Flagel Knitting Files

All four swatches were made.  Each is 6.25" or 15.875 cm square; each prepared with the same sized yarn and needles or hook.  It took 25 stitches to get the appropriate width for the knit swatches and only 20 stitches for both of the crocheted squares.  That already says something, but I'll get to it in a minute.  (Don't know what I'm talking about here?  Check out this post first.) Unfortunately, you'll just have to trust me that four swatches were prepared and that they were all the same size.  In the excitement to get to measuring and weighing of the swatches, no photographic evidence was taken.  Luckily for me the results of this research doesn't have to be reviewed by a jury of my peer.  This blog post will be the sum and total of where this information is published. The remains of my four swatches What can be shared, however, are the balls of yarn rewound after the weighing and measuring was completed.  You will note the size ...

There is a rivalry between those who knit and those who crochet.  It seems those who only crochet resent the fact so much is written, posted, and available about knitting with so little for a crocheter.  Should you search for classes you'll almost universally find the lion's share of the classes offered are for knitters.  If one wants to start a yarn fight, initiate a conversation in your LYS about how superior knitting is to crocheting.  The yarn will fly. Top all this off by throwing out the old adage that crocheting a project will take at least one-third or I've seen up to three times more yarn than knitting a similar item, and it is easy to see why those who crochet feel a bit like yarn victims.  I am primarily a knitter but do crochet simple things.  My skills in crocheting are rudimentary at best, I can do the stitches because I love to make  amigurumi stuffed toys , but I am no expert crocheter but rather a get-it-done kind.   Therefore m...

I recently purchased a few hanks of Cascade Yarn's Cloud a 70% merino and 30% baby alpaca wool in Ivy Green.  This is an unbelievably soft worsted weight yarn and the chainette construction gives it strength. See the miniature chain links in the yarn? This yarn called to me the minute I brought it home and I had to find the right pattern to use that would show off this colour and style of yarn.  It took a bit of searching but I found Lee Gant's Fisherman's Pullover found in Cascade's 60 Quick Baby Knits.   The pattern uses a couple of my most favorite knitting stitch types, seed and cable stitches.  Both are easy to knit and pack a punch in terms of the effect they create. A close-up of the seed stitch in the Fisherman's Pullover The seed stitch is a simple knit one, purl one and on the wrong side the knitter purls the knits and knits the purl.  This creates a texture that looks complicated and does not curl, thus it is perfect for all sorts o...

Somebody just turned six month's old in the last few days.  It was celebrated with another check up and set of shots.  M is now 17 pounds and 26.6 inches long.  Her weight puts her in the 68th percentile and she's in the 80th percentile for height.  She's smiling a whole lot more (and she was quite smiley already) and has decided her socks are worth removing and eating.  Here is a very recent photo of her.  (Photo removed) My folks had a photo taken of me when I was 6 months old as well.  Apparently, I was able to sit up at that time (or so it appears from the photo).  What I really love about this picture is that it captures the bottom of my shoes.  It appear as if they've been walked in for a while, but I'm pretty sure there was no walking around at that time for me.  You can also tell I managed to put on a good deal of weight; those chubby cheeks are a dead give-away. Me at 6 months all bright eyed and bushy tailed These are...

If you want to cause total and real shock and terror in the life of a knitter use the word MOTH.  They will become pale, start acting erratically and move with lightening speed to check their stash. I've found knowing a few things about an insect can be useful.  In the not so distant past I spent hours learning about bed bugs for my job. It was one of the most stressful points in my career, but I learned knowing the bug's or insect's habits and life cycle can go a long way in helping to manage their destruction and them as well.  If a knitter knows a few facts about the moth it is possible to avoid the whole working oneself into a tizzy mode. So here goes. First not all moths eat fibers. There's a certain species of moths that eat cloth fibers and only that species will cause harm to your stash. BTW should animal fiber be in short supply these moths have been known to also chew on bamboo, hemp and cotton as well. This moth, Tineola bisselliella is often re...

You'll remember I knit a raccoon cushion in September 2013 using  a pattern called    Raccoon Cocoon  from Ravelry designed by Lauren Phillips;   just click here for the pattern . It is definitely a small cushion that can stand on its own (mainly because the tail works to balance it).  Here's my first version knit for Kate. Rumor has it this one is somewhere in an office at the other BIG university in town The entire idea of getting the pattern and knitting a raccoon cushion came about because I felt my boss, Nancy, not Kate, deserved one.  (That's not to say Kate didn't deserve the cushion, it does mean It wasn't my initial plan when I ordered the pattern.)   So on my 2014 knitting list went a second version of the raccoon, one I lovingly call, Rocky II.   Here's the second one in its place of honor. Rocky II on the job Since the sun is out and it is nice to keep the window open it seems like a good idea to have something ...

Some of the blog posts I write roll right out of me.  The topic inspires me and the words flow so easily the post almost writes itself ( Hefting was that way).  Other posts are just the opposite, I don't really know the topic (problems for men who knit) or are so complicated (how to go about designing a pattern for, well just about anything) that they remain ideas out there to write later.  Or, as in the case of today's post, I just know the subject of the post is going to have problems about the exposure. For three years now I've pondered writing about my Mom on Mother's Day.  But I know Mom, she is an introvert, not in the relatively negative vernacular use of the word, but rather in the Jungian way.  She's not the type to tell you everything about everything she's thinking.  In fact, it might be a challenge at times to know what she thinks about something because she's actually that private. Mom believes a private life is just that private.  She ...

This story took place over 60 years ago.  It starts when a young couple finds out they're going to have a baby after 18 months of marriage.  They live in rural America on a farm and in a nearly 125 year old farmhouse that was remodeled just before their marriage. It was decided that when the contractions started the young woman would hang a towel on the corn crib as the young man was working in the fields.  When he saw it there he'd know it was time to stop and head to the hospital.  Somewhere between 2- 3 pm on a Friday in early May the towel was hung.  The soon-to-be dad became so excited he made a very sharp turn and travelled so quickly back to the house that the 3-bottom plow he was pulling turned upside down and drag the whole way.  Neighbours later reported they knew the time had come because this young man would never make that type of mistake under normal circumstances.  The couple made it to the hospital in plenty of time, it was their fir...

Gram for gram (which is how most non-acrylic yarn is sold) lace weight yarn is your best buy.  It is generally quite fine (think about the width of a thread used for sewing or embroidery thread), but it is also categorized by its ability to hold a shape.   Lace weight yarn is best for creating delicate, web-like items with openwork and is usually knitted or crocheted on larger needles and hooks.  Therefore, a gauge range is difficult to determine for lace weight yarn.  Buy 50 grams (1.76 ounces) of this yarn and you can knit for hours and hours; thus getting your yarn's worth in one rather tiny ball. This post had its beginning in mid-March when my friend Jami and I decided to venture out to the many interesting shops found in the South Vancouver neighborhood of Main Street.  We had planned an afternoon that contained lunch and then leisurely shopping at clothing thrift and consignment shops as well as antique shops in the area.  Our first stop was thwart...

May 5 has been celebrated in the state of Puebla, Mexico and in the U.S. since the late 1800's and literally means 5th of May.  When I lived in California I witnessed these celebrations but was clueless about what exactly was being celebrated.  At the time it appeared to commemorate the Hispanic culture from my POV, which is why it is celebrated in the U.S.   But I didn't realize it also marked the end of French occupation with a Mexican victorious battle that took place in Puebla on this date in 1862.  (Yes, just like New York, New York in the States., there's a Puebla, Puebla in Mexico.)  So apparently depending on where you live you may be memorializing something different. From 1997 to 2003 I lived in Central California and learned to love Mexican food because it was very good and genuine.  At times it was downright exotic; I once ate fried grasshoppers and enjoyed them very much.  They reminded me of potato chips only with furry littl...

Sometime during the day on May 2, 2014 the number of pageviews for this blog passed the 50,000 mark.  For me it is an event worth celebrating and I'll do that by stating a few facts about my blog. By the Numbers 33.67 months blogging 134 weeks + 5 days blogging 943 days blogging 345 posts shared 137 distinct knitting projects shared 1,027 photos shared 3 videos shared 119 views of the Knitting Books page Of those 345 listed below are the top ten most read posts in the order of readership top to bottom, linked to the original if you are interested in reading the post again. Top 10 Most Read Posts The Dachshund - November 15, 2011 Hey, I can do that Myself ! - June 21, 2012 BSJ - July 15, 2013 Sci Fi in Yar n - July 18, 2012 Kim Thomson of Live Wool - August 1, 2013 Be Careful What You Write - July 31, 2012 Earworms and a Sanibel Cowl - June 3, 2012 Stick to Your Knitting - July 24, 2012 U900's Rabbit U - January 10, 2012 The Raccoon - October 3...

Recently in the Knitting Paradise chat room someone posted a survey asking three simple questions. 1) Do you knit your item perfectly, starting over and correcting absolutely every error? 2) Do you allow small errors that will not be noticeable to "stay as they are" and feel a little guilty about it, maybe even calling attention to it to the wearer? 3) Do you allow small errors that will not be noticeable to "stay as they are", with the thought that nothing is perfect anyway, and this makes my piece "artistic"? See the mistake 2/3 of the way  on the left The big hole in the middle is a problem Respondents were asked to select either 1, 2 or 3.  With a total of 178 participants, the raw data broke down like this: 48 -#1 25 -# 2 78 - #3 27 -  It Depends There were some fascinating comments added to the votes.  The 27%  #1 types, often stated they regretted their perfectionism.  It was as if they expected being a pers...