tangled frogs

I didn’t mean to vanish.

Sometimes yarn has other plans for you. It can also happen that one issue cascades others. Over recent weeks I’ve felt that my superpower has been to tangle yarn and redo the same project multiple times.

drops

It began with dropping a couple of stitches off the knitting machine.

While I’m speedy with a crochet hook, I am experienced enough with the machine now to know I should have taken it all off and reworked it. Instead I was stubborn and very slowly worked all those stitches back up. Very slowly. It took me several weeks to fix the fabric.

tangles

Then I dropped a skein of yarn I was about to put on a swift. I didn’t look closely after I picked it up and put it up to wind. By not looking I missed that I crossed some strands and made a mess that took about an hour to detangle. [No photo. Trust me, you’re happier that way.]

frogs

A few days later I realized I had made a silly error with my Mendelian Hat sample in the larger size and lost yarn chicken far earlier than my math indicated. I ripped the entire hat out. I needed to reknit it and frogging left the yarn crinkly.

This isn’t a difficult issue to rectify, but it takes a bit of time and patience. I reskeined it using my niddy-noddy.

Then I hung it in my bathroom and plugged in the iron. I hit it with a bit of steam and lightly stretched the yarn.

After letting it dry, I rewound the yarn and knit the hat. Please let me know if you’d like a more detailed tutorial on my process.

This pattern is now in final testing. Look for it and kits from LGF Suris soon!

Redo. Remake. Repeat.

This reminded me that I have the power to undo and fix all of these things.

Yes, they often take much longer than anticipated but most things can be corrected.

New!

Despite these minor setbacks, I’ve been knitting and crocheting even if I haven’t been posting here!

I released a second pattern for Artyarns’ Inspirations Club, a Beaded Holiday Clutch (it also has sequins) in 1 skein of Beaded Silk & Sequins Light. It’s shown in the November Limited Edition Inspirations Club colourway, Earth Tones. I also tested the Whirlwind Beanie for Rachy Newin Designs, and I’m now working up the sample for Oink Pigments, in their new yarn Mystic. I hope to write up some thoughts about this yummy yarn soon. Earlier this month, I wrote about Lunaris for Anzula. My next post, on Nebula, is scheduled to be published later this week. I’ve already started on the next set of swatches in Luster.

I am pleased to announce a new pattern, Bowman Lake Mitts. They are a one skein project (for current sizes), knit in Artyarns Cashmere Eco.

What is Cashmere Eco? It is a blend of 50% virgin cashmere and 50% pre-consumer recycled cashmere, spun in Italy and hand-painted in White Plains, NY. They were influenced by a new color series inspired by National Parks developed for Fabulousyarns.com in Tivoli, NY. This colourway was called Glacier Lake Sunset, for Glacier Lake in Montana.