I looked for, and found, the Muench Yarn website, but neither of the yarns called for in the vest pattern seem to be there: Muench Wuhan, and GGH Sprint. It's knit with one strand of each. Great. So now I've got to figure out what I could substitute. I used to automatically veto patterns that called for circular or double pointed needles. Now that I can do that, the main reason I don't make a pattern is that it calls for some obscure, esoteric yarn that I either can't find or that costs a fortune, or maybe both.

[ Posted by Willa at 11:18 AM ] link me

I decided I'd better make a list of the things I want to make so I don't forget. Just a short list of wonderful patterns that I find, so that when I finish something, I don't have to search for the next thing.

So far:
"Bohemian Bag" from Interweave Knits Winter 00/01 issue. Just a little rectangular woolen bag much like what I think of as Peruvian, or at least South American, woven bags.

"Sweater for your head" from Knitter's Winter 2000 issue. A miniature aran sweater with the neck sewn up, and the sleeves either tied at the top of the head, or not. A funky, funny hat; I don't wear hats, but I've thought about this one for (obviously) almost two years, so I'm going to make it. I'll use Wool Ease in light grey heather.

One I found last night: Lisa Parks' "Liu Had a Dream Short Vest" from "Knitting in America," which I got from the library. It's a really interesting shape, short and wide (kind of like me!). It has a matching cardigan, but I wasn't as crazy about it as the vest; I don't really like the sleeves. I suppose I should photocopy it anyway, just in case.

When I find a pattern I want to make, I photocopy it, then I re-type it. The re-typing has two purposes--one, I convert it into RTF format and download it to my Handspring Visor. I seldom actually follow a pattern from the Visor, but once I have it on there, I can check things like yarn and needle requirements if I'm away from home. The second reason is that typing a pattern helps me to understand it. I'm a quick, good typist, so when I'm typing words I can zone out and not pay attention, but when I'm typing things like "(RS): P1, [RPT, LPT, p2] twice, RPT, LPT, p1," I have to pay attention, and I visualize the stitches in my head.

I was thinking just now that I should make some kind of notebook with patterns in it; when tends to happen is that I photocopy a pattern, stick it in my knitting bag, and then it gets bent and folded over and eventually thrown away. I seldom make anything twice, but I should hang on to the patterns. I also need to do something with my ever-growing collection of yarn labels. Maybe some kind of collage . . .

[ Posted by Willa at 10:56 AM ] link me

Tuesday, August 13, 2002:

I bought some wonderful yarn over the weekend. I had gone to JoAnn to get some knitting needles--they carry Clover Bamboo, although a fairly limited selection--and some Wool Ease to make a hat. As I walked through the yarn aisle, I found something new, Coats & Clark Tweed. It's apparently so new that Coats & Clark doesn't even have it on their website yet. It's gorgeous--I bought Denim, which is mostly a very dark blue with a multicolored thread with white and red and green wound around it. Sounds kind of weird, but it's really beautiful, very subtle. And it's 100% acrylic, but doesn't feel like acrylic at all. I bought all they had--six skeins--since I didn't know what I would end up making with it.

Since I was at the Coats & Clark site, I looked through their free patterns, and decided to make the Casual Friday Vest. It calls for a worsted weight cotton yarn, but I swatched the Denim and it came out the same gauge.

The vest is knit in the round in one piece, so no side seams. I'm just about finished with the bottom ribbing.

[ Posted by Willa at 10:50 AM ] link me