigato." My Japanese is not great, but Yasua graciously took my bag of yarn for his daughter.

My neighbor Mia is in recovery, she was in a hit and run incident while biking home one night. Mia didn't make headline news but she made the police blotter. About a month ago her mother, Meryl, told me the police found Mia unconscious in the middle of Pacific and Underhill. She sustained serious injuries and will be in for a long-haul of rehabilitation. It's heart-breaking to think about. Mia is very athletic, she used to drum in a Taiko troupe. Now she's practically learning to walk again.

Both Mia and her sister Erica knit and crochet and I figured that I have a lot of stash and it was time to let it go. I got over my separation anxiety, went through the yarn bins and found some pleasing colors, — warm yellow, deep orange, soft pinks, ochre, walnut, chestnut. These are all left over from old projects and gifts. Silk/wool, wool/alpaca, cashmere/wool, 100% Australian merino, worsted, chunky, etc., — why do I hang on to these things? It's almost like a smaller ring of Dante's hell, The Hoarding. I have lots of grey — cool, warm, charcoal, heathered black. I added them to the pile. I swifted and re-wound three freezer bags worth of wool into a tidy presentation.



Just last week Meryl told me that Mia was absolutely thrilled with all the yarn "She's making a scarf while she's on the mend." I was so glad to hear the excitement in Meryl's voice. A reflexologist once told me that excercising the hands and feet help in recovery after nerve damage — it rewires the brain. Sometimes the simple steps are the most important. Sometimes the smallest things turn out to be the bigger ones, like peeling an orange, walking, or just sitting up and taking a deep solid breath. But usually we don't notice these things, and much like house keys we only look for them when they are not in plain sight. Meryl went in to the house and returned and handed me a hunter green sweater — beautiful, simple, turned crew neck, double moss pattern. "Yasua's mother made this long ago but it didn't fit any of us." It was a sweater I couldn't refuse. I thanked her and took it home and as luck would have it fit me well.

Long ago, my father bought me a black cardigan before I went off to college. It was too big, he said "You'll grow into it." Boy-howdy was he right about that, it's a bit tight and shop worn now but I still wear it and think about him. Sweaters never made sense to me growing up in the tropics, but I always regard them with much sentiment.

I'm copying some stitch patterns for Mia to try.

Entrelac Adventure

Fall finally arrived like that friend whose always 45 minutes to an hour late. Cell phones people, let's use 'em. Class went well at Stitch Therapy this past Sunday evening. The usual suspects were present: first-time hats, baby sweaters, traveling patterns, dropped stitches, twisted spines, and long tails. But then from the corner of my eye I saw someone pull out an Alexander Calder mobile made of wool triangles suspended on a long circular needle.

I asked what she was making — a Debbie Bliss Entrelac Blanket. Entrelac? It sounds like a Gastrointestinal problem. Entrelac is a technique that departs from traditional knitting by alternating rows of boxes at 45 degree angles. It takes equal amounts of patience and commitment. I imagine it was invented by someone stranded on an iceberg or possibly in the Gulag.

In theory it's construction should look more like this...



than this.


Source: "East Buidling Mobile", Calder Foundation, http://www.calder.org/

Without much time left for class, I had her pull everything out to the first row of triangles. I looked over the pattern. It’s beautiful and inventive but yo Debbie, could it hurt to show some step-by-step photos with your pattern?
Today I dropped off some basic Entrelac instructions at the shop from "Big Book of Knitting" (Katharina Buss, Sterling Press). On page 158, there are detailed instructions accompanied with photos. I recommend this book as an encyclopedia for intermediate knitters. It covers everything you’ll need: basic knitting, sweater patterns, finishing techniques, sewing, etc. Originally published as a thick, back-breaking hardcover book in 1999, it is now available in a less than spine-crushing paperback.

Roving in Morocco

I had dinner with Dan and Caroline last night. They're both recovering from jet lag comtemplating the work week. I brought some Guacho and Spanish cheeses (Istara and Patacapra) for the honeymoon slide show: Spain, Portugal, Morocco, fantastic Gaudi buildings, fortresses, ancient markets, villages tucked into moutains, passages carved by time, and of course the Germans. In Spain they did well with Spanish and Catalan, in Portugal they passed with Portuguese. And in Morocco? "Any language they can fleece you with, my friend." Dan forwarded to the slides of a gypsy woman forcing a henna tattoo on Caroline, demanding money then fleeing. In this situation the camera is mightier than the sword.

Morocco is the only African country not currently a member of the African Union. To Persians it is Marakesh, the Turks call it Fas (Fez). Moracco is strongly influence by Arabic, European and Middle Eastern cultures. Being Texan, Dan haggled by jesturing a heart attack if the prices were too high. He did well, they referred to his haggling as a "Berber" style. Caroline reminded him about my souveniers: Three hanks of yarn and an actual fez from the market. Hand spun, rough, and very loose — the red and green are a few twists short of being roving. I can almost feel the rough hands that rolled this wool. The bright red and green are typical street colors and white is the natural color of their sheep. They are reminiscent of the poppies and spring leaves that dot the hot desert sand.



Today I balled up the yarn, the hanks are made of many smaller hanks — nothing is wasted there. These are not rug quality, they are meant for boiling into felted bags. The green yarn is exceptionally intense. As I wound, small twigs and sand fell from the yarn. Talk about rustic. It smells like an old market, a bit musky and spicey. I imagine the hanks hanging next to the apothecary and the second-hand market stalls from Dan and Caroline's slide show. What would be in a second-hand store in a country known for anitquities, a used flyng carpet?

Conjugally Involved

Tilli Tomas "Rock Star" is not a speed-date, it’s a yarn that is worthy of courting and matrimony. A fine worsted-weight silk yarn with glass beads, it is nothing less than luxurious. Once you say “I do” there’s no going back. Are you ready for a commitment?



PLAN AHEAD

Silk has a deep luster with a “sly” quality that requires an experienced hand and some sober planning. It’s as easy to drop a stitch as it is to lose your drummer in a bar. It's actually easier to replace a drummer. Working with multiple colors of silk can be as difficult as being a roadie on the Guns N' Roses reunion tour. Rock Star is run with a second string of glass beads that give the garment a soft but substantial drape. It's a work-once yarn that knits up easily but the beads make undoing your work difficult. I swatched on #6 and #7 SPNs but when I pulled the yarn out for correction beads exploded all over the place like Courtney Love busting out of rehab. I found that repeatedly ripping and redoing my swatches made the yarn lose it's luster, just like the bionic re-engineering of Bat Out of Hell III.

As with Billy Corgan and Smashing Pumpkins, a breech in the middle of your project may have bitter consequences. It’s best to ball this yarn by hand instead of running through a winder. I made swatches and tried a few knit patterns that mimic crochet. Working loosely lends to the crocheted appearance. To prevent tangling my work, I put the ball of yarn in a plastic net from my two-dollar Mutsu/Cripsin Apple. Was that tangy Asian crunch really worth my 2 bucks? Food is not love.



This pattern above worked best on #8 SPNs (36 sts. wide).

Knotted Openwork
R1; (WS) Purl to end
R2: K2, *yo, k3 then Pass first loop of 3 over the 2 loops; repeat*, k1
R3: Purl to end
R4: K1, *k3 then Pass first loop of 3 over the 2 loops, yo; repeat*, K2

Repeat all four rows like The Shins' lastest CD. Return bank call about over-draft. Wonder about Identity fraud "Who would want to be me?", look for old Amex to make sure it’s destroyed. Return to knitting.



The cuff of this wedding shrug is taken from a modified antimacassar with a leaf motif. I found it in a thrift shop in Jim Thorpe, PA. An antimacassar once protected the backs and arms of chairs from Macassar Oil, a popular brand of hairdressing. This day and age might call for an anti-SelfTanner, which prevents upholstered furniture from staining orange; or possibly an anti-Rogaine, which prevents spontaneous hair growth on yoga mats. Anyhow, combined with the knotted openwork, I thought it looked quite charming and hauntingly anachronistic — like Stevie Nicks circa Lindsey Buckingham. You can see the sleeve pictured above, my friend Maxcine lent me a hand with this photo. The selvage on the upper arm is finished with a crochet crab stitch and the cuff is finished with a simplified Irish crochet. As with most rock stars, this shrug needs a little sober reinforcement.

Knit PH at Freddy’s, Oct. 21

6:25! Am I late? Eric was already in the back room casting on. He came all the way from Queens via the L to the A. I said “hey” and planted the large umbrella swift and winder on the center table as an explorer would plant his flag. I meant to bring my camera but when I looked into the bag I only found my reading glasses covered in Snickers Bar dust. Edna came from Queens too, but pointed out she’s originally from Brooklyn and is finding her way back soon. She took out her baby sweater, put away her subway reading (organic chemistry) and asked what I was making — the wedding shrug. “Who’s getting married?”

A small crafty army assembled in Freddy’s backroom. Soon Jessica with guest Leslie arrived, then shortly after, Emily, Archie, Suzanne, Tomo, and Amy. The conversation was light and friendly, everyone was helpful with the other. Archie showed us his new project, a cool cap designed by BrooklynTweed (a knit blogger) for Interwweave mag. Emily had her baby hats. From her iPod, Tomo showed us her finished knit Arm Chairs on exhibit. Very very cool! She forgot her stuff so I gave her the Noro Silk Garden and #8s. I traded with her for translating a Japanese YouTube-clip that I found on Brooklynian.com. I also gave her the pattern I'm using for the shrug arms. Confused people wandered through the back room gawking at us. Jessica laughed about knitting in a dive bar "This is so cool, who’d ever think!” “It’s actually faux dive." I explained that the patina on the backroom walls was rag-rolled because the manager said it looked too clean.

Note: Timboo's is danerous. Smith's Tavern and Jackie's 5th Amendment are now sports bars, Hank's is an mid-scale SRO bar with country music. But Montero's is a true dive. Legend has it that a patron was stabbed at the bar.

Knit Night at Freddy’s is back on the winter events calendar. The first Knitting circle I started was at Prospect Perk Café in 2003. I was going to call it the “Brooklyn Needle Exchange” but cafe owner Mary said “Let’s call it ‘Got Balls’”, and thus it was so. The knitting circles at Maha’s and Freddy’s followed the next year. That first year at Freddy's I begged for a Sunday night, so we ended up sharing the room with a jazz band that featured Alphorn players. Freddy’s Bar was a prohibition era bar (hence the mysterious backroom) that eventually became a cop bar, then an artsy bar. I just think it’s a good neighborhood bar. Unfortunately it stands in the way of a Titan developer who has declared the neighborhood “blighted” so he can build an arena and a luxury mall for a ton of $$$$$$$.

Shame on his greed. Shame on our state for selling us snake oil. Shame on the people that bought the snake oil.

As the band showed up with their equipment, Suzanne put down her sock and the smokers stepped out for a break. “I love this place. My son had to show me where it was, he drinks here.” Suzanne asked about other events in the backroom. I told her about Opera on Tap. Annie, Jessica, and Carla — all working divas, bring in their opera troupe and a small orchestra; Sarah Brown’s Cringe Night, the guiltiest of pleasures when people read from their 6th grade diaries; Blue Grass Jam Night; Diorama Lodge Night; Sunday Chick Jazz; and of course my favorite, the Sing and Win a Ham contest. I try to attend these events when I can. Note: For some reason people have confused me as an employee. They'll have to fetch their own drinks. Suzanne took an events calendar. I told her to say “It’s my bar now” to her son. That should keep him in line. By 9:00 we packed up our gear and left the band to set up.

The Moss Monster Scarf and Fish Bag

Matt and Adrianne. He lovingly calls her his "hag" and she usually smacks him in the nuts with sharp-shooter accuracy. Good shot lady!

About five years ago Matt’s mother passed away. I remember it was a taxing time as Winney left this world in a harried state. Among her possessions were bags of yarn, she was an avid knitter and an incredible cook. The following week Matt buzzed my door. "I didn’t really look through this, throw it out if you can't use it". His voice was as heavy as the large crumpled paper bag that he handed to me. When I finally pulled everything out, I found bags stuffed within bags. The contents were dusty and moth-eaten — the tangled front of an acrylic sweater, three sleeves and a back from a heatherred walnut raglan, a few pieces still on their needles, and four unbroken balls of deep navy mohair in a zip-lock bag. Everything was slightly felted together and riddled with holes. As I pulled sections apart a few notes fell from the pile: “Matthew”, “Adrianne” and some scribbling that I couldn't read.

I didn’t have the heart to trash any of this. I also didn’t have the heart to keep it. It took me weeks but I ripped out, joined, and washed every moth eaten end that I could rescue. I even microwaved the wool to remedy the moth eggs. The yarn was still a bit sparse in sections so I treated it in a gelatin bath for two days. That made it soft and more durable (lab 101: ionic bonding and protein exchange). From all that wool I made Matt a monsterous moss stitch scarf. By the time I was out of wool, it was 8' long and 16” wide. From the acrylic I made Adrianne a bag shaped liked a fish, scales and all. A draw string closed the mouth. I also made her a small hairpin lace shawl from the navy colored mohair.

I dropped everything off at Freddy’s for Matt to pick up on his bar shift. Later, Matt left me a long heart-felt phone message that wasn't worthy of the unceremonious way I left them — in the same crumpled paper bag. He thanks me for the scarf every winter. Adrianne says Fish Bag gets a full work out. I’ve seen her walk from the Green Market sporting a knit fish with produce sticking out from its mouth. She wears the navy shawl often. She told me her sister threatens to steal it, so she hides it when Claudia visits from Maine. Scarves, shawls, bags — all these are very simple small things. Winney would have made them, but her time suddenly unraveled like a run down a sock. From that dusty forgotten paper bag emerged new memories.

Making the Monster

Cable Cast on 51 sts., (right side) then garter for 6 rows. Row 7: K3, *p1, k1, repeat from * until the last 4 sts.. P1, k3. Repeat row 7 for the length of 8 feet, put on some epic music (Phillip Glass, any Floyd, VU, etc.). To end in garter, pull out the last 8 rows, place back onto needle and garter for 6 rows then bind-off.

Using a drill, insert an 8” wooden dowel as a bit, attach yarn and "superwind" until it starts to fold in on itself (density of wind: 6" will equal 3"). Remove dowel with yarn from the drill. Using a strip of cardboard that's 4" wide by 6" long, pull a 4" loop of chord yarn through the first loop of the cast-on edge and place onto the cardboard strip. Pull a new loop through the next edge stitch and place on strip as before (work 10 loops at a time for quality). Remove cardboard and allow yarn to twist into chords. Repeat to end. Treat the bind-off edge in the same manner.

Sew in all ends.

The Beeton Path

What in the Victorian hell is this?

Long before Martha, there was Isabella Beeton, the Victorian era domestic diva. Her books and publications such as "Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management" and "The English Woman’s Domestic Magazine" made every British woman the Queen of her household. She advised women that "as with the commander of an army, or the leader of any enterprise, so it is with the mistress of a house." She kicked Victorian ass and rocked the anitmacassar!

But as with Ms. Stewart, that silver lining had a tarnished edge. Beeton had a brilliantly celebrated life, but after a series of miscarriages her life ended abruptly. In the Kathryn Hughes PBS production of "The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs. Beeton" she speculated that the reason for Beeton's disastrous obstetric history might have been due to syphilis, contracted from her wandering husband, Sam. Sadly she died at the age of 28 in childbirth. Now that’s Vitctorian! Meanwhile, after her release from prison, Stewart's company Omni Media and the prison poncho reached new popularity giving arcylic glitter yarn and her new "Every Day Living" publications and place in every home.

UrbanDictionary.com describes getting Munsoned (from the movie King Pin) as "Being on a gravy train with biscuit wheels, and then falling off". Will there not be a verb, gerrund, or past participle worthy of the woa that beset Isabella Beeton?

Getting "Beetoned": One skein short of a sweater.
• In a knitting circle: My cabled gansey is for not, it was Beeton.
• A snarky remark: Is that Beetoned half-sweater popular this fall?
• Trash talk on the ball field: Less cheatin', more Beet'nin'! Booya!
• International: Hilfe! Meine Strickjacke war Gebeeton.

Project Gutenberg has made her life’s work available online. For antimacassers, face veils, tobacco bags, knee braces and other unearthed knitting arcana check out “BEETON'S BOOK OF NEEDLEWORK” on Gutenberg.org.

Which Craft?

During the winter I teach knitting at Stitch Therapy, a Brooklyn yarn shop owned by my friend Maxcine. Before this, I taught at Brooklyn Technical College for two years. I was their first knitting instructor. We held classes in the room between the DWI Program and the Surveillance Camera Installation Workshop, below Anger Management for the newly paroled. I also completed 10 years of teaching at the BBG Children's Gardening Program. By trade I’m a graphic designer, I create Corp ID, packaging systems and collateral web sites. Knitting is graphic design's congruent opposite. I guess I just like teaching.

I find that teaching knitting is a cross between shop class and coaching swimmers. Some nights I lay out the basics, and then other times I try to get someone to move into the deeper end of the pool — holding the needles correctly, correcting technique, English and Continental style, multi strand, single points, double points, circular needles, moving on from a scarf to sweater, etc. This past Sunday I had six students, some new faces and some from last year. Typically, I move around the table and follow each person’s progress over the course of two hours. It’s a small challenge really. Knitting won’t change the world, but I feel that making someone a better knitter might make a better person.

I think it's funny that I teach knitting and hold seasonal circles. I was actually kicked out of my first knitting circle, or as I'd like to put it "I was de-invited from the coven." One woman took a particular disliking to me. One night she proudly announced she was working with a new natural polyfiber. Polyfibers are acrylic or nylon — I demonstrated this by melting a scrap piece of her yarn with my lighter. I didn't realize that act not only insulted her, it destroyed her belief system. From thereafter I was "girl-bullied" by a savage pack of shawl-clad women. It was like getting my ass kicked by a mob of Natalie Merchants. The rest is another yarn to spin, yadda, yadda, yada.

December 2001, that year most people lived under the horrible shadow of "911". Fall into winter was dark, and most knitting circles weren't very friendly, particularly if you were the only guy.

Knit PH at Perk, Oct. 07

There go the sirens and news copters, is Brooklyn on fire again?

Despite the sudden storm-like rain and train problems the first Knit PH at Perk went well last night. Emily arrived first sorry, Kate showed up or someone who I called Kate all evening then ran from the camera, then Suzanne, shortly after Kathi, Key, Bloomie, and Yasmin followed. Talk about a dedication to a craft, these crafty folks braved torrential downpour to knit. Everyone brought their projects out from their zip-lock bags and jumped right in.



Suzanne, is working on her first sock, a classic 2 X2 rib, strap heel and sewn toe. I promised to help her at the heel. I’ve tuned many heels and closed many a toe, but I’ve never made an actual pair of socks. Just not my thing, the socks. Emily is making a shawl with coffee-colored swag from her boss, who started a project but never got to it. Kate I hope that’s your name is making a linen tunic from Louet Sales linen, I told her about the “blocking” incident. I think Kathi is knitting a tres “haute couture” dress. Everyone lent a helping hand and exchanged advice about each other’s projects. I like seeing the café buzz with the after-work crowd. My friend Peg walked in from work saying “Thank God they’re open I need desert!” A stunned grad student asked if she could join when she was done with her paper. I handed her a Knit PH register tag. The conversation was light, I heard someone say “so the only reason why I still work at Macy’s is that I went down one dress size!”

I swifted and hand-wound 15 skeins of Tilli Tomas “Rockstar” all evening. It’s too delicate to use the ball winder, the glass beads are run on a cotton thread that’s twisted into the silk. It smells sweet like freshly hulled rice. Staceyjoy Elkin popped in for a quick pressed sandwich and a hi-n-hello. We chatted while I wound. I told her about what I’m making (wedding shrug) and she said I could borrow a size small manikin form her shop (Redlipstick). That would help tons! When I made Caroline’s shrug I McMacgyver-ed a pillow wrapped in duck-tape with rolled towels for the arms. Stacey showed us all her new treasure, a huge cone of lace-weight merino cashmere that she got from P and S for $15 per cone. She bought 8 of them. Very nice and baby soft! Now I have to go out and get some. Stacey created this beautiful knit kit: Miterred Ear Warmer and Bangle Bracelet set. She’s getting many orders from the UK and Autralia. Isn’t that ironic, they’re buying back their own sheep from us. Ballsy!

I like my neighborhood, I hope it never changes. Bloomie reminded us that the DDDB Walk-a-Thon is this Sunday. Prospect Heights lives under the foot of an ugly giant. Only recently Park Slopers lit a fire when they noticed that the smoke wouldn't stay in the smoking section. The developer Forest City Ratner wants to build a huge city within our tiny town with the help from Upstate NY enacting Eminent Domain. They never refer to us as a neighborhood — who would want to be responsible for destroying a neighborhood? Instead they call us “the new downtown” where people will “Live, Work, Play”. We are Prospect Heights, we already live, work and play here. Matter of fact we even knit.

Rock Star

An editor from a knitting magazine asked if I had any contributions for their mens’ wear, Summer Issue. I’ve been working on a few things, more sweaters, more shirts, a backpack that looks like an accordion, a large paper-mache dragon head... not so much. So I sent her some photos of Caroline’s wedding shrug.

First Reply: It's freaking gorgeous!!!!! I am actually doing a wedding story for XXXXX XXXXXXXX Summer [issue]. Might you be willing to do a white version for XX [magazine]? In was hoping you'd have more cool men's stuff for [us]... lemme know.

I don’t really design a lot women’s stuff — scarves don’t count. Caroline’s wedding is the exception to the rule. Another project? October is also keenly busy for me to design something new, I got work coming out of my…

Second Reply: So... we want a wedding shrug, it can be knit but in the style of the red shrug... can I beg you to make it?

ears. But how could I say no? Granted, popular men’s wear is limited but easier in terms of design. Women’s wear is always a much bigger challenge to me. I can never figure out why anyone would want a nice sweater that isn’t warm enough. And ponchos? Ponchos?! I got a call this past spring from Alice Fixx (a.k.a. the “Godmother of Knitting”, Big Apple Knitters). She got me a spot on the "Jane Pauley Show" (knit segment, Knit Night at Freddy’s). This time she wanted to know if I would appear on a new "top secret" morning show wearing a poncho: “No”. Then the producer of the show called.

First call: “Would you wear a manly poncho if someone made it?”
“Mmmm, No.”
Second call: “Would you appear on the show making a poncho?”
“Nope.”
Third call: “How about if you wore a rugid poncho, a Man-cho?”
Clever, but I said "No."
Fourth call: “It's Martha Stewart's new morning show?” pause, breath deep "No." I'm just not that much a media whore. Unless you're a guy from Chile with a donkey, a poncho is a tough one to pull off.



Anyhow a box of yarn arrived yesterday from the magazine. My jaw dropped, I’ve never seen anything this exquisite: Tilli Tomas “Rockstar”, 100% natural spun silk with glass beads, buff white, 150yds/100 gms, retail $38.00. I’m almost afraid to touch it. This is as soft as a kitten, Reminder, feed Dan and Carry’s Cat. Note: Cat is afraid of piano and Leonard Cohen.

My reply: Affirmative captain, we will rock this shrug and make it so!

Das Wetter Ist Grau

Heute, Ich trage meine Strickjacke. It was wet and grey morning. The weather is finally cooling off, but it still doesn't feel like fall. A woman in the coffee shop line described it as a dreary London day.

On a similar day last fall I found some treasure among the stoop sale trophies and garbage. On a table I spotted three skeins of a discontinued yarn: Classic Elite, "Waterspun". As yarns come and go, this was one that I liked a lot — felted, single-ply, and as cool and grey the day. A woman with a blue fanny pack said "I have more stuff." "How much do you want for the yarn?" "You knit?" "Yep" I replied. She put out her cigarette and said "Wait here, I have more." She returned with a small kitchen garbage bag full of yarn. "15 skeens for $15 bucks. I just want this out of my apartment." She went on to tell me that four years ago she was going to make a sweater for a man with whom she was involved. But before she could get started it all ended. I asked if she would throw in the small table $20. "Get outta here!" she cracked.



What to make? Something Elizabeth Zimmerman would've made. This is my friend Tyler wearing my grey turtleneck. Doug Todd took these photos at Freddy's Bar here in Brooklyn. This sweater is knit down on #4 SPN in Shaker Stitch rib. This is a great sculptural stitch for single color knitting.



The Shaker Stitch uses 30% more yarn than a normal rib. It's deep, spongy, and very warm. One thing I also found about this yarn is that it shrank down to about 90 to 95% after washing and blocking. I assumed incorrectly that felted yarn was shrink-proof, so I didn't make a full swatch test. It looks about right on Tyler, but it makes me look like a grey bald-headed sausage.

I started this sweater by knitting the left sleeve, casting on from the center of the back knitting the cuff. For the right sleeve I picked up from the left sleeves cast-on knitting in mirrored manner. The cleave on the back makes a nice whale tail in the middle. For the lower back I picked up stitches from the selvage and knit down.

Now the Front, I picked up stitches from the selvages for the left and right shoulder straps. First I knit the left shoulder down and stopped at the throat of the neck holding the stitches open. Then I picked up stitches from the right shoulder knitting to the same length as the left. I cast-on more stitches across the throat, picked up the open stitches from the left side and continued to knit down. All open seams were sewn. Now the collar: I picked up stitches from the neck area and knit upwards. The collar is 9" long, it makes a generous turn when folded down. Instead of binding-off loosely I knit an I-cord with #9 needles. I trimmed the cuffs and the bottom of the sweater with an I-cord as well.

This sweater has substance. I like the way the lines in this sweater travel in opposing directions, but marry on the back. It's pretty solid but it has a very clean drape, especially around the arms and elbows. The down side is that the yarn pills quite a bit, it must be made from shorter fibers, that were fused with heat. But I just pick off the stuff.

Tyler is a jazz bassist. His wife Trina plays carnatic classical violin. I play(ed) an accordion in an indy-rock band that was popular in New Zealand. Or were we a pre-emo boy band that got college radio play in Australia?

Show Me the Monkey!

I knit (knitted? knat?) two plush monkeys this past summer: one blue, the other brown. The blue one I made for my friend Lex as a get-well gift after he broke his finger at our softball game. The brown one I gave to my friends Bill and his wife Margey. People ask if it was hard to part with them, in truth I had to give them away. Clowns, mimes, dolls and stuffed toys — all these creep me out. Both monkeys are 2 ½ feet from head to tail, all hands and feet have five digits and button-eyes from old shirts. The brown monkey was made mostly with Brown Sheep Cashmere-Wool and some left over Cascade 220. I tried to felt him in a large pot, but either my water wasn’t hot enough or I didn’t boil long enough. When I came back from grocery shopping my apartment reeked of boiled sheep. Like a scene from “Fatal Attraction” I checked the pot and found an eye had come loose and bobbed around the top. Note: never do that again.

The blue monkey was complete with a broken bandaged finger and an arm cast. The deep azure merino yarn came from Madrid, a gift from freind and artist Margot Spindelman from her travels. This Spanish domestic yarn was unusually soft with long fine fibers. Why are their export yarns so course and itchy? I imagine their the sheep go into two pens before sheering: Nosotros (domestic) and Los Americanos Estupidos (export).



Back to the game. Freddy’s Bar and O’Connor’s Bar settle a grudge match every summer over a softball game. Trash talk and all, it's civilized game. This past summer Freddy’s lost it’s MVP, Lex M., when he tried to catch a hit made by OCs MVP, Troy. I bandaged Lex’s hand. It looked bad, his nail was shattered. But he felt pressured to play despite his injury and returned to the field. Freddy’s rallied well in the seventh inning, but in the end OCs won 14 to 9. Afterwards, Lex ran off to band practice, but soon discovered he fractured his right middle finger in three places. That had to hurt! Lex was out the entire season, which totally sucked for everyone. But Freddy’s had the last say. As the sun quickly set on that last September game, Freddy's won the season for Lex: three out of five games. Cheers buddy.



Lex removed his monkey’s cast as his hand got better. Margie’s monkey was adopted by her cat. Pearl curls up with the monkey when she cat-naps. I saved the pattern.

Knit PH at Maha's, Oct. 07

It's autumn and it's 85 degrees outside — what the hell is going on with the weather? Fall in Prospect Heights is typically marked when the leaves turn brown and the hipsters wear more than two layers of ironic T-shirts.

The first Knit PH at Maha's was this past Wednesday. We had a small but fun group. Penelope was there first, Petra showed up on her Vespa armed with yarn and Ukulele. It's her cutlural night, band practice and knitting. Then Tomoko (the other smoker) and Emily arrived. A guy eating at the next table asked about the knitting circle. I told him to sign up (free) online. He said he was thinking of getting back into it.

Petra is working on swatches for a line of organic clothing, she's a knitwear designer (and chanteuse). Emily is making baby hats for everyone at the office. Penelope is working on five things at the same time show off! But whoa! Check out Tomo. She's working on a really cool art project: Arm Chairs. She's making 30 of these! She made four sleeves in two hours. That's some quick knittin'. Tomo works in architecture. Note the Eva Zeisel vase in her photo, very nice. I started a scarf. I lose one every year. Some lucky homeless person is wearing an 8-foot long alpaca/camel blend. I hope they feel fabulously warm. I'm still getting my stash together — I've got bags of yarn in bags in boxes. I have many mis-matched balls of yarn left over from sweater projects. I don't know if I should be telling people I have loose balls.

I'm glad people could make it to Knit PH. With this Atlantic Yards mess pending, who knows how long we'll be a Prospect Heights heighborhood. This thing is Titanic: 17 towers of luxury living and and arena? Where do we live? It's already scared people away and destroyed business by threatening to enact Eminent Domain on our asses. Come on Brooklyn, fight the good fight! One of the organizers for Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn passed by Maha's. Shabnam said she still has to finish her husband's hat that she started last year. It's only two ear flaps away.

K.I.P.: Broken Ribs and Old Friends

I met with an old friend for lunch today, Sandy and I used to work in publishing together. It felt good to catch up: freinds, family, work, people we love, people we hate, et al. It's funny how in New York you can be just a train ride away but rarely meet up with old friends. Why is that? It seemed like old times, I was 25 minutes late and she was worried. Sorry Sandy. We promised to not loose touch as we parted ways. Again.

On the train home, two boys were messing around hitting each other, one threw something at the other. It clacked off the window, hit a lady on the arm and landed on the seat. I sat down, picked it up and inspected: one enamel pin with the image of the Infant of Prague. I said "Which one of you is throwin' Jesus around?" They pointed at each other. One said "Sorry mister." "You should say sorry to this lady, you nearly got her in the eye." She jumped in with a sharp Jamaican accent. "You should say sorry to Jeeezus!" The boys got off at the next stop. I pulled the scarf that I started from my bag. But somewhere between the bag of pork rinds, cell phone, cigarettes, and umbrella it came undone. It was beyond saving so I ripped it out and started over. The woman asked what I was making. I said "a mess". She laughed, "You know my father used to knit when we was livin' in England. Good for the mind, good for the soul." She watched for a bit and got up for her stop. "Don't leave Jesus behind" she said as the doors closed.

Brooklyn bound, I continued to knit in Broken Rib (2x2 rib on mult. 4 + 3) the train filled up with the post-lunch time crowd. No one sat where the Infant of Prague lay. Was it Jesus or me? Oddly enough I've never been hassled when I've Knit In Public (K.I.P. for those in the know). Among the obese guy with asthma, the over-tattooed/pierced hipsters, and the chick texting while crying as we passed over the bridge, I pale in comparison. There was only one time I can think of, I was in court waiting (oi vey, very very long story) on a bench. The kid with the doo rag and missing teeth got up and mumbled "faggot" at me. I replied "That's Mr. Faggot, jack-ass." The woman with a black eye sitting to my left smiled, said she used to knit but she's more into crochet now. "What you makin' baby?"

The same scarf.

Criminally En-Gauged

Sarah C. wrote in with some Guayabera related questions. She wanted to make it for her husband by Christmas but...

“I found out that I just can not get the recommended gauge. I went up to a size 9 needle and I am still coming up too short and the gauge is way too loose. Can you tell me what could I be doing wrong... I was hoping to make this shirt for X-mas."

Sarah found that her swatch was too goo-ey and with large spaces bewteen stitches and rows and she was still getting more stitches per inch. She started to doubt her skill as a knitter, oh, it's always me, sigh. The importance of a correct gauge is paramount but getting it correctly may sometimes seem like recreating a crime scene. I wrote the gauge as such: 16 st by 21 rows over a 4” X 4” on #7 SPN using worsted weight linen yarn (Louet-Sales Geneva). Sarah was getting 21 st over 4" on #9, a good five sts too many. Being a multi-tasking mother of two, it sounded like she was just knitting tightly at first, but that might not have been the only factor. Did the yarn play a role? Was Sarah C. in fact guilty as charged? Louet-Sales Geneva, don't we all hate the Swiss?

breakin' the law, breakin' the law... dun dun

A False Report! I made six swatches on a few needle sizes. To get the 4" gauge made I swatches that were roughly 7" square. Before wahing and blocking I averaged 17 to 19 sts over a 4" X 4" area. After blocking, the linen yarn "bloomed". From three of the swatches I averaged 16 to 17 over 4" on #7 SPN. Long story short, my swatch expanded after a proper wash-n-block.

Resisting Arrest? Hardness factor and resistance play a role in how we hold our needles and yarn. On the Mohs Scale of Hardness wood, bamboo and plastic are closer to 3, refined steel is 7+. When I use metal I tend to grip harder to keep everything on the needle, it makes me knit tighter. Wood and plastic on the other hand tend to resist yarn slippage. I recommend using wooden needles for the linen yarn. The yarn itself is also a bit slick. This sly fiber slipped easily from my hands. For this project I used the Enlgish style of holding for more control.

The Discovery. People often wax poetically about their favorite brands of yarn, but it's all about substance and character. Fibers reveal their true characteristic after blocking or fulling. I found that the linen yarn bloomed handsomely, taking on a soft sheen and heavy drape. The fibers opened up and became much softer especially after being ironed and steamed. The true character of a yarn becomes more obvious over time, so be careful of poly-blends that feel soft at first. Your gloves might end up as scouring pads next year.

Released on Recognizance. Use your experienced judgement, but never jump blindly into a project wether it's a hat or sweater. I tend to buy the same brands but also have noticed that the quality may vary from year to year. Comparable yarns vary by tightness of spin and density, so I swatch everything before hand. I also put projects in progress into zip-bags with dated notes. I might want to return to the scene of the crime later.