I may have a new “condition”: unfinishitis. It’s not as though I’m not knitting, though I have been experiencing a loss of knitting mojo. I’ve been knitting, but not just on one project. This means, of course, that I’m not finishing anything. I have 3 “major” projects on the needle: sock 17, the Shetland Pi Shawl, and Tanta–a shawlette. This weekend, I’m going to try and finish sock 17. It’s the mate of one completed quite some time ago, and it will be nice to have a pair.

Vampires Are Everywhere

The vampire bandwagon is a large one, and it’s getting bigger with each episode of True Blood and entry to the Twilight movie saga. Personally, I can’t understand why. Don’t get me wrong; I love vampire stories and movies, but I’m a purist. Give me Bram Stoker and Bella Lugosi.

Anyway, knitting has jumped on the vampire bandwagon. Genevieve Miller has compiled a collection of more than 25 patterns in her book,Vampire Knits: Projects to Keep You Knitting from Twilight to Dawn (Potter Craft, 2010).

The projects included in this book were contributed by fans of vampires and werewolves. They are divided into categories “Protect Me,” “Just Bitten,” “Vampire Style,” “Bloody Accents,” and “Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?” Projects carry such names as Pulse Protectors, Tourniquet Scarf, Prim Reaper’s Corset, and Little Fang Sweater.

The patterns are well written and easy to follow. Although many indicate an intermediate skill level, there is nothing that an advanced beginner cannot take on with success. Some of the projects use charts, and not all of them are written out as well. But, the charts are not complicated, and they should not deter someone from taking them on. And if you cables, there are several patterns that incorporate cables into the design. The “Special Skills” section includes illustrated tips on cables, stranded knitting, and duplicate stitching, among other techniques. Yarns used in projects can sometimes be difficult to find or outside the price comfort zone for those knitters who want to use what was suggested. In Vampire Knits, yarns used include those from Knit Picks, Plymouth, and Cascade.

There is a beautiful photograph of each completed project. There is also a detailed photograph for some projects. Interspersed in the pages of the books are tidbits of information about vampires in popular literature and movies as well as a quiz to test one’s vampire knowledge.

The vampire connection in Vampire Knits is limited primarily to project titles and color choice. For example, Kimberly Dijkstra’s Bloody Socks has a stitch pattern the write up says resembles blood droplets, especially since the sample is knit in red. But, the stitch could also resemble water droplets or even tears. This makes many of the projects in the book less “out there” and more attractive to a wider range of knitters. Still, in my opinion, most of the patterns are young looking, too young for me. There are exceptions, of course, including Sara Delaney’s Shapeshifter Shrug, Nancy Fry’s Palm Readers (fingerless mitts), and Cirilia Rose’s Lore Hoodie.

If you have some extra knitting book spending money, and if you have someone on your knitting list who knows almost everything there is to know about True Blood and Twilight, this may be a welcome edition to your knitting library. But, as I often do, I suggest you check your local yarn shop or bookstore to have a look through the book before buying.

Would you like a chance to win your own

copy of Vampire Knits?

Just leave a comment to this post, and

you’ll be entered in a random drawing to

win a copy. Only comments left

on this post will be eligible for the drawing.

Comments must be left by 11 PM EDT,

Thursday, September 9.

This was probably one of the least productive weekends I’ve had in months. I try to reserve my weekends for knitting and movies. Sometimes, though, I have to do some work on Sundays, but that’s a rarity. This weekend, the movie watching went as planned. The same can’t be said for the knitting. I was knitting along on a sock Saturday and got into trouble. As hard as I tried to figure it out, I just couldn’t. So, I set it aside.

Of course I had other projects to work on. In theory. I hadn’t finished part 2 of the Shetland Pi Shawl KAL over on Wendy Knits! I still haven’t finished part 2, and part 3 came out today. I just couldn’t channel my knitting mojo to pick up any project. Now, I’ve gone through a knitting drought before, but it’s always been toward a particular project of class of project. This weekend, however, I just could not get motivated to pick up anything. And I was all right with that, which bothered me more than the fact I didn’t want to knit anything. I forced myself to cast on a mate for a lonely sock that’s been sitting around for quite some time, but that’s it.

Well, not quite. I ventured over to the Knit Picks Independent Designer Pattern collection. I shop there a great deal. The patterns are great, and you can’t beat the $1.99 price. I’ve been looking for a hat pattern, and I found two.

Aunt Shirley Hat by Janine Le Cras

Temple Cats Hat by Suzanne Frary

If you’ve not checked out the IDP collection, I encourage you to check it out. There’s a wide variety of patterns, all downloadable. You can also order kits, which I did for the Temple Cats project. I would have ordered a kit for the Aunt Shirley, but I couldn’t decide on colors. You’ll also be helping out indie designers, as they get to keep all sales proceeds. One designer told me that she made more from the patterns she sells through the IDP program than via any other venue.

I’m hopeful that the knitting mojo finds its way home–and soon. I’ve got a fairly heavy editing schedule this weekend, so I’m thinking I’ll be more than ready for a knitting weekend this coming Saturday and Sunday.

The other day, however, I brought the socks–Riblettes–out of timeout, and I’m happy to say they’re finished. And here’s proof.
The picture’s a bit dark; they’re much happier socks!

Rather than take the Tanta out of timeout, I decided to join in on Wendy Knits! Shetland Pi KAL. The pattern is being released in 5 installments, with the first one posted Sunday. You can join at any time, so if you still want to join in, please do. This looks like a lot of fun. I didn’t quite finish the first “clue” last night, but here’s my progress thus far.
I’m using Knit Picks Telemark in Persimmon Heather and size 10 needles. I ordered the yarn for another project but decided to put that one on hold and use the yarn for the Shetland Pi. Incidentally, the next clue will be posted Wednesday on Ravelry.

New Tools
When I worked on the Riblettes, I managed to drop stitches like crazy. Guess that will teach me to knit in the dark. It was much easier to pick up the stitches since I had recently bought this

On one end is a small crochet hook; on the other, there is a larger hook. This made picking up the stitches very easy. I really want one of those dentist tool thingies, but in the interim, this works just fine.

This isn’t the only knitting tool I’ve bought lately. The latest one, however, won’t fit in my knitting bag.

No, not the netbook (already have one of those), the TV. I’ve gone from a 19-inch tube TV to a 32-inch, LED/LCD HD flat screen. Talk about a difference. And it truly is a knitting tool, as most of my knitting is done watching movies (and blogging; I’m currently watching The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, one of my favorite movies). The knits in the movies also inspire some of my design plans.

And Now, a Contest for Good
On my site The Evolving Sock Knitter, there’s a contest in which you can win a terrific sock kit and help a good cause at the same time. The Trekking “Egg-stra” Special Sock Kit was designed by Rosemary “Chappy” Chapman in honor of Susanne Skacel, a three-year ovarian cancer survivor. The Trekking yarn was dyed by Skacel, and it is the perfect shade of teal used for the ribbon that represents ovarian canver. My sister-in-law has ovarian cancer, and I have been working on a sock and other items to honor the strength of her and of all women fighting ovarian cancer. One of the problems has been finding just the right shade of teal, and Skacel has certainly done that.

Included in each kit are the yarn, pattern, and beads needed to complete the sock. The kits are $25.00 plus shipping. Skacel Collection, Inc. and Webs are donating their entire proceeds of this sock kit ($25.00 per kit) to the Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research.

I have purchased 3 kits. One I’m keeping for myself, of course, but I’m going to give the others to two people who leave a comment on the post about the contest on The Evolving Sock Knitter. Comments must be left by Wednesday, August 18, 2010, at 11 PM EDT. Only comments on that post will be entered into a random drawing for the kit. Only one comment per person, please.

This weekend I finished reading Death by Cashmere: A Seaside Knitters Mystery, by Sally Goldenbaum. Izzy Chambers owns the Seaside Knitting Studio in Sea Harbor, Massachusetts. When Angie Archer, who lives in the apartment above the studio, dies mysteriously on the beach, authorities are quick to call the death an accident. The misadventure of a young woman who had too much to drink.

The women of Izzy’s Thursday Night Knitting Group don’t agree. Izzy, her aunt Nell, lobsterwoman Cass, and firebrand Birdie find flaws in the authorities’ theories, and they are not the least bit surprised when it is discovered that Angie was drugged. Now, the knitting group and other members of the seaside community discover there was much more to Angie than they knew, even though she’d lived there all of her life.

As readers follow the women on their quest to discover Angie’s killer, they’ll be introduced to other members of the Sea Harbor community, some who may have had their own motive for silencing Angie. And what was that special project Angie was so dedicated to. And why did Angie spend so much time talking with Angus, the mysterious and possibly homeless man who fluctuated between lucidity and not making sense. Could the poacher who has been stealing from lobster traps set by Cass and lobstermen in Sea Harbor be connected to Angie’s murder? And how did the kitten–now named Purl and a resident of the Seaside Knitting Studio, get into Angie’s apartment after it was locked.

Goldenbaum has created characters who are believable. She writes about them in a way that makes the readers care about what happens to them. With her descriptions of the area, readers can almost feel the breeze on their face and smell the sea air. And while I was able to figure out the who and why behind Angie’s murder, it took longer than usual in such fiction. Even afterward, the twists and turns of the story held my interest. The night I finished the book, I dreamed about it–it a good way; I was casting the movie. (Guess I was going to direct.)

The book isn’t perfect. Cass, a relatively new knitter, talks about how she loves doing garter knit scarves: knit, purl, bind-off. Well, unless she’s knitting in the round, the scarf would really be stockinette if she followed that pattern. Still, this is a fast-paced read that will hold your attention.

I’ve started the second book in the series, Patterns in the Sand: A Seaside Knitters Mystery. Except for a sock that is yellow and then mysteriously turns cranberry just a few paragraphs later, this book is drawing me in as well.

The Riblette (Sock 15)

It’s knit with Knit Picks Felici in the Boardwalk colorway.

Once I finish the mate, I’ll post the pattern as a freebie on The Evolving Sock Knitter. It’s a bit more “involved” than the plain vanilla sock, but it’s still easy enough for most knitters.

I’ve also almost reached repeat 29 on the Tanta shawlette by designer Emily Ross. I’m still deciding if I want to do more repeats. The pattern calls for 29, but some over on Ravelry have mentioned doing 32 or more. Incidentally, if you’ve wanted to do some lace knitting but some of the patterns make you hesitate, the Tanta is a great one for beginners. Now, as I’ve mentioned, I had a very difficult time following the chart. I don’t know why; I can certainly read charts. But, clear, written instructions are provided, so if charts aren’t your thing, never fear.

Besides the knitting, my mind has been wandering to designing. I’ve designed things before, but this time, I’m really developing an ever-increasing respect for designers. Since I’m knitting so many socks, I decided to design some. Now, this isn’t the first time I’ve designed a sock, but this time, it’s proving to be much more difficult than I thought. The same is true with a shawl or shawlette that I’m also designing. As for the sock, it’s as though I’ve never even knit a sock before. This one has a stitch pattern that makes an image. Since most of the socks I’ve knitted lately are top down, so I decided to design these as a top-down pattern as well. That would have been fine, except I had a brain cramp and made the charts with the images right-side up. If I want the image to appear correctly on the sock, the chart had to be made with the image upside down. Ugh. OK, in the whole scheme of things, that’s not a big deal. But I think of it as a big deal. So, I sat and began recharting. Well, I actually started by writing out the instructions so the image is right-side up. Then it hit me. Just make it a toe-up sock. It’s your design; you can do what you want, I said to myself. So, instead of a top-down sock, it will be a toe-up one.

As for the shawl/shawlette, the problem is that I can visualize exactly–and I mean exactly–what I want it to look like. But, I’m not sure how to get it that way. Well, at least in a way that knitters won’e decide the process is more trouble than it’s worth.

Designers–my knitting cap is off to you.

Most of you know about my quest to knit 100 socks in a year (check out The Evolving Sock Knitter), so I always have at least one pair of socks on the needles. Actually, I had three socks on the needles the other day, but I have frogged two. They just weren’t doing it for me. But, I’m not talking about socks. No, I’m talking about other projects. In my Namaste Monroe knitting bag, I have two fairly recently started tops and a Tanta shawlette. Well, until yesterday. I was doing some shopping and found a bag on sale that works wonderfully for a knitting bag. So, the Tanta has been rehomed to that bag.

I am a firm believer that one should have more than one project on the needles. I know that I’m not always in the mood to knit socks–as hard as that may be to believe. I also like having something using bigger needles for those times when my hands are crampy from using the sock needles. But, it’s not as though there were not other things already on the needles before I cast on these latest projects. In fact, the area below my bed is blocked off from the cats with bags filled with such projects. The things is that I’m seriously unlikely to ever pick up those projects again. First, the yarn in many cases is, well, not something I’d use now. Plus, my skills have improved a lot since I started some of those projects. Oh well, I’ll do something with them–some day.

About the Tanta

As of a few days ago, here was my progress on the Tanta, by Emily Ross.

I’m using Knit Picks Palette in the Aster colorway on size 8 needles.

I can read charts, really I can, but for some reason, the chart with this pattern confused me to no end. I was afraid that I’d never get it figured out. Thankfully, the instructions are also provided in written form, so I was quickly on my way. Please, designers, considering using both formats. Anyway, the instructions are clearly written, and this has turned out to be a fun knit and pleasant break from socks.

You don’t need to have a pencil and paper handy to keep track of repeats. Just count what I call the shark fins or wave crests.

According to the pattern, you do 29 repeats before starting the decreases. I’ve read where some have done 32 or 35 repeats. I’m thinking I’ll do more than 29, but I can’t decide how many to do. Once I get to 29 repeats, I should be able to get a better idea.

I love this pattern. Do you know how I can tell that I do? As I knit, I think about how it would look in other yarn weights. I think about things I could add to the pattern. Oh yes, this is one I’ll make again.

Wanted #2–Luz Mojito
Crafty Detour (of which I am a part) has released the second in its Criminal Sock Investigations sock collection. This time, it’s the evil Luz Mojito. You can read about and order the pattern from the blog or from Ravelry. Do your part to save the world from these socky criminals.

The Unique Sheep Knitting Retreat
If your idea of heaven on earth is being in the mountains of North Carolina with a group of fellow knitters, check out the Unique Sheep Knitting Retreat. The retreat will be held September 24-26 at Hawkesdene House. The $500 fee includes accommodations and meals. The camaraderie of other knitters is provided at no additional charge.

Math for Knitters
Do you have a lot of design ideas but are scared about the math required for putting patterns to paper? Do you find yourself frustrated because patterns just don’t fit the way you want, and you can’t figure out how to make them fit? Does math give you the heebie jeebies? I think a lot of us find ourselves in that boat. If you’re math-averse or if math makes you scratch your head, Jesh wants to help. She’s offering an online Math for Knitters class. There are 6 lessons, and each is $10. If you purchase 5 classes, the sixth is half price. All of the lessons will be made available for $55; if you’ve bought all the classes, the ebook is free. Don’t let math hold you back.

And the Winner Is
Thanks to everyone who commented and received an entry in the contest for Knitting 24/7. This morning I called on the mighty Random Number Generator, and the winner is

Susie–aka KnittingNoobie!

Congratulations, Susie. I’ve sent you an e-mail.

If you like to have a knitting project with you at all times (or at least most times), check out Knitting 24/7: 30 Projects to Knit, Wear, and Enjoy, On the Go and Around the Clock (Stewart Tabori & Chang).

Most of the patterns are small, easily portable, and fit into summer knitting plans. After all, who really wants to work on a heavy afghan when it’s 90 degrees and humidity is unbearable? There are patterns for hats, scarves, socks, bags, and mittens. There are patterns for some larger items, such as a skirt, top, and shawls. Stitch patterns are easy to memorize–another must for what Avery calls our “Nooks and crannies of our lives when we are busy, yet our hands are free to practice out craft.” Many of the projects in Knitting 24/7 also make great, quick gifts.

The projects are beautifully photographed. The patterns are laid out with lots of white space, so the eyes are bombarded with information with nowhere to go to rest–except off the page. The instructions are clearly written and easy to understand and follow. The Special Techniques section in the appendix provides information for individuals who are unfamiliar with some of the ones used in the projects. And as a special bonus, the book lies flat.

Knitting 24/7 includes projects for all skill levels. Those unfamiliar with working from charts may, however, find themselves lost. Where projects are charted, there are no corresponding written instructions. There is also no “knitting from charts in brief” instructions. Knitters should not be daunted by this fact, as the charts are very simple. If you’re not familiar with using charts, though,  you may want to check out instructions online or in other books.

And while the projects would make nice gifts, don’t expect to find patterns for wearables specifically for the males on your gift list. And where most pattern books for quick knits or gift knits are often chockablock with projects for babies and children, this was is not. Scarves and some of the mitts and socks can be adapted for children and teens, but there are no patterns specifically for children.

This is a beautifully produced book, and I find myself wanting to knit many of the projects. If you’re looking for projects for those, “nooks and crannies of our lives,” Knitting 24/7 is a good addition to your knitting library.

Would you like your very own copy of Knitting 24/7?

Just post a comment to THIS entry only, and you’ll

be entered into a random drawing to receive a copy.

Comments must be posted by Sunday, July 18, 2010, 11:00 pm EDT

to be entered into the drawing.

Good Luck!

Yes, it may come as a surprise, but I am coming around to the idea that I may have an addiction–or at least obsession–with knitting. When I watch movies and television shows, I often find myself paying more attention to knitted objects than the plot. (And to be honest, they sometimes have more interest than the plot and characters.) There’s one movie that I watch repeatedly because I love one of the knitted outfits worn by the main character. I’m actually trying to figure out how it’s made.

The other afternoon, I was watching a 1940′s movie on MPOD, a network on my Time Warner cable system. I was fascinated by this one woman’s hairstyle. Picture a woman wearing one of those pillbox hats. But, the “hat” was made of her braids. I couldn’t figure out why I was drawn to the hairstyle; it certainly wasn’t anything I would wear. And then it hit me. She was wearing knitted cables on her head! It was amazing how much more attractive the hairstyle was when I began to think of it that way.

I was at a stoplight the other day, my thoughts wandering as I waited for the light to change. I looked up, and there it was: knitting and stoplights! Seriously. It looked as though the stoplight was being knitted by the Magic Loop method. I was so taken with this that I got up and was out the door before 6 o’clock Sunday morning, so I could take a photo without holding up traffic or being reported for some kind of homeland security violation. And here we have a Magic Loop stoplight:

I Have an Assistant

As I have posted elsewhere, I often find it helpful in a quest to reach a long-term goal to have a series of short-term goals in the process. It helps to keep me motivated and provides me with a sense of accomplishment. Many of you know that I have the goal of knitting 100 socks; you can follow my quest on The Evolving Sock Knitter. Last week I reached my first goal: Sock 10. The next problem was how to reward myself. Then, almost as though fate stepped in, I got a coupon from Michaels. That made my decision easy peasy. Here’s my new assistant:

Yes, a Boye Electric Yarn Winder. That’s a cake of the first yarn I wound with it.

I’ve been thinking about getting one for a long time. I read the reviews, and though most were positive, there were concerns raised in them as well as in the negative reviews. I also contacted a designer, whom I knew had one. The operative word in that sentence is “had.” She told me she found the shape of the wound yarn unworkable. She had given the winder away and replaced it with one that is no longer available in the United States.

Most of the complaints were that the cake was looser and not shaped the same way as the ones created with a manual winder. That’s true. The wind is looser and the cake is more oblong: think Twinkie. I, however, have had no problems using the center-pull yarn cakes I’ve wound. They sit flat and don’t roll all over the place. Others complained that the winder didn’t work well with heavier yarns. Others said they worked fine. I have only wound fingering weight yarn, and it worked fine. I’m not sure how much heavier yarn I’ll wind, as most of my knitting is done with fingering and DK weight yarn.

Incidentally, though I’ve seen videos that say you do, a yarn swift is not necessary to use this winder. It might make it easier, but if you do, be sure the hank is placed on the swift very loosely.

Some reviewers expressed concern about the machine’s longevity, as it seems to be made mostly of plastic. I am a bit concerned about that as well.

This is not an inexpensive machine, though it is when compared to some of the other ones I’ve seen on the market. Most places, it is $89.99. AC Moore had it online for more than $93. Given my present circumstances, it’s unlikely that I would have purchased it at full price. But like I said, I had a coupon, so . . .

We are supposed to catch a break beginning tomorrow: highs in the upper 60s and lows in the upper 40s. I can live with that. But, I really want to knit an afghan, and I just can’t bring myself to do it in this heat. I suppose I could knit squares/strips, but then I’d have to seam them together, and that would require, well, seaming.

Oh well.

We Have a Winner!

Thanks to everyone who left a comment on the last post. Looks like The Art of Knitted Lace will be a popular book. I called on the almighty Random Number Generator this morning who selected Lobug/Laurel as the winner. Lobug, I’ve sent you an e-mail about your win. Congratulations!

If you didn’t win this time, fear not. There will be another giveaway very soon.