I love the Palm Leaf Wrap I made, and I finally have photos of it to show you. It was especially important to me to get photos because in a few weeks I won't have the actual object. It's intended for someone else, someone who loves everything I knit. (No, not you, sweet husband.) I ended up seaming every other leaf as suggested in the pattern for the "capelet fit." I especially enjoy the way the leaves cuddle my shoulders this way. Look for a review of the book this came from, Loop-d-Loop Lace, in a future post.
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This is my unblocked version of Teva Durham's Palm Leaf Wrap. And here it is pinned out for blocking. Because my son keeps fish, I happen to know the pH of my tap water is extremely basic, so I dissolved a couple tablespoons of acetic acid along with a drop of gentle detergent in cold water to wash the wrap. I regularly do this with red and purple yarns to prevent bleeding because of our water's pH. This tip came from Jill Draper, when I had trouble with a dye that wouldn't stop running when rinsed in plain water. After washing, I laid the wrap out on a couple of towels which were on a carpet remnant on our carpeted floor. I carefully pinned each lobe of the leaf and the two points below each leaf. I can hardly wait for it to dry. The Manos del Uruguay Wool Clasica that I used is a slightly lighter weight than called for in the pattern. It's a thick-and-thin yarn (just what it sounds like) which I thought would lend rusticity to the design. It's also kettle dyed, resulting in subtle tonal variegation which adds dimension to the color. Plus, I just love the company and its fair trade values. Recently I've been trying to stick to buying fair trade or organic yarn. It's not a sacrifice. I don't have a photo of it yet, but I finished the Palm Leaf Wrap this past weekend. I guess bulky lace can get done rather quickly. I've been using Knitter's Pride needles for this and the frock coat. Both needles were the same color as their projects, but these raspberry size 13's remind my husband of walking stick insects in their camouflage. More about Knitter's Pride needles (and a photo of the finished wrap) soon. Look how far along I am on my Palm Leaf Wrap . . . . . . and I haven't even started working on it yet.
(You know how it is, I'm just thinking about it right now, maybe while holding the needles and yarn. . . .) Almost done with my Legacy Frock Coat! It's an actual garment now, and it fits oh so beautifully! I wanted to try it on without putting it on waste yarn. It's not the putting the stitches on so much as getting them off that stresses me out. I had a 24" gauge-sized needle so I just knit with that for a while before trying it on. All was well after the first sleeve, but when I went to put my other arm in I heard the little pop-pop-pop of stitches coming off the needle. Oh well. They didn't run anywhere, so I just slid them back on the needle after taking a few pictures. On an unrelated topic, I had a thrill the other day: the first piece of mail addressed to Kangath Knits! Custom Knits Accessories by Wendy Bernard, photography by Joe Budd, pub. Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2012 This wonderful book is not so much a pattern book---more like a step-by-step guide to building your own designs. Sure, in order to make it an effective guide designer Wendy Bernard had to put in some templates, and as long as she was doing that, she filled them in a little (just to demonstrate, mind you) and ended up with 21 patterns and variations that make it hold its own in the world of pattern books. These patterns are for berets, bonnets, slouch hats, and headbands; scarves, shawls, stoles, and cowls; gloves, mitts, socks, and legwarmers. Divide the number of designs by the number of pattern types and you'll see there's not more than one or two of each represented. That's because Bernard is leaving room for you to riff off her designs---inspired, perhaps, by the suggestions in the "make it your own" section following each pattern. For instance, for the Sangria Shawlette she suggests working it in stripes or with a ruffle at the bottom. She also recommends a couple different yarn ideas. (Incidentally, this is the first book I've seen that opens with a section on substituting yarns!) But if you've read the introduction to its chapter you will also have the tools to change the shape (maybe knitting a full circle instead of a semicircle, or using the sangria lace pattern in a rectangular shawl) or substitute lace patterns (easier if you've also read the section on using stitch dictionaries). Why not do both, and have an original pattern of your own? Bernard even includes step-by-step tutorials on how to determine the amount of yarn your customizations would require, and how to find out whether you might already have enough in those half-used balls you have stuffed in odd corners of your house (or maybe that's just me). Each design includes a pattern features box which details, um, you know, the pattern's features. For instance, the Sand Dollar Slouch Hat (photo at left) features top-down construction, simple cables, and simple shaping, whereas the Jacquard Slouch is worked from the brim to the crown. It helps to be able to see these details at a glance instead of having to comb through the pattern for them. But skimming through the patterns in this book is a breeze. Efficiently phrased instructions (thanks in part to Sue McCain) and generous use of white space prevent eyestrain when searching for construction elements. All the designs look extremely stylish yet wearable. The socks and mitts come in a variety of sizes, but the hats are only given in one size each (although each has different measurements). I know customization is the point of this book, but why should we big-headed gals be expected to do all the work when big-handed and big-footed knitters don't get the same treatment? Grrrr! Bernard includes helpful tables for fiber behavior, yardage requirements, and head and hand measurements, as well as diagrams of various shawl and hat shapings. Stitch patterns are both charted and written out. Schematics are rare, but she describes how to make your own---and why you might want to. She also has a section on converting stitch patterns from working flat to in the round (for hats, mitts, and socks), and several methods for hiding color jogs when working in the round.
This book would be a fabulous addition to a budding designer's library, but it's really written for knitters, timid or fearless, who are ready to launch into improvisatory knitting. Small scale accessories are a pressure-free way to start this journey, and Bernard provides compelling chord changes to solo over.
Disclosure: Stewart, Tabori & Chang sent Kangath a free copy of Custom Knits Accessories for review. Kangath was not compensated for the preceding review. All opinions expressed in the review are the blog author's and are not necessarily the opinions of Stewart, Tabori & Chang or Wendy Bernard. Knitting from the Center Out by Daniel Yuhas, photography by Jody Rogac, pub. Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2012. This book appeared on my doorstep last week, and as you know, when I receive a book for review I don't just flip through it and look at the design photos. But that's what I do first. I like pretty pictures in my knitting books (and cookbooks, for that matter) because they are inspiring. I can look at a pattern (or recipe) and decide whether it looks good. But it's so much more appealing to look at a shiny photo of a styled item and think, "I would wear/use/eat that." On that first flip through, I saw that the designs had been beautifully styled and well photographed, that they were appealing but too simple to be interesting for a knitter of my exalted experience. I have seen reviews of this book which said there was nothing new in it, that it was okay for beginners, but that anyone who knew an increase from a decrease would be yawning by the time they reached the last page. I have seen other reviews which warn that beginning knitters should not even contemplate knitting these designs lest the unwary crafters self-combust. All I can say is they must not have read the book. The lovely Geometric Shrug (above and on the cover) is a wonderfully simple way to show off handpainted yarn. The instructions are well written, with separate instructions for left and right (no short-cut "reverse shaping for left side" here) and a clear schematic. But the construction (which I won't give away, like the end of a suspense novel) is simply ingenious. And indeed, each of the 28 designs in this book has its own clever, fascinating twist---not simply to be clever or fascinating, but to demonstrate the mechanics of a technique or to solve a problem posed by the object itself. For example, the starfish toys on the cover were knit without breaking the yarn. Whee! But if all this sounds too intense, never fear. Illustrator Sun Young Park has rendered the rough sketches provided by Yuhas as charming and copious diagrams throughout the book. Anyone having difficulty visualizing one of his unusual constructions need only study these and all will be well. Most of these designs are more interesting than they look and easier than they sound. I mean you don't really need to know about the Fibonacci series or Archimedian spirals to knit the items in this book. (But isn't it fun to read about them in Yuhas's enthusiastic prose?) On the other hand, the necklace at right isn't just a giant striped I-cord looped around and around. Get the book. You'll see. All the patterns are accompanied by effective charts, sketches, and/or schematics. Yuhas also thought up variations for many of his designs (maybe he just can't stop) and included these at the end of each pattern. Sizing is generous for the most part, and tables or instructions are given for customization of many of the designs where sizing matters. There's another thing that puzzles me about the other reviews. Most of them tout the starting place of the heel-up socks as unique. Have they forgotten about this by Kathleen Sperling? Her socks put the center at the back of the heel (not the bottom), but they look more like socks. Just had to mention it. The photography in this book is really fine. I would like to see the back of the leaf-yoke sweater, and I want to see how the hood of the hood-down hoodie looks when it's worn. But these are minor issues. For the most part, models and pieces are well-lit, details easily discerned, and photo tutorials very clear. I know I haven't gone into quite as much detail as usual about specific designs from this book. They're all amazing and useful. Garments are normal-looking (well, maybe not the cone hats so much) and wearable, yet fascinating to knit (I'll see if this is actually the case when I get around to working one of the patterns). I'm just running into the problem of not wanting to give too much away. This book is a wonderful resource for designers, beginning through expert knitters, and topologists. Enough said. Disclosure: Stewart, Tabori & Chang sent Kangath a free copy of Knitting from the Center Out for review. Kangath was not compensated for the preceding review. All opinions expressed in the review are the blog author's and are not necessarily the opinions of Stewart, Tabori & Chang or Daniel Yuhas. Remember this bonnet? My application of the flowers earned compliments from the designer herself! Turns out I used a special technique without even knowing it, which I only just now discovered on Christine Guest's blog. Her explanation is so clear, I'm passing it on. Enjoy! |
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