Black Olive Is: In The Loop

The Meme (or, My Inability To Make a Definitive Choice)

For those of you who know me, it should come as no surprise that this meme was quite the challenge for an indecisive gal like myself. I hate limiting myself to just one of anything.

You know those "Desert Island Picks" everyone is so fond of? Well, they incite panic here at Casa Black Olive. I just keep thinking of how it would be if I really were only able to listen to those five musical selections, or if I really were only able to read those five books. The horror!

Memes aren't quite as bad, but they do force me to think in terms of favorites, which for me, is quite difficult.

With almost everything -- even friendships -- I have a wide variety of choices to match my moods, interests and inclinations. This helps to explain my rather large yarn stash and my widely disparate group of friends. But hey, I'm a complicated and multi-layered gal, so why shouldn't I have complicated and multi-layered preferences?

In any case, this was a fun meme. It made me remember some amusing things about "Knitting Projects Gone Bad" and it also alerted me to the fact that I do, in fact, have patterns (no pun intended) in terms of yarn choices and general preferences in the Knitting Arena -- even if I can't narrow it down to only one in some cases.

What can I say? I'm flaky that way. :-)

So here it is:

What is your all time favorite yarn to knit with?

This was/is tough. It really depends on what I'm knitting. For socks, Lorna's Laces beats out even my beloved Koigu. Yes, it's true. I LOVE the feel of it and the fact that it demands to be knitted on size 0 needles. The gauge is just right for taking sock patterns written for average-sized feet and fitting them to my very narrow dogs. And the colors! My god, the colors!

I also adore Rowan 4-ply Soft. I could make an entire sweater out of this stuff. It's also great for socks and anything Faire Isle. Mittens anyone?

For lace projects Rowan KidSilk Haze really is like crack. And, it has that exciting, risky edge to it, where you KNOW if you mess up it'll cost you BIG. So, I have to include it not only for it's incredible palette, the amazing fabric it produces and the feel of it slipping through your fingers -- but also for it's High Risk Knitting Excitement Factor (is there such a thing? Hehe.).

Your favorite needles?

This one was easy-peesy. Addi Turbos all the way, baby! I simply love them. The slip I get is unsurpassed and the cable is awesome. I use them for almost everything -- with the exception of lace projects using laceweight.

For those projects, I pull out my beloved Lantern Moon Rosewoods. I only use these when knitting lace or silk. They have a nice lacquer finish which gives just enough "slip" to not be annoying and just enough "give" to not slow things down when knitting with KidSilk or any other super-thin yarn.

(You didn't really think I'd leave it at just one, did you?)

The worst thing you've ever knit?

Oh my god. This was a no-brainer.

By FAR, the worst thing I've ever knit, was this awful vest:

The Manos was great but this pattern just wasn't "me." I think the reason I chose to knit this was because of the picture on Knitty. It really looked like something I'd wear.

This was my first lesson in the "strategic posing" Maggie Righetti speaks of in "Sweater Design in Plain English". I don't think it really gave an accurate reflection of what the finished product was like. There wasn't enough detail in the collar to give it a more finished look -- which is what I was hoping for -- and it had no waist shaping.

As an "Unenlightened Knitter," -- unfamiliar with the Ways and Magics of Pattern Modification -- I kept on knitting, hoping it would turn out the way it looked in the image.

Also, my choice of Manos was a poor one. Had the vest turned out as I'd expected in terms of construction, it still would've been unsuccessful because the varigated yarn completely obscures the front cable.

In the end, it was a great lesson and prompted me to learn to modify patterns.

Eventually, the Manos will be ripped out and knit into something which will hopefully be more flattering.

We'll see.

Your most favorite knit pattern? (maybe you don't like wearing it...but it was the most fun to knit)

I'm still knitting it!

Rogue is BY FAR, the most fun pattern I've knit. I can't believe how great the instructions were and how easy each milestone was to accomplish. Despite the fact that it is an advanced cable pattern and has a bunch of stuff (like the Kangaroo Pocket, the hood, etc.) which is fairly challenging -- it was a breeze.

Rogue has the right blend of clear instructions, nicely paced milestones, wearabilty and minimal fuss with regard to finishing -- which makes it a "must" for any "Celtically Inclined" knitter.

I've already purchased the yarn for the cardi version!

Most valuable knitting technique?

I know this seams nutty. I feel like I should say "grafting" or some other exotic, mysterious technique. But really, the most valuable technique I learned was fixing stitches.

In other words, fixing dropped stitches, tinking back, fixing twisted stitches -- and more importantly, recognizing the difference between knits, purls, twisted stitches, etc.

Once I got a handle on the structure of a stitch, any anxiety or trepidation I felt toward knitting was pretty much extinguished. I went from scarves, directly to an Estonian Mitten, simply because I had the confidence and security of knowing I could always fix and recognize my errors.

Best knit book or magazine?

I've already waxed poetic about my favorite knitting book, "The Knitter's Handbook" by Montse Stanley in a recent post.

My favorite magazine, is of course, Interweave Knits.

Your favorite knitblogs?

Well, of course I don't have just ONE. But the ones I must read daily are:

1. Grumperina. Aside from being a great pal and impeccable knitter, she's chock full of witty, clever and useful info, great stories and enough obsessiveness to satisfy my equally obsessive self. Hehehe.

2. Passioknit. Extremely well-designed and well-organized blog. Someday, I too hope to achieve such organizational prowess! Of course, the knitting is amazing, the writing style is right on and well, don't you just love that nifty background tiling?

3. Sweet Georgia. This woman's photographs are unsurpassed! She too is an amazing knitter and she spins! I mean, she REALLY spins -- seriously. Her colorways are to die for and can be purchased on her online store.

4. Savannah Chick. Always a good read with links to very useful information. She's clever and funny and also full of good info.

5. Streets and Yo's. Believe it or not, I recently discovered this one (I know, I'm a little late to the game here). I don't know why it took me so long since most of the blogs I read regularly link to her and mention her blog OFTEN. All I can say is, "Doh!"

6. Purly Whites. Purly is also a recent read. She's funny, sweet and also full of good info. Her images are awesome and she manages to inject her writing with just the right amount of "down-to-earth."

Man, there are just so many.

But these all have common threads in terms of the type of content. However, I must admit, knowing the "Knitter Behind The Blog" in some way -- either in person or via emails -- makes reading the blog so much more satisfying. ;-)

Your favorite knitwear designer?

This is also tough.

Being a massive sock knitter I absolutely love Nancy Bush. I love her mittens, her socks and pretty much anything she puts out.

Granted, she doesn't design full-on garments (to my knowledge, anyway), but I don't think that should preclude her from being considered a full-on Knitwear Designer.

I love her anthropological approach to patterns. I love her modern take on old designs. And, I love the way she's documented numerous techniques from far-away places which might otherwise remain unknown.

She's like the Ry Cooder of Knitting!

As for garment designers, I'm very much drawn to Jo Sharp. She's got great sweater designs -- things I'd actually WEAR and which may actually fit well. And, aside from that, her yarn is luscious -- especially her cottons.

The knit item you wear the most? (how about a picture of it!)

My Koigu socks.

What else? :-)

Now, who to tag? How about Teresa, Vicki and Wanda?

Is She MAD?

Ok, people, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking: "My god! How many socks does this chick have on the needles anyway? Is she MAD?"

I'm here to tell you that I really only have three socks on the needles -- which, for me, isn't bad. One is for submission, the other is for me (that would be the Child's Sock I premiered last week) and this one.

See, Granny's feet are getting cold people. Have you noticed the hurricane-esque conditions outside? Granny actually asked me about these socks, which means she wants them. She REALLY wants them. Granny never asks for anything and usually gets uncomfortable when people expend any amount of effort on her behalf, so when she asked, well...

She's my Granny!

Anyway, after all was said and done, Granny insisted on a dark colorway and picked this one from my Mountain Colors stash (my apologies for the dark pics...the weather didn't help matters). It's not my favorite, but she really likes it and that's all that matters. She tried it on last night for the first time and loved the fit and warmth.

I have to say, this Mountain Colors, it is GOOD. The mohair gives it this nice silky feel and incredible warmth. It's a pleasure to knit with and is slightly larger in weight than normal fingering. This, of course, means that they're knitting up fairly quickly -- for me, anyway. This baby only took about a day and-a-half. I think the gauge I got on these with a size 1 Addi was 8.5-9 spi and 10 rpi.

It may not seem big to you, but after my Lorna's on size 0's at about 10 spi...well, it's a big difference!

Here's a close up of the nifty cable shenanigans happening along the gusset:

Don't you just love the cable transitions?

It's a great pattern -- easy to memorize and modify and a nice twist on an old rib standby. And, for some reason, Mountain Colors TOTALLY responds to ribbing in the nicest way. It's almost MEANT to be ribbed, people.

I'll most likely knit this again in a solid, light colorway to really showcase the pattern, but Granny is quite pleased with these and She's The Boss. ;-)

Oh, and of course this means that Grumperina did, in fact, beat me to the finish with her Child's Sock! Was there any doubt? Hehe.

Rogue: Joined at The Head

After last week's post detailing my newbie status when it comes to grafting things using methods other than your basic Kitchener and how I had no clue (due to lack of necessity) how to go about transitioning from a knit graft to a purl graft on the hood of Rogue -- I was on a mission.

I had all this ammo at the ready: my Montse Stanley book and a clear plan of attack for tackling this grafting challenge. But it was all for naught (do people still use that word? did I just say that? how old am I?). PumpkinMama came to the rescue by emailing a pointer to her website where, located on the sidebar, is a link to a Hood Grafting Cheat Sheet (I'd link to it, except it's a PDF download) specifically for Rogue. SPECIFICALLY FOR ROGUE.

Did I mention it was specifically for Rogue?

I know I must be WAY late to the proverbial game if a cheat sheet is in existence, so I apologize now for my "late-comer, newbie, grafting Rogue's hood" post. What can I say? I had projects to complete last year! Rogue had to wait and so this means that all my "discoveries" or "problems" are old news to all the Rogue veterans out there.

But that, my peeps, is how the cookie crumbles over your head. ;-)

In any case, this cheat sheet proved MOST helpful. As I worked the graft, I paid close attention to what was actually happenning and I realized that I'd almost figured it out the night before when I tried reversing the Kitchener stitch whenever there was a purl about to happen. However, I think I missed a stitch somewhere during all that experimentation because it ended up a bit skewed and I then assumed I was wrong to reverse Kitchener. Turns out I just made a small error and reversing Kitchener was the right course of action.

Live and learn.

But now, thanks to this FABULOUS cheat sheet, I not only have a completed hood, but a better understanding of grafting different types of stitches.

Thank you PumpkinMama. You saved me from a potnetial bad Rogue experience when, so far, it's been a pleasure all around.

Here is a close-up:

I have to say, the purl rows look great. The knit rows where the cables meet look a but bumpy compared to my first attempt which was close to perfect. I think ripping back the graft twice felted the yarn so much that "tweaking" the stitches won't get rid of the slight bump.

But, overall, I'm happy with it -- especially since it's my first attempt -- and I'm hoping that a good blocking will smooth things over.

We'll see.

I'm about half-way through both sleeves and am hoping to have them finished by this weekend. I need to wear this thing before Fall ends damnit! So, I'm just going to have to make time during the week for these sleeves...these weekend chunks of knitting time just don't offer the quick gratification I'm looking for.

There was "other knitting" this weekend as well as some stash enhancements which I'll be posting about throughout the week.

You know, just in case your sick of Rogue. ;-)

Bad, Bad Knitter!

I was a bad, bad knitter.

A couple of weeks ago, I purchased the new Nancy Bush book, and despite Rogue and several other WIPs, I cast on for this baby:

I felt I needed to put it on since I'm using Lorna's Laces on a size 0 needle and you can't really see the pattern unless it's stretched. So, PLEASE ignore any evidence of poor grooming on my part.

Ahem.

Anyway, I can't really explain why I cast on for yet ANOTHER sock, except to say that I simply fell in love with this pattern and I had just purchased some luscious Lorna's Laces in this gorgeous lime (the photos were taken in gloomy light conditions last week and aren't very accurate -- picture something more on the lime side...) colorway and well...I just couldn't resist.

I crave small needles and fine yarn. And after working on Rogue exclusively every weekend, I just needed a break.

And here it is.

Sadly, it's been in this state for a couple of weeks because I can only devote large chunks of time to knitting during the weekend and my weekends have been taken up knitting Rogue.

In any case, I'm so excited about this sock. It could quite possibly be the first sock pattern I can knit straight through without modification for my painfully narrow feet. The lace pulls things in just enough for a snug fit and the pattern itself is intended for a small woman's foot -- hence the name "Child's Sock." Hehe.

Lest you think I am copying Miss Grumperina, think again, people! I cast on for this baby a couple of weeks ago. Not that it matters, since she'll most likely finish WAY ahead of me, as my attention is focused on finishing Rogue already -- but still!

Hehe.

Rogue: You Learn Something New (Sort of)

As you can see, Rogue's hood is complete.

Well, almost.

What you see here is a failed grafting attempt after the fact.

You see, I haven't ever had a need to graft purl stitches. As a matter of fact, the only grafting I've ever had to do has been on the toes of my various sock projects. So, once finished with my first attempt at grafting, it was PAINFULLY CLEAR that something went awry.

I have to say, my cables and tension matched up perfectly. So, really, it's just a matter of figuring out how to graft purl stitches.

Now, after consulting my knitting reference library, I came to the conclusion that most knitting handbooks PALE in comparison...I mean PALE, people...to Montse Stanley's "Knitter's Handbook."

I have to admit, I totally ignored and poo-pooed this book for about a year. I'd go to the bookstore and see that "Reader's Digest" affiliation and just skip over it completely -- not opening it once.

Not ONCE!

This is so unlike me, it isn't even funny. I mean, I browse and peruse and browse and peruse my ASS off at book stores. I pick up EVERYTHING, no matter how insane or odd it may seem. So, why, WHY did I just completely ignore this treasure, this jewel?

WHY?

We may never know, but one thing is clear -- two things, actually:

1. It is BY FAR (I can't emphasize this enough), the best knitting handbook I've ever come across. It has instructions for 30 different cast ons , people. THIRTY! And THRICE, it's saved my ass when I couldn't find the info I was looking for anywhere else.

2. Grumperina is a font of information. A library unto herself. She is the one who prodded me to pick up this book despite my issues with the whole "Reader's Digest" thing (I think my issues may be rooted in too many bathroom visits where I've encountered it on someone's magazine rack...ew!). And MAN, am I grateful. Grateful, I tell you!

3. I am an idiot for exhibiting such snobbery and prejudice against the fine people at "Reader's Digest." So, I'd like to issue a formal apology here and now:

"I'm sorry 'Reader's Digest!' Please forgive?"

Ok, that was three things. I lied.

So back to the grafting:

After looking far and wide for info on grafting purl stitches, I finally found what I was looking for in the aforementioned book. Not only did it explain your basic Kitchener, but it also had instructions for single rib, garter stitch and basic rib grafting.

Did I mention how much I love this book (and really, you'd think I'd just go straight to this book -- ignoring all others after the second time it saved my ass, but NO, I keep holding out hope that I didn't waste my money on all those other "highly recommended" tomes)?

I came to the conclusion that this must be done with both pieces laying flat, top-to-top with a thin thread through all the live stitches -- otherwise I just can't figure out how to weave the thing together. I know most of you have probably already done this a million times and that my conclusions seem pedestrian, but please bear with me.

It takes a while, but eventually I get there.

Anyway, I gave up and decided to wait until I was fresh to attempt this again. But at least I have a plan of attack now and plenty of resources to back me up.

In addition to almost finishing the hood, I cast on for both sleeves -- also a new thing. I think working both sleeves will help with the psychological barriers to finishing that second sleeve.

I'm hoping. ;-)

Soon, my people, soon Rogue will be finished!

(I'm hoping...)

What's This?: A Sockapal-2-za Pictorial

After a busy, rainy, cold and generally annoying bad day, I arrived home to this:

My Sockapal-2-za socks!

Always a sucker for snail mail and gift exchanges of any kind, I tore the package open. Here's a look at the inside:

Of course, being me, the contents of the package must be dissected and analyzed one-by-one. First, we have The Socks Themselves:

Look at that fabulous label (I swear, I must make some of these for my sock gifts this Xmas)! The whole package was very thoughtfully put together starting with the sock label and The Socks Themsleves. Holly chose this gorgeous Koigu colorway because she took the time to read my blog and knew what a big fan I am of both Koigu and of greens and blues in perfect fiber cohabitation.

Isn't she sweet?

Holly chose the Retro Rib pattern from the Winter 2004 issue of Interweave Knits. She tells me she ripped out many times before finding the perfect pattern (aw!).

All I have to say is I am thrilled with these socks! Aside from looking fabulous, they fit PERFECTLY and are amazingly soft. Koigu is soft and all, but I've never felt any Koigu quite THIS soft. Holly attributes it to all the washings and ripping back. Whatever she did, she made these socks seem more like foot pillows!

Also, Retro Rib is one of my favorite patterns and I'd been meaning to knit up a pair for myself, so it was super nice to have it done FOR me. Hehehe.

Here I am in gloomy Fall conditions modeling the socks (please ignore my jammies and any errant leg stubble...ahem):

As if this wasn't enough to bring a smile and very good feelings about the Sockapal-2-za exchange, Holly decided to include two hanks of Lorna's Laces in the beautiful -- BEE-U-TEE-ful -- colorway you see below. Apprently, she'd been reading my blog since the sock pal assignment and she knows what a Lorna's freak I am! Look at how that cream just works so perfectly with that deep blue. LOVE it!

I have to say, this was completely unnecessary, but a VERY welcome surprise! Thank you SO much Holly. I love all of it. You totally made my week! The socks arrived just in time to wear for all of this nasty transitional weather we're having here in New England. ;-)

What makes all of this so special is that Holly has had a rough time of it these past few weeks and still managed to get these finished. Not only did she finish them, but the whole package was so thoughtfully put together, it totally warmed my cockles.

Holly is a good egg. :-)

I'll leave you with a pic of the very cute card she included complete with very sweet note:

Rogue: Reunited And It Feels SOO Good!

Can you believe how long it's been since I've knit on Rogue?

Neither can I.

Sunday, I started feeling woozy and the craving for Rogue was intense. When I stopped to think about how long it had been since I'd basked in it's fiery glow, I realized it had been almost TWO WEEKS.

Two.

WEEKS.

See, the past two weeks have been jam-packed with work and life stuff. Some nights there was no knitting. At all. There was even a two day stretch with no knitting!

I almost never go a night without knitting. It keeps me sane. So to go more than one night was rough. On top of that, I had a few knitting obligations that took precedent and had to put Rogue aside for a while RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LOVE FEST with this perfect pattern.

So, by Sunday night, I was in deep, DEEP withdrawal. DEEP. It was so deep that I actually thought about Rogue during the Dead Can Dance show on Sunday.

Now that's some deep-ass shit, no?

Finally, I caved. This weekend I decided to just knit what I was in the mood to knit -- otherwise I'd end up hating the other projects out of a feeling of obligation. And the other projects are also cool and fun and worthy of my attention, so hating them would not be good.

Knitting is the one thing in my little existence that is totally for and about ME. It's the one place where, creatively, I have total control. The one place that satisfies my need for tactile sensation when creating something. The one thing that keeps me even.

So, my policy from now on is to still knit things which people request, but to never (or as much as I can avoid it) allow the projects I'm experiencing "flow" with, dangle in a knitting limbo.

And so, I was reunited with Rogue this weekend, and MAN was it good! We cuddled by the window on my papasan while listening to (appropriately) Dead Can Dance -- which, I've decided, is really the perfect music for knitting Rogue.

As you can see, the front is finished. The neck stitches are on holders ready to be picked up for the hood, which I will hopefully begin this evening.

We're back!

Remember This?

Remember this?

Well, after working things out with that "prototype" sock, it was time to actually pick a direction and go with it. Good, bad, ugly...this is the direction. I've been writing the first draft of the pattern as I knit so as to avoid forgetting those important, picky details.

See, when it comes to socks, I tend to work intuitively and on automatic. So, I tend to forget to include certain bits of info because I take it for granted that sock knitters know these things. OR because, in my brain, I'm making auto-pilot decisions and it SEEMS like I've written something down when, in fact, I haven't.

It's sort of like when someone has a recipe committed to memory and as they cook, they make intuitive decisions which happen the same way every time, but which, if asked to commit them to paper, they'd be hard-pressed to remember every detail. Know what I mean?

Basically, my sock recipes are like my Granny's Sweet Bread recipes. ;-)

Anyway, so I decided to work the point of the pyramid toward the top of the leg so it could nicely belnd in with the cuff and so I could cover the instep in Tweed Mock Rib. I think it makes a better transition this way.

Also, I alternated stockinette with Tweed Mock Rib for the cuff, leaving a two-column gap at the edges.

I also decided to work the heel completely in Tweed Mock Rib for both aesthtic reasons and for practicality.

Here is a look at the side of the sock. The negative space reveals a stockinette pyramid.

I must say, knitting with Miss Grumperina is always fruitful. When I arrived the sock was merely an infant and now, after a six hour knitting session at Trident on Newbury, it's in it's "young adult" phase.

I was so "knitted out" from that session that I developed an aversion to the sock yesterday. Therefore, there was no knitting. Instead, I headed to the bookstore and picked up some juicy goodies which I will share either later in the day or tomorrow.

Stay tuned...