Gent's Balaclava Cap Pattern Now Available

I couldn't convince Tony to grow a handlebar mustache but he did agree to pose of a picture wearing the Gent's Balaclava.

Free pattern pdf is available here

Almost Famous

I'm the guest blogger this week on Piecework's blog "Traditions Today"!  Very exciting to see my work on something other than my own blog :-)

String-Or-Nothing

Whew!  I rely heavily on Kim Salazar's excellent list of historical yarns with suggestions for modern equivalents, and was horrified when my link quit working.

A Ravelry message to Kim reassured me that the list was alive and well, with a new address.

Crisis averted.

Project 20 is languishing while I finish up a contract project.  Hope to get the mitts started today with the charted directions I did have time to write up.

Problems with the Blantyre Plaid Stockings Pattern

UPDATE 7/24/12: The file for the Blantyre Plaid Gentleman's Stockings pattern is temporarily unavailable. I need to resize the charts. Please PM if you would like to know when the pattern is again available. 


Major BOO.  I thought I had the charts sized properly (and indeed, on my computer they look fine and I can print them with no trouble)  However, they are proving impossible to download.  And my laptop (where I created the charts) is dead due to an unfortunate pillow toss/water spill combo.


So the fabulous Blantyre Plaid stockings are temporarily DOA.  Hopefully I will get the charts resized SOON.

Project 20: Lady's Mittens: Fancy Wave Stitch

I'm all moved into the new house and books, yarn and needles are unpacked.  Time for a new project.

"Lady's Mittens: Fancy Wave Stitch Up the Back of the Hand" published in Weldon's Practical Knitter (Thirty-Third Series, 1896) and republished in Weldon's Practical Needlework Volume 11.


"These mittens have a nice length of ribbing to go up the arm and therefore will keep the wrists comfortably warm; a pretty fancy knit wave stitch stripe runs up the back of the hand, but the palm and thumb are in plain stocking stitch.

"Required: 1 1/2 ozs. of navy blue Andalusian wool, or a 2-oz. packet of Victoria or other fine knitting yarn, and four No. 16 steel knitting needles."

I'm going to start with size 1 needles and Jamieson & Smith 2 ply Jumper weight yarn in a dark red.  Andalusian wool is somewhere between fingering and sport, so this should work.  I only have one skein of this color so fingers crossed it's enough.

Project 19: Baby's Pilch Finished

And here's Baby's Pilch.

The pants are knit in two pieces, then two seams are sewn from the top to the beginning of the leg shaping.  These seams are center front and back.  Leg openings are then sewn, leaving a diamond shaped opening for the gusset, which is knit in 2 triangular pieces, sewn together, then sewn into the crotch opening.  A little crochet edging is added (of course).

 I'm not sure if it would fit a small baby, after blocking it's 11" long from top ribbing to hem, and 11" wide.  The leg openings are about 7".   If I were to knit this one again (which I probably won't, it was pretty boring---rows and rows of garter stitch), I think I'd do it on smaller needles.  Seems like a tighter gauge would be better for a pair of soakers.

Don't have a baby handy to try these on, unfortunately.  But if one wanders by, I'll definitely snap a picture.

Project 19: Baby's Pilch

One half of Baby's Pilch is done.  It measures 9 1/2" from top to bottom, which is the size the original pattern specifies, so I think I'm safe with fingering weight yarn.  This looks like regular baby bottom size, as opposed to Baby Huey size on my first attempt.

The pilch is knit in 2 pieces, side seams sewn, then a gusset is knit for the crotch and sewn in.  Not a one piece project after all :-(