Saturday, March 09, 2013

One For the Road

I'm off to Denver tomorrow for a pretty exciting new adventure. I'm shooting a class for Craftsy.  Friends of mine (Gwen Bortner, Amy Detjen, Edie Eckman, Fiona Ellis, et al.) have already done it and have nothing but raves about the experience. I look forward to trying it for myself, and have been enjoying not only working up new samples (topic to be announced, so I can't show them to you yet) but picking my outfits.

Bow ties. Absolutely bow ties. I've always loved them. It's nice to be able to come by good ones easily again.

bt

Before I leave, here's one more nineteenth century edging from Weldon's Practical Knitter that you might like to play with. It's called "Willow Leaf," and it makes me long to sweep everything off my to-do list and work this all the way around a throw for the armchair I knit in.

willow-edging

CO 12 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Row 1. Yo, k1, yo, k2, k2tog, k2tog, k2, yo, k2tog, k1.
Row 2 and all even rows. Sl 1, k1, p10.
Row 3. Yo, k3, yo, k1, k2tog, k2tog, k1, yo, k2otg, k1.
Row 5. Yo, k5, yo, k2tog, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k1.
Row 7. Yo, k3, k2tog, k2, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k1.
Row 8. As row 2.

Repeat rows 1-8.

You'd want to use this in a closed loop situation, of course–a pillowcase, a handkerchief, a cuff–because as you can see, an open stretch of it is going to give you odd shapes at the beginning and end. I suppose you could sit down and figure out something to take care of that, but you'll have to do it because I have to go to bed.

The Fiber Factor

You've probably already heard about The Fiber Factor, Skacel's forthcoming Web series that will put a group of aspiring handknits designers through their paces. I'm excited–I get to be a guest judge. I'm already pondering which sunglasses to wear; and practicing saying, "This confuses me," while tilting my head like a dimwitted puppy.

Applications for spots on the series are still open, but not for long. If you're going to toss your knitted hat into the ring, you only have until March 24. Opportunity, as that nice Mr Sondheim wrote in Into the Woods, is not a lengthy visitor.

26 comments:

Bill J said...

Help!
Where's the pattern for Willow Leaf?

MerryBrown said...

OMG, another reason to sign on for a Craftsy Class! I already have one with Amy Detjen, and now you? This looks like a new fiber type addiction developing. Lovely!

Bill J said...

Thank you!
It wasn't there when I first looked...

FiberQat said...

I would love to do Fiber Factor but my hands would never forgive me the torture I would put them through.

Very pretty edging! Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

Sondheim. with all due respect.

Baileysgirl said...

Re bow ties -
You mean you haven't got a wide and varied selection of hand-knitted ones?

janna said...

I love this edging - my favorite so far, although they've all been lovely!

tismeinaz said...

I am watching a crafty class currently.

Btw: I like bow ties, bow ties are cool. (Doctor Who)

NikkiSpins said...

The Craftsy class is exciting - I would take the class just because it's you, in bowties!!

Also, the edgings are beautiful, and perfect timing since my grandma gave me a table runner with no edging, so that I could make the edging. Hopefully that Craftsy class with teach us how to sew these edges onto a piece of non-knitted fabric? *hint, hint*

Overstap said...

OMG...you will be doing a Craftsy class..be sure to wear at last 10 different outfits...and..I definitely will buy that class! Ofcourse for the subject..but More... to have you here at home live..in real...every minute I want you..in the shower..at my workplace..in the livingroom..in bed...OOOOOO...Our Friendship is going to a deeper level..
XXXJan

Dan said...

If you're a bow tie wearer, Franklin, come check out my Etsy shop, as I make silk bow ties (& neckties), with custom sizing available

http://www.VaVaNeckwear.com

Carie @ Space for the Butterflies said...

Bow ties are definitely the way to go!

Marta said...

Welcome to Denver! No chance of a class for the minions? Will you stay a couple days? It's nice that you get to see how very different Colorado snow is from Illinois snow ;)

Kamigaeru said...

Paisley! Excellent choice, good sir.

Lizz said...

Sondheim reference just absolutely made my day!

coolquacker said...

Visiting us in the land of no air? Remember to drink lots and lots of water. And bring lotion. It's a coloradan's best accessory. After bow ties, of course.

Seanna Lea said...

I would love to do the Skacel design contest, but I would be woefully outmatched I'm sure. Instead I'll be happy to watch from the sidelines and hope that they do it again!

Pam Sykes (aka Pretty Knitty) said...

Love the bow ties, and the edging. At one time, I had lace edgings on my cupboard shelves....you are making me consider this again, and I think I am excited at the prospect! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Can you tell us what class you are going to be teaching? (inquiring minds....)

Susan Sitze said...

Please, please, please don't let them shoot your class changing the angle all the time! The intro to your sewing machine class can only be watched in 5 minute increments before my brain explodes from them changing the camera angle....for no apparent purpose.

Anonymous said...

THanks for the leaf edging - I love it.

Also, nice ties!

JENNIFER FAULKNER said...

I will sign up for your Craftsy class because it's you - and I'll learn something new! I've never had the opportunity to take one of your classes and now I'll be able to.

Anonymous said...

I'm not plugging here, but if u have the inclination, or time I saw a great tutorial on making your own bow ties. I would love to learn to make them though my hub would never wear one :-(...shameful waste of a man's neck.

https://www.professorpincushion.com/professorpincushion/bow-tie/

NiCaam
nldcam@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Hi Franklin! I (re)found your blog today after too many years away from knitting and just can't stop reading. The bowties (of all things!!) made me smile this morning. My 10-year old son wears one every single day!
So happy to have stumbled back onto your knitting.
Jackie, from (the former) Wool Gathering in Kennett Square, Pa - remember us from your 1,000 Knitters project?

Jerome Carter said...

So if I wanted to use your Willow Leaf pattern, what would I need to do to get permission? Or is this just a question of not sharing your post?

Very nice design by the way,
--jerome

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