Seascape

This sweater is worthy of its own post, if a bit overdue. Seascape by Fiber Fiend was my sweater project for the Ravelympics, which started while I was still up in Philly. Considering my first sweater (the good ol' Sienna Cardi) which was finished over the course of 6 months in February of 2007, I think creating this one in a bit over 3 weeks is pretty darn amazing.

So, what was it like?? Well, first of all, you've got to love Malabrigo merino wool yarn. I don't care how allergic people claim to be of wool, if they touch this stuff, they'll be cured. Putting on this finished sweater is like giving yourself a big hug, incredibly buttery soft. Most of you know how lovely it is, if not, go get some!! I'd also love to try their Silky Merino someday....

The actual knitting part was fun, fun, fun! The sleeves are stockinette in the round, but they have this traveling cable that curls all the way around the arm, which kept it fun. The body proved a bit more challenging. A lot of my frustration came from my Denise needles, which weren't the best for the large amount of yo's I needed to put on to achieve the dropped sts. I would recommend a more slippery needle choice, of course it also depends on your yarn.

There is waist shaping, then you create this huge, open sort of 'looking glass' piece in the back, flanked by more cables. The front cable is easy and basic, you just need to pay more attention when working the back pattern. Parts of the pattern are intuitive, but there were definitely times when I just had to trust the designer.

For me, the most difficulty came after I joined the yoke, and I just had to really think about what I was trying to achieve. There wasn't anything I couldn't figure out, just a couple of 'huh??' moments. Then it all came back together and I had this gorgeous sweater there!! The saddle shoulder was an interesting technique, I just love the way it looks. I went with a bit of negative ease, and I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, the fitted shape is very flattering.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this to an adventurous knitter, looking for something different. I don't think you'll see too many of these around! I also think it's a nice pattern for showcasing those variegated yarns that many of us have. Way to go Margit! Thanks for a great pattern!!

Autumn Shivers....

Hmm, that kinda sounds like the name of a sweater! Well, I'm still here. I've actually been knitting a LOT, and I'm very close to finishing both the February Lady Sweater and the Twist & Shout sweater from Fall Knitty. Both have been tremendous fun and I would highly recommend either pattern. Looking forward to finishing and doing my photo shoot!

I'm also close to finishing the knitting part of my latest pattern, which I will call 'Green Man Beret', for the obvious reasons. There is a great bar/restaurant here in Asheville, called 'Jack of the Wood' - the green man seems ever present here in the mountains.

Jack of the Wood one of those places where you always make a new friend. The music is great, mainly bluegrass, but it's just people who wander in and just start playing together. The last time I was there they had 3 different fiddlers! Too fun. It just makes you want to get up and dance.

In spite of all that, I couldn't resist pulling this yarn out of the stash and casting on for a 'I don't know what it is yet'(see photo at top). I'm playing around with some lace patterns from my vintage Vogue book, thinking perhaps a vest?? The yarn I purchased nearly a year ago from a wonderful company in TX, called the Plain & Fancy Sheep & Wool Co. I wish they would get a website, they have some amazingly soft yarn in equally amazing colors. I was able to get it as SAFF, which is a wonderful fiber fair that is coming to Asheville this month.

I'm loving fall. The nights are so chilly here, there's nothing better than bundling up in the morning in my fluffy robe with a cup of coffee and standing on my front porch as the steam rises off. My 6th wedding anniversary is coming too, on October 20th. I'm going to do the Koolhaas Hat for the hubby this year, the 3rd year in a new traditional of anniversary hats!

Here's our fall window display at Purl's, Lindsey got this great idea to knit a bunch of leaves and string them up in the windows, I think it looks great!

My 4 year old, Sydney, has actually started school. It's a very strange and wonderful thing, and she seems to be thriving! I'm quite happy about it and the house is very quiet when I'm home and she's not there. The good news is that hopefully with the bit of extra time I can design more! I have some great ideas up there in the noggin.....

If you need a smile today, check this out: Free Hugs for Obama. It was filmed here in Asheville, NC, I love it!

We Interrupt this Friday Evening....

To present you with a very serious individual:

Enough said.

A Little of This and A Little of That....

Hey Blog,

I'm writing this one on the fly. It's been crazy, but such is life, I suppose. Here in Asheville, NC, the gas prices have been as high as $5 recently, due to hurricanes in the southern states, affecting us up north. The food prices have climbed to the point that we plan where to shop and when. There are layoffs galore, thankfully my husband has escaped those for now. Yet, I don't feel that bad. I mean, look at the other countries in the world, what they are going through. Look at it....I won't say anymore.

I am grateful. I have my family, I have my health (mostly), I have my life, such as it is. A small life, filled with little bits of joy, joy that is often sprinkled in from the most unexpected places. Often days I find joy in a cup of coffee. This is one of the areas in which I get the good stuff, I don't settle for whatever is the cheapest. That nice hot cup of sweet, bitter goodness just makes my day, a simple joy. I hope you are finding joy in the simple things as well.

My husband is forced to work for this guy, see his sign at left. I won't tell you what he does there, it's top secret and I'd have to kill you. Suffice it to say it isn't pretty....

Of course, I also find joy in my knitting. I decided I HAD to cast on for the Twist & Shout sweater in the new Knitty. I'm using Waterlily from Classic Elite yarns, in a lovely rose color, this is my calm retreat right now, battling off this nasty cold I have. I'm also knitting a donkey. This will be for the front window of the yarn store I work at, Purl's Yarn Emporium, to support the Obama campaign. Think what you will, it is adorable either way. I've also completed a couple of hats, one which I'm showing here, the 'Turn a Square' Hat by Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed. A great, quick, knit, I definitely see more of these in my future. I may be a Noro fan yet....

We've been hiking again, as you can tell from the pics. These are some strange nuts we found last week. Actually, I think they are seeds, called California Buckeye, a member of the Horse Chestnut family, beautiful, aren't they??

This is a picture of a strange caterpiller David found, I thought perhaps it had a strange fungus growing on its' back. He took it to work, to find it erupted into tons of little tiny babies!! A truly amazing world we live in. I wonder if this was the male or the female of the species.

Take care of yourselves and your loves ones, they are what is precious in this world!! I am welcoming Fall to the states this Monday, I am MORE than ready!! Hooray for Autumn!!!!

Full Circle...

I never thought when I started knitting how it would change my life. Literally. I also never thought I’d get to the point where I could actually teach others how to knit and write my own patterns. It just started simply enough as something I enjoyed doing. A lot.

Some of the many things I’ve come to learn about knitters is that we are a very generous bunch. I’ve met some of the kindest, friendliest people, always ready and willing to help each other with advice, laughter, tears, whatever. I’m awed by that. We spend our precious time creating things with our own two hands, simply because we can. Because it makes us feel good, it makes those we knit for feel good (most of the time!), it creates calm in the storm and at times, lets us think of the deeper meaning of things.

I’m lucky in that I have a very supportive husband who has never thought I’m a crazy woman for the time and effort I spend on my knitting exploits. In fact, he thinks it’s great. (Note to self, he needs a new hat for our upcoming anniversary….)

It’s been a hectic few weeks. I really had wanted to finish this beret pattern I’ve been working on, but life as it is means it’s taking longer than expected. Trust me; it’s going to be great. No teasers yet, but I will tell you I’m making it out of Elsebeth Lavold’s Silky Tweed. I can’t believe I’ve waited so long to try this yarn.

One of the problems with creating my own designs is that I have less time to take on other designs. I tried and failed miserably at the Ravelympics, definitely bit off more than I could chew. Nearly complete is my Seascape sweater from Fiber Fiend, having some issues with the yoke, unless I’ve really goofed somewhere, her stitch counts are way off! This is one for the adventurous knitter, its one crazy looking sweater!!

And what else is one to do when you have too many projects going at once? Start a new one, of course! This is the Estes Vest from the Fall 2008 Interweave Knits. The main change I made is I’m using a different cable for the center back, will also use different cables for the front. After Seascape, I’m all Horseshoe cabled out! The yarn is a new one from Araucania, called Aysen. It’s a blend of merino, alpaca and silk, I love working with it. This colorway (812) reminds me of Smores. Ah…fall will be here soon, hopefully with some camping in it for me. Be back soon with more projects updates!

A Flying We Will Go!

We're going to Philly! Sydney and I are going to visit my parents and other family/friends for the next week, we leave tomorrow morning! I'm glad, we haven't been up there in over a year. The only bummer is that we're going at just about the hottest time of year. I really need a break though, and I'm looking forward to it.

Here's the latest pattern I'm working on. It's pretty funny, actually, since I've always avoided Noro completely. Until they came out with sock yarn, and I was just...drawn to it. I wanted to make something out of it that wasn't socks! My plan is for this to be a little cardigan/wrap type garment. I'm loving the cool stitch pattern I found in one of my vintage books. Debating about making the sleeves fitted or raglan style.

I'm still making progress on my Chocolate Covered Lime Sweater, aka the Feb. Lady. I found the most perfect buttons at my LYS, little pinecones! How great are there?!? It's a hard choice to decide what to bring with me on my trip.

As if THOSE projects weren't tempting enough, I'll be away at the start of the Ravelympics, where I'm slated to knit both Seascape, an amazing cabled and drop stitch sweater and Very Terhi, some gorgeous cabled mitts. Yikes! Guess I should bring these with me too. Maybe if I'm lucky, there will be room left for my actual clothes!

Seascape Yarn - yummy malabrigo

Very Terhi Yarn - superwash merino hand dyed

Gillaspie Gothic Gauntlets Pattern

Thanks to my wonderful test knitters, I'm quite pleased to be able to offer this pattern for sale. As with any of my patterns, please contact me with any questions: elizabeth@countingsheepstudio.com

These gauntlets were inspired by my husband’s love of medieval armor, in particular, a design by James Gillaspie, in a style that was popular in the 15th century. Though real armor gauntlets were made of steel and worn with a leather glove underneath, I thought this knitted version might be more practical in today’s world.

This is an intermediate pattern, you will need to know the basics of knitting, there will be increasing, decreasing and picking up of sts. There are no cables in this pattern; the chain mail look on the bottom is achieved with slipped sts.

The gauntlets are knitted in the round, at a smaller gauge than suggested for a denser fabric. There is subtle shaping throughout the pattern for a fitted, detailed look.
Size is achieved by using a lighter yarn for the women’s version.
Men’s Gauntlet – 11” long (27.9 cm), 11” at base, 8 ½” at top
Women’s Gauntlet – 10 ½” long (26.7 cm),10” at base, 7 ¼” at top

Materials
Men’s version 1 ball (219 yds) Ella Rae Classic yarn – 100% worsted weight wool
Women’s version 3 balls (110 yds each) Louisa Harding Grace Silk & Wool yarn – dk weight 50% merino, 50% silk (you will need approx. 260 yds)

Upon receiving payment, you will be e-mailed a PDF copy of the 8 pages of detailed instructions for making your own gauntlets.

To purchase, please visit my website, Counting Sheep Studio.

Bitten by the Bug

Alright. I'm not usually into fads and whatnot, BUT then I saw this sweater: February Lady Sweater. If you're a knitter and a lady, you've probably seen it already. Remember how I swore off wool for the summer?? (At least I THOUGHT I did.) All I could think about was this sweater, with it beautiful garter yoke and this squishy hand dyed merino I'd been saving for a special project. Add that to a major case of startitis lately, and here you go.

I'm loving it so far. Nothing like garter for some movie watching knitting. I'm doing four buttons and I'm just about to the armpits, ready to switch to the lace. Had to stop since I'm waiting for the rest of my yarn to show up. (Had more dyed for me since I didn't have enough!) Don't wanna wait!

So what's a girl to do?? Start another project! Nevermind all those hiding in the corner waiting to be finished. We'll just ignore those for now. This yarn may look familiar. It's Cotanani by Mirasol, originally intended for the Dayflower Camisole. Now it's hoping to become the Kaftan Dress, only I'm going to shorten it into a better tunic length.

Back to the camisole. I kept hearing Stephanie Pearl-McKee laughing at me in the background, and remembering one of her stories in Knitting Rules. You may remember it, I think the heading was "Denial Ain't Just a River in Egypt". Yes, I screwed up. Big time.

Got gauge for my swatch like a good girl. Cast on and started the Dayflower Lace at the bottom. It seemed all good...at first. The longer I knit, I started thinking, 'hmmm, this DOES seem a bit BIG'. Ignore, keep going. Hours and days later. Think, 'this is too big'. Ignore, keep going. Finally, reason crept in and I thought, 'I really should just take this thing off the needles to see how big it is'. Yeah, it was pretty close (insert sarcastic remark here). Do you like how I'm wearing it like some sort of 'World's Worst Knitter' ribbon?? I know you're laughing. That's OK, I'm sure I will too....someday.

It’s a BIRD…it’s a PLANE….it’s a…..BEAR?!?

Yes, a bear. I’ve been dreaming about this little girlie, I guess I just can’t go too long without a cute toy in the making. She’s one of Ysolda’s designs; she and her designs are just too cute. I kind of have a thing for bears. Over the years, I’ve collected quite a few, and in the recent years, they’ve pretty much all been packed away, since there’s no room for them in my shoebox house. Growing up, I always slept with one. I would alternate, so each would ‘get a turn’. Now, I find that I can’t go to sleep without having something in my arms. That something has turned into Pearl, a stuffed octopus, whom you may know from the movie “Finding Nemo”, one of my favorite Pixar movies.
Well, Pearl has gotten pretty ratty from 5+ years of nightly use, and this little bear may be the next runner up. Although I don’t think she’s quite big enough. We’ll see. At any rate, my PB is going to be adorable and I already love her! You may recognize the yarn, my leftovers from the Beryl sweater, Queensland Pima Fresca.

I’m trying to finish up my pattern for the Gothic Gauntlets; it’s very close to being ready for public consumption. This women’s version is being knitted in Louisa Harding Grace Silk & Wool, nice, nice yarn. I’m knitted it on US size 3’s to get a denser fabric.

I really like the way the silk shines and shows off those stitches. The color is gorgeous, a deep copper. I had envisioned these in a deep, shiny red, but once I saw this one, I knew it was right!

Of course they look much better on an actual hand…they just needed to step outside for a breath of fresh air. I expect next week I’ll be asking some kind souls to test-knit these for me.

Last night I went to an auction, here in Asheville. Tommy Tuten & Johnny Penland are some good ‘ol boys who run a great little show! I think some people just go to be entertained; they are quite the comedians, making fun of each other and at times, themselves. They had a ‘real’ Tiffany lamp, which I had never before seen in person. It was beautiful, and sold for over $8000, a deal I’m sure. I walked away with an old piece of Cole pottery, made here in NC, as well as an antique print of a girl with a harp by Richard Smythe. I think I made out pretty well.

Have any of you signed up for the Knitting Olympics?? I did over on Ravelry, I’ve got some REALLY lofty goals: Very Terhi, a pair of wristwarmers with a neat allover cable pattern, AND if that wasn’t enough, Seascape, a gorgeous sweater with dropped stitches and cables, which I don’t even have yarn for. I’m nuts, but that’s OK. As long as I finish my gauntlet pattern by then, which gives me nearly a month.

Hope you are all enjoying the summer! Me personally, I’m biding my time until the cooler weather comes back again.

Walk in the Woods Cabled Baby Blanket Pattern

Walk in the Woods Cabled Baby Blanket ~ A design by Elizabeth Helmich
This heirloom quality baby blanket was inspired by a desire to make a handsome cabled blanket that was a portable project, to work on anywhere! I choose to use cables that have a rather geometric effect, for a decidedly masculine look, though this could just as easily be a girls blanket as well.

This blanket is a great traveling project, since the sections are knit in strips. Use the colors shown, or switch it up for a baby girl or even a lap blanket.

FINISHED SIZE: About 36” square (91.4 cm), after blocking.

MATERIALS Yarn: Berocco Comfort, a wonderful worsted nylon/acrylic blend chosen for its great stitch definition and easy care for new parents. 2 balls each of Color A # 9703 (off-white), Color B #9747 Cadet (med. Blue), Color C #9744 (sage green), Color D #9762 Spruce (dk. Green), 1 ball of Color E #9741 (dk. Brown) – each ball is 210 yds. Needles: US size 8 (5.0 mm), adjust needle size if necessary to obtain gauge.

Notions: Cable needle, you may want to use stitch markers to distinguish between stitch patterns.

A full, detailed 10-page printable PDF of this pattern will be sent to you via e-mail shortly after your purchase is complete. Cable instructions are written, as well as in easy-to-read chart form, for whichever is your preference.

Click on this link to purchase, it will direct you to my website:

Walk in the Woods Cabled Baby Blanket.