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December 25, 2006
25th
Have a beautiful, restful day, and love the ones you're with. Peace to all. And the warmest wishes of the season from all at Raitte Hall.
Posted by Anna at 10:48 AM | Comments (24)
December 21, 2006
Error
There is an error corrected and a clarification made on the instructions for the toe of the Spindle socks.
Posted by Anna at 03:44 PM | Comments (1)
December 15, 2006
'Tis the season
To feel completely overwhelmed. I can't bring myself to write a 'to do' list as I fear it would bring me to tears. At the weekend, I'll show you some Christmas knitting but in the meme-time... where Mary goes, I follow:
Egg nog or hot chocolate? I've never quite been able to face egg-nog since it curdled on me once. So hot chocolate - with a slug of something in.
Does Father Christmas wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Father Christmas stopped filling my stockings some years ago, I must not be a very good girl these days. Other presents are under the tree, and they are very definitely wrapped.
Coloured lights on tree/house or white? White.
Do you hang mistletoe? No - I don't need an excuse to kiss Mr Raitte.
When do you put up your decorations? Late - around the 22nd or 23rd. But they stay up until twelfth night.
What's your favourite Christmas dish? I love a homemade mince pie.
Favourite Christmas memory as a child? I was six. On Christmas morning I came downstairs to see that the largest present under the tree was for me! A wooden dollhouse, made by my own sweet Mum, despite her burgeoning pregnancy. Such a thrill. Even better, my little sister had been born on Christmas Eve and they came home on Christmas Day. The dollhouse was forgotten for a little while. I spent most of the day gazing in love and awe at my new tiny baby sister, swaddled in a lacy white shawl, while the rest of Christmas went on around us.
When and how did you learn the truth about Father Christmas? I don't recall - probably at school. I do remember believing fervently that I HAD seen Father Christmas. I probably dreamt it, or maybe Dad dressed up, but I was sharing my bedroom with a visiting cousin and woke up to see none other than Father Christmas in the room, pushing presents into our hanging stockings. I knew that if he saw me he would disappear, so I turned over and pretended to go back to sleep.
Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Never. Christmas Eve (as previously noted) is my sister's birthday, and two days after my other sister and brother (twins) birthday, and two days before my step-dad's birthday, so we usually do a joint birthday celebration for all four of them on Xmas Eve.
How do you decorate your Christmas tree? White lights, upholstery tassle which looks like icicles, an angel with fluffy wings at the top, and various glass baubles.
Snow! Love it or dread it? Wish for it. It's been years since we've had snow in London, and even then it didn't stick around for long. Mr Raitte, being from Canada, gets homesick for snow.
Can you ice skate? In a comedic fashion.
Do you remember your favourite gift? My sister. After that, my dollshouse. It's looking very much the worse for wear: one of these days I'll renovate it and maybe it will be a favourite present for a new generation. My sister on the other hand is in no need of renovation.
What's the most important thing about Christmas for you? Marking the end of a year. Remembering how much I love and am grateful for my family. Counting my blessings.
What's your favourite Christmas dessert? Mince pies (see above). I'm not a big fan of Christmas pudding, this year I think I'm going to make a non-traditional pavlova as alternative for the non-figgy-pudding eaters.
What's your favourite Christmas tradition? As a child, I loved loved loved writing a note to Father Christmas and sending it up the chimney on the updraft. And of course leaving him a mince pie and whisky and carrots for the reindeers and finding them gone in the morning. And waking up at silly o'clock in the morning and finding the stocking all lumpy and heavy on the end of the bed, and dragging it into Mum and Dad's room to sit in their bed and open them.
What tops your tree? An angel with fluffy white wings.
Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? Giving. I'm usually too extravagent at Christmas, especially with all those birthdays around the same time. This year I've reined it in quite successfully - gifts to charity, and a small handknitted gift, seem to strike the right balance between showing my love, while not contributing too much to the endless piles of stuff accumulating in all our homes.
What's your favourite Christmas song? For carols, In the Bleak Mid Winter. For other songs, Elvis's Blue Christmas, and maybe for the traditionalist in me, Bing singing Home for Christmas.
Candy canes? Thanks, don't mind if I do.
Posted by Anna at 08:16 AM | Comments (10)
December 08, 2006
Spindle socks
Working socks on 52 sts - in a heavier-than-usual yarn, on slightly larger needles - makes a substantial time saving. I'll be making another two pairs of these before Christmas. They're called spindle socks because the slipped cable stitch reminds me of those turned wooden stair spindles; it's the same cable stitch used for the Badcaul socks, adapted and rearranged for the lesser stitch count. Like the Badcauls, this stitch is perfect for cabling without a cable needle - which will also cut down on the time spent. A six round pattern repeat keeps things bowling along nicely.
Materials
Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino 50 g (125m/136 yards), 2 balls
2.75mm (US 2) circular needle 80 cm long (for magic loop), (or two shorter circulars or set of 5 dpns) or size to obtain correct guage.
Stitch marker
Cable needle (optional)
Tapestry needle for finishing
Size
To fit up to woman’s UK shoe size 8 (EU42, US 10.5), approx 23 cm (9 inch) circumference, slightly stretched.
Gauge
6.5 sts in stocking stitch (stockinette) to 2.5 cm (1 inch)
Abbreviations
Sl1: slip next stitch with yarn held at back of work
C3B: slip next 2 sts onto cable needle and hold at back of work. K next st, K 2 from cable needle
C3F: slip next st onto cable needle and hold at front of work. K next 2 sts, K 1 from cable needle
k2tog: knit two stitches together
ssk: slip next two stitches as if to knit, return both to left needle, knit together (or use your preferred left-leaning decrease)
p2tog: purl two stitches together
tbl: through the back loop
Cable stitch pattern
Rnd 1: P 1, (K 3, P 1) 3 times. Rpt to end of rnd.
Rnd 2: As Rnd 1.
Rnd 3: P 1, (Sl 1, K 2, P 1) 3 times. P 1, (K 2, Sl 1, P 1) 3 times. Rpt to end of rnd.
Rnd 4: As Rnd 3.
Rnd 5: P 1, (C3F, P 1) 3 times. P 1, (C3B, P 1) 3 times. Rpt to end of rnd.
Rnd 6: As Rnd 1.
Instructions
Cast on 52 sts over two needles. Remove spare needle and divide sts between circular(s) or dpns and join for working in the round, taking care not to twist. Place marker to show beginning of round.
Work Rnds 1 and 2 only of cable stitch pattern until 14 rows total have been worked. Cont from Rnd 3 of cable stitch pattern until 7 cables have been worked, ending with Rnd 6.
Heel is worked back and forth over first 26 sts.
Heel flap: Row 1: (RS) (Sl 1, K 1) to end. Turn work.
Row 2: Sl 1, P to end.
Rpt these two rows 12 times more, ending with row 2: 26 rows worked: 13 slipped sts along each side of flap.
Turn heel: Row 1: (RS) K15, ssk, K1, turn.
Row 2: Sl1, P5, P2tog, P1, turn.
Row 3: Sl1, K6, ssk, K1, turn.
Row 4: Sl1, P7, p2tog, P1, turn.
Cont as set until all sts have been worked (don’t work single st after decrease in last two rows), ending with Row 2. (14 sts)
Gussets
(for two circs or magic loop) Knit across heel sts, and using the same needle pick up and knit 13 sts from slipped sts at side of heel flap, and 1 st in corner of heel flap and instep sts – 14 sts picked up.
Using second needle, work 26 instep sts in cable stitch pattern. Using same needle, pick up and knit 1 st in corner of heel flap and instep, and 13 sts from slipped sts at side of heel flap – 14 sts picked up. Slip the 14 sts just picked up to 1st needle: 42 sts on needle 1 (heel and gussets), 26 sts on needle 2 (instep).
Knit to end of first needle, then work across instep sts in cable stitch pattern. Place marker to show start of Rnd.
(for dpns) Knit 7 heel sts (needle 1). Using new needle (needle 2), knit 7 heel sts, then pick up and knit 13 sts from slipped sts at side of heel flap, and 1 st in corner of heel flap and instep sts – 14 sts picked up.
Using needle 3, work 26 instep sts in cable stitch pattern. Using needle 4, pick up and knit 1 st in corner of heel flap and instep, and 13 sts from slipped sts at side of heel flap – 14 sts picked up. With same needle, work 7 heel sts from needle 1.
Knit to end of needle 2, then work across instep sts in cable stitch pattern. Place marker to show start of Rnd.
Both versions:
K 1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts of heel/gusset sts, k2tog, K 1. Work across 26 instep sts in pattern. 2 sts decreased. Work 1 rnd even. Rpt last 2 rnds until 52 sts rem.
Foot
Cont as set, working sole of foot in st st and instep in cable stitch pattern until foot measures 4 cm (1.5 inches) less than desired finished length, ending with Rnd 6.
Toe
K 1, ssk, K 20, k2tog, K 1. Rpt to end of rnd. 4 sts decreased (2 each on instep and sole).
Work 1 rnd even.
K 1, ssk, K 18, k2tog, K 1. Rpt to end of rnd. 4 sts decreased (2 each on instep and sole).
Work 1 rnd even.
Rpt last as set until 16 sts remain, then work decrease rnds only until 8 sts rem. Break yarn, leaving a long tail.
Kitchener toe. Weave in ends.
Posted by Anna at 05:55 PM | Comments (39)
December 06, 2006
Which you may find amusing
About nine years ago Mr Raitte created a modest html site, to share some of the photos of our most impromptu wedding with friends and family in far away places. He was as yet uninformed on the correct and consistent spelling of my sister's name.
We had thought the site was lost to time but last weekend, while searching for something else entirely, he found it. Here, for your (and my) viewing pleasure, it is.
Posted by Anna at 11:48 AM | Comments (75)
December 03, 2006
Flicca pattern
To fit bust: 32-34: [36-38: 40-42: 42-44: 44-46] inches
Finished size: 36.5 [40: 44: 47.5: 53: 58] inches
A cozy winter cardigan coat, quick to knit on large needles. The a-line shaping and bell sleeves come from an all-over graduated rib. A shaw collar is reinforced with ribbon trim on the inside neck. No buttons on the original, but they're easy to add if you prefer.
Knit in a chunky weight wool blend. Sirdar 'Click' is a wool/acrylic blend with a stated tension of 14 st x 19 rows to 4". 50gm (75m [81 yards]) 19 [22: 24: 25: 28: 31] balls
Gauge: After blocking, 12 sts and 15 rows in K1 P1 rib, to 10 cm (4 inches) using 7 mm needles.
Skills: Knit and purl stitches, decreases, picking up stitches, short rows.
£3.50 - you will be sent a link to download the pattern as an electronic (pdf) file, approx 0.75Mb
For more photos, see my previous entry here.
Posted by Anna at 05:14 PM | Comments (35)
December 02, 2006
Souvenirs de Toronto
Great Scott, over two weeks since my last post? This simply will not do.
The first wool shop (or 'yarn store', as local vernacular would have it) we visited was the Alterknit Cafe, which had been open just a few weeks. Tracey, our gracious hostess, is a friend of the owner but, motherhood being what it is, made her first visit with us. It seemed like a lovely place to sit and knit for a while, extremely spacious, and with many good things to eat and drink. I umm'ed and ahh'ed and eventually left with only two skeins of Noro Kureyon in two different shades of neutrals, which didn't last long before being turned into a striped rib scarf. I've made a couple of Joelle Hoverson's mistake-rib Noro scarves in my time, and it's impossible not to be delighted with the way the colours transition. My mother-in-law is threatening to take up knitting again, and she's visiting for Christmas. I think two skeins of Noro and some nice needles is the perfect way to rediscover the love of the thing.
(Speaking of the beautiful striping qualities of Noro, have you seen this beauty? This makes me want to drop everything else and make one in these neutral shades, with blue like the glimpsed flash of a bird's wing feathers. Thanks to Rachel for the alert.)
The next day Mr Raitte gallantly attended me as I went in search of, first, Lettuce Knit, and then Romni. Lettuce Knit will need no introduction to anyone who reads knitters who blog, passing as it has into legend. It is a darling little place. I had dearly hoped to find some of that famous Socks That Rock yarn but alas they were sold out. I consoled myself with a copy of The Opinionated Knitter and some gorgeous hazelnut Gems Opal sock yarn. Those solid Pomatomi had wormed their ways into my heart and taken residence.
Finally, Romni, the only one of these yarn purveyors I had visited before. Enough Lang Soft Shetland for a whole sweater - Zimmerman's saddle-shouldered, to be precise. It knit up in no time and required just enough thought for the jet-lagged mind. This also represents my first ever sweater knit entirely in the round. The picture is very grey - decent daylight has fled English shores and won't be back again til spring.
Sorry again for the extended break. Check back soon, because I'll have the Flicca pattern for you and also a new free sock pattern - super-quick, perfect for gift socks if, like me, you've relented on the whole Christmas knitting issue and are questioning your sanity.
Posted by Anna at 08:17 PM | Comments (12)