Knitscene preview

Has anyone seen the new Knitscene for Winter/Spring 2010? Here's a preview. I've never bought a Knitscene magazine before, but I got really excited about this issue and will look for it when it hits the newsstands in a couple of weeks.

What I like about it is that it has a lot of reasonable sweaters that are long enough to fit me. I just spent some time looking through my old Interweave Knits, and while I was reaquainted with some things I'd like to make, there are many things I would not wear because they are too weird or too short. In my opinion, long-waisted people like me should avoid cropped sweaters. It's taken me a while to figure that out, but I think I look better in more fitted things that hit just below my waist. And I don't like a draft on my back :o)

Anyway, here are a few of my favorite things from this issue:


Connie Chang Chinchio's Tudor Henley done in all wool DK weight. I love the cables on the cuffs.


Berrocco Design Team's Ninebark Cowl. Look how cute the cowl is! Each knitter can put all her favorite colors in the cowl.


Heather raglan by Cecily Glowick Macdonald. Simple and wearable. Made in Classic Elite Inca Marl, a 100% alpaca, this would be a luxury to wear.



Debbie O'Neill's Equinox Raglan in Noro Silk Garden. I guess knitting it in the round makes the stripes smaller and also gets the stripes to match on the sleeves. I'm not a big fan of wearing Noro, although this colorway is awfully cute.


Those are just some of the sweaters I like--there are also accessories, a couple of lovely shawls, and some guy stuff as well. Looks like an awesome issue.

Mountains of Noro

I've started a new project that is supposed to last me all year. It's Lizard Ridge, an afghan pattern by Laura Aylor, that can be found for free on Knitty. It's a very popular pattern on Ravelry: 1,355 knitters have made their own version of this colorful blanket.


The blanket is made with Noro Kureyon of all colors. I started mine with 7 balls from Skein Scene, which had the best prices I could find anywhere (although I just checked and they've gone up $1.50 a ball since I bought mine Saturday--they're now $7.95). After I've done these 7 squares, I'll see where I stand, color-wise, and adjust accordingly. I thought it was very hard to pick colors on a computer monitor, so the remaining colors I may buy at local shops so I can see what I'm getting.

I planned this to be a gift for my mom for Christmas (I'm really ahead of the hounds here!), and thought to make it a 4 x 4 square lap blanket she can use while watching t.v. in the evenings. But the squares are going so fast I may add on to it.

The waves are made using short rows. When you take the finished square off the needles, it has an "egg carton" look to it. But it flattens out nicely after steaming:


My 6-year-old assistant has chosen the next color from the ones he's holding:

New beginnings

Its a new year, and I've started a new drawing. This is Maggie, a Sheltie who lives across the street. Shelties are known to be quite intelligent, and she is a smart little thing, although she barks a lot and doesn't like children. Our neighbor Tim takes her out in a DoggyRide bike trailer and she runs alongside it, and when they come to an intersection she'll jump in the trailer. This isn't her in the picture, by the way, but just shows the trailer. DoggyRide is a local company and their trailers are super cute.


Anyway, I digress. The drawing is in colored pencil and it's been fun to work on so far, but I've only put in a few hours on it. It will fit an 8 x 10" frame when it's done.

As another new beginning, I've also been looking at some style books to figure out what clothes look best on me. I had a friend come over and help me sort out which colors work for me and which don't, and then I went through all the clothes in my closet, moving along or consigning things that I haven't been wearing anyway or which no longer work for me because of size, color or age (mine and the clothes'). These books are great, very helpful, and offer good advice on what colors to try and what shapes are most flattering to my shape.

I hope to carry this over to my knitting and find projects that are both the right color and the right style. Haven't purged any yarn yet but I do have quite a few things I'm willing to part with on my sale/trade page on Ravelry (where I'm JulesM). I did not get rid of any of my handknitted garments, by the way. I have in the past moved along some of my knits, such as my very first sweater, but wish I still had them for nostalgic reasons.


One of the treasures I bought myself with a Christmas gift card is this really cool book Reversible Knitting by Lynne Barr. The book has 50 reversible stitch patterns, so I can have hours of fun making swatches. There are 20 projects as well. I haven't sorted out whether the shapes or styles would actually suit me, but the projects look so fun I might have to try something regardless.