Sable Stasher

Katherine of Aragon - from New Tudor Roses

Katherine of Aragon design by Jade Starmore

www.Virtualyarns.com  Alice and Jade Starmore

Picture from Tudor Rose book.

Dear Friends:

I am appalled that I have let Sable Stasher blog go for so long without a post. 

I am knitting Katherine of Aragon -

from The Starmore's of knitting fame,

published a brand new Tudor Roses book

I ordered the kit in a small size then

realized that I needed to knit the medium

- so probably have to order yarn. 

Knit wise, I am working on Sleeve # 1

and it is slow going. 

At this time, I have finished the body and am working on the sleeves: The 3rd photo is of the body, laid on my computer. Not as good a photos...but you get the idea. The true colors show in the small piece of knitting in picture #1.  Later, I will edit this and take better pictures. The flash seems to have blurred the very distinct colors.

 

This is not a great picture. I will replace these at a later date.

Kaffe Fasset's Romance Coat

Sanderling and Silvi - from Twist Collectives - 2 Lovely Patterns

OR, Knits in Progress or almost in Progress:

 

Nothing like a the Blue Rose that stands for honesty to describe a very honest,  pullover,knitted in shrinkable Cotton. The original pattern calls for a Kollage Riviting yarn  made from recycled jeans.  The pattern is designed to shrink up and close up the holes in the lace. It uses Sport Weight yarn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I swatched 5 different yarns and ended up with Echo - which is shrinkable and on 3.25 needles, yields the closest to guage.  Echo was inexpensive and here is a rough, unblocked front piece.  There really isn't any reason not to knit this in the round to the armholes.  I decided that for once, I would stick to the pattern - the temptation to knit it top down still exists in my heart.

The front - 7 repeats done before the armhole shaping.  The yarn is finer than I am used to in a sport weight. However, if I were using wool, the pattern was great in the lovely sport, tonal wool of Valley yarns - hand-dyed...which I am saving for another project. Not sport weigth in my book. As you can see, the Echo is a multi- tonal yarn.  I think it will work.  I have some fine 100% cashmere that would have worked.  Before I use that, I want to see what the fit is - and what length the arms will be. 

 

                                  

Stay tuned.

Prayer Shawl Knitting Maroni)

Or, What the heck I have been knitting.

 

MARONI by Agnes Kutas-Keresztes

Winter Issue on Twist Collective.

 

(Thumbnail, double-click)

The Roses are the actual color of the yarn in person.

I put aside Arabesque for a SWIRL, (which is a disaster and I am stuck on the arms), in favor of my 5th Prayer Shawl.  I have had trouble keeping my interest in knitting the usual, garter stitch or other simple shawls and I branched out and knitted a couple of lace numbers in worsted yarn.  When I bought the Maroni pattern from Twist, I noticed 2 things. It looked interesting and it was done in worsted weight yarn.  Hum...

I looked at the picture you see, but only noticed the edging. It looked like fun and it was.  A perfect pattern, no errors - only one thing wrong - I should have knitted it on larger needles.  Shawls for the sick are usually larger.  I did a bit of rewriting and took the Chart B edging, and did 6 repeats. across the top and down the 2 fronts adding 8 inches.  Now, it will wrap around the shoulders of some lady.

Most Prayer Shawls are done in acrylic yarn or acrylic blend, so they will be washable. Acrylic yarn doesn't hold a block so my edging points, lack the points as pictured in Twist, and the drape.  Worsted weight acrlyic doesn't drape...at least for me. I think I will double the pattern, use some delightful but dk or sport  wool/silk weight yarn, because it was a clever cabled affair with delightful edging. Forgive the pictures - the camera is a bit wonky.  The computer is newer and well....you get the picture.

  

 

The usual apology for BLOG neglect.  I plan to turn over a new leaf - and spend less time on Facebook and more on knitting and blogging.  I am also behind,  (months), on Ravelry.  Social media is time consuming - and my overall knitting has suffered.  Next up, back to Arabesque.  I have NO idea what to do with a 3/4 finished Swirl.  Maybe I will get smart all of a sudden and understand the pattern as written.

Stay Tuned and we shall see.

 

 

Kaffe Fassett's Long Leaf Coat

The ARABESQUE QUESTION

Or, Whatever shall I do?

This is the story of the Arabesque Vest.  I will start with a picture of the Original Arabesque that I began knitting 12 years ago, from " A Collector's Item."  I made an error - forgetting to change needle sizes and have about 8 inches of the body done.  I stopped and went to the hospital for surgery - and was very ill for 6 months.  When I got back to the original Arabesque, I found my error and gave up on it.  The yarn, the needles, the knitted piece is in a plastic,square bag in the stash closet.  All Scottish Campion yarns, long discontinued.  I think Jamieson or J&S has similar fingering but of course, that was more than 12 years ago...

 

 Gee, looking at the original Arabesque, I am kind of thinking I should reclaim the piece I finished in 2000 and since I have all the yarn, knit until I finish this.  It is lovely. Perhaps the Vest can wait?  The question is, will I ever get to any of the Virtual Yarn Kits that I have left - and why do I stall and fail to knit these kits up.  I have Strathglass, Arabesque Vest, Zauberfloat and the new Abalone.  Sold were Rosarie Vest, and Oregon in Autumn.

Anyway, here is the original post with a tiny Picture of the VY kit garment - in Green Colorway.

BACK IN TIME TO 2005.

 

The Arabesque Vest is on its way to me.  It is done in the green colorway in Hebridean 3 ply yarn.  I have never tried Fair Isle knitting in 3 ply yarn so this will be an adventure.  I will post the picture of the yarn when it arrives. Stop by VY Yarns  and see this vest, designed by Jade Starmore from her book, "The Collector's Item."  While you are there, check out the marvelous Needlework eye candy.

The Arabesque yarn arrived 3/1/05 and to the right, you see what it will look like knitted up. It doesn't look like the Green Colorway at all..............

 

 

This is gorgeous yarn.  Soft, smooth and in glorious colors  to boot.  I especially like the blue "Witchflower." It has a slight heathered look.  "Clover" appears as a darker and more red, while the lavender yarn is called "Wild Orchid."

 

This has to be the most beautiful 3 ply DK/worsted wool I have ever seen.

As soon as Fern is finished, I will start Arabesque.

Historical Note:  Fern was finished and is on this blog, under Finished Projects.  You have to go back to 2005-6 to find it.  I called it Fernando, being the first to make Fern as a cardigan with set in pockets.  I still have it.  It is still huge, warm and scratchy. That old yarn....Yikes!

 

 Stay Tuned for Updates to the "Arabesque Question."

 

The Takhi Pullover in recycled Donegal Tweed

Progress on the Takhi Pullover UPDATE:  FINISHED 5/21/12

                              

     

 I will model this and get someone to photograph how the sweater fits. 

The Problems I encountered: I did have some trouble trying to get the yoke to fit.  I had to frog it and re-knit the top of the yoke, adding several decreases and leaving out the entire last row of motifs.  I did knit a shorter rib neckline.  

I knitted a medium. If I had decent  shoulders, this sweater would not fit.  I am wear a size 6 - 8 and have very narrow shoulders & very long arms. This pattern barely fit my shoulders.  If you are going to try this  Free pattern, I would make the yoke at least 1 size larger, and knit the size you normally would for the body - all that is necessary is adjusting the stitch count upward to meet the yoke requirements for your bust and shoulder size. It is an easy sweater to  re model - going from a medium body to a large or XL yoke is easy.   

If you look at the picture of the neckline, of the original sweater, you will see how the neck is rolling and how it appears too long for the model. That is exactly the case.  If I were tall, it might have worked better.  I am shorter than average.  All in all, this was both interesting and easy. 

The color work uses 3 colors of worsted weight wool or cotton on most patterned rounds. I found that a bit slower going with 3 strands of worsted weight yarn. I always disliked weaving in all the ends. My sweater is actually a very dark. The photographs were taken inside the house and the color is light. Another change I made was, I did a 3 needle bind-off to close up the underarm seams. Much preferable and neater looking than Kitchener Stitching. 

I enjoyed doing this design.  I hope it will be attractive to wear next winter. All this was stash yarn of around 20 - 15 years young. The motif yarn used,  was all 1st generation Beaverslide yarn scraps. This really cost me nothing now. Better than tossing such expensive Donegal.  It is truly great yarn even at $14.95 a hank.  Mine was $9.50 a hank at the local LYS, so you know how old it was. This sweater was a real bargain.                                             Another new photo.

I don't want to make a habit of re using yarn. It is far too time consuming. 

Frogging old projects and preparing the yarn but I do have some $16.00 a hank, partly cashmere, Aran weight NORO, that I used for the equally huge Yoga Wrap - and it came clear to the ground. I wore it twice. I think it would be a great afghan.  Soft and quick to knit.  There is a picture of that on this blog probably under Finish Projects.  It is ridiculous.  I may have the courage to rescue that huge, expensive afghan with sleeves.  That yarn is long discontinued. I can't remember what the name was, but I think it was a hand-paint. Ouch what a disaster. Actually, hilarious. When I wore it, everyone wanted to 'PET' me. Men and women. That was humiliating but a bit interesting too. Everyone oohed and awed. Alas, I decided never to wear it again. I didn't like being petted by strangers. The Yoga Wrap is in a nice plastic bag - just waiting.  

  

        Older Update:

Everyone seemed to like this pullover.  And so I have begun to knit the body.  I will have to say, the design around the  banding was done in 3 colors at once.  Dragging 3 colors of worsted weight yarn around wasn't  much fun.  I did modify the pattern.  I  eliminated the last  round of motifs, close to the neckband.  I did it in the Fair Isle stranded method but wove each stitch.

 

Older pictures.

 

This color on this picture is not good but --- here is the start of the body.  I have 15 inches to knit.  The band is not that red.  It is a about 2 shades lighter than the dark Donegal.  Just the way the flash showed it up.

The Donegal is not the same thickness throughout. I find since I stretched it out on those hangers, (which I found was a no no), Some of my stocking stitch isn't as even as I normally would knit.  Sort of adds to the texture.  Gads, I went to Webs and Donegal Tweed is now 14.95 a hank.  However, I found some Knit Picks Tweed - a new offering, that is 9.99 a hank.  I think the put ups were 164 yards.  I would check it out if you plan to knit a tweed garment or even this Free Takhi pattern.  Thank you Takhi and Dale Garn. This Free pattern thing is great all of us.

I think the best news is that I found all the Dale yarn For that lovely yoked Pullover by Dale of Norway that you see on the bottom of the previous post.

Stay Tuned 

                        

 

The Sad Tale of Berroco ReMix Yarn

I like recycling.  So much so, I was willing to pay $10.50 a ball for several balls of Berroco Remix. I believe I spent $75 bucks and spent a couple of months knitting stocking stitch. 

I made 2 more out of various yarns. I am wearing one in a previous blog post - I did that one in left over cottons and some really cheap Elann leftovers that was a cotton/microfiber stuff.  Hey, it wears like iron and washes in the machine.  

I am going to let you see what the sweater I knitted with it, looks after laundering, (I bought a darker greenish/blue and it bled dye through 4 separate hand washings.

The sweatshirt-type pullover I made was my first top down, simple and free pattern. The yarn was wonderfully soft & my stocking stitches were even and smooth.  As I knitted, my fingers dried out. I noticed I was developing hangnails.  I had no idea why. 

I wore the sweater a couple of times and noticed that it was developing pills everywhere.

Then, like some sort of alien life form creeping from the yarn, thin, white fibers started working their way out of the yarn.  I laundered it according to directions. I had gently laundered it by hand.  The gentle machine cycle in cool water.  The pictures are the result.  Completely unwearable.  

I Googled recycled yarns and found out how the recycling was done.  And I will let readers do the same. It is an interesting processing into a liquid by using horrendous chemicals!  Here are the pictures I took today. 

This is the only sweater I have ever made that ended up where this one did.  I was surprised the Internet yarn store I purchased the yarn from, has given it a 5 star rating. Don't you believe it. Of course, I asked myself,  "Did I get a bad batch? Should I have told the yarn company?"  Maybe you would have, I didn't.  I would have had to send the sweater. Homeland Security was a possiblity.

I have not included the name of the store.  This merchant has always been honest with great customer service.  If I had realized what the processing of junk sweaters and other trash involved the chemical combinations, I wouldn't have bought it at all.  Here are the NAMED  list of ingredients:  30% Nylon/27% Cotton/24% Acrylic/10% Silk/9% Linen, Care: Machine Wash Gentle Cold, Dry Flat;Weight/Yardage: 100g/216yd.Gauge: 4.25 sts = 1" MADE IN FRANCE    

To appreciate what I am saying, please  double click on pictures to see the pilling and white fibers. This wasn't a thick/thin yarn. The stuff you see sticking out, is the fibers pilling apart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You might want to reconsider before purchasing this yarn.  It is possible I just got a bad batch. The color was OCEAN. It WAS lovely in those big, soft balls with the labels.

                                THE END

  

ReCycling 20 year old Donegal Tweed

Or, How to reclaim expensive, lovely Donegal Tweed and beat the high prices of yarn. (if you wish to 'borrow' pictures, just ASK, and you shall receive).

The sweater below is the one I am planning to knit.  In order to this, I must frog and wash 20 years of kinks out of the yarn 5 250/ yard knitted hanks. All in cable and stocking stitch so, the yarn was pretty kinked up.  I  paid 9.50 a hank for the yarn which is $13.95 now. This color was long discontinued. The pattern is a free pattern on the Takhi website. Designed with Donegal in mind, I chose this one. I had evidently run out of yarn without yarn for sleeves & I gave up on that project.  I chose the design below because I thought it would be a perfect fit for the yarn. Two balls are drying on an ancient pant racks my Mom had in her closet. This sweater doesn't have a name. I think I can find cream and some contrast for the spokes in the yoke.  I have some first generation Beaverslide yarn, odds and ends that will work.  If not, I will grit my teeth and buy a hank of Donegal.

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Drying yarn.  Still 2 more hanks to wind, wet and dry.  Ugh, but it is worth it. I hope you can see the orange flecks in the yarn. Click on the tumbnails and enlarge the pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stay Tuned....always something going on. How do you like this ancient Dale Pattern.  That will be my next try at yokes.  I have ALL the yarn, purcahsed years ago at Bandon Wool.  Pretty isn't it? 

 

Sarah Lund Sweater

OR, I finally finished the Killing Sweater!

This took awhile.  I puttered around with the sweater since the 1st of the year.  Finished it last week but haven't washed and blocked it yet.  The color of mine is not red but more of a fuchsia - or blue/red. 

I used Valley Yarns (Webs) Northhampton yarn.  At $5.95 a ball with a 247 yard put up, it took 3 1/2 balls of yarn.  I knitted a medium sweater but with this pattern, it is really a small.  I have laid it down to photograph it.  Hopefully, I can get someone to take a picture of it on me this weekend.  Not that I am a great model but it does look pretty good on.

The construction was new to me.  The bottom is knit in the round, up to the armholes, then set aside. Fortunately, I have Knit Picks Options and lots of cords with ends.  I left the bottom on the cords with stoppers KP furnishes.  Then the sleeves are knit and set aside.  After the sleeves are both done, the three pieces are gathered together with the beginnings of the yoke and all 4 pieces are knit together on up through the neck ribbing.  This was interesting - for the design is knitted as you go.  It is one of those, count and recount before you start type of knits.  The only sewing is under the arms and that is were I ran into trouble. 

 There were no directions to know that one was is supposed to Kitchener the underarms.  If that is the usual way of handling this type of knit, another bind off should be done rather than the usual one usually  knit two, slip 1 stitch off etc. That normally leaves a sort of stretch of knit stitches on the top edge and that is not what a person needs.  Rather leave the stitches all threaded on waste yarn or on a small KP cord to Kitchener. I ran into bulky problems and didn't think to undo the cast off and  place the the stitches on waste yarn. 

This type of yoked sweater is no doubt old news to most of you.  It was new to me.  ALA the Danish way.  I believe the yoke will smooth out when this is blocked.  I am quite pleased with the more form fitting sweater. 

I am embarking on another pattern  with the same construction - this one will use some lovely old Donegal Tweed that is at least 15 years old.  It is a Tahki  free pattern.  I have to pick up a couple of different balls of tweed for the yoke.  I like the raglan sleeves.  If I were better at top down knitting, I would give that a try for the yokes are the most fun. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 STAY TUNED......

 

Happy New Year 2012

  Lola, Gader and I wish you all, a Happy New Year !