In-Vested!

Whoa! Long slack-off. School began, in hospital for a couple of weeks. Yada, yada. No excuses.

Anyway, with summer looming, I’m on a cotton kick. Not that I’ve completed all my previous wooly projects but I’m just jonesin’ to crank on the cotton. Scored the requisite second skein of Katia Jamaica (#4000) from my fav LYS Puppy Yarn in funky recycle shop and student theatre district Shimokitazawa. Here’s what it looks the front looks like (already finished the back):

Cool and island-y

Couldn’t help myself. Also cast on the same vest pattern but in my colors and according to Symbolist poet Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891) ’s Vowel poem. You know, the one where he associates vowels with colors (basically launching the Symbolist poetry movement and the psychedelic study of synesthesia)?

Goes like this:

A Black, (E white), I red, U green, O blue : vowels, I shall tell, one day, of your mysterious origins: A, black velvety jacket of brilliant flies Which buzz around cruel smells,Gulfs of shadow; (E), whiteness of vapours and of tents, Lances of proud glaciers, (white) kings, shivers of cow-parsley; I, purples, spat blood, smile of beautiful lips In anger or in the raptures of penitence;U, waves, divine shudderings of viridian seas, The peace of pastures dotted with animals, the peace of the furrows Which alchemy prints on broad studious foreheads;O, sublime Trumpet full of strange piercing sounds, Silences crossed by Worlds and by Angels: O the Omega, the violet ray of Her Eyes!

- As translated by Oliver Bernard: Arthur Rimbaud, Collected Poems (1962) 

Scary and trippy right? I’m off on a tear now to incorporate those colors into the linen and cotten summer top I’m knitting up for myself. Looks like this:

Rimbaud Vowel Vest

Rimbaud Vowel Vest

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, I got very inspired by the origami mind of Elizabeth Zimmermann to knit the extremely simple but fun Moebius Vest with built-in i-cord (yarn forward then slip (purl-wise) last three stitches of each row).  So far, I’ve done this:

so cool and green

 Against the sour global economy, I’m busy in-vesting!    

My Top Ten Audio Knitcasts for 2009

Last year was a great year for solid and enjoyable knitcasts.  I want to share my top fifteen (or so) list for good knitcasts and then a couple of others as well.

#1 is my guilty pleasure. They may not be highfalutin but Lime & Violet never fail to educate, entertain, and enlighten. Brimming with knit-energy, Starbucks, and gin, these foul-tongued fiberistas got it going on 24/7.  Even tho Lime ain’t been heard from in many a moon, Carin does her best to contain and channel that force of nature that the world knows as Violet (but Sideshow Husband knows as “The Chesticle Host”).  God bless em, these gals’ll be rich n’ famous one day (as opposed to poor and . . .)!

#2 would be on anyone’s list, and almost always is. Number one under “knitting” in iTunes search is Cast On with Brenda Dayne. Long-time caster and a smooth-throated master, Brenda casts out a professional airing every time. Ask anyone.

#3 is David Reidy’s Sticks and String. The guy is so knice, and knowledgable, and knit-busy that I defy you to not be pulled into his bustling Sydney circle. It’s all so well organized and seamless that you feel like you are at the best yarn party every time you listen. His essays are always sensible and vehicles for the “that’s right” insight.

#4 is Stash and Burn. Jenny and Nicole are SF yarnettes with know-how and charm. Phocused yet phun.

#5 is a newbie but already on the lips and iPods of many a string-picker (or thrower, as the case may be): Never Not Knitting. Alana is a pro who share her largesse with the world with creativity and verve.  Seriously, look at her blog: this gal can really knit! Inspirational and elegant.

#6- Knit Spirit

#7- Knit Picks- Top in iTunes under ‘knit”

#8- It’s a Purl, Man

#9- YKnit

#10- Knit Obsession with ZKnits

Honorable Mention for Sheer Heart: Knaked Knits and Knitting at Night

Podcasts that are good as far as they go but have dissappointingly podfaded: Unwound, Yarn Thing, Knitters Uncensored, and SSK

Podcats that I really really really want to like and have listened to every episode but think are just boring every time I do: Stitch Stud and his Bride (who’s the “stud” and where’s the “bride”?-  overly earnest and monotone) . Sorry guy, it’s just dull . . . Infrequent schedule hurts this one as well.

Sweaters for Dragons- I must admit that I’ve never really gotten the dragon/sweater connection. Eric, you are funny when you are with Violet but (I take responsibility here), I may not be geeky enough to appreciate your infrequent, Star Trek-infused podcast. Actually, these last two may be examples of the difficulty of making an good single-presenter podcast. Unless you are really a fascinating speaker (ex. Brenda, Kelley, David), a conversation is usually more interesting.  

More later. My fingers are itching to knit.

Cool Vest or Hot Mess?

Back on track. Have been very busy for a while and unable to really write this blog correctly. I’m back now for a few months (my work cycle is very cyclic . . .) and have lots of time to knit.

As I’ve said before, I’m really not a collector of anything, so not a stash person. I like knitting a project from beginning to end. For me it’s about the interplay of the colors and textures on the needles; uncommitted balls of yarn look kind of lifeless IMO. But, despite my spartan outlook, yes, I have amassed bits and pieces from previous projects. These were bothering me as they were on the verge of  assuming “stash” status, thus ruining my stash-free reputation. Over the new year’s holiday, I got a great idea. I dumped all the bits out onto a shelf, and culled out anything not at least 80% wool, anything too bulky or lace weight, and any very bright colors or black. Then I sorted the yarn into color groupings: blue/grey, green/blue-green, brown/rust/tan, cream (no bright white), and Noro ends with red and black removed. I lined them up and first cut them into 4 metre lengths and then tied these together with square knots, moving in order from group to group and then repeating. I plan to let those ends show in a regular pattern on the front of the work. The resulting yarn is one that I like very much. Reminds me of the sophisticated striping motifs used by Missoni. but also has a bit of the raggity look of used sari yarn. 

 

 

Interesting side note: Livejournal diva/sage sleepsong noticed fron this pic that I had been purling the wrong way, causing a twist in each stitch. I am so grateful. I might have gone on forever screwing up project after project in ignorant bliss! I spent all yesterday doing purl swatches to get the right way into my fingers. It is amazing how much better my knitting looks now! (Duh!)

Thinking of making a sweater vest for me out of this glorious ragtag yarn. Can see it really popping with a brown turtle-neck! Here’s the thing: the last few sweater vests I’ve made,  I’ve thought that the Noro or other striped yarns I like have not offered a flattering horizontal stripe across my body. Anyone relate to that? So, I’d like to do a sweater knit from side-to-side to make my new yarn stripe vertically. Subequent to writing  this I have decide on the Bold Zebra pattern from Guy Knits , done in the vest design from Knitting with Balls. It really allows a striping effect of alternating yarns that I really like while still emphasizing the vertical up and down lines without being knit side-to side. I think this will be a cool vest.

Finally, Knit Time!

At long last, I get time to knit. I should explain. As a Japanese university lecturer, I roughly follow the Japanese school year schedule. That is, school is in session mid-April to mid-July, off from mid-July to mid-September, school from then through  late-December, off for small winter break, then back for two weeks, then off from mid-January to mid-April. I get paid all year but work for about eight and a half months.

So, projects in queue: Forks in the Road sweater, Seraphim shawl, and Bold Zebra sweater vest.  each has its own good points and difficulties.

The Forks in the Road has been started and stopped  so much. I need to jump in and really enjoy what I began. Have frogged it twice due to mistakes, not easy with mohair. I think it will go well now that I can get a rhythm.  

Seraphim Shawl: I’m not exactly feeling it and I had a big shock yesterday. One of the Livejournal diva/sages, sleepsong,  generously pointed out that I have been purling incorrectly, twisting each purl stitch from the wrong side. She was spot-on correct; all projests I have done to date have been flawed with this. At this point in Seraphim, I have totally finished the 58 repeats of stockinette before the lace pattern begins. It took me forever. If I frog it, I will abandon the project. I just can’t redo that boring expanse. So, go on correctly with the lace pattern? Or should I keep purling the wrong way on this project to make it consistent? My inclination is to now continue, purling correctly. I think I will just proceed on and see how it goes, if the change is very apparant but I can justify it with ” this is where it changes to the lace pattern” then I will keep it, If not, maybe froggy pond, here we come. 

Bold Zebra is my current passion, fueled by the fun new yarn I created from odds and ends.  I’ll devote a whole entry just to this. 

More later on my great Christmas knitting ideas this year and plans for a podcast in the New Year!

No FOs but Happy Holidays Anyway!

I’m super busy this time of year. The end of the school year comes soon but the New Year is the BIG occasion in Japan so lots of events and family stuff abounding abundantly.  Holiday knitting? Don’t much happen round here. Committed myself to making lap blankets for family members (giant needles, bulky yarn) for friends and family but hard to really get them finished. At least I can vouch for two, one finished and given to David before he left for England and one more very nearly done for Iichirou. That leaves one more for Tetsuo and Seiko, maybe one for Yukiko and Kyou-chan.  Or maybe they will get theirs much later . . .

So, what do you do when you can’t get your knitted gift goals completed by the holidays? Let me know in this poll:

Readers Demand Full Disclosure!

After the last entry, reader Luneray incisively wrote in to say: 

What, no pics of the portrait on the building? That’s almost as interesting as your thrift-score sweaters!

Well, we here at the hAMImono main offices aim to please, so here is the aforementioned official sign/portrait:

Don't worry, the Iwata Shop will recycle anything!

Sign says: Anshin desu. Benriya desu. Nandemo katazukemasu.

Iwata-ya Tel 402-6848

Translation: Don’t worry. This is a convenient shop. We will take absolutely anything off your hands.

Iwata Shop Tel 402-6848

Also, here is a pic of the whole place. looks like a junk pile but is actually a labyrinth of hidden treasures!

Iwataya Recycle Shop

Again, thanks to reader Luneray for zeroing in on the heart of the previous posting and bringing this lapse to public attention. Her scrutiny has enhanced our lives.

My LRS Rocks (Knitwise)!

“LRS”= local recycle shop (a la LYS). There is one very near my house that is a hoot and a holler. Great stuff, dirt cheap. Run by this funny old guy who is a local celebrity (?). . . HUGE painting of him on front of building. But, better by far than that is that he has this bin on the corner that he just loads old clothes into and anyone can have them for free. Now I’ll be honest: some of the stuff, I wouldn’t line a dogbed with. But, occasionally, astonishing gems are presented for public consumption.

One thing was this silver metallic yarn sleeveless turtleneck sweater . . . Comme des Garcons . . . absolutely gorgeous, would have cost at least 35,000 yen in Tokyo (about $350.00!). Another goodie was this great cabled white wool sweater. I didn’t like the cabling pattern so I frogged the while thing and knit it into a diagonal throw for the living room. Most recent bin-diving delight: a wonderful Canadian Indian wool sweater. Big and thick and warm and buttonless. I handwashed it (some idiot had dry-cleaned it !), depilled the whole thing, and replaced the buttons. Isn’t this gorgeous?!

Found Canadian Sweater

Detail of buttons on Found Canadian Sweater

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I checked online and found a very close sweater for $280 Canadian. Am I lucky (and observant) or what? Also, you can’t say “oh, they don’t know the value of great knitwear in Japan” because a) Tokyo-ites are very fashion-forward, and b) knitwear is super hot and trendy this year, in all the stores and everyone sporting great knits. I’m lovin’ this season and continue to haunt that freebie bin.  I’ve lurked around the shop so much that the other day, the old guy gave me a hot steaming yaki-imo (baked sweet potato)—yum!

New FOs and Mad Skills

Long time, no see.  Been knittin’ n workin’ n livin’. Finished new projects. First the Noro Seaming practice sweater:

Noro Practice Seaming Vest

Love seaming! Picking up stitches- not so much. Lack of technique?

Next up, this, the Arty Sparkle Sweater Vest:

Arty Sparkle Italian Vest

detail of i-corded collar and sporty button

This was a sale yarn from long ago. Lots of it. Black wool, thick and thin, with bits of iridescent sparkle. Fun, huh? No! A nightmare to knit. Splitty, couldn’t see it, … Finally I got tired of fighting with the knitting and decided to deep-six the whole binful by machine knitting a sweater vest. I machine-knit six panels, seamed them together, ribbed the bottom, i-corded free-form around the neck and armholes. Love the result. Warm vest. Learned a lot!

Next on to Forks in the Road from Guy Knits and then manfully forward to the Knee Length Coat. Recently inspired by news of a completed coat by Uvon of Ravelry. His looks really great. Can I do as well?

Frogged Catsass, Emergency Vestwork!

Whoa! Busy! School hit with a vengeance. (Yes, we start school first week of October . . .) Very full schedule but have virtual knitted every day. That is, I think of the knitting and knit it in my head, which is surprisingly unproductive on the actual needles. Go figure. Frogged the Catsass Shawl to harvest the sparkly yarn for a vest.  Here’s why: that yarn is a bitch to knit with. (no names but it’s La Moda Nera Uno) Jet black, wooley, thick and thin, very hard to knit. Almost put my eyes out trying to even cast on . . . So I threaded up my knitting machine and cranked out six separate panels of stockinette. Then I three-needle bound-off all panels. I’m now adjusting the arms and neck and i-cording the holes.  Finally, I’ll pick up stitches around the bottom and make a two-inch hem at the base to bring it all together. We’ll see if it all worked out. Pics will be coming!

Also, on the trail of a very handsome Argyle Vest as encouraged by Alana of the Nevernotknitting podcast. Alana, thank you for the inspiration!

New Inspirations

This summer was a big lift for me, knitting-wise. I really speeded up my knitting, making it much more fun. I discovered that while cotton and I will not be soulmates, we can at least be friends. I learned alot more about new techniques and EZ’s various projects. Worked diligently through three (count em!) three different  wool and sizes of baby Surprise Jackets. Currently, making the EZ Snail Hat to match one of them.

Lil Skunk Toddler Surprise Jacket

I’ve begun a vest in Silk Garden yarn to rev up my attempt to do the Knee-length Coat in Silk Garden. I’m concerned about the seaming . . . but, happily, I have a lot of support from Alana and the gang at the NeverNotKnitting fan forum on Ravelry. Just between you and me, I don’t know if i would go for it if they weren’t there to support me. It’s been a very helpful group so far, knowledgable and friendly. But then, that seems to be the rule with knitters, not sure why . . . 

Mango Lace

The Sunset Picnic lace yarn Series

Got two great samplers of lace yarns from Knit Picks, one in blues and greens, one in reds and salmons. Both rich and sophisticated palates. First thing I had to de-skein all of them and came up with a good system for these really fine-easily tangled yarns. After balling them on my yarn-baller, I get a fine plastic mesh food strainer bag (we use them in the drains of Japanese sinks), pull the bottom through the center of the yarnball and wrap the rest around the ball. Keeps the yarn from tangling/falling apart but allows it to feed to the work. Good system for me! I’ve started Miriam Felton’s Seraphim Shawl in the red series and am planning to use a bit of all the red/salmon yarns in the shawl. The series goes like this: Shadow (100% merino) Sunset Heather, shading into Gloss Lace (70% merino, 30% silk) Chipotle, shading into Shadow Hot Rod, shading into Alpaca Cloud (100% baby alpaca) Papaya, shading into Shimmer (70% baby alpaca, 30% silk) Sunkissed, shading into Gloss Lace Mango. Have also started the same shawl in Filatura di Crosa mohair fingering weight #3001, an opalescent blue-grey shading into lavenders and pale pinks. Why two? Well, this lace knitting is some fine and tedious shit. Even with sharp Addi Turbos, each stitch is hard to see and pick up, easy to split and will take beyond my life expectancy to complete. When I cast on the same thing in my favorite yarn, even though it is mohair and I know lots of people have issues with that, I had doubled what I did with the other within twenty minutes. Encouraging! So, I will continue with this lace spiderwebby stuff as practice but will actually get a shawl in reasonable time out of my workhorse fingering yarn. That works for me.

EZ BSJ Fever

One Elizabeth Zimmermann Baby Surprise Jacket FO. Two more on the needles! Found a use for the Mokely Stripe (100% wool). It’s amazing how addictive this little bugger (the BSJ) is. I’m using the easy pattern to get set for starting a real sweater construction, the Knee-length Coat in Noro Iro from Michael del Vecchio’s Knitting With Balls (page 112).  Got yarn and needles. Can I do it? Or should i try the ASJ first?

Finished BSJ #1

Winter Diamond FO: Sofa Rug, or Shoulder Shrug?

Finished the Ghost Cable Winter Diamond Room Throw today! My design. Fun and easy to knit. I say it again, recycled yarn is a great way to go.

Sofa rug or shoulder shrug?!

It’s a very easy pattern, based on the Lion Brand Baby Love Diagonal Baby Blanket. The center has progressive cable fragments, called “ghost” or “shadow” cables, drifting sinuously to and fro. The many cables pull the square into a long diamond, great as a sofa topper or shoulder cozy in the chill of winter. 

Sofa rug? Shoulder shrug? Your choice. The icy gale shall not prevail! 

Check my Ravelry page for more pics and info on this project.

Finished edging the Origami Hat and Scarf with i-cord . . .

So now on to BSJ, complete with i-cord trim. (But, may *lacivious wink* cast on Seraphim Shawl today . . .)

My Pillow List: Yays and Nays of Knitting in Tokyo

Things I love about knitting in Japan:

• Being Asia, bamboo needles are super cheap, even circs. I get them at 100 yen shops (about a dollar) and have lots of them. OK, yes, I mostly use my Knit Picks Harmony needles but I use my bamboo needles a lot every day as well. The yarn from 100 yen shops sucks but I have used some for theatre productions . . .
• Japan is the home of Mitsuharu Hirose-sama, the Knitting Prince!
• a little-known fact: tatami (rice straw flooring found in every Japanese home) is perfect for blocking. Imagine having a room-sized blocking mat to push pins into. Great for those big honkin’ lace shawls and crazy-long Dr. Who scarves! 
• Japan is the home of Noro * drool* and Habu yarns. Also, Habu’s talented designer Setsuko Torii.
• Japan has four very distinct seasons, with very strict divisions between them and appropriate activities for each. Knitting is Winter activity. Period. In that period, Japanese knitters knit like maniacs. Intense!
• Japanese knitting means chart knitting. Fun and Interesting. 
• Lots of indigo and natural dyed yarns.
• Popular Japanese spiral paper clips (these shown are a German make but we have super cheap ones just like them here) make great stitch markers.
• My job (university professor at Japanese university) gives me lots of time, both during the school term at school and off for months of vacation, to knit. 
• I can knit anywhere or anytime I want. Since I’m a foreigner, I’m expected to do strange things anyway, so no one bats an eye when I knit on the train or in a cafe .  

Things I Don’t Love About Knitting in Japan:

• Not many yarn shops. Most yarns and knitting goods very expensive (like most things here).
• Sock yarn nonexistent. Has to be ordered online. The sock-knitting craze, indeed the knitting boom, never hit here. Knitting is essentially the domain of middle-aged women (blouses) and love-struck teen girls (boyfriend scarves).
• Knitting is strictly seen as A Winter Activity. (See seasonal comment above). Lots of craft stores put away their yarns in the spring and summer!

Some FOs Coming Up!

It’s been great. Lots of knitting time and more on the way. Basically, I’m a house husband this summer . . .

So, the Origami sweater and hat are done except for the i-cord edging. I am practicing my applied i-cord because I know that I want to edge the BSJ with it. I like the finished look.  A great thing I discovered about i-cord: covers a multitude of edging errors (I had to steek the back of the band because I BO too tightly! But, shhhh, don’t tell anybody. Its a secret . . .) . Love that. Here’s what I have so far:

Origami Scarf and Hat- pre i-cord

Ghost Cable Room Throw is coming along, maybe 75% done. I love it. If it comes out well, I’ll post the pattern, my design , here.  

Gotta take an excusion into the Houdini socks by Cat Bourhi. Love her mind!

Will work on BSJ this week. If it comes out OK, will start right in on the Adult Surprise Jacket in Noro.  But what about the Seraphim Shawl?!! So many projects in queue . . .

Ghost Cable On My Table

I’m having a love affair this week with ghost cables These simple and lovely cables, also called shadow cables, or broken cables, are really fragments of cable that begin to join and then disappear in a very elegant way. I found a whole bunch of recycled ecru-colored wool/nylon yarn and decided to do a diagonal lap blanket for those chilly autumn evenings coming up. 

Here’s how much I have so far, about a quarter finished, at 84 stitches in. I’m a big fan of “in-between-go-to” projects like these quick diagonal throws.

Ghost Cable Room Throw so far

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here’s a close-up of the wandering ghost, the broken shadow cable:

Ghost Cable Close-up

Let me tell you the easy and beautiful pattern for the Shadow Cable Room Throw. Looks complicated but interesting, fast, easy, and fun! More later on this . . .