Episode 45 The Felted Join

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Thank you to Quince & Co for sponsoring Knitting Pipeline.

Luscious Quince wool.

Pipeliner Specials!

10% off your order at Quince & Co (min $25) from June 1 through June 15

Promo Code KP62011

Three Bags Full still has FREE Shipping through May 31, 2011.  Promo code "piper".

The Winners!

Thanks to designers Brenna Kotar (Hoot Cardigan) and Rose Beck for two copies of the wonderful  Be Mine Collection of Shawlettes.

The winners are:
Judiuni for both Hoot Cardigan and Be Mine
Redsknits for Be Mine

Congratulations!  Please contact me!

Pipeliner Notes

More owl info:  Getting Wise to the Owl article from NYT. Shared by Jaykay.

Nature Notes

Recent sightings in our woods are Indigo Buntings and Scarlet Tanagers. The Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, which are indeed in the sparrow family, are still visiting the feeder.  We hope they are nesting in our woods.  House wrens are raising a brood in one of our birdhouses.  I love waking up in the morning to the house wren's bubbly song. 

To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment. 

--Jane Austen.

Needle Notes

Estelle Cardigan by Melissa LaBarre. Despite my prediction that the sleeves on my Estelle would be smooth sailing, I have had a few challenges.  They were a little tight in the upper arms and then I overcompensated and I made them too large.  One sleeve is finished but may be a little short.  See my project notes here.  I felt it necessary to take a little break from Estelle so I cast on for And So Are You, a crescent-shaped shawl from the Be Mine Collection by Rose Beck.  I am using Opulence (silk and wool) from The Woolen Rabbit.

The Felted Join

I have been using The Felted Join in Estelle and the Norwegian Setesdal Sweater.  To be more civilized I  have refined the name and the technique.  This is often referred to as "the Spit Join".  Instead of using your own saliva (which still works in a pinch) I use boiling water and then make myself a cup of tea to drink while I admire my handiwork. 

Advantages of the Felted Join are that the ends are dealt with while knitting so there is less finishing work; the joins are practically indetectable; and if you frog (unravel) your project then you will have one giant ball of yarn.  You must use wool or another feltable fiber (on your own here.)

Video Tutorial of The Felted Join

The Blethering Room

A couple of questions about e-readers were addressed. 

I answered Judiuni's question about using lifelines.

I am joining The Knit Girllls in the Stash Dash 5K!  The goal is to knit 5K (5,468 yd) of your stash between May 27 and August 15, 2011.  Cheating is allowed.  Projects that you started prior to May 27 count if you finish knitting them during the time frame.  You may add to your stash during this event (remember that nice offer from Quince & CO for 10% off?)

How to unravel your knitting and get the stitches back on the needles

Book  Notes

Charts Made Simple: Understanding Knitting Charts Visually by J.C. Briar.  Glass Iris Publications. 

 c 2010.  $17.95

J.C. Briar's website is here.

In the Piping Circle

Celtic Cross Pipes and Drums competed in the St. Andrew's Highland Games in Chatham IL on May 21. 

Kevin and Paula at the Celtic Cross "camp".  Kevin is the big voice you hear at the beginning of the podcast.

Visit my Longaberger shop for special offers through Monday May 30th.  There are always specials and sales!

Coming soon!
Video Tutorial on Meghan's method of picking up stitches after unraveling your work.

Music

All Shall be Well  from the album Sabbath Day's Journey by Lydia McCauley.
http://www.magnatune.com/

Haste ye back!

Episode 33 Of Lice and Men

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Quince & Co is a sponsor of Knitting Pipeline.  Visit them to find beautiful, natural fiber yarns from American sheep and responsible non-domestic sources.
Thank you for your prayers and greetings for my mom and her recovery.  Her arm is healing and it looks as if she will not need surgery. 

Imagine!  An entire podcast episode revolving around the lowly and despised louse.  Crazy as it sounds  I will link Traditional Norwegian Knitting, a Scottish Poet, and an American Poet.

I give a short background on the Norwegian Setesdal Sweater, also known as Luskofte, literally "Lice Jacket".  The sweater tradition started about 1860 in Setesdal, a region in southern Norway.  The Luskofte is somewhat of a Norwegian national costume and the hallmark of Norwegian knitting.

To a Louse by Robert Burns is read by Alan Wood, friend of Louise Hunt of the Caithness Craft Collective Podcast.  You can find Louise's delightful podcast on iTunes or Podbean.  Thank you, Louise and Alan.

If you want to read more about the poem, check it out here.
To a Louse Interpretation

Robert Frost (1874-1963) was an American Poet with Scottish and English ancestry.  This is one of his lesser known poems.

A Considerable Speck by Robert Frost

My Book Recommendations for Norwegian Knitting

If you want to knit a Norwegian Drop Shoulder Sweater you can get the design information and charts from Elizabeth's Zimmermann's Knitting Without Tears, Knitting Workshop, or Knitting Around.  All are available from Schoolhouse Press and other booksellers.  Any one of these books will give you all the information you need.

For more background in Scandinavian Knitting I recommend Sheila McGregor's The Complete Book of Scandinavian Knitting.  The reprint by Dover is called Traditional Scandinavian Knitting.

Norwegian Knitting Designs by Annichen Sibbern Bohn is no longer in print.  If you can get your hands  on a copy, it is a little gem of a book.

The newest addition to my Scandinavian knitting book library is, Setesdal Sweaters: The History of the Norwegian Lice Pattern by Annemor Sundbo.  Torridal Tweed.  2001.  Available from Schoolhouse Press.

I found some photos of my first Norwegian Drop Shoulder Sweaters and other Elizabeth Zimmermann designs.

Our Family at home in 1984 with everyone wearing my handknits.  Bob is wearing EZ's Hand to Hand.  I am wearing a Norwegian Luskofte.  Torben is wearing an Aran Vest.  Nils and Peter are wearing raglan sweaters with a texture pattern in the yoke, made using the EPS. (Elizabeth Zimmermann Percentage System.)

In front of our old house where we lived for 25 years.  (Sniff.)

Torben age 9 in his Norwegian Lus Vest. 1987



Torben age 10 in another Norwegian Style Drop Shoulder Sweater. 1988



Stranded Knitting Tutorial

Needle Notes

My finished project turned out lousy (groan).  These are the felted Baby Slippers from Knitting at Home by Leanne Prouse, a book that was reviewed in Episode 29.  Bronwyn helped me with the Bickford method of sewing the pieces together.  They should probably go through the washing machine again but nothing is really going to help that colorwork. Felting is really not my thing but I'm going to attempt the French Press Slippers before throwing in the towel.

After Mom fell my Norwegian Sweater went into hibernation for a week.  I started on a new project (shawl) which I will share next week.  I also picked up a pair of socks that had been in hibernation since June.

In the Piping Circle

Bruce Gandy, World Champion Piper, plays a set from his album My Father's Son.  Order the CD from Bruce's website.  Thank you, Bruce Gandy!

Thank you for listening to the podcast and for visiting the blog!