Harpa ~ A Knitting Finish, Finally

I haven't posted about knitting in a few years, despite my initial intention to make this blog about all my creative pursuits, but it's mostly because I haven't done much knitting for a few years. However, lately I've finally started knitting again, and I'm finding one of my favorite ways to relax is actually putting on a record and knitting. (Yes, record. I had no idea that vinyls are hot amongst millennials right now until recently, I guess I'm just following a trend I wasn't aware of.)

Nowadays, I mostly knit scarves exclusively because I don't have to worry about the size so much. Harpa by Cirilia Rose is a project I started more than 3 and a half years ago, though I finished about 80% of it in the last 6 months. It was a looong project because I could only do a few rows at a time.

I really started to get excited about this project once the pattern started coming out, but I was still filled with a lot of doubts and concerns as I went on, several times being tempted to give up. But I'm glad I didn't, because I love the end result! Like quilting, most of the concerns we have while working on a project disappear when it's done.

This scarf is probably my warmest ever, because it has 4 layers of fabric! I suppose it's a good thing there are a few more weeks of winter left here in Chicagoland, so I might have a chance to use it.

Meanwhile in Yarnville

The very very small subtitle of my blog is "A blog about quilting, knitting, and other creative pursuits". When I started this blog, I had started dabbling in sewing and quilting but working with yarn was still a major part of my life. Over the last few years, it clearly fell off the radar completely, and the last post I made about knitting was January 2018, almost 2 years ago!

And it's because I really haven't worked very much with yarn over the past 2 years. But after visiting Stitches Midwest 2 months ago, I decided I wanted to knit and crochet again. Although I forgot some bits, the muscle memories came back quickly. Having done millions of stitches in the past (probably) surely counted for something.

So it's time to make a post, my one yarn-related post of the year. (Otherwise I really will have to change my subtitle.) These are some of the projects I've completed in the past few months. They're all accessories because that's what I enjoy making. And considering that winter is just around the corner, I'm sure they'll come in very handy!

Inferno Loop

Mohair. I love the way it looks, the way it feels, and I absolutely adore the ethereal, flyaway nature of it.

But I hate working with it. I hate it. That same ethereal, flyaway nature that makes it such a delight to look at and wear makes it a nightmare to knit. I feel like I'm working with air, I'm constantly snagging on it, and it sticks to the needle. That probably explains why this project, which should have taken less than a month, took a year.

But it's finally done! And it's absolutely gorgeous. I've actually made this project once before, and swore never to do it again. But then I saw this amazing skein of yarn at a yarn convention, and I got the mad idea to do it again.

The colors of this yarn is stunning, which is why I couldn't resist it even though it's mohair. It's got shades of red, orange, and some purple, mixed together in a gorgeous explosive blend. Knit using large needles, the tiny fibers look really open and airy, and it truly looks and feels magical.

I'm thrilled with how it turned out. But also, I'm thrilled to be done with it! Never again. (Until I fall in love with another mohair project.)

Poppy Infinity Scarf

I was on quite a long knitting hiatus. I blame it on the weather, though. Who can think of wool and cashmere when it's 85 degrees outside? (I'm sure my lack of knitting has nothing, absolutely nothing to do with the fact that my new longarm is taking up a lot of my attention.)

But something magical happens when fall starts to think about kicking in. Suddenly, my box(es) of yarn starts to look much more appealing, and then, I wanted to knit again! It helps that I fell in love with a gorgeous pattern called the McCallum Cowl. And so, my Poppy Infinity Scarf has become my first finished knit project of the year.

The yarn I used is Dream in Color Jilly, and it is a truly beautiful, luscious yarn. Jilly is a single-ply 100% merino yarn that is super soft and completely luxurious feeling. It is actually superwash ... but I wouldn't have known without reading the label! A lot of superwash yarn feels so dead, but Jilly is vibrant and amazing.

The pattern is easy enough to be relaxing, but interesting enough to be fun. When I first read it, I was very unsure about it because it seemed really complicated for a simple looking project. But once I started working it, it was quite easy to follow. I love that this cowl is bias knit, making it more interesting looking, and the best part about bias knit stockinette is that the edges just don't curl as much.

I'm primarily a quilter and will remain so for the foreseeable future, but I'm happy to bring back knitting into my life. After all, when I'm watching the kids, or on a 6-hour car trip to visit the in-laws, I can't quilt ... but I can knit! Knitting is a different experience as it's so much slower, and as much about the process as the results.

Stitches Midwest 2017

It's Stitches Midwest time! I have to admit that I've not picked up my needles much in the past few ... months. Between my longarm machine and all the quilt tops I've been making, I've been so busy and involved with quilting that I frequently forget to knit. (But I still remember how!) However, my sister-in-law still knits, and we thought it would be a great opportunity to get together and enjoy a girls' day out.

Not to mention the fact that I still do love yarn. A skein of beautiful hand-dyed yarn in muted and moody tones still takes my breath away. So even if I wasn't looking to do a lot of yarn shopping, seeing all that yarny goodness will still elevate my spirits.

But ... I did do some shopping. I found some woven bowls that I had been looking for for more than three years. And of course ... I found my people!

I was really happy to see a quilting store in the midst of all the yarn! I suppose it's not that surprising, because there is some overlap between quilters and knitters, and it seems that Knitting Universe (the company who runs Stitches events) is going toward taking advantage of that overlap and introducing a bit of a mix. I know it's a controversial decision with some knitters, but hey, if that's the direction they're going towards, it sure works for me!

So, here's my haul for the day. It's not much, and it's mostly stuff for quilting, but it was a great day and did I mention how much I love going to conventions?

House Scarves

I didn't manage to complete the duelling house scarves in time for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, as that was almost 2 months ago ... but at least I can credit the movie with giving me the urge to finally make some house scarves, so now I have a pair. Gryffindor and Slytherin. I like them both, but perhaps the Slytherin one a tad more. What can I say, I've always secretly identified with Slytherin house.

As far as I've seen, there are two main versions of the house scarves (and lots of variations in each). There's what I call the junior scarf (1st and 2nd movie) and senior scarf (3rd movie and beyond).

I've always preferred the senior version, though. It has a more mature and subtle feel to it, so that's what I decided to make. I started the Gryffindor scarf by knitting it in a tube using this pattern, but quickly realized it was too wide and too bulky, even for Chicago winters. I then used a different pattern which is done in ribbing. Of all the knitting skills I decided to learn over my short knitting career, switching from English (carry yarn in right hand) to the Continental style (carry yarn in left hand) of knitting is probably one of my best decisions. It's just so much faster. Especially for a stitch like ribbing, which I would hate doing in English style, but in Continental, it's positively fun.

These are probably the closest I will get to proper house scarves. I made these in worsted weight yarn. I think in order to make them look more like the movie versions, I needed to use a smaller yarn, such as a sports weight or even a fingering. But I don't have that much patience. I'm very happy with them as is.

Duelling House Scarves

Does this look like I'm going to make a Christmas project?

Well, I'm not. I would never put red and green together, for one. However, I've been a Harry Potter fan for 14 years, and I've known how to knit for 4 of them. I don't know why I never thought about knitting a house scarf.

That is, until this morning when I was suddenly ceased with the urge to knit a house scarf. I don't even know what house to knit for! When I try to sort myself at the various places online including twice at Pottermore, I always end up either Gryffindor, Slytherin, and occasionally Ravenclaw. (Never Hufflepuff, though). I don't really like Ravenclaw, so it's between Gryffindor and Slytherin. I can't decide.

So I'm going to knit 2 house scarves at the same time. It's too bad I felt the urge to knit a house scarf today and not a month ago, for I'm going to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them next Thursday, and I would love to wear a house scarf there. But since it's only a week away, I just can't finish it that quickly.

Oh well. There's plenty of other opportunities to wear them.

Warm & Tingley Headscarf

What keeps my ears warm, hides bad hair days, and is quicker and easier than a hat? The Warm & Tingley Headscarf, designed by Heidi Kunkel. It's a pattern in the excellent self-published book Needles & Artifice. I think it's only available as a PDF now but I was lucky enough to buy it in print form.

I made one last year in white, and it was super quick and easy to whip up. Instead of sewing on a closure button, I just used a snap and snapped the ends together, and it works fine. However ... I found the yarn to be a bit lacking, as it didn't have enough body to show off the cables nicely. I decided to make another one this year, also in white, but in Blue Sky Alpacas's TECHNO yarn. This is such an interesting yarn, as it's alpaca injected into a silk tube, and thus is unbelievably soft and warm. I made a hat using TECHNO last year, and every time I wore it, I felt like there's a warm fluffy cloud on my head. I had just enough left for this headscarf.

This is definitely a superior version to the one I made last year, and it will be great to ward off the chills when a full on hat isn't necessary. On top of that, it's a really fun knit.

Sorority Wrap

I had already finished my shopping at Stitches South this year, and was sitting down on a chair by the main entrance resting my fatigued feet, when a girl walked by wearing a wrap that was mesmerizing in its beauty. The wrap was shades of green, blue, turquoise, aqua, in a lovely gradient formation, and I couldn't take my eyes off it. I immediately asked her where she got the yarn, and as it turns out, she was a booth worker for Neighborhood Fiber Company, and the wrap she was wearing was a store sample. Well, I broke my budget (again) and snagged up the gradient pack. The pattern was Sorority, and I really liked it because though it was lace, (and I *love* to knit lace) it didn't look fragile and looked perfect for a big cozy wrap for winter.

I wanted more of a scarf and less of a wrap, so I made mine longer and narrower. But I didn't gauge ... and this turned into a wrap after all, it became huge after blocking! This was a quick and easy knit, the lace blocked beautifully, and the colors ... oh wow, the colors. It's almost hard to do it justice with a camera.

This is by far the longest scarf / wrap I've ever made, and it'll be very vibrant and colorful for winter. Scarves are my favorite thing to knit because there's no gauging, but for this one, a little gauge swatch might have spared me the shock of seeing how big it grew after blocking. I should have known.

Wrapped in Lux

At Stitches Midwest, I ran across an interesting yarn that I had never seen before. Lana Grossa Lace Lux is a 67% rayon, 33% wool blend that had the feel of silk mohair. I was so taken with it and curious about knitting with it that I told my cousin-in-law that if she bought the yarn, I would knit the wrap on display for her. Well, it took me awhile, but here it is finally!

The pattern is called Wrapped in Lux, but I didn't follow it very closely. I ended up using a different pattern for the lace edge, called Shower Lace. The rest of the body is just stockinette. Since the lace is directional, I knit up both ends of the wrap and did a kitchener graft in the middle.

The wrap is 72" x 20", drapes beautifully, and I just love the silk-like sheen in the yarn and the subtle mohair-like brushed effect. This is a very clever blend! I did buy some of the yarn for myself, now I just have to figure out what to do with it.

Herrington Infinity Scarf

I started the Herrington Infinity Scarf in March, before quilting took over my free time. Though it's not a big project, it took me 7 months of on and off working to finally finish it. I also suspect the warmer weather has something to do with it, as I'm just not as interested in making cold weather accessories when I can't wear it anytime soon.

However, we're officially into not only knitting season, but knitwear season! I'll get to wear this infinity scarf soon, I hope.

I enjoy doing stranded knitting a lot, and it's even lovelier to see the finished result. This cowl is stranded and double layered, so it's super warm, and I love the interplay of black and variegated blue a lot. I didn't have enough of the original yarn at the end, but happily I found a leftover skein in my stash that is not only from the same brand but also very similarly colored. I alternated it with the original I had and gradually shifted to the new yarn, and I don't think it's that obvious. Or, hopefully, it looks intentional.

Timey Wimey And Then Some Scarf

Double knitting is a contradiction in my knitting life. It's a little magical how it produces an inverse image on each side, and it feels a little bit like counted cross stitch to me. When I'm not doing double knitting, I miss it terribly and am eager to start a double knitting project. In the middle of a project, I can barely believe how tedious it is, and can't wait to finish it. I'm on my 3rd double knitting project at the moment, and for the 3rd time, I'm wondering what the heck I was thinking when I embarked on this project. It's not that it isn't enjoyable when I'm working it, but it is so tedious.

My latest double knitting project is called the Timey Wimey scarf, I named it such after my favorite episode in Doctor Who, Blink, as the scarf consists of Doctor Who inspired motifs. I decided to combine a plain black yarn with a Chroma yarn from KnitPicks, which is a lovely gradient yarn.

I love what I've done so far, but I'm barely 1/3 done. One of the major reasons I'm now so slow with this project is that I've stopped working on it regularly, and instead save it for car trips and vacations. Well, I have a vacation in Alaska coming up next week, so hopefully I'll be able to get some progress made.

Although I can't wait to finish this, I also have a feeling that when it's all done, when it's finally all done, it won't be long before I start to want to start another double knitting project ...

Stitches Midwest 2016

A few months after I first started knitting, (I was still living in California at the time) I was randomly looking at the website of one of the local yarn shops, when I saw: "We'll be closing the store for 2 weeks as we prepare for Stitches West." I had no idea what it was, so I looked it up out of curiosity, and was surprised to find that it was a yarn convention occurring in a few days. A big one. I hesitated about going because I was afraid I'd be too intimidated because I was *so* new at this, but it was about 10 minutes from my house, so I decided to go just to see what it was about. Well, that day my new interest turned into a full-blown obsession. For the next few years, I ate and breathed yarn.

When we finally moved from California to Chicagoland, I was ecstatic to discover that there was a Stitches here too. Stitches Midwest, which was about 15 minutes from my house here. I attended last year, and though it's not nearly as big as Stitches West, it still attracts a large number of vendors and yarn enthusiasts. Last year I walked out with tons of yarn, a loom, and a large hole in my wallet.

This year, my sister-in-law and cousin-in-law decided to come up for Stitches Midwest, so we could have a girls' day out at the convention. I've decided to restrict my budget, because my yarn consumption is slower due to quilting, and there's also Original Sewing & Quilting Expo in October (at the same convention center, even) that I need to save money for.

A few of my favorite vendors are missing this year, but I loved some of the ones that I had never seen before, like WoolBuddy. I've always wanted to try needle felting, and I'm so excited to get some kits to play with this. I'm also always happy to see old favorites like Neighborhood Fiber Company and Dragonfly Fibers. I left with a lot of great stuff, and as expected I exceeded my budget by quite a bit.

I love conventions so much. There's so much excitement and enthusiasm in the air, not to mention shopping galore and a chance to spend time with family and friends.

Aztec Chullo

I've made many hats since I began knitting, but this hat was a first in many ways. It's the first time I made a hat with earflaps, which for some reason I used to fear, it's the first time I worked some fair isle in the flat (which is about as little fun as I've heard), and it's the first time I tried a magic loop technique that does not cause too-tight turns (I'll call it the Magic One Loop).

The pattern I used is from Vogue Knitting The Ultimate Hat Book. It's called the Tasselled Chullo, although I didn't end up adding any tassels as I'm really not a tassel kind of person.

I really hate modeling for hats so in my place is my trusty hat stand.

Spectra

Spectra by Stephen West is a rather popular and well-known pattern in knittingverse. The thing I looked forward to most in Spectra is using my Noro yarn that is a nice gradient. Noro is known for their amazing gradient yarns that change from color to color beautifully, and is one of the few dyers out there who can combine so many colors in their yarn and have it look actually good instead of crazy.

I started this project by combining the gradient yarn with a dark gray yarn, but a few wedges in I realized I really hated it. The colors just didn't pop. I then restarted it with the black yarn for contrast, and I knew I made the right choice. It really made the color pop, and watching the color wheel develop is really fun.

I've done quite a few Stephen West patterns by now, all shawls, and while I found the patterns to always be well written and interesting to knit, I've never found them particularly easy to wear. Like all the others, I had to bunch and shift this one just right. That's fine for a photograph, but for real life, I can't constantly adjust it to make sure it looks good. So I might not be wearing this much.

Moonlit Poncho

Even though I was knitting virtually nonstop for the better part of 3 years, when I got into quilting a few months ago I was so overcome with infatuation for my new hobby that I dropped my needles for awhile. However, what better motivator for getting back into knitting than to do a gift knit for a loved one? I recently completed this Moonlit Poncho by Liz Capik for my mother-in-law.

The knit was very easy, but the silk yarn was not the best in the world to work with. Not only was it very intent on splitting, but it bled so much that my bathtub looks like something out of a horror movie. After 4 baths, it was still bleeding! It's a good thing I didn't combine this yarn with a light color.

I'm very pleased with the finished result, and hope my mother-in-law enjoys wearing it.

Stitches South 2016

This past weekend I went to Stitches South at Opryland in Nashville Tennessee. We packed the kids in the car and drove down to my mother-in-law's house, which is about 3 hours away from Nashville. Then my sister-in-law (fellow knitter), mother-in-law, and I did a one-day trip to Nashville. Venue wise, Opryland is really, really gorgeous! It reminded me of the Venetian Hotel in Vegas ... but even better, as it was a heck of a lot brighter, being under this giant see-through roof. The whole place felt like it was a terrarium, full of plants and there was even a river running through it. Parking was ridiculously expensive so we parked in the movie theatre across the street, which turned out to be a really easy walk to the Delta Portico.

This is my second year at Stitches South, and as it turns out, the last one, as XRX announced that they're not doing Stitches South in 2017, and when it comes back, it won't be at Opryland. I can certainly understand why, as the rooms are expensive, the venue is huge (and hence a LOOOOT of walking) and parking is ridiculously expensive. This year was a little smaller than last year, since apparently there were 4 fiber fests going on that weekend. I only did the Market this year, and didn't bother with classes, demonstrations, or book signings.

I needed to save some money this year to spend at Intl Quilt Fest next week, so I held back a bit and only got things that were really, really special. I still ended up with some very nice things, that I'm looking forward to using!