Tips for knitting on vacation

The 'Up North' Blanket

I love bringing my projects with me on vacation! There's likely plenty of downtime for knitting during transition, whether you're taking the plane or roadtripping. The best part is when you've finished the project and you have a great memento of your journey. "Oh hey, remember that time we went to ___? Yeah, whenever I wear this ___ I remember our together there." Basically, this is how to make a meaningful gift.

So recently I went to this magical place we Minnesotans call "Up North," so I had a good 5 hours of roadtrip time to start a baby blanket. Verbena Pima Cotton from KnitPicks, US Size 8 Bamboo circs. (CO 131 sts, work garter stitch for 1.5 inches, continue garter stitch for 1.5 inches on each side for border, work seed stitch in between)

I've been vacation-knitting for a long time, so I've picked up some great tips that I'd like to share with you lovely folks.

On the road again... this time with yarn

• Definitely carpool while vacationing on the road! It makes for epic stories, but more importantly it allows you to free your hands for knitting at least half the time.
• Listen to something awesome with your carpool buddies, whether that be a prearranged playlist, podcasts, or an audiobook. For podcasts I recommend Welcome to Nightvale or  The Cracked Podcast.  And for audiobooks I've enjoyed Nick Offerman's new book, Paddle Your Own Canoe and Tina Fey's book Bossypants. Both of these books are read by the authors (squee!). And of course for music, there's the Les Miserables or 80's Rock stations on Pandora.
• This might just be me, but I love using circs even when knitting something flat. They work really well for traveling, especially for someone like me who could lose a second straight needle within seconds of sitting down. 
• Put your yarn in a zippered bag so you don't end up stepping on it or godforbid letting it fall out of the car door and into a puddle when you get out. Ladies, this is why we have large purses. Knitting menfolk, Duluth Pack has excellent manly bag choices in canvas, leather, and wool options. Or if you're a die-hard Vikings fan you can buy a piece of Minnesota history with a Domer bag, made out of the old Metrodome stadium fabric. 
• Do you snack on long car rides? Bring some wet wipes to use between knitting and munching. Nothing worse than getting a grease stain on your project before it's even finished. 
• Make a small kit with the following: 
1. tapestry needle
2. stitch markers
3. something to trim yarn (I use a tiny pair of scissors)
4. anything else you may need for that particular project: buttons, needle/thread, etc.)  
5. I put my needles and stitch markers in an Altoids mini tin

 

When Traveling By Air

Knitting while flying is an ethereal experience, and it can be a great conversation starter! And yes, unlike most sporting arenas*, TSA allows knitting needles. However you'll have to put your mini scissors in your checked bag, as they are not TSA-approved. Other than that, the tips above are just as helpful in the air.

Thanks for reading! If you found some helpful hints or if you have more hints you'd like to share, feel free to comment below!













* okay so there was this one time I tried to get into a college football game with some socks in progress on my Addi Turbo #1 circs... it's not like I was going to knit during the game or anything! I just always have knitting in my purse :P They wouldn't let me in though, they said it was a weapon! Hah.

Fiber Series: Synthetic

Acrylic, polyester, and rayon get a bad rap sometimes. To be fully honest, I was a synthetic-hater* for a while. By the time I had finished highschool my first projects (including a classy belt/scarf combo and a second, rather lumpy scarf) were completed. I had used polyester yarn from Walmart because I was young and lived in rural Minnesota and didn't know there were such things as yarn stores. And then when I went to college, a friend told me about Knit Picks and everything changed! I was knitting with inexpensive, beautiful merino wool, and I was loving life. Seriously though, I probably knit like 3 pairs of wool socks that year, to the benefit of my family members at Christmastime.

In all actuality, synthetic fiber can be pretty great, especially when blended with cotton or wool to make it  extra-strong. And now you can even purchase premium 100% synthetic yarns! Here's an example of Brava from Knitpicks.

Yarn: Sport weight Brava from Knitpicks in Peapod
Needles: Clover Bamboo #1
Pattern: Made this one up on the fly, I think I started with about 100 stitches (50 on each needle) and worked a k2p2 rib for a couple inches, worked stockinette stitch for 6 inches and then decreased gradually to make a cute elfin point.

I also wanted to show off another acrylic project but I don't have a model to wear it for me. It's really cool though, I promise I'll post about it soon! And it's crocheted, so I guess I'll have to change the name of my blog. Hah.







*synthetic-hater: A person who refuses to use the likes of rayon, acrylic, and polyester in her knitting projects. See also "wool-snob."

Fiber Series: Cotton

I just can't even handle how cute this hat is. 

I love everything about it, from the polished seam decreases...

...to the I-cord ties.

Unfortunately I don't have any toddlers to try it on, so I had to model it on a growler from Canal Park Brewing Company (empty, sadly).

So here's the picture from the pattern, modeled on an actual baby.

See?? It's cute!

Pattern: Alladin
Yarn: Cotton, sport weight, something from Knit Picks that I got a million years ago, and since then I lost the label :(
Needles: Clover Bamboo Circs, size 2
 
I've made very few things with cotton, including this hat and a baby blanket, but as a knitter I like to keep myself informed about the fiber I work with. That's why I studied horticulture for 4 years. Just kidding, I did that for funzies.

cotton: yes, it's a plant.

Just like carrots. But you don't wear carrots. And you don't eat cotton. 

The most important things I learned from working at Bed Bath and Beyond is that the quality of cotton depends on the staple length (length of each individual fiber) and that Receiving is the best job in the company. The cotton I used is Gossypium barbadense, or pima (so named for the Native Americans who grew it for USDA cotton testing in the early 1900's). Pima has an extra long staple, which makes it great for knitting because the yarn won't easily break or pull apart.

Cotton is an amazing fiber because it's durable even when washed and soft on sensitive skin. That's why it's great for making baby clothes (which require frequent washings), plus it's gentle on their brand new skin! This tiny hat would be an amazing for a small human to wear for warmth in the winter; or as a light, breathable, sun hat; or, if you add a bell at the end, as an adorable accessory for an elf costume.

Before I sign off, I have an announcement!

I'll be offering knitting lessons this summer, and I need your help! What's a knitting instructor without her student? The ideal student would be interested in learning how to manage stress, be productive while doing menial tasks such as watching TV or riding the bus, all while creating beautiful clothing and accessories. So Twin Cities residents can pass on the info, or comment below. Or send me an owl, whichever is most convenient.

Basics of Buying Yarn

I'd like to introduce you to the very first pair of toe-up socks I've knitted; they're also my first lace pair. I actually finished this project a while ago, and gave them to my mother-in-law for Christmas. So naturally since then I've gone through all the steps of grief/loss. This post is part of my acceptance stage.

Yarn: Malabrigo Eggplant. Fingering weight. From The Yarnery.  
Needles: Addi Turbo US 1 circulars, two of 'em.
Pattern: Feather Lace Socks by Rosemary Falk.

The one thing I would change if I do this pattern over again (and I will) is that I would have added a couple more inches on the leg. I often, if not always, get antsy and finish the leg before it's as long as I want it. This happens whether I'm working a top-down or toe-up pattern. It's like my brain forgets what a normal sock length looks like, or stops caring because it knows it'll have to mirror those extra inches on the second one. Mostly the latter...

Okay so guys, the real reason I'm writing about these socks is so I can rave about Malabrigo yarn*, which is what I used. But before going too in-depth about Malabrigo, I want to share...

factors I consider when buying yarn

#1. Fiber. I get really, really excited about wool, and for a good reason! Wool is awesome! I'm sure I'll write an entire blog post about this topic someday soon, so I'll save the lecture til then. But for now I'll just say, whenever possible I purchase wool over any other fiber.
#2. Price. My frugality stems from my lack of disposable income, and since my craft remains a hobby and not a business, I shall continue to be cost-conscious.
#3. Softness. It's gotta pass the stroke test! Most of the things I knit are worn close to the skin (baby clothes, socks, scarves) so it's important that they feel comfortable!

I discovered Malabrigo last year, when I bought the eggplant yarn for these socks. I bought another skein of blue-green fingering weight yarn soon after that (also for socks). Now I'm on my third project using Malabrigo, and this time I'm going way out of my comfort zone and I'm making an entire sweater using this beautiful, worsted weight, stormy sea-green yarn. More about that project later. Being 100% wool, a decent price, and soft as a lamb's bottom, Malabrigo passes all three tests with flying colors (and it comes in all sorts of colors too!). I came across another blog by a woman who actually toured the factory in Uruguay, and was able to record some of it! Here's the video. My favorite part is toward the beginning, the guy tying knots in the skein! He's so quick, it's amazing! It proves that every inch of this yarn really is a piece of art because no skein is going to be exactly like the next, even if they're in the same dyelot. They've been knotted individually so they're each beautifully unique. There's a metaphor for life in there somewhere, but I'll let you pick it out for yourself.


Oh and just a random note, I've just been reading Philomena: A Woman, Her Son, and a Fifty-Year Search, it's simply marvelous and based on what I've read so far, I would recommend this to anybody interested in biographical novels.


K thanks bye!










*Disclaimer: The comments in this post are all my own opinion. Malabrigo is not paying or compensating me for promotion, I am simply excited about how awesome their yarn is and want to share it with the world. Thank you.

I'm very excited about this new blog, partially because it's green and I like green things, but mainly because I'm excited to share my knitting journey with you! I may not know you, but I hope the adventures I share here (and the inevitable misadventures too) will help you with your projects, and perhaps spark inside you something akin to inspiration.

For those with whom I'm not yet acquainted: I'm an intermediate knitter, with a particular love of wool and the fantastic beasts that produce it. With my needles I have crafted many a sock, many a hat, and one-and-a-half sweaters (among other things). My knitting goals for 2014 are: finish the last half of that sweater (and, if I deem it worthy, enter it in the fair), purchase a good text on colorwork (preferably one with lots of pictures), and finish at least 2 other projects that I have started and set aside. Right now I have a mustard yellow lace scarf on US 4 Bamboo Clovers and a red/grey striped sock on US 1 Addi Turbos waiting for me in the WIP drawer. Yes, I have an entire drawer. Second sock syndrome is no joke, my friends, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. I have little wisdom on how to overcome it, unfortunately, other than to push through and endure it. Find a good long movie, or binge-watch your favorite show, perhaps, with knitting in-hand. Come to think of it... I just realized that since my husband has begun brewing beer, my habit of knitting while watching TV has declined. I think it's because I'm holding a pint of delicious craft brew instead of my needles! So for all of you hoping to reduce your drinking habits... hahaha, kidding of course. Knitting is best enjoyed with a glass of wine, everybody knows that.

Welp, the last episode of How I Met Your Mother is finally online, so if you don't see any new posts from me in the near future you can safely assume I'm bawling under the covers clutching my yellow umbrella and singing Sandcastles in the Sand... to myself.

Woolly yours,
Kayla