Knitting Pipeline is sponsored by my Longaberger home businessn and Quince & Co.

Knitting Pipeline is sponsored by Quince & Co. and Knitcircus Yarns

Friday, August 29, 2014

Episode 181 Hitofude and Tripartite

Listen here or use the Flash Player on this site for current and past episodes. Flash Player is not compatible with Internet Explorer.  Try a different browser like Safari.  Or jaunt on over to iTunes to find the show there.


Upstairs Downstairs Cowl
Special Release Price of $3.00 through Sept 1. 2014. Purchase here.

This episode is sponsored by my Longaberger Home Business and Quince & Co. I am also a Craftsy Affiliate. This means that if you click from the Craftsy ad on my website and purchase a class and/or materials, I receive credit for it. It is an easy way to support the show. Thank you!
Quince & Co wool yarns are sourced and spun in the US. Known in the trade as "territory wool," our wool comes from Merino, Rambouillet, and Columbia-based sheep that roam the ranges of Montana and Wyoming. All our wool and wool-blend yarns are spun in New England mills with venerable histories. By sourcing our wool in the US and manufacturing our yarn locally, we minimize our carbon footprint. Find Quince wool and the other Quince fibers at www.quinceandco.com.
You can find my Longaberger Home Business at www.longaberger.com/paula.
You can also find me here:
Ravelry: PrairiePiper Feel free to include me in your friends.
Instagram: knittingpipeline
Twitter: knittingline
Pipeliner Notes
Thanks to everyone who was in touch with me recently. I really enjoy getting to know you a bit. If I have missed yo, which does happen, please send me a pm to let me know.
Thank you for your 5 star ratings and reviews on iTunes.  There was a lovely new review by Doxiegirl21. Thank you. Activity on the star ratings and reviews help bump the show up so others can find it and other great fiber related podcasts.
Last week I announced that I had just released a new pattern: Upstairs Downstairs: A Cowl in Three Sizes. There is a special release price of $3.00 now and through at least Sept 1. That should give most of you a chance to buy the pattern at the special price. Thank you so much for your kind comments and support.
Thank you to Loel, Jennxpt, Jill, Jane aka PrairiePoet, and Stephigordon.
… Thank you so much for the tutorial on garter stitch in the round. I have a question about the technique. Does it matter whether you start on the wrong side or the right side of the work? Perhaps that depends on the pattern and where garter stitch should appear? What are your thoughts? Jane, Prairie Poet (Rav)
It might matter, Jane, but probably not that often. Let’s say you were knitting garter stitch in the round and you did your first purl round in the traditional way and then decided to change to the technique I showed you. You would want to complete a knit row on the RS before changing. Otherwise if you wrap and turn and knit on the WS you will have two rows of reverse stockinette on the RS. Always look at your work to make sure it looks correct before proceeding.
Events
We are in the last week of The Sister Bay KAL!
Tag your projects sisterbaykal.
Prize Drawings September 1, 2014.
I will be donating Quince & Co yarn and Leslie Wind has generously offered 3 $40 gift certificates! (I didn’t even ask—she’s that nice!) thank you, Leslie!
Nature Notes
We have had our first hot spell of the year. The night sounds are still quite loud but it has been too warm at night to open up the house. One day Bob saw a Cooper’s Hawk land on our deck railing right by the thistle feeder and hummingbird feeder.  He actually knew where my camera was and managed to get several great photos. He observed that the birds did not seem to mind that the hawk was right there but Bob wasn’t comfortable with it.



Se the hummingbird in the photo?


 Last week I mentioned that the young goldfinches were quite demanding. They have been even more so this week. We get such a kick out of watching them flapping their wings and cheeping for someone to come and feed them! Sometimes a fledgling will be perched right on the niger seed feeder but won’t try to get seed for himself. These young birds all look female but I’m sure there are males that don’t have their full coloring yet. We have noticed that the males are starting to molt for their winter plumage. That is a sure sign that summer is coming to an end. I know I have said this before but for new listeners and bird lovers, the American Goldfinch is one of the last birds to nest and raise their young. Most of the other birds are well into breeding and nesting and raising their young by the time the goldfinches are nesting. The reason is that goldfinches use thistle down for their nests so they wait until the thistle plants have bloomed and seeded. The house wrens were here longer than usual this year. We are fairly certain they raised an extra brood, possible a third, before migrating for the winter. We miss their cheerful songs. Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of the Kentucky Warbler. I kept hearing this bird but could not identify the call. It wasn’t the Tufted Titmouse. Similar though. It wasn’t a Caroline Wren. Finally I thought what bird do (1) know is probably here and (2) has a song I do not know well. I used my iBird app Birds of the Midwest and after looking for a while came upon Kentucky Warbler. The call is “churry, churry, churry”.  This is what it sounds like.
Kentucky Warbler Portrait by Lang Elliott
I wish I were better at recalling bird songs. I know the basic ones but there are so many I don’t know. My introduction to birding was with Roger Tory Peterson and the Peterson Guide to Easter Birds I bought at the college bookstore. It is still my favorite bird identification book.
I can recognize the calls of practically every bird in North America. There are some in Africa I don't know, though.--Roger Tory Peterson

Needle Notes
Tripartite by Stephen West
I can’t believe I said that nothing really big had happened at Stitches! Here I am wearing my Tripartite with Stephen himself! He is very kind and gracious with his fans.


Stephen is tall but he was also wearing shoes with thick soles!  Really!
Hitofude Cardigan by Hiroko Fukatsu
Prairie Piper’s Hitofude




with Sarah of In a Sknit podcast. I am wearing Hitofude.
In The Pipeline
Fruit Gum Stripe socks by Leah Oakley
Releasing new pattern on August 31 and it will be free for 1 week.  Twisted Breeze Socks.

Product Notes/Stitches Midwest Purchases


Left to Right: Kollage Creamy Flame, Lost City Knits, Dragonfly Fibers

Handwork Hardware Double Pointed Knitting Needle Sorter and Gauge for sizes 000-to US 5. 1.5 to 3.75 mm. $26.
Birds of a Feather  jelby.etsy.com
Lost City Knits Pathways Sock
Dragonfly Fibers Dragon Sock in Mushroom Hunting
Dragonfly Fibers Pixie in Bad Moon Rising
Kollage Creamy Flamé in Ruby Red 2 skeins=400 yds
In The Piping Circle and some blether…
Budweiser Clydesdales were in town this week!
Parade to honor first responders for Nov 17 tornado.


Erin Feis on Peoria Riverfront Gateway Park



Have a great week, haste ye back, and hold your knitting close.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Episode 180 Upstairs Downstairs: A Cowl in Three Sizes

Listen here or use the Flash Player on this site for current and past episodes. Flash Player is not compatible with Internet Explorer.  Try a different browser like Safari.  Or jaunt on over to iTunes to find the show there.

Upstairs Downstairs Cowl Small Size modeled by Emily and photographed by Nils Fuessle.

This episode is sponsored by my Longaberger Home Business and Quince & Co. I am also a Craftsy Affiliate. This means that if you click from the Craftsy ad on my website and purchase a class and/or materials, I receive credit for it. It is an easy way to support the show. Thank you!


Quince & Co wool yarns are sourced and spun in the US. Known in the trade as "territory wool," our wool comes from Merino, Rambouillet, and Columbia-based sheep that roam the ranges of Montana and Wyoming. All our wool and wool-blend yarns are spun in New England mills with venerable histories. By sourcing our wool in the US and manufacturing our yarn locally, we minimize our carbon footprint. Find Quince wool and the other Quince fibers at www.quinceandco.com.
You can find my Longaberger Home Business at www.longaberger.com/paula.
Ravelry Group
Pipeliner Notes
David and Gene from 2 Guys Yarn Co.
Events
We have our Sister Bay KAL in progress. We are starting the Bonus Week now if you are following the Progress Chart. 
This week I am featuring Rabbitlady’s Sister Bay in Camel and Bird’s Egg for which she won a Blue Ribbon!  Congratulations. Also Benji9 SB in Crocus and Lupine. Great colors, and Luciaknits Test Knit in Iceland and Egret.



Rabbitlady's Sister Bay in Camel and Birds Egg, complete with Blue Ribbon!


Luciaknits Sister Bay in Iceland and Egret

Benji9's Sister By in Crocus and Lupine

Tag your projects sisterbaykal. Prize Drawings September 1, 2014.
I will be donating Quince & Co yarn and Leslie Wind has generously offered 3 $40 gift certificates! (I didn’t even ask—she’s that nice!) thank you, Leslie!
Nature Notes
I wrote this essay a week ago one night about midnight when I woke up and listened to the night sounds.
The sound of the August night is like no other. It pulses and beats. Tiny maracas and kazoos rise in syncopation of life. I hear a pack of coyotes howl on the other side of the woods. My friend, the Barred Owl, calls out above this insect chorus to let me know he is out there, a sentinel of the woods, perhaps with an eye for food that will sustain him through the night and day. I match my breathing to these sounds and feel at one with the mystical chorus. The owl call is closer now, a loud whinny descending in the night. There is enough moonlight from a waning ¾ moon to wash the edge of the woods in pale gold. As I sit by the window with my knitting, a Luna moth, pale green and larger than my hand, beats its wings, flutters, and flails against the screen. This amazing creature is attracted to the light then retreats to the darkness of the woods.
During the day the butterflies lead the dance. It is a silent pulsing of wings as they move from zinnia flower to butterfly bush, and back to zinnia. Great Spangled Fritillary, Easter Tiger Swallowtail, Silver-spotted Skipper, Painted Lady, Red-spotted Purple, Black Swallowtail, and many smaller skippers are partners in the rhythm of late summer. Early morning bird song is scarce and consists mostly of single chirp call notes.
Insects are reigning now, starting intermittently in midmorning, building in the afternoon and reaching their peak during the night. The cicadas, crickets, and grasshopper chorus ebbs and swells. It is the heartbeat of summers end. I think of the myriad of small creatures of which I know so little. I feel sleepy. A tune comes into my head. It is Pachelbel’s Canon in D. The insects are a perfect metronome for this composition. As I sing the tune in my head, the cicada chorus becomes a metronome. I go to sleep to August’s symphony.
 Needle Notes
Upstairs Downstairs: A Cowl in Three Sizes  is available for $3 for a limited time. Regular price will be $5.00. No coupon code needed.

Upstairs Downstairs, Emily, and Ollie

Upstairs Downstairs is knit in the round from the bottom up. It is easy and fast. I knit the small size in a day. It is suitable for any sport weight yarn, including variegated and handspun.The cowl has a band of garter stitch, a band of lace, a middle band of garter stitch, another band of lace, and a final band of garter stitch. If you do not like knitting garter stitch in the round you can visit my You Tube Tutorial I have linked to in the pattern for knitting garter stitch in the round without purling.
I LOVE the spread sheet style format which is similar in style to that of Helen Stewart of Curious Handmade. There are percentages of knitting accomplished so you can keep track of your yardage as you go.  A digital scale would be handy if you intend to use this feature of the pattern. If you have never done lace, Upstairs Downstairs, would be a great introduction. There is only one row to memorize and you will have it in no time. It is easy to see where you are in the pattern and mistakes are not hard to fix.
I named the cowl Upstairs Downstairs because if you flip it over it is the same. So not reversible but there is really no top or bottom unless you can tell the difference between a cast on and a bind off.
There is a small, medium and large size. You will need Approx 250 (350, 500) yd [229, 320, 457] m sport weight yarn such as: Leading Men Fiber Arts or Quince & Co Chickadee
I am usually asked questions about yarn substitution. If you are going to substitute yarn I would tend to go up in weight to DK or worsted instead of down to fingering. The reason is that in general a cowl is going to look a little better larger rather than smaller. It is then warmer too. I know we all have those skeins of fingering weight yarn that we just couldn’t resist.
The Blethering Room with Bob
Upstairs Downstairs turned out to be somewhat of a family affair. The first weekend in August we traveled to NC to visit our middle son and dil. I took the sample knit with me and Nils did the photography with our DIl Emily as the model. Now they have a job to do for me whenever there is a pattern to be published. I should have taken a lighter colored sample, which I did have, because the stitch pattern does not show up as well as it might but I think it is simple enough that you can see it. Also behind the scenes Bob usually ends up helping me with some of the numbers and Excel formatting. He also summoned up his creative side during the photoshoot.
Little Sister Resort brochure from 1935






In the Pipeline
Reading
Bob:
Paula
Eating
  • BLT’s : Toast Rye bread, bacon (thick is my favorite), mayo with olive oil base, homegrown tomatoes, fresh basil, thinly sliced red onion, iceberg lettuce. Cook bacon in oven at 400 deg for 15-20 min.
  • Buttermilk Ranch Dressing from The Barefoot Contessa
  • Grilled Romaine from All Recipes.com or Alton Brown

Grilled Hearts of Romaine, grilled red peppers, crab cakes

 Thanks for your support! Haste ye back!

About Me

My photo
I play the Great Highland Pipes, knit, observe nature, and read. My name on Ravelry is PrairiePiper. Find me on Instagram as KnittingPipeline.