Knititude

LYS Venezia!

When I first saw this store window, I thought it was a yarn shop, but then I realized that those rainbow-colored displays on the back wall are made up of scarves, not balls of yarn.  Disappointing!

Quando ho visto questa vetrina, pensavo che fosse un negozio dei filati, ma poi mi sono accorto che quelle esibizioni colorate sul muro sono sciarpe, non gomitoli.  Che delusione!

But then, the next day, we were winding our way from the Accademia Bridge towards the Rialto Bridge, when we passed another colorful shop window, and this time, the window did indeed contain yarn.  With a little encouragement from the husband (who remained outside with his cigar), I went in and found that the shop had a much larger selection of yarns than anything I've found in Como.  So if you find yourself in Venice, drop by Lellabella, on Calla della Mandola (della Cortesia), where you will find wool, cashmere, silk, cotton, linen and blended yarns, a few handknit sweaters, and Lella and Monica, who were very nice.

Pero', il prossimo giorno, stavamo andando dal Ponte dell' Accademia  al Ponte Di Rialto quando passavamo davanti ad un' altra vetrina pittoresca, e questa volta, la vetrina infatti ha contenuto dei filati.  Con un po' di incoraggiamento da mio marito (che rimanava fuori con il suo sigarro), sono andata dentro e ho saputo che il negozio aveva una selezione di filati piu grande come i negozi a Como.  Quindi, se ti trovi a Venezia, va' a Lellabella, a Calle della Mandola (della Cortesia), dove troverai i filati di lana, casimiro, seta, cotone, lino e mescolanze, alcune maglie fatte a mano, e Lella e monica, che erano molto simpatiche. 

I found this Filatura di Crosa "Dusk," cotton and acrylic, with colors gorgeous enough to make me forget my general lack of success with variegated yarns; I have enough of the one on the left to make a sweater, while the other two are for submissions I'm working on.

Ho trovato questo FIlatura di Crosa "Dusk," cotone e acrilico, con colori bellissimi; ho abbastanza del colore sinistro per fare una maglia, ma invece l' altri due sono per sottomissione cio che sto lavorando.  

(I thought the colors lovely enough to deserve a portrait.)

(Pensavo i colori cosi' belli di meritare un ritratto.)

A few things you may not have known about Italy

(having nothing to do with the food, and very little to do with the scenery).

(Se sia Italiana/o, immagino che gia sappia queste cose.)

1)  Radio stations do the traffic report for the entire country at once.   In Como, where we are within shouting distance of Switzerland, not only do we hear about the traffic on the autostrada from the south Como exit to the Swiss border:  we also find out about accidents and traffic jams in Rome and in Naples.

2)  There is no word for "jaywalker"; in Italian those socks would be called "coloro che attraversano la strada all'infuori dei passaggi pedonali," or "those who cross the street outside of the pedestrian crosswalk."  Actually, they would just be called "Jaywalkers."

3)  According to an Italian women's magazine I read recently, Italian women are more concerned with cellulite than with wrinkles (no wonder, considering all the underwear stores displaying thongs and those funny little panties that only cover the top two-thirds of the butt cheeks)-- hence all of the anti-cellulite products advertised in pharmacy windows.  I thought this ad was especially eye-catching (ouch!).

Math twice, knit once:

I think this should be the knitter's counterpoint to the carpenter's mantra of "measure twice, cut once."   The reason the photos show an item with the bottom edge of loose stitches hanging free is that I didn't math twice-- not even once, really.  I followed the somewhat unspecific advice given by Barbara Walker in Knitting From the Top for a "classic raglan pullover," not stopping to think that I was planning to make a pullover with a wider and deeper neck than the one she describes as "classic."  So I cast on stitches so the back neck width would be around 10 inches, and then increased at the raglan seams every other row.  Once I reached the point where it was time to divide for front, back and sleeves, I realized that I was going to have a sleeve circumference of somewhere around 13 inches at the upper arm (about right for my purposes), and a bust circumference of around 41 inches (about 6 inches too many).  Oops.

Well, Barbara does mention that it may "be necessary to depart from the standard rate of increasing."  Unfortunately for me, if I had decreased the frequency of raglan increases for all sections (back, front and sleeves), then the sleeves would have ended up being too tight, and if I had only decreased the frequency of increases for front and back, then the stitch pattern would not have mitered nicely at the raglan seam.  So it quickly became clear that I would have to frog and start over from the beginning, and the only way to keep the basic idea and use the same stitch pattern would be to make the back and front narrower at the neck, and the sleeve sections wider.

To be honest, I'm not sure I am loving this idea, although I will give it another chance before I move onto something else.  When I swatched for this project, I really liked the stitch pattern, which is a four-stitch cable with eyelets; the decreases move from side to side with each cable section, causing the cable to wave back and forth.  I wonder why I like non-symmetrical wavy patterns so much (see here, and here, and here), and why I keep trying to make them work with raglan seams.... 

Yarn subs for Roped Shell and Wakame Lace Tunic

LeeAnn posted a comment asking about yarn substitutions for the Roped Shell in the Summer 2008 IK, and as I had been thinking about this subject, I decided to stick my neck out and offer a few possibilities (bear in mind that unless otherwise noted, I do not have personal experience with these yarns, and am basing my opinion mainly on fiber content and yarn weight/gauge).  Remember that swatching is very important when switching yarns, and that you may need to try several different needle sizes to get the correct gauge.  I do feel strongly that since the Filatura di Crosa Luxury (Roped Shell) and Tilli Tomas Fil de la Mer (Wakame Lace Tunic) are both very expensive ($18-20 per skein), suggesting more reasonably priced alternatives is something somebody should do, and since that somebody is not IK (ahem), I guess next in line would be me.  I will say that I felt both of these yarns were excellent choices for their projects; the Luxury drapes very nicely, which is important for the look of the Roped Shell (and much less yarn is required for the shell than for the tunic), and I really love the subtle color variations and the texture of the Fil de la Mer.  So if you can afford them, great.  If not:

Roped Shell:   LeeAnn had asked if I thought KnitPicks Elegance might work.  I think KnitPicks Shine Sport would be a better choice, because the gauge is closer to the Luxury, and although the alpaca/silk combo in the Elegance might drape nicely (alpaca tends to have less resilience than wool), I think the modal/cotton in the Shine Sport would probably also drape quite well.  Another alternative which is still rather expensive is Louet Euroflax sport weight, 100% linen.  This is around $21-22 per skein, but each skein is 100 grams (or you can buy 1/2 lb cones), meaning it ends up costing around half as much as the Luxury or Fil de la Mer, and I have swatched with it for other projects, and like it a lot.  Other possibilities:  Classic Elite Cotton Bamboo (around $8), Reynolds Rise & Shine (cotton, $7-8), or Reynolds Saucy Sport (cotton, $3-4). 

Wakame Tunic:  KnitPicks CotLin might work nicely for this.  Like the Shine Sport, it is very economical at $2.49 per 50 gram ball!  Classic Elite Classic Silk (cotton, silk, nylon, ~$8), Ella Rae Silkience (cotton, modal, silk, rayon, $5-6), RYC Bamboo Soft (bamboo, ~$9) and Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy (hemp, cotton, modal, ~$6) are other possibilities; I have some Classic Silk and Hempathy in my stash and have swatched with both for other projects.

I haven't included any wool, alpaca or cashmere blends; certainly you could use one of these for a dressy-ish cool weather layering piece (the shell) or a more all-seasons tunic, but I would recommend keeping wool and nylon content on the low side for a nicely draping fabric.

Vi raccomando una visita

(Or:  what I did on my vacation.) 

(Oppure:  che cosa ho fatto durante la festa della Liberazione.)

Last week I finally got around to visiting Villa Carlotta, further down the lake in Tremezzo.  The garden is renowned, in particular for its azaleas and rhododendrons-- and right now they are in full bloom!  Azaleas the size of tour buses and  rhododendrons as tall as houses-- unbelievable.  With Lake Como and Bellagio as a backdrop, and behind them a line of snow-capped mountains-- you must go there. Go there now. 

La settimana scorsa sono finalmente andata a Villa Carlotta, piu lontano sul lago a Tremezzo.  Il giardino e famoso, innanzitutto per le azalea e i rhododendri-- ed adesso sono in piena fioritura!   Azalea grandi come  pullman e rhododendri alti come case-- incredibile.  Con Lago di Como e Bellagio in sfondo, e dietro le montagne nevose-- dovete andarci.  Ci andate ora.

And then go to Venice, but not to Venice itself (yes, okay, go, it's a must, even though Piazza San Marco is chock-a-block with pigeon shit and tourists):  take a water taxi across the Venetian lagoon to the island of Torcello, have lunch at the Locanda Cipriani, and gaze across their garden at the centuries-old churches of Santa Fosca and Santa Maria Assunta.  Mamma mia.

E poi andate a Venezia, ma non proprio Venezia  (va bene, si deve andarci, anche se Piazza San Marco e piena di guano di piccione e turisti):  prendete un vaporetto attraverso la laguna veneziana all' isola di Torcello, pranzate alla Locanda Cipriani, e guardate le chiese antiche Santa Fosca e Santa Maria Assunta attraverso il suo giardino.  Caspita.

Of seaweed and slipped stitches

Now that the Interweave Knits Summer 2008 preview is up, I think it's finally safe to show a detail of my Wakame Lace Tunic.  I found the lace pattern in a Japanese book of stitch patterns and fell in love with it; the undulating curves of the cables and the foamy effect created by the eyelets immediately reminded me of breaking waves.  And since the yarn (Tilli Tomas Fil de la Mer) contains seaweed fiber, I thought "wakame" would be a good name; I'm glad IK saw fit to keep it!  (By the way, the fabric in the photo is doubled; I draped the tunic over a chair to get the picture.)

As for the Roped Shell, the design was originally for a sort of tube top with cable straps, and the yarn originally chosen was Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, but when they were reluctant to ship their yarn to Italy,the IK editors chose Filatura di Crosa Luxury instead.  This silk yarn has a lovely drape but very little stretch, which seemed to me to be an unforgiving (and very difficult to fit) combination for a knit tube top!  In addition, the slipped stitch pattern loses its nice curvy effect if it is stretched much, so I suggested that we change the design to a sleeveless shell instead; the Cotton Fleece would have suited the more casual style of a tube top, but I thought that this finer silk yarn would work better in a somewhat dressier top.  I also wanted to find a way to hide the jog in the stripes at the beginning of each round, so I took advantage of the slipped stitch pattern to create a vertical stripe at each side "seam."  Not the best photo, but at least you can see how light and drapey the fabric turned out to be.

Etrusca errata

For patterns purchased before today:  On Row 8 of the Lace Chart, stitches #22 and #30 should be "P on RS, k on WS"; as this is a WS row, you will knit, not purl these stitches.

Seaside Gloves

If you’re like many knitters, during the height of summer you may find yourself impatient for the brisk days of fall and even winter, when you can pull out those woollen items created with long hours of pleasant labor.  And yet-- human nature being what it is-- during those wintry periods, even knitters may find themselves remembering with longing those lazy hours on the beach in July or August:  the penetrating heat of the sand, the glints of light off the water, the cooling salt spray flying off the crests of the waves.  That’s why these gloves are a perfect anytime project:  during the warmer months, they’ll augur frosty days to come, and once those days arrive, the wavy stitches, deep ocean teal and crystal bead droplets will remind you of those carefree seaside afternoons.

Sizes
Women’s S-M (M-L)
Circumference (unstretched):  7”/18 cm (8”/20.5 cm); to fit hand circumference of 7-8”/18-20.5 cm (8-9”/20.5-23 cm)
Length:  10”/25.5 cm (11”/28 cm)

Difficulty
Intermediate knitter/beginning beader; skills required include reading chart and working in the round.

Materials
Alchemy Yarns Synchronicity (50% silk, 50% wool; 118 yds/108 m per 50 g skein); 30W: Spruce; 2 (2) skeins.
Size S-M:  1 set US #5/3.75 mm double-point needles OR size to obtain gauge
Size M-L:  1 set US #7/4.5 mm double-point needles OR size to obtain gauge
tapestry needle; waste yarn or stitch holders
bead needle for threading beads (I used The Big “Eye”)
Clear glass beads, size 6/0 (4 mm), 52

Suggested Yarn Substitutes
Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Superwash or Karabella Aurora 8

Gauge
Size S-M:  24 sts/ 32 rows measured over 10cm (4 inches) in stockinette stitch (st st)
Size M-L:  21 sts/ 28 rows measured over 10cm (4 inches) in st st

Pattern Notes
See attached charts.  The original stitch pattern (“Seaweed” from Barbara Walker’s Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns) is used for the left glove only, while the pattern for the right glove is its mirror image.

Both left and right gloves are fully charted to show the position of beads and construction of thumb gusset and fingers.  Directions are the same for S-M and M-L; altering gauge by using different size needles results in two finished sizes.  Follow written directions as well as charts!  Picked up and knit on stitches for upper hand and fingers are not shown on charts, but are worked following chart for stitches adjacent to each part.   

Thread beads onto yarn before casting on, pushing beads down along yarn until they are needed.  Beads actually sit between 2 purl stitches; to place bead, purl first stitch, push bead into place, and purl second stitch.

Click here to purchase pattern pdf ($3.50)!  Includes written directions, photos and full charts for both hands.  By the way, if your fingertips prefer to be covered, instead of binding off each glove finger, just continue the stitch pattern as established until each finger is slightly longer than your own, and then do not bind off:  instead break the yarn, thread it through all stitches, pull to close, and then fasten on the inside of the finger. 

The Invasion of the Tomas Swatches

With each of my last few projects, the number of swatches I have done has steadily increased (I hope this trend doesn't continue!).  I've done multiple swatches for different reasons; for my project for an upcoming issue of Vogue Knitting, it was to find different stitch patterns that played well together, while for Etrusca, it was to find an assortment of yarns in different gauges that could be substituted for the Karabella Empire Silk I used-- and to choose among several stitch patterns.  The swatches pictured here are for the next project I hope to turn into a pattern for sale:  a top-down* (my first!!) raglan pullover using Tilli Tomas Fil de la Mer, a lovely, lovely yarn.  By the way, I'm NOT planning to incorporate all of these stitch patterns into one garment.

On a COMPLETELY different topic, I read in some trashy magazine at the gym that various actresses have "girl crushes" on Angelina Jolie, and I thought, "Hmm.  To each her own, I guess."  Then I wondered who my girl crush would be, and having recently seen A Bridge to Terabithia, Zooey Deschanel came to mind.  Then I saw this article about her recent CD release; in the article she is called a "crafty girl" who knits and crochets.  OK, found my girl crush.  Who's yours?!

*Knitting From the Top by Barbara Walker is a great book, but I kinda wish they'd update that cover photo.

Reader knit: Fern Fitted Shell

Many thanks to Terry for allowing me to post this great photo of a beautiful Fern!  (She used KnitPicks Shine and was very happy with the result.)