boots kitty

The pattern for this little stuffie is from the delightful book Sock and Glove by Miyako Kanamori. I can't recommend it enough. The photography is lovely, the styling simple and charming and the instructions clear and easy to execute. Maybe because I've been knitting so much and knitting is so slow and involved this was a fun diversion (when I should have been working...oops).

I had my sewing machine serviced recently and have been dreaming up projects but decided to break myself back into the sewing game gently with a sock toy. I have to admit that there was a tense moment where I said aloud "now I remember why I hate sewing!" but it passed quickly.
Felix was very sweet and I have to tell this short story. He was yelling for me in his usual manner "MOM I NEED YOU". I ignored him as I was busy sewing. After the third or fourth time of him screaming MOM I NEED YOU, he finished his sentence with MOM I NEED YOU TO BE HAPPY, and then he ran into the room I was in and said "Mommy, I love the kitty you're making".

Tagged

I've been tagged by Carlene at knitsquirrel, to list 8 random facts...

1) As a kid I would spend all day in the summertime barefoot, running around town on the hot asphalt. My goal was to have feet with soles like leather. Now, I hate to be barefoot. Sometimes, I wonder if I’ve lost my courage and am too squeamish. Granted, in my mid-twenties I stepped on a bee and discovered I was allergic, so maybe I’m just wiser.

2) I cry very easily while watching movies. It’s embarrassing and I try not to. I also cry at parades, sports events, and the opera. Parades aren’t so bad because my eyes are hidden behind sunglasses and I’m not sad just overwhelmed; the same goes for sports (which I hate), it’s just the hugeness of the crowd that moves me to tears. I’m easily embarrassed.

3) I used to love the flavor of orange juice and toothpaste together, not anymore.

4) When I’m working a lot and am very tired I sleep in my clothes.

5) In writing this list I’m aware that the only things I can think of about myself is stuff from my past. I’m drawing a complete blank about myself in the present, which makes me think that I don’t know who I am in the present. I’m just me.

6) One of my chores as a kid was to pick up the mail from the post office box, a walk of about 6 blocks. I would often drop letters during my walk home, and not notice, because I was too busy daydreaming. I had to train myself to hold the letters in both hands in front of me while telling myself over and over to not let go. I’ve had the same type of experience as an adult with all sorts of tasks, like leaving the house with my keys in both hands so that I wouldn’t lock myself out of the house or the car.

7) My hair is very long, like 3 feet long.

8) I’m not very organized. I don’t think I’m lazy but I do have a lazy streak when it comes to housework. Luckily, my boyfriend is the exact opposite. He also likes to cook which I do not. This reminds me of one of the reasons why I knew my boyfriend and I would stick it out for the long haul (ten years now). About twenty years ago I had a kind of vision, anyway I was standing in my then backyard and imagined carved totem like sculptures. It was like I knew that one day I would meet a man who could carve like this. And I did. On the other hand I also believed that I would live in a castle in Spain, and I don’t.

I'm tagging: Edna, Connie, Beth, Mary-Heather, Gudrun, Janet, Diane, Marnie

lion flower

Happy Birthday to me! My dad wrote me today with this tidbit from the day of my birth:

"I just spent about 10 minutes daydreaming about Santiago, Chile, on July 26, 1962, Exact Spot: the Clinica Alemana. I'm standing outside the delivery room in a kind of side room when the doctor walks in holding you by the feet. You're bawling, He washes you under the sink faucet. I had just arrived after running up the stairs, out of breath. My timing was excellent. I'd just had an incredibly rush-hour drive across town after inaugurating a series of performance by the Chad Mitchell Trio." Dad

wrist dance

My offering to the goddess of the wrist.

linen top pattern

I posted a photo of this linen top to my flickr page and had a couple of people ask about the pattern so I thought I’d offer it here. It’s a good summer knitting project (no heavy wool here) and a good summer top to wear. The work is done from side to side and stretches open quite a bit after blocking.

Finished Size: about 50” (127 cm) circumference, and 17” (43 cm) long, measured from shoulder to hem.

Yarn: Louet Sales Euroflax Sport Weight (100% Linen; 270 yd [246 m]/ 3.5 oz [100] g), 2 skeins. I made this quite a few years ago when the skeins were bigger and used one skein but I think you will need just a bit more than one. The top weighs 116 g.

Needles: Size 9 (5.5-mm)

Gauge: 11 sts and 19 rows = 4” (10 cm) in St st AFTER BLOCKING.

Eyelet Ridge: First row (WS) Knit. Next row (RS): *Yo, k2tog; repeat from *. Next row (WS): Knit.


Pattern: (Make 2) With the long tail method, loosely CO 46 sts. Starting with a purl row, work in St st for 24 rows. Next row (WS) work Eyelet Ridge. Continue in St st for 64 rows. Next row (WS) work Eyelet Ridge. Continue in St st for 24 rows. Bind off loosely.

Finishing: Wet block to desired measurements. Sew sides 8“ (20.5 cm) from hem. Sew shoulders 5“ (12.5 cm) from edge. If you want a firmer neckline, single crochet around neck edge. Weave in ends.

summer knitting

Last Saturday I went to the DMV to renew my license. Naturally, I had to visit a yarn store in the area. I don't need any yarn! But, I was drawn in by the silky blue and green shades of this sock yarn, Tofutsies from SWTC. A friend has a birthday coming up in August and I think these will make a perfect gift.
Progress on my shrug is moving along but now that it's about two feet long I'm feeling the heat of summer more and more. Knitting with that much wool in my lap is not very comfortable and another good reason to knit a pair of socks.


So much of Los Angeles is kind of flat. In the summer even more so, this view from my back door is not very interesting but I like it because it feels so typical of my town.

Thanks for all the input on wrist injuries it was really helpful.

Shrug

In celebration of finishing my last sweater for the Spring 2008 issue of Knitscene I decided to cast on for a shrug for myself. The pattern is called the Pimlico Shrug and is in Knit 2 Together. I'm substituting the yarn used for the sample, Koigu Kersti for Rio de la Plata and Manos del Uruguay. I think the two will go very well together. I didn't swatch them together (I made a gauge swatch OF COURSE, but only with the Rio) because I just wanted to get knitting and worry abut any possible problems LATER.
When I'm knitting for a job my brain gets very tired, so when I'm knitting for fun I really prefer to wing it and see what happens. So much more enjoyable but often the results are spotty. That's okay. I'm only a part time perfectionist.



My recent self portrait: wrist brace. Too much knitting? I can't face the truth. I try to take breaks and stretch but still, I want to KNIT! I can manage knitting with this on if the needles are at least as big as a size US 8 otherwise, my thumb gets sore. I kind of like it's corset lacing and I really like how my wrist doesn't hurt after knitting or writing. Must buy another one for the left wrist too. Does anyone have wrist issues and remedies? I would love to hear about them.

big sunglasses

I'll never grow up since I still believe that when school's out for summer it means nothing but good times. Now that I have a kid I'm realizing how much I hated school! I hope my disappointments don't rub off on Felix. We'll see.
Meanwhile, my Internet connection was down for two weeks. I took the opportunity to read a book (Factotum...loved it), and visit with friends.



I'm finishing a sweater for Knitscene; as usual it will be in the mail at the last minute. Something always comes up and puts me behind schedule. This one is looking pretty pretty (yay!). They sent me some yummy yarn, the kind you can knit with in any weather, with amazing drape and in a very optimistic color.
I've also been swatching for a lace shawl. I love lace knitting so much. Oh, on ravelry I saw that a knitter, Grace Yaskovic, made a triangle shawl using the Lace Chuppah charts. The link is to her blog which has a great photo of her shawl being blocked. Don't we all need someone to block for us?
And, I’ve been making lots of sketches. Life without the Internets is a little lonely but productive.

hand wash

The last two days I've been working on clearing out my giant basket of hand wash. I love the fresh air smell that clothes get from hanging on the line. Hanging hand knits on the line is certainly breaking the rules for blocking but I did do with a few items. I told myself it was okay because it is very hot and dry so the knits will dry super fast and therefore won't stretch out. I know, another rule broken: don't put your hand knits to dry in full sun.
I'm happy to report that everything survived in good form.
This jacket that Felix is helping me to model is the top half of this skirt. After I cut the skirt off I picked up stitches along the front of the jacket and worked asymmetrical flaps in seed stitch. An antique silver pin keeps it closed. I made this at least six years ago when I was going through a Victorian bed jacket phase.


Out of nowhere, Felix says to me, "I'm cold". Mind you, it's about 90 degrees. Quickly, I wrapped him in this candle flame shawl and snapped his picture. He's such a good helper. This is another knit from years ago. I used Brown Sheep bulky and a free pattern off the Internet. And, shocking, I hung this on line too.



Finally, in today's show and tell, one of my favorite sweaters Raspy from Rowan's Denim People.

summer stars

This is a painting I made a few years ago that hangs on the wall facing our front door. Welcome!



Recently, I bought many balls of sparkly yarn (Louisa Harding Coquette). It has multi colored sequins strung all over it that look like tiny summer stars. I felt like whipping up something really simple to wear at night with a t-shirt for our 4th of July holiday.
Here I am standing at the front door modeling the sweater tied at the waist. It’s the only way I can wear it because the fabric slants on the bias.



Here you can see the dramatic bias of this sweater. What is up with that? I knew going in that everything was slanting and that blocking had no effect on the fabric. Why did I continue? I’m stubborn.
Maybe one of you yarn experts can tell me why this happens. I'm assuming that the 100% polyester nature of the yarn is why it absolutely will not block.

Lace Top

Once I decide to knit something I try to make it as fast as possible, otherwise I’m in danger of never finishing it. This top, full of interesting knitterly details (short row shaping, nubs, eyelet cast on, three needle bind offs…) took me two years to complete! I knit the majority of it within a week, put it away for six months to work on my own designs, picked it up between work projects, put it away for another year and finally brought it out of hiding last week and completed the last bits. It’s designed by Mari Lynn Patrick and is in the Holiday 2005 issue of Vogue Knitting magazine.


Maybe, I’ll wear it this weekend to a wedding reception. Knowing myself, I’ll probably wear it everyday, sleep in it, and then put it away for a few months. Will I ever change?
I substituted the yarn for GGH Molina, which seems to have been discontinued. Hmm, oh well. Otherwise, it’s exactly as the pattern is written for size medium. That issue is full of pretty and romantic designs.

Red Link Bracelet

Wooly bracelet from Gooseflesh boutique.
The artist, Helle Jorgensen is hard at work crocheting wonderful sea creatures from plastic bags. She will be showing her work in Los Angeles in 2008 at LACE.

Kusha Kusha felted

This morning, and by morning I mean noon, I soaked the scarf in hot soapy water. After a bit of rubbing and rinsing, I rolled the scarf in a towel and inspected the wad of wet wool. Not a pretty sight. As promised, my fingers pulled on the fabric and after much prodding the lump started looking like a scarf again. It was dry within an hour. And, I love it! What you can’t tell from the last photo was the way the scarf actually draped on me. When I put it around my neck the scarf limply rolled in on itself. Now that it’s been felted it has much more body, lays flatter showing off its wiry nature, and has a kind of deconstructed texture that I love. Also, it shrank about ten inches in length.


Thanks again Janet for such a thoughtful gift.

Kusha Kusha knitted

It's hard to resist playing with this scarf. The fabric is so fun to pull and pinch. My hands are obsessed with stretching the end part made of stainless steel/silk; I hope it's strong enough to stand it. I've decided to go ahead and complete the pattern’s directions and felt the scarf, which just means more play time for me.

swatch

This is a scan of the swatch I did for the Lace Chuppah. It's just a small portion of the stitch work in the pattern but you can see some of it up close and also the hint of silver from the carry along yarn. Click the photo to see it bigger.

Kusha Kusha

I received the nicest gift a few days ago from Janet, a scarf kit from Habu. I love it. The color and texture are perfect for my mood. One strand of merino wool and one strand of a stainless steel/silk mix are knit together, the feel is soft with a subtle, almost sticky body and in the grey color it has a chain mail effect. I think I messed up the pattern a bit since I cast on with both yarns and maybe should have only used the stainless steel/silk yarn to begin with. After the knitting is done the scarf is to be slightly felted with warm water and soap. I have mixed feelings about felting hand knitting so we'll see if I complete the final step.
I hope to finish it in a couple of days. It looks great with my faded denim skirt.

Witches Britches in action

britches two, originally uploaded by kat coyle.

Ta da. Witches Britches from Knit 2 Together by Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark. Never mind, that I dreamt last night of being at a two-day party of Alice in Wonderland characters. I was Tweedledee being chased by a lion and falling down a pink staircase looking for my key; I think I'll wear these britches!
Modifications: Yarn (Naturelle Cotton from the stash), stripes 6 rows deep, longer leg length, shorter waist (turned down the waistband after short row shaping), and provisional cast on with knitted on border (instead of sewing the border on) and the waistband stitches are sewn down as live stitches.

summer preview

I’m so excited to see this sneak peek of the summer Interweave Knits issue. The Lace Chuppah I designed looks so pretty!

Edited to add: The pattern is now available as a PDF download from the Knitting Daily online store.

socks and flowers

socks and flowers, originally uploaded by kat coyle.

I love these flowers! The socks aren't bad but next to the flowers they pale. Ah well, can't beat Mother Nature. I just found out that the flower is a type of cactus: Epiphyllum. I've been growing it for years from a clipping. The flowers only bloom once a year and each flower only lives a couple of days.
The socks are Child's First Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush.

fun knitting

I bought a fun book of knitting patterns, Knit 2 Together by Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark. What can I say; I have to make those Witches Britches. So I am. Eek! Striped of course.
I haven’t worn shorts in over ten years, so I’m not sure if I’ll wear these. That’s why I sketched them to see if I’ll wear them. Ha ha ha. Hiding underneath the striped fabric is the part of the sketch where Felix is pulling me.
The style is a lot like the skirts I knit, which is why I like them and think there’s a chance I’ll actually wear them. I’ve lengthened the leg from 10” to 15”.
Stripe knitting is my current love so they have to be striped and striped britches are very witchy. They're worked in yarn from my stash, in two shades of Naturelle Cotton. I’m not crazy about the colors but striping them is giving them a new life that is just plain fun.

Indigo Ripples Skirt Errata

Hello Friends,
Here is a correction for the Indigo Ripples Skirt pattern from Interweave Knits Spring 2007.

Lace Section on page 72:
Rnd 11, 13, 15, 17, 19: * Yo, k3tog, k3, yo, k1, yo, k4, sl1 – k2tog – psso, yo, k1; repeat from *.

mask

mask, originally uploaded by kat coyle.

that's a claw snappin' scorpion

stripes

Sometimes I daydream about what I want to make for a long time.
Even if it isn’t a difficult project if I really want it the daydream may last for years. This was the case with these simple black and white knee socks.
I guess I’m still playing dress up and these perform well with fairy tales in mind.

The pattern is top down with short row heels and toes. Right and left heels worked on different needles so the join runs along the inside of the leg.
Yarn: Lang Jawoll in black and ecru.


I’m very satisfied with my socks and ready to cast my next spell.

night owl

night owl, originally uploaded by katcoyle.

w i r e d

feets

happy socks, originally uploaded by katcoyle.

I love the toes!

happy stripe knee socks

happy stripe socks, originally uploaded by katcoyle.

Finished this afternoon. It is way too hot for socks, so these will be put away for awhile.
The main yarn is Lana Grossa Meilenweit Multiringel Color #5110
(1 ball) and the contrast yarn is Cascade Fixation Color #7192 for the heels and toes. There was just a yard or so of the main color left.
I might be more excited about my socks if I could wear them.
Next up, swatching for a wool sweater...

hall of fame

"This uncommon bundle has always been my comfort, my happy burden. Yet I have found it unwise to attach myself to the souvenirs within. For as soon as I focus on a certain object I misplace it or it just disappears."

From Indian Rubies in WoolGathering by Patti Smith, Hanuman Books 1992.

One of my heroes entered the rock n roll hall of fame this week.

The Johnny Cap

Felix wears a snarl and papa’s hat.



I don’t have to worry about the boyfriend curse in regards to knitting him a sweater, as my guy doesn’t wear sweaters; but he does wear hats. Everyday. A couple days ago he asked me to knit him a new hat in a dark, plain color. I was so pleased that he wanted another hat even though he wears the ones I’ve knit all the time. For some reason I’m never sure if he really likes them. My insecurity knows no bounds.
This was knit in one night with wool my father brought back from the Falkland Island’s over four years ago. You never know when stash yarn will be put to use.

Johnny Cap
by Kat Coyle

This is the basic beanie pattern I use to which I embellish with stripes or simple color work when I’m in the mood.

Finished Size 21 1/4” around.

Yarn Worsted weight wool

Needles Size 7 (4.5 mm) 16” circular and set of 4 dpns.

Gauge 18 sts and 27 rnds = 4” in St st.

Pattern Cast on 80 sts. Work 2 x 2 rib for 2”. Work in St st increasing 16 sts on the next round: *K5, M1 *, repeat between * and *; end 96 sts.
Work 4 inches of St st. Decrease next round: * K10, K2tog * repeat between * and *. Knit next round. Decrease every other round until after the K5 K2tog round then decrease every round. Switch to dpn when sts get too tight.
When you have 8 sts cut the yarn and weave through the rem sts. Weave in loose ends.

progress

Much progress has been made on the leg since yesterday; it is almost time for the heel.

happy stripes

Self-striping sock yarn is yesterday’s news. I am late, very late indeed to the party but I can still be happy about arriving at all. The simple pleasure of watching the stripes appear with no effort on my part is making me happy and working its magic charm.
Felix has his lucky charms cereal and I my Meilenweit.

Spring Green Socks

Sock wearing season is just about over here in L.A.
but I'm hooked on knitting them.
Currently, my favorite thing is plain old stockinet.



Working in the round and around and around is very relaxing, perfect knitting for those in-between times. Those moments while waiting for a file to download, or while watching television or when I just don’t want to think but feel restless.
These useful tubes of knitted goodness are the remedy, 15" of mindless knitting for the leg, some thinking and paying attention at the heel, then 7" of foot tubing and again a little thinking for the toe.



A quick graft and a couple of ends to weave in and you're done. I have three more pairs in the works using different yarns.
The yarn used for these spring green socks is Katia Mississippi #762 as the main color and Cascade Fixation #2706 for the heels and toes.