What's Your (Knitting) Bag? Jordana Paige Quinn Bag Review

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that you've had a chance to catch your breath and catch up on some sleep! We enjoyed a nice Christmas Eve with my family and have just returned from spending the rest of the time with my husband's family. The best parts were getting to visit with everyone and find out all the latest news, eat delicious food and, of course, exchange gifts with those we love!

Being a mostly practical and thrifty person, I've used an old messenger bag (purchased years ago for 50 cents at a church rummage sale) as my main knitting and crochet bag. However, as a knitting designer I have a lot of stuff to haul around and my old bag was pathetically inadequate. My sweet husband knows I love to be organized and so for Christmas he surprised me with a new project bag, Jordana Paige's new Quinn model. 

The Deep Purple colorway, pebble grain faux leather, and chic design are nice to look at, but make no mistake, this bag is a real workhorse from the outside in with many outstanding features.

The extra tall top flaps can fold over and be zipped closed for security, but even when I filled the bag to the brim with yarn and projects, the handles still fit over my shoulder. The double zipper opens all the way down the flap sides so the flaps fold over flat, providing a smooth, non-snagging surface for yarn.

I also like the sturdy handles, zippers and hardware, feet to protect the bottom of the bag, outside pockets on both sides of the top flaps, 

and two main compartments divided by a third, zippered compartment.

The main compartments include multiple slots and pockets for yarn, needles, hooks, or other tools. Two additional zippered pockets as well as a small, detachable zippered case are useful for stitch markers, cable and tapestry needles. Working yarn can be fed through snap loops to avoid tangles.

 

Quinn feels sturdy, so I hope it keeps me going for at least another decade or more. Thanks for stopping by today, I hope this review was helpful to you. I also wish all my readers a very happy, healthy and safe New Year 2014!



One last note: For some reason, Blogger has not been allowing me to comment or write in the comments section of my own blog for some time. I will have to look into this soon, but I very much appreciate the time everyone has taken to read my blog and to leave me comments. Thank you!!

New Bosc Scarf Knitting Pattern & Recipe

I've long been intrigued with the idea of trying to capture the delicate beauty and intricacy of Japanese-style knitting stitches in a simple, approachable way. A way that would be fun for experienced and newer knitters alike, especially those who love the look of these types of stitches but are perhaps a little unsure of trying something that may appear rather scary.

With this technical concept in mind, the idea for the design of my newest knitting pattern was begun, aesthetically inspired by the beauty of ripe pears, the most elegant of which, in my opinion, are the Bosc variety.

I love their gold, green and russet hues, graceful curving shapes, and sweet but subtle flavor. 

When I found Quince and Co. Lark worsted weight yarn and saw the rich "honey" colorway I knew I had a match for my project.

 

The 100% wool yarn is soft enough for a scarf, with excellent drape for a yarn of this sort, but the twist still has a nice amount of body to give structure to the stitch pattern and to the scarf itself as it drapes around the neck - all details that were important to me as I selected yarn for this design, the Bosc Scarf, available here on my blog or on my designer page at Ravelry.com.

The scarf's texture is created with very basic stitches. Simple increases and decreases as well as easy cables shape the lines into a semblance of a pear shape and leaves (although you might very well see tulips and that is OK too!), separated by vertical lines of rippling eyelets.

I knit all of the cables without a cable needle; many excellent videos and tutorials for this technique can be found on Youtube or in this video from Knittinghelp.com or on the Grumperina.com or  Knitting Daily websites.

Lace ends grow organically into and out of Bosc's main stitch pattern, so the project is knit straight through from cast on to bind off with no grafting or provisional cast on necessary. The ends can be blocked either straight across or into a scalloped shape as I have done in the example here. 

A sleek corded edge is built into the knitting by slipping stitches as you go. This small detail keeps an elaborate stitch combination modern and un-cluttered (I love lace and cables but wanted to avoid a fussy look).  

Large charts as well as written instructions are included, and tips for adapting the length are given, offering multiple options for knitters.

The entire project began late last summer just as the pears were coming into season and I began experimenting with recipes for this fruit. Bosc pears are excellent for cooking as they retain much of their shape and flavor when baked or poached, although many other varieties cook nicely as well. 

One of my favorite pear dishes poaches the fruit in champagne with vanilla, and I hope you will give them a try and see just how lovely they can be.

Champagne Poached Vanilla Pears

Ingredients 

1 bottle champagne (any sparkling wine will suffice, or non-alcoholic version if you prefer) 
1 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)

1/4 tsp. lemon zest 

1  4" vanilla bean - split lengthwise

2 firm Bosc pears - peeled but with stems intact (slightly underripe is ideal)
Optional garnishes - dark chocolate, star anise, bay leaves

Directions

In a saucepan just large enough to hold pears and liquid, combine first four ingredients. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce to a simmer. Gently lower pears into the simmering liquid until fully submerged.

Cover pan and simmer for 15 minutes, baste with liquid occasionally, avoid stirring. Finished pears should be tender and easily pierced with a fork; very firm pears may need up to an additional 5-15 minutes of cooking time. Allow to cool in liquid for at least 20-30 minutes before serving.

Pears may be served immediately, or wrapped tightly and stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. To serve, place a single pear upright on a small plate, spoon a small amount of liquid over pear. I love to garnish these pears with small squares of extra dark chocolate, or for a festive look try adding a star anise and a single bay leaf, if desired.

I hope you enjoy making this recipe, it is a light, but delicious, dish to keep in mind with Christmas and New Year's celebrations approaching. If you decide to make either the scarf or the pears, I'd love to know! Bon appétit and happy knitting!

Pattern Inspiration and Quince & Co. Lark Yarn Review

This autumn's harvest brought a bounty of delicious fruits and vegetables - enough inspiration to fuel the imagination of any epicure for months to come. But even before they delighted my taste buds, I found these pears were a treat for the eye.

I love their silhouette, proportions, and rich tones of green and gold tinged with a subtle hint of russet.The attributes of these gorgeous pears inspired some of the ideas I had when working out the stitch pattern and carried over even to choosing yarn for a pattern design. After much consideration chose Quince & Co.'s Lark yarn. basket photo Quinceandco.com

 

Lark is a beautiful, reasonably priced, American-spun, worsted weight yarn plied with enough air to give it a slightly woolly texture and just enough cushion to soften the look and feel of the stitches (while not losing definition in a sculptural stitch pattern like the one I designed for this project).

 

Available in lovely solid colors, Quince & Co. has recently added a few heathers to Lark's range as well. Shade cards can be ordered from the Quince & Co. website.

 

I knit up several variations of the new designs, tweaking them until they captured what I had in mind, and the first pattern to be ready for test-knitting is a scarf. The scarf's texture is formed mainly by simple lace and cable stitches that look difficult but are actually easy and fairly fast to knit.

Lark stood up well to repeated frogging and re-knitting, even considering the constant manipulation of stitches required when working cables and lace, and just felt wonderful to knit with. I look forward to trying the other yarns in the Quince & Co. lineup!

That's it for now, I'm still knitting away on the next item in the set. The scarf should be ready for publication sometime in December.

Rhinebeck Review - aka New York State Sheep & Wool Festival

At long last, I had the opportunity to visit the famed New York State Sheep & Wool Festival (commonly referred to as "Rhinebeck" because of it's location), as the first part of our vacation this year.  

Having read endless raves and reviews of past years' shows, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect - barns full of magnificent yarn, fiber and knitting and spinning supplies, fleece and fiber-animal competitions, workshops, people, food, food and more food, and lots of fun. On every item, Rhinebeck fulfilled those expectations, but I had some reservations as well. 

We arrived about 30 minutes prior to the show opening on Saturday, and had plenty of good parking choices near a secondary gate. After sitting in the car knitting for a while, we purchased wristbands for entry - $17 for a two-day pass - and joined the growing queue.

 

The fairgrounds where the show is held are clean, beautifully landscaped and easy to navigate.

The autumn trees are lovely and there are food opportunities everywhere from the giant building full of food and wine vendors

to local 4-H kids raising funds, to fair-type food like cotton candy.

A fun part of the show for me was meeting up with my knitting friends Lynn, shown here in the Brooks Farm booth,

and Andrea, a workshop teacher at this year's event.

I kept a sharp eye on Ravelry badges, hoping to see names from my friends list, but was disappointed to not find any Rav friends. However, in the photo below are a few Ravelry designer faces (and backsides), including Ysolda Teague, Stephen West and others.

Muddy fields and parking lots, hard pavement and changing weather conditions mean comfortable shoes and layered clothing are a must.

Of course, knits were everywhere to be seen and a favorite part of the experience for me was admiring all the hard work displayed by thousands of knitters.

The only unpleasant part of the show for me was from about 12-2 PM on Saturday, when the buildings became so crowded that you were literally pushed along with a solid mass of people. Stopping to look or enter a booth was difficult, and I was concerned for mobility-challenged folks with walkers, and for  those pushing baby strollers.

Lines to have knitting books signed by the author were long, with one of the longest being to meet Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, aka the Yarn Harlot.

This photo was taken on Sunday when things were much calmer.

Of course for knitters, the fiber and yarn were the stars of the show and there was something there to tempt every taste. I especially loved selections from Briar Rose (always a favorite),

 
Spirit Trail Fiberworks, and The Sanguine Gryphon

It seems I'm also smitten with this skein of gray Miss Babs Yummy Sock yarn - what a surprise...

There are other interesting things to peruse in addition to fiber, like jewelry, baskets and farmer's market apples.

  
A pumpkin-carving expert displayed some creative items.

I saved the animals for Sunday so I could really take my time to enjoy interacting with them. A large part of the show is centered around fiber animal competitions and there were plentiful opportunities to touch the animals,

learn about them,

 
watch them being prepared for showing,

and competing with their handlers.

 
This little goat was so friendly and sweet.

My husband and I had a wonderful time and I look forward to visiting again sometime. Although it was a terrific show, for me it is not a yearly 'must-do' event, as there are so many other great fiber events held around the US that I'd like to visit. But Rhinebeck is certainly one I will keep on my list.

New Knitting Pattern - KATRIEL Shawl

Hi everyone, I'm very happy to announce the release of my newest knitting pattern - the Katriel shawl!

This pattern is part of a shawl duo I designed last spring (including my Sothia shawl pattern) and features some similar characteristics including Sothia's wide, shallow triangle shape, graphic garter-stitch stripes and neat eyelet border.   

Katriel, offers knitters who are pressed for time (or short on yarn!) the option of a quick-knit project with the same classic look of Sothia, but with a fast, easy picot bind off edging rather than Sothia's ruffle.  And adding to the easy-breezy nature of the Katriel pattern are lots of photos, tips and detailed instructions to help along the way.

This pattern has been extensively test knit by some super knitters - I want to give a giant THANK YOU to Jessica, Laurie, and Gerald. 

The new pattern calls for just two skeins of fingering-weight, madeleinetosh Tosh Merino Light yarn, but most fingering-weight yarns will work well for this design, making it a terrific stash-buster for all those gorgeous sock yarns you've been hoarding ('fess up now!).  And like Sothia, Katriel is a perfect showcase for those fantastic solid and semi-solid hand-dyed sock yarns for those not interested in stripes.

Both of these shawls used less than a full ball of every color - about 80 grams of each.

The light, fingering-weight yarn lends itself well to four-season wear, perfect for a cozy, extra layer during cold months, as well as for wearing over sleeveless tops and dresses during cool summer evenings or in air-conditioned settings. 

A wide triangle shape is truly versatile, giving the shawl a long, scarf-like proportion great for tucking into a coat, draping around the neck,

or simply throwing over the shoulders for a little extra warmth or as a colorful accent accessory.

Last April's verdant moss along a gravel trail inspired the gray and yellow-green (grellow?) version. 

I enjoyed knitting with Tosh Merino Light (see a full TML review here), and after a summer of use, all of my shawls look great, albeit slightly fuzzed, but in a nice way. For such a soft-touch singles yarn, TML has a good resistance to pilling so far.

However, those things said, TML relaxed and grew in gauge in varying degrees, with wet blocking, depending on color.  Some skeins from the same dye-lot seemed to have a lot more twist than the others, so blocking your swatch is an absolute must!

I knit a second version (or perhaps I should say first as it was the prototype) in lavender, rose and green Noro Taiyo Sock striped with soft heather gray Dale of Norway Baby Ull yarns. 

This version took it's cue from the spring cranesbill geranium and grape hyacinths growing near a rock in my garden.

A caveat about Taiyo Sock yarn - although it's very pretty, it was annoying to work with.  The fiber has a terrible tendency to stick to itself and become tangled in knots as the ball is pulled from the center. I much prefer Noro's lovely Silk Garden Sock for this sort of look and would choose that, rather than Taiyo, if knitting this shawl again.  

Both Katriel and Sothia are available as individual, stand-alone patterns, or as a value set of two patterns, at a special price, through the Ravelry shopping cart. To receive the discount, just add both patterns to your shopping cart first, then enter the coupon code Sothiaknitter at checkout.

I want to especially thank YOU, my blog-friends, for all the kind comments and enthusiasm for my design both here and on Ravelry, I really appreciate it!