KnittingGuru

Thread Crochet Work in Progress

2011-02-21T12:17:00.000-08:00

I love to make fiber jewelry using fine cotton threads and sometimes beads too. Each piece is one of a kind for the simple reason that writing out the pattern would be much too time consuming. Even more importantly, these works take shape as I crochet and having to stop to write down what I'm doing frequently would interrupt the creative process and the flow of my work.

Since this blog's reason for being is to take you on a trip inside the mind of a knitwear designer, I though it might be interesting to show a work in progress along with a picture of what inspired the piece.

This view from my window was taken this morning. We've had an awful lot of snow this winter, but I had a suspicion it wasn't over yet. I really hate the way it collects on the sidewalks and turns black and icy or mushy, but when the snow is fresh, and especially when it's on tree branches, I just love it. To me it looks like lace.

I'd been thinking about making a necklace to show this and had even started it. Today I began to put the snow on the branches that were previously crocheted. You'll notice that there are lots of threads hanging. These all need to be finished off and hidden securely. That's one of the reasons it takes so long to make thread crocheted jewelry. It's also the reason the snow is on both sides of the brances -- I couldn't deal with the profusion of thread ends if I only crocheted the snow on one side as it is in reality.

I'll post the finished necklace -- maybe in a few days or maybe longer depending on what other work intervenes.

Ask the Guru Q & A

2011-02-14T08:53:00.000-08:00

On my website - http://www.KnittingGuru.com - I have a section called "Ask the Guru". People send me knitting/crochet questions and I answer try to help clarify things for them. I received an interesting question today and thought it might be interesting to show it and my answer.

Ask the Guru - Question

Hi,

I have this pattern for a knitted flower for a hat. The instructions are a little confusing

Co 79sts

1st row; Purl

2nd row; K2, *k1, slip this st back onto left needle, lift the next 8 sts on left needle over this st and off the needle, (yfwd) twice,

Then knit the first stitch again, k2. rep from * to end.

( This is where I am confused, I did the lift the next 8 sts on the left needle over this st and off the needle. I understand the yfwd twice, but the knit the first stitch again?? I wasn't sure what that meant. then k2.rep from * to end.?? I don't usually have a problem with patterns ,but for some reason, I can't get this. Can you help me?)

3rd row; K1,*P2tog (k1,k1 tbl) into the 2 yfwd sts, p1. Rep from * to last st, k1. 30 sts.d

4th row; Knit

5th row; (purl 2 tog) 15 times.

Break wool and thread through remaining 15sts. Fasten off.

Thanks so much. Joanne

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Ask the Guru - Answer

Hi Joann -

I'm assuming that you're sending this in response to my "Ask the Guru" column on my website - http://www.KnittingGuru.com - and I'll be happy to help.

I can understand your confusion. Knitting directions are often terribly unclear and mysterious. When I make my own patterns, I write out the directions without abbreviations and include charts for just that reason. We read and speak English, not "Knittish"!

Anyway, if you look at the stars that indicate a repeat of the pattern on Row 2, the answer becomes clear. After the first star it says k1, slip this st back onto left needle, lift the next 8 sts on left needle over this st and off the needle, (yfwd) twice, then knit the first stitch again, k2, rep from * to end.

The stitch that is referred to as the first stitch has to mean the knit 1 stitch that you put back on the left needle - the stitch you lifted 8 stitches over. That stitch is still on the left needle so it's now the first stitch after the star. Any pattern repeat is knit from * to *. So after you knit that stitch again you do 2 yarn overs or as this pattern calls it "(yfwd) twice". Then you k2 - knit 2 stitches and repeat from the star.

To repeat this a different way,

Row 2 -- Knit 2 stitches * knit 1 stitch and put it back on left needle, lift 8 stitches on the left needle over this stitch and drop them off the needle, yarn over twice, knit 2* Repeat from * to *.

Some of the confusion comes because the writer left out the second star which sets the repeat apart, making it hard to know which stitch is the "first stitch".

I don't have the time right now due to work I must finish for my knitting business or I'd knit this to double check, but I'm pretty sure that the instructions call for you to knit that stitch again to firm up the area with all the stitches passed over. If you didn't knit it again, you'd have to slip it to the right needle and it would be quite stretched out.

I understand that Row 2 is probably where you stopped. However, I want to caution you about Row 3. The directions call for you to knit 3 stitches into each of the yarn over stitches. This will be a little tricky, especially if your needles don't have narrow pointed ends. Be careful that the second yarn over doesn't slip off while you're knitting those 3 stitches into the first yarn over! Also note the repeat from * to *. After you have done all the repeats, you should have one stitch left which you will knit.

I hope that this helps and that all is now clear to you. Good luck with the flower! I'd love to see a picture when you finish it!

Warm Wishes and Happy Knitting!

Veena (aka the KnittingGuru)

http://www.KnittingGuru.com

http://www.KnittingGuru.etsy.com

http://www.KnittingGuru.artfire.com

http://www.facebook.com/KnittingGuru (please join me there if you're on Facebook)

http://www.twitter.com/KnittingGuru

I'm also on Ravelry as TheKnittingGuru.

My patterns are available at Etsy, Artfire and Ravelry.

With all of this activity, I haven't yet updated my website and put the pattern on there - part of my goals for 2011!

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If I can carve out a few minutes today, I'll try to knit this flower and see how it looks. I'll post a picture if there's anything worth seeing here. Right now it looks like more trouble than it's worth, but who knows? It might be lovely.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-10T15:46:00.001-08:00

The holiday season was a really busy time for me and seemed to extend from Thanksgiving to Valentine's Day. I'm looking forward to a brief respite and to working on Late Winter/Early Spring clothing and accessories. I've been spending a lot of time on Facebook and hope my readers will follow me there at http://www.facebook.com/KnittingGuru and at my Profile page which is http://www.facebook.com/KnittingGuru Fiberart.

In the meantime, here's a little Romance for you --

Black Friday through Cyber Monday Sale

2010-11-26T15:05:00.000-08:00

I have over 200 pieces in my Etsy shop and they are all discounted by 10% from today, Black Friday until Cyber Monday at midnight. For some of my more ambitious pieces in luxurious fibers, 10% makes a big difference in price. For my smaller items such as thread crocheted rings, the price becomes so low that it's in the Stocking Stuffer range! As a special inducement to my blog readers, please make a comment here and use coupon code KGBLOG10 in your notes to seller. Wait for a revised invoice with an Extra 5% off making your discount 15%.

Here are some of the categories of things you'll see in the sale...

Saturday Night Shrug

White Knitted and Crocheted Merino Lace Shawl

Jewel Tone Slouch Hat with Free Flower Clip

Chunky Gray Fringed Wool Cowl

Femme Fatale Alpaca and Merino Victorian Capelet

Red Berries Scarf Cowl Wrap

White Crocheted Merino Lace Heart Gloves

Three Flower Thread Crocheted Necklace

Reminder: To get an additional 5% off the already reduced prices please do two things:

1- Comment here about one or all of these pieces

2 - Use coupon code KGBLOG10 in your notes to seller and wait for a revised invoice.

These pictures are only samples. there are about 230 items in my shop from which to choose.

ONE A DAY HOLIDAY SALE

2010-11-16T08:36:00.000-08:00

I've been having a One a Day Holiday Sale at my Etsy shop. Each day until January 1st, I'm having a sale on one item until midnight of that day.

If you go to my Facebook fan page -- http://www.facebook.com/KnittingGuru -- you'll see what's been on sale so far.

Today I'm featuring the irresistible, opulent, velvety Audrey Hepburn Cowl. It's crocheted with washable faux suede and although it may not make you look like Audrey, you will look gorgeous! The cowl is 25% off until midnight tonight.

I magnified the last picture to try to give you some idea of how incredibly sumptuous this piece is.

More Autumn - My Favorite Season

2010-11-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

Here in the Northeast November always means that Autumn in almost over. We have Thanksgiving -- the quintessential Autumn holiday to look forward to -- but soon the gorgeous leaves will be gone and we'll have to face the long winter. Turning the clocks back this weekend emphasized that. It's only 4pm and it's already starting to get dark.

So... here are some more Autumnal things that can be worn even when winter comes to liven up the cold weather. I may sound a little nostalgic and sad, but that's just because I always long for Autumn. In fact though, as a knitter, I also look forward to cold weather so I can wear my woolens and offer them for sale in my online shops. This is also a good time to inform or remind everyone that fine quality woolens are Never Itchy. It's cheap wools that are itchy. I spend a lot of time on this subject because I deplore the use of acrylics and other synthetics that are made from petroleum! We don't need to use petroleum to make yarn that isn't even warm, pills excessively, and contributes to destroying the planet. Try wool. You'll like it!

Merino Curlicue Cowl in Shades of Red

http://www.etsy.com/listing/37752208/merino-curlicue-cowl-in-shades-of-red

Woodland Forest Foliage Wrap with Flower Brooch

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57718818/woodland-forest-foliage-handknit-wrap

Poison Mushroom Crocheted Wrap

http://www.etsy.com/listing/44699047/poison-mushroom-crocheted-scarf

Marigold Shrug in Hand Painted Wool

http://www.etsy.com/listing/37217354/marigold-shrug-hand-painted-knitted-wool

Falling Leaves Lariat

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57659207/falling-leaves-lariat-earth-friendly

I have more Autumn pieces to show, but since it's almost dark out, I'd better end here and go start some warming Autumn dinner. Another nice thing about Autumn is cooking and savoring the delicious bean stews I love to make.

More Autumn Beauty from the KnittingGuru

2010-11-03T01:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some more of my favorite Autumn pieces.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/55179010/crocheted-lace-cowl-collar-cape-in

http://www.etsy.com/listing/32374060/cheery-orange-bobble-scarf-lariat

http://www.etsy.com/listing/33698992/chocolate-victorian-capelet-with-felt

http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=1529536

http://www.etsy.com/listing/32659558/falling-leaves-cuff-bracelet

Ahh -- Autumn! More coming soon!

November Nirvana

2010-11-02T10:38:00.000-07:00

I always find that I feel better and more like myself when the weather turns to Autumn. It's my favorite season. The smells, colors, tastes and temperature always make me feel more poignantly alive. I've made a lot of new Autumn pieces, but am particularly happy with this one.

It's a wrap, a lariat, a cowl, a short scarf, a long scarf and maybe a headwrap/scarf combination or even a sash. The permutations are limitless with this one.

I crocheted it with a sumptuously soft variegated wool yarn that has the colors of Autumn leaves. You can read more about my November Nirvana Crocheted Leaf Lariat Wrap at http://www.etsy.com/listing/60598970/november-nirvana-crocheted-leaf-larait

I'd love to hear your opinions about this!

The Bride Wore KnittingGuru

2010-10-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

Last April my hand knitted and crocheted Victorian Lace Bolero sold to a couple who were planning an outdoor wedding and wanted something for the bride to wear during the evening when the weather turned chilly. Here's the bolero they purchased --

Yesterday the groom, Boone, sent me a photo of the bride, Rebecca, wearing her bolero! The photo was taken at night, in a tent, and the lighting was dim, but you can see how beautiful she looked and what a good time everyone was having!

I focused in on the bride so that you could see her outfit better. Isn't she gorgeous? The bolero looks like it was made to order for her.

I no longer have and can no longer get that exact yarn, but I do have the same bolero in a beautiful green and could custom make it in other colors too.

The first bolero in violet/lavender that I made I loved so much that I actually kept it, so Rebecca's is the second one. The green bolero was made after that. The one I kept is my favorite thing to wear to concerts, the opera, and other festive occasions. It's very warm, looks better than a cardigan or jacket, and is perfect with a black dress or turtleneck and pants. More than once I've had people come up and ask me about it, and this is in New York City where elegant clothing at the opera is expected!

I wish Rebecca and Boone many years of happiness. This was one email communication that really warmed my heart and reminded me of why I love what I do.

Feature on KnittingGuru in the NewNew Etsy Blog

2010-10-25T09:36:00.000-07:00

Please take a look at the feature that was written on KnittingGuru in http://thenewnew.blogspot.com/

How About the Babies?

2010-09-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

All that jewelry is all well and good (and I did sell quite a few pieces at my Etsy jewelry sale!) But what about the babies?

It's September 1st and that means checking the gift list for holidays. For parents and baby photographers, it also means holiday photos. For years now I've been selling my baby Christmas hats to photographers and parents. I make these hats for newborns, babies and toddlers. Usually, I don't make things in multiples because I prefer to do one of a kind and custom work. However, these hats make people so happy that it makes me happy to knit them! They can be seen at http://www.BurryBabies.etsy.com.

Photographers and parents send me photos of these all the time. Here's a little baby gallery. I've included a couple of Hannukah hats too :)

Another Post from the Negligent Blogger

2010-08-12T12:56:00.000-07:00

I really have no excuse. I could paraphrase Wordsworth -- Buying and Selling we lay waste our powers -- but that would be a cop out. The fact is that my selling venues have so expanded that I'm having trouble juggling so many balls at once. I now sell at:
http://www.KnittingGuru.etsy.com
http://www.KnittingGuru.1000markets.com
http://www.KnittingGuru.artfire.com
http://www.BurryBabies.etsy.com
as well as at my two websites --
http://www.KnittingGuru.com
http://www.BurryBabies.com

If that weren't enough, I also can be found on:
http://facebook.com/KnittingGuru
http://www.twitter.com/KnittingGuru
http://www.twitter.com/BurryBabies
http://www.flickr.com/KnittingGuru
http://www.flickr.com/BurryBabies
and at Ravelry too where I sell my patterns

So how can I find time to blog? I love to write and do so every day. I get requests for interviews from other bloggers and I'm always happy to oblige. Right now I'm writing a book review for the Valley Fiber Arts Blog. Plus - I knit and crochet every day. Plus - I just got back from a long vacation to Paris!!!

Let me tell you about something else I got involved in that has me over my head busy and always feeling I need to play catch up. I joined the Ring a Day 2010 Project in which artists commit to making a ring every day. Well, some days I've made a few rings, but many days I made none so I'm really delinquent. Who makes a ring a day when they're on vacation, or when they have to mail things to customers, or when they're working on new things for Autumn?

At any rate, here's just a sampling of some of my many rings. Some are sold, some are listed on Etsy and some on Artfire. Many are just sitting in my nice ring box waiting for me to decide what to do with them. If you see any that interest you please write to me. If they're not available, I can closely reproduce them for you. Here goes.....

Exotic Hyperbolic Crochet Ring

Fish in a Net Ring

Golden Sunburst Ring

Ruffled Rosy Rose Ring

Turquoise Starfish Ring

Autumn Leaf Ring

Hollyhock Ring

Mother Earth Ring

Irrational Exuberance Ring

Eat Your Spinach Ring

Turquoise Beaded Flower Ring

Snowball Ring

French Marigold Ring

OK!OK! I'll stop! But really there are many dozen more! Ask and I'll show you.

Meantime, I promise not to let so much time pass without writing here. I WILL put down my needles and hooks and pick up my pen (so to speak).

Widgit, widgit, widgit

2010-04-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

Widgit widgit widgit sounds like a frog, but often acts intelligently. For example, I just added a widget that shows things in my Etsy shop. You can click on (more info) and be directed to the listing, or click on (buy) if you aee something you love and get to a sale page. This widgit is in the right hand sidebar.

I don't like most things that move on blogs or websites, but this is a nifty little gadget. I hope it adds to my blog experience for you!

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T08:19:00.001-07:00

I'm a high volume user of Facebook -- http://www.facebook.com/KnittingGuru
and frequently use Twitter -- http://www.twitter.com/KnittingGuru

But -- I've been really bad about writing in my blog. I keep making promises to myself to do better, but never seem to find the time.

However, as a user and lover of natural fibers, I have to wish you all a Happy Earth Day!

To celebrate I'm having a one day sale today on my

Eco Friendly Go Green Dishcloth Pattern
Regularly $8.00
Today $5.00
Please contact me and I'll post a reserved listing for you at the sale price.

These dishcloths last for years, are simple to make, and help the earth by saving paper towel waste. You only need 6 ounces of inexpensive cotton yarn to make all 6 dishcloths. They're simple enough for a beginning knitter. The pattern is 8 pages and includes close up photos of each cloth, charts, and instructions written in English - not "Knitspeak"! Plus - if you have any questions about the pattern or the knitting, you'll have email access to the designer (me)!

You'll find the pattern at http://www.etsy.com/listing/45256133/go-green-dishcloth-knitting-pattern-and

Tools of the Trade

2009-06-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

I just had to show you a knitting gadget I bought from a fellow Etsian -- Karatstix.

It's a wooden knitting swatch gauge that measures 2 inches by 2 inches. It also measures knitting needle AND crochet hook sizes from tiny to gigantic. There's a ruler along one side in inches and another in centimeters. The tool is too big to lose, but not too big or too heavy for your knitting bag or handbag. It has a safety hook at one corner so you can attach it to whatever you want. Plus, it's the most charming piece of knitting paraphernalia I've ever bought (and I've bought many in my lifetime!) See the little sheep grazing on it?

Here's the front of it:

And here's the back showing clearly the range of needle/hook sizes:

When I went to Karatstix's shop just now to get the pictures of the gauge, I found that she has invented another wonderful gadget - a Kitchener Stitch keyring with hand knitted sock images on the front:

and the elusive Kitchener Stitch described clearly on the back:

Those of you who knit socks know how easy it is to forget how to Kitchener Stitch together the toe of the sock. This little tool makes it foolproof. Kitchener Stitch is useful for all knitters because it makes an invisible join.

All of these knitting gadgets are made in lightweight wood and are smoothly finished as well as being delightful to look at.

Kudos to Karatstix. Go to her shop. Now! -- http://www.Karatstix.etsy.com. You'll be glad you did.

Knitted and Crocheted Jewelry Tips

2009-05-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

Since the weather has warmed up, I've been making a lot of knitted and crocheted jewelry. It's important when doing this work to be sure to use different thicknesses of yarn and work in different gauges. If you keep on making really tightly knitted or crocheted fine jewelry using tiny needles or hooks, you are eventually going to get hand problems.

Unfortunately, I speak from experience as a person who's had multiple rounds of physical therapy from repetitive stress injury, carpal tunnel syndrome, and most recently DeQuervain's Syndrome (a new one that causes excruciating pain in the wrist). I've been able to conquer them all and have two articles on my website -- KnittingGuru.com -- that deal with these problems. If you're having hand pain, I hope you'll take a look at these -- Ergonomics for Knitters (or Crocheters) and Exercises for Knitters (or crocheters)

You all know about exercises to loosen up your hands, but you may not have heard about ergonomics which is setting up your work to avoid pain in the first place. The way you hold your yarn and needles (or hooks) will influence how your body reacts to hours of knitting and crocheting. Your posture when working and the kind of chair you sit in are also important.

In addition to the ergonomics and exercises, I've found it important to vary gauge so that you go from using tiny needles and hooks to large ones, and from using thin threads to larger yarns. The way you hold a small crochet hook is very different from the way you hold a large one. The tightness of the work will also affect your hands, so try to vary between tight knitting and crochet and looser work.

For example, I crocheted this Hyacinth Ruffle Choker with a tiny
vintage steel hook and yarn not much thicker than sewing thread. It took hours of tight work. When I finished, I really needed a rest.

The next piece I worked on -- Ocean Fantasy Lariat -- is crocheted in
a much larger scale using cotton worsted weight yarn. It's very long so it took awhile, but it was much easier on my hands than the Hyacinth.

Another recent piece is my Sweetpea Necklace. It's made with thread in between the two others, about fingering yarn weight. The necklace is
crocheted over a metal base and the sweetpea needed to be worked tightly so this was hard on the hands too.

As you can see nature, and especially flowers, have a big influence on my work. So guess what I love to do when I'm not knitting or crocheting? Gardening! This is not kind to the hands either. I've been out of physical therapy for my hands for many months now.

WISH ME LUCK!!!

3 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 -- Babies!

2009-04-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

I'm still giddy from the change of temperature and season. I posted some spring things and then a mother's day inspiration and now, as promised, here are some babies. I have so many wonderful pictures that baby photographers have sent me I don't know which to choose, but the triplets and twins head the list.

I'll start with a photo sent to me by one of the most talented baby photographers -- Gina Miller of Gina Miller Photography in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her website is www.ginamillerphotography.com and her blog is www.ginamillerblog.com . I hope you'll get a chance to look at both because they really are an inspiration.

She wrote to me and asked me to make three of my signature BurryBabies Pixie Hats for triplets she was going to be photographing right after they were born -- two girls and a boy. This turned out to be quite a challenge for her since when they weren't wiggling they were howling! How anyone could photograph triplets is beyond me, but not as beyond me as how anyone could care for triplets! Gina's great talent is in capturing the personality of her subjects, even if they're only 1 day old.

At any rate, she took some adorable photos of the triplets. Here are two of them:

+3

Hope that little boy doesn't spend a lifetime being ganged up on by his sisters!

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Next is a photo of darling boy-girl twins that was photographed by Jennifer Mott another great photographer and a sweet person. You can see her work at http://www.JenniferMottPhotography.com. She's located in Toledo, Ohio.

+2

Aren't they adorable?

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Now I have to choose from the many pictures of babies taken just one at a time by an assortment of brilliant photographers. How will I choose? For the sake of brevity, I'm just going to add three more babies here, but if you want to know about other baby photographers who might be in your area, please don't hesitate to contact me.

First off, here's a darling photo of a just born baby girl taken by Jackie Pettit of Jackie Pettit Photography in Morgan, Utah. Her website is http://www.JackiePettit.com and when you go there, you'll see a photo of a beautiful older baby wearing one of my multicolored hats. You can really see from her photos what an encouraging and friendly person she is.

+1

Is that not the prettiest newborn girl ever? Well, maybe your daughter was even prettier -- mine was -- but I don't have a photo that cute of her. Jackie's pictures are really lovely, so please take a look at her website.

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Next up is a photo taken by the talented Elizabeth Smith of EBS Photography in Atlanta, Georgia. Her website is http://www.ebsphotography.com . The opening page on her website features another sweet picture of a baby in this green hat.

+1

Everyone who sees that baby just loves him. He looks so cozy and sweet all curled up.

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Finally, I'm going to stop with a photograph of a new baby boy taken by the delightful, talented, and friendly Barbara Frevert. To find her, just google Barbara Frevert Photography. She's located in Wayne, Nebraska.

+1

Do you love that little starfish hand as much as I do?

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So that's it folks! All babies all the time today!

In my next post I hope to be writing about my jewelery design process and offer some useful tips. I hope you'll stop by.

Mothers and Babies

2009-04-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about Mother's Day lately. (My three children -- Are you reading this??? :-)

Actually, I've been making a lot of things for mothers in the spirit of springtime. My next post will be about babies, so I'm definitely on a roll here -- First spring flowers (more to come), then mothers, then babies (wait till you see the triplets). Lot's of fertility in this blog (*_*)

I have my usual shawls, capelets, and cowls, but decided to design some new knitted and crocheted jewelry for the holiday.

Thinking about mothers reminded me of the time and effort we spend on our children. The returns are, of course, intangible and altruistic. So I thought maybe something literal would be appropriate. Hence --

A Medal for Mom...

I'd like to share my design process here in case you're curious and since this blog is a "trip inside the mind of a knitwear designer". I first crocheted a triangular motif in lace using 6-strand embroidery floss and a tiny crochet hook. Then I added a heading at the top and embroidered "MOM". After that came the cameo button, then the ribbons and antique lace, and finally a safety catch pin back -- and voila! -- a One of a Kind Gift for a One of a Kind Mom. I hope you like it!

You'll see many Mother's Day Gifts at my Etsy shop where you can sign on for my RSS and see updates as I add new items.

Signs of Spring

2009-04-09T13:17:00.000-07:00

The daffodils and forsythia shrubs are blooming in my garden. This time of year I always find myself thinking about my garden and making scarves and necklaces to reflect it.

Springtime Daffodil Choker

You can get more information about it at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22365362

Forsythia Yellow Lace Hand Knitted Scarf

You can find more information about the scarf and purchase it at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23279035

If you want to knit this scarf yourself, I also produced a pdf pattern --

Delicate Lace Scarf PDF Knitting Pattern

There's more information about the pattern and how to purchase it at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23111997

Of course, you can make the scarf in any color you like, but I was inspired by my forsythia shrubs. I've also knitted the scarf in a creamy white and in a lovely coral color. Please contact me or post a comment on this blog if you want to see photos of them or get more information.

Meantime, watch for other signs of spring from KnittingGuru -- hint -- tulips and hyacinths are starting to bloom.

Happy Spring Everyone!

Is it the Zeitgeist?

2009-03-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

I took a walk along 5th Avenue in NYC last week and noticed that there was a lot of orange to be seen in the department stores and boutiques. Now NYC is a basically black town. Everyone wears black all the time in all seasons. Yet, I saw orange in solids, patterns, and all shades from deep rust to bright orange. Does this have to do with the wretched economic times? Is there some designers' conspiracy to brighten us all up?

I have no answers to this - just the observation of orange. This is not a problem for me because although I wear black most days, I do like to add some touches of bright color.

My bright red shawl is shown in my last post. Here are some pictures of an orange shawl I made recently -- but before I took that walk on the Avenue.

In addition to orange, I just love lace, especially hand knitted and crocheted lace which I love to combine in one garment.

The beautiful handmade palm wood shawl pin is just right for fastening a lace shawl. It was made by a talented wood worker on Etsy.

This shawl looks lovely without the shawl pin too and it does stay in place because of it's length and texture.

The fine weight of the lace in this shawl means that it can be gathered together and worn as a huge scarf too. The shawl pin comes in handy here again.

Technically, this shawl is a stole since it's rectangular in shape whereas a true shawl is triangular like the red one in the last post. For this orange shawl I used a lace stitch that forms long ladders. A stole seemed more in keeping with the spirit of the thing. I also added a crocheted zigzag lace to the ends to emphasize the rectangular quality.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about this shawl, so please feel free to comment.

You can find out more about the stole and/or purchase it in my Etsy shop http://www.KnittingGuru.etsy.com .

Happy Spring! You know it's coming soon!
This March really did come in like the proverbial lion, so let's hope it goes out like a lamb.

On the other hand, why wait for spring to wear this? I knitted the shawl with a gorgeously soft wool that will be perfect through all four seasons.

Your Still Delinquent KnittingGuru

2009-02-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

As you can see, I've continued to be an absentee in my own blog. However, I have joined Twitter - http://twitter.com/KnittingGuru - where the minuscule number of words seems within daily reach for me. I hope you'll follow me there.

Readers: I promise to do better and I'll start by showing you some of my new knitting and crochet. I've been in a Romantic Victorian Period. My shawls, capelets, and cowls have a definite retro look going back more than a century. I look backward for inspiration, but my yarns decidedly update the look.

The three garments shown here are all examples of my knit and crochet combination technique. I love to knit the main part of a garment and finish with crochet. The crochet always seems to add a more sculptural quality. All of these are made with the softest possible wool yarns, some with alpaca blended in.

Romantic Red Shawl

Victorian Ruffles and Lace Bolero

Sugar Sweet Soft Wool Shrug

All work shown is © KnittingGuru, 2009.

Your Delinquent Blogger - or - The Busy Guru

2008-10-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted here in so long I'm embarrassed. I do want to let any readers out there know that I have been published in two books this year --

Jewelry With a Hook (Lark Books) where I have two necklaces featured along with instructions for making them.

and

1000 Jewelry Inspirations where I have 6 necklaces featured, one of them on a full page.

I've also been knitting, crocheting and selling a lot at http://KnittingGuru.etsy.com and http://BurryBabies.etsy.com.

Please visit me there. I look forward to meeting you.

Jewelry on My Mind

2007-06-16T21:56:00.001-07:00

I've been making a lot of knitted and crocheted jewelry lately. It's great to work on something small and cotton in the warm weather.

It's also great to wear my fiber jewelry when it's warm. The cotton is absorbent and doesn't get sticky the way beads and metal do in the heat. Moreover, you can wear something big and bold without the weight of stone and metal jewelry.

I've been getting a very positive response from customers who've been clamoring for special orders. Here are a few of my new pieces.

White Crocheted Lace Choker (Perfect for Brides)

Under the Sea Neckpiece

Black Choker with Ribbon Tassel

Daffodil Choker

Marigold Mania Lariat Necklace

All of these and more can be seen in my Etsy Store

I really do love to do custom work on these, so please contact me if you have any ideas you'd like to see made into one of a kind jewelry.

Too Busy Knitting to Blog - Uh Oh

2007-06-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

I've had such a load of knitting and crocheting jobs that I've been derelict about writing here. I do want to show a new summer tank top I knit in a Shetland Lace stitch as a way of getting back to this blog. It's knit in a perfect fiber combination: cotton for coolness and microfiber for silky texture and color fastness.

I put this one onto my Etsy store this morning and could also custom knit it in other colors. See how the color matches the gorgeous pink of the Mandevilla flower?

OK. I give in. I'm Etsyfied!

2006-11-14T13:36:00.000-08:00

I've spent the entire day trying to wade through the myriad changes at Etsy (www.etsy.com). If you're not familiar with the site, it's a great place to buy and sell handmade things, and a perfect place to do your Holiday shopping.

The site became so popular that the administration decided to update it. The update is called V2 and it looks just great. The problem is: it doesn't work great - at least not today which is the first day. There are lots of kinks to be worked out which is understandable. The only problem is, these kinks are making it hard to sell things.

On the other hand, I did sell a set of crocheted coasters today. I have more sets to post as soon as posting becomes possible again!

I also have an amazing Mandala Table Mat for your casseroles at Thanksgiving or Christmas or just for gazing at:

Or... maybe you'd be interested in a totally outlandish Pink & Black Flowered Tea Cozy:

There's more like these at www.KnittingGuru.etsy.com as well as awesome hats, scarves, and so on. If there's something special you'd like to have, contact me at Etsy or send me a comment here and I'll see what I can do!

Knits for the Tiniest Baby Boys

2006-10-25T11:52:00.000-07:00

In the last entry I showed you some things for boys and men. Since then, I got a commission to make matching, but slightly different hats for 11 year old triplet boys. What fun! They are very excited and are working with their mother and me to design their own hats.

Here are some brand new baby boy knits. Now your littlest guy can wear a grown up sweater vest. I used heart shaped buttons because baby boys can be sweethearts, too!

These baby clothes can be seen and purchased individually or as a set at www.BurryBabies.etsy.com.

I've made a similar set in pink that I will be posting at Etsy in the next few days. I don't ordinarily do pink and blue pastels, but this yarn, and these colors, were so irresistable. Also, I've somehow become fascinated by multiple birth babies and I though the set in pink and blue would be great for brother-sister twins.What do you think?

I only want to add that I adore my three children, but I'm SO GLAD that they were born individually, not all together!

Knits for Men & Boys

2006-10-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

Re-reading my last few entries I see that I announced that one of my crocheted neckpieces would be in Lark Books upcoming Crocheted Fiber Jewelry. Actually... it's TWO of my necklaces will be in the book! So Exciting!!

I've been thinking about how hard it is to get handknits for men and boys. You rarely see them on Etsy or anywhere else. I can't imagine why since in my experience (1 husband, 2 sons) men like handknits just as much as women and girls (1 daughter).

Here are some of my handknits for Men and Boys. You'll notice that some of these "knits" are really crocheted. I've been doing more and more crochet lately. Let me know what you think about my menswear. Also, they can all be purchased at Etsy - either at www.knittingguru.etsy.com or at www.BurryBabies.etsy.com. If you write to me directly through the comments, I would be happy to knit or crochet something special for the Man or Boy in Your Life.

Really Big Men's Scarf

Gray Tweed Handspun Men's Scarf

Denim Blue Boy's Hat in Merino and Microfiber (So Soft)

Winter White and Blue Crocheted Convertible Baby Hat
(also available with pink trim for girls)

Who Likes Bumble Bees?

2006-10-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

You can see from my last entry that I really like flowers. And what about that cute bee perching on the sunflower.

Yes, I am a gardener as well as a knitter and crocheter.

So here's my latest creation. Bumble Bee Fingerless Gloves:

If you want to know more about these and see more photos, please go to www.knittingguru.etsy.com. You can buy them there too!

I have lots of Autumn and garden inspired items in my Etsy shop.

Sunflower Harvest Collar

2006-10-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

Here's something new I crocheted. I just love Autumn and Sunflowers, so this came to mind. The bumble bee on the center of the flower is a button that fastens the collar. Quite unusual, don't you think?

It's actually for sale in my Etsy shop.

Fabulous News From Lark Books and New Fall Baby Knits

2006-10-03T07:17:00.000-07:00

I just heard that one of my designs will be included in Lark Books Crocheted Jewelry book scheduled for Fall, 2007 publication.

Please celebrate with me!

Also, I'd like to show you some of my new fall knits for babies:
For more information (or to purchase) please go to www.BurryBabies.etsy.com

3 Year Old Steals Hat

2006-09-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of custom work lately. Here's a photo of a hat I made for a customer to photograph babies in. Only thing is, her 3 year old son grabbed it and was photographed by Mom in the act.

She's worried he may have stretched it, but I assured her that Merino wool can always be steamed back into shape. Love that stuff, don't you?

The KnittingGuru Crochets Again

2006-09-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

I've been working away on some crocheted jewelry projects I was asked to submit to an upcoming book published by Lark Books. This has been a really interesting experience as I tried to vary my style and materials as much as possible, and also to submit as many ideas as I could come up with. My deadline is Friday and I'll post some photos after that. Stay tuned in!

Hippo chic?

2006-09-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

I just saw an obscene (meaning look away from it) design on Lucia's site -- the Knitting Fiend. It was from Bambini Kuki, so I went to look at that website.

Here's what I found. This particular design is actually called Hippo chic. Appropriate, no?

Can you believe this? Fancy knitting, all right, but DO YOU WANT TO LOOK LIKE A HIPPO? Not me. Let's use our knitting skills in the name of good design. Remember the Bauhaus saying - form follows function. In terms of clothing, that should mean what you're wearing makes you look good and feels great to wear. This outfit does neither. I've been seeing more and more of such technological wonders that are true design failures.

Just my opinion, folks....

Montreal Again?

2006-09-07T08:48:00.000-07:00

Just returned from ANOTHER trip to Montreal. Of course I also bought two more huge bags of yarn from La Bobineuse de Laine. They actually wind up the yarns you want there so that you end up with a totally original plied yarn. I bought cottons galore again and avoided their acrylic which is a fiber I just hate. It feels like plastic or the petroleum it's made from. I wish they had wools in stock.

I have no photos today because I'm too busy finishing up the crocheted jewelry that Lark Books requested. That was another great benefit of selling on Etsy. And no, I still haven't heard back from Teen Magazine, but neither have they returned my knitwear, so I'm still hoping.

By the way, on this Montreal trip it took THREE HOURS waiting at customs while they opened and searched EVERYONE'S car trunk. I do like being safe, but boy, what a drag! Previously it never even felt like going to another country when visiting Canada. I wonder what the customs agent thought about the giant bags of yarn?

Haven't Heard Anything Yet, But Keep Thinking About that Little Box in Santa Monica

2006-08-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

No, Teen Magazine has not yet gotten in touch with me. The photoshoot is supposed to be on Friday. I'm psyched at the whole event, even if the photos never make it into the magazine.

However.... please keep wishing me LUCK!

Haven't Written Lately, but WOW - Here's Some Great News!

2006-07-31T18:48:00.000-07:00

I just heard from Etsy that Teen Magazine wants me to send them three of my items on Etsy for possible inclusion in a photo shoot! The items are: My little red hair flower barrettes, my huge flower necklace/hairband, and my sexy pink flowered shrug. I'm really excited. Here are photos of my designs.

WISH ME LUCK!

What's the KnittingGuru Up To Now?

2006-07-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for small things I can make to introduce people to my knit and crocheted items. First of all, not everyone can afford handknits because they are very time intensive and therefore not cheap, especially if fine quality yarns are used (as I always do) rather than Walmart acrylics. Secondly, I want customers to be able to see first hand the quality of my work and finishing techniques.

So..... Here's my latest little pretty - Crocheted Flower Baby Barettes.

The flowers are 1 1/4" in diameter.

You can see in the photo that I sew the flowers securely to the clip without the use of glue, so that the barettes can be handwashed.

They come in pairs on my Burry Babies cards. I package them in plastic zip-lock jewelry bags to keep them clean and neat. They're only $6 a pair + $1 s&h, so people can sample them for a very modest investment. They make a teriffic gift, too, and I always provide free gift-wrapping when asked.

These are available by writing directly to me through a comment on this blog or by going to www.BurryBabies.etsy.com. The photos show the pink and red ones, but I can make these to order in almost any color you can think of, so please do write to me.

They sold within minutes of my posting them, so I guess people can tell just how cute they look on babies!

Not a baby but you really like these? They look great on BIG GIRLS too and I can make them in sophisticated colors if you wish.

Photos of Montreal Yarn

2006-07-11T06:16:00.000-07:00

Here's some of the yarn I bought in Montreal while on vacation last week. I got much more than this at the wonderful prices this shop offers, but these two are probably my favorites. Of course, there's also the white and cream yarn with variegated metallic and a gorgeous pumpkin boucle, but you get the idea.

See yesterday's entry for the address of the wonderful shop in Montreal. They don't have a website, but might respond to letters asking for samples. I can't guarantee this, however.

Montreal was such an inspiration. Not only are the shops filled with beautiful and unusual clothing, but the huge outdoor fruit and vegetable markets were a color and texture sensation! These markets made the large farmer's market at Union Square in NYC look toy-sized. I WISH I could shop every day at the Atwater or Jean Toulon markets.

Now I have to continue unpacking, doing washes, and eventually updating KnittingGuru.com. My readers must be wondering what happened -- No Knitting Tip of the Week for more than a week. What a naughty KnittingGuru!!!

Wonderful Week of Wandering in Montreal

2006-07-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

Just back from a fantastic week in Montreal and wanted to tell you all about a great yarn shop I found there. The name of the store is Magasin de Fibre L.B. Inc.
or AKA La Bobineuse de Laine.

The store is at 2279 Mont-Royal Est and it has tons of industrial yarns on cones. The ones I picked up are worsted weight all cotton yarns in luscious color combinations of about 6 or 7 fine yarns mixed together. I have tried to upload the photo, but keep coming up with disc error, whatever that means. I will try again later, because I know you want to see this yarn - it's just great.

Did I mention that the price was CHEAP?

If you live in or near Montreal or are going there for a vacation (which I recommend) don't miss this store.

Did I mention that the Jazz Festival was going on and I spent DAYS listening to FREE JAZZ?

Sorry for all the capital letters, but I am very enthusiastic about this trip.

Now I must run and wash a weeks worth of clothing and put away all my yarn and other goodies. Be back soon....

Baby Flower Bracelet ------------------------------- An Early Morning Amusement

2006-06-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a little something I whipped up this morning as I thought about how I REALLY need to update my BurryBabies website. I'm almost finished, but who has the time to get it to the last stages - proofreading, adding new photos and descriptions, rewriting text, connecting all items to Paypal?

So instead, I was thinking about how people now buy beaded bracelets for their babies and how I NEVER would have put one of those on my three babies -- too much danger from chewing on beads and choking!

So I crocheted this little flower bracelet that has no beads, no buttons, no snaps -- just 100% cotton yarn and a lot of love. Look: I'm a frustrated non-grandmother. How do you think Burry Babies got started anyway?

Here's a photo of the little flower bracelet. If there's a baby you love, it's up for sale on Etsy for only $4.00!

Hope you have a happy day today!
I think I'll just go make some more baby bracelets.

An Answer from the KnittingGuru ------------------ How to Knit Half-Linen Stitch

2006-06-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

Recently Linda wrote to Ask the Guru:

"I am trying to find instructions for a "half linen stitch". Have you heard of it?"

The KnittingGuru answers:

I am familiar with this stitch. It isn't always called Half-Linen Stitch, however. Barbara Walker calls it Woven Stitch, for example. Most knitting stitches have numerous names and sometimes this causes problems when we try to research them.

One thing that's important to be aware of is that this is a very dense stitch. It belongs to the category of stitches called Slip Stitch and as such it involves slipping certain stitches over two (or more) rows. This is sometimes called Mosaic Knitting and it's an interesting technique in that you can knit fabrics that have patterns without using two or more colors in the same row. You are always knitting with only one yarn at a time for the whole row. The slipped stitch can be made with the yarn in front of the work or behind it. This gives two very different textures.

I knit the samples using sport weight wool (DK weight) with size 8 needles and then with size 10 needles. If you were knitting stockinette, you would probably use size 4 or 5 needles with this yarn. With Half-Linen Stitch, the size 8 needles yielded an extremely thick fabric with no drape. Even with size 10 needles the fabric is quite thick. You will also find that compared to stockinette, all slip stitch patterns have a gauge with many more rows per inch and often with many more stitches to achieve the same width. Be on guard about this! You cannot substitute slip stitch for plain knitting in a pattern or you will end up with a VERY SHORT garment and maybe a very narrow garment, too!

This is how the Half-Linen Stitch is knit:

Cast on an odd number of stitches.
Row 1 - Knit 1, *slip 1 stitch with yarn in front, knit 1* repear from * to * to end.
Row 2 - Purl.
Row 3 - Knit 2, *slip 1 stitch with yarn in front, knit 1* repear from * to * to end.
Row 4 - Purl.

Here are photos of the Half-Linen Stitch shown on both sizes 8 and 10 needles. I have also shown the "slip with yarn in front" component of the stitch. By the way, this is a very simple stitch to knit.

This photo shows the yarn in front of the slipped stitch.

Now the yarn is placed behind the needle in preparation for knitting one stitch.

This photo shows the Half-Linen Stitch done on size 8 needles with sport weight yarn. It would be suitable for a very heavy and warm winter jacket with no drape.

This is the same stitch and yarn knit on size 10 needles. It is still thick, but has a softer, more open texture. It would be suitable for a warm sweater.

This is the Half-Linen Stitch knit on size 10 needles with two colors. Rows 1 & 2 are knit in light gold and Rows 3 & 4 are knit in black. Doesn't this make a great tweed? Can't you see this as a fabulous fall jacket?

Here's my swatch with one of my KnittingGuru Swatch Cards attached for my records. I know never to trust to my memory about these statistics and so I always use a card. You can buy these in the KnittingGuru Boutique.

I hope that Linda and the rest of my readers found this discussion to be clear and helpful, and that you'll try this stitch next time you want something really warm to wear or use as a blanket.

For other interesting Knitting Articles please check out KnittingGuru. I am always happy to answer your questions at Ask the Guru.

BIGGER BETTER BOBBLES!

2006-06-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

This week on KnittingGuru I have a visual tutorial
on making Bigger Better Bobbles. There are 13 photos
showing details, so please be patient as this useful
tutorial downloads. See it at:
http://www.knittingguru.com

Also New at KnittingGuru:

A Cool Blue Waffle Textured Long Cotton Scarf
with Vintage Button Decorations $25.

and

A New Knitting at the Beach Kit --
A Deep Pink (Magenta) Textured Knit Bag
with a 1950s Vintage Button.
The kit includes an instruction card, yarn, &
the button, and is packed in a lovely gold gauze
drawstring bag. $10.95

You can see the scarf and bag at:
http://www.knittingguru.com/boutique.html

SORRY FOR THE PHOTOLESS BLOG ENTRY, BUT I AM REALLY BUSY!

Not only am I knitting like a fiend and designing kits, etc. but also I am having major renovations done at home. This is taking physical energy, but most of all psychic energy. Oh, the mess, the phone calls, the forgotten tasks, THE MONEY ITS COSTING.....

Anyone out there who has gone through major renovations, tell me how you manage to keep the rest of your life going. I'd really like to read your comments.

Where Does the Time Go? ................................ Or, Time Flies When You're Knitting & Listening

2006-06-06T10:02:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I last wrote here. Of course, I did take some time off for Memorial Day Weekend - 4 days in fact! We heard a truly great Shostakovich concert that really revitalized me. I'd never heard his Preludes & Fugues before and was amazed how much like Bach they were, and yet in an entirely different spirit. Very exciting music!

I never do stop knitting, however, no matter what else is going on. Here's one of a series of skinny cotton scarves I've been knitting. This one's hot pink with semi-precious bead decoration. This works just as well as a belt, and offers so many ways to wear it as a scarf. I'm posting a lot of photos of this so you can see the variations. In fact, it reflects the theme and variations of the Shostokovich music I so loved!

You can get this scarf at my Etsy store now. I will be putting it in the KnittingGuru Boutique soon,
too.

I do love comments and questions, so let's have some feedback here, OK?

The Flowers Are Blooming in More Ways than One

2006-05-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

The flowers are blooming in my garden and it's hot! I always want to have something to get my hair off my neck in the heat, but I hate those ugly elastic holders.

Ergo, my latest invention: the combination bracelet & ponytail holder!

Looks charming on your wrist and great in your hair. Don't you love to get something that serves a dual purpose?

Crocheted over a pony tail elastic, so this is stretchy and will fit anyone's wrist or ponytail. The 2" flower is so cute. This could easily be hooked onto the strap of your bag or a belt loop on your jeans. All cotton and washable, too.

This one's in purple with blue, but I can make just about any color you dream up. Just email me. You can get this one at my Etsy shop now.

Multiple Personality Scarf Kit Finally Available - Great for Those of Us With Many Moods

2006-05-22T08:50:00.000-07:00

You take a book with you when you go to the beach don't you. It's called Beach Reading. So I thought, what about Beach Knitting... or Mountain Knitting... or Anyplace Vacation Knitting? Then I decided to give my customers lots of choices: There are four scarves to choose from -- Hot Pink with Beads, Cornflower Blue, Purple with Lady Bugs, or Green.

You can read more about these, including the price, on KnittingGuru.

You don't want to drag a lot of stuff to the beach, right? So I designed the patterns to fit on two postcard sized, double-sided, full-color heavy weight cards. And then I thought, this needs to be in a portable bag, so I packaged it in a gold gauze drawstring bag that you can carry your knitting in.

I hope everyone enjoys their day at the beach and/or has a Great Vacation!

Another Question for the KnittingGuru - How to Make Bobbles

2006-05-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

Suzan wrote to me last night asking about how to make a mini-bobble - a stitch she read about in a pattern given online. I must say that I find MANY errors in online patterns. I guess you often get what you pay for and some designers are less careful when posting patterns than they would be if they were submitting the pattern to a publication. Therefore, Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware)!

Anyway, bobbles are usually made by knitting several times into one stitch and then immediately decreasing back to the one stitch. The pattern Suzan is attempting only has you knit three times into the one stitch -- therefore the name mini-bobble.

Here's Suzan's question:

Can you explain about making a mini bobble? Here are the directions: knit one, purl one, knit one all into the same stitch, (this is where I get lost). You will now have 3 stitches from ONE stitch on your right needle. (I don't understand one stitch. I am thinking I should have 3). Take the tip of the left needle and lift the furthest away over the top two then lift the 2nd over the first one. I understand the lifting, but when I start the next row I am short a few stitches. I am 1/2 way finished with this and really don't want to put it up. Any help would be great and thanks for your time!

The KnittingGuru answers:

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I decided to knit a little swatch to demonstrate each step of the stitch. Many photos follow with a description under the photo.

........... Here is the first knit stitch.

Here the yarn is brought forward to prepare for a purl stitch.

The purl stitch is made and the yarn is brought behind the left needle to prepare for the next knit stitch.

All three stitches have been made in the one stitch and taken off the left needle.

Of the three stitches made, stitch 1 is being passed over stitches 2 and 3.

Of the three stitches made, only stitches 2 and 3 remain on the right needle.

Here stitch 2 is being passed over stitch 3.

Here the bobble is completed. You are back to one stitch. No stitches have been lost.

This is the mini-bobble. In my opinion it's too mini to bother with.

Here's the same bobble made with 5 stitches instead of 3. I think it looks much better.

This photo shows the mini-bobble (bottom) and the 5 stitch bobble (top). You can see that the mini-bobble is not too visible and the 5 stitch bobble is more effective.

This is a photo of a Better Bobble. It is made by knitting into the front and back of the bobble base stitch 5 times rather than knitting and purling into the base stitch.

This photo shows both 5 stitch bobbles. You can see that the Better Bobble (on top) has much more stitch definition and stands out more from the background knitting. I will give a tutorial on how to do this in next week's Knitting Tip of the Week on KnittingGuru.

I hope this was helpful to Suzan and to many other "bobblers"!

You may want to return to KnitingGuru now.

Copyright KnittingGuru, VB Designs, LLC, 2006. All rights reserved. It is illegal to copy any text or photos on this blog.

An Answer from the Guru

2006-05-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

On my KnittingGuru website I have a feature called Ask the Guru. I answer knitting questions by email and then gather them together in groups and publish an article that answers several questions together. This is in the section of the site called Knitting Tip of the Week.

Of course, to avoid frustrated readers, I always send an email to the questioner giving at least a get-started answer. Recently I decided to use this blog to answer knitters' questions rather than send isolated emails. I let the questioner know to come here for their answer. This allows other knitters to also read the answers.

Here's the first installment:

Marcia asked:
"The bamboo needles that I have purchased through the years are not the same gauge as my bone, plastic, metal needles. Why is that? They are smaller. They throw me way off ..."

Answer:
You are absolutely right, Marcia. In fact, in my experience, the difference in needle size is not just limited to bamboo versus bone, plastic, wood, or metal.

When you use a knitting needle size gauge, you will often find that some needles fit through the hole snugly, while other needles of the same size fit through more loosely.

The most important thing is to knit a swatch. If you read KnittingGuru, you know that I have several articles on Swatch Knitting and that I also sell Knitting Swatch Cards. I cannot emphasize enough how important swatches are in order to knit properly fitting garments.

Marcia, if your bamboo needles are thinner and do not knit true to the gauge you want, just size up to a larger bamboo needle. That should work out. Another thought is: perhaps you knit more tightly or loosely when using bamboo needles. Different knitting needle materials will cause you to hold your yarn and needles differently and that will result in a different gauge. For example, if you use Addi Turbos, you will naturally knit more quickly and that will result in a different gauge for sure than if you used wood needles which cause you to slow down.

Try out this experiment: Knit a swatch with the same yarn on slick metal needles and another on wood needles in the same size. Let the knitting rest. Now measure it. How much difference, if any, do you notice. Write back and let me know!

KnittingGuru Brings a Little Sunshine

2006-05-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

Spring is really here and the sun keeps shining. My garden could use some more rain, but I'm happiest when the sun's out. That's why I designed my latest scarf knitting kit...

I call it Yellow Sunshine Lace Scarf Kit and it really does shine. Even if you think you don't like yellow, take a look at this. It's guaranteed to make folks happy.

The kit comes in the new glossy silver shopping bags I've found and personalized with the KnittingGuru sticker. The kit contents are nestled in tissue paper in the bag and make a great gift for a knitter. Or knit the scarf and give it to someone you want to have more sunshine in their life.

You can get the kit at KnittingGuru.

I have lots of other lace scarf kits, too. Although I still haven't finished the mini-kits yet, I will have them up soon in time for the first beach days after Memorial Day Weekend.

On a personal note, I'm working on some little bags to sell and to make into kits. Also, I just made the cutest Cotton Candy Capelet. More on that next time...

The KnittingGuru Takes a Break

2006-05-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

I haven't written in this blog for quite a while for the simple reason that I've been knitting and crocheting my fingers off.

LOTS of people have wanted my Pretty Posy Pins (see the last entry - April 26th.) I guess there will be many happy Moms out there this Mother's Day. I'm also continuing to work on my knit and crocheted chokers. Whenever I wear one of the chokers I made for myself, people not only stare, they literally stop me on the street to ask about them. That's a real thrill. Here are two of the chokers:

I'll be putting these on KnittingGuru soon. Feel free to email me if you want more information.

I also made another baby set for a customer. This one was the Fish-in-the-Water Sweater and Hat pictured on my baby website -- Burry Babies. I have made so many of this particular sweater that the fish sometimes swim in my head. I'm still working on redoing the Burry Babies site so that I can update it with Spring/Summer baby knits.

Anyway, there's been a lot of work, a lot of fun, and now - if you don't mind - I think I'll go and collapse.

The KnittingGuru Crochets

2006-04-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

I don't just knit, you know!

In the last couple of days the warm weather made me think --- Flowers.
Instead of getting to work in my garden (which does need my attention!) I took out my cotton yarns and crochet hook and made some pins, hair ornaments, and flowered chokers.

Here are two of the Posy Pins I made. One is Hot Pink with Lime Green trim. The other is Purple with Hot Pink trim. I'm just thinking of more color combinations. Any suggestions?

If you want one for yourself or for a Great Mother's Day Gift, email me or check them out at the Etsy store.

Working Away at New Knitting Kits

2006-04-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

I've been working away on some new knitting kits that I will be putting on my KnittingGuru site. The Hip Denim Blue Shrug is now available in kit form and I am excited to say that I FINALLY found a good bag to put the kits in. It's very heavy weight and glossy silver with a thick silver rope handle. I found it in a crazy little store in NYC after searching online for months. This is a sturdy bag and really nice looking, too. I now have KnittingGuru Labels for the bags.

I also found a great little gold mesh bag to put my new mini-kits into. I will post some photos soon. Right now, I need a break from a whole day spent writing out pattern instructions and putting together the booklets that go with the kits. This blog is all about working as a knitting designer. Well, design is just one of the multiple hats I wear, and shopping for good looking bags to put my knits in as well as writing instructions is more time-consuming than you might think. Do I sound grouchy? Just tired, really.

Anyway, here's a preview of my new Multiple Personality Scarflette Kit:

Four colors, three finishes (beads, ladybug buttons, picots), and only one stitch. AND only one row to the stitch. What could be simpler or more fun to take on vacation in a gold mesh bag?

I will have these kits up on my website
KnittingGuru by next weekend. I hope you will check them out.

Glow in the Dark Knitting Needles?

2006-04-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

Just this Saturday I updated my KnittingGuru site's Knitting Tip of the Week. This week we discussed knitting needles made from many types of materials.

Today I just saw an item in the Sunday New York Times about knitting needles with L.E.D. tips that glow in the dark. Will wonders never cease? Will knitters ever be satisfied? Where exactly will this stop?

Are these for knitting in movie theaters? In the middle of the night in bed? On dark car rides? In the woods at night? Someone ... please ... explain!

Anyway, I thought you knitters out there might like to see a picture of the Glow in the Dark Knitting Needles, so here it is....

An Object Lesson for Would-Be Online Knitting Professionals

2006-04-23T09:16:00.000-07:00

Here's why it's so hard to turn what you love into your work:

It has just come to my attention that the person who originally set up my KnittingGuru website mis-typed my email address in the Ask the Guru link. Therefore, some people who have been trying to send knitting questions to the KnittingGuru have not been able to if they tried to connect from that page. Of course, everywhere else on the site the address was correct, but that doesn't stop me from having a frustration fit! Why didn't I catch this error sooner?

If you or anyone you know has tried to send me a question, please know that I fixed the link this morning and that you can always reach me at veena@knittingguru.com I look forward to getting more knitting questions, and regret any that I may have missed.

Meantime, this week at KnittingGuru we are discussing Knitting Needle Materials: Pros & Cons -- Which Needles are Best for You? If you have any questions about knitting needles, or any other knitting questions, please send them to me.

Finally, I have put the Scarflettes on www.knittingguru.com and also on www.knittingguru.etsy.com and hope you will look at them. They make great little gifts for Mom on Mother's Day as well as nifty summer accessories for anyone who wants to add a little punch to their appearance.

I will soon have these Scarflettes made up into kits for knitters and have also finished preparing a knitting kit for the Hip Denim Blue Shrug.

Right now, I'm working on flowers for hair, wrist, & neckline. More on this soon.

Technologically Challenged, but Still the KnittingGuru

2006-04-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

I seem to have been having lots of problems with this blog today. However, I'm very happy with my knitting. Thank goodness, that always works out for me.

My latest items are Scarflettes that I am knitting for the warm weather. I will be making them into Mini-Kits for knitters to take on vacation this summer. They are just a little something to take to the beach or playground, or to knit on the train. Can you take them on a plane with you now? How about if you use plastic or bamboo needles? Anyway, these little scarves should best be knit on tiny needles meant for kids. The work goes faster that way.

The Scarflettes I have knit are samples for the kits I am making, so I am selling them for only $10 each. They are 100% soft cotton yarn plus beads on the hot pink scarflette. You can contact me directly at http://www.knittingguru.com if you are interested, or I have some posted on Etsy.com under my shop name - you guessed it - knittingguru.

Here are some preliminary photos:

Who is the KnittingGuru?

2006-04-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

I did promise to identify myself next time, so I have posted my profile. I also promised at my last writing to post photos of the Springtime Felted Handbag I made recently and of the Knitting Kit for the Dawn at the Shore Lace Scarf in a Shetland design. The scarf looks like Monet painted the yarn. It was really a pleasure to make.

The unusual thing about the Springtime Felted Handbag is that it is knit sideways. I found that this resulted in a lovely rep-looking fabric and I intend to do it again.

The Dawn at the Shore Scarf is for sale as a knitting kit at www.knittingguru.com.
The Springtime Felted Handbag may also be purchased at www.knittingguru.com.

This is a repost of a post I made on April 14th which I lost while I was trying to edit it. Oh well, I have a way to go when it comes to blog technology. I may have lost two people's comments in this process, unfortunately. Sorry.

A Trip Inside the Mind of a Knitwear Designer

2006-04-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

My latest knitting adventure is the HIP DENIM BLUE SHRUG. I knit this on size 11 needles and I must say that this shrug is a wonder to wear -- lightweight, gorgeous, and knit in a lace mesh stitch that makes it perfect to wear year-round. This is a really sexy garment!

Here's what I was aiming towards when I designed this:

* Style - It's got it! Great over a dress, jeans and tank top, or a sweater. No edge finish because it doesn't need it. No sleeve gatherings because they would be lumpy in such a thick yarn. Mid-arm length so the wide sleeve ends don't dip in your pasta sauce when you dine al fresco.

* For Travel - Packs into a small square that fits in an overnight case or carry-on bag. Also weighs less than a pound.

* Color - A fabulous blue that will go with all your jeans and most other clothes.

* How to Wear - Just slip your arms through the ends and go. Doesn't mess up your hair like a poncho. Doesn't fall on the floor like a shawl.

* Warmth - Will keep you warm but not too hot. A must for all vacations.

I knit this from the softest, cushiest yarn I have ever used. It's 50% Merino wool and 50% Microfiber and feels like a cross between chenille and suede. I placed the shrug on my website for sale.

Several people have written to ask me to make this shrug into a kit, so I am working on the pattern booklet now, and will be ordering more yarn. It takes a couple of days to make my pattern booklets because I not only include color photos of the garment, but also step-by-step instructions without abbreviations.

A digression: I know knitting magazines need to use abbreviations to save space, but it causes lots of problems for new knitters and sometimes even for experienced knitters. I've been knitting all my life, but I never say in my head -- sl 1, k1, psso -- while I am knitting. NO - I repeat in my mind - slip one, knit one, pass over -- Don't you???

So I do not use abbreviations in my booklets. What I do though is to write instructions broken up into small steps, just as I did when I taught school. It's too easy to get lost when following multiple instructions written as if they were sentences in a paragraph. Also, I feel it is my responsibility to ensure that all of my kits end up as satisfactory garments. Therefore, I always include my email address in the booklet so that knitters can get in touch with me in the unlikely event that they have a problem knitting the kit garment. For clarity's sake, I also include charts when needed and laundering instructions. Moreover, I wind all the yarn in center-pull balls with the inside end VISIBLE to the knitter. Don't you hate to have to stick your finger into most center-pull balls and root around trying - and usually failing - to find the end? Then you wind up with a big mess of yarn that you have to deal with while you knit. So I'm careful to leave the end out of the ball for easy knitting.

Is this a lot of work? Yes it is! But it's worth it to me to produce something of quality. I hope you will check my website at http://www.knittingguru.com
to see my kits and custom garments.

Here are some photos of the soon-to-be-a-kit HIP BLUE DENIM SHRUG:

You can buy this shrug at http://www.knittingguru.com.

Wednesday, April 5th, 2006 - A Snowy Day of Introspection

2006-04-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

I finally worked out some of the kinks in this blog and can now see how to post photos. This has been a crazy day with snow in April, a not-unheard-of, but rather unusual happening in New York. I spent some quiet time knitting a sample shrug in a wonderous yarn that is 50% merino wool and 50% microfiber - talk about silky! The yarn is a blue similar to jeans and will make a delicious covering for year round wear. I'm trying to decide whether to make it into a kit or just produce them for sale.

As you may have guessed, I am trying to turn my love of knitting into a vocation. Hence, my two knitting websites:
http://knittingguru.com
and
http:// burrybabies.com

The Burry Babies site needs some major overhaul which I am working on. It should be vastly improved within the month. KnittingGuru is working out well, except I MUST get shopping carts on the site soon. It's really fragmenting to try to do all of this alone - designing, web-design, marketing, publishing, as well as updating the site weekly with new Knitting Tips. Whew!

Anyway, I'm not complaining because I love it! Here are pictures of my favorite Knitting Kit so far. It's called Mango Fizz Scarf:

Would you believe that there's only one pattern row in this scarf? My aim is to present well-designed scarves that newish knitters can make to get away from doing garter stitch all the time. So far, the inexperienced knitters who have bought these are doing well according to their emails. They are promising to send me photos of the finished scarves and I can't wait to see them.

I will sign off for now, but next time I really should give a little history of where all of this is coming from and my background.

KnittingGuru Joins the Blog World

2006-04-04T12:53:00.000-07:00

This feels like taking first steps on the moon, but here goes. Being knitting-obsessed, I find that having two knitting related websites is not enough. No, I need to blog like the rest and connect to more and more knitters. Give me another knitter and I never run out of things to talk about.

My knitting this week has included finishing an Impressionist painter-like lace scarf and a new felted bag in chartreuse and purple - two of my favorite colors. I will post pictures soon -- hopefully tomorrow!

Last week my major knitting event was finishing the Springtime Baby Layette someone ordered.

I will keep this short and sweet for now, but look forward to hearing from other knitting bloggers as I take my baby steps.