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Camisole needs a name!

OK, all of you intrepid knitters. My creativity has been all used up, so I’m opening this up for your help. I need a name for this Camisole. As you may recall (or have noticed) I don’t like to name my patterns with female names. It honestly drives me crazy, but that’s another subject for another day. But here’s the finished camisole.

Camisole Front

Camisole Back

Camisole Lace Detail

Pattern: My own design, to be published in Winter 2008 in a book edited by Yahaira and titled Sensual Knits. It’s got a sweetheart neckline and a low back, with a delicate and simple lace edging worked on perpendicular to the body.

Yarn: 4 skeins of a to be revealed Superwash Merino Wool

Needles: 3.5 mm (US 4) 24″ circular

Verdict: This yarn was really soft and lovely. I had originally planned to do a lace pattern on the body, but the yarn’s texture was competing with the lace, so I went with a plain stockinette body. It’s a 2 ply fingering weight (but fluffy), merino wool, and worked on a larger needle it drapes BEAUTIFULLY! I swatched on a 3 and a 4 and I thought I’d like the 3 better at first, but I washed it and the 4 was perfect. Lovely hand and since the yarn bloomed a bit, it didn’t seem too open. The raw edges have a sort of built in i-cord to them, so that they are soft against the skin and make a nice sturdy edge that doesn’t compete with the drape of the fabric. The finished cami is lightweight and elegant. I’m really pleased with it and I think it will be a great addition to the book.

So… what do you think? Got a name?

Also, since Scout asked:

My tattoo

It is the Chinese character for Peace. There are actually 2 characters for peace (or at least a professor from China advised me), one is like world peace, absence of war. That’s the other one. This one is more inner peace, a sort of harmony and oneness.

It’s on my left shoulder (I took this shot in the mirror, but flipped it for accuracy). And I put it there for very specific reasons. My greatest life goal is to be at peace with myself. To make myself into someone that I am comfortable with, someone I am not critical of. Someone who is at peace with the world around her, and with where she is in life. But I put it on my left shoulder where I couldn’t see it and could hardly touch it, because the nature of the peace I want means that it will (and should) always be just out of reach and out of sight. It should always be there as a goal, but always unattainable. We should always be able to better ourselves and make our world better. Clearly, I thought a lot about it 🙂

So just a reminder, please give me name suggestions! I’ll make a prize of it. If I pick your name for the camisole, you get a prize. I’ll put some cool yarn in there as well as some soap from Blessed Juno and a pattern if you want it. OK? Get cracking!

M

Posted 06 March 2007 † Mim § Contest § Designing § Knitting § My FO's ‡ Comments (97) °

I have drama.

So.much.drama.

Here’s the situation. The camisole for Sensual Knits is in progress, but I thought I might be running short on yarn, so I asked about getting more. There was a mistake in the shipping and the yarn was sent to the editor instead of to me, but I got it yesterday.

Right now the camisole looks like this…

…and I have one more of the original skeins left (I kept it aside in case I had to alternate it with the new skein in case the new skein was slightly different. But the new skein isn’t slightly different, it’s massively different!

Old skein on the left, new skein on the right. Argh…. *headdesk*

I had originally planned to start the back opening when I start the low sweetheart neckline, and then do the lace bit at the bottom (that’s a provisional cast on there), but in light of the change of situation, here’s what I plan to do.

  • Make the back LOW. Really low… like maybe just above where a bra strap would go (about 1.5″ above where I am now)
  • Which means I might be able to get the rest of the upper portion of the body out of the one older skein.
  • If I am short old yarn, I could remove the provisional CO and use some of the yarn from the bottom to finish the top.
  • Then I would be able to work the lace in the newer (darker) skein. I’d probably do some crochet trimming or something around the neckline to balance the darkness at the bottom with the lighter upper section.

Can anyone think of a reason this is a bad plan? Or do you have any good ideas? I have asked and redying the finished piece is not a possibility because of yarn deals and deadlines. They’re shooting the photos as early as next week, so I really don’t have the time to reknit the whole thing shorter or alternating skeins.

HELP!
M

Posted 02 March 2007 † Mim § Designing § Knitting ‡ Comments (26) °

Lace Design, Part III: The Production

The Production:

Once each chart is drawn up, I transfer it into my Excel spreadsheet (or now Knit Visualizer although I haven’t done a shawl yet using KV), and then I knit the piece from the digitized chart. This helps me catch mistakes in the charting. It also gives me a base to make changes from if I don’t like how something turned out and decide to tweak it as I’m knitting.

I don’t use stitch markers other than to mark the center stitch, and the knitting goes fairly quickly. I put a lifeline before a section if I’m unsure of whether it will work or not. That way I don’t have to tink back when I decide to change it. The picture above shows the lifeline in Mountain Peaks and the section above it that I reknit about 5 different times to get it right. And when the knitting is done, I block it (I blocked Hidcote on the floor behind my desk because I was so excited to have finished it), photograph it and get to work on the pattern.

First I use Adobe Photoshop to crop the photos and tweak the brightness and contrast to best show off the lace. If the color balance is way off, then I’ll normalize that too. Then I use the photos and begin the layout process. I lay my patterns out in Word and insert the pictures where I want them. I plan to learn Illustrator and InDesign, but I don’t know them yet. I print the word file to a pdf (this can be done if you have Adobe Acrobat Professional installed on your computer) and then I print the individual charts to pdfs.

Once they are all “PDFerized” I combine them in Acrobat Professional to be one pdf file. Then I upload it to my server so I can set up the purchase page. My store front is a free software called ZenCart that I like a lot. It took a bit of time to set it up, but now it’s really easy to maintain. I just enter the pertinent information for the pattern description page and tell it which file to give as the download. Then I test it and post here that it’s available.

For the hard copy patterns that I sell wholesale, I have a different layout and then I print them myself on a Color Laser Printer. I use my Fiskars Rotary Paper Trimmer and the scoring blade to make nice neat folds.

I find that pdfs are a simple and easy way to do it. It keeps anyone from accidentally changing the file and then having mistakes in their copies, but having the digital file on my computer means that I can make changes at any time, pdferize it and upload the new version.

I hope you’ve all enjoyed this series. I’ve got the lace tutorial pictures and charts done, I just have to write it up and hopefully I’ll have that for you later this week, along with a tidbit about my new knitting notebook setup.

Knit on!
M

Click here to read Part I: Inspiration
Click here to read Part II: The Process of Design

Lauren finished a pair of Eleanora Socks AND a Woven Cable Scarf! Go check them out! Lauren’s just CHURNING out the FO’s!

Elizabeth finished her Icarus shawl and it looks lovely! Good job!

Merlin finished her second Icarus shawl, but tragedy struck! Her cats got to it while it was blocking, but she got it fixed and it will be gifted soon.

Posted 28 February 2007 † Mim § Designing § Knitting § Tutorials ‡ Comments (15) °

Thanks for the great response everyone! I’m glad you like the new theme! I would LOVE to take the credit you seem to want to give me for it, but I didn’t design the theme or even do the header art work. I just got the theme from here, installed it and then used the handy Photoshop document that the designer included to make different colored headers.

Thanks also for letting me know about the sidebar problem. I will tweak it and see if I can’t fix the problem. I’ve had this happen before with Internet Explorer (because it sucks). I’d like to take this opportunity to urge you all to switch to using Firefox, ok?

But for now I’m off to take some pain killers and get some rest. I tossed and turned all night because my back is really painful today (I have scoliosis, so while it’s painful EVERY day, it’s especially bad today), and I’m having a hard time focusing. If I can get it together later today (while the meds are working), then I’ll try to put together Part III of the Designing Tutorial.

M

Posted 27 February 2007 † Mim § Web Design ‡ Comments (9) °

And…. SWITCH!

For all you feed readers who don’t usually visit the site, I’ve changed my theme. Come take a look, if you will, and let me know what you think. I’ve changed the color like… 5 times today, but I think I’m good for now. 😀 I may change it tomorrow, or I may change it every month or every couple weeks, I don’t know yet.

Posted 26 February 2007 † Mim § Totally Random § Web Design ‡ Comments (39) °

Lace Design, Part II: The Process of Design

EDITED to fix links. Sorry! Something went tweaky when I copied and pasted my html.

The Process of Design: (click all images for larger ones)

When I’m working on a triangular shawl, worked from the top down (like Icarus, Hidcote, Adamas, Seraphim, and both Mountain Peaks), I start with the basic framework. The construction of a triangular shawl is worked by 4 increases on every right side row, usually one on each side of the center stitch, and one just inside the edge stitches on each end. When charted this structure looks like this (this is a screenshot of the first chart for Hidcote in Excel):

ChartShape

Two wedge shaped pieces, with columns flanking both and column of the center stitch sandwiched between.

If you’ve got a stitch pattern in mind, you can’t just plunk it down into the wedge template and hope it works. Because lace is paired increases and decreases, you have to make sure that for every one of the non-shaping increases (the 4 yo’s previously mentioned are the shaping increases) is paired with a decrease, keeping in mind that a double decrease like a sl 1, k2tog, psso would cancel out 2 yo’s. This keeps the non-shaping stitch count even for each row. This is important if you want the next row of the chart to work out.

HandDrawnChart

I usually do my first chart by hand on graph paper. I find that it helps me see how it will fit better than messing with a computer program. If I have to hand draw every increase and decrease into the chart, I’m much more aware of how they interact than I am if I just plop it into a computer program and copy and paste the repeats. Plus it’s easy to erase and make changes that would be harder in a digital environment. Here is an image of my hand-drawn chart for the first section of Hidcote. In the bottom right hand corner you can see the charting of the original stitch pattern. This helps me figure out repeats and how it might be best to insert it into the wedge structure. For images of Hidcotes other hand-drawn charts, click here and here. In these other images you can see that I make little scribbly notes to myself in the margins. Usually they’re something to remember when writing the pattern, or sometimes just things to do.

For Hidcote I started with the Thistle Leaf stitch pattern from Barbara Walker’s Second Treasury, page 290. I liked it, but the flower shape was a bit muddy, so I changed the decreases on the “stem” portion to be a centered double decrease to make that line more pronounced. As an aside, the best book I’ve ever ready for understanding how decreases work and which should be used where is Mary Thomas’ Book of Knitting Patterns. It’s certainly not RIVETING reading, but it’s very eye opening as to the structure and function of each knitted stitch. If there is interest I will work on a tutorial for combinations of increases and decreases to get the desired result.

Sometimes the chart needs tweaking and as with other “rules” of knitting, nothing is hard and fast. Like with Adamas, every repeat of the stitch pattern was shaving off one stitch from each of the motifs and I thought it looked stupid, so instead of keeping the non-shaping stitch count even, once every pattern repeat, I left some yarn overs “uncanceled” by decreases. It didn’t effect the shape to any great degree (these exception-to-the-rule rows only happened every 12 rows or so, but it made a huge difference to the final product. Instead of being a stitch pattern slapped into a template, It created a beautiful triple line of stitches down the middle of the back.

Adamas Detail

With Icarus I worked backward from the guidelines above. I started by charting the feather motif (which I knew I wanted to be the edging) from the written instructions in the Victorian needlework book (I didn’t know at the time that it was also in a BW Treasury), and then I charted to extend the yarn over columns already in the feathery pattern sort of backward, UP the shawl – and therefore to be knit BEFORE the edging — and plugged the columns created into the wedge template.

If you’ve got any questions please feel free to ask them and I’ll answer in the comments.

Click here to read Part I: Inpsiration
Click here to read Part III: The Production

Posted 25 February 2007 † Mim § Designing § Tutorials ‡ Comments (14) °

Lace Design, Part I: Inspiration

Margene mentioned in her post Today that she wondered what my muse might have been when designing the Hidcote Garden Shawl, and since I’ve been meaning to post something about how I design… the inspiration, the process, the production. To keep from loosing your interest, I’ll break it up into parts.

The Inspiration

Russian Sage

For me, inspiration comes from a lot of varied places. Hidcote actually came in a dream (technically that state right on the edge of waking when you’re not sure if consciousness has kicked in or if you’re still technically asleep. That moment is very short for me… when I’m up I’m up). But I woke having had this vision in my head of the different textures of an architecturally beautiful English garden. The prolific flower beds, and the tiled and cobbled walkways; brick planting beds with benches around the edges to sit on… pools and fountains in hidden places. Also specifically, Russian Sage (pictured above) which always reminds me of big fields of lavendar. I love how established beds of lavendar spill out over the stone like waterfalls. I really liked the pleasing way that the various textures in a garden interact. How even though there are a million things going on in a garden like that, you can still feel peaceful and serene. I wanted to evoke that in a shawl.

For Icarus, I was just really tired of shawls with patterning all over. I had just come through 3 back to back Adamas Shawls and wanted to break up the monotony. As a side story, I was working in Special Collections and Archives of the Library at USU and came across Sophia Caulfield’s Dictionary of Needlework while cataloging old books. I spent HOURS reading it, but couldn’t take it home or use it in any way. I got permission to make some photo copies, but was later delighted when we discovered that it had been reprinted in two volumes! I checked out the versions in the library until I could afford my own copies from Amazon.com. This is one of my very favorite knitting books! Anyway…. I found the feathery pattern in that book. From their illustration it reminded me of the finials on Gothic cathedrals! It was interesting and structural and I fell in love with it.

Sometimes I’m inspired by a stitch pattern. Barbara Walker’s Treasuries (I only have the first and second so far) are a great place to start. Adamas began from a Walker Treasury, as did Seraphim. I was flipping through them for inspiration and found that I really liked one stitch pattern, and then ran with it.

Some of my inspiration comes from very unlikely places. The Woven Cable Scarf and Wrap for instance came when I was watching a movie. In the movie (I can’t even remember which one it is…. the scene has the mother, who is a member of the royal family, coming out to check on her 2 blond sons who are talking to a psychotic gardener or something) the mother is wearing this cabled ruana, but it looked like different cable pattens all slapped together with no rhyme or reason. It bothered me so much I started designing a better cabled wrap in my head. Where the cables flowed organically into and out of each other and didn’t look so PASTED on to a garment.

Apple Blossoms

A lot of the time I’m inspired by textural details (that’s why I like architecture so much) and the interaction of positive and negative space that makes lace what it is. If you stare long enough up at the bare branches of a tree (especially during sunset), you start to forget which is the positive and which is the negative space. The sky begins to feel like the colored glass in a window and the branches like the lead. I love that with lace each is equally important.

Stay tuned for how I like to manipulate that space in Part II

M

Click here to read Part II: The Process of Design
Click here to read Part III: The Production

Posted 22 February 2007 † Mim § Designing § Tutorials ‡ Comments (7) °

Apparently I have no life.

I spent the weekend doing none of the things I had planned to do (cleaning, baking, laundry, organizing the stash). Instead I sat on my ass, watched Season 2 of Grey’s Anatomy (OMG! The drama just sucks you in!) borrowed from my lovely neighbor, and knit the Black Walnut Socks. And finished them. I think this may be a personal record. 4 days for a pair of socks on 2.25mm needles. Anyway, here’s the relevant details.

Pattern: Bastardized adaptation of Gentleman’s Fancy Sock from Nancy Bush’s Knitting Vintage Socks

Yarn: Claudia Handpaints in Black Walnut purchased from The Loopy Ewe.

Needles: 2.25 mm US 1 Plymoth Bamboo 6″ double points.

Verdict: Clearly I am in a different frame of mind than I was on Friday, because I now see that the yarn IS slightly different colors from one skein to the other, and it sort of bugs me. Such is the way with hand-dyed yarns unless chosen VERY carefully, and I always let myself be sucked in by it. Not nearly so Zen today, I guess. Also, it may be time for me to stop knitting with all these not-so-stretchy 2 ply sock yarns, they’re really pretty, and the yarn feels nice, but the finished socks just don’t have the same spring as my Opal or Trekking socks. I wear them for an hour and they’re bagging around my ankles! Or maybe the problem is that I am knitting them too loosely. Perhaps I need to go down a needle size first. I have no idea… I’ll keep you posted though. I have knit this pattern (as written) before and honestly, I like it much better in Trekking.

So back to Grey’s Anatomy…. HOLY SHIT! I love this show! The characters are so interesting and human. I like them all, even the ones that are bad. I screamed at my television at the end of Season 2.

The yarn for the camisole should be in my PO box, and I’m going to get it as soon as I’m done with this entry, so that will be my one and only project until I get it done.

M

Amy finished a Seraphim shawl in her handspun! I just LOVE the color Amy!

Cheryl also finished a Seraphim shawl in her own handspun (alpaca/silk). It’s BEAUTIFUL! Good job Cheryl!

Helen finished her own adaptation of Icarus. Way to be innovative Helen!

Posted 20 February 2007 † Mim § Knitting § My FO's § Others FO's ‡ Comments (14) °

Knit Socks…… or DIE!

The Finger Monster says “KNIT SOCKS!” and I must obey, because really… look at those teeth! Skeeery! The yarn is some Claudia Handpaints that I got from The Loopy Ewe in the colorway “Black Walnut” This yarn is proving quite amusing! The brown tones change from grayish to a deep burgandy depending on the light source. At home they are C’s favorite colors, crimson and black, and on the blued out florescent light of the train, they are soft tones of brown and gray. It’s almost like I’m knitting many different pairs of socks!

I’ve been remiss in telling you about some finished stuff, so here it all is 🙂

M

Joan finished the Seraphim Shawl for her Mom in Fleece Artist BFL! I’ve been wanting to try that yarn Joan! It looks great!

Ellen who ran out of yarn 10 yards from the end finished her Seraphim shawl for Claire. I’ve uploaded one of the pictures she sent me and you can see it here. It looks wonderful Ellen!

Wendy finished her Icarus shawl in her own handspun AND it was her first charted lace! Go Wendy!

And La, who was the original test knitter for Seraphim before I even released it (over a year ago… *cough*) has FINALLY finished hers! Yay La! But finished is better than not, right? Better late than never… or something like that 😉 Love you La!

Posted 16 February 2007 † Mim § Knitting § Others FO's ‡ Comments (14) °

The soundtrack in my head

I listen to a lot of music… most of the time I listen to something pulsing at work… whether it’s some New Metal, or Techno or Drum & Bass…. something with a good rhythm.  I helps me stay focused during the day.  For the past week I’ve been playing a CD with a bunch of The Faint songs on it.  I have grown very fond of the songs from their album “Wet From Birth.”  I can’t believe they’ve had this album out for 2 years and I didn’t know!  Anyway… it’s great.  The lyrics are catchy and memorable and I find that the music running through my head (and in my dreams while I’m sleeping… is that strange?), a veritable soundtrack for my life is all coming from this album.  Anyhow, it’s a great album.  I could imagine it would be good to work out to (I don’t work out so I wouldn’t know 😉 ).

So how about you?  What is the jukebox in your head playing?

M

Posted 15 February 2007 † Mim § Music § Totally Random ‡ Comments (11) °