Oh, baby!

Knitting continues to happen all around Dunwoody. From the Atlanta Knitting Guild that meets monthly at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church on North Peachtree and my favorite knitting circle at St. Luke's Presbyterian Church to knit-ins at Starbucks and Barnes & Noble, a sometimes surprising (to others) cross-section of knitters gathers to enjoy their craft. Some of my favorite knits come from twenty-somethings who consider knitting part and parcel of the whole self reliance/sustainable movement. (One posted on her blog that she refuses to wear anything she hasn't sewn or knitted herself. Her clothing creations are unbelievably beautiful and detailed ... fashionistas would be very, very envious.)

I've been knitting for babies lately ... organic cotton frocks, richly hued hats and sweaters in all-season cotton, soft blankets, and felted jester boots. It's fun to play with color and texture in creating these gifts and custom orders. I prefer natural fibers for most of my knitting, though sometimes I have to compromise with cotton. By itself, cotton has a tendency to stretch and sag; with a little manmade fiber or wool twisted into the yarn, it can stand up to wear and tear. I've found some amazing organic cotton yarns that hold their own, so I'm busily acquiring hanks of the yarn whenever I find them.

Felted jester booties for a toddler ... when I knit these with wool yarn, they're twice as large as they are when they come out of the hot water felting bath.

Organic cotton ... I love this pattern so much I'm making several more in various combinations of natural beige, cream, and tan

Those little leaves at the waist continue around the back.

A round blanket to wrap around a darling baby. Soft cotton yarn will be easy to wash.

I love Elizabeth Zimmerman's magical Baby Surprise Jacket pattern. I'm pleasantly surprised every time I knit one and love how it fits on babies and toddlers.

I'd still like to knit a custom lace shawl for a follower ... it may take awhile, but when that 100th follower signs up, I'll choose a winner at random, let them choose a color, and knit like crazy to create a lovely shawl.

Dunwoody knitting continues ...

The giving season is here again.

Light Up Dunwoody is tonight (my daughter is marching with the Peachtree Charter Middle School Band), Thanksgiving is this week, and I've filled the pantry and fridge with yummies from Trader Joe's and Publix. The frenzy of activities and preparations will subside and the Knitternall family will have some much-needed quiet time together over the four-day weekend. Since we're spending the holiday here at home, I opted for a combination of somebody-else-made-it and homemade specialties so my time in the kitchen is more fun than chore. 

After many, many hours at the computer working away on my freelance writing assignments, I indulged in a knitting project for a very favorite person. It's finished, and just in time for its newborn recipient. The Upside Down Pansy Hat is definitely an "awwww" - and a very fun project to knit. (I also have a fairly unique assignment: one of the Nature Center volunteers wants an eggplant hat. Yep - eggplant. Seems there's this long tradition of giving a friend all things eggplant through the years. What a hoot.) 

Once Thanksgiving concludes, I'll gear up for the following weekend, which will be a special, first-time event at Dunwoody Nature Center:

Gifts for the Earth                                                    Saturday, December 4, 10 am - Noon at Dunwoody Nature Center

A free family event sponsored by Adrian and Brian Bonser and the Gendell Family Foundation

Turnabout is fair play: make something special for the earth that gives us so much. Make natural feeders and other gifts for the creatures who call Dunwoody home. Share with people you love as gifts from you to them to the earth.

 

Sibling revelry.

"I just realized something," my daughter told me recently. "Adam and I only fight when you're around. We get along great when you're not there."

Oh. My. Goodness.

I knew it.

Pasgetty, please.

Great things are happening this week.

1. The Odyssey of the Mind team is serving up a spaghetti dinner Saturday night from 5:30 - 7:30 at Mill Glen Clubhouse. Adults $5, kids $3. Join us for dinner and help us get the kids to World Finals at Michigan State University! We're selling tickets so we get a head count for the masses of tasty sauce we're simmering for the fundraiser. Post here if you'd like to support the team and eat hearty at the same time.  Darlin' daughter will have presold tickets at Will Call, but walk-ins are certainly welcome as long as the sauce lasts! (Thanks to Mill Glen for letting us use the clubhouse for free.)

3. The City of Dunwoody is taking ownership of our Parks. Hurray! Nothing like a little local control to improve things all around.

4. Peachtree Charter Middle School's Blue Shadow Jazz Band was stood up by DeKalb County Schools transportation department. Despite months of practice, getting dressed in their tuxedo-shirt best, packing up their instruments, and showing up at school on time for the bus . . . they weren't able to compete in the annual Georgia Music Educators Association Jazz Band Competition on Saturday morning.  Because the bus never showed up. Oh, the transportation rep said sorry, but that didn't get the kids to the competition. Huge disappointment for the kids. And I bet we don't see a reimbursement for all the fees the school and parents had to pony up for the competition. And for the 8th grade students, there's no give-back for a lost opportunity to shine.

Nonetheless, they did a stellar job as part of Peachtree's Spring Band Concert, an outdoor event held this past Saturday night. Loved the solos, the crazy clothes (the theme was That's Crazy!), the great percussion bit with trash cans, and the huge turn out by friends and family.  Dunwoody High School's band was a special performing guest, giving the middle school band students a taste of the excellence ahead. Thanks to band teachers Mr. Shores, Mr. Hickman (PCMS), and Mr. Henderson (DHS) for leading the students so capably and enthusiastically.

5. Congratulations to Seth Inman, Valedictorian, and Graham Goldberg, Salutatorian for Dunwoody High School. Side note: both are members of DHS' Mock Trial Team, an amazing group of students who put lots of time and effort into this intensive competition each year.  Yeah, they did lots of other stuff, like take a kazillion AP classes, participate in sports and student government and service organizations, and get major scholarships to impressive schools. And get really, really good grades while juggling all of the above.

6.  School's out on Friday. Summer break begins.  I'm relieved that the stresses of school will go on hiatus. But rather than head back to school on August 9, in the heat of a Southern summer with the highest power bills of the year when we're in dire straits economically, I'd love for us to have year-round school with three-week breaks between sessions. Imagine getting that nothing-planned feeling four times a year! There's a reason Europeans take a break in August from school and work. It's HOT.

7. I'm nearly finished with the neverending Nora's Sweater from Interweave Knits. Can't wait to wear it next fall. But what am I going to knit on the plane and in Michigan during the Odyssey of the Mind festivities?

That wraps up Monday's thoughts. Busy, busy, busy week ahead.

Dream Knitting Tour

This weekend is the annual Dream Gardens Tour of Dunwoody. I'll be manning the desk at the Nature Center to support the wonderful volunteers who make this popular event possible.

What if there was a Dream Knitting Tour of Dunwoody? We'd highlight the knitting rooms, stashes, and samples of five fabulous knitters, a rare peek inside the rarified world of knitting excellence.

Stop 1: The Knitting Room of Fair Isle Expert JW: See the plush rocker where JW knits intricate fair isle patterns into sweaters for her extended family and friends. Watch JW work row after row as the charted design reveals itself in 100% worsted weight wool.

Stop 2: The Knitting Stash of LW, Revealed to the Public for Three Days Only! Two rooms filled with baskets, bins, and cupboards brimming with silks,
cashmeres, wools, handspun, handdyed, linens, and bamboo in a cacophony of color, weight, and rarity. Note that the knitter's spouse is out of town, hence the unexpected revelation of this remarkable stash.

Stop 3: A New-Age Spinning Room. No knitter's home is complete without a spinning room! Explore the decorating possibilities of this beautiful and functional space. The homeowner showcases her array of spinning equipment, from hand-carved pieces to state of the art foot-powered units. Handspun samples are arrayed throughout the room.

Stop 4: Charity Knitting at St. Luke's Presbyterian Church. Join the circle for inspirational knitting ideas, patterns, and samples. You can choose from several projects: scarves and hats for homeless men, layettes for stillborns, prayer shawls, and 9" squares for lapghans and blankets. Each goes to those in need in our own community. The St. Luke's ROCKers (Reaching Out through Crocheting & Knitting) like to chat as much as they enjoy plying their needles and hooks!

Stop 5: Knitter's Boutique. A knitting shopper's delight! You'll find handspun and handyed one-of-a-kind yarns, handcrafted needles, markers, and hooks as well as unique buttons, purse handles, and shawl pins. Exclusive knitting totes and cases are also available. Bring your cash and add to your stash!

What a brilliant idea! I'd buy tickets to this one . . .

Road trip to Greensboro, NC

We visited friends and family in Greensboro, North Carolina over the weekend, spending some wonderful time over terrific food . . . so much food . . . too much food! Wow, can my sister-in-law COOK.

I worked on the Stars project I'm designing and stopped by LYS Yarns Etc. on Elm Street in downtown Greensboro. It's one of my faves for its very nice selection of European yarns and amazing spinning section. Spinning wheels, raw wool, dyed roving, felting boards, and more take up half the floor space in the shop. The look is thrifty (I don't think they did anything after renting the space but put a sign on the door), but the yarns and supplies are wonderful and the prices are surprisingly reasonable, considering the high-end brands.

A nice guy with a beard was relaxing on one of the shop's seen-better-days chairs, chatting with a few knitters. But he welcomed me cheerfully and pointed me to some new stock they'd received.

Which reminds me of T's experience with an Atlanta LYS when he was shopping for my Christmas present. The guy knows nothing about knitting other than that it's occupying WAY too much of my time (in his mind - not mine, of course!). But he gamely decided to obtain a ball winder AND swift. He remembered my frequent visits to Cast-On Cottage, so he started there. They didn't have both items, so they very nicely called around to other LYS and found one (not to be named here) that could help. (Note: I love Cast-On Cottage!)

HOWEVER, it was 4:30. The shop would close at 5. T raced the 30 minutes from Cast-On Cottage, heading down 400 and racing to beat the clock. He arrived a breathless 5 minutes before closing time.

His greeting? Very grumpy shop-persons, who made sure he understood just how irritated they were that he was shopping so close to their "gettin' off time." Lots of huffing and eye-rolling. He made his expensive purchase and got a belligerent thank-you in return.

I'm thinking about returning the thing I wanted so much because the price was too dear. And I'm not talking about the sticker price. I suggested as much to T, but he knows how much I wanted it and is all "mighty hunter fight big-time for woman" so the LYS is getting more than it deserves.

LYS Alert: if a big guy comes in, clearly doesn't know what he's looking for, but is ready to drop mega-bucks on a knitting tool he neither understands nor appreciates, would you PLEASE give him some validation? I'm betting this is the last time T will step into a LYS. Thanks ever so much!

Five Projects I'm Working On This Month

1. Mukluks for AG from Folk Style by Mags Kandis using Patons Classic Merino Wool in turquoise with pink, purple, and chartreuse embroidered accents.
2. Jaywalker socks.
3. "The Stars Project" - more to come on that in the near future.
4. Ballband Dishcloth to replace the one I wore out (it lasted a really, really long time!).
5. Prayer shawl - multi-textural design using a bunch of stash remnants in cream and brown.
   

TriMiters - A Felted Bag

I finished the mitered triangle bag! I'm really pleased with the results. I designed this bag to wear with jeans. My favorite "what do you wear when it's not really dress up, but not exactly casual" outfit is a pair of totally expensive jeans with a long black cabled sweater and black turtleneck. This bag goes perfectly with my trendy duds and gets lots of oohs and aahs.

I call it TriMeters - it's based on mitered triangles tumbling in a pinwheel pattern across the body of the bag. The written instructions are much more complicated than the process - once you've knitted one triangle, it all flows quite logically.

Enjoy!


TriMiters
A mathematical felted handbag by Knitternall

Materials:

• 2 skeins black worsted wool
• 1 skein denim blue worsted wool (I used Cascade 220 for both)
• Size 10 1/2 straight needles
• Size 10 1/2 circular needles
• Size 10 1/2 double-pointed needles
• Four silver D-rings
• Set of black shoulder-length purse straps (I found mine at www.umei.com)

The main design for this handbag is based on a mitered triangle. Six contiguous triangles create a pinwheel pattern across the main body. You will begin with the pinwheel section, four sets of six mitered triangles.

Definitions:
SK2po: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in back, knit 2 stitches together, pass slipped stitch over (also known as a double decrease).

SSK: Slip 2 stitches purlwise, knit both together through back of stitches.

K2tog: Knit two stitches together knitwise.

Directions:

SECTION 1: Pinwheel Mitered Equilateral Triangle Pattern
(You will change colors on the right side - RS.)

With 10 1/2 straight needles:
Row 1: (RS) With blue wool, cast on 37 stitches using long tail method.
Row 2: (WS) K17, SK2po, K17
Row 3: With black wool, K2tog, K14, SK2po, K16
Row 4: K2tog, K13, SK2po, K14
Row 5: With blue wool, K2tog, K27.
Row 6: K2tog, K11, K2po, K12
Row 7: With black wool, K2tog, K9, SK2po, K11
Row 8: K2tog, K8, SK2po, K9
Row 9: With blue wool, K2tog, K17
Row 10: K2tog, K6, SK2po, K7. Break blue wool (you'll weave in end later).
Row 11: With black wool, K2tog, K4, SK2po, K6
Row 12: K2tog, K3, SK2po, K4
Row 13: K2tog, K1, SK2po, K3
Row 14: K2tog, SK2po, K1
Row 15: K1, K2tog, pass second stitch over first stitch, and fasten off.

Pinwheel Diagram

Pinwheel #1
Follow instructions for Basic Mitered Equilateral Triangle to knit Triangle #1.

With right side facing, pick up 19 stitches along base of Triangle #1 (you just cast off in the middle of the base).

Cast on 18 stitches. You now have 37 stitches on your needles.

Triangle #2: Follow instructions for Basic Mitered Equilateral Triangle. You now have two triangles.

Triangles #3 - #6: Continue this pattern, always picking up stitches form the base of the previous triangle, until you have five triangles completed.

To close the pinwheel, seam together Triangle #6 to Triangle #1 with blue wool yarn.

Pinwheel #2
Cast on 19 stitches. Pick up 18 stitches from any side of any triangle in Pinwheel #1.Follow instructions for Basic Mitered Equilateral Triangle, and create 6 new triangles for Pinwheel #2.

Pinwheel #3
Pick up 19 stitches from Triangle #4 of Pinwheel #2. Follow instructions for Pinwheel #1.

Pinwheel #4
Pick up 19 stitches from Triangle #4 of Pinwheel #3. Follow instructions for Pinwheel #1.Join Pinwheel #4 to Pinwheel #1 by seaming sides of the continuous triangles (Triangle #4 in Pinwheel #4 and Triangle #1 in Pinwheel #1) with blue wool yarn.

The center row of pinwheels is now complete.

Now, create a straight field for the pinwheel by knitting mitered triangles in black wool along the top, between the 5th triangle of one pinwheel and the 6th triangle of the adjacent pinwheel. These are NOT equilateral triangles as in the Pinwheel. The angle is much wider, so these mitered triangles will bind off to fit the new angle.

Mitered 120 degree Triangle Pattern
With black wool

Row 1: With RS facing, pick up 37 stitches, 19 from Triangle #5 and 18 from Triangle #6 in adjacent pinwheels.
Rows 3, 5, and all other odd rows: K2tog, knit to center 3 stitches, SK2po, knit to last 2 stitches, K2tog.
Rows 2, 4, and all other even rows: Knit across.
Repeat last two rows until you end with K2tog, SK2po, K2tog.
Knit a row.
Sk2po and fasten off.

Knit the same triangles across the bottom of the pinwheel row, between the 2nd triangle of one pinwheel and the 3rd triangle of the adjacent pinwheel.

SECTION 2: Top Of Bag
With black wool and 10 1/2 circular needles, with RS facing, pick up stitches along tops of Mitered 120 degree Triangles. Knit in round until this section is 2-3" from pick-up row. Bind off.

With blue wool, add knitted I-Cord trim between Mitered 120 degree Triangles and 2-3" black border by picking up stitches from triangles.

I-Cord Trim
Cast on 5 stitches on a 10 1/2 double-pointed needle.
*Slide the stitches back to the beginning of the needle.
Knit 4.
Knit the 5th stitch together with the next stitch in the mitered triangle. Do not turn.
Move the needle with the stitches to left hand.
Pull the yarn across the back of the cord and slide the stitches to the other side of the double-point needle.*
Repeat from *.

When beginning and end of I-cord meet, bind off and weave ends together to create a smooth line.

Finishing
With black wool and tapestry needle, stitch base together.

Felt bag: Place bag in zippered laundry bag. With a small amount of detergent, wash in hottest possible water cycle of top-loading washing machine, checking in ten-minute increments for felting progress. Once you're satisfied, let bag go through rest of rinse/spin cycles.

Block bag by stretching and pulling until it's fairly straight, then placing it on a large box wrapped in plastic. Add more plastic bags until bag has a firm form. Let air dry (may take 2-3 days).

Attach your choice of handles. I used leather straps and d-rings. I made small holes in the felted wool with a seam ripper, just big enough for d-rings to pass through. I then added leather straps, as seen in photo.)

Thanks to Michelle (Michelle's Romantic Tangle), here's a suggestion for the myriad ends these triangles produce. Make sure they're on the "inside" of the bag. Then, after you felt it, CUT THEM OFF! You don't have to weave them in! Thanks, Michelle, for helping me update these directions.

I welcome suggestions and questions and will gladly clarify the instructions as needed!