Briar Rose Fibers Knit-Along

My Elm Row From the Ravelympics

2010-03-02T07:45:00.000-05:00

This was fun to knit. I used BRF 4th of July in a brown/blue colorway.

Go Team Briar Rose!

2010-02-10T10:02:00.005-05:00

Our team has 21 members going to the 2010 Ravelympics!

Training photos are up if you belong to Ravelry, you can go take a gander at the lovely yarn team members have chosen to accompany them on this journey.

Nine different events are entered with participation expected to soar into double digits.

Not a joiner? Drop by the Team thread to cheer on your fellow Briar Rose Fans and maybe get some ideas for that beautiful yarn in your stash.

Ravelympics 2010

2010-01-17T10:07:00.002-05:00

Have you thought about participating in our very own Winter games? Briar Rose Fibers Fans has entered a team in the Ravelympics and we hope you will join us. Just go to the Ravelry thread and leave your name for sign-ups, Poof you are on the team!

Set a challenging goal for yourself to accomplish during the 2010 Winter Olympics between February 12 and February 28th. If you are more of a spectator, please check team progress and root us on.

Anhinga (Sweater)

2009-12-01T07:35:00.004-05:00

I recently finished this sweater using the Anhinga pattern from the Norah Gaughan Collection, Vol. 5 pattern booklet by Berroco. I used Fourth of July yarn from Briar Rose Fibers. I love the fit and design of this sweater! The asymmetrical piece in front adds a unique and stylish twist, and the Fourth of July fiber makes it nice and warm, but without a lot of bulk.

Digital frame: Snap Shot Photo Edges by Rhonna Farrer
Photo by Allan Tobey

Poppy (V-Neck Pullover)

2009-10-30T10:55:00.004-04:00

It's been a long time since I've posted here but I just finished this sweater and thought I'd share. I used Briar Rose Fibers gorgeous Sonoma yarn. The sweater pattern is called Poppy and is from the book Yarn Play by Lisa Shobhana Mason. The sweater is meant to be form fitting but I made mine a little big so I can wear lots of layers underneath on those really cold Michigan days.

Finished "Corduroy"

2009-10-06T21:03:00.003-04:00

After having put this sweater aside numerous times for other, time-sensitive projects, I finally finished it. This is the Corduroy sweater from A Fine Fleece (Lisa Lloyd) and is knit with Legend. I bought this yarn two years ago at Rhinebeck, my first Rhinebeck, actually. I was so overwhelmed by the experience! This yarn waited until I found a pattern I thought would work well with it, something simple to let the yarn speak for itself. I think this was a perfect fit!

Off the Needles, Now

2009-01-18T20:55:00.000-05:00

Just checking back in, with my newly finished sweater! Details and modifications on my blog.

On the Needles Now

2008-12-21T13:49:00.000-05:00

One of the many projects I'm working on now is this sweater for myself, in Charity. The design is Ingenue from the brilliant book, Custom Knits. There's been some buzz about the photo styling in the book, how it's a little over the top, but the more I look at it, the more I like it. I love that knitting is being treated as fashion. There are lots of great styles in this book, and I know I'll knit more sweaters from it. I'm just sorry that this sweater will not look as sexy on me (or at all) as it does on the model.
I just love the monochromatic varigations of this yarn--and, it feels great!

An update on Kendra

2008-11-05T07:57:00.001-05:00

Hey guys, I just wanted to give all of you an update on Kendra, the recipient of the Hope Blanket. Check out her latest blog post here. Woo hoo!!!

Rosebud Scarf

2008-11-04T13:36:00.001-05:00

I started this scarf, hmmm not sure exactly what day but I started it in October and I've been working on it here and there. The pattern is super easy to remember. It's the Rosebud scarf pattern and the yarn is Briar Rose 4th of July.

A green sweater out of Briar Rose Charity

2008-10-22T15:49:00.001-04:00

A new sweater for this season is just what I needed and the Ella Jacket from Simply Shetland 4 caught my eye. The thought to knit it in Briar Rose Charity came a little later and this was toted home from Wisconsin.

The design is knit in one piece beginning at the sleeve. Even the collar is knit one by casting on extra stitches. The sides, sleeve seams, and collar did need to be stitched on to finish.

Garments constructed out of the norm always interest me. Disappointment has struck many times after knitting an amazingly constructed design only to find that the fit is bizarre. Not so with this one, the fit is perfect for my build.

This is sure to be a favorite of mine!

2 skeins Briar Rose Fibers Charity
size 7 US Needles
6 buttons from Briar Rose Fibers

See it on Ravelry

Kendra has her blanket

2008-08-11T12:44:00.002-04:00

The Hope Blanket has made it's way to Kendra, safe and sound. Check out her most recent blog post to see pics of her with it and to read about her crazy cancer journey.

Thanks again to all of you who donated to the Hope Lodge and for the work that was put into the gorgeous blanket.

A shrug knit in Charity

2008-08-01T11:38:00.003-04:00

Charity is one of the newer yarns that Chris has offered us. 900 yards of Corridale and it is absolutely lovely.

This pattern is Ursula from Knits Three Ways by Melissa Matthay.

The ribbed edging causes the sleeves to pull in a bit. Try knitting the lace piece about 2” longer to compensate.

There is 5 1/2 ounces left from one skein which is plenty of yarn for another project.

Bugg and I both like the ribbing and it makes this shrug fit nicely. We have other shrugs that slip around the shoulders and adding a ribbing such as this will make a much better fit.

See it on Ravelry

Remember that blanket?

2008-07-04T10:33:00.001-04:00

The Hope blanket was a labor of love and so many wonderful knitters donated their time and creative energy to help me make that happen.

When it became time to give it away, I alphabetized all of the donor's names and asked for a number from Random.org

Amy won the blanket and soon after sent an e-mail that she has a good friend - Kendra - who is in treatment for colorectal cancer. Amy had made the donation in Kendra's honor and has gifted her the blanket. Kendra shares her amazing journey on her blog.

Please make your own journey over to read and know that by contributing in any way has helped. I pray that the Hope blanket will provide just that for Kendra.

Can't Say No to Chris

2008-06-17T23:29:00.003-04:00

I'm not a fan of lace knitting in general. I do have an appreciation for it, but I've just not knit a lot of it. When Chris asked me to make a sample for the booth, I just couldn't say no. I had wanted to try a Knitspot design, and I love knitting and wearing Blue Faced Leicester. This yarn is Glory Days, and the design is the Oh Canada stole. I'm thinking that a stole might be a more modern interpretation of a shawl, and perhaps more suited for my style (or lack of). I loved knitting this, much to my surprise, and want to knit one for myself now.

2008-06-17T23:27:00.001-04:00

Who's more deserving to be wrapped up in Blue Faced Leicester luxury than my little Piccolo?

Still Knitting the Briar Rose

2008-05-30T10:20:00.003-04:00

This sweater for my dog, Piccolo, is from two shades of Beth Ann, with a little hand painted purchased at a craft show for the trim. It's a new favorite sweater. I plan on making more, and writing the pattern soon.

Alka shawl

2008-05-23T10:30:00.001-04:00

The proper way to photograph shawls in a way that captures their true beauty always escapes me!

See it on Ravelry

This is a sample for Chris - maybe you can see it in person at one of her upcoming shows.

Is anyone working on projects with Briar Rose, or has everyone deserted to the Ravelry group?

Helping to ease cancer

2008-04-24T13:03:00.002-04:00

This blanket has been a labor of love. I asked for fiber, Chris sent it. I asked for knitting and designing, the incredible knitters did it. Now, I've done my part with sewing and edging the blanket - all 48" x 64" of it!

We are 26% toward our goal of $2000.00. If you haven't donated yet, please visit the American Cancer Society site we have set up and donate anything you can to help.

Thank you so much!

See it on Ravelry

Seriously, I'm sewing!

2008-04-16T12:29:00.002-04:00

...waylayed a few days by oral surgery but I'm back on track now!

Fiber can be finicky and I've decided to block again as sewing progresses which should make the final few seams a breeze.

I wish you could touch this for yourself - it is incredible!

Scotch Thistle Stole

2008-04-12T19:37:00.000-04:00

Scotch Grace Thistle finished (8)
Originally uploaded by kniterella

A little break from stitching on the charity blanket netted a couple of photos.

Details on Ravelry but for those of you who have not joined up yet:

Scotch Thistle Lace Stole
500 yards of Briar Rose Fibers Grace
Size 5 needles
Finished size: 68" long, 17 1/2" wide

This was a quick knit (seriously!) that was cast-on the first day of Spring Break and finished a little more than a week later.

Better photos may come later. My favorites are always the modeled shots.

Edited to add modeled photos - more thanks to Bugg.

Tomten!

2008-04-04T04:35:00.004-04:00

This is the second Tomten I've knit and the first for an adult. What follows is a brief run down of the project. I picked up the yarn at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool show from Chris at Briar Rose. ( Insert gushing sigh here)
Every time this sweater was pulled out in public to knit I ended up giving out the website. The colors are gorgeous and the yarn was a delight to work with. I used approximately 10 skeins of Beth Ann. Using a US size nine needle, I alternated between skeins at the end of every row and ended up with a few small remnants. I over estimated how much yarn I would need to complete the project and have a few extra skeins in my stash. I'm sure to come up with something to do with it on Ravelry. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

My source, the indispensable, The Opinionated Knitter (page 42 - 43). (Insert another gushing sigh) I used the same numbers for my sweater as written in the directions for the kids version. My blind following resulted in a sweater that was a wee too narrow for the Scandinavian shoulders I possess. By the time this revelation had sufficiently sunk in I had already knit both sleeves. Poo. The thought of ripping back to what amounted to the very beginnings to adjust for the necessary width made me cringe. So I knitted on - sure I would come up with a solution - or gift the sweater to a smaller person in my life. In the end I decided to add a button band of sorts across the whole front edge of the sweater. This had the added benefit of adding much needed length to the collar.

The collar features some fancy mitre work. Another bit of EZ genius. I decided the collar would be mostly open and put the mitre on the inside so it would be visible when worn. For a reference check out pg 84 of The Opinionated Knitter.

Yummy garter stitch goodness. Heavens it's tasty and expeditious!

Spring is approaching, despite the dumping of a few inches this week. I find my Tomten the perfect weight for walking the pooch, counting the robins, in our balmy 40 degree weather.
More details of this project can be found at my blog.

Show and tell

2008-03-25T10:45:00.002-04:00

This is going to be one incredible blanket. There is no rhyme or reason as to how the squares are layed out for blocking. All of the squares are here (although all are not pictured). The remainder will be pinned out today.

Donations are still being accepted!

Perfect

2008-03-23T20:40:00.003-04:00

Way back in November I won some Briar Rose after posting on this Knit-Along. Whoooo Hooo I won I won. Ever since I've been pondering and pondering and I finally think I've decided what to use my Wistful for. As you all probably already know. Briar Rose Fiber fits as part of the "prize stash". Not because I won the fiber but just because its just fabulous. I can't think of knitting something with it that isn't absolutely perfect. This is a very high standard which often prevents me from ever using Briar Rose. Though I do have an ever growing stash of it.

So, as I was saying, pondering, pondering, when I came across a woman wearing a cute sweater that I was sure I'd knit before, but I couldn't place it. I tapped her on the shoulder and asked, "What's the pattern for that sweater?" (it was clearly a hand knit beauty). And before she could even get the second letter out of her mouth, I knew... EZ's Best Baby Sweater! I had knit that pattern, it was just for a much smaller body. Genius! She said she just did the math following EZ's advice and viola, the perfect sweater for Briar Rose. So I've got my pencil out and I'm going to dust the math cobwebs out of my brain and I'll have a Best Briar Rose Sweater for myself made from Wistful. I can't wait!

You KNOW you want this blanket!

2008-03-19T11:33:00.002-04:00

Please help by donating to The American Cancer Society! All of our lives have been touched by Cancer and the opportunity to help further research or just make someone's life a little more comfortable is worthwhile.

Many talented knitters and designers have combined efforts to create a custom blanket that will be given away to someone in appreciation for their donation.

We are 18% toward our goal and all donations are to benefit The Hope Lodge. You can read more about it here.

There are a few packages still in transit and assembly should begin next week.

Thanks to all of the fabulous knitters/designers and to Chris. Can you believe those colors?

For those of you who are interested in having an opportunity to received the finished blanket, you still have time to donate!

A Model Morning Glory

2008-02-24T21:01:00.004-05:00

Just a few photos of the Morning Glory finished last week. I love this pattern even more than before!

What's the story Morning Glory

2008-02-19T17:17:00.004-05:00

The Morning Glory Wrap was a fun knit...I even grew to like the p3togtbl rows. I would like to post modeled photos, but Bugg's schedule is mega-crazy right now (who will model this stuff when she goes to school next year?).
Up Next: Squares for charity. If you haven't had the chance to check out the blog yet, a photo of one of the squares is posted.

Exciting Opportunity

2008-02-12T21:59:00.004-05:00

We all love Briar Rose or we wouldn't be here, right?

How does the opportunity to own your very own custom designed and knit blanket made of Briar Rose Sonoma grab you?

I've organized a donation drive to benefit The Hope Lodge in Grand Rapids - very near Chris' dye studio. You may have read about it in her recent newsletter.

Chris was kind enough to donate a ton of Sonoma and many knitters have agreed to design and knit squares to make the blanket. (I am so excited...)

The link to donate went up yesterday and if you make a donation, your name could be pulled in a random drawing to own your very own FINISHED Briar Rose blanket!

Visit the blog where progress and updates are posted or you can visit the donation site directly here at the American Cancer Society.

Get your family and friends involved - everyone can participate to support those dealing with cancer treatment.

It's Snowing Outside, but It looks like Autumn to Me!!

2008-02-06T13:24:00.000-05:00

I picked this Tuscany up at the Michigan Fiber Fest in August of 2007.

Although I didn't really get to work on it until some nice cold weather showed up

Look! New Retro Cardi! Only took a couple of snowy days to complete!

Thanks everyone at Briar Rose!!! I love it!

It's Finished

2008-01-25T19:35:00.000-05:00

I actually finished this a few weeks ago. The Concentric Vest by Teva Durham in the Fall 2007 Interweave Knits. The short row cables in front are really fun to make. This is a very clever and cute design! I used two strands of Sonoma with a size 15 needle. I've packed and moved my household and studio, and still can't find the yarn to finish the one I started originally!

Dayflower Scarf

2008-01-24T12:56:00.001-05:00

I got my Ravelry invite in November, and I don't think I've signed out of it since! I can lose whole days uploading photos and adding projects and wandering through other people's FO's.

So all I have to show for the last couple of months is this pretty scarf. The pattern is from Barbara Walker's 2nd Treasury of Knitting Patterns, page 311. It's called Dayflower. The fiber is BRF Grace.

Recent Finishes

2008-01-18T15:55:00.000-05:00

My new favorite sweater is "Striped Vest" from Knitty.com. I know it's not striped, but this was the yarn I couldn't leave behind when I saw Chris at Rhinebeck. I knew it would turn into something awesome. And I had the perfect t-shit for it too - even tho I stained it (t-shirt not the sweater thank GOD!) with something the last time I wore it. Now I have to find another t-shirt that works.

I also finished the Rose Bud scarf and I've been wearing it almost every day. It's going to be in the teens and 20s this weekend, so I'll be wrapped in my yummy warm scarf.

What I can never get over is how beautiful the colors are. I have 3 skeins of Grandma's Blessing to make into a shawl and then I'll have used my Rhinebeck Briar Rose purchases. I'm addicted to the stuff I tell ya!!!

david's seamless hybrid

2007-12-27T19:45:00.000-05:00

david got a new christmas sweater . . . knit in briar rose charity, a 100% corriedale worsted weight yarn. it's soft and sturdy, just like him!

Short Row Hat

2007-12-19T17:56:00.000-05:00

Veronik Avery's Short Row Hat has been on my list and the leftover Wistful from Bugg's Shrug seemed the perfect weight.

The construction is interesting and this is a pretty quick knit with minimal ends to weave in or finishing details.

The pattern is free on Interweave, you can find it here along with a great photo.

Happy Holidays! Only 5 more shopping days.....

Concentric Vest

2007-12-12T23:16:00.000-05:00

I'm participating in a knitalong here in Chicago with some other members of my Guild, and the project is the Concentric Vest from the fall 2007 Interweave Knits. I lost some of the yarn that I needed to complete the vest. It's somewhere in my studio, which is such a mess that the yarn is probably hiding underneath something. Other members of my group are finished or are close, and I really wanted this vest, so then the light bulb goes off in my head to start another. Fortunately I had some Sonoma to the rescue!

Christmas gift

2007-12-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

I had this fiber since the end of August with plans of having this project completed by Christmas. I did manage this, however, we had our Christmas early. Gavin will receive his sweater through the mail.

I used Fourth of July fiber and the pattern titled, Mikey Liked it. Love the pattern because of the simplicity and love the fiber because of the texture and the beautiful colors.

Chris you have an amazing eye for color.

Brown Tilly (finally finished)

2007-12-06T15:56:00.000-05:00

The shawl has been finished for a few days and the result is so drastically different from it's beginnings that the post waited for good photos.

The border was adapted from a Barbara Walker book and a picot edging was added to the top.

Directions for the borders have been written out. Finished measurements: 78" across the top and 42" from top to bottom point.

Rosebud Scarf

2007-12-02T09:20:00.000-05:00

This is fairly new and a pattern that is in our small format, so you may have one if you've been to one of the shows. But we never had a photo. Now we do and it's up on the front page of our website for all to enjoy. The one pictured is one that was made from one hank of Fourth of July (two strands), but I am making two now....one with two strands of our new fiber Glory Days, on size 15 needles........the other one is three strands of Glory Days on size 17's. The first one has five rosebuds, the second, three. And for you brownberry.....you could make it on szie 3, 4, or 5 needles and it would be lacey and wispy out of Grandma's Blessings!

http://www.briarrosefibers.net/freepattern.pdf

Twinnings!

2007-12-02T09:09:00.000-05:00

Here is our Twinnings sample from www.knitspot.com . Ours is made from Legend and my very sweet friend Debbie (who contributes here) made this for our booth. I have lots of new Legend stock up now and ANY color would be fabulous in this wrap. It took almost all of one hank.

Suggestions, part deux

2007-12-01T21:46:00.000-05:00

Brown Berry had a great idea. I'm still trying to figure out what I'd like to make with this beautiful Legend yarn. I have 1,500 yards. That would be enough for a sweater, right? But, what pattern? Nothing is jumping out saying, "knit me". If you have any suggestions, I'd really appreciate it. I also feel that this yarn deserves something really special.

Suggestions Please?

2007-12-01T08:55:00.000-05:00

Hello BRF fans!

I'm so in awe and envy of the gorgeous projects I see out here, and I must admit that I have yet to cast on anything from my Briar Rose because it is the kind of yarn that deserves JUST the right project. I started and frogged a pair of fingerless gloves because I was knitting them too tight. Still open to that as a project idea though...

I have 400 yards of Grandma's Blessing (shown here) that I would really like to use soon, so I'm appealing to you for some pattern suggestions. The suggested gauge is 6.5 sts/in on a size 3 needle, and I think this would give a very nice drape.

I welcome any and all suggestions...thanks!

Abundant Hemlock Ring Blanket

2007-11-29T15:14:00.000-05:00

The Hemlock Ring Blanket that Jared Flood modified caught my eye and then there was that huge mass of Abundance acquired at one of Chris' open houses last year. Pairing the two together seemed like the natural thing to do and this is my result.

Blocking this thing was a monster and it turned out to be pretty difficult to photograph. The colors of the Abundance are very difficult to capture

One thing is certain - with the cold winds and freezing temperatures, this is finished just in time!

The 'Black Friday' giveaway

2007-11-27T09:29:00.000-05:00

Debbi and Dawn,

Thank you for sharing your posts. The shopping chaos and holiday Turkeys worked in your favor - only your two names for the drawing. 50% odds are not common in these days.

Dawn - you are the lucky winner of the most recent Briar Rose Fiber giveaway.

Congratulations!

Sonoma Hat

2007-11-25T20:59:00.000-05:00

There's not so much to say about the hat itself. I made the pattern up as I went along. I was a little off on my gauge (despite swatching...I'm a reluctant but faithful swatcher) so it's on the large side.

I'm only posting here to share the photos of my beautiful Sonoma. This was from my first BRF purchase ever. I'd been unsure what to do with it. One skein. Not enough for a sweater. Very brown at heart -- too masculine?

Judge for yourself. I think it makes a beautiful fall woman's hat (as modeled by my son!).

After an age...

2007-11-20T21:23:00.000-05:00

You know that feeling when you know something is just so good that you couldn't possibly get it for yourself. Well, after an age and a half of drooling over the Briar Rose Fiber website, I finally decided that I would get some, not for myself mind you, but as a special gift. My friend and blogging buddy was graduating with her degree in nursing. What better way to celebrate than to get a big, never ending skein of Briar Rose. So I plunged in, ordered the skein, and proceeded to turn green with envy.

Well little did I know that Chris and Biar Rose Fibers were not far off for my own stash. The very next weekend I headed off to Ohio to visit my mom. When I got there she told me she's seen ads for a Sheep and Wool Fest. HA HAAAA! I just love my mom. She knows exactly what I like. Off we went to the Great Lakes Sheep & Wool & Fiber Show in Wooster, Ohio. Whooo Hoooo! and how fabulous, guess who was there.

Look how happy I am. I really could have just climbed right into that basket. I even had to get out my phone and call my friend to crow a bit.
I met Chris!
I touched absolutely all of the fiber!
AND

I bought a huge never ending skein for myself and I didn't even have to get a degree in anything. Isn't it lovely.

In no time at all I was knitting up a storm.
The Through the Looking Glass sweater had caught my eye , so let the needles fly

The moral of the story is that if something seems too good for you, it's probably exactly what you need! :0
LOL

Every Last Scrap

2007-11-18T16:11:00.000-05:00

I can't stand to waste any Briar Rose goodness. This sweater pairs a little leftover Abundance with a solid eggplant color. It has a scoop neck and shorter sleeves because I'm warm blooded. The wide stripe makes objects appear larger than they are? LOL
I've worn this almost non-stop for a month!

Chris, have you ever thought about dying semi-solids to coordinate with your hand painted fibers?

Dream Weaver Shrug

2007-11-18T15:53:00.000-05:00

DW Shrug 15
Originally uploaded by kniterella

It's been a few weeks since something was complete for Bugg and this shrug knit up in 2 days.

Made with Dream Weaver yarn from Briar Rose Fibers - this knit up quickly on size 15's. The yarn is a perfect mix of thick and thin which gave me a couple of ideas for other projects using the same fiber.

I've blocked the border for Brown Tilly and all of the math is complete. I should have time to start putting the border on this week. Also, I cast-on the Hemlock Ring Blanket using Abundance. This pattern was modified by Jared and seems to be all the rave of Ravelry. His photos are fabulous!

My family is coming for Thanksgiving and everyone is bringing their dogs. All of the doggies are below the knee, but there will be 8 including our 2 -- what a challenge!

Brown Tilly, coming right up and did you say 'FREE' Briar Rose?

2007-11-17T10:07:00.000-05:00

Brown Tilly was cast-on in September and has been slowly growing to large proportions. All blocked now and just waiting for some wonderful border.

This is a lovely pattern and is pretty quick to knit.

FREE BRIAR ROSE?

...all you need to do is post a story and I will put your name in the hopper. A name will be drawn on Black Friday to even out the shopping madness. That leaves less than a week to share your story.

and....I'm back!

2007-11-14T09:46:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone!

I am so happy to be able to post to the blog again! Thank you all for your support over the festival season! I was so happy to see some of you at shows and am glad you introduced yourselves. Shows can be really busy and I wish I had more time to visit with people. To celebrate the end of the season....let's have a give a way! Because from now until the holidays are over....it can be really busy at times tell us what projects you'll be working on to get a little bit of knitting time in.

I'll tell you a story.....this was when I first learned to knit. I was making a felted tote bag in the round and you know how mindless that is. It was Christmas time and I needed to shop and drive down the busiest road in our town. I knew there would be a lot of waiting time between lights. I got so much knitting done!!!!!! NO, I wasn't knitting while driving....but I did knit when stopped at lights!

Post a story or project and Kim will pick a name for a fabulous prize of Briar Rose Fibers yarn!

I've made two sets of the Maine Morning Mitts from Clara Parkes new book The Knitter's Book of Yarn: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Using, and Enjoying Yarn
http://www.knittersreview.com/Maine_Morning_Mitts.pdf

I met Clara at Rhinebeck and she is just so sweet! Her mitts are great fun to make and easy. I've been making mine out of our new fiber "Pilgrim". You can make a pair of mitts and a scarf and have fiber to spare! Pilgrim would also make nice squishy socks!

I've missed you all........now it's time to reconnect and have fun!

Rhinebeck

2007-11-12T21:56:00.000-05:00

I was delighted this year to attend my first Sheep and Wool Festival at Rhinebeck. Wow. It was overwhelming to say the least. According to my husband, I had a smile on my face the whole day.

After drooling over the Briar Rose yarns for months, trying to decide what I wanted, I picked up this skein of Legend at their booth. I just gravitated toward this colorway. I don't know the name of it but it's beautiful and soothing. My next task is to figure out what to knit with it. I'm thinking it should be something simple because the colors should take center stage.

A sweater, definitely a sweater!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2007-11-01T13:55:00.000-04:00

Will you all join me in wishing my wonderful mom a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Love you, Mom!!

My Rhinebeck loot!

2007-10-24T16:51:00.000-04:00

Another year at Rhinebeck and I managed to find my way over to the Briar Rose stall just 5 minutes before fair closing! I grabbed just a few items from the odds n ends bin that I am beyond delighted with.

Wants to be a hat

Are fingerless mitts or socks in her future??

Briar Rose people are so nice. I could have stayed and helped them pack up if I wasn't so dogged tired!

Everyone but me was at Rhinebeck...

2007-10-21T09:23:00.000-04:00

...so I finished a sweater!

Celebration Retro 004
Originally uploaded by kniterella

While hunting for the perfect color of Abundance to use for my mom's birthday sweater, Chris and I decided to try a double strand of Celebration.

The Retro Cardigan pattern has just been altered for a variety of sizes and I wanted to test knit a larger size for my mom.

The Celebration was very bulky while wet blocking, but dried to perfection. The bamboo in this yarn should help keep the 'heat' down when worn.

I will get some modeled photos as soon as I can see my mom - her birthday is Nov 23rd!

Autumn Glory

2007-10-16T13:24:00.000-04:00

Tired of spinning my needles on Sedona (yes, I know, I AM making progress, albeit slow)I cast on for Autumn Glory yesterday.

I had three hanks of Autumn-y goodness
(otherwise known as Briar Rose Sonoma)

and the view I had driving back from Michigan last week with the trees, now delineated by the emerging fall color, stacking up in staggered rows, just like a lace pattern.

(Not my picture folks. Truth in advertising.)

Lace, when rendered in a chunky yarn and a large repeat, takes on a whole new perspective.

Vitals: chunky boat neck pullover, skims body, hip length, 3/4 sleeve. Rib repeats at raglan neckline and top of sleeves.

See the trunks in the ribbing design?

(Sorry for the slight blur. I design. I don't shoot ~~well~~.)

And the little trees?

It'll look better once it's blocked.

In the Pipeline

2007-10-15T18:32:00.000-04:00

here's what's shakin' at Sunflower Designs:

Remember the Sedona vest?

She's up to ten inches now, which may not seem like a lot, but when you're working a woven stitch, which takes two rows to knit every stitch on the needle, AND you are working in the round with no side seams, it takes a while, let me tell you.

I am thrilled with how she is turning out. Gorgeous texture and color from a four stitch repeat and a pattern so easy a rank beginner could handle it.

I wanted to produce something less intimidating than Cherry for my second design, something any knitter would be able to knit and proud to show off. I hope this fits the bill.

The yarn is Briar Rose (of course!) handpainted Legend in two colors:

the original desert-y blend of amber, orange, teal, green, and brown

and this custom-dyed rose, copper, eggplant blend (Thanks, Chris!)

Then there is my Roots skirt.

Not for the faint at heart, but eminently worth the effort. The yarn is Briar Rose Fourth of July (love this yarn - soft-squishy-great depth of color)in blues, greens, and browns, the pattern of my own design (natch!)

The skirt is knit in the round from the bottom up. She has a lace edging at the hem, then divides into eight panels, alternating moss stitch and cabling.

The cables are done in twist stitches at this point as they are single stitches. As the skirt progresses up the body, the cabled panels decrease in size, shaping the skirt into a flattering A-line silhouette, while the firmness of the moss stitch should keep it from losing its shape. The cables twist, twine, cross, and eventually join up with one another so that the effect is of a complex root structure twisting down the panels. 376 rows of charting! Phew!

So, I have one for the (easy) money, and one for the show (boy, does she ever!)

Look what I picked up again!

2007-10-10T11:19:00.000-04:00

That would be my Cherry Leaf Shawl from Victorian Lace Today. I'm knitting on the lace border and am about 1/2 way down the first side. I hope to have it done before Rhinebeck so I can say I knitted all the Briar Rose yarn I purchased last year. And I wanted to wear something made of my Briar Rose yarn since I gifted the Retro Cardi to my Mom.

The race is on! Can't wait to see you next weekend Chris!

my favorite new thing

2007-10-09T21:44:00.001-04:00

red cardigan of my own design, knit with briar rose grandma's blessing on size 3 needles.
everything felt right about this project from the start. a few bumps in the road at the blocking stage, but all's well that ends well, and i finally have myself a much-needed new sweater.

Like a Vest, Just Longer

2007-10-07T18:33:00.000-04:00

It's not all vests in my knitting life. I fell in love with the Rannoch dress in Rowan 42, and of course, Fourth of July came to mind as just the perfect thing with the seed stitch and cables. With the colors of the yarn, I'm going to have a lot of choices for what to wear underneath. Still lots more knitting to go.

Celebration Retro Cardigan in progress

2007-10-03T10:22:00.000-04:00

Knitting has been happening. I have caught cast-on-itis and am home sick from work today. Hubs and I took the new toy up North last weekend to the Fiber Festival in Ogemaw County. It was a wonderful day. We sat outside and listened to music while eating - the food was delicious - seee.....

Chris was VERY busy and the yarn I long for flew off of the shelves right before my very eyes. We chose some Celebration to use for the Retro Cardigan. You be the judge on how it is working out.

I have re-sized the pattern and this is the test. So far, so good. The Celebration is double-stranded and knits up nicely. The sizing is right-on and the pattern should be ready once this is complete. The best thing about knitting it this time is there are not large numbers of ends to weave in. I just wound the two skeins into cakes and took off. There is no need to alternate rows to allow for skein variation.

Sorry Bout That!

2007-10-02T10:11:00.000-04:00

OK fight fans. I have reloaded the pictures of the cherry country shawl. Don't know what the problem was, but I think she is fully functional now. Drool all you want. I'll make more...

Ta-Daaah!

2007-10-01T15:52:00.000-04:00

"Cherry oh, Cherry oh, baby,
Don`t you know I`m in need of thee?
If you don`t believe it`s true,
What have you left me to do?
So long I've been waiting,
For you to come right in.
And now that we are together,
Please make my joy run over."

-Eric Donaldson

Do you have any idea how nice it is to be able to tag this post with BOTH "cherry country shawl" and "FOs"?

Without further ado...

Here she is, Miss America...

(Wait a minute - wrong song)

Here she is, her Royal Cherry-dom...

(that's better!)

Vital Statistics:
38" wide by 98” long (after blocking)
1800 yards Briar Rose Fibers Grandma’s Blessing, Sport Weight

Size 5US needles

Took a lot longer than I expected to finish final border, graft it on, wash & block the little lady... Then again, queens have been known to keep their loyal subjects waiting.

Only just released into the world and already, she's a prima donna (sigh!)

Here are a few more beauty shots.

(of the shawl - not me - silly!)

artfully modeled by middle aged woman wearing no makeup...

(Baby Boy's girlfriend was unavailable and trust me, she's w-a-ay better looking!)

obligatory wingspan shot...

ready for her close up...

(again - the shawl - not me)

And a few more showing off her lacy-ness...

How do you like them ~~apples~~ cherries?

close up of blossoming branch and beech leaf edging

And one last shot for the blocking voyeurs (you know who you are!)

Took all day yesterday, but the pattern is ready for sale. Tomorrow I am off to Leland, where the shawl will premier Saturday at Briar Rose's booth at the Fiber Festival. If you're in the area, stop on by and check it out.

Back next week. At that time the pattern will be for sale on the website (assuming I can figure out how to get PayPal set up.)

Thank you to all who have encouraged me in the great cherry odyssey of 2007.

And I'm just getting started..

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!!

2007-10-01T12:08:00.000-04:00

Here I am with my beautiful Christmas Knitting Giveaway Goods. Thank you so much!!!

Extreme Close Up...

I plan to make a Lacey Cable Shrug for my Sister In Law Beth, but we'll see. I kind of fell in love with it while wearing it around the house. No, I didn't just wear it for the photo, I refused to take it off.

An Obsession with Rosebud, part one

2007-09-29T22:01:00.000-04:00

If you do a search on Ravelry for the Rosebud vest, you will find six of mine on display. I love the look of this pattern. Here it is in another incarnation. It's a little dressier, with a little drape. When I was at the Michigan Fiber Festival last month, Chris' booth was my first stop. I was only at the fest for a few minutes before I filled some bags, and had to load them in my car before I finished the rest of the show. This Celebration, the bamboo/(merino?) blend, was one of the happy purchases. I was thinking about what to make, and went with the reliable. I used the yarn doubled, and tweaked the gauge a bit. Another modification I did was a little dart shaping in front. I love the shimmery quality of this yarn. I have another non-Rosebud project in mind for it.
Why the part one in the post title? Because, of course, there's more Rosebud action to follow!

Christmas Knitting (or not) Winner

2007-09-26T19:53:00.000-04:00

Big Congratulations to Holly Bee! Your name was drawn for the giveaway!

3 months?

2007-09-25T08:41:00.000-04:00

Eeek. 3 months until Christmas? That is a little scary. Well I am setting small knitting goals this year so I don't feel overwhelmed. So here goes:

1. slippers for daughter
2. slippers for other daughter's boyfriend
3. socks for mom
4. socks for sister
5. socks for niece
6. slippers for nephew

Hopefully I am remembering everything! I don't work well under pressure. :) I think I better get started!

Finished and Almost Finished

2007-09-24T16:28:00.000-04:00

Finished: The Rosebud Shawl (ends woven in and blocked)

Almost Finished: Hattie's Rose Garden - it just needs to be blocked and the ends woven in.

All I have left in my stash from Briar Rose is a skein of Grandma's Blessing. I'm going to wait to use that -- give some other yarns a chance for a little while.

Lacy Cable Shrug - Fini!

2007-09-23T18:44:00.000-04:00

Bugg's Shrug is finally finished! The pattern is the Lacy Cable Shrug from Briar Rose Fibers. The pattern originally used Earth Song, but Bugg liked the color and texture of Wistful.

We originally purchased 2 hanks at about 8 ounces each and there is about 6 ounces left. The yarn blocked wonderfully!

The matter of those 'good enough for now' buttons is resolved! Chris sent some 'these are THE button' buttons. They are a wonderful addition to my Retro Cardigan.

This sweater is a perfect weight and will get a lot of use in the coming months.

Now....Next project!

My Christmas Wish List

2007-09-22T17:52:00.001-04:00

I'm so paranoid of a knit deadline nowadays that I'm afraid to commit knitting projects to a To Do List. have found though that they are helpful to motivate me at time, so here goes... Between now and Christmas I'd like to have the following complete.

1. The Cobblestone Pullover for my hubby
2. A Rosebud lace shawl for my mom
3. A sweater vest for my nephew due in November
4. A pair of socks (or felted slippers) for each of my 2 daughters
5. A pair of socks for me knit with some Briar Rose Grandma's Blessing

Yeah..definitely wishful thinking...but maybe my work travel will allow for more knitting hours than I suspect. I wish each of you longer days and cozy nights fit for finishing!

Marce

Alley Glamazon

2007-09-22T01:06:00.000-04:00

I'm not really a shawl person. It's not that I don't admire them, but I don't have the life or wardrobe that a shawl would fit in. I also don't have the discipline to follow a chart for hundreds of rows. Most of my life is spent in casual attire. I would like to have things that I can wear when I dash out of the house, to look amazing as I walk my dog, or run the garbage out to the alley. This is the Lacy Cable shrug, knit with two hanks of Fourth of July. It's similar in color to one I saw in Chris' collection, that I fell in love with. It's a shawl, but not. Because it's two long sleeves, it really stays put. There's enough yarn overs for it to qualify as lace, and the four row pattern repeat is easy to memorize. With my wingspan, this was a lot of knitting. I've shown it styled here with my flamingo and swimming pool pajama pants that you would see me in if you were my neighbor and looked out into my back yard in the morning.

rose reds

2007-09-18T13:34:00.000-04:00

gosh it's been forever since i posted here, but i started a new little red cardigan and laura prompted me to share it. this is the sweater i meant to knit last year, but never did. i'm using briar rose grandma's blessing in a gorgeous blood-red color, and working up my own design.

so far i have one front piece completed and part of the other. i usually start with a sleeve, but decided that i needed to see the buttonbands and neckline before i went on to the rest.

i am knitting it on size 3 needles and couldn't be happier with how it is turning out. i'd like to have it done to wear to rhinebeck.

Christmas Knitting List

2007-09-14T16:16:00.001-04:00

Okay, I've been M.I.A. for so long ya'll probably don't even remember who I am. I have a good excuse -- we've been doing "extreme makeover - our home edition," completely redoing the outside of our house (a few photos on my Webshots page) and, now, painting on the inside. I'm tired and sore and have hardly knit a thing all summer.

Here's my plan between now and Christmas:
* Finish my Highland Triangle Shawl, which is being knit from one of Chris's gorgeous yarns (but it's been so long since I started the shawl that I couldn't begin to tell you which one!)
* Knit my dear husband a couple pair of very soft, durable socks for his poor diabetic feet.
* Finish a holiday sweater that I started for myself last January.
* Make a red scarf or two really quickly to send in to The Red Scarf Project for the Orphan Foundation of America

If I get that done, I'll be doing well!

Cheers, Tomme

Totally Autumn

2007-09-14T06:36:00.000-04:00

Hip Hip Hooray! Anne and Chris cooked up a fabulous project using Abundance - it is just published in the new Knitty! Totally Autumn - what a fabulous accessory to help ring in the Fall weather!

Way to go, ladies - that is a beautiful pattern.

Rosebud Shawl -- Off the Needles

2007-09-12T12:55:00.001-04:00

I finished my Rosebud Shawl this weekend.

I don't know why the great color of this yarn isn't coming through on my pictures. Hopefully, we'll have a few sunny days so that GOOD pictures can be taken once its blocked.

The Giveaway!!!

2007-09-08T14:57:00.000-04:00

Ok, fellow knitters...enough teasing has gone on. All you need to do is post your Christmas knit list (don't give away any surprises)! After all, it is never too early to think about our holiday knitting.

The deadline is September 25-exactly 3 months before Christmas. Every Knit-a-long member who has posted their Christmas list by then will have their name entered into the drawing for something wonderful from Chris' workshop.

Good Luck!

Edit: Thank you to Doulicia for some very important suggestions and questions!!

Please post to this blog and if you don't plan to knit for the Holidays, just post your Knitting 'Wish List' - What you would knit for your loved ones - if only you had time and the perfect fiber!

Rosebud Shawl Update

2007-09-07T17:25:00.000-04:00

I meant to post when I was half-way with the shawl, but I was having such a great time knitting, that I forgot. Now, I'm 2/3rds done. How do I know? From the "leaning tower of yarn", there is only one cake left. The other two cakes have been knitted in. :D

Here's a picture of the WIP:

Here's the up-close-and-person, glamour shot:

I don't know why the colors went funky in this shot. But I love the great stitch definition. :D

Labor

2007-09-06T12:45:00.000-04:00

"If a man loves the labor of his trade apart from any question of success or fame, the Gods have called him." - Robert Louis Stevenson

How did you spend the Labor Day weekend?

I spent it ...

laboring (Imagine that!)

While my husband sanded and painted the garage (Way to go, honey!) I spent the weekend knitting.

I think this falls under the category of "nice work if you can get it."

I have been swatching and pondering, doodling and figuring, coloring and canoodling, trying to get the design for my next project down on paper and in yarn, the way I envision it in my head. It's a lot more work than you might think. Trial and error...

Mostly error.

I began with this gorgeous skein of wool from Briar Rose that jumped into my bag at the show in Charlevoix back in July. (Don't you just hate it when that happens?)

Pictures don't do it justice. Trust me. For some reason all the pictures I have taken seem to be brighter and not as rich as the actual yarn.

Anyway, I kept seeing "desert southwest something" whenever I looked at it. I wanted to get that feeling you get when the sun hits the red rocks of Sedona.

I tried a woven stitch because I wanted to get the lateral element found in rock formations, but the piece still seemed flat. Then I combined it with a 3 to 1 rib pattern and...

BINGO! Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!

I thought of a vest, long and lean, to capitalize on the vertical line of the rib. Something with flair. Something that swung. I went to the computer.

(Again with the math. JEESH!)

A few hours later I had my design roughed out. Just one problem. Not enough yarn

Bugger!

I tried alternating rows with brown. Too muddy

I tried rusty red. Too lackluster

I tried blue. Too subtle

I tried orange. Definitely not too subtle. Quite the opposite. Clown barf on steroids.

Then I got too big for my britches. I thought, "I know what I'll do. I'll combine all of the colors in a free form painting type of thing, making it up as I go along."

I was so sure this was the right approach that I cast on the full complement of stitches and dug in.

You can see where this is heading, can't you?

Three days later, I had this:

Doesn't look much like a canyon, does it?

Frustrated and worn out from thinking, I cast on for a mindless project.

I needed time to recoup.

Today I emailed Chris about dying some more of the yarn in copper/rose/eggplant color, swatched again to determine the drape and color gradations with some scraps I had and am now ready to move forward again with it.

I don't want to give away the bank here (because I want all of you to buy the pattern. Do I look like I'm stupid?) but the vest swings away from a more structured bodice area into a looser fabric as it progresses towards the hem. Vest will be a-line, tunic length, open down the front with a high three button closure at the bust. Very slimming.

So my labors have born fruit (finally!) and I can't wait to get started on the model.

Of course there is the small matter of a half finished Cherry to deal with. First things first.

I love my work!

Introduction

2007-09-05T12:31:00.000-04:00

Greetings! I've recently joined this KAL. I haven't decided what to knit yet but I'm leaning towards socks. The yarns are beautiful and I'm still trying to figure out what I'd like to knit with. So many yarns, so little time.

A New Yarn Giveaway?

2007-09-05T11:52:00.001-04:00

There will be a giveaway soon - just a tempter and a teaser, aren't I?

Details coming soon....

Retro Cardigan and Good Enough for now Buttons

2007-09-02T17:46:00.000-04:00

Chris' Retro Cardigan is a sweet little knit (my son says the new 'sweet' is 'sick', but I cannot bring myself to use that word to represent anything in knitting).

Buttons for this baby were/are a challenge. You know how you get something in your head - the perfect thing to finish off a project and then it doesn't seem to exist? The buttons are that something with this sweater. The hunt for the perfect buttons (all 10 of them) will continue thus these are the Good Enough for now Buttons.

Yarn: Briar Rose Tuscany, 4 hanks - I had 5 hanks just in case

Needles: 10 and 10 1/2 circulars

Gauge: 3 sts/inch

It was a little difficult to get good pictures of this yarn. There were shots of it while blocking and the colors were too mottled. The close-up of the buttons is closest to the true color.

Thanks to my Hubs who went on the Great Button Hunt with me and was patient enough to come back for more and take the pictures.

Where I've Been Playing

2007-09-01T23:59:00.000-04:00

It was over a two month wait, but I'm on Ravelry! User name LuckyPenny. I've been adding projects a few at a time, so you can all see how obsessed I am with Rosebud vests. This pic is of my dog, Piccolo, cuddling with Abundance left over from one of the Rosebuds. Behind her is a design from that big project that I've been working on, with some of the Abundance along with other leftovers.

New Member

2007-08-29T19:39:00.000-04:00

Hello! I'm new to this KAL and thought I should post an introduction. I'm errs on Knitty and Kr and on Ravelry. I'm really excited as I'm finally going start the Rosebud Shawl -- once I finish my husband's scarf.

I'm using 4th of July. I'm attaching a picture of the yarn wound into cakes. My wonderful husband managed to wind the entire skein into several cakes without making a single cut! Only two end to weave in. :D

The Expanding Rosebud Wardrobe

2007-08-27T20:36:00.000-04:00

I'm playing around with the gauge on the Rosebud pattern as written. This is a double strand knit on a size 11 needle. I'm thinking that the 1200 yard hank will be enough. I'm trying to knit down my Briar Rose stash, as I have an idea about what I want to knit next, and I'm going to the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival on September 8 to get some Abundance.

Finished Tilly Shawl

2007-08-26T11:20:00.000-04:00

My Tilly has been in the works for quite awhile. Ultimately, it took two blocks to get this where I wanted it. There are a couple of other edgings and techniques that will work better than the knitted on border this Tilly ended up with. Soon, I will be re-doing some aspects to this pattern and I plan to swatch many of my ideas to see how they work out.

Tilly's Garden Shawl from Briar Rose Fibers
Finished measurements:58" across the top and 37" long
Yarn: Briar Rose Fibers Legend
Yardage: ? I had two hanks to begin with and have finished this as well as my 'V' neck pullover. Enough yardage remains for another project.

Wingspan

2007-08-23T23:30:00.000-04:00

As I go forward knitting this, is occurs to me that I have very long arms. This is the Lacy Cable Shrug, using two colors of Fourth of July worked alternately to create this lovely blue green mottled effect. I would say that I'm about 75% done. I'm going to wear this a lot, I think. I don't have the type of lifestyle or wardrobe that works for a shawl. This has just enough lace to be feminine, but not too much that I might look silly wearing. If I'm wearing this, will anyone notice, as I run my dog out in front for some business, that I've got my pajamas on?

2007-08-16T12:27:00.001-04:00

Life is just a bowl of cherries
So live and laugh,
Laugh and love
Live and laugh at it all!

In the beginning...

was the cherry tree

which bloomed and brought forth...

the cherry

which inspired...

the pattern

which needed a suitable yarn to dance with...

(Pay attention boys and girls, cause this is where it gets interesting.)

A comely lass named Chris answered my plea with...

two big cherry bombs
(Grandma's Blessing)

which turned into...

several juicy yarn cakes

which knit up into...

a pretty good start

which looks like...

this!

(when it has room to stretch out)

Introducing: the Cherry Country Shawl (coming soon to a fiber festival near YOU!)

because...

the story doesn't end there. Oh no! The beauteous and talented Chris will be selling said pattern upon its completion (as soon as my cramped little fingers can churn it out.)

And that, my friends is why...

Life is just a bowl of cherries

And no pits.

Central Park Hoodie

2007-08-09T15:13:00.000-04:00

It's all finished! Never mind that it's 90 degrees with 90% humidity... well to be honest, I do mind. :) What can I say about this pattern that hasn't already been said? It's fun to knit! It's written for a snug fit, especially the sleeves, so consider making a size larger than you ordinarily would. Abundance relaxed beautifully with blocking.

Now I'm all ready for fall, and for NYS Sheep & Wool festival. Who's with me?

Clementine Shawlette

2007-08-03T14:27:00.000-04:00

Two days ago I bound off the Clementine Shawlette. I have yet to block it, but was eager to post photos, so here they are.

Pattern: Clementine Shawlette, Interweave Knits, Spring, 2007. Designed by one of my personal favorites, Michele Rose Orne.

Yarn: 1 skein Briar Rose Fibers' Sea Pearl (50% Merino, 50% tencel).

Needles: size 4 Bryspun circular.

Modifications: None.

Notes/Thoughts: Like everyone else who's knit this, I agree it's a great starter pattern for lace. I easily memorized the 3 different rows of patterning and found them easy to repeat. Still, there was counting involved, so I couldn't do it absent-mindedly.

I love the yarn. Sea Pearl has a pretty sheen, a soft drape, and felt so nice on my fingers. One skein was the perfect length (I have maybe 5 yards left) and perfect weight for the project. These photos don't do justice to the color, a mix of grey-blues, sea-green-teal and plum. So pretty yet subtle.

And unlike with Clapotis, I can actually imagine wearing this little shawl.

Hattie's Rose Garden Pattern

2007-08-01T07:57:00.000-04:00

Since you have all bought yarn from Briar Rose Fibers in the past, I would love to share Hattie's Rose Garden Pattern with you. If you would like a copy emailed to you, just send me an email......chris at briarrosefibers dot net.
Corinne made hers with Wistful, which is what our sample is made from, but you could make this wrap (or larger scarf) in almost any of our fibers. Imagine it in Grandma's Blessing (we sell that fiber now in 1200 yd. hanks for shawls).........for a really large wrap!
I am really busy with shows right now, so I'm dyeing every day! woo hoo! I love the fall season that is coming up...I am in my glory dyeing all the wonderful fall colors. The web store is a little low on some fibers, if you need anything, just email me, I probably have it, but it's not on the site. I have Collette and Anna Bell that's not up there!
I hope to see some of you very soon at a show! Thank you all for your support and for sharing your work and photos with us all.

baby stuff

2007-07-29T12:04:00.000-04:00

Long time, no post from my corner. I thought I'd show you some of the stuff that I've been working on for the baby. These items are all from 2 hanks of 4th of July. There's a Rosebud Baby Blanket, hat, sweater, and booties. I still have enough left to make a pair of thumbless mitts! The picture doesn't do the color justice, but they are festive fall colors - perfect for an Oct. baby!

(Patterns: Baby Blanket - pattern in the works; Sweater - raglan, from Debbie Bliss; Hat - just made it up; Booties - from Holiday Knits.)

Obsession

2007-07-26T23:17:00.001-04:00

I was a exhibitor at the Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Fair this past weekend, and was set up in the same tent as Chris. Can you imagine three days of access to beautiful hand painted fiber? I had that one hank of Wistful that I won in the drawing a few weeks ago. I had no idea what I was going to do with it, so I asked Chris for a recommendation. This is Hattie's Rose Garden. The pattern is written to have the center purl stitch dropped to make ladders, but I don't think I can bear to lose a single lovely stitch. From the wrong side, this looks like a ribbed scarf. On the right side, the bottom flares out, and the body of the scarf has depth and dimension. I work on lots of projects at once, but most have been pushed aside in favor of this one. I carry it around in my handbag, so I can gaze at it and fondle it at work. The fiber blend is so soft and beautiful, and the color! It's a dead ringer for some Sonoma that Chris custom dyed for me. Every hank is truly a work of art.

2007-07-26T23:02:00.000-04:00

A close up of what is going to be my favorite scarf, ever!

Clapotis

2007-07-25T10:14:00.000-04:00

I finished this last week but couldn't get photos until Sunday. And then I found it hard to capture the shawl well. It's at its best when worn. But there was no one to photograph me in it and no model for me to use (other than my four-year-old son).

Pattern: Clapotis, Knitty, Fall 2004

Yarn: Wistful

Needles: size 8 Clover circular bamboo

Modifications: I wanted to see how much I could get from one hank of Wistful. I started to get nervous about half-way through and decided to do only 6 repeats in section 3 (the straight rows) instead of 12. It was the right call. I ended about a yard short overall, but only had 9 or so stitches left at this point and could "just" bind them off. I don't think it's very noticable and I tend to be pretty critical.

I should note that I checked gauge half-way through and saw that I was at 4.25 stitches per inch rather than the 4.75 called for in the pattern. This difference certainly accounts for my not having enough yarn to finish my final rows and may even mean I could have gotten a few more repeats in the center section. I was using 10% more yarn than the pattern anticipated...

Notes/Thoughts: I'm glad to have made this. I'd wanted to for a long time. Having done it once, however, I do not feel the need to do it again. As with all shawls, I just can't imagine when one would wear it. That is my main reservation about making another one.

The yarn was, as always with Briar Rose Fibers, beautiful. The color changes were so fun to watch. This bottom photo, though washed out, better captures the yarn colors. They're more pink than red (which the top photo would have you believe).

Central Park Vest

2007-07-08T11:37:00.000-04:00

I'm moving right along on my CPHoodie. Fronts and back are complete and I'm ready to begin the hood. Then it will need sleeves and there's the matter of a button band.
These photos show the yarn's rich color better than the previous post. It's a very deep eggplant with all of Chris' magic sprinkled in. This pattern has been so much fun.

Briar Rose Vine Flower Dress Update

2007-07-07T19:26:00.000-04:00

I haven't had much time for posting, but Wow! this dress is just cruising along!! I think it is the addicting combination of using yarn I love, and the wonderful, rhythmic, fun to knit pattern! In this picture, I'm just preparing to do the front straps (since then, I have finished the front straps plus the back portion of the bodice and am ready to do the back straps-except I have also finished up my skein, and so must prepare to wind the other!) I'm amazed at how well this skein lasted-the pattern said it neded 550 yds and I actually added in two extra inches of length in the skirt (my daughter is tall and rail thin, so I thought, if I made the dress just a teensy bit longer, she may get a few more wearings out of it!) I did make a mistake when casting on for the skirt though-I used a long tail cast on (b/c its so easy!) but now the skirt edge is really rolling! I'm hoping that, if blocking doesn't help (which I doubt it will...) I can fix it by using maybe some sort of inconspicuous crochet edge...

I love the yarn, and am excited about nearly finishing the dress-but not looking fwd to winding the second skein-that's a lot of yarn! (how can you tell I wind by hand?? LOL!) Definitely a good value though!!

Seeing as I will have extra, I'm trying to decide what to make with it, to go along with the dress. I've thought of vine lace stockings, or a floppy hat (but I'm thinking the is dress will be for slightly cooler weather! : ) Or maybe a lil purse? Any thoughts?

Icarus finished!

2007-07-06T13:16:00.000-04:00

Icarus Shawl

Modeled by my Bugg

Yarn: Briar Rose Fourth of July
2 1/2 skeins; asking Chris for an estimate on yardage according to weight

Size 6 needles

Blocked Measurements (HUGE) - approx 88" across top and 58" down middle

This shawl is huge, but I would not knit it on a smaller sized needle. It is made according to the pattern from 2006 Summer Interweave Knits by Miriam Felton. Bugg and I liked the way it draped and how it stays in place when wrapped. I will be taking a couple of the first chart repeats out and re-making this in an attempt to squeeze it out of two skeins of Fourth of July.

I was a busy girl yesterday!

2007-07-05T20:58:00.000-04:00

It's not the best photo, but all I have left to do is seaming the sleeves, blocking and sewing on some buttons. It even fits! Which lately has been an issue for me. Every thing's been too big.
I may have to make another. When it is 100% done I'll post a totally finished picture.

Wistful shrug

2007-06-30T10:54:00.001-04:00

While waiting for the rest of Icarus' yarn, I started the Lacy Cable Shrug out of Wistful.

This pattern was originally made with Earth Song on size 10 needles. My Bugg picked up these hanks of Wistful at the Fiber Festival in Greencastle, IN back in April. I am using size 5 needles and am pleased with the results.

The photo is of the gauge swatch, but one cuff is finished and I'm progressing up the sleeve.

Mom's computer set-up is not ideal for photo transfers - more photos coming soon!

Have a safe, happy Fourth of July!

Almost finished Icarus...oh, and the winner

2007-06-30T10:33:00.001-04:00

The goal was to be able to post a finished Icarus with the winner's name...All of the stitches have been knit, but the blocking (which is the most important part) will have to wait until I get back home next week. This means there are more photos coming. My mom was helpful in posing with the shawl. **see the string hanging from the right side? I haven't woven the ends in yet, either.

Now, down to business...Thank you to Buttercup and Brown Berry for posting your new projects - they are beautiful! Both names went into the 'hopper' and my dad chose one piece of paper (after making me explain why we were giving away yarn, what it was for, whose yarn was it, and if my name was one of the ones who could win) -- it was very proper, I assure you.

Buttercup, come on down! Congratulations on your yarn win!!

Waiting for Kim

2007-06-30T06:16:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! We have to wait til Kim gets back from out of town to do the drawing! But let's just say the odds are REALLY good for the people who posted new photos!
Have a great holiday week everyone and happy knitting time!

Picking up my Briar Rose Again

2007-06-27T19:44:00.001-04:00

I finally picked up my Retro Cardi again. I love the colors of the Sonoma and Fourth of July I'm using.

I have an annotated photo on my blog so you know which part is which! It feels so good to be back!