Friday, July 31, 2009

The Knit Nook "Beer Summit" 2009

Every knitter loves their LYS (Local Yarn Store). I am no exception.
The Knit Nook is quite the yarn haven! You should definitely make a visit if & when you find yourself in Louisville, KY.

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Please note fabulous tshirt design by SteigerBeat

I am rarely able to get to the Thursday S & B (Stitch & Bitch) during the school year. Yesterday was the last I'll be able to attend for a while... especially when I resume teaching after school art classes. The owners & patrons are a wonderful group of people who kindly indulge my geeky quirks & foibles... knitterly & otherwise.


I got a wild hair yesterday to celebrate the occurrence of the most wonderfully sensible-yet-ridiculous "Beer Summit" by having our own at the S & B.

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(Apparently, Professor Gates' choice was changed from Red Stripe to Sam Adams Light... we were working with the best info we had at the time. Both of the professor's choices were considered the best options by all us knitterly types.)
More pictures of actual knitters, knitted items, adorable babies & toddlers are posted on the Knit Nook Forum on ravelry...

Monday, July 20, 2009

The BuckyBag!... A Fulled Tribute to Fuller!

This Summer has been far more hectic than I had hoped.

I told myself I just needed a simple, mindless knit-until-you’re-done stressbuster... I swear!

This is mindless once you understand the concept... (If you have two sets of dpns so you don't have to count at all, really.)

I actually wrote down the pattern notes as I went.
I was just playing with the Celestine idea of seamlessly connected geometric shapes with a Fuller inspired set of pentagons & hexagons.

At first, I was not sure if it would felt as a sphere or a star...

Buckminster Fuller, I LUUURVE you!


The BuckyBag!... A Fulled Tribute to Fuller!

Yarn:
~2 skeins Black Cascade 22o
~3 skeins Lion Wool prints

Needles:
~2 sets size 9 dpns
(You can do it on one set, but it gets overly fiddly & a pain to count without at least 7 dpns)
~1 size 9 circular (24" or 32" is fine)

Notions:
~yarn needle
~a knowledge of basic felting (fulling, really)

Pattern for a Pentagon:

CO 17 sts each on 5 dpns (pick up 17 sts from a CO edge when needed)

Knit 5 rounds (3 black, 2 in print wool)

Begin decreases:

Each dpn, k2tog, k to last 2 sts, ssk.

Knit 2 rounds

When you have 3 sts on each dpn:

Knit 2 rounds, then sl1, k2tog, Psso.

Break yarn, use yarn needle to run yarn through loops, pull tight & tie off.

(Just like finishing a beanie hat!)

Pattern for a Hexagon:

CO 17 sts each on 6 dpns (pick up 17 sts from a CO edge when needed)

Knit 5 rounds (3 black, 2 in print wool)

Begin decreases:

Each dpn, k2tog, k to last 2 sts, ssk.

Knit 2 rounds

When you have 3 sts on each dpn:

Knit 2 rounds, then sl1, k2tog, Psso.

Break yarn, use yarn needle to run yarn through loops, pull tight & tie off.

Pattern for a Half-Hexagon:

Pick up 18 sts on pentagon edge, 17 sts on hexagon edge, 18 sts on adjoining pentagon edge

(This will be knit in flat stockinette!... Don't forget to purl back.)

K 5 rows, sl 1st st of every row, knit or purl (3 rows black, 2 rows in print wool)

Begin Decreases: (Some will be done on the purl side!)

Knit side decreases:

Sl1, K2tog, K to last 2 sts, ssk./K2tog, K to last 2 sts, ssk./K2tog, K to last 3 sts, ssk, K1.

Purl side decreases:

Sl1, P2tog, P to last 2 sts, ssp./P2tog, P to last 2 sts, ssp./P2tog, P to last 3 sts, ssp, P1

*Always have 2 rows between decrease rows*

When there are 3 sts on each dpn, work 2 more rows flat.

The RS, or Knit side should be facing you.

(Sl1, K2 tog, psso)* each dpn, 3sts total remain

Turn to WS, Sl1, K2 tog, psso to BO.


Method of Assembly:
1. Begin with a black pentagon...
2. Cast on five sides of a hexagon & pick up the last side on the cast on edge of one side of the original pentagon.
3. For the next three Hexagons, cast on four sides, pick up one side from the last hexagon & pick up one side from the abutting side of the original pentagon.
4. For the fifth hexagon, cast on three sides, pick up one side from the last hexagon, pick up one side from the abutting side of the original pentagon & pick up one side (the only available edge) of your first hexagon.
It will look a bit like this:

5. Make five pentagons, one between each set of touching hexagons by casting on three sides and picking up the last two to connect the shapes.

6. Add five half-hexagons, one between each set of touching pentagons & hexagons to make a "finished" half sphere.

7. Pick up 240 sts in black, place marker at beginning of round & knit for 6 rounds.

8. Switch to the print & knit for 8-10 rounds, or until your yarn is gone.

9. Switch back to black & knit 3 rounds

10. (K10, K2tog)* = 220 sts.

11. Knit 2 rounds

12. (K9, K2tog)* = 200 sts.

13. Knit 2 rounds

14. (K8, K2tog)* = 180 sts.

15. Knit 2 rounds

16. (K7, K2tog)* = 160 sts.

17. Knit 6 rounds

18. Knit 20 sts on one dpn, BO 20 sts. Repeat 3X for 4 handle bases.

19. Each handle:

Knit 20 rows in stockinette using dpns, slipping the 1st stitch of each row.

Sl 1, K2tog, K to last 3 sts, ssk, k1 = 18 sts.

Purl all sts

Repeat until 14 sts remain.

Knit 10 rows in stockinette.

Repeat this on all 4 handle bases.

Graft handles together using Kirchner stitch (instructions abound online).

Full your bag using your favorite method. I used my washing machine for 14 min on permanent press cycle.

It’s Felt-tastic!


I then went ape and made Sammy a soccer ball using the same ideas:

I had a brain pop to turn it into a hat... I'll actually write that up as a real pattern & post it, too.

Summer Weight Cotton Worsted Chullos!


(this is the photo from the online pattern)
Well. I saw this pattern online & fell totally in love!

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/ozyarn-archived

What a gorgeous & super quick knit! Who knew?

However, the wool chullo was VERY warm.

I’ve now used up some worsted cotton stash & scrap to make a summer weight chullo for my bad Spring & Summer hair!

Well. Yes. That hat was lovely.
However, I soon found out it was not the hat for me. Now it graces the lovely noggin’ of my friend Mary... before it got STOLEN!!!

I’ll make another for myself... and another for her.
They go quickly…

I have long since left the original pattern behind.

I'll post a version of the Fleur de Lys when I have it written up.


I also need to work up a pattern or video tutorial for 2-color i-cord. I want to share my “discovery” with the world.
I am in LOVE with the look of it!

Has anyone seen it done elsewhere?

Can anyone help me make a tutorial video & post it?