Meet Lyra!...a two month project

My knitting friend from Houston, Kenny, called me up one day and said, "Let's knit Lyra!" And that's how this started.

I had no idea what Lyra was (I believe it is pronounced "Lie-rah"), so after we talked about knitting this pattern, I tried to find out about Lyra, and the designer, Herbert Niebling. I have been unable to find much about him, but from what I gather, he was German, and designed doilies and tablecloths and the like sometime during the 1920s and 1930s. I am not quite sure of the time period, so if anyone has more information, please let me know.

Click on pics for larger view.

First pic is Lyra right after blocking. Top right pic is on the dining room table. Other pics are closeups of the corner and mid points.

With the advent of the knitters online group Ravelry.com, patterns, ideas, and feedback and information about yarn, along with social and political fun, have flourished worldwide, and is shared at the fastest pace ever!

So, I got the pattern, and during January and February spent about 200 hours knitting this lace. While the original patterns are mostly done with size 00, 0 and 1 US size needles (quite small in diameter) and knit with thin cotton thread, I decided to knit Lyra with Grignascu merino/silk (75/25 blend in a pewter gray color) that Kenny bought for me on his visit to Vermont last October (thanks Kenny!). I used size 5 US needles.

The knit piece has been washed and blocked--two hours of stretching it out and pinning it with lots of pins over a blanket topped with a sheet on the living room floor. It was not the most fun I've had in old age, and my butt and calves were very sore for 3 days afterward from squatting and sitting on my heels!

This Lyra is 60x60 inches.

Enjoy! Also, click HERE for pics of Niebling's design mastery!

A Peaceful Cold...belated happy new year's!

I'm finally taking some time to sit down and get a blog post written! So sorry for the two month delay--I meant to, I meant to! Lol.

In December, J and I visited his family in Orlando, which was delightful, and we also took a couple of days off to visit some friends who recently moved from Chicago to Ft. Myers. It was a lovely, but short, trip. I managed to do okay with the migraines--kept them at bay by taking a pill 4 out of 5 days.

In Orlando, we stayed at Ben (J's nephew) and Emily's (Ben's wife) beautiful house! This is the second time we were lucky and blessed to be able to stay with them.

They are a lovely couple and we both enjoy spending time with them. Here they are opening up the socks I made for them. Their dog, Kaylee May (or Kayleigh?) is a Wheaton Terrier, and THE sweetest dog you will ever meet! That is the dog Barack should get for Sasha and Malia! ; )

I will do a longer post in the next couple of days, with more Holiday pics and pics of the coast.

As always, click on the pics to enlarge them!

Then, it was back to a nice cold and snowy Vermont! My, we've had so much snow this winter, and I am quite sure that it's been colder this winter than last. Many, many nights with sub-zero temperatures. Down to -15 to -25 F on several nights! Luckily, we have a nice soapstone woodstove that helped keep the cold from seeping in.

I've been working on handspun, handknit swatches of alpaca and alpaca blends with wool, and some merino wool with tencel. Pics later about that! In the meantime, I've been working on Herbert Niebling's 'Lyra' using Grignasco merino/silk lace, and finished a couple pairs of socks. Here's a link to a site with lots of beautiful finished Lyras!

Mr. Niebling designed amazing doilies for German knitters I think in the '20s and '30s. They are now being translated into English and Italian. He has quite a following among Ravelry'ers. They are very addictive to do! Here is a pic of my almost finished one. My version has not been stretched and blocked yet.

Socks: I made a pair in dark blue angora, and one in a lovely blood-red yarn Kenny gifted me. Pics follow. For you knitters out there, the red cabled socks have: Judy's magic cast-on, I used the Magic Loop Method, a ribbed sole, expansion stitch triangular gusset in seed stitch, short-row heel, reinforced heel flap, and split cable at the ankle. It (I have just one done right now) fits wonderfully!

Congrats to Kenny, my knitter friend from Houston! He designed a scarf pattern, and it was published in Interweave Knits! Visit his blog for the same pics in the magazine. Click here --> Boiknitblog.

So go out and buy a copy if you don't subscribe, and/or visit his blog and send your warm wishes!

More later, keep in touch! I'm on Twitter, as Vtknitboy, and Facebook as Chris French from Jericho, Vermont. Friend and Follow me! Mwah!

Chris

Knit Updates

Happy Winter to All!

I hope mid-December finds you all healthy and happy! It was about -4 f. this morning, here in NW Vermont. But now it's in the 30's and blustery. The joy of living in New England!

Here's an update on my knitting adventures. Please click on the pics for a better and larger view...

I've been working on and completing some Holiday gifts. I can't say much about them, as the recipients may read this blog!

The first pair of socks are made with Esprit yarn by Elann.com. Cotton with some nylon for support. This pair (for a female) has a lace pattern on the top, and I used size 3 needles.

The second pair (for a male) is plain knitting on size 5 needles. Same yarn, different colorway. It's a fun yarn to knit with. Stretchy but soft.

Both pairs were done with Judy's Magic cast-on (super easy and better than the figure-8 cast-on), toe-up, short row heel.

Third pair of socks (for me!) in Noro sock yarn. This was the yarn my BFF Kenny from Houston bought me on his visit to Vermont this fall. The yarn comes in long stretches of color. It was fun starting the yarn on the second sock to match the first one! Luckily the yarn is designed so that, if one wants to, you can knit matching socks. You can also knit the second sock from the end of the skein (instead of continuing in order), and you'll get the same color but reversed order. I added red cotton yarn on the heels to give them some strength. I'm not sure how well these socks will wear. I wear my socks pretty hard. Most socks don't last me two years--at least in the heels.

Two nights ago I started knitting wrist warmers for me. I used Atacama 100% alpaca yarn by Araucania in Chile. It's hand-dyed and very nice. I picked up a bunch of this yarn from Littleknits.com in a super bag sale (for about $2.50 a skein), but I purchased this colorway at A Stitch in Time yarn shop in Jericho (where I am teaching learn to knit worskhops!). Note: you can pick up some really good deals at Littleknits! They have tons of stuff on sale. And, Atacama alpaca yarn is being sold for $3-4 a skein in lots of places. Just google it.

Anywho, back to the wrist warmers. There are dozens of free patterns online--I just did a simple 2x1 ribbing, and an added thumb gusset separated by a stitch I alternated in knit, then purl. Knitted the thumb plain (stockingknit) and topped with 5 rows of the ribbing. Very nice, warm and very soft! I love the colorway. Earthy tones.

I am also playing around with handspun and swatches. I did a diagonal Madeira lace with 8 stitches of stockingknit panel in between. Top to bottom handspun: purple corriedale with white merino/bamboo; alpaca with the mer/bamboo, and another alpaca with mer/bamboo. Kind of fun imagining this as a woman's top--possibly for cool fall nights over a white t-shirt. Semi-open separated by the knit panels. I am planning on designing some pieces. This would have some decreasing on the sides, for more form fitting, and possibly some lacey picot edging flaring out on the bottom portion. Tank-top type shoulder straps. Knit panels on the side (to compensate for the decreasing) and over the, you know, female parts for more support. Or not. But that's an x-rated version! Lol.

I have some gorgeous merino/bamboo from the U.S. in a steel gray-black. I think it's called gunmetal or something like that. I'm planning on spinning it sockweight and using this pattern for a similar top. It's machine washable, while the alpaca isn't.

So, there you go! I have some other projects going on: a silk scarf for my mom, about 3/4 of it done in ribbing. And, 3 pairs of socks for me in various stages of completion: Imagination in Wicked Witch colorway from Knitpicks.com (superwash merino, alpaca, nylon: perfect for socks!), some handspun alpaca, and some other stuff. Using the magic loop method--progressed from the 2 circs method to the ML.

Hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season, whatever you celebrate!

Cheers,
Vtknitboy

September Update...

Wow! I haven't blogged in ages! Kenny, my knitting friend from Houston, is here in Vermont for a week's vacation from the hurricane after-effects in Houston. He was without power and water for 9 days, and just had the power restored the day before he flew to Vermont. Luckily, he has a kind friend in Houston (with power) who let him stay with him for a number of days.

So, we've been off leaf peeping, visiting yarn shops, seeing the sights, eating great food and just hanging and relaxing. We visited the Mountain Fiber Folk Coop in Montgomery Center, Vermont. (First three pics at right.) I met Sabra (pictured with me), and Carol at the Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival about 3 weeks ago and told them we'd make the trek up to MC to see them. We had a blast! Nice stuff, nice people.

We had a lovely trip to Craftsbury Common, which is one of the most beautiful towns in Vermont, and saw lots of wonderful foliage, and some sheep right next to the road (dirt road)! I think it was the Bonnie View Farm. I'll have to goggle it and update here.

Other pics of foliage I think were on the way to Montgomery Center.

I just wanted to get a quick post off to update ya'll. I had lots to blog about after: visit to the Vermont Sheep & Wool, the stash I got there, spinning updates, and knitting updates. But, that's all for now!

Thanks for visiting my blog.

-Vtknitboy (chris)

Surprises and Gifts...

My partner thinks I have an over-abundance of yarn, rovings, and fleeces. (I do, and he would prefer that I start using up some of my stash before buying more.) But there's something about surrounding myself with these wonderful things that can be transformed into objects of beauty, function, and fashion--well, maybe not the fashion, this is Vermont, after all! I'm quite positive I lived during the 1880's through the 1930's. I have the "Depression Mentality" where I need to have dry and canned goods stocked up to take us through times of trouble, and I also am horribly drawn to the Victorian England time period (as a "Born to the Manor" type, of course.).

Click on pics for a larger view...

J and I try to do as much as we can to reduce our carbon footprint on the planet. We hang laundry outside in the summer, have a small drying rack to dry hand towels, dish towels, etc., and have changed most of our light bulbs to the energy saving kind. (Although, we are both concerned about how to dispose of these when they die--they have mercury in them.)

So, (there was a point to this) I was out in the garage, fumbling through the stacks of boxes of yarn, rovings, and fleeces (sorry--no pic; it's way too messy) looking for this large wooden drying rack we had when we moved from Burlington to Jericho a bunch of years ago. Alas, I never found it, but I found that I had all this fiber I had totally forgotten about.

In the stacks I found (among tons of other great stuff): 2 pounds of dark brownish-gray wool roving (enough for a sweater, plus), 1 pound of Icelandic roving (unfortunately, it's the rough, long and itchy stuff), the Russian cashmere spindles I bought at SOAR '97 at Smugglers' Notch, a Judy's Kick 'n Spin spindle, a Takli and bowl (for spinning cotton), and 1 pound of mohair dyed pinkish red, and sky blue. What finds!

In today's mail, I received another box from Kenny in Houston--fabulous yarn for socks! Fibranatura Yummy 100% superwash wool, in turquoise blue, salmon-orange, browns and greens (I'm color blind--what do I know.), and a skein of Acquerello superwash wool/nylon hand-dyed in a deep, dark reddish brown. A color he promptly described as, well, blood-clot red. Tigger is in the above pic modeling the yarns. There are two pics of tigger, as he's so darn cute. Thanks to Kenny for the care package. You are a great friend!

And, you ask, why does Tigger look so grumpy in the pic with the yarn? Because I moved the newspaper he was sitting on so that I could take the pic! He will not sit on our laps, but the second a piece of newspaper is put down, he jumps right on it and curls up and takes a snooze! I was reading the paper and he decided to plop his royal butt right on the paper! He's really quite a character!

Knitting projects: I finished the second of the Jewelled Steps socks. Love. Them. Although I have to redo the bind-off. And, I started a pair of Monkey-Socks by Cookie A., but the toe-up version. Although, now that I've done 2 reps of the pattern, I kind of like the idea of the purled base under the "V" in the pattern. What do you think? Leave a comment!

I'm using the Audacity yarn by Black Bunny. She's a member of the Knitters for Obama group I'm in on Ravelry.com. And, she's fabulously talented. I'm doing the linen stitch on the bottom (see second sock pic) for more durability.

Oh, I almost forgot! In the Knitters for Obama group, we are doing a second fundraiser--an afghan of the U.S. flag. The red and white stripes consist of squares with raised reliefs of the states. J and I were on vacation in Seattle and Victoria, and they were so sweet to save Vermont for me to do! Woo hoo! Here's a pic of my square before I sent it, and a pic of all the squares before being sewn together by one of the group members.

A couple of my friends are experiencing some rough medical problems with family members, so I ask all my friends out there if you could take just a minute or two out of your hectic life and say a little prayer, meditate, or just send some positive, healing, and loving vibes out to the Universe.

Your thoughts would be much appreciated!

Peace and Love to you all!
Chris

It's Our Moment...It's Our Time...Happy June!

Uh....a bit late here, but happy June! A friend of mine once said (long ago), "you have to say 'Rabbit, Rabbit' the first morning of the month, right when you wake up. It'll bring you good luck!" Okay, so, belated "rabbit, rabbit" everyone!

Clickety to Embiggen (the pics)--->

I try to keep this blog politically neutral, but I am just bursting with pride and joy right now! I am huge supporter of Barack Obama. It's the first time I've ever donated to a political candidate. Last night's speech gave me hope again for this country. I won't blather on much, but I really, really hope that Americans will find it in their hearts the courage and strength to give him a chance come November. My friends come from all political stripes, so I'll just get off the political soapbox and off to fiber stuff! (Feel free to carry on any political conversation with me off blog at my comcast e-mail!) Hugs.
Back to other stuff...

The pics of the flowers are: columbine, lupines, and wiegelia--just starting. All the plants are soaking wet, and it's drizzling out! Today is rainy and cool. Temperature in the mid 60s. This weekend it's supposed to be 86-90!

I'm off to Bennington (southern Vermont) on Friday for a GLBT knit camp! Yay! I'm on a listserve with dozens of fabulous people from all over the world, and about 20 something of us are meeting Friday-Sunday for a knit camp. I've been on the list group for about six months now, and the talented and extremely funny group has enriched my life. (Remind me to post later about "JIC Melissa", and the Melissa names...) I'm not teaching a workshop this time, so I'm really psyched to just hang, and knit with folks. That was one of the drawbacks of teaching the spinning cotton workshop at Easton--I didn't get as much time to just hang with people. Although the workshop for me was extremely rewarding--both sharing, and feedback from the attendees.

BFF news! One of my new BFFs from Easton is Kenny from Houston, "The Boy Who Knits". He's a wonderful guy, and I'm honored to know him, and getting to know him online and via phone since the retreat. Kenny sent me a "pound of love" in the mail. A box of yarn! Fabulous sock yarn: a gorgeous Flat Feet blank, with browns and greens; two skeins of Panda Silk (bamboo, superwash merino, and some silk) that has the most amazing hand (feel), in browns and gold; two skeins of Lorna's Laces Shepherd sock yarn in purple iris (green and purple); two skeins of Shibuiknits superwash merino in jade green; a skein of dark blue, and a skein of grey Trekking XXL sockyarn; two skeins of Plymouth Royal 100% bamboo; and the "unmentionable" Red Heart iron acrylic yarn--a joke, not in the pic--my hands are wayyyyyy too soft to deal with a petroleum based yarn.

So, a HUGE thanks to Kenny! Luv ya!

That's all folks! For now. More later if I have time. If not, after the knit camp weekend!

Hugs, Chris