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.

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? 

 

IT ALL BEGAN ON HALLOWEEN

OR, the yarn that didn't want to become a SWEATER!

 

Have you ever had, what you believe was normal yarn, that turned into a huge sweater, and refused to be re knitted into a normal sized sweater?  This is a story about yarn that evidently wanted to be a TENT! Or was a tent in a past life. 

Rather like clay you had used before and inspite of pounding and kneeding it again, you used it and its molecules evidently retained memory of the old pot because the new pot you threw, looked exactly like the first one you scrapped.

We all know wool has memory too.  I couldn't help wondering who re used and re packaged used yarn, then sold it for new.  This yarn had to have been knit for a 250 pounder, around 6'4" tall and with unusually long arms.  It was so long ago, I forgot who I bought it from. I do remember it was eBay.  I haven't purchased yarn from eBay in years.  Humm... I started this sweater on Halloween.  The kids next door carved me a pumpkin.  I took a picture of it all lit up.  It sure was cute. 

Gader got in on the act!  He hadn't seen a carved pumpkin before.  His eyes glowed in the dark behind the screen door. 

I think he was a little scared of it.  I didn't have many Trick or Treaters Halloween night.  So, I started my 3rd top down sweater in old, long forgotten eBay wool.  It was one of my favorite colors so, I started knitting.  What happened was a purely haunting story

It began like any other sweater. 

A cast on and then the yoke...the increases all went well.  I knitted for 4 weeks, on and off, and tired it on. Looking good, I continued. 

I finished the sleeves and put old string in the cuffs and tried it on.  "Fine, looking good" I thought.  I decided to cuff the sleeves in a moss stitch band.  I did one sleeve then the second one.  I finished knitting the body and measured it, and started banding in moss stitch.  I didn' t like  that so I frogged the bottom and one sleeve and did an ordinary ribbing.  By then, I began to feel uncomfortable.  The sweater was heavy on my lap.  It started looking awfully large in the body.  I only had the V neck to finish. I thought I would try it on one last time. 

I couldn't believe it!  It came down past my fanny.  The sleeves were 6 inches too long and I have very long arms for a short person.

I frogged 6 inches on both sleeves and on the bottom.  Now, I have to try it on and see where I am.  Guess what?  Now it is too short everywhere.  Oh my #$%&&@!! I couldn't believe it!   

I have worked on this 'thing' for weeks.  I re knit a few inches.  When I tried it on this morning and once again,  it had grown and grown until it was suitable for a someone 6'5" with arms to match.  What happened? I started frogging again. What is going on here? I decided to make this post.  Perhaps others have had this happen.  I wonder if it is possible to knit in one's sleep?  Sleep Knitting!  All I needed.

I threw it on the footstool in disgust! May I present:

GARGANTUA! 

Have the Witches been at it again?  I want to start another project...Wahhh.  I guess I will not do bands or ribbing.  I have tried and ripped both.  I will finish it off the was it was designed.  With rolled edges.  I give up.  I am going to start the Sheep Heid tomorrow, no matter what!

                                                  

Lorna's Lace Sweatshirt, "Sherbet" Part 2

Or, Second Sleeve Woes!

Even the cat has unspeakable yowls when it is time to knit or finish that 2nd sleeve - or sock! I hate it and can think of a thousand things I would rather do.

As you can see, I have about 2/3rds of the sleeve finished, with about 8 decreases to go then, 4 straight rows! Finally,  knit two together and proceed to ribbing...

Here is what Lorna's Sherbet looks like now.

  

 

 

Over the years, I have purchased a large stash of variegated yarns.  I love them but not once have I used any of the yarn.  I have been afraid of it. When I have tried it - I have frogged it, or given up because the yarn pooled no matter what I did.

If not used correctly (so I read) you get the dreaded "pooling." 

 Fear of Variegated Yarns:

As the variegated stash grew, I finally decided to chuck the rules of knitting with variegated yarn, just knit with it, letting it do anything it pleased. I decided to make this sweatshirt up as I went along without thought to the colors. My attitude was "to heck with it," and I started knitting.

I have actually had fun breaking all the rules and not holding to the rule of using 2 balls of yarn on alternating rows, or winding the yarn in such a fashion that the strands would come off the balls in alternating colors etc., etc., and I just had a ball, (pun intended)! I didn't use a pattern because I didn't want to ruin someone else's beautifully designed sweater, specifically written for variegated yarn.

Check the 'pooling' on the sleeves. I love it. Here is a picture of the back of the sleeves (in progress) and 2/3rds finished on the left sleeve. Itlooks like I should have called this sweatshirt, "Zebra in Sherbet!"  For finishing touches, I might do applied I-Cord around the collar and anywhere it seems to fit! 

I have gathered some yarns that have complimentary colors and variations of the colors in Lorna's DK Sherbet. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The different yarns are Rowan (back row) Dk pink and lavender, Lorna's "Forgotten Love" variegated and some, Mirasol that was supposed to be DK weight and is actually fingering weight. I bought a sweaters worth several years ago when yarn from Peru was rather novel - years back. There is even a ball of Zara in a cinnamon color.  Just for fun.  Which shall I choose? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lorna's Lace Green Line DK Sweatshirt

The last post was all about Falling off the Stash Fast and boy have I.  I started to design a sweatshirt while knitting it.  I jotted down a few directions so I could share it IF anyone was interested.  I am still amazed at how easily the Moss stitch can be screwed up while trying to knit during a good movie.  I started with these 2 pictures of the yarn and body design rather irrelevant, in my head.  The yarn  is very pretty. Has a nice, soft hand.         

 
I knitted this in the round to the armholes,
then split the body into front and back and knit back and forth through the rest of the piece.  The shoulders are done in the ribbing used on the bottom, and the neck is 4 inches of moss stitch, folded and tacked into a rolled collar.  The armholes look huge.  I hope they are too large but just comfortable. I picked up 170 stitches around the left arm. I plan to do decrease on the inside seam as one would on a Fair Isle sweater. The difference is this isn't a drop sleeve.  I have such narrow shoulders I cut this in quite a bit.

  

Rolled Moss stitch collar - with shoulder ribbing.

 This is a poor picture. Caught my own shadow....the arms are next. I will keep notes on my decreases.  Let's hope this turns out okay.

 

 

Stay tuned.  I have a lot of Malabrigo coming as well as some gorgeous Dream Catcher.  Dream Catcher is new to me, but it looks terrific in the pictures.





Keep Knitting! Helps get through the rainy days of winter - and life.



CHASED SILVER and Friends

 Or, Stimulating the Economy with Chased Silver!

This is the SOMETHING ELSE! 

I probably should have this in my Underground Knitting Category. I started it while trying to decide what my next project would be.  I wanted to go on the cheap and ordered Luna from Elann - however, it was all wrong so I broke down and got the RYC Wool/Silk on sale at Webs, not to mention the 2 balls of Rowan KSN that the pattern called for. 

I knitted the fluff parts first.  Now that I am passed the short rows and shaping, I am on to the 8 inches of straight knitting.  The lacy part was fun!

I had hoped to finish this quickly, so I could wear it when I go to Seattle to see my girl, Bethy, graduate.  I don't think I will make it, but I did do my part 'stimulating' the economy!

I found a delightful cream jacket with a teeny light beige design and a pair commuter slacks, a skirt and I thought 'Gee Whiz, I look so darned plain, like a rental a person paints all 1 color.

I decided to accessorize

 

This Fossil Bag is from  Marisa-Boutique-eStore.

       The BAGS are FOSSILS, just like me!!!!      

                                                    

The Shoes are Softwalks. THese are the shoes that have little "egg crate" inner soles. Heaven to wear.

If you have bad feet, try a pair.(Orthopedic) <g>

OH, I NEARLY FORGOT THE FINISHED PROJECT! 

I WILL LET YOU GUESS WHAT I MEAN!

The 5 Minute Blanket & Calvin Baby Cable Update #1

Or, I must be daffy!

To knit this design on 1 and 2 mm needles with doubled lace yarn, at the very least, one has to have a lot of patience or be daffy.

I have baby cables! I won't tell how long it took to knit these cables over 500 stitches, but at this rate, this simple sweater will take me a couple of months of steady knitting.

This is pretty, but very slow going. I really will be daffy when I am all done with this one.   

Yesterday, I went to the Mall to find a Hallmark card. I took a sharp left into Joanne's fabric store on the way.  I wove my way past the Irish doodads for St Patrick's Day, and toward the Yarn Dept. I wanted to see if they had the tape used for knitting ruffles. They didn't have any.  I did take a seriously look at an electric machine that made I-Cord. Very interesting. I decided that since 90% of the I cord I do is applied I-Cord, I didn't need it.

Finding nothing I wanted to buy, I was nearly out the door when I saw an entire section of bright colors that said 50% off.   

I found about 200, odd looking rolls of fleece with assorted wild life, cars, trains, in various bilious designs and colors. The bundled rolls were "NO SEW" blankets. I don't sew so I was interested. I picked out the most subdued roll of fleece. The label said the bundle contained 2 pieces of 72 x 60 inch fleece, 1 with a design, the other piece was plain. $14.00 on sale. 

The bitter cold we have been having in the little Bay Area has been chilling my bones. The price of blankets is high and I don't quilt, so I decided to give this a try. Here are the pictures  and the lowdown of how it's done. I suppose I am the only person that doesn't know about these huge, fleecy wonders.                        

You lay the 2 pieces of fleece together. The pattern shows here, the inside is plain color. I think this is very Victorian looking. 

Next step is to cut 7" (more or less) squares from each corner and then 1" wide strips on all the way around the rectangle. Last step is to tie knots in the strips. The entire process took about 5 minutes, (actual time, 1 1/2 hours).

This looks like an old fashioned curtain pattern.

Inside, it is a solid rose.  What fun I had doing cutting and tying this together. It is raining here today, and not as cold as it has been.  That is wonderful but, should the weather change back to chilled Margarita time, I will be ready.  Besides, this was a lot of fun.

New Beginnings for Classic Calvin "T" Neck

Or, is elegance or simplicity ever out of style?

I have been meaning to knit Calvin Klein's baby cable 'T' neck sweater since 1989. After 7 years in Eugene, during which I rarely had time to knit, I returned to Coos Bay, found a job and had some money in my jeans, I began knitting again.

My Mother always subscribed to Vogue pattern magazines. I saw this sweater in her 1989 Vogue and fell in love with it. I inherited her knitting needles and magazines in 1992 but didn't rediscover this pattern until years later.   

If you have Vogue Fall 89, this is design 26.  Originally it was knit in camel/wool yarn. Long discontinued. Since I couldn't find enough camel/wool in a light weight, and couldn't afford cashmere, I bought angora/wool 50/40/10% in a lace weight 2 ply and using 2 strands, it knits to gauge on 2.00 mm needles that is my idea of fingering weight. I tried 4 ply fingering and that was too heavy but gave great stitch definition.

I am knitting this sweater in the round, at least to the armholes. When they say, DON'T TWIST the cast on, they mean it. Five hundred stitches knit 3 or 4 rows x 5 attempts is such a waste of energy. I could only find one 2.00 mm needle in a 24 inch Aero.They don't have a great join that I always expect from Addis and Knit Picks circs. Twenty four inches is too short for 500 stitches. (I ordered three, 32" fixed circular needles from Knit Picks in 2.00, 2.75 and 3.00 mm needles in frustration).

I solved my problem by knitting 8 rows back and forth, and then joined the ribbing.  I have NO idea why I didn't do that right off the bat. Dahh! For me, the hardest part of knitting anything in the round is getting that cast on right.

I believe I will make a crew neck or do a "V" neck on this one rather than the "T" neck.  I like to be able to launder turtlenecks more often than other types of neck lines.

                                                                                                  

This angora blend is delicate and soft. It has a nice halo but isn't fuzzy.  It rather blurs the cables a bit, but I think it will be okay.  I couldn't find any part angora fine yarn anywhere.

Finally, I bought this from an eBay seller. Excellent person to work with. Only time will tell if this yarn works.

The yarn is taupe color which works well for me. Wish I could have found some pale yellow or dark cream, but this will do. Rather feels like cashmere. This taupe color reminds me of Frangipani's Dove shade. It has a lovely mauve tinge to it. I love it.  A good friend finished a Dove Beadwork.  BTW, Pru's BW is an outstanding Beadwork knitted in a gorgeous color.

                                                                                                             

   

                                  

Stay Tuned!

Messing Around with Kauni

Or, Taking the Kauni EF for a test drive!

This is a more subdued baby cable pattern replacing the ribbing in the Autumn pattern. Not that I am using the Autumn pattern chart. Not very impressive yet, but, more age appropriate for a woman of mature <g> years.  This EF Kauni was from Jannette's Rare Yarns in the UK and from her Rare Yarn shop. I am fascinated with the changing colors. The lavender is just beginning to show.  The top will be 'different.'  I tinkered with the color to see if I could get the cables to show.  No dice this time. Hopefully, the next pictures will be better.   I guess everyone can tell, I just can't settle into reading a pattern yet.  I don't know what Beadwork did to me. Hexed me I fear.

It GROWS. 

This is the ball of EF that the baby cables is knit from.

                                 

This is the entire skein.  I haven't seen green yet.  I think it is next. I am waiting for the green to start appearing!                              

                                                       

Hard to believe it is all the same yarn! Maybe you will see a fish or two on the  bodice.

Changed this entry because of SPAM

Speaking of flowers, I received my annual October Rose from the Bay Area Hospital.  It is that time a year when we gals go for our yearly check for breast cancer.  I don't know about you, but I hate it.  Now, it is "hold your breath time." I worry every year until I hear I am okay.  The BAH, as we call it, gives us all a beautiful pink rose for showing up every October.  One of life's obligations.

Worst part for me?  Waiting to hear.

   

     And, I bought some lovely green for another one.  Ah, endless garter stitch. May have to use this for something else!