tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262661902710267562024-02-07T00:26:39.765-06:00Geography of KnittingAn exploration of knitting from a geographer’s perspective
<br>
<br>This is a quest to answer the questions where, why there, and how as we explore knitting’s tools, techniques, and designs. For example:
<br>• How and why do techniques vary between places?
<br>• What do designs tell us about places?
<br>• Where (why there) and how are different kinds of materials are made into yarns?
<br>
<br>A January 2008 course at Gustavus Adolphus College (Virtual participation welcome)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-1425405470124782172008-02-06T14:22:00.000-06:002008-02-06T14:52:01.581-06:00Commodity chains<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A commodity chain shows the path that a product takes as it travels from raw materials to a finished product in the hands of the consumer. Students selected a yarn and researched its path and we thank all the companies and people who helped them learn more about the yarns they've been using in class. Although they selected a great variety of yarns, many of them traced the raw materials back to Peru, where the materials are also often processed into yarn. This includes </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://blueskyalpacas.com/">Blue Sky Alpacas</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.cascadeyarns.com/">Cascade</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, and </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.mirasolperu.com/">Mirasol</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> yarns. </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.spinnery.com/">Green Mountain Spinnery</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> is proud to say that almost all of their fiber for their yarns is raised and purchased within the U.S. and every skein they sell is created at their spinnery in rural Vermont. <br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Amazingly (at least amazing to me) many yarns are created here in Minnesota from both wool and alpaca. Sometimes this is the yarn that is made for personal use, like Alyssa's aunt Sue Langer who has been known to buy the coat off a sheep and process it into yarn herself. There are farmers like </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.salisburyhillfarm.com/Fiberforsale.html">Salisbury Hill Farm</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> who produce fiber for sale on a small scale - they spun a sample from their California Variegated Mutant Sheep into yarn and dyed it for Ashley. And there is also the yarn made from the alpacas we visited at </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.alpacanation.com/farmsandbreeders/03_viewfarm.asp?name=12653">Cozy Acres</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> and their neighbors at </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.alpacanation.com/farmsandbreeders/03_viewfarm.asp?name=11379">North Country Alpacas</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, who helped us tour the farm. Erin wrote about their yarn; her paper below will give you a better idea of how a commodity chain is constructed. All of her information comes from an interview with Kit Almich.</span></span><br /><br /> <p class="MsoNormal"><st1:place><b style=""><span style="font-size: 14pt;">North Country</span></b></st1:place><b style=""><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> Alpaca Yarn<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">After visiting an alpaca farm and getting the chance to talk to Kit Almich, an alpaca farmer in <st1:place><st1:city>Le Sueur</st1:City>, <st1:state>Minnesota</st1:State></st1:place>, I was very interested in learning about alpaca yarn and the process required for making the yarn.<span style=""> </span>For this reason, I chose to research North Country Alpacas handspun 100% alpaca yarn.<span style=""> </span>The particular skein of yarn that I received from Kit is a two-ply yarn and is somewhere between a worsted and chunky weight yarn.<span style=""> </span>The handspun yarn is not dyed so remains the gray-brown color of the alpaca from which the fiber was taken—Bandit.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Alpaca yarn, because of the nature of the alpaca fibers, is extremely soft.<span style=""> </span>This quality really sets alpaca yarn apart from wool.<span style=""> </span>Wool fibers tend to poke out of a strand of yarn because of their shape.<span style=""> </span>This is why wool is often itchy.<span style=""> </span>This is not the case with the crimped fibers of an alpaca.<span style=""> </span>It also kept its twist which surprised me. Because it is handspun, I expected that the two-ply yarn would separate as I was working with it.<span style=""> </span>The yarn feels great in my hands and is an absolute joy to work with.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> The alpaca yarn from North Country Alpacas began its journey into my hands right here in <st1:state><st1:place>Minnesota</st1:place></st1:State>.<span style=""> </span>Of course, the yarn is made up of fibers from alpacas that were bred and raised in <st1:state><st1:place>Minnesota</st1:place></st1:State>.<span style=""> </span>Kit and Richard Almich, the owners of North Country Alpacas, purchased their first alpacas from a <st1:state><st1:place>Minnesota</st1:place></st1:State> breeder eleven years ago.<span style=""> </span>Since then, their herd, raised in <st1:place><st1:city>Le Sueur</st1:City>, <st1:state>Minnesota</st1:State></st1:place>, has increased and they have been able to breed and sell a number of their own alpacas.<span style=""> </span>Taking care of the alpacas is an important part of the process needed to make quality alpaca yarn.<span style=""> </span>In order to ensure high quality fiber and, therefore, a high quality yarn the Almich’s alpacas eat a very specific, four-part diet.<span style=""> </span>First, they eat pasture grass which is growing on the farm.<span style=""> </span>It is important that this is orchard grass, not alfalfa, as this produces a higher quality fiber.<span style=""> </span>The alpacas are then given a mixture of grass and hay which is also grown here in <st1:state><st1:place>Minnesota</st1:place></st1:State>.<span style=""> </span>This provides nutrition for the alpacas even during the winter when the ground is covered in snow.<span style=""> </span>A grain mixture, developed by the Almich’s and a veterinarian in cooperation with the local farmer’s co-op, is given to the alpacas to improve their health and fiber quality.<span style=""> </span>The mixture consists of rolled oats, minerals and vitamins, beet pulp, and flax pellets.<span style=""> </span>The rolled oats are from local farmers, the beet pulp is from western <st1:state><st1:place>Minnesota</st1:place></st1:State>, and the flax pellets are from <st1:state><st1:place>Iowa</st1:place></st1:State>.<span style=""> </span>Together, these provide roughage, add shine to the fiber, improve heart health, strengthen bones, and provide extra calories during the cold winter.<span style=""> </span>The final part of the alpacas’ diet is free choice minerals.<span style=""> </span>This means that there are bins of minerals in the animals’ pens which they go to and eat when they sense they need more of a particular mineral.<span style=""> </span>The use of these bins is seen most commonly amongst pregnant females and young, growing alpacas.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>The first step in actually producing the alpaca yarn is to shear the alpacas.<span style=""> </span>Once each, year, typically in early May before hot weather sets in, the animals are sheared by an expert shearer.<span style=""> </span>The Almich’s choose to hire a shearer so as to provide the most comfortable experience for the alpacas.<span style=""> </span>An expert is also able to shear very quickly allowing for the entire herd to be sheared in one day.<span style=""> </span>When being sheared, the animals are laid down on a sheet or plastic tablecloth, and are stretched out.<span style=""> </span>The sheet allows for the fiber to stay as clean as possible during the shearing and collecting process.<span style=""> </span>The alpacas are then sheared completely.<span style=""> </span>After shearing, the fibers are separated based upon their quality.<span style=""> </span>The first quality fibers are those from the blanket of the alpaca.<span style=""> </span>This is the area from the base of the neck to the tail and down the sides of the animal.<span style=""> </span>The second and third quality fibers, which are coarser and would not create high quality yarn, are those from the neck, belly, and upper legs of the alpacas.<span style=""> </span>These fibers can be used to make yarns which would not probably be used to make products worn next to the skin.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>The next step in the process of making yarn is called skirting.<span style=""> </span>During this step, the blanket is laid on top of a mesh table and both sides are examined.<span style=""> </span>The mesh table is used because the blankets typically contain a great deal of dust and debris which comes loose and can fall through the mesh and away from the fibers.<span style=""> </span>While examining the blanket, Kit is looking for any second quality fiber which needs to be removed.<span style=""> </span>After this step is complete, the first quality fiber can be sent to a mill or, in the case of the handspun yarn, Kit can begin the hand spinning process.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>To begin the process of hand spinning the yarn, Kit removes individual chunks of first quality fiber from the alpaca blankets.<span style=""> </span>She puts this fiber in a lingerie bag and places it in a mixture of hot tap water and a fine fabric soap called Delicare.<span style=""> </span>She allows this to sit for about twenty minutes being careful not to agitate it as this would felt the fibers.<span style=""> </span>The lingerie bag is then removed from the water, now filthy from dust and dirt, and the process is repeated one more time in clean hot water and Delicare.<span style=""> </span>Following the second soaking, the fiber, still in the lingerie bag, is rinsed, squeezed to remove excess water, and rolled in a towel.<span style=""> </span>The fiber is then removed from the bag and spread out to air dry in coated wire baskets.<span style=""> </span>Drying is typically finished after eighteen to twenty-four hours.<span style=""> </span>When the fiber is dry, Kit is ready to begin the carding process.<span style=""> </span>The fiber is slowly fed into a four-inch hand carder, purchased from a <st1:state><st1:place>Minnesota</st1:place></st1:State> distributor, which aligns all of the fibers.<span style=""> </span>By turning the handle of the carder, Kit is able to produce long strands of roving.<span style=""> </span>The roving is about an inch in width and is ready to be spun into yarn.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>To spin the yarn, Kit uses an Ashford Traveller spinning wheel from <st1:country-region><st1:place>New Zealand</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span style=""> </span>The wheel itself is made of <st1:country-region><st1:place>New Zealand</st1:place></st1:country-region> silverbeech wood and was purchased by Kit from a <st1:state><st1:place>North Carolina</st1:place></st1:State> supplier called the Woolery.<span style=""> </span>While spinning, Kit, who is very concerned with the quality of the yarn she creates, focuses on maintaining a consistent weight throughout the yarn.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>After spinning, Kit begins plying the yarn.<span style=""> </span>Typically, she makes and sells two-ply yarn.<span style=""> </span>This requires her to twist two strands from her spinning wheel around each other.<span style=""> </span>She then has to set the twist in the yarn by placing it into another bath of hot water and Delicare.<span style=""> </span>This process, similar to blocking a finished knitting project, helps to ensure that the yarn does not split when it is being worked with.<span style=""> </span>The yarn is then placed on hangers to dry.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Finally, Kit takes the dry yarn and places it on a tool called a Knitty Knotty which allows her to easily put the yarn into skeins.<span style=""> </span>The yarn is then labeled and is ready to be sold.<span style=""> </span>All North Country Alpaca yarn is purchased directly from Kit herself.<span style=""> </span>A few times a year, Kit takes part in a sale or exhibit where she is able to sell the yarn.<span style=""> </span>The Minnesota State Fair and the Landmark Center Holiday Sale are examples of these.<span style=""> </span>Typically, as was the case when I purchased my skein of North Country Alpaca yarn, yarn is ordered over the phone and is mailed to the customer.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <table class="MsoTableGrid" style="border: medium none ; border-collapse: collapse;" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody><tr style=""> <td colspan="2" style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 6.15in;" valign="top" width="590"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Contact Information<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style=""> <td style="border-style: none solid solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 221.4pt;" valign="top" width="295"> <p class="MsoNormal"><st1:place>North Country</st1:place> Alpacas</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Kit Almich</p> </td> <td style="border-style: none solid solid none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color windowtext windowtext -moz-use-text-color; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 221.4pt;" valign="top" width="295"> <p class="MsoNormal">(507) 665-6059</p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-67493147535737167772008-02-06T14:03:00.001-06:002008-02-06T14:21:33.425-06:00Some comments on our trip to see knitting machines<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Kathy: This part of the trip was pretty crazy. The lady demonstrated a knitting machine to us and it blew my mind. Although many of us thought that knitting by hand made you feel more accomplished, the knitting machine is still pretty cool.<br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Whitney: Although knitting machines are quite handy, they don't seem to have the same effects on a person. To me, knitting is relaxing and it gives you a sense of accomplishment when you're done. Knitting something means that you worked hard to make an item out of a ball of yarn, and when you get done everything was worth it. Therefore, using a knitting machine wouldn't give me the same satisfaction. <br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Mary: Learning how to use this machine just makes me appreciate hand-knit items that much more. I have a hard time believing that anyone who uses this machine is technically a knitter because all they do is slide a handle back and forth. I guess I can understand that some talent is required when one would make their own patterns.<br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Haley: I had no idea knitting machines even existed until the beginning of this class. It was a jaw dropper! I really enjoyed seeing how a knitting machine worked, but I personally enjoy making my own knitted items by hand.<br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Erin: Despite the speed of this technique, I have absolutely no interest in purchasing a knitting machine. While I enjoy the final products I produce when knitting, the real joy that I find in knitting comes from the process itself. <br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Cassie: I personally was not impressed with machine knitting. Although it was fast and amazing how quickly the machine did patterns, I did not feel there was any sense of accomplishment when finishing a knitting project. The reason for me to knit is for a relaxing hobby. A lot of work goes into hand knitting a project, so when I am done, I feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment in what I have made. When learning the process of completing a project on a knitting machine, I just could not envision myself getting the same feeling with machine knitting.<br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Ashley: The knitting machine store was slightly agitating. I was impressed by the variety of stitches one person could do on a simple machine. I found it, however, infuriating that someone would count machine knitting, which takes a couple hours, better or as great as hand knitting. True appreciation in my eyes comes from taking the time to commit to an item and feel proud when it is done. <br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Stephy: For me, knitting is more like a way to relax, a way to enjoy the process, not the speed. Knitting machines can definitely save a lot of time, but it loses the true meaning of knitting.<br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Stephanie: I have to wonder if following a pattern verbatim by hand is really that much different from doing it on a machine. The time it takes to hand knit versus machine knit is intimidating, but both can be artistic and creative under the right circumstances. <br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Alyssa: I personally did not care for the knitting machine. The products did not look handmade and that's one of the things I love about knitting. The machine turned knitting into just being about the end result. Knitting for me is about the process and relaxation. <br /><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Katie: I think it is more valuable to actually hand knit a scarf or hat because it has more sentimental value and I feel like you would have more pride after finishing it. </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-28796759483685063432008-01-30T18:49:00.001-06:002008-01-30T19:02:08.185-06:00More projects have been finished<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Liz and Kathy tried lace and made scarves. Ashley made thrummed mittens (have fiber knit in to create a fuzzy interior). Lindsay and Whitney both made the spiral hat pattern from the Tangled Skein. Haley knit an quilted baby hat using a slip stitch pattern. Michele used intarsia to create her pillow.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BgR0TLqdzkXyl56OQGpl5FDYt4gTbmFBsJV_IDUJpCf-G04okKA7oxyzn7Fv0W6snYy8xOX61DN31rU2dxDXAcThUOaA-nYpq8o30UH7D3DHCBb4PqIBqcHRncoL98rL4UMWyeHyjmg/s1600-h/final2_liz.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161437232466369666" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BgR0TLqdzkXyl56OQGpl5FDYt4gTbmFBsJV_IDUJpCf-G04okKA7oxyzn7Fv0W6snYy8xOX61DN31rU2dxDXAcThUOaA-nYpq8o30UH7D3DHCBb4PqIBqcHRncoL98rL4UMWyeHyjmg/s200/final2_liz.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQINC0h8JqAHf8xEwkUnpBnkeHRfM30xIB8b_IwT4c9m1qGFdArwm_tqw7qbui2JjChFiK6spN1Lw7h1g_ZuVJ5E8IN8CrNViUop_oi6Qh9mKv-jpEnJYvZvcfLPtV_dYOnyegwGYtLo/s1600-h/final2_kathy.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161436815854541922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQINC0h8JqAHf8xEwkUnpBnkeHRfM30xIB8b_IwT4c9m1qGFdArwm_tqw7qbui2JjChFiK6spN1Lw7h1g_ZuVJ5E8IN8CrNViUop_oi6Qh9mKv-jpEnJYvZvcfLPtV_dYOnyegwGYtLo/s200/final2_kathy.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyma4AgepWgMsBEZx71hl3_aUSbguSg51_VV3O5Qfd-Li0s3R0-HjcjVJuvH1EOa-w3ThZsWT6ipOUBerRLo5kkJJ2vUFHNlcolvFQrQ5KXduUQZMHHWSz0hNaqHprkFMIF1E0bwBHWU/s1600-h/final2_ashley.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161437236761336994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDyma4AgepWgMsBEZx71hl3_aUSbguSg51_VV3O5Qfd-Li0s3R0-HjcjVJuvH1EOa-w3ThZsWT6ipOUBerRLo5kkJJ2vUFHNlcolvFQrQ5KXduUQZMHHWSz0hNaqHprkFMIF1E0bwBHWU/s200/final2_ashley.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5tokr91E8UKENoukYsxxjHHKAougDxSmQqkDIkdwhQImtKqwdd1tUakMI5ptlGd_htSXq9FjAYSiCBLMZD-kzj7hFe3cHOz87_oPlKiaqosb0qidpPRsKvdKMAduwuZ4a90KwaeLuTM/s1600-h/final2_lindsay.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161437241056304306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5tokr91E8UKENoukYsxxjHHKAougDxSmQqkDIkdwhQImtKqwdd1tUakMI5ptlGd_htSXq9FjAYSiCBLMZD-kzj7hFe3cHOz87_oPlKiaqosb0qidpPRsKvdKMAduwuZ4a90KwaeLuTM/s200/final2_lindsay.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbeLzPC999HvJ7iaV8DwZvo-UEeIpB-eNU7M0WtHpUIyROO6LpG-3M6pv48yAykDto7gLMJYvB04R9Jo7mbiO-C27Cn9kc9yCH9oPqGclSPIBVv3RI-EiT4aKXHKofBRDWmTxB09cr3c/s1600-h/final2_whitney.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161436815854541906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbeLzPC999HvJ7iaV8DwZvo-UEeIpB-eNU7M0WtHpUIyROO6LpG-3M6pv48yAykDto7gLMJYvB04R9Jo7mbiO-C27Cn9kc9yCH9oPqGclSPIBVv3RI-EiT4aKXHKofBRDWmTxB09cr3c/s200/final2_whitney.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4AJKFKZhFFEGxgF8asDp8E0lSx_yU1QbHbiwcW0zkT11I_HBlhoJn7vQj9bpHQcaxC5sN_neafjaXPpHP-VejLb1Ar69PONXiooVv1y1OT9h1_vpVlhjyL5Nq4giaaW57Z-zX5poc1-4/s1600-h/final2_haley.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161436811559574594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4AJKFKZhFFEGxgF8asDp8E0lSx_yU1QbHbiwcW0zkT11I_HBlhoJn7vQj9bpHQcaxC5sN_neafjaXPpHP-VejLb1Ar69PONXiooVv1y1OT9h1_vpVlhjyL5Nq4giaaW57Z-zX5poc1-4/s200/final2_haley.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfotjB0BzCbRXmKiNc31YGeL4EqY-rQm9NGjOeC-BMP8nxurFeMGeh8oyWvFRvTooT2uOgY7xrkj2S_BKOpAQ07Y_zd_QLLPrToDZEzQ2CpV5DUvCr6Fnn_HKl_PvaQzIUzcBEjZ6hBQ/s1600-h/final2_michele.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161436820149509234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfotjB0BzCbRXmKiNc31YGeL4EqY-rQm9NGjOeC-BMP8nxurFeMGeh8oyWvFRvTooT2uOgY7xrkj2S_BKOpAQ07Y_zd_QLLPrToDZEzQ2CpV5DUvCr6Fnn_HKl_PvaQzIUzcBEjZ6hBQ/s200/final2_michele.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Almost done: Stephanie's Norwegian sock, a dog sweater for Cassie's dog Nick, and lace scarves by Amanda and Alyssa.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKy_V9dr_s6K1D4Z4mjslXo_iX0bel0QQC9CaH2C50v0xlv2Xm2oEf4Jmy8ibTsNDsPlwFPWo44haofTsp88Ir75BX7K5_vCA0V7IBOSKK8CkScr4fStNFdW843oTU5fNB6lIWqbWa3jM/s1600-h/final2_stephanie.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161437477279505602" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKy_V9dr_s6K1D4Z4mjslXo_iX0bel0QQC9CaH2C50v0xlv2Xm2oEf4Jmy8ibTsNDsPlwFPWo44haofTsp88Ir75BX7K5_vCA0V7IBOSKK8CkScr4fStNFdW843oTU5fNB6lIWqbWa3jM/s200/final2_stephanie.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxlJcUO12322nP8ApP4r9k6t7Xb7RJre9ROQde7LlUJnZBYlmZkXUiZ8XnOK0FPr6S22XjXBUQxpH6jHG5p6Wt9UW9JB3x2OWBPMCvujfbdRz8_Tq4uEAU9uLwpKvBJsSGF-Q-YbTCq0/s1600-h/final2_cassie.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161437640488262866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxlJcUO12322nP8ApP4r9k6t7Xb7RJre9ROQde7LlUJnZBYlmZkXUiZ8XnOK0FPr6S22XjXBUQxpH6jHG5p6Wt9UW9JB3x2OWBPMCvujfbdRz8_Tq4uEAU9uLwpKvBJsSGF-Q-YbTCq0/s200/final2_cassie.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogyrwGJJ49nYUnJm3iQp1p4WaSYUlIK2OCanMpjggRq_xqV8R2gYIy2HXfMtFQ-sl2uAAz-nyqs_hk4PFYWL5qc2cm4u4TMpxro2nlgF-YbpZlsnXD1JuBxk_USUQycKqgH0eEqJMyYE/s1600-h/final2_amanda.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161437232466369682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogyrwGJJ49nYUnJm3iQp1p4WaSYUlIK2OCanMpjggRq_xqV8R2gYIy2HXfMtFQ-sl2uAAz-nyqs_hk4PFYWL5qc2cm4u4TMpxro2nlgF-YbpZlsnXD1JuBxk_USUQycKqgH0eEqJMyYE/s200/final2_amanda.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD99d0IirQ_pyFkI3TdRbfloowb1biiX-pWmigeSxK8zchArP3GyJJ_HO9OeC3rhGpi4JzJtZ2m-6bQM5DF4dHBNTdhDZGWFZQpnfQG2itlbBQytyFavavm47i07GNbZK05qnBMlQQbc/s1600-h/final2_alyssa.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161436802969639986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD99d0IirQ_pyFkI3TdRbfloowb1biiX-pWmigeSxK8zchArP3GyJJ_HO9OeC3rhGpi4JzJtZ2m-6bQM5DF4dHBNTdhDZGWFZQpnfQG2itlbBQytyFavavm47i07GNbZK05qnBMlQQbc/s200/final2_alyssa.jpg" border="0" /></a></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /> </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-73595453023582613162008-01-29T20:11:00.000-06:002008-01-29T20:34:21.184-06:00Final projects, part 1<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">A few students have finished their final projects. Mary made an Estonian inspired mitten, putting the pattern only on the cuff. Erin shows off her Estonian sock; the second one is currently on her needles. Jonas adapted a cabled hat pattern to create a headband. Katie models her spiral hat made from a pattern available from the Tangled Skein. Lynn made an eggplant using a pear pattern. Stephy has her first Estonian glove done.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzz3VTvlVM6KC9Cg5HsVeY9qIQcxpew0Dxc2EpDZHuJFMp6XdiyMwj-mpXK5lzMst3lM_t80SkKwoK9nWtOLVjtsqYz0QpxnSLJRRpxhaSsgNh5jPgpl3oSqRoKEzdZBnFPr8TFl_0bwo/s1600-h/mary.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161090851943881762" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzz3VTvlVM6KC9Cg5HsVeY9qIQcxpew0Dxc2EpDZHuJFMp6XdiyMwj-mpXK5lzMst3lM_t80SkKwoK9nWtOLVjtsqYz0QpxnSLJRRpxhaSsgNh5jPgpl3oSqRoKEzdZBnFPr8TFl_0bwo/s200/mary.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenEfybaLswUZwd0rx8bYrOUZHVreFixcalx4P2ILRKReMdc__39gyknJgGcI6MqDBlyUOKsuWoRRkC0TIaEC_cK0hx8PbITcnuxmjVAbmy9x9fSKFPFdqLqbVQdr7pcRIE0NeN3VI5tU/s1600-h/final_erin.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161089688007744450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphenEfybaLswUZwd0rx8bYrOUZHVreFixcalx4P2ILRKReMdc__39gyknJgGcI6MqDBlyUOKsuWoRRkC0TIaEC_cK0hx8PbITcnuxmjVAbmy9x9fSKFPFdqLqbVQdr7pcRIE0NeN3VI5tU/s200/final_erin.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9JZbTcszT5o7EF6rVqLgy5P66bj5KNU8JjzjfvQHJ-A3NvsKLWN0YwyCht6wBG96YGBeCGAIlY9HwgN0rbkrDGHZQzihlfC6BnoS4EmqpndB2DsXbyKXLV_TRLYzoEI_nEZdrSUZN68/s1600-h/final_jonas.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161089688007744466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9JZbTcszT5o7EF6rVqLgy5P66bj5KNU8JjzjfvQHJ-A3NvsKLWN0YwyCht6wBG96YGBeCGAIlY9HwgN0rbkrDGHZQzihlfC6BnoS4EmqpndB2DsXbyKXLV_TRLYzoEI_nEZdrSUZN68/s200/final_jonas.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDA8kbGuCJsgeS69z7C33gezT1BHPgxxOJeHJN9jtwEwSvuuQU-Jzte-BrtHAYAI3NqHpMX-c25LrF7gTRSfYu3PI4nInfU3U4TV7nHFBEFex-Uufay1rxsvFrN8o9g5IpO5U5ePgSyA/s1600-h/final_katie.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161089692302711778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDA8kbGuCJsgeS69z7C33gezT1BHPgxxOJeHJN9jtwEwSvuuQU-Jzte-BrtHAYAI3NqHpMX-c25LrF7gTRSfYu3PI4nInfU3U4TV7nHFBEFex-Uufay1rxsvFrN8o9g5IpO5U5ePgSyA/s200/final_katie.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ph2MtX85duk-CjtN0kHxU-RYAet_4GmazFyvUdB8xPoUCfzmcUdYbG-LnppR4gNvwSYOiwOPAAIoe-YrXYSkYh56qsFMaVdrGnRz6hu0wnOlKFPjSeQrMvqGanHD29fqKHVB2ELR1dQ/s1600-h/final_lynn.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161089696597679090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ph2MtX85duk-CjtN0kHxU-RYAet_4GmazFyvUdB8xPoUCfzmcUdYbG-LnppR4gNvwSYOiwOPAAIoe-YrXYSkYh56qsFMaVdrGnRz6hu0wnOlKFPjSeQrMvqGanHD29fqKHVB2ELR1dQ/s200/final_lynn.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJ5QHLK_LIO3Zo6RZhlIPrDdzPXRMYX6m6_UbQveJ4pMRT5eazyhz3UTpZESHHq-kO55f23IdLFWDIp-4VKfsSwKZLoZBGxdvUxnpxSvhCaYPe50IxB_ZkuwvRsCSM1CUAYL0y__QdY4/s1600-h/final_stephy.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161089696597679106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLJ5QHLK_LIO3Zo6RZhlIPrDdzPXRMYX6m6_UbQveJ4pMRT5eazyhz3UTpZESHHq-kO55f23IdLFWDIp-4VKfsSwKZLoZBGxdvUxnpxSvhCaYPe50IxB_ZkuwvRsCSM1CUAYL0y__QdY4/s200/final_stephy.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The rest of the class continues knitting...</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZN4RlJlXvzqa7_1q9xk3SyXkntR81md6JEQPQfJdA2IQyXD7jPS7g_kYdofQy-RHtEXTh0F6EG3fXkMJ_HM6g3tNZoLTD_qpIouiPABxsgud1sONTEvHzdjCH18y4pl_sW9NKhr-KTio/s1600-h/final.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161089404539902898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZN4RlJlXvzqa7_1q9xk3SyXkntR81md6JEQPQfJdA2IQyXD7jPS7g_kYdofQy-RHtEXTh0F6EG3fXkMJ_HM6g3tNZoLTD_qpIouiPABxsgud1sONTEvHzdjCH18y4pl_sW9NKhr-KTio/s400/final.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-63786915145678085002008-01-29T19:30:00.000-06:002008-01-29T20:10:46.884-06:00Online knitting communities<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Traditionally, new knitters would sit down with friends and family to learn techniques and improve their skills, but many seem to lack opportunities for these face-to-face experiences and instead have created knitting communities in the online world. If you're reading this blog, you are probably well aware of the vast number of knitting blogs out there. Knitters are a major part of the blogosphere. There seems to be no end to the number of knitters who want to share their work with a wider audience than the local yarn store or are trying to reach out because they have no local community of knitters. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Although you might consider knitting blogs themselves to have a fairly limited audience, many of the knitting blogs have a more specific target audience. For example, there's a blog for </span><a href="http://nordicknitblogs.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Nordic knitters</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://christianknitters.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">born-again Christian knitters</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">, and </span><a href="http://punk-knitters.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">punk rock knitters</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">. The rules for participating in each of these blogs are clearly established so you must live in a Nordic country, love Jesus as your Lord, or love rock music in order to be a member of each of these blogs respectively. You can also subscribe to knitting podcasts, like </span><a href="http://secret-knitting.podspot.de/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Secret Knitting </span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">in which you knit according to the instructions without seeing in advance what you will be creating. You can then share your pictures with the blog author and other secret knitters. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">I've encouraged my students to explore these online options to find people who might share their particular interests in knitting. As for me, I haven't been able to find anyone else who has enjoyed forcing college students to knit for six hours each day.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-26973977954831933312008-01-29T10:49:00.001-06:002008-01-29T12:06:23.944-06:00Where are we?<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">In preparation for our discussion of online knitting communities, I created a few maps to visualize the geography of our class and its blog. Members of the community we created came from the United States, the United Kingdom, and China.</span><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUkhki3LNSVMNYCgSJMMdU4tJ5HyzNhbeWvYjJWIqoJ4DZs41SP3MVNojWH_BsqACf9uRiqzJheZk8Jx96ImyBWivQOMZWaMoo0Gjb3P8jGJX2uwHrCISSRcUKrRKafzo6DC4fiVFKU0/s1600-h/countries.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUkhki3LNSVMNYCgSJMMdU4tJ5HyzNhbeWvYjJWIqoJ4DZs41SP3MVNojWH_BsqACf9uRiqzJheZk8Jx96ImyBWivQOMZWaMoo0Gjb3P8jGJX2uwHrCISSRcUKrRKafzo6DC4fiVFKU0/s400/countries.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160941782218972018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">In the contiguous U.S., we find the cluster in Minnesota because that's where the majority of Gustavus students come from. We have students from other parts of the Midwest (Wisconsin & Nebraska), one from Minnesota who now lives in the South (Georgia), one from Alaska, and two who live in China, but these other dots are the people who have been reached through the blog.</span><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZ-DSXQ-ZEaYW7fOugff8iPoG5EbBWHtPqHqDH2uvEqv-aLCLfgT8spN1GMitIVVQtm7zw5aoZ4eNax4lxFWLYKaxhoKKuvJQE_ZvOvvstYBu7gNFMhkkqTtfxcQuvG3RDtjJXsIEvmQ/s1600-h/us.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZ-DSXQ-ZEaYW7fOugff8iPoG5EbBWHtPqHqDH2uvEqv-aLCLfgT8spN1GMitIVVQtm7zw5aoZ4eNax4lxFWLYKaxhoKKuvJQE_ZvOvvstYBu7gNFMhkkqTtfxcQuvG3RDtjJXsIEvmQ/s400/us.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160943268277656466" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">We've also reached these lovely people in the U.K. from London, Cardiff, and Stockport (ok, that dot is really Manchester).</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSk4lrMTikOFJ_zWFU7sSh1lGri4_4MPXtnT7s9SGxX2KeMAEGCHqO328oB-sisRiHRDZXTWdO1fbH0P5g8Le6rEgYAnrJTgfl5oqJve8KDQ9NJDzXqIrbAjMJ_UE-QB7TemLiAmWc9Tc/s1600-h/uk.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSk4lrMTikOFJ_zWFU7sSh1lGri4_4MPXtnT7s9SGxX2KeMAEGCHqO328oB-sisRiHRDZXTWdO1fbH0P5g8Le6rEgYAnrJTgfl5oqJve8KDQ9NJDzXqIrbAjMJ_UE-QB7TemLiAmWc9Tc/s400/uk.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160958618490772386" border="0" /></a><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-10839041291692805192008-01-28T21:40:00.000-06:002008-01-28T21:47:08.664-06:00The final project<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTQppc9y55Jy1wrHU6kadd0a17PPdfLfgrYNMnd64pGxJTzZIDmOpUNPzn1qcqu-hsWYVPOW68_r1GeArLKNHMhIzWqQwqjHzgtQ6XvBs-U9t-1Bn4vVisLucLaeWzNmOezv1D71ZUCo/s1600-h/quiz.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160738613086001906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTQppc9y55Jy1wrHU6kadd0a17PPdfLfgrYNMnd64pGxJTzZIDmOpUNPzn1qcqu-hsWYVPOW68_r1GeArLKNHMhIzWqQwqjHzgtQ6XvBs-U9t-1Bn4vVisLucLaeWzNmOezv1D71ZUCo/s400/quiz.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><div><div>After our third and final quiz, students got to work on their fourth and final project. This is one they selected for themselves using a published pattern that can be modified to their liking. They must learn either a new shape like socks or a new technique like lace. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Here they are, hard at work. </div><div> </div><div> </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEkLEEquL4RguGTDeiO-K-JEn7QhP-ESKWaR-urNq5jVxi0suFbROyiKJuZ8rmapl1cVwQW4ECcOEgkIAjFJRtiTjitqDDrAouBxGxUjBhailpX2ANZnqB-kQELCmbWJ5JCyqAociBiQ/s1600-h/fourth7.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160739643878153058" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaEkLEEquL4RguGTDeiO-K-JEn7QhP-ESKWaR-urNq5jVxi0suFbROyiKJuZ8rmapl1cVwQW4ECcOEgkIAjFJRtiTjitqDDrAouBxGxUjBhailpX2ANZnqB-kQELCmbWJ5JCyqAociBiQ/s200/fourth7.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWMpFR3HPZr5kw9Q5R5kZnXj4apzYZhyphenhyphenwi8AvGkpI9VlPORW7A6lSRuGC_8OU3id5iCqJOCjrVdLI4xKlDrhoXXuGzwvppJAUm7BXJFj2NUMBTNCfnlY4Q23ET58LyO92VoRbkdd-yTE/s1600-h/fourth6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160739635288218450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWMpFR3HPZr5kw9Q5R5kZnXj4apzYZhyphenhyphenwi8AvGkpI9VlPORW7A6lSRuGC_8OU3id5iCqJOCjrVdLI4xKlDrhoXXuGzwvppJAUm7BXJFj2NUMBTNCfnlY4Q23ET58LyO92VoRbkdd-yTE/s200/fourth6.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsJSOmnLGLpnqSMGN_J6ogqZhteaPjc4jCJvYE5bd3JqKxgyNfrmdny0dLBQIhXF22fQMWlvoDsyYLuPitzYSQassJy0lwayZ9Aan-2e2a2sEIkN2rINUoErOBWujTYdiuyKhumPHGSs/s1600-h/fourth.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160739446309657346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsJSOmnLGLpnqSMGN_J6ogqZhteaPjc4jCJvYE5bd3JqKxgyNfrmdny0dLBQIhXF22fQMWlvoDsyYLuPitzYSQassJy0lwayZ9Aan-2e2a2sEIkN2rINUoErOBWujTYdiuyKhumPHGSs/s200/fourth.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXWV50yPBzXUN8pb6jS1cyo9kAOAXNqCMJeA0Y2j7EJ_z_cB6bSy-idm8enFqGOqoLrDYCL8eiKsG7eVooSXZWWbIL_73jG9b0Y_NpZVEdBAbYzirLI_K05AeZ2QoocS2ZiO5SmVt-So/s1600-h/fourth5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160739472079461186" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXWV50yPBzXUN8pb6jS1cyo9kAOAXNqCMJeA0Y2j7EJ_z_cB6bSy-idm8enFqGOqoLrDYCL8eiKsG7eVooSXZWWbIL_73jG9b0Y_NpZVEdBAbYzirLI_K05AeZ2QoocS2ZiO5SmVt-So/s200/fourth5.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFjiXcannIs-tgjOilcKHlEMVj2X_ck6HhN-n-AwvJ-tk15NAV-xsXWA0Kwi-uMGnrdbTqeOW2fEqe50TOg_VB93invlueSOXDKBsQUoIBxPKu9R1bG0olwIiTCiKt-aut6EelUoqugY/s1600-h/fourth4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160739467784493874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFjiXcannIs-tgjOilcKHlEMVj2X_ck6HhN-n-AwvJ-tk15NAV-xsXWA0Kwi-uMGnrdbTqeOW2fEqe50TOg_VB93invlueSOXDKBsQUoIBxPKu9R1bG0olwIiTCiKt-aut6EelUoqugY/s200/fourth4.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIscH0nIl0Ul9C4PAm04StAx48MllflAdRJgpzcO5c8BevB26tZvRuqEMO6ijl-T_sBshggwnUEaqB_E_Bln73wJd6ivPusDQFtu-0GgPlN5WZQcW6DdLJq3xvbInsxoz5gzh8Q2u1SKE/s1600-h/fourth3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160739459194559266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIscH0nIl0Ul9C4PAm04StAx48MllflAdRJgpzcO5c8BevB26tZvRuqEMO6ijl-T_sBshggwnUEaqB_E_Bln73wJd6ivPusDQFtu-0GgPlN5WZQcW6DdLJq3xvbInsxoz5gzh8Q2u1SKE/s200/fourth3.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1H4ML3DBaXUG1Xl6w2D69zsJ74CsPHZGGxCMvL8hyrcDb1S1Ab1hDGpeLY86pNgjS8BkUPll_R7RT9zvOqba9_ZAqc3Y0oIjEt6mPpAlcVJRcf1_C4QDLxYVog0KBRd5QgjI9PYOmr5A/s1600-h/fourth2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160739454899591954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1H4ML3DBaXUG1Xl6w2D69zsJ74CsPHZGGxCMvL8hyrcDb1S1Ab1hDGpeLY86pNgjS8BkUPll_R7RT9zvOqba9_ZAqc3Y0oIjEt6mPpAlcVJRcf1_C4QDLxYVog0KBRd5QgjI9PYOmr5A/s200/fourth2.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-91126840174932213492008-01-28T18:53:00.000-06:002008-01-28T21:39:42.466-06:00Lace<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wT654zRKMW0T7YqpZ-nsNDN8C36P8gWQdC2O1xKF83Z1wyXwLjylQvMo_45ztk7UAfI5qTSUiUAnKgYmUm5LbSJvltOgt9vKfbhA9LL5YkMIsR6ttNey-44qjcrSQylYx__hhN3ro-Q/s1600-h/lace1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160736989588363954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wT654zRKMW0T7YqpZ-nsNDN8C36P8gWQdC2O1xKF83Z1wyXwLjylQvMo_45ztk7UAfI5qTSUiUAnKgYmUm5LbSJvltOgt9vKfbhA9LL5YkMIsR6ttNey-44qjcrSQylYx__hhN3ro-Q/s200/lace1.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div>Barb Kaiser provided us with some background on lace, showing us examples from Shetland, Orenburg, and the Faroe Islands, and gave us tips on techniques and materials. You can view her temporary <a href="http://homepages.gac.edu/~kaiser/lace-links.html">website</a> with links to lace websites. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>She also showed the students how to block lace, demonstrating the use of her fancy blocking wires. </div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-i1Ky3yqfmMsArmS34y-y0YVTyN9Aes3apCQlXw7SmE0zEKzqbjbJ78GtgS_JjWcB04cS9tSQs-jDSmg0ghdMu8qCHt2pEKKNVy2esqMjV3sUehHW7UTtfxlO47QzwDSlTAhLJBUSqI/s1600-h/lace2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160737376135420610" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-i1Ky3yqfmMsArmS34y-y0YVTyN9Aes3apCQlXw7SmE0zEKzqbjbJ78GtgS_JjWcB04cS9tSQs-jDSmg0ghdMu8qCHt2pEKKNVy2esqMjV3sUehHW7UTtfxlO47QzwDSlTAhLJBUSqI/s200/lace2.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutudStRDmohS6cgjZNmt2vIssrMwHvo13-tozhIXTztauvmvaEGYJlvlqoZAbl9oM53d6wYPHOK-RWlRwhfPiKjQKMRRu2rlk1lMvANoc9-6FzhzfLtR4B8nxLFGeE6jjv2e_f1kXAiU/s1600-h/lace3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160737389020322514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutudStRDmohS6cgjZNmt2vIssrMwHvo13-tozhIXTztauvmvaEGYJlvlqoZAbl9oM53d6wYPHOK-RWlRwhfPiKjQKMRRu2rlk1lMvANoc9-6FzhzfLtR4B8nxLFGeE6jjv2e_f1kXAiU/s200/lace3.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5cOSmhBpYNTd1YIcIV92uKgdbCcuJSUkUOD3tle3MHCSLxKV8tBDvfnCes3qq6LqBCalM_fD8In7kyVQcccM3hIg3nHU-dt9zLcrHyo9NcyfyKFAp34xA_sbVNmLWLLLuqJoJ6kvb30/s1600-h/lace4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160737401905224418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5cOSmhBpYNTd1YIcIV92uKgdbCcuJSUkUOD3tle3MHCSLxKV8tBDvfnCes3qq6LqBCalM_fD8In7kyVQcccM3hIg3nHU-dt9zLcrHyo9NcyfyKFAp34xA_sbVNmLWLLLuqJoJ6kvb30/s200/lace4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-71930674173561432162008-01-25T17:15:00.000-06:002008-01-25T17:32:06.075-06:00Arts vs. crafts<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">In preparation for today’s class, I had asked students to read two essays and one news article: <a href="http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/art-or-craft.htm">Is it art? Is it craft?</a> (Charles Lewton-Brain, Ganoskin)</span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">, <a href="http://www.exploringcreativity.com/e_craft_versus_art.html">Craft versus art </a>(Mary Sullivan Holdgrafer, exploringcreativity.com)</span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">, and <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0216/p11s02-alar.html">The fine art of crafts </a>(April Austin, Christian Science Monitor)</span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">. <br /><br />We had a good bit of discussion in class about the difference between arts and crafts. There was quite a range of opinions – art is the high-class stuff like paintings and sculpture, crafts are the things you did as a little kid, art is unique, craft is when you make something by following a pattern, art is expensive and requires more education, craft produces useful items, etc. As we talked we looked at the work of <a href="http://www.exploringcreativity.com/mary.html">Mary Sullivan Holdgrafer</a> (or try <a href="http://www.fibreartnetwork.com/Gallery/MP-MarySullivanHoldgrafer.htm">this site</a>), <a href="http://www.tinkknit.com/Home.html">Marta McCall,</a> <a href="http://www.shanewaltener.com/installations/20/index.html">Shane Waltener</a>, and <a href="http://www.karenallen-fiberarts.com/">Karen Allen</a>. We also looked at knitting in art, including William Sidney Mount’s <a href="http://www.oceansbridge.com/oil-paintings/product.php/60392/3449/">Winding Up</a>, Gerbrand van den Eeckhout’s <a href="http://www.topofart.com/artists/Gerbrand_van_den_Eeckhout/art_reproduction/6837/Woman_Doing_Handwork.php">Woman Doing Handwork</a></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">, and art that shows knit fabric by <a href="http://www.gailrothschild.com/">Gail Rothschild</a>.<br /><br />So how do you know when it's art or craft? I like the idea that it’s not an either/or question, but that arts and crafts are on a continuum. However, we came to no conclusions; that wasn’t the point of the conversation – it was just to get us thinking about these things as we knit and progress as knitters. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-26019004579549161122008-01-24T17:04:00.000-06:002008-01-24T17:34:21.229-06:00Field trip #2<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmx06j3mzCciDesqT9IYyhN5SRSEhLhxPMvISVmx8x7MyFk0Q0KWSltpplTfMC6IqiDyL9pDsxIk3HL1qdZt3NAHPOdAmzcw0sL-i2t4qn_6t-ipMBwgoYyORW0JWxBaFovd9qGwXSCEM/s1600-h/wool.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159184371795761778" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmx06j3mzCciDesqT9IYyhN5SRSEhLhxPMvISVmx8x7MyFk0Q0KWSltpplTfMC6IqiDyL9pDsxIk3HL1qdZt3NAHPOdAmzcw0sL-i2t4qn_6t-ipMBwgoYyORW0JWxBaFovd9qGwXSCEM/s200/wool.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">We visited the </span><a href="http://www.woolenmill.com/sections/about_us.php"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">St. Peter Woolen Mill</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> to learn about how wool is processed. I will let the students explain this to you in detail next week when they submit their papers, but for now here are the pictures. The mill is one of only three in the U.S. that will give you back the same wool you send in for processing. Customers drop off bags of wool like this:</span> <div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqd-W7RhCQu2j0MbTz0lvsQRSnqEYUk6v6MFnxEBlS7zcTs7s-2qa3lYz_CVsrEJ7h_A8YGJ_U5jK4AJ0_UQ6c2uIFIVK0A2hQa9vg_kW6k0RBvKzPWkdNOw_6C4K1xnr58uL3r3drLg/s1600-h/wool.jpg"></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The wool is washed in the metal tub with wool wash and hot water, put into the adjacent extractor to remove the water, and then tumbled in the dryer just visible in the left corner of this image:</span></div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159184758342818434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7UqTcqp15e0voKJ-cA9-MIbOUJ2xMteb3obsfbORe9rPMmzssDvSRMbbTB9JQ0UVfRSv3aXUonWajWuXhPANtssuvMoDFPQCjMcPDkE87qAu75IariT2Phjnht0d9BSfbSx3I5mvpKI/s400/wash.jpg" border="0" />The wool then goes through the picker and the carder, seen here:</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159188482079464082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqOT6pemxV80eQPhivN3vmbn9ZOtr1BgiSV8lr9V9hkh-0mfSLn5f1X2pU_jWwS46v0UIQ4PDaVSnCNG0RcX85V3sPSNx6Zlj-j1h68zxNyZYDuyTPFh2MXt5tDrdV9mbXtRIQzXsr7o/s400/carder.jpg" border="0" /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">We also stopped at <a href="http://www.knitsewworld.com/knitting_main.html">Knit & Sew World</a>, also in downtown St. Peter, for a demonstration of a knitting machine. I'll share a student's reaction paper with you next week.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159189306713184930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinIFPTNOPMmZbROdvs4tC4qQiV6RtYbjPYioOyukd6abmmL1XdWXqLm_HDTKVrRbhOtfFiCfddlHREKh67ZvpC4lIyCqoxPvzEhfcZFJ0GYHMM8Pgo5wE0SmD_sHdv9TrnT9m5qLDIMo8/s400/machine.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-13730994604696820462008-01-24T12:13:00.000-06:002008-01-24T12:14:58.271-06:00Two students reflect on the trip to the Tangled Skein<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Chris:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Our next trip was to The Tangled Skein, a local yarn store in St. Peter run by two moms who love to knit. It supplies the knitting enthusiast, or beginning student, with everything and anything needed for knitting such as needles, tiny silk yarn, jumbo size yarn, or patterns to make anything from a scarf to a sweatshirt. If you need some hands on help or someone to talk to while you knit then you can come to one of the classes they offer. For example, The </span><span style="font-family: arial;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sox</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> Pistols meet the second Sunday of every month right in the shop to work on their next sock knitting project. I was surprised to hear that the owners originally looked at </span><span style="font-family: arial;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Mankato</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> as the location of their shop; it makes a lot of sense to open it in St. Peter. Of course there are more people in </span><span style="font-family: arial;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Mankato</span><span style="font-family: arial;">, but rent will be higher. For a privately owned hobby store it's best to be located where the interest is, and in this case it's St. Peter. First off, the store is in a historic building in downtown St. Peter and second, St. Peter is a retirement community. Two popular activities of retirees are golfing and knitting and since Minnesota only supplies three solid months of golfing, St. Peter should be full of knitters. The owners of the tangled skein also live in St. Peter and have friends in St. Peter, practically guaranteeing business. Finally, combine it with the growing popularity of knitting on college campuses, a class built entirely around knitting, and the stores convenient location nearby local college Gustavus Adolphus and you get the perfectly located hometown shop, The Tangled Skein.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Stephanie:</span><br /><br /></span><div name="Normal" style="padding: 0mm; font-family: arial;" align="left"> <p style="text-indent: 0mm; text-align: left; line-height: 4.16667mm; color: Black; background-color: White;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> I thought it was useful to visit the Tangled Skein because it gave us the opportunity to learn about the store from one of the owners. I have been in the knitting shop before, but I was not versed in the reasoning behind the store or the products available for purchase. I now realize that the Tangled Skein is a store that caters to knitters who prefer to work with natural fibers rather than acrylic or nylon. Given this, they annually attend conventions to seek out new yarns from around the world. The layout of the store itself was also very logical with the yarns categorized by relative weights as well as by fiber used to create the yarn. </span></p></div> <div name="Normal" style="padding: 0mm;" align="left"> <p style="text-indent: 0mm; text-align: left; line-height: 4.16667mm; color: Black; background-color: White;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> As a small, locally run store, I was impressed on the knowledge and friendliness of the owners as well as the helpers in the store. Not only were they able to tell us the name and background on any yarn available for purchase, but willingly gave advice on projects and suggestions on how to use different products. It is through this friendliness and openness to knitters, that they have become a valued member of the knitting community in St. Peter. Not only are classes offered, but groups will come in and knit at the table provided, demonstrating that this store has become fully accepted by the residents of the town.</span></span> </p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-30877004304777644572008-01-24T11:47:00.000-06:002008-01-24T11:50:13.505-06:00A student's description of our visit to Cozy Acres Alpaca Farm<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By Erin</span><br /><br /></span><div name="Normal" style="padding: 0mm; font-family: arial;" align="left"> <p style="text-indent: 0mm; text-align: left; line-height: 4.16667mm; color: Black; background-color: White;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> Cozy Acres Alpacas is an alpaca farm in Le <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sueur</span>, Minnesota. Here, alpacas are bred, raised, and sheered in order to make yarn out of the alpaca fiber. This yarn is actually very different from the more common woolen yarns because the fiber from an alpaca is much finer than the fiber from a sheep. It creates a stronger, warmer, and softer yarn after it is processed. </span></p></div> <div name="Normal" style="padding: 0mm; font-family: arial;" align="left"> <p style="text-indent: 0mm; text-align: left; line-height: 4.16667mm; color: Black; background-color: White;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> Alpacas are a domesticated relation of llamas and they originated in the Andes. They are still raised there today but are also found in all fifty states. The animals are covered in hollow hairs which provide a great deal of insulation. Because of this insulation, alpacas are able to withstand relatively cold temperatures. They don't however, tolerate heat particularly well. In order to help the animals cope with the warm Minnesota summers, as well as to be able to produce yarn, the alpacas are sheered during May. This keeps them cool in the summer but also allows time for the alpacas to grow their coat before the cold fall weather. A few of the alpacas we saw today were also wearing coats in order to help them ward off the bitter cold winter weather. </span></p></div> <div name="Normal" style="padding: 0mm; font-family: arial;" align="left"> <p style="text-indent: 0mm; text-align: left; line-height: 4.16667mm; color: Black; background-color: White;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> Sheering the alpacas in May is only the first of three steps necessary for creating alpaca yarn. When the alpacas are sheered, the fiber is in its raw state. Typically, only the fiber from the blanket of the alpaca—from the base of the neck to the bottom of the tail and down the sides—is considered quality fiber. This fiber is crimped which creates a smooth yarn without fibers sticking out of the strand. </span></p></div> <div name="Normal" style="padding: 0mm; font-family: arial;" align="left"> <p style="text-indent: 0mm; text-align: left; line-height: 4.16667mm; color: Black; background-color: White;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> After the raw fiber has been sheered and sorted, the fiber is put into a carting machine for roving. Here, the fiber is wound around a wheel with spokes sticking out of it in order to align the hairs. After it has been turned in the carting machine, the fibers create a rope about an inch in width which is then ready for further processing. </span></p></div> <div name="Normal" style="padding: 0mm; font-family: arial;" align="left"> <p style="text-indent: 0mm; text-align: left; line-height: 4.16667mm; color: Black; background-color: White;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> When the fibers have gone through the roving process, they are spun on a spinning wheel in order to create the alpaca yarn. One of the women from another Minnesota alpaca farm actually spins her own yarn. Another option, which is utilized by Cozy Acres Alpacas, is to send the fiber to a mill. It can be difficult to find a mill able to produce alpaca yarn, however, because a special machine is needed to process the alpaca fibers. Larger mills will often combine alpaca fibers with other fibers, like wool, so that they are able to process it. The Shepherd's Mill in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Phillipsburg</span>, Kansas, which processes the fibers from Cozy Acres Alpacas, has the capability to create 100% alpaca yarn. The yarn is then sent back to Minnesota where it is wound into skeins for purchase. </span></p></div> <div name="Normal" style="padding: 0mm;" align="left"> <p style="text-indent: 0mm; text-align: left; line-height: 4.16667mm; color: Black; background-color: White;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Before visiting the alpaca farm, I was very interested to hear why this sort of farm would be in Minnesota. At first glance, it seems as though the climate would not be appropriate for these animals native to South America. While the extreme temperatures in Minnesota do present some challenges for the farmers, the open areas found in rural Minnesota are actually quite conducive for raising alpacas. The animals need plenty of space and, in order to produce soft yarn, also need dusty areas to roll in. The practically treeless farms found in this location provide this environment for the animals. Also, the alpacas on this farm eat hay and a grain mixture which is actually mixed at the local farmer's co-op. The appropriate nutrition for the animals is clearly available in this location making it a convenient place to raise them. Finally, as knitting has become more popular in recent years, the farmers have a large market in which to sell their high quality yarn.</span></span> </p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-37597817594907619932008-01-24T07:51:00.000-06:002008-01-24T09:21:54.913-06:00Why we knit<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">I'm sure knitting is a relaxing hobby, but we've been feeling more like the cottage farmers who knit in every spare minute. In the past 2.5 weeks, we have completed three projects, a nice accomplishment for new knitters. Rather than knitting to clothe ourselves or to raise a bit of cash, the students are knitting for a grade and I am knitting for my full-time job. Today we look at some of the reasons why people knit.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The term </span><a href="http://craftivism.com/what.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">craftivism</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> combines the words craft and activism to describe the notion that engaging in crafting can be a way to make a difference in the world, whether it be charity knitting or political activist knitting. For some, it means making things that would otherwise be machine-made or come from a corporate sweatshop. Although <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">craftivism</span> is a fairly new word, it's not a new idea. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Knitting and charity work have a long association in the U.S. At least since the Revolutionary War, we have been knitting to clothe soldiers at war. The tradition continues today for soldiers in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. You can </span><a href="http://www.geocities.com/helmetliner/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">knit helmet liners</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">, or knit hats and slippers for </span><a href="http://www.theshipsproject.com/home.htm"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The Ships Project</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">. Old soldiers are not forgotten; the </span><a href="http://www.nationalww2museum.org/education/knitting.html"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Knit Your Bit </span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">campaign of the WWII Museum collects scarves for veterans.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">If you prefer to knit for peace, you can choose from a variety of organizations that collect <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">handknit</span> items for children, orphans, homeless, elderly, or animals. </span><a href="http://www.adoptionstogether.org/common/life.asp"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Adoptions Together </span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">ships items to orphans in Eastern Europe. </span><a href="http://www.afghansforafghans.org/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Afghans for Afghans </span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">collects items for children and adults in Afghanistan. </span><a href="http://www.warmwoolies.org/index.html"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Warm <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Woolies</span> </span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">supplies orphanages in Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, China and South Dakota. You can knit or crochet for the </span><a href="http://www.friendsofpineridgereservation.org/difference/craftforprr.shtml"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Pine Ridge Reservation</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">, South Dakota. The </span><a href="http://www.h4ha.org/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Snuggles Project </span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">collects security blankets for shelter animals. College-bound foster kids can receive <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">handknit</span> scarves through the </span><a href="http://www.orphan.org/index.php?id=40"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Red Scarf Project</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">. </span><a href="http://www.warmtheworld.org/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Warm the World </span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">provides blankets, hats, and scarves to kids in need, and collects hats for soldiers. </span><a href="http://www.warmupamerica.com/how.html"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Warm Up America </span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">collects afghans or parts of afghans for distribution, but also encourages people to find agencies to which they can directly donate afghans. You can make a Christmas stocking for Navajo children or elders through the </span><a href="http://www.anelder.org/index.php?ID=904"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Adopt-An-Elder </span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">program. You can also support </span><a href="http://www.peacefleece.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Peace Fleece</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Political activists can find an outlet in knitting as well. </span><a href="http://microrevolt.org/petition_overview.htm"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">microRevolt</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> is collecting knit or crochet squares of the Nike blanket to serve as a petition for fair labor standards. You can send a message with your testimony about the Iraq war to your senator along with a helmet liner through the </span><a href="http://www.stitchforsenate.us/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Stitch for Senate </span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">campaign. Graffiti artists can switch from spray paint to knitting and join </span><a href="http://www.knittaplease.com/ABOUT.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Knitta</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> with members who tag utility poles and more with knit objects. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Many knitters today knit for the satisfaction in creating the object and to promote our ability to make things for ourselves rather than just buy them. This is reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts Movement of the late 19<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">th</span> century and early 20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">th</span> century, which was a reaction to the Industrial Revolution. Believing that a healthy society needed skilled craftsmen and creative people, supporters preferred handmade objects to those made entirely on soul-less machines. This movement has never entirely died out.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Even if you can't knit, you can support knitters through the donation of materials or the purchase of handmade objects. You can donate yarn and needles to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Hennepin</span> County Home School, which is teaching non-violent juvenile offenders to </span><a href="http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/12/28/juvenileknitters/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">knit to make amends</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">. You can buy yarn for Navajo weavers through the </span><a href="http://www.anelder.org/index.php?ID=898"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Adopt-An-Elder</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> program. Buy handmade products from around the world through </span><a href="http://www.edimports.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Economic Development Imports</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://www.lanternmoon.com/default.asp"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Lantern Moon</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://www.rosies.org/cultures/en-us/products/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Rosie's Place</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://www.snowcabingoods.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Snow Cabin Goods</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://www.kenanaknitters.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Kenana</span> Knitters</span></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">, and </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Etsy</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">What are your reasons for knitting or buying <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">handknit</span> items?</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-76238217632326698172008-01-23T19:47:00.001-06:002008-01-23T19:54:52.888-06:00Show and tell mittens<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Hard work pays off in a great set of mittens:</span><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158854140350306706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvgiM94oOx_3pNSrgiOiJw18CfqO7lIlUguD7iEB3eAimlaiEoA9NFyA3NeiHZOpH7UMCR4-PgvtWlFpKeKxeBBTHoXkGEEIzvzPk0WiNY_qJFq2S9OeXeKfUvEjSkO6DWQs98zRn0F4/s400/mittens_all.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Michele, Stephy, Whitney, Alyssa, Amanda, Lynn, Ashley, Cassie, and Chris give you a closer look:</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSIM9Z-dudh6hXt9HRbzUzf3UyPMGcoo3EJCrmideYmYZu3oX9-kqp70ChZcuFQNcZGcqOQlQE8Offe8RC2RjAUS6mwb2OpRCXQjBcT5IeIEvbOVd_7kgsyRO-oaMHv-pI_RWIjrG5dY/s1600-h/mitt_michele.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158854763120564738" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSIM9Z-dudh6hXt9HRbzUzf3UyPMGcoo3EJCrmideYmYZu3oX9-kqp70ChZcuFQNcZGcqOQlQE8Offe8RC2RjAUS6mwb2OpRCXQjBcT5IeIEvbOVd_7kgsyRO-oaMHv-pI_RWIjrG5dY/s200/mitt_michele.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqkf-uznf7QV3rr8o2-bZhlQv5h96Xt7NtsGJnaEDYZpc9M3KzehuQm6QaeDi3uObn4CrOezByjFVZ4FgPCItVfCHGgo8OVc1p-4ziRnVOMzVdjINVj-Fmma6RUmXuDwXF0i7728vvd4/s1600-h/mitt_stephy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158854767415532050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqkf-uznf7QV3rr8o2-bZhlQv5h96Xt7NtsGJnaEDYZpc9M3KzehuQm6QaeDi3uObn4CrOezByjFVZ4FgPCItVfCHGgo8OVc1p-4ziRnVOMzVdjINVj-Fmma6RUmXuDwXF0i7728vvd4/s200/mitt_stephy.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjge4BX_K6kUqKFl7KNxoqROVB9jVqYoJp5-Ic4NEOLNYdqbTe2oApgDtN-Mc1oOC_gcIoqdSFN_biQc-tQTcXBF5lmci6lbeHU2Z29kh9u15qag5mCfMEoXSkOGlx0SBxGCR8_Aoc0-4/s1600-h/mitt_whitney.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158854771710499362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjge4BX_K6kUqKFl7KNxoqROVB9jVqYoJp5-Ic4NEOLNYdqbTe2oApgDtN-Mc1oOC_gcIoqdSFN_biQc-tQTcXBF5lmci6lbeHU2Z29kh9u15qag5mCfMEoXSkOGlx0SBxGCR8_Aoc0-4/s200/mitt_whitney.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_k1Ajj7N76kzhq6tNfUpzCDAK4f6p0OnJbZZMWzlKMbbnubacAjiLmwupAPpRLyH6xXA5BuUchpI12nRB1B9xmjHsabIZGZbKVeomuDF1XDCZZ9WZQIGzksbof3tvflAnVFaocgFqTXQ/s1600-h/mitt_alyssa.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158854492537624994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_k1Ajj7N76kzhq6tNfUpzCDAK4f6p0OnJbZZMWzlKMbbnubacAjiLmwupAPpRLyH6xXA5BuUchpI12nRB1B9xmjHsabIZGZbKVeomuDF1XDCZZ9WZQIGzksbof3tvflAnVFaocgFqTXQ/s200/mitt_alyssa.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hQC1XpuaB_w1coryf-kuQntDTmQqAYVxk4heOecsGNtCClJ7RCr9QPTB2vB2GiNRssf27xzmyR1zWpUUBCZRJasn8mWhjxL59VDPsRHlyVCNuK5n59RkKh4-neUouKPk3rcIwm5zaDQ/s1600-h/mitt_amanda.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158854496832592306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hQC1XpuaB_w1coryf-kuQntDTmQqAYVxk4heOecsGNtCClJ7RCr9QPTB2vB2GiNRssf27xzmyR1zWpUUBCZRJasn8mWhjxL59VDPsRHlyVCNuK5n59RkKh4-neUouKPk3rcIwm5zaDQ/s200/mitt_amanda.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiRrEHKlAcmo9UxxIIksQHWcX1L3m9VCNgFIIxH5TAbTPL3SX1RL8nBQRBaAsPeYYMI6tCpzyOABUnWvKhBO4QaJ_v3OYigMprWdXSAhqdzEjLkm2FeNbLyLQKMd3HqNj-8rW9g6hN3g/s1600-h/mitt_lynn.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158854758825597426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuiRrEHKlAcmo9UxxIIksQHWcX1L3m9VCNgFIIxH5TAbTPL3SX1RL8nBQRBaAsPeYYMI6tCpzyOABUnWvKhBO4QaJ_v3OYigMprWdXSAhqdzEjLkm2FeNbLyLQKMd3HqNj-8rW9g6hN3g/s200/mitt_lynn.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-aChbqu9OJkSHired3E0jA4ovDlcwRACh2FLt1BO0ZvVrtn3i-rUHQ5MVra45fXpkHozbWhXyZk-G5hTZlAs5W7MZJEBLW3NuleSKgaMeyPDIMj3uNmt3uR96oSn_rk4b2Xar7ZwAyBQ/s1600-h/mitt_ashley.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158854496832592322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-aChbqu9OJkSHired3E0jA4ovDlcwRACh2FLt1BO0ZvVrtn3i-rUHQ5MVra45fXpkHozbWhXyZk-G5hTZlAs5W7MZJEBLW3NuleSKgaMeyPDIMj3uNmt3uR96oSn_rk4b2Xar7ZwAyBQ/s200/mitt_ashley.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSEEE1vgBYYkEnyVdrNcu5DGQ0132clc0byQO6HHFJx1muxB6fCM2uLODy8ok1xSCJDHWl73qseKZqwEXIliNt0ZBy_T8OlaHc9E9a2GwikrmlDaEo2vrlfsOwR-zngdg-uQUxzpyGPM/s1600-h/mitt_cassie.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158854501127559634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSEEE1vgBYYkEnyVdrNcu5DGQ0132clc0byQO6HHFJx1muxB6fCM2uLODy8ok1xSCJDHWl73qseKZqwEXIliNt0ZBy_T8OlaHc9E9a2GwikrmlDaEo2vrlfsOwR-zngdg-uQUxzpyGPM/s200/mitt_cassie.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46dyq8t8yx3Ag9uenHjDl-w-GGerCIcyP7PAhgGHwDlbNfXMJFxavLQXnb_naQidO1iu5zp1FcCorLfYaYqa5z-n3Xowx_5GnjOR8R_0nsKWzag4enOvBFEyt5n8BJ7yxM1Fkl5q-JeY/s1600-h/mitt_chris.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158854501127559650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg46dyq8t8yx3Ag9uenHjDl-w-GGerCIcyP7PAhgGHwDlbNfXMJFxavLQXnb_naQidO1iu5zp1FcCorLfYaYqa5z-n3Xowx_5GnjOR8R_0nsKWzag4enOvBFEyt5n8BJ7yxM1Fkl5q-JeY/s200/mitt_chris.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-42737789499150494982008-01-23T19:37:00.000-06:002008-01-23T19:47:24.697-06:00Knitting in Estonia<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">We had a lively discussion of <a href="http://www.interweave.com/knit/books/estonia.asp">Bush’s Folk Knitting in Estonia</a> (see <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1883010438/ref=sib_dp_pt/102-5381944-3800933#reader-link">inside</a>), a book that is well suited to our geography of knitting class. Estonia was variously conquered and controlled by Denmark, Germany, Russia, Poland, and Sweden, came under Soviet Control in 1940, and declared final independence in 1991. The oldest knitting in Estonia was found in a grave dating to the 13-14th century, placing it within the range of the oldest knit materials found anywhere in Europe. It may have been introduced to Estonia by the servants of Crusaders brought back from Palestine with knitting skills intact. The patterns in Estonian knitting must have been influenced by all these cultures and we tried to identify some of these influences in the samples seen in the book. Like many of the other regional designs we’ve seen, the knitting patterns, which are often linked to specific places in Estonia, likely evolved from or were inspired by other textiles, plants, and animals.<br /><br />Knit items appear in Estonian culture in many ways – as practical clothing, gifts, or talismans. Again, people in a cold climate benefit from two-color designs that create a thicker fabric, but the designs incorporated into the items often had another purpose – to ward off the evil eye, to avoid corporal punishment for a crime, to ensure the birth of a son. A woman who accepted an offer of courtship from a man would return a pair of mittens tied to an empty bottle of liquor (the full bottle being a gift from the man to the woman and her family). A bride might need fifty pairs of <a href="http://madamepurl.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/hiljas-mittens.JPG">mittens</a> in addition to stockings and belts to give to various members of the bridal party and the groom’s family, many of these mittens being laid on the thresholds that she crossed as her mother-in-law gave her a tour of her new home.<br /> </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">We talked through one of the patterns so that students could learn the important aspects of pattern reading such as how to decode abbreviations, substitute yarns, and adjust patterns or needle sizes to their own gauge</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-5681911302363643032008-01-22T17:53:00.000-06:002008-01-22T18:08:25.430-06:00Finishing the mitten<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXbKANaughyG8_zz5uks2SfbV5_HPj_X330TI0HL14YVCRFq_7gvoy3tcyfknRd0dKS2H8-p7MZtQbxwt_J98DKl9_p12EbAiWNvidpkVCPq6BYEADPIiLJt_MlhfW3EnWFbkOq7Voho/s1600-h/thumb_string.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158453700699542642" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXbKANaughyG8_zz5uks2SfbV5_HPj_X330TI0HL14YVCRFq_7gvoy3tcyfknRd0dKS2H8-p7MZtQbxwt_J98DKl9_p12EbAiWNvidpkVCPq6BYEADPIiLJt_MlhfW3EnWFbkOq7Voho/s200/thumb_string.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The last step in the mitten is the thumb. Put the stitches that are currently on the piece of yarn back onto your needles - either the two circulars or 3 double pointeds. Join a new piece of yarn at the joint between the thumb and hand and knit the first round.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4BO3XU9YeRE2d3RTJYnyn1WjH-2qx3yzgMJsDstQdiWf1emAq8SVqsjXBH9bfrBuvZfVEfuYqDLrb7z9bmG9EViXeiJ1PPXOjqXcwWAssgDzALLI3AT0zFQlxFhyrfLH06CU_NsZSX4/s1600-h/thumb_knitting.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158454087246599298" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4BO3XU9YeRE2d3RTJYnyn1WjH-2qx3yzgMJsDstQdiWf1emAq8SVqsjXBH9bfrBuvZfVEfuYqDLrb7z9bmG9EViXeiJ1PPXOjqXcwWAssgDzALLI3AT0zFQlxFhyrfLH06CU_NsZSX4/s200/thumb_knitting.jpg" border="0" /></a> </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">At the end of this first round pick up a stitch in the corner.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8kMSJINagSum22NLZvD86nj8vSUHgrPrkjDdtPHViR7Og1_pKTt2HstCXH5eiS6HPlBI9OCItp28DG9mBCA_mkr7nY76iNYgqqZ0XIYnjbNTw3bN1R3VkR7t7SdxdiwMihGCHBb3qaE/s1600-h/thumb_pickup.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158454413664113810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8kMSJINagSum22NLZvD86nj8vSUHgrPrkjDdtPHViR7Og1_pKTt2HstCXH5eiS6HPlBI9OCItp28DG9mBCA_mkr7nY76iNYgqqZ0XIYnjbNTw3bN1R3VkR7t7SdxdiwMihGCHBb3qaE/s200/thumb_pickup.jpg" border="0" /></a></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">Continue knitting rounds until the thumb section reaches to the middle of your thumbnail and begin a 3 point decrease </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">(total number of stitches / 3) - 2 = X</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">knit X stitches, knit 2 together around then</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">knit X-1 stitches, knit 2 together and continue with one less stitch before the decrease until you have between 6 and 10 stitches depending on the weight of your yarn. Cut the yarn and thread through the remaining stiches, pull tight and fasten. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWizVVA6PIZQ96uE9HkEdVIIuH_BImQCnPrJBnG0bfEOObewA8YLW6SLZx-oDpMd5ST-gLWgs_2bZ6zf-8DbeZD7z_lgFdreQr2pvpinKXOF33RWBPA1DCgw6NGjm67Sd7A8N4ZXYUsY/s1600-h/thumb_nail.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158455465931101346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWizVVA6PIZQ96uE9HkEdVIIuH_BImQCnPrJBnG0bfEOObewA8YLW6SLZx-oDpMd5ST-gLWgs_2bZ6zf-8DbeZD7z_lgFdreQr2pvpinKXOF33RWBPA1DCgw6NGjm67Sd7A8N4ZXYUsY/s200/thumb_nail.jpg" border="0" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0GxmWvZ9xmH6q63tBKTr8DCDhDKwdXbZvbG_jKCBNcryMnNjXjNQmCEtgFh8lbIdcgE2tcvY8LlcOVGvzRyGD2EyTXUdeLtJtpwaYoUY5dvCiFn3a4Ejsoy30f34sK24OOA4Q05mD3o/s1600-h/thumb_needle.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158455616254956722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0GxmWvZ9xmH6q63tBKTr8DCDhDKwdXbZvbG_jKCBNcryMnNjXjNQmCEtgFh8lbIdcgE2tcvY8LlcOVGvzRyGD2EyTXUdeLtJtpwaYoUY5dvCiFn3a4Ejsoy30f34sK24OOA4Q05mD3o/s200/thumb_needle.jpg" border="0" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">You can use the end of the joined thumb yarn to sew close any holes at the thumb-hand joint.</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYp0lqcI2bQQE29mO1vqE7X8XLT7GABsZJpYIYwXxeDzIIH2xjm-XQt2bMNB8Xdt9Fo8ia15g2ErarFwvWU2hw1eRjDgj9EszH4ospmOjCz7TI2EGNgKVZWoaY8USYX4DvweKB3lNHM44/s1600-h/mittens_hold.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158455740809008322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYp0lqcI2bQQE29mO1vqE7X8XLT7GABsZJpYIYwXxeDzIIH2xjm-XQt2bMNB8Xdt9Fo8ia15g2ErarFwvWU2hw1eRjDgj9EszH4ospmOjCz7TI2EGNgKVZWoaY8USYX4DvweKB3lNHM44/s200/mittens_hold.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6RflcJ-jIib-ZnTillHllszqEkVTvScXsiV4WWljtYO-2XQ-AxC2S35BTmVa7ng8DoB0kzmLELI4_96vKE6uHN_ChyphenhyphenfDSfmcHUH8M945o276cLKw4vP4LywMl98rwRtSwbwNbi03OHA/s1600-h/thumb_nohole.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158455826708354258" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6RflcJ-jIib-ZnTillHllszqEkVTvScXsiV4WWljtYO-2XQ-AxC2S35BTmVa7ng8DoB0kzmLELI4_96vKE6uHN_ChyphenhyphenfDSfmcHUH8M945o276cLKw4vP4LywMl98rwRtSwbwNbi03OHA/s200/thumb_nohole.jpg" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-34165053411726538132008-01-22T11:05:00.000-06:002008-01-22T11:15:48.424-06:00Textured knitting<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p></o:p>Just as the two-color knitting on which we have been working creates a th</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">icker, and therefore, warmer fabric that is good for the cold climates in which it is often used, so too does the addition of texture create a thicker, warmer knit.<span style=""> </span>In two-color knitting the strand that is not being knit is carried across the back until it is needed on the front, except in Armenian knitting where the strand is trapped in the knitting every few stitches allowing the carried color to be seen through the front.<span style=""> </span><a href="http://www.schoolhousepress.com/gen_books.htm">Armenian knitting, as described by Swansen & Williams</a>, may not have developed in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Armenia</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family:Arial;">, but it was used by the Armenian immigrant hired by Elsa Schiarapelli to knit her sweater designs in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Paris</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family:Arial;">.<span style=""> </span>The second color is used throughout the sweater, knit at the front where needed in the design, but carried and caught up in the main color even where it is not used at the front, so even in areas of a single color the second color continues to keep the fabric thick.<o:p></o:p></span></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p></o:p><a href="http://www.sfr.se/dalarna/orsaslojdlag.html">Tvaandstickning</a>, a technique from </span><st1:place><st1:city><span style="font-family:Arial;">Dalarna</span></st1:city><span style="font-family:Arial;">, </span><st1:country-region><span style="font-family:Arial;">Sweden</span></st1:country-region></st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">, also uses two strands of yarn throughout the knitting; these can be the same color or two different colors.<span style=""> </span>The two strands are twi</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">sted after every stitch so that you are constantly switching the yarn being used at the front.<span style=""> </span>This is not the same as carrying one yarn across the back; you must twist the strands even though this twists up the yarns you are using.<span style=""> </span>It is simple enough to stop at the end of the row and hang your knitting by the strands to let it unwind.<span style=""> </span>The effect is to create a fabric that looks very similar to nalbinding on the wrong side of the knitting – like a ridge along the purls (seen in photo on right side).<span style=""> </span>In some places, as in </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Norway</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-family:Arial;">, the “wrong” side is worn on the outside.<span style=""> </span>I used two strands of a sock yarn to create the mittens seen below using a pattern in Threads magazine.<span style=""> </span>Other patterns for tvaandstickning can be found in Dandanell & Danielsson and Ling.<span style=""> </span>When using two different colors, stripes are created as you switch between the two strands.<span style=""> </span>Bringing one of the strands to the front and carrying it across the front will create the surface designs known as krokmaskor (seen in photo on left side).</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhun6x6qVWv7kEHlfDWyQr-WnejBiVdwr-pwNmZLMJCWwKM8qThXEPYF_LCKnttQqKwd1IVfezJR01V2TFI2xluag3PrkW4RkUdqv2-tkyADysLcOWyPxeF66MqAYOBmTBIcozkRbR6GlQ/s1600-h/tvaandstickning.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhun6x6qVWv7kEHlfDWyQr-WnejBiVdwr-pwNmZLMJCWwKM8qThXEPYF_LCKnttQqKwd1IVfezJR01V2TFI2xluag3PrkW4RkUdqv2-tkyADysLcOWyPxeF66MqAYOBmTBIcozkRbR6GlQ/s400/tvaandstickning.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158349831210456162" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">We’ve already seen that surface textures created by mixing knit and purl stitches have been used since the 16<sup>th</sup> century.<span style=""> </span>This same technique has been used since at least the Victorian era to create patterns on fishermen’s sweaters, or jerseys.<span style=""> </span>Named for the </span><st1:place><st1:placetype><span style="font-family:Arial;">island</span></st1:placetype><span style="font-family:Arial;"> of </span><st1:placename><span style="font-family:Arial;">Jersey</span></st1:placename></st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;"> in the </span><st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">Channel Islands</span></st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">, the square-shaped higher straight-neck jerseys are called ganseys or guernseys after the other </span><st1:place><st1:placename><span style="font-family:Arial;">Channel</span></st1:placename><span style="font-family:Arial;"> </span><st1:placetype><span style="font-family:Arial;">Island</span></st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family:Arial;">, Gansey, and are tightly knit in the round to avoid the weakness of seams and provide better protection against harsh weather.<span style=""> </span>Each fishing community apparently developed a unique pattern for ganseys that could be used to identify the bodies of drowned fishermen who later washed up on shore.<span style=""> </span><a href="http://www.ganseys.co.uk/">Flamborough Marine Limited</a> still makes handknit ganseys and regional patterns can be seen at their website.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">This same idea, a unique regional pattern used to identify the bodies of drowned men, persists for knitting from the Aran Islands of Ireland, as well.<span style=""> </span>If you are of Irish descent, you might find your clan’s Aran pattern at <a href="http://www.clanarans.com/ca/catalog/">The Aran Sweater Market</a>.<span style=""> </span>Consisting of more complex cabling than a typical gansey, Aran patterns are reminiscent of Celtic knots, of course, and each type of cable is representative of some aspect of life in a fishing community – fishermen’s ropes, seaweed, cliffs, etc.<span style=""> </span>Although legends about the origins of Aran knitting persist in claiming that the techniques date back to around 800 A.D. based on images in the <a href="http://www.tcd.ie/Library/heritage/kells.php">Book of the Kells</a>, the first Aran sweaters photographed date to the 20<sup>th</sup> century.<span style=""> </span>The rumors of an ancient origin may have been just a marketing technique according to Starmore. <span style=""> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-14677584435809523322008-01-21T19:48:00.000-06:002008-01-22T11:04:43.170-06:00Making sense of mittens<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158113234347021266" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkoCJ1sT7e8oFWGz4-fXyanbRqpcaDWRpQvY9kxr3f3tJyZ5QMxH9Xab1zw37CxIbMG-C8ODNezQwCI_zq-fptEG-gOPrrJxnCdWg9Zt_bIUFI7tdx2Y5VSl9J7uLCLnr3PJTF8CQUmrg/s200/markers.jpg" border="0" /><div><div> <div><div><div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >After you knit the cuff and after you increase to accomodate your hand, you can knit a couple rounds in your pattern and then begin increasing for a normal thumb gusset. I set up markers near the beginning of the palm row for a right mitten as: knit 1, place marker, make 1 stitch, knit 1, make 1, place marker (reverse that at the end of the palm row for a left mitten - shown in first photo). </span></div><br /><div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >I increase two stitches every other round until I have enough thumb stitches between the markers to accomodate my thumb:</span></div><div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >(circumference of thumb + 1/2 inch) X number of stitches per inch in gauge swatch for stockinette stitch</span><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdkAy6BTkshM5Gb4j8yNfLpm3JdiYPW02vIqrZUz7od8ERNbS1QR4TBgv4tV9wmJozpY3ypwphaWLULsNaKkXN3cRrICxGy67ptoYBa_H0gIPOSkPQnz5TTvKxZWE6hO2x4drNtOUp5o/s1600-h/thumb.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdkAy6BTkshM5Gb4j8yNfLpm3JdiYPW02vIqrZUz7od8ERNbS1QR4TBgv4tV9wmJozpY3ypwphaWLULsNaKkXN3cRrICxGy67ptoYBa_H0gIPOSkPQnz5TTvKxZWE6hO2x4drNtOUp5o/s200/thumb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158346734539035682" border="0" /></a></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9flgoTDDRKWLONMhl1uv8BZVoK2ltOvnYfAjzblsz2yJYf_rhhWnxQ9_s4lZfUqbsKWfbEPigoIRQBQ_vZ9MwFIjjdRoFFfCuBx7qHeevr6sA70tJq6OxW4Y5n2V0NjQBNcFd_H1UIM/s1600-h/string.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9flgoTDDRKWLONMhl1uv8BZVoK2ltOvnYfAjzblsz2yJYf_rhhWnxQ9_s4lZfUqbsKWfbEPigoIRQBQ_vZ9MwFIjjdRoFFfCuBx7qHeevr6sA70tJq6OxW4Y5n2V0NjQBNcFd_H1UIM/s200/string.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158347666546938962" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >For me this was (2.5 + .5) inches X 7 stitches per inch = 21 stitches.</span><div> </div> <div> </div><div><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >So when I had 21 stitches between the markers (photo 2), it was time to place the thumb stitches on a spare piece of yarn (photo 3). So knit the stitches before the marker, thread the stitches between the markers onto the yarn needle, cast on one stitch using the e wrap cast on, then continue knitting the remaining stitches on the row. Now continue knitting the palm and back of hand in your pattern. It should look like the photo below.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufb_85hGq9SLLzerC3Bi0JwfYK63FFDUM75P_3W2I7D0KCuhyphenhyphenawL7UINhUXRoGJJUPTX64HfbFi5VQ8GJaVSIsyZuD8a0GjNog_J8PG9yFsSvUged8dz3WlnI5q-RqwfTw6SuogqN_uM/s1600-h/goingon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufb_85hGq9SLLzerC3Bi0JwfYK63FFDUM75P_3W2I7D0KCuhyphenhyphenawL7UINhUXRoGJJUPTX64HfbFi5VQ8GJaVSIsyZuD8a0GjNog_J8PG9yFsSvUged8dz3WlnI5q-RqwfTw6SuogqN_uM/s200/goingon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158346996532040754" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVocDE84C7DAYnQorfhTONfCrxl2qg_JHT3o08QmfFtroT5Z7iL2Kf7LJpMVgyzsBocZLRHuUEwZLNBIcc0pgXu97jsNjdNhoj5cCOBF-_ucFtMSgJieokmOHST5yPs97FUgwH5GBGO4/s1600-h/goingon.jpg"><br /></a></div><div><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /><br />Keep knitting until the mitten is just past your pinky (Cassie's green mitten is almost there) and then start decreasi</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" >ng at the beginning and end of both the palm side and the back of hand side: knit 1, SSK, knit to 3 remaining, knit 2 together, knit 1. You can decrease every round or every other round or whatever it takes to get you to the tip of your fingers with anywhere between 8-15 stitches left (8 if worsted weight, 15 if chunky yarn). Cut the yarn, thread through remaining stitches, and fasten. Thumbs tomorrow.<br /><br /></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAwk6A8x3nzUO_03EjMqgJPSWi5kMPPPTPBC_Xle2tKfvHuzF2wXaro3yYlJmTu4BN3kx17xMxozve01JEh6BTE6ILF9LiE2_vo_Hwy5-nkiLLHqBjD-8mQ4bFF2FgtSmcC11iRTtbaM/s1600-h/cassie_mitten.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAwk6A8x3nzUO_03EjMqgJPSWi5kMPPPTPBC_Xle2tKfvHuzF2wXaro3yYlJmTu4BN3kx17xMxozve01JEh6BTE6ILF9LiE2_vo_Hwy5-nkiLLHqBjD-8mQ4bFF2FgtSmcC11iRTtbaM/s200/cassie_mitten.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5158347181215634498" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-57532064654699973332008-01-20T16:42:00.000-06:002008-01-20T16:57:30.890-06:00Mitten progress report<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2TIOx3c8CH0JOZ220I8CIGqbUzeltQD79dNCgb7pTOiCvoIEgvXY7nT9IbDsvI-RlCEuq-RCWFaOPAGYQfoSDsvn1EncNxp9y8wAsWDMKJXD2X7KoJDxarViRAjM73smTvIa_wiggsXY/s1600-h/barb_jonas.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157694024064095138" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2TIOx3c8CH0JOZ220I8CIGqbUzeltQD79dNCgb7pTOiCvoIEgvXY7nT9IbDsvI-RlCEuq-RCWFaOPAGYQfoSDsvn1EncNxp9y8wAsWDMKJXD2X7KoJDxarViRAjM73smTvIa_wiggsXY/s200/barb_jonas.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">After creating and measuring the swatches of ribbing, cable, and stockinette, students determined how many stitches they should cast on to do the ribbing for their wrists. Barb helps Jonas, at right, to get the hang of knitting on two circulars after the cast on. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Once they reached the length of the cuff they wanted, most had to increase (mostly using make 1) to get enough stitches to fit the width of their hand with the cable that they had chosen for the back of the hand and stockinette stitch across the palm.</span> <span style="font-size:85%;">Alyssa and Lindsay are at this point below.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157694410611151794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJ0mbeaXr49fJlgJ3HgxnmizNZq9jLQpL3fmfV1U5oJs_uERGS8jLhj9lANx8ZZeZEtvdVS-d0kpWpq4IepMI6FIDFIsgRT_WGq2ZjFDa-ow9bKS2eoJ1C8nFyoelwKBO74sWk_liUq0/s200/alyssa_lindsay.jpg" border="0" /></span></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaUCpDJ0-KOlaBQ1v47Lp92fZ-LoS-AwGvSmOsfWPkCji1hoVOuX9EuXywy4rwEZi61J6eoktYtdy8bAGd2XAU78XfRJ51FbhMGCklQE2tMFbktkNXaFiMb5OcRFLk7xh5BG1GtDY_Lw/s1600-h/cassie_mitt.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157695754935915458" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaUCpDJ0-KOlaBQ1v47Lp92fZ-LoS-AwGvSmOsfWPkCji1hoVOuX9EuXywy4rwEZi61J6eoktYtdy8bAGd2XAU78XfRJ51FbhMGCklQE2tMFbktkNXaFiMb5OcRFLk7xh5BG1GtDY_Lw/s200/cassie_mitt.jpg" border="0" /></a>Cassie tries to overcome the tightness of the cable she has chosen. I recommended that she try to avoid creating stitches at the tips of her needle. Although she is completely new to knitting, her mitten is coming along beautifully and she is looking forward to showing it off to her knitting mother and sisters.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-76876658743332945862008-01-18T07:26:00.000-06:002008-01-20T16:33:23.667-06:00The knitting goes on<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Learning to knit a hat in the round on a 16 inch needle is a piece of cake. Learning to knit on a set of double pointed needles is like having a piece of cake but not having a fork or even fingers with which to eat it - it's awkward. I prefer knitting on two circular needles and have given students the choice to learn this style or use the double pointeds. Even knitting on two circular needles takes some practice and care to avoid twisting the rounds. After a bit of practice on small rounds students learned to or, using diagrams, taught themselves to cable. It is a surprisingly easy process and they all seem to have caught on quickly. </span><br /><div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyhyphenhyphenhY-_jaOuEv6lkfw1UwxBpnp7VJYnChhl9yp5ZPz4bVEhgxZKFvsuvsaPVQ24Vr3_qJ___xuaKa-hh68UJnbMykU9tKoLg9w8lSqdClp8ZjO7wweu2CVz_FUYMB4aj56sQmEHcs3A/s1600-h/liz_swatch.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156811167766598466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyhyphenhyphenhY-_jaOuEv6lkfw1UwxBpnp7VJYnChhl9yp5ZPz4bVEhgxZKFvsuvsaPVQ24Vr3_qJ___xuaKa-hh68UJnbMykU9tKoLg9w8lSqdClp8ZjO7wweu2CVz_FUYMB4aj56sQmEHcs3A/s200/liz_swatch.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7K06AleWIhL_8-Gj6b6kml0Ygs-qJhBeiCZ_UO8Gei9LDZU6hy7T02wi3F-XXkwfElmvOBgTU91HY6JrwFHobaOyzvvll99D4vVjCHKN-M-RjhRGzuMGukcL49_KhkEV8TTxDsawhEY/s1600-h/chris_swatch.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156811262255878994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7K06AleWIhL_8-Gj6b6kml0Ygs-qJhBeiCZ_UO8Gei9LDZU6hy7T02wi3F-XXkwfElmvOBgTU91HY6JrwFHobaOyzvvll99D4vVjCHKN-M-RjhRGzuMGukcL49_KhkEV8TTxDsawhEY/s200/chris_swatch.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Now the swatching for the mittens begins. Students are making flat swatches with a bit of the ribbing they will use for the cuffs, a bit of the cable they have chosen from a couple of the stitch dictionaries I have provided (referenced at the right), and the stockinette stitch they will be using on the palm. Both Liz and Chris are at this step. </span></div><br /><div><br /></div></div><div></div><div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyR6i191shDJtR2Of47BvzylOS9bR63-Golyx4sf_uCCvFxkw0XhY11uuuQAZiQJSMWB1nens5qTPCtcMJAwTO5pj85WKwJvb3fafDsX4dTsvG8Wqq55vjn2E1oSBsA0iprHRRgdx0JiY/s1600-h/erin_mitt2.jpg"></a></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaT5mL8GKf6vrB4OJjQGU_N0syz-vy11SG2Wfuag1jVKIAFxw9lhW5EmNZRl0O4BiBjQrwi7aQD8CHVQbOIWxn_bPD260_q6HQGnY9Ho8bDRSs6was_mXueF4kXGTTzuwNXb-gPjhO2zA/s1600-h/erin_mitt.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156813482753971090" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaT5mL8GKf6vrB4OJjQGU_N0syz-vy11SG2Wfuag1jVKIAFxw9lhW5EmNZRl0O4BiBjQrwi7aQD8CHVQbOIWxn_bPD260_q6HQGnY9Ho8bDRSs6was_mXueF4kXGTTzuwNXb-gPjhO2zA/s200/erin_mitt.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyR6i191shDJtR2Of47BvzylOS9bR63-Golyx4sf_uCCvFxkw0XhY11uuuQAZiQJSMWB1nens5qTPCtcMJAwTO5pj85WKwJvb3fafDsX4dTsvG8Wqq55vjn2E1oSBsA0iprHRRgdx0JiY/s1600-h/erin_mitt2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156813482753971074" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyR6i191shDJtR2Of47BvzylOS9bR63-Golyx4sf_uCCvFxkw0XhY11uuuQAZiQJSMWB1nens5qTPCtcMJAwTO5pj85WKwJvb3fafDsX4dTsvG8Wqq55vjn2E1oSBsA0iprHRRgdx0JiY/s200/erin_mitt2.jpg" border="0" /></a>Erin, probably my most experienced knitter, is well into the knitting of the mitten, which matches her two-color hat.</span></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaM9KRQRCQXEJ6nV6S6F0i4tjDsAho1eK0IMGHWhYSEidIyXvguEYFi3eUJHyXf5OGOM5-Sk8TMQTZCA6y1FzX06U2cDkErHRnrfihpue2KsSuTIX00fP2T-5Jh8TNMK72oxCm0fZWivY/s1600-h/erin_mitt2.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVqYqmhRK0zq6O0LIKVFGW_yhj-vYR3EXrW6V_VOHWtP_ZyrAZ01w4RD16ACULQHLFmVhxwVCUlYfd26Ap9CcLrjcR0KDPXvg6-pYzmhSBELd0MvGuZyYoV2WxpjyoiUxUJMyJ8PfuuU/s1600-h/erin_mitt.jpg"></a><br /></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-25136309028618212762008-01-17T17:02:00.001-06:002008-01-17T18:19:39.691-06:00Show and tell hats<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLY3gy2cT7_Nn31N556TheentPADTSw_LJztgK8iN71OOnINOKLc-DzUztBjM01B2SCzgPK2rM0utrOBUKVT_dqzbX7FV2bovRgmmyoF0b_h5Qt0EfcBQfkYnwtFvBHUyw3XPr4PB8nA0/s1600-h/hats_group.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156601620607193826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLY3gy2cT7_Nn31N556TheentPADTSw_LJztgK8iN71OOnINOKLc-DzUztBjM01B2SCzgPK2rM0utrOBUKVT_dqzbX7FV2bovRgmmyoF0b_h5Qt0EfcBQfkYnwtFvBHUyw3XPr4PB8nA0/s400/hats_group.jpg" border="0" /></a>Students modeled their hats today and talked about the design that they chose.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5x9HWNT6Mm1TB0Y7IbKJ9RNUkefFjsgrR7aWZlgcoW79eHBwL4nW_MaLGJf0wCYjoEiE26R28Sm5efNO6JHmMfsKuw6SbH5_grqxijx_DRuXACc516VXGV5MN0SAVaHpLGdfyJPjlqE/s1600-h/lynn_hat.jpg"></a> Lynn's hat (green/white) is inspired by a sock design. Amanda's line of waves (red/brown) is seen in both Fair Isle and Andean patterns. Ashley's heart (black/blue) is created using an intarsia style technique for knitting in the round that is used in Andean knitting. Mary (purple) hate the colors of her hat, but technically, it's quite a good hat.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIsmxy9VeJ2U13zUv89FqdZ50KOJVMFePwo3F1aXfhacAGG0gFZToqRhlgiW3txENPomzvc0BqTWSKXzg7EtBEIp5e8Divs5n6jF5xEHZnhP_z-AOGt1L4m8YNBWfefg8RN3Cq93y3Pk/s1600-h/lynn_hat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156602007154250482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIsmxy9VeJ2U13zUv89FqdZ50KOJVMFePwo3F1aXfhacAGG0gFZToqRhlgiW3txENPomzvc0BqTWSKXzg7EtBEIp5e8Divs5n6jF5xEHZnhP_z-AOGt1L4m8YNBWfefg8RN3Cq93y3Pk/s200/lynn_hat.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YkhNhyphenhyphenMriSlIfCvFIcjwhf1HmHwdMcHEAOmkrgkICkqbmhx-AUCw8Bz7X7oWD3CflcYR_MJF23QeZ3j-jJNJ-x9kzuNY7TmMgh8ZpRx-fOt6gAKWxKjpd8U9q3zyGpqoKew-C6hMo2c/s1600-h/amanda_hat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156603123845747490" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YkhNhyphenhyphenMriSlIfCvFIcjwhf1HmHwdMcHEAOmkrgkICkqbmhx-AUCw8Bz7X7oWD3CflcYR_MJF23QeZ3j-jJNJ-x9kzuNY7TmMgh8ZpRx-fOt6gAKWxKjpd8U9q3zyGpqoKew-C6hMo2c/s200/amanda_hat.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQMrWK7nxXMaDdidfryLyLn6gUVLEs5361B9vPRt77b3dnjMKnB-Hn2PtXMhJtd0Io9fvp8MIyiQlPyDdKpXrkVS6hlw9vLbGdQka477zPcRioFv7bickj-tKJBkS7c3q4RtqwbJ8ixg/s1600-h/ashley_hat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156602728708756242" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQMrWK7nxXMaDdidfryLyLn6gUVLEs5361B9vPRt77b3dnjMKnB-Hn2PtXMhJtd0Io9fvp8MIyiQlPyDdKpXrkVS6hlw9vLbGdQka477zPcRioFv7bickj-tKJBkS7c3q4RtqwbJ8ixg/s200/ashley_hat.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUw8RYoQT6WaocIAi2Gk3Hiq76scUA5bi-Df0OlZX9ckDNmBkJ-KSOR0vsJLfySMZfCazCNUUHaSM7-JF2Lww4J7lM4uigSfp0zynS4mwTy8w6StnXEU-e6jflytZz6p3efS31J47k9xc/s1600-h/mary_hat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156604571249726258" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUw8RYoQT6WaocIAi2Gk3Hiq76scUA5bi-Df0OlZX9ckDNmBkJ-KSOR0vsJLfySMZfCazCNUUHaSM7-JF2Lww4J7lM4uigSfp0zynS4mwTy8w6StnXEU-e6jflytZz6p3efS31J47k9xc/s200/mary_hat.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-34634604525940515562008-01-16T18:59:00.000-06:002008-01-16T19:15:37.404-06:00Supplies for the third project<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The third project is a cabled mitten. The requirements are that it must fit your hand and have a cable - even if it's just crossed once. You will need about 220 yards of any yarn of your choice and needles that fit the size of your yarn. You can use either two circular needles or a set of double pointed needles.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Here are the general directions (I'll help you fill this in as we go along):</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Take the following measurements:<br />Circumference of wrist ___________<br />Desired length of cuff ____________<br />Circumference of hand at widest part (not including thumb) ____________ </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> may want to add an inch or so to this measurement – mittens should be loose fitting<br />Distance from wrist to top of web of thumb _____________<br />Circumference of thumb __________<br /> may want to add ½ inch or so to this measurement to get loose fit<br />Distance from wrist to pinky tip ___________<br />Distance from wrist to tip of longest finger _____________<br />Distance from thumb web to middle of thumb nail and to tip __________ & _________<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">You need to knit swatches for ribbing for wrist, cabling for back of hand, and plain for palm </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br />When you have measurements and gauge you can start mitten filling in numbers to fit you:<br /><br />First cut a 12" strand of yarn to save for the thumb gusset.<br /><br />Wrist:<br />Cast-on ______ stitches and work ribbing for _______ inches.<br /><br />Hand:<br />Increase to _____ stitches on next round.<br />Work three rounds using your design for palm and back of hand.<br />Begin increasing for thumb gusset on next round (normal gore)<br /> For right mitten – increase at beginning of row<br /> For left mitten – increase at end of row<br /> First increase row: Knit1, PlaceMarker, Make1, K1, M1, PM<br /> Follow each increase row with a plain row of knitting<br /> Following increase rows: Make1 after 1st marker and M1 before last marker<br /> (on each row you are making two new stitches between markers and knitting the stitches already there)<br />When thumb gusset is desired number of stitches, work straight to _________ inches.<br /> I like for thumb gusset to be an even number of stitches to make decreasing neater.<br />At end of thumb gusset, put thumb stitches on extra strand of yarn.<br />Cast on 1 stitch using e or backward loop or single method cast-on.<br />Continue knitting palm and back of hand until knitting reaches just above the tip of your pinky.<br />Start decreasing here: K1, SSK, knit until 3 stitches left on row, K2tog<br /> can decrease every row or every other row depending on how long you want mitten<br /> for my stubby fingers I decrease every row – try it on as you go<br />Work decrease rows until you have about 10-12 stitches left for to desired length to finger tip.<br />Cut yarn leaving enough to weave through remaining stitches, pull tight and fasten.<br /><br />Thumb:<br />Put thumb stitches back on needles.<br />Knit across thumb and pick up one stitch from mitten body.<br />Continue knitting until thumb reaches middle of your thumb nail<br />Start decreasing here using 3 point decrease:<br /> Total number of stitches minus 2 = X<br /> First round = KnitX, K2tog<br /> Second round = Knit X-1, K2tog<br />Decrease until you have 6-8 stitches or desired length to thumb tip, then end as for hand.</span><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-47222089161924891272008-01-16T18:36:00.000-06:002008-01-16T18:58:11.833-06:00Class update<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Almost all the hats were finished today. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We will do the show and tell for them tomorrow.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><o:p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Those students who were ready moved on to learning to knit in the round on two circulars or a set of double pointed needles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It takes a little practice to keep track of all the needles, but once they felt like they got the hang of it, we started cabling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I gave them a diagram of the procedure and talked them through it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They went home with instructions to continue practicing in the round and cabling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span></span></span></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">They will also begin a swatch for the mitten – our third project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Supplies and instructions in a separate post.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: Garamond"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span></span> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-70477430578596989142008-01-15T17:37:00.000-06:002008-01-15T17:58:38.248-06:00Field trip<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">It was a warm day in sourth central Minnesota - about 20 degrees F - so we got out of the classroom and toured an alpaca farm and our local yarn store. Unfortunately I forgot to bring my camera, but you can take a virtual tour of each place by following the links. Students are writing reflection papers so I will be brief and share the best papers with you next week.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Kathy and Tyler Erlandsen hosted us at </span><a href="http://www.alpacanation.com/farmsandbreeders/03_viewfarm.asp?name=12653"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Cozy Acres Alpacas</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">, one of about 80 alpaca farms in Minnesota. I'm using yarn from their animals Myste and Prim for my hat - it's incredible stuff, like nothing else I've ever used, soft and clean, has a nice sort of shine, and a smooth feel. It's a pleasure to work with it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Our local yarn store is </span><a href="http://www.thetangledskein.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The Tangled Skein</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">, owned by Lori Witzel and Annette Engeldinger. With a population of only 10,000, St. Peter is very lucky to have such a place; it has a friendly and helpful staff and a great yarn selection.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">More to come from the students' perspectives...</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-426266190271026756.post-34978847668635261342008-01-14T19:06:00.001-06:002008-01-14T19:09:01.660-06:00Hat progress<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPmKDZ5_iEpyUdjvdOqF67ue4mV19EqVmsa9jm9y87kSYpLP4I7X69NriwRyAnWC8OUMk5W2kmnSBGGYgjOpi72kpsKY-r4o3YNOuVCclA3KMDp9iL3XEqvzR_4WRx4aQKOTpvuxkb8A/s1600-h/group_hats.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155503577858232946" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPmKDZ5_iEpyUdjvdOqF67ue4mV19EqVmsa9jm9y87kSYpLP4I7X69NriwRyAnWC8OUMk5W2kmnSBGGYgjOpi72kpsKY-r4o3YNOuVCclA3KMDp9iL3XEqvzR_4WRx4aQKOTpvuxkb8A/s320/group_hats.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Work on the hats continues. Students are knitting in the round for the first time and enjoying the fact that they don’t have to purl. Most students have found the color-stranded technique so easy that they are putting in more rows of two-color knitting than they had first planned. I have given students a couple options for ending the hat, decreasing or no decreasing.<br /><br />If you don’t want to decrease, you just knit until the hat fits your head, cut the yarn leaving 12 inches or so, thread that through the remaining stitches, pull tight and fasten. I found this on hats in Knit Your Own Norwegian Sweaters (referenced at the right). You have to add a pompon to cover the hole in the top because it will not cinch completely closed with so many stitches.<br /><br />A simple decrease is the spiral. Six spirals give you a flattish top. Take the number of stitches and divide by the number of spirals you want, and then subtract two. For example, if you have 120 stitches the math is 120 / 6 = 20 – 2 = 18. Start decrease rounds when the hat fits up to the point where your head starts to curve. When you’re ready to decrease, knit 18 stitches then knit 2 together, repeating this all the way around. On your next decrease round work one less stitch before you knit 2 together and continue to step down in that manner. Generally, if you want a tighter fitting cap, decrease every row; if a taller hat, decrease every other row, knitting a plain row in between. For a stocking cap, you can knit several rounds between decreases. Work until you have about 10 or so stitches, cut the yarn leaving 6 inches, thread through the remaining stitches, pull tight, and secure the end of the yarn on the inside of the hat.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVx38FmCV0mm0t_gyHjR2yBRblybkSl8NngI7EMIeq3giCqHKpk8-fgTXxbTrhjQC8TQ8gsJiel75MuibHzQ5yM9A3dAUNGbMMGIZCrAUp0-zjpzmDcyaxYhBSRxy2o5soQG4pWrk1i7c/s1600-h/stephy_hat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155503947225420418" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVx38FmCV0mm0t_gyHjR2yBRblybkSl8NngI7EMIeq3giCqHKpk8-fgTXxbTrhjQC8TQ8gsJiel75MuibHzQ5yM9A3dAUNGbMMGIZCrAUp0-zjpzmDcyaxYhBSRxy2o5soQG4pWrk1i7c/s200/stephy_hat.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Two hats are done, like this one that belongs to Stephy, a sophomore from Guangzhou, China. She used the decrease option but worked a double decrease similar to hats in Poems of Color, rather than knit 2 together she slipped 2 stitches as if to knit, knit 1, then passed the slipped stitches over the knit stitch. This gives straight decrease lines rather than spirals. The color work comes from 2 shades of Noro yarn with various designs drawn from Fair Isle patterns.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13