Week 6 | Knitting
Posted: 22/04/2010 Filed under: Craft, Knitting, Uncategorized | Tags: Jacqueline Sava, Knitting Leave a commentAuthor: Jacqueline
Sincerely sorry for not posting an update last week. I was, on Thursday, coming back from Las Vegas, on the red eye, via Chicago. Fear not, I was thinking of you, and knitting.
My lesson from knitting at O’Hare airport from 5-8am after staying up all night? Well, keep it simple, or just don’t do it at all. I highly recommend against attempting ‘a plaited cable pattern that resembles an oscillating line’ while drinking a latte and pretending you are not tired. Even if it means you can’t continue until you are home, don’t do it. When I realized I had twisted the wrong way, I was well into the next cable, an hour and a half (plus two days and some sleep) later on a Saturday afternoon.
Since I have the universe on my side, the incorrect twist isn’t very noticeable. Plus, it’s exactly in the centre of the wrap, almost like on purpose. I’m a quilter at heart, as you may know, so I believe in the Amish quilting myth of ‘one deliberate flaw’. I believe that a single flaw should accompany every hand-crafted item. It shows that not only was the item made by hand, but also with love. Most of the time, the flaw comes after a sleepless night, or pattern reading error (not on purpose). In my opinion that only reinforces the fact that when we are passionate about something, we sometimes work into the wee hours, past the point of exhaustion, out of love.
I have fallen in love with my green wrap, and will wear it with pride at TNNA in June. I’m certain it will be too warm for wool, but that won’t stop me.
Week 4 | Simple tips for wellness while you knit.
Posted: 08/04/2010 Filed under: Craft, Knitting, Uncategorized | Tags: Jacqueline Sava, Knitting, yoga Leave a commentAuthor: Jacqueline
I always appreciate a good Pilates class, row or workout. Recently I’ve come to covet my Pilates class, focusing on my arms and shoulders, post-knitting.
Rather than sharing the exercises and stretches I have developed myself at home (which are modeled after my kitties and their stretches), I consulted Petra, my Pilates instructor and the owner of Sphinx Pilates in Toronto. She gave me some simple tips to remember while knitting.
Petra is committed to helping her clients access their greatest potential through Pilates. She enjoys sharing teachings that have enriched her own life.
It is worth noting that I wasn’t the only closet knitter experiencing arm fatigue in the class. Once we started on the subject, others perked up with similar strains and aches as I am experiencing. These tips are also useful if you sit at a computer for an extended period of time. Or, say, if you sit at a computer during the day, then go home and knit as well! Enjoy.
Three simple tips for wellness while you knit:
- Drop Your Elbows
- Get up and Stretch
- Massage those Hands!
1. Are you tensing up through your shoulders?
Just let your elbows be heavy (* this is key*), notice the freedom through your neck.
2. Get up and stretch or stretch sitting…reach your arms up wide to the ceiling and look up too…every 20min 
3. Your hands are working hard in a repetitive movement – show them some appreciation once you’re done.
Use a small ball (you can buy it at a dollar store) and roll it in between your hands. Get it into the webbing of your hands. Wellness Made Simple!
I’m off on a tradeshow trip this weekend. I’ll be taking my knitting on board! I’ll be sure to take these stretch tips with me. I have a small ball (as described above- a super ball, from the Dollar Store). I’ll be doing extra stretches on the plane, as well as rolling out my hands. I also roll out my feet, but that’s another story.
Week 3 | Knitting
Posted: 01/04/2010 Filed under: Craft, Design, Knitting, Uncategorized | Tags: Jacqueline Sava, Knitting Leave a commentAuthor: Jacqueline
I’m through the first skein, two to go; one third done, well on my way. I’ve used almost all the needles I bought, consulted www.knittinghelp.com once and have caught on to the seed stitch pattern so I don’t have to keep such intense notes.
My favorite comments over the past few weeks have been about the inconsistency between the complexity of the pattern and my somewhat basic hand-knitting skills. While I myself am impressed with the way this wrap is developing, it is worth noting that I do have a strong background in knitting, machine knitting.
Many moons ago I took machine knitting while in college at Rhode Island School of Design. I was in love after the first class. After graduation my passion for knitting turned into Jacq’s-Hats, an award winning knit accessories company. We designed and sold our knits to retailers (much like Soak, only on a smaller scale). We developed a local network of machine knitters for production and sourced yarn internationally. We also participated in the One of a Kind Show in Toronto, a huge craft retail event (which incidentally, is on this weekend, if you are local).
The photos are a bit circa 1999, but then again, that’s when they were taken.
Our customers often ask us how they can best take care of our wool hats, sweaters and scarves. When we started, we recommended other wool washes, or baby shampoo. They worked okay, but had overpowering fragrances that were kind of dated. Our customers have a modern take on life, so we decided to offer them a modern approach to fiber care, too. We developed a better, no-rinse wash solution that works with our stuff – and with anything else people care about enough to hand wash. That’s essentially how Soak was born. The rest, as they say, is history.
This year, we’re bringing back our knits. I’m designing again. My first group of patterns goes with our latest Soak fragrance, Unleash, inspired by Ravelry. We’ve designed (based on our original knits of course!) a set, hat, mitts and scarf, with Louet Gems yarns in custom Ravelry inspired colors.
You can purchase the patterns here. You can purchase the yarns or kits (Soak, pattern and yarn) here.
Ask for them at your local yarn shop. We’re working on our distribution. If you are a local yarn shop, contact us to place your order. They’ll be appearing in magazines and shops for fall knitting and are already all the rage on Ravelry.com.
This is the colour range, with fun Ravelry inspired names.
The knitting needles are happy to have some consistent attention. (machine or otherwise). They’ve long been overshadowed by work, life and quilting. My arms are starting to get a regular workout… my shoulders too. My hands finally remember what to do on their own (thank goodness).
Next week, knitting posture and maybe some stretches too.
Notes on Knitting
Posted: 21/03/2010 Filed under: Knitting | Tags: Jacqueline Sava, Knitting 1 CommentAuthor: Jacqueline
Here are some Sunday morning thoughts from my Saturday night babysitting (I love hanging out with Ariana and family) and knitting adventures.
1. ‘a long tail’ is not an adequate word to describe yarn needed for a double cast-on for a new knitter. There must be some reference for how long a ‘tail’ should be relative to the CO stitches. If you know, do tell.
2. A row counter is a beautiful thing. Even after one row.
3. 70 stitches is considerably wider than my little cable scarf was.
4. The circular needle and I are still trying to get to know each other.
5. Thank goodness for re-run girly movies on TV, I didn’t look up from the needles once in two hours.
6. Pen and paper trumps yarn counter. They are going to have to learn to work together.
7. Shell-on pistachios are not a brilliant choice for a ‘hand-relaxing’ snack during knitting.
8. One day I hope to be able to knit and talk/ watch tv/ think/ multitask or anything else. I forsee a very antisocial knit night at my LYS this week.
Jacqueline’s latest attempt at (hand) knitting
Posted: 18/03/2010 Filed under: Knitting | Tags: Jacqueline Sava, Knitting 3 CommentsAuthor: Jacqueline
You may very well know that I am, by training, a machine knitter. If you talked to my mother, you’d be told that I haven’t fully completed a hand-knit project since I was 12 years old. Arguably, I didn’t finish the purple and green checkered sweater I started then either. Well Mom, I did it. A real cable scarf. Here it is, all finished.
Made from lush Blue Sky Alpacas Bulky yarn (acquired directly from them as a gift at TNNA circa June 2009) these skeins sat in a Carrie Basin in my office begging to be knit for well, way too long. Chris dug out this pattern as a great hand-knitting refresher project, leading up to the yarn and pattern I picked up at this most recent TNNA.
It was love at first sight, in the ShiBuiKnits booth. I picked up the lush wrap off the chair and it fit me perfectly. I’m a tall gal, so it is rare that a pattern ever fits correctly the first time. As my eyes moved through the booth, spotting the perfect shade of green yarn alongside the pattern, I knew I had found my next (I say that like I’ve done a lot!) knitting project.
The next step was clear, asking Chris (our Director of Sales and Operations and resident expert knitter) to have a look and advise on whether or not this project could become knitting reality or was better suited to the office yarn collection. Chris too was taken by the colours and pattern, probably distracted more by the smile on my face while I was wearing the show sample.
It was determined that I could do it, and I set the goal (which I’m proclaiming again now) to be done by the next TNNA, June 2010.
It is 11:34, on a sunny morning in Mississauga. I’m casting on at lunch today. I brought my yarn bag home last night, to cast on this weekend, but I’m feeling as though my first casting on to circular needles might best be done under Chris’ supervision, so back to the office it came.
As per Annie’s request, “Alright, I’m expecting a blog post from you pronto!” here it is, the beginnings of my Oscillation Wrap. I’m quite certain Pam Powers (via email) will become my new best friend as I work my way through the pattern. I’m going to track my progress weekly, using this forum as a way to accomplish not only continuity, but completion by my said goal date.
I started with a trip to The Purple Purl on knit night (Tuesdays, for those who wish to attend) to get needles, I photocopied the pattern so I could scribble and make notes and I turned the first skein into balls and filled my Lexie Barnes accessory bag with all the appropriate accoutrement.
12 weeks ’till TNNA.
Get your paws on Unleash.
Posted: 23/02/2010 Filed under: tradeshow | Tags: Knitting, Unleash Leave a commentOne of our favorite parts of TNNA is seeing all the familiar faces, catching up with old friends, and making new ones.
This year we had wonderful booth neighbours. Louet NA on one side, and Chameleon Colorworks on the other. This is how we met Nancy, the owner of Chameleon Colorworks. Nancy instantly fell in love with our newest scent, Unleash, and quickly snatched up most of our supply.
Chameleon Colorworks is a dyeworks and fiber studio that offers stunning and interesting colorways in a variety of yarns and fibers. Nancy will be at Stitches West in Santa Clara from Feb 25-28. Visit her in booth 837 to get your paws on a bottle of Unleash.
Won’t be in the area? Many yarn stores are now stocked with pieces from the Soak Worthy Collection Inspired by Everything Ravelry. Here is a list of stores that currently have all or part of the collection.
A Knitted Peace, Littleton, CO
A Loom with a View, Newburyport, MA
A New Yarn, Springfield, MO
Anneke Needlework, Miami, FL
Apple Yarns, Bellingham, WA
Article Pract, Oakland, CA
Beyond the Rainforest, Flint, MI
Bliss Yarns, Brentwood, TN
Chameleon Colorworks, Alta Loma, CA
Churchmouse Yarns & Teas, Bainbridge Island, OR
City Knits, Detroit, MI
Colorful Yarns, Centennial, CO
Common Threads, Encinitas, CA
Custom Handweaving, Redondo Beach, CA
Daily Fiber, Murrieta, CA
Deep South Fibers, http://www.deepsouthfibers.com, online
Fibre Space, Alexandria, VA
Haus of Yarn, Nashville, TN
Knit Affair, a yarn company, Corona, CA
Knit this Purl that, Pleasanton, CA
Knit-Wit, Olathe, KS
Knitgrrl Studio, Lakewood, OH
Knitting Nation, Nyack, NY
Knot Another Hat, Hood River, OR
Ottawa Valley Fibre Arts, Ottawa, ON
Paradise Fibers, Spokane, WA
Pudding Yarns, Calgary, AB
Purl, Tustin, CA
Purl Soho, New York, NY
Purple Purl, Toronto, ON
Red Purl, Niles, MI
Silver Threads & Golden Needles, Franklin, NC
Skeins Fine Yarn, Juneau, AK
Spritely Goods, Phoenix, AZ
Spunky Eclectic, Lisbon, ME
Stash, Berkeley, CA
Suzoo’s Woolworks, Newport Beach, CA
SuzyB Knits, Smicksburg, PA
The Gourmet Yarn, Oklahoma City, OK
The Knitting Nest, Austin, TX
The Naked Sheep, Toronto, ON
The Stitchin’ Den, Estes Park, CO
The Yarn Boutique, Lafayette, CA
Twisted, Portland, OR
Unwind, Burbank, CA
Urban Yarns, Vancouver, BC
Valley Yarn, Langley, BC
Websters Inc., Ashford, OR
Wildfiber, Santa Monica, CA
Woolgirl, http://www.woolgirl.com, online
Wooly Wonders, Las Vegas, NV
Yarn Garage, Rosemount, MN
Yarn Lady, Laguana Hills, CA
yarndogs, Los Gatos, CA
101 things you can do with Soak |002 block felt and finish
Posted: 16/02/2010 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 101, blocking, Knitting 1 CommentAuthor: Ngoc
Soak was first launched in the knitting industry as a way to care for your hand knit pieces. Knitters quickly realized that Soak was also great for blocking, felting and finishing their knit and crochet projects.
Blocking is a term that most knitters have heard of, and know that they should do. However, many are guilty of skipping this step. Blocking allows for the piece to be stretched and shaped into the right dimensions. This is especially important if you took the time to create a beautiful intricate lace pattern. Blocking will help to “open up” the designs to show it’s true potential. Below we show a beautiful scarf that Chris made with only the right side having been blocked.
Remember to refer to the yarn’s ball band for care recommendations before soaking it in the water.
How to block
- Use cool water when blocking or your piece may shrink.
- Add your low-suds detergent. Remember to use only one teaspoon per gallon of water. Don’t let the lack of bubbles tempt you into adding more.
- Soak your piece for 2 to 15 mins depending on the yarn type. Most yarn washes do not contain harmful ingredients so do not fret if you accidentally leave it in for longer.
- Remove excess water by gently squeezing the piece against the side of the sink or wash basin. Avoid lifting a soaking knit piece out of the water as the weight may distort the shape of it.
- Roll the knit piece in a towel absorb the rest of the excess water
- Block your piece by laying it flat on a towel or blocking board and shaping it as you go.
Lay it flat to dry. Try to find a place with good air circulation on all sides. Flip the piece over half way through the drying process to help keep the shape. This picture compares an unblocked piece to a blocked one. Notice how the piece lays flat and the stitches are evened out in the blocked square.
Click here for the full article on blocking and washing hand knits from Knit Simple.
soakworthy.com 