FO: Shawl Collar Vest

In spite of October and November's busyness (this has been an incredibly fast-paced fall term), I managed to get something off of the needles. This shawl collar, shrug-like vest using the Bingo Shawl Collar Vest pattern and done up in Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend (violets colorway).

After completing the piece and blocking it, I discovered that 1) silk really does stretch during blocking and 2) the Manos yarn doesn't draw up as much in the ribbing as the original yarn the pattern called for. Consequently I had a lot more ribbing than I needed. I had to rib back the bottom ribbing and re-knit it to narrower dimensions. Once that was done, I stitched up the seams and tried it on. Second time is a charm!

Because of the softness of the yarn and its variegation, the textured pattern on the back doesn't show up as clearly as it would with a crisper worsted and a single color. Still, I like my little vest, and the Manos yarn is as soft as a cloud. Mmmm! Goes well with the vintage cashmere turtleneck, also soft as a cloud (something my mother ::gasp:: didn't want any more and asked if I'd be interested in).


Now it's back to bed to try to get the better of this nasty chest cold I seem to have picked up. Hack, cough, hack.

Radical Knitter Nabbed by Border Patrol

While yes, a border patrol is necessary to a nation's security, isn't it great to live in a country where we can poke fun at authority?

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Nailed 'Em - Radical Knitting

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

Free pattern books from Bernat

I'm not sure how long this offer will last, so check it out soon. Bernat is offering two free PDF pattern books if you take the Bernat e-survey. Choose your books before taking the survey, because there will only be numbers to choose from at the end. There are two books of baby patterns, two afghan books, and two books of women's garments.

Simple Roll-Brim Suede Hat (free pattern)

The month of November has been all about keeping up with mountains of papers to correct, attempting to keep up with housework and gardening, and, as though that wasn't enough, National Novel Writing Month. I am but 3000 words from the 50,000 word goal, and I shall win! I shall!

But of course there must be knitting time. I managed to whip out this not terribly elegant, but soft, stretchy, and comfortable hat out of some leftover Lion Suede in the stash for a charity project, improvising a pattern of my own. Here 'tis:

4 DPN size 5 for S/M, size 7 for M/L (shown)
1 skein Lion Suede (the hat uses about 2/3 of a 122 yard skein)

Cast on 60 stitches and divide between three needles. Join without twisting.
Knit 5 rounds (though looking at it now, I think 7 would give the brim a better roll)
K2P2 ribbing for seven inches.
Decrease round: K2, P2 together all the way around.
Work 2 more rounds in pattern (K2P1)
Decrease round: K2 tog, P1 all the way around
Work 2 more rounds in pattern (K1 P1)
Knit 2 tog all the way around
Work 1 more round in K all the way around.
Cut yarn, thread through loops on the needles. Pull tight and tie off.

Simple enough, and knits up pretty durn quick. A fast knitter could complete this in an evening.

Swiftly winds the swift

So I've been wanting a swift for some time to make winding skeins of yarn into balls a lot easier. It's tough to get someone to sit still and hold the yarn, and draping the skein across chair backs only kind of works. Still, I balked at spending $70 or $80 on a device that I didn't use all that often when chair backs do kind of work.

Then someone on Ravelry clued me in to this fellow who makes very simple swifts from hardwoods and sells them in the $25-$30 range on eBay, under the seller's name of cbgerstner. Now that I could justify! I dashed over to eBay and ordered me a lovely solid oak swift! (Later when I found out the seller sells on Etsy through the Scotts Mountain Crafts store, I wished I'd bought it there. Etsy's fees are much better for artisans, I find.)

So above is a picture of my new oak swift with a skein of Terra yarn on it just for a pose. Today I needed to wind a ball of Manos Silk for a new project on the needles. A lovely spinny thing on the floor attracted Edison's attention and he came over to inspect:


And to get a closer sniff and even a taste, but swifts are not chew toys:


Oh, what a lovely spinny thingy, that goes around and around and around...


And around some more...

And soon we came to the end of the skein and the end of the fun. The swift works beautifully. Edison approves, and I am pleased.

An off-topic political message: VOTE!

Dearest U.S. readers, consider all those who have struggled, fought, and suffered for your right to cast a private ballot in any election, from the Revolutionary War to the Suffragettes to the volunteers right now who oversee elections to make certain they are conducted fairly. Honor them by casting your vote on or before November 4. (For those in Virginia and other places were the dumb flyer went out telling people of a particular political party to vote on November 5th -- ignore it. It's a stupid, desperate attempt by some to negate the votes of others.)

But when you vote, vote informed!

Rumors are flying at the speed of electrons around the internet about both presidential candidates. Make abundant use of Snopes.com, obamafactcheck.org, and mccainfactcheck.org, and factcheck.org to check your facts. Here is just a sampling of the many false rumors about both candidates that need to be trashed:

Rumors about John McCain:

"McCain admitted to being a war criminal who intentionally bombed women and children." Fact: It was only when he was coerced by torture in a Vietnam prison that McCain wrote this "confession." In a 60 Minutes interview, McCain admitted that he cracked under the pressure.

"McCain fathered an illegitimate black child." Fact: John McCain and his wife, Cindy, have an adopted daughter named Bridget. Cindy McCain had found Bridget, who has dark skin, at Mother Theresa's orphanage in Bangladesh.

"McCain wasn’t born in the United States so he’s not a citizen." Fact: McCain was born on a U.S. military base in Panama to U.S. military personnel who are U.S. citizens.

Rumors about Barak Obama:

"Obama’s career started in Bill Ayres’ living room. Ayres is a known terrorist." Fact: Ayres was a radical in the 60s and did commit illegal acts – when Obama was 8 years old. Later as adults they were both hired by William Annenberg to serve on the Woods board. They do not “pal around” as rumors claim.

"Obama is a Muslim" Fact: Obama is a Christian. And even if he weren’t, the U.S. Constitution grants everyone freedom of religion. There is no religious requirement for the presidency.

"Obama wasn’t born in the United States so he’s not a citizen." Fact: Obama was born in Hawaii two years after Hawaii became a state. The birth certificate can be found in the public records in Hawaii, and a birth announcement appears in the archives of the local newspaper.

"Obama plans to raise taxes for 95% of U.S. citizens." Fact: Obama’s plan actually lowers taxes for people making $200,000 or less – the majority of U.S. citizens.

"Obama suspended his campaign and went to Hawaii to [fill in unfounded rumor of your choice]." Fact: Obama's grandmother is dying and he suspended his campaign to be with her, as any good grandchild ought.

Vote informed! Look up the facts, read your voter's pamphlet, think, question, reason -- and most importantly, VOTE!

ETA: Comments will be screened. Nutjobs from both ends of the political spectrum need not waste their time trying to post rants.

Blog Action Day Post: Sharing the Love Through Knitting

The score so far:

2 thick, woolly baby blankets and one all-wool child's sweater for Afghans for Afghans.
3 knitted bears sent to Africa to comfort AIDS-afflicted children and AIDS orphans via the Mother Bear Project.
1 scarf for a local women's shelter.

And still to come, a hat or scarf or two for Gayla Trail's collection on the You Grow Girl site for a women's shelter in Toronto.

When you love to knit and you love people around you, it's natural to love to knit for the people you love as well as for yourself. Extending that love to people in need isn't much of a leap, as knitters are often naturally generous people who take care of each other as well as others around them. Just ask the lovely people at any knitting group.

Today is Blog Action Day, and this year's theme is Poverty. I took a few moments to reflect on what I have done, and what I might done, to help alleviate poverty in my community and around the world. The Charitable Fund drive is on at work, and I've submitted my pledge in support of a group of local charities. I help provide capital for microloans through Kiva, taking on all the risk and earning no interest other that the good feeling of helping people across the world help themselves. I donate to Heifer International, the worldwide organization that believes in gifts that keep on giving, as the gift of a livestock or trees through Heifer carries the expectation that the recipient will pass on the gift by distributing offspring throughout his or her community.

And I knit. It's easy to sit back in the comfort of my own middle-class home -- pallatial compared with the housing most people in the world live in -- and write checks. It's easy to sit back and knit there, too, but at the very least, knitting requires a certain amount of physical effort on my part. The gift of something made by someone's hands carries with it a personal message of caring that money alone might not convey.

Readers -- and I know I have at least a few -- can you add to the measure of knitted love that's going out into the world? Even just one small item -- a hat, a scarf, a pair of socks? There are so many charities one can knit for, both locally and abroad. Hospitals are often in need of preemie clothing and chemo caps. Women's crisis centers appreciate gifts of toiletries for women who have had to flee from ghastly domestic conflict with only the clothes on their back, and a hand-knitted scarf, cap, or vest is a thoughtful addition to their comfort. Organizations to help pregnant teens and single mothers are in need of baby clothing and blankets. Homeless shelters need warm hats, scarves, gloves, and vests for people who spend most of their time on the streets. Project Linus provides handmade blankets for children enduring trauma. Adopt an Elder needs hand-knitted socks and donations of wool yarn, food, and financial support for impoverished Dineh (Navajo) elders.

There are so many charities one can knit for that the only difficult part is deciding which ones to adopt. After that, it's a simple matter of setting aside a little time each week to work on a charity project. I've discovered that knitting for charities, particularly those with deadlines, has increased my total knitting productivity. Amazing what a deadline can do! And amazing what a little knitted love can do, once it's sent out into the world.

Oh, baby! It's booties!

When there's a baby shower coming up quick, and you just have to knit something... 'cause either everyone there KNOWS you're a knitter and are expecting something hand-knit... or, as in this case, everyone there IS a knitter and it's just kind of the order of the day... booties in DK weight or bigger can be whipped out in no time in anyone's busy schedule.

This pair for a surprise shower coming up this weekend (which I'll have to miss ::sniffle:: because of family obligations that popped up, but I'll still send this gift along) I worked on in bits and pieces, taking about a week to do it, a little at my desk at work, a little at home. If I'd sat down to do them all at once, they would probably have taken no more than an afternoon all together.

And after doing them up in this lovely speckled aqua blue (Cleckheaton Country 8 Ply DK washable wool blend) it finally registers that people have been saying this baby is going to be a girl. Well, never mind. Girls can wear blue, too.

Afghans for Afghans sweater is done!

Last night I finished doing up the seams in mattress stitch -- and now that I've carefully followed the directions in Finishing Techniques for Hand Knitters: Give Your Knitting that Professional Look by Sharon Brant, I understand how to do mattress stitch properly, so that the seam is flattish and the strand I used to sew it up is hidden completely.

After the sewing up came the weaving in of ends, and then it was done! It's ready now to box up and ship off to the Afghans for Afghans collection center.

Absolute unassailable knitting rules

All hail the absolute rules of knitting!

• Never stop in the middle of a row. Always, always finish the row before you set down your knitting!
• Never store your knitting for long on the needles. Always put the live stitches on a holder!
• Never start a project without making, washing, and blocking a swatch. Do not scrimp on the swatch! Do not skip the washing and blocking of the swatch! In fact, do several swatches!
  
• Never under any circumstances join a new yarn in the middle of a row. Never! Always join at the ends of a row!
• When knitting in two colors, always carry floaters loosely across the back of the work. Never weave them in as you go! The color might happen to peek through!

Ah, phooey. Never say never, I say. I've broken every one of these rules at one time or another, and the knitting police have never shown up at my door. Of course, there are consequences for breaking each one of these rules, but if the consequences are terribly minor and you can live with them, then carry on as you will.