WI Says Hi

We're back from our vacation in neighboring Wisconsin. Spent a few days in Door County, which is the little "thumb" peninsula of Wisconsin surrounded by Green Bay on the west and Lake Michigan on the east. It's a very scenic place with a ton to see and do. Here are some photo highlights of the trip!


Madison, the state capitol


Green Bay


Vince Lombardi







Peninsula State Park


Pirates!


Supper time! (Fish boil)


Lake Michigan


Cave Point County Park, Lake Michigan


Cana Island Lighthouse, Lake Michigan


Washington Island Ferry pier guardian




Stavekirkje, Washington Island




Maritime Museum on Washington Island


Chippewa Falls - brewery (which is fun to type given the placement of the keys!)


Next time: a bit about my fiber finds from Door County and Washington Island.

Kaleidoscope Mittens

Here are the mittens I made for the state fair. I've also typed up the pattern and provide it here for free. Feel free to make them for personal use or gifts, but not to sell. A mention of where you found the pattern or link back to this blog if you make them would be appreciated!



Kaleidoscope Mittens
by Kim Helmick ©2010, All Rights Reserved

Materials
Fingering weight yarns: Color A: Berroco Sox-Metallic in color 1369 Papaya (bright multi)
Color B: Nature Spun from Brown Sheep in color 601F Pepper (black)

U.S. #1 (2.25mm) double point needles (set of 5)

Cast On 64 stitches using 2-color long-tail method over two needles to ensure stretchy cuff opening. (Black on thumb and multi on pointer finger.)
Distribute 16 stitches on each of four needles. Making sure cast on edge is not twisted, join in the round. Place marker for beginning of round.

Cuff will be corrugated ribbing for a total of 15 rounds as follows:
*K2 with color A; bring color B forward and P2 (color A remains in back), color B to back;* repeat. (I carry color A in my left hand since I find it easier to purl color B with my right hand in the English method I am more familiar with. Do what feels best to you.)

Hand Pattern:
Row 1-3: Knit around with color B.
Rows 4 & 5: *K2 color B; K2 color A* repeat around.
Rows 6 & 7: Knit around with color B.

Repeat rows 4-7 six times. (There should be a total of 7 completed colored block sections above your cuff.)

Thumb Gusset, right mitten (thumb gusset and thumb will be solid black, color B)
Round 1– Needles 1-3: *K2 color B, K2 color A across. Needle 4: K2 color B; K2 color
A; place marker for beginning of gusset increases and K1 (color B throughout), M1R, K1,
M1L, K1, place marker to indicate end of gusset section; K1 color A, K2 color B, K2 color A, K2 color B, K2 color A.

Round 2 – Knit around in established pattern. When you reach the gusset stitches knit them in color B begin mindful to tack down your carried color as you go. (This is especially important as the gusset gets wider!)

Continue to knit in the pattern of 2 rows of 2x@ color blocks and 2 rows of plain black.
On Round 3 you will increase the thumb gusset again by slipping the 1st marker, K1, M1R and then knitting the gusset stitches in black (tacking down your colored yarn which is being carried behind!) until you reach the last stitch before 2nd marker. M1L and knit the last stitch, slip the marker and continue on in pattern. Increase the gusset every-other row until there are 17 stitches between the markers.

When there are 17 sts between the gusset markers: knit around in pattern to the first marker. Place the 17
gusset sts onto stitch holder. Using backwards loop method, cast on 3 stitches to right needle and finish knitting stitches to end of 4th needle. You will be picking up the gusset stitches from the holder later to knit the thumb.

Left mitten gusset: Will be done in same fashion as the right, except it will be worked on needle 1 rather than needle 4 as follows:
Round 1: Knit first 8 sts on needle 1 in pattern; place marker, K1, M1R, K1, M1L, K1, place marker. Continue row in pattern.

Round 2: following established pattern, knit around evenly. (Don’t forget to tack down the colored yarn you are carrying behind the extra gusset sts! Make sure it’s not tight or you won’t have room for your thumb.)

Continue to knit in the pattern of 2 rows of 2x@ color blocks and 2 rows of plain black.
On Round 3 you will increase the thumb gusset again by slipping the 1st marker, K1, M1R and then knitting the gusset stitches in black (tacking down your colored yarn which is being carried behind!) until you reach the last stitch before 2nd marker. M1L and knit the last stitch, slip the marker and continue on in pattern. Increase the gusset every-other row until there are 17 stitches between the markers.

When you have put the gusset stitches onto a holder and have 16 stitches on each needle once more, continue knitting the hand of your mitten until it measures 1" short of your tallest finger tip, ending with a 2x2 color block section if possible. Cut color A (multi) leaving 3"-6" tail to weave in at end.

Finger tip decreases (worked in color B [black] only)
Round 1 – Needle 1: knit to last 3 sts; K2tog, K1
Needle 2: K1, ssk, knit to end of needle
Needle 3: knit to last 3 sts; K2tog, K1
Needle 4: K1, ssk, knit to end

Rounds 2 & 3 – knit around
Round 4 – repeat as for round 1
Round 5 – knit around
Repeat rounds 4 and 5 until 10 sts remain on each needle. Then do the decrease rounds only until 3 sts remain on each needle. Knit to end of needle 1 and graft the mitten tip together using Kitchener stitch.

Thumbs (worked in color B [black] only)
Place the 17 sts from the holder onto 2 needles. Pick up 7 sts from sides/back of opening. Redistribute these 24 stitches so that there are 8 sts on each of three needles.
Knit around until thumb is ½" short of the tip of your thumb. Decrease as follows:
Round 1: K4, K2tog around all sts.
Round 2: K3, K2tog around
Round 3: K2, K2tog around
Round 4: K1, K2tog around
Round 5: K2tog around

Cut yarn leaving 6" tail. Thread tail onto tapestry needle and run through the remaining sts twice. Remove needles, pull tight and move to inside of thumb (through center of tip) to secure.

Sew in your ends.

Abbreviations: CO = cast on; K = knit; P = purl; sts = stitches; M1R = make 1 right (pick up bar between sts from behind and knit into front of st); M1L = make 1 left (pick up bar between sts from front and knit into back of st); K2tog = knit 2 together; ssk = slip, slip, knit (slip one as if to knit, slip one as if to purl, insert left needle and knit the two slipped sts together)

KC & The Sunshine

I went to Kansas City last Friday-Saturday. This is the full extent of my photos from said trip:



Yeah, I took the camera with me and didn't shoot a single frame. Lame, I know.

I did get quite a lot of knitting done on the state fair mittens. As I have only the second thumb left to do, I plan on finishing that off tonight and then photographing them...so stay tuned for pictures.

Just before I left for KC, however, I got an email from Quayside publishers in regards to Annie Modesitt's newest book, 1000 Fabulous Knitted Hats. I am one of the contributors to the book! Here's a peek at the cover:



They are using a photo of the knotty-cable rimmed beanie I did in the maroon yarn a couple years ago. You can find the pattern here. (If you stop by to get the pattern because you saw it in the book, please leave a comment!!)

Needless to say, that put some sunshine in my day(s)!!

Happy knitting!

Busy Bee

I've been thinking about that phrase "water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink" lately. Probably because it's been raining off and on (mostly on) for a week or so with more in the forecast for the days ahead. Also, for some reason the saying leaves me with a feeling of frantic exasperation and exhaustion which is what I've been feeling this week.

I'm going to be doing the super-mom thing and escort my DD to Kansas City this Friday/Saturday so she can spend time with a friend from college. But it means that everything I need to have done for work must be done by 5 pm today. That has left me in a mild to moderate panic much of the week since this is my big (& FINAL) deadline week at the magazine. (It goes to print on Monday.)

All of which is to say, there hasn't been much by way of knitting or photography (that's not magazine related) this week.

I have eeked out a few moments here and there to pick up the needles (or let's face it, I would have been checked into the mental ward by now!)

I finished the anklets I was knitting.





Because they're just little anklets, I had half the skein left over. It's such pretty, sparkly yarn I felt the sirens' call to turn the rest into a mitten project for the state fair. So I cast on for those a couple evenings ago.



I think the black really makes the colors in the variegated yarn pop. What do you think?

Anyone else out there find that just a few minutes to knit (or sew, or read, or write, etc.) is the perfect antidote to the stresses of everyday life?

Knitting & The Road

Well, school finally finished up this past Monday (thanks again Mother Nature for all those delightful snow days this past winter!) and life has not settled into a summer routine yet. (Unless chaos counts. In which case, we have it covered.)

I have been knitting the past couple of weeks. Here's a FO (finished object) to prove it! (& two more projects in the works!)





I knit this little shrug for my 6 yr. old niece from the Canadian Worsted hand-dyed yarn I received from Caffeine Girl's blog. It turned out really well....I just hope it fits!

I started some socks (no big surprise there! socks are my "go to" project year-round.) I like the colorway which I picked up at Knitted Together in West Des Moines. The little touch of sparkle is fun and the colors remind me of tropical fish for some reason I am unable to explain. I'm just doing anklets as these feel like summer socks to me.



Also OTN (on the needles) is the Diana entrelac shawl I cast on late last week. I had a difficult time getting started. I had to frog the second tier 7 times before I finally got in the groove. I have now completed 4 tiers.



If you find it difficult to see, there is a lace leaf in the center of each little entrelac block. Every other tier, the leaves go in opposite directions. I thought this yarn from Knit Picks would be nice because the colors remind me of fall foliage. But in truth I'm not sure I'm happy with it. Something with longer color changes so that each block was a solid color would be better I think. I may pull out my JoJoland Melody and see what it looks like.

I've also been out and about shooting photos with my DD who is really a wonderful photographer in her own right. We went up to Humboldt and Dakota City and I came back with these last week:

Memorial Day 2010

It's One Of THOSE Days

We've all been there, right?

TGIF!

Have a great holiday weekend!

For the Record

It always amazed me when we would take trips with the youth at church the number of kids who had not been away from either this town, this county or this state. I realized quickly how lucky I've been to have grown up in a family where we got to vacation every year. (Granted, many of those vacations were spent here in Iowa, not far from home at Iowa's Great Lakes....Okoboji, but we managed to insert a few trips to neighboring states from time to time as well.)

I'm also fortunate to have married someone who likes to travel too. And we've been very blessed to be able to take our kids on the road for a vacation each year as well. Travel widens your perspective. It allows you to broaden your mind. When you visit places different than where you from you have the chance to become more inclusive, tolerant and compassionate. It also makes you appreciate things about your own native spot as well. (I really believe Iowa is a beautiful place with great things to see and do!)

I opened my map and colored in the places we've visited.



It made me realize that there are regions of the country I have yet to explore! I've always wanted to visit New England and the Pacific Northwest. (Of course, Hawaii and Alaska!!) As the kids get off to college and traveling during parts of the year OTHER than summer becomes feasible, I'm sure DH & I will get the chance to see parts of the south and desert SW too. (Too hot for me in summer!!)

I've only been to one province of Canada too. Would love to see British Columbia and Newfoundland (& Prince Edward Island!) [Did anyone else see that PBS program a few years ago where they traveled across Canada by rail from east to west? It made me want to follow the same route!]

Well, enough dreaming of the open road for now. It's time to get to work!

Happy trails!

Caught A Bug

The semi-annual travel bug seems to have bitten again. I'm in the mood to hit the road! Since we don't have time away scheduled for weeks yet, I'm settling for revisiting past vacations. I've been working my way through some photo enhancing tutorials for photoshop and played around with some of my favorite photos. Enjoy!

From last year's trip to St. Louis . . .



. . . visiting the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.



My personal favorite destination, Colorado:


Rocky Mountain National Park (Estes Park, CO)



Along the road from Vail to Leadville, CO



A view of the mountains from the cabin in Tennessee:




The beach of the cabin we rented in the Keweenaw on the Upper Penninsula of Michigan:



The world is such a beautiful place, and I've seen such a miniscule part of it! Can't wait to get out on the open road and see more!

Happy shooting/travels/knitting!

Hmmmm . . .

What does this:



have in common with this:


???????????????????

Well, together they make up this:



Pretty drastic example of sock yarn gone potentially bad.

The cuff seems to be striping in this mock cable stitch pattern I'm using.

But when I got to the stockinette foot, forget it! It's pooling, BIG time!

I suppose it might drive some folks crazy.

I've decided I like it.

Also, I have entered the extremely tedious "ruffle" section of my second Citron shawlette and it occurs to me I haven't shown you the color. It's blue. BRIGHT blue.



Apparently I don't have too many problems knitting the shawlettes. It's the blocking that is tripping me up. (So far there are two in the queue ahead of this one!)

Happy Knitting!

No Knitting, But Ornate Nonetheless

So I have been knitting, I just don't have any photographic evidence because none of it is at an interesting point to photograph.

I did go to a local cemetery with my DD to shoot some photos the other day. As we were leaving, I noticed the fence and couldn't help shooting a few more photos.



How many times have I been to any number of cemeteries and NOT noticed the fence?? (Those of you who may be unaware, I spent 13 years as a Lutheran pastor in a large parish and did an average of 30 funerals per year. That's a LOT of trips to the cemetery!)



I thought this fence was really cool. (Although I wondered if anyone of a faith other than Christian would be buried within.) It is one of the older cemeteries in the county--and is a township cemetery, not associated with a church. Many of the graves have stones with death dates in the 1860's to 1880's.

I find gravestones and their symbols quite fascinating. It's the last "testament" a person makes about who he or she was and what he or she believed or held dear. (Or what those who said good-bye and made the arrangements thought about you!) The older the cemetery, the better.

On that note, have a great weekend!

Citron

I finished knitting the Citron shawlette several days ago and never got around to photographing it. (I haven't blocked it yet either, so perhaps that explains the lack of photo....)

I knit it from Knit Picks Kettle Dye Shadow (100% Merino) in the Grasshopper colorway. (I kept calling it lettuce because it reminded me of young, spring lettuce....but alas, it's called Grasshopper.)

My guage is off a bit, so I think this one will be a tad smaller than called for. (The pattern wanted 6 spi and I was getting 7 spi with the US #6 needle.) I started a second one using a US #7 in hopes of getting correct guage this time.

I like the look of this little shoulder warmer. It's a very easy knit. However the last dozen rows with 550+ stitches per row tend to take a while.

The pattern can be found at www.knitty.com if you're interested!

Happy knitting!

ps....on the moth front: she laid a bunch of eggs in the iris bed before disappearing. We'll see what comes of her efforts.

A Visitor!

We have been treated to a show by nature the last two days.

Last fall I noticed something near the roots of the iris bed which I assumed a dog had left behind. (Albeit a dog with a HIGH fiber diet!)

Then yesterday morning when I went out to take DS to school, we saw this in the iris bed.



(As a reference, the body of this moth is the size of my thumb.)

After that we left town to move DD home from college. (Don't ask me how the first year can be over already.....it seems like we just moved her in!!)

I did a little research on line with Iowa State Extension last night when we discovered our furry little visitor was still on the iris. It is a polyphemus moth, the 2nd largest moth/insect in the state of Iowa.

Much to my surprise, it's still here this morning. Today it has taken full shape and looks like this.






Isn't it lovely?? I'm not sure I've ever seen one of these before and I think it's amazing. We had a cold night last night, so I'm glad to see it gathering some solar energy this morning.

The web info says they hang in one spot during the day, then fly at night. Apparently the adult moths only live for a couple of weeks because they are unable to eat. Their sole purpose for those 14 days is to reproduce.

Off to work now!
Happy shooting/knitting!

Underneath

Went out to photograph some bridges in the area for my son's engineering class today. Here are a few shots.












I also managed to capture the moment a train was crossing the high bridge. (And played around with it in Photoshop!)



A quick update on my father.....seems his surgery went well and he is doing well. He hopes to go home on Monday already!

In knitting news, I've completed the first four sections of the shawlette, Citron, from Knitty.com. I'm using Knit Picks Shadow (lace weight merino) in the colorway, "Lettuce." It is going to be lovely, but a bit small as my gauge is off a bit. C'est la vie!

Happy shooting and knitting!