Some Knitting and Non-Knitting News

So, first of all, the non-knitting news:



We don't know yet if it is a boy or a girl, so we're calling it Rose-Edward. We're not very secretive about names, obviously. My mom says the ultrasound looks like a boy. Seriously?

My son Adrian (who has appeared on this blog here, here, here, etc. and yes I'm probably violating child labor laws making him model so much) will be 23 months when this one arrives in April.

That's going to be a lot of diapers.

I'm currently angsting, though, that these vampire books came out recently with some dude named Edward as the romantic hero (and don't lie and say you haven't read them). And now, apparently, every teen mom has named her kid Edward (and Cullen, apparently, too). Edward is my DH's favorite and late uncle. A wonderful man by all accounts. I just want to be sure we all know that I'm not naming my kid after a teen-fiction hero. (BTW, I freaking love teen fiction. I've read it all. No snobbery here AT ALL.)

Moving on to the fibery front.

I haven't posted any patterns or projects lately because I've been building up to a surprise: a book. After doing some research, I've decided to self-publish this one. It will be available through Ravelry as an eBook, or as a perfect-bound softcover book via Amazon.com and other online book retailers. It will contain some of the patterns that have been readers' favorites (such as Nella) and also a group of new patterns that I've been writing these past few months. I hope to have it out on the shelves come January. Late December if I'm bizarrely lucky and efficient.

Here's a sneak-peak of a super easy, top-down, stash-bustin', one-piece beaut that will be included in the book:



As with all Knitty Professors patterns, the patterns in this new collection will have lots of sizes, lots of good background stories, and lots of options for knitting in a cost-saving and eco-friendly way.

Peace on Halloween to all.

-Katie Rose

Why It Makes Sense to Handknit for Babies

Jordynn made a sweater for my son Adrian a long time ago, before he was born. He wore it right away:



(She made the leggings too. LOVE them.)

Here is Adrian wearing the same sweater, one year later, even though he's twice as big as he used to be.



Handknit sweaters just work for babies, and babies get tons of wear out of them because they're so flexible.



(DH and I call him Dieter van Hooverstein when Adrian is dressed like that--tall socks, Euro boy-sandals, etc. You can just see him hiking in the Alps.)

Where's Katie?

Jordynn has been holding down the fiber fort over here lately. Thank god.

I've been knitting a lot and have a lot of new patterns in the works, but I've been a little bogged down with teaching and writing this semester. Not a lot of time for knitty-writing. Which makes me sad.

My spinning wheel is dusty. I have an entire gorgeous Icelandic fleece sitting unwashed and getting skanky. My yarn is actually giving me dirty looks.

Here's an interesting sweater, though. This jacket was crocheted by the mother of my husband's nanny in Holland--that's where he was born and lived the first part of his life. So--a Dutch nanny's mother made this for him 35 years ago. Here it is on our son, Adrian:



And here's another:



I wonder if the woman knew that we'd all grow up to be Tarheels when she picked those colors.

Probably not.

Cat in a Plath

I don’t know if this cat is wearing a Plath sweater, but doesn’t it look like it?

See more cats in sweaters here—109 of them, to be exact!

New Pattern: Howarth

Price: $6.00

Jean Howarth (1917-2004) was a Canadian journalist known for publishing “The Waffle Manifesto” as an editorial in 1969. Her piece covered the values and beliefs of a new political party that espoused feminism, radicalism, and Canadian nationalism. They were called the “Waffle Party” due to an ironic comment by one of the members, Ed Broadbent, who said that “that if they had to choose between waffling to the left and waffling to the right, they waffle to the left.” Howarth was a co-signer of the Waffle Manifesto, but she was also known for her journalism, becoming the as the first woman to win a National Newspaper Award in Canada and a member of the Canadian News Hall of Fame.

This sweater takes its inspiration from Howarth. For one, the simple waffle stitch pattern subtly references the Waffle Party. And this warm, but not-too-bulky sweater would have served Howarth well on her reporting stints, which ranged from Regina, Saskatchewan, to Toronto, Ontario, to Vancouver, British Columbia.

Sizes: XS [S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X] (shown in size S)

Finished Measurements

Chest: # 30[34, 36, 40, 44, 50, 52] inches
Length: # 21.5[22, 22.5, 23, 23.5, 24] inches from shoulder

Yarn: Araucania Nature Wool Solids [100% wool; 242 yd/221 m per 100g skein]; color: Tree Bark (02); #5[5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7] skeins; or any type of DK or light worsted yarn (1210-1694 yards).

Howarth is knit from the top down, in the round, with minimal seaming. You will begin with the turtleneck, then set up for raglan increases to shape the shoulders. Next, you will slip the sleeve stitches onto scrap yarn, and continue working the body in one piece. The sleeves are then picked up and knit from the top down. Finally, you will pick up stitches along the split neck and the bottom side placket for the rib trim.

Howarth is available for $6.00 on Ravelry.

Bamboozled: A Fiber Facts Update

Apparently, bamboo does not necessarily make something eco-friendly. According to the Federal Trade Commission, bamboo textiles are simply another type of rayon, made using the same process. As I showed in my Fiber Facts post on rayon, the process involves harsh chemicals that are anything but eco-friendly. No matter what fiber you start with, rayon is a classed as a [hu]man-made fiber.

Now, the FTC is taking action, warning companies (including Amazon, Target, and Macy's) that they must change their labeling of "bamboo" fabrics to "rayon." While the FTC does not seem to have targeted yarn manufacturers in their efforts, presumably the same implications would apply. If your yarn label says bamboo, it probably means "rayon." The same goes, presumably, for yarns made out of corn or hemp.

The FTC has a useful guide here, if you want to know more. Interestingly, the clothing & textile regulations do not seem to apply to yarn--from what I can find.

A Skirt

I whipped this up yesterday using the pattern from Chic & Simple Sewing, by Christine Haynes.

 

This is a basic circle skirt pattern. It turned out okay. I decided to hem the skirt so it would hang evenly, rather than just hemming .5” all the way around, as given in the pattern.

I’m not super happy about the elastic waist band, but at least I learned how to do one. And I think I’ll actually wear this. Or maybe I’ll try to redo the waist band somehow….

I’ve promised myself that I won’t build up a stash of fabrics the way I have with yarns. I have material for one more yoga bag (or perhaps a tote?), and 3 yards of some vintage fabric I found at a thrift store to use up.

I promise knitting updates will be forthcoming, as well! Katie and I both have some new projects and patterns on the go.