Sweet Melodies Tam

Mary Rowe's book Knitted Tams has long inspired me. But I never made anything out of her book. I used her methods and made many a tam. I have read my book so much, the pages are all bent and thin - well loved. So in my sock procrastination knitting frenzy, I decided it was time to pick a project.

I had yarn on hand, that is in stash, to make a charmer called Sweet Melodies. I had to guess at just what she did for ribbing, peerie and length. However, when I look at her blocked tam in the book next to my blocking tam, they are pretty close.

For those tam virgins, you will need a blocking board for this to make the shape stick. I use a very low tech item that I made 15 years ago or more when I first learned how to knit them. I got two disposable pizza tins from the grocer and a piece of cardboard. I cut the three to 11.5" and used masking tape on the edge. It works well and hasn't fallen apart yet. Fancy, eh? When I block, I first wash my tam to remove any hand oils and dirt from knitting and stretch it over the board. the ribbing will appear quite ruffled at first but I suspend the tam blocker over a can of soup and it pulls right in overnight as it dries.

One note, you will have ends to weave in, or at least, I will. I usually steek Fair Isle sweaters and hide my ends in the steek section. But here I weave into the floats. First, it is Shetland yarn, all clingy, and will hold the ends. Second, I don't weave as I go since it can show and the background is often dark. It only took about 45 minutes and I am so much happier with the product. I gently pull my ends to the left and right to see which way to darn them in that closes, not opens the hole made when I change colors. When done properly you will have a hard time figuring out on the right side just where the colors changed.

Slacker

Nothing like a project (7 socks) to make me totally fuck off and make tons of other things. First, there were a quick 3 hats. [Gramma K's Tamm, 2 Turn a Squares]


Then we have some bracelets [2 of my own design and one Circle Get the Square, highly recommended]. Oh, and another cowl. [Good Luck Cowl]


I am also working on swatches for the Walker Treasury Project and did finish a project for the upcoming Spindlicity.

Oh and two more socks are coming along. One of these is hideously ugly. Almost like a bad B movie - so ugly I am compelled to continue.


It seems I have wicked startitis. Luckily, I also have wicked finishitis. Oh, and everything is from stash.

Another holiday gift for you - adjustable width socks

You will find these in my sidebar as Quilted Leaf Socks.

You can adjust the sock's width by adding more or less stitches in the ribbed sections between the lace patterns. Visually, we don't usually notice whether a rib is one or two stitches wide. It is easy to stuff a few more in or just go down to one stitch each. Yet, since these are done in light worsted weight, those stitches can add up to a better fit. Download the pattern and see for yourself.

Enjoy your holiday present from all of us at fiberhouse.

And for those of you who are counting, fiberguy's socks are done and drying - more on them tomorrow.

Fiberguy’s First

The magic of first knitting.
Buffalo Gals Yarn, garter ridge earwarmer, #10 needles.


This wonder taught him at SOAR.

For his next project, he selected socks, on a set of 5 #4 needles. First purling, first circular knitting, first time switching the yarn from front to back for the ribbing. It was going ok, lots of three stitches forward and two back for about 5 rounds. Counting to 4 was sometimes difficult.

We went over how to see the mistakes before I would fix anything, so he could ‘read’ his knitting. Then he had to fly out of town for work. He was obsessed with the knitting at that point. He took it with him and just had to figure out how to get around the circle without help. This is what he brought home!

Sure, there were a few mistakes early on, but he doesn’t seem to mind and left them be. He is not afraid to rip and has taken out 3 or 4 inches at a time – just pulls the needles out – fearless. Soon, about 5 rows from now we will deal with a heel.

Seasonal knitting

Is it the season or the deadlines that cause us such a frenzy right now? I bypassed knitting pandemonium this year for health issues yet I am still knitting at breakneck speed, for me at least. This made me ponder about prior years. I tend to take up the needles in a big way each October. I turn out more finished objects during this period than any other, finishing UFOs collected all year long. Not knitting for the holidays has really made me productive.



In reading my old records, I realize, on average, that I can turn out a worsted or sport sweater in the same amount of time as a complex pair of fine socks. That startled me. Shawls equal ½ to 1 sock. Yet, I always have at least 5 pairs running at a time. I think I need to move onto something other than socks. As nice a package as they are for doctor’s offices or other long waits, I could be doing something more. I only own one pair of store bought socks. Fiberguy isn’t much different. He keeps finding socks that were hidden in a corner of the drawer that he hasn’t seen for quite a while.



Yet, we are still obsessed by them. We dye the yarn and ponder over patterns.

When I finally do other patterns, I am always startled by how fast it can go. I must have read and admired the pattern a hundred times for Flower Basket Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark from Fall 2004 of Interweave Knits. Yet, it took three evenings to knit it and I am slooow. That means that I should just cast on when I see one I like. What is the worst that can happen? I often use handspun, so yarn cost is not always a factor. I actually spent more time looking at that darn pattern than knitting it. The lesson? Cast on early and often.

All FOs All the Time

It’s freaking FOs all the time around here. Ha! Don’t I wish. But it is the end of a long project. What I present today is the music sweater. For those that know me, you have invariably seen me working on this sweater at some time in the last few years. Yes, years. This was knit mostly at concerts (we love the live music). I can point at a section and say, this is John Prine – it must have been a great show, my tension is all off. Oh here is where we saw Reeltime Travelers for the last time. Bob Dylan is in this section. So many concerts, several Durango Meltdowns, folk fests. In saving the sweater for only the special times, the concerts come to mind when we see the sweater.

It is unblocked and the big guy has lost about 30lbs since I started, so it is big. I should be able to block it down and fix that up a bit. I thought you might want to see it anyway. AND, it is OFF the living room table. Yippee.

Pattern: Rosemarkie from Starmore’s Celtic Collection
Yarn: A mix of Jamieson & Smith and Jaggerspun
Needles: #2 & #3 Addi Turbos
Started: Feb ‘03
Finished: Feb ‘07

I am so sad to see this project end. There is so much joy and laughter captured within. You know some people feel like their spirit is captured if you take a photo of them? Well, this sweater captured all that good music and fun.

And, of course, it is Shetland, so it is a joy in itself.





Oh, and just a mention. I am working on a special group project that you may wish to join as a spinner. You don't need a wheel, a spindle will do, but you have to be able to spin and card consistently. You don't need a drum carder, you can use handcards, combs or even dog brushes as long as you can get an even blend. Keep your eyes peeled for my upcoming post. It's a complex proposal, but really easy & fun project. I can't get out to teach this class right now, so I thought I would give it here in the blog. I shall work out the details and let you all know.