back on the ground

Posted on Posted in designing, food and garden, lace/shawls, projects

our strawberry plants are loaded with flowers—hopefully this bodes well for getting some actual berries, heh. this is the first year we grew them and we’re excited; we’ve gone off buying berries at the store (as well as a lot of other fruits and vegetables) in favor of eating things that grow closer to home (ideally in our own garden). if these are good, it will be a rare and wonderful treat.

the hostas, which were but little sprouts just a month ago, have umbrella’d into a lush canopy across the back planting bed. they keep the back yard looking cool and shady; it’s a nice little spot to take a break and let our eyes rest on something green. not to mention providing a good backdrop for photos.

the lupine is back this year after skipping the last two years and it has a huge bud already. last time it bloomed it was covered with flowers

so i’m hoping for the same this year. i liked it so much i purchased a couple more to add to this bed.
we’re going to put our vegetable plants in tonight and tomorrow night—i’m pretty psyched. they are rapidly outgrowing their pots on the sun porch and i’ve held off because we’ve had some cold nights during the past week with temps in the 30s. but the biodynamic calendar tells me that the end of this week is an optimum time to transplant, so we’re going for it.

since i’ve been back i’ve been furiously working to finish a few knitting projects and get ahead on pattern writing—with mixed success; i’ve also been dealing with a heavy amount of planning and trafficking projects, phew.

but the first roger sock is off the needles now

which makes me really happy because i SO want to get a picture of the real roger holding the sock when i see him and chris friday night. they are arriving to participate at the great lakes fiber show this weekend in nearby wooster and we’ll all meet for dinner friday evening. i can’t wait! this will will mark the third anniversary i’ve known chris; we’ve become such good friends since then . . .

the pattern is done and with the test knitters now, so that’s another item checked off my list. we are keeping a frantic pace on getting ready for sock summit in august, so we’ll also have a mini summit while chris is in town to make sure we have our ducks in a row (or some semblance of a row, heh).

all hands are on deck—david has been printing up a storm so that we can send chris home with boxes of patterns. he only stopped last night because we ran out of vinyl sleeves.

we’ll have every sock, scarf, and shawl pattern available in our booth and most of the mitts, hats, and other items. it’s a lotta patterns—i had a really hard time visualizing how many to bring. hopefully we won’t come back with too many leftovers.

i’ve also put some length on the maze sweater since i returned from my trip, though not as much as i would’ve liked—last night i conked out after only a few rows. i was actually in bed before midnight (very rare for me). oh well, at least it enabled me to be up early today.

i started the foot on the second david sock and also wrote the pattern—this one should be off the needles soon and then this project will be complete.

we also have the ondulé sweater pattern just about ready to release. tana is looking it over for a final proofing and we are taking some modeling photos this afternoon. i’m very excited about releasing this pattern but nervous, too—producing the sweater patterns is something i have looked forward to for a very long time, but had to be patient about to do it right.

now that the time is here, i’m anxious about putting out this body of work, which harks back to the years i worked in the fashion business and allows me to put my skills in garment construction back to work (i missed it, too).

it’s a change from what i usually do and represents a big creative (and financial) investment that is more team-oriented (i.e., there are some aspects of it that i cannot control). it has meant cutting back on other releases so we can work on this, though i hope now that we have a system going, we’ll recover to our equilibrium and continue bringing out lace patterns frequently, too. over the next few months we’ll also release the highlander sweater, david’s jacket, the maze sweater, and so on—i have a lot of ideas stored up, heh.

anyway, i just had to say that—if it seems like things have been off lately and a bit scattered, it’s because there is SO much more going on and the risk is a little greater.

speaking of lace, i did also manage to get the hillflowers scarf blocked yesterday—i’m telling you: blocking is the new yoga.
alishamarie
even started an awesome ravelry thread about it—which of course, as a blocking geek myself, tickles me no end.

anyway, i have some blocking prøn of my own today

this scarf is knit from mountain meadow merino fingering yarn, a lush singles with a rustic texture. you can buy it in white at the retailers listed on the mountain meadow site

or dyed from briar rose fibers; chris uses it as the base for her harmony fingering yarn. the wavy pattern and garter stitch in this scarf/wrap would show off those variegated colorways to incredible advantage.

here’s a picture of the hem edge

remember the little yarn discoloration problem i noticed halfway through the knitting, all the way back at the beginning edge?? i decided to gamble on the fact that it might be dirt or oil in the yarn which would wash out (don’t try this at home . . .). at first it faded, but didn’t disappear, so i applied some unicorn power scour to the edge and wow—it worked. i didn’t really try all that hard and i might go back into it to get the last traces out, but good to know it makes a great stain remover.

and the center join—i just love the different little play on a motif that center joins produce; like a medallion for the center back area, something different.

i knit my scarf in two halves and grafted at the center to be faithful to the pattern, but this one could probably be knit in one piece if you don’t like grafting. it’s SUCH a fun knit—it rollicks along with ease and gets big really fast; just what we need sometimes. i always like to have at least one such project going . . .

the piece blocked out to a full 54 inches—longer than i thought, but good and cozy. again the pattern is written and the wrap version (in two sizes) is being tested now, so it won’t be long til we’re ready to release it.

now, it’s a glorious may day here and i think i should get out on my bike to enjoy it for a bit (plus, my body is screaming for me to get moving more).

43 thoughts on “back on the ground

  1. I’m so excited about your sweater patterns – this one looks so good. Still, I can’t decide whether to start with this one or wait for Highlander. My ‘rate of project completion’ is far lower than yours so I am resisting starting both!

    Now if only I could lose a couple of pounds, I’d have a chance to look just as fabulous in the finished object as you do!

  2. Ooooh I’m loving the blocked shots of the scarf!!! I might have to spin some singles just for that…I have some undyed rambouillet or cormo I think still.

  3. I have been eagerly awaiting blocked pictures of the white scarf. It’s so lovely! I love the way blocking just makes lace all-over gorgeous.

    And I love the Ondule sweater, too. In particular, I like the collar/neckline. Such a nice detail.

  4. I am so excited about your upcoming sweater patterns! As much as I love the lace, I’m a sweater girl at heart, I think 🙂

    That scarf is looking so very lovely, though!

  5. I can’t wait for your sweater patterns. Hope some are top down! I love your work.

  6. This year we bought a hanging basket with strawberries in it…the strawberries bloom medium pink flowers! The berries are coming on. We don’t know what kind of strawberry variety since there wasn’t a tag. We’ll plant them in the fall. Although I’m not all that fond of red berries, my DH is;and, this hanging planter experiment is a curious one! I just love from the middle of May to the middle of June with the vegetation at its most crisp.

  7. Oh, wow. I’d been waiting to see blocked photos of the Hillflowers Scarf, and it’s even better than I’d thought! I know exactly what I’m making my mother for Christmas (she’s getting a Simurgh stole for her birthday)! Now, to go white, or to play around with colors…

  8. 1. Strawberries – last year every time one of our berries reached just enough red to be considered a sb – some lil creature would take a bite. Damn!
    2. Your hostas are glorious. My Illinois grandma had many in her backyard – memories.
    3. Blocking pron – love it. Thank you for allowing us behind the scenes. The new scarf is beautiful.

  9. Gorgeous! I love that flower motif – it’s so textured and lovely, and reminds me of a William Morris wallpaper. And the sweaters are looking good — you know I adore Ondule!! 🙂

  10. I love your new white scarf pattern. Will the
    instructions have the pattern so that it will be
    plain if you don’t want to graft it. I need help
    a step at a time. Don’t even know if I can make it at all. I also love your sweater it looks
    great as usual and of course your garden is always
    beautiful.

  11. Anne – I’m thrilled to hear you’ll have a booth at SS09 – I plan to clean your clock of one of each pattern as I’ve been waiting to buy them. And I’ll be dragging my (many) homies by the booth to see them too. I was wondering how many sizes you do in your garment patterns. I too was in the garment industry for awhile and grading was no fun, plus not really accurate for normal bone structures and heights with lots of extra fat on them. We really don’t grow extra long arms to compensate for our girth. You being such a petite person (why didn’t I GET those genes from MY petite Mom?) I’m just wondering how large you go up. I’ve been out of the industry for so many years I know all the grading et al is done on computer – but I have no idea about knitted garments as we didn’t mess with them in school in my time. I’m not asking for your methods or design info here – truly it all boils down to do you do at least a size large for your sweaters? Can’t wait to (hopefully) be in one of your classes at SS!

  12. The Ondulé sweater pattern will make a great birthday present for me. Your timing is wonderful. Good things come to those who wait! Love the hillflowers scarf pattern too.

  13. Will we have to wait to SS09 to purchase the new socks patterns? I’m worse than a little kid at Christmas when it comes to waiting.

    Thanks!

  14. Anne, love the sweater! As you know I’m so excited for the sweater patterns. However, absolutely loving the idea of a stole version of the Hillflowers Scarf.

  15. Wow, Anne, you are so amazingly productive! That stack of patterns is serious! Wish I could come to that show – it looks fun. The sweater patterns venture will be wildly successful, I am sure.

  16. So many great pics in this posting! I have a giant blue hosta in my backyard that is 5′ across, 3′ high with leaves as big as dinner plates. And I have little lime green ones and a few in between. Hostas–you gotta love ’em. I think it’s great that you’re getting into sweater patterns–and with your background in garment construction, we can trust that they’ll be well done. And hopefully some will be sized to fit me!

  17. I *love* strawberry flowers; they’re a promise of good things to come! I hope your strawberry plants will produce well, so that you get to enjoy lots of berries this summer, and when you get tired of them (is it even possible?) you’ll have much more that you can freeze for the rest of the year!

  18. your garden is looking good! We are still quite a way behind you, but I am gathering plants to start planting this weekend!

  19. I love strawberries. They are my favorite food after raspberries. And, at least in theory, I can grow them which I can’t raspberries. Only the snails always get my strawberries before I do. I hope you get tons of them. Strawberries that is, not snails.

    The join on the Hillflowers scarf looks really cool. I like that interaction. Maybe even enough to consider trying to work out how to do that more than once.

  20. Anne,

    I’m glad to see the finished Hillflowers scarf. It’s really beautiful after blocking. Will the scarf version of this pattern be released before this Friday? I think it would be the perfect knitting to take with me on my trip to Texas this weekend.

  21. More fabulous patterns that I anxiously wait for from you. I love how the Hillflowers Scarf turned out and the bottom edges just add that special touch to the pattern. I also just love your sweater pattern and can’t wait for it to come out in print. You always have such beautiful patterns that I love to make. I put all your patterns in a special binder..It’s my Anne Hanson – Knitspot Pattern Book!! Crazy but true!

  22. Since I already love how your socks (and shawls) fit, and how easy your patterns are to follow, I’m very eager to knit at least one of your sweaters. And hoping to get into one of your all-day classes at SS09! Thanks so much for all your hard work and for sharing your creative genius with the rest of us!

  23. I am SO glad you are bringing out sweater Patterns. I really need a cardigan and the ondule will be perfect. I’ll have to do it in hand spun though so I’d better get cracking. You go girl!

  24. The scarf is beautiful! 🙂 Have fun planting…I planted my salad garden today…most of it was seeds, but I put in a couple cherry tomato and tomatillo plants, hoping we’ve seen the last of the frost!

  25. Love the new sweater and scarf patterns! I’m coming to Wooster Saturday, I’ll look for you there!

  26. I was going to comment on the lushness of your garden, and how quickly it has seemed to go from barren to plush.

    Then you upstaged it with the Hillflowers scarf. Yumm! Have I missed your offering this one? Must have!

  27. OH MY that Hillflowers scarf turned out even more stunning than I thought it would (not that it seemed remotely possible…your work is so gorgeous even in the working stage). I cannot wait to purchase that pattern!!

  28. Ondule is a GREAT pattern….no need to be nervous. Knowing that I knit the wrong size now tells me that the right size is going to be perfect.

    I love love love the sock and scarf!

  29. Anne- Writing a good pattern of any sort is more challenging than people think, and whether it’s a garment or lace- there’s alot to consider.

    Lupines- always reminds me of the Monty Python sketch. Wish I could be at Wooster to meet you and Chris. Have a great time.

  30. I’m so glad you are going to be releasing the beautiful sweater patterns you have featured in the past! I am already poised and ready to purchase some more of your sock patterns and will be adding some more lace to my collection as well.

    Your blog is such a pleasure to visit each day. Your garden is beautiful and of course, your knitting.

    Thank you again for sharing your daily adventures with us!

  31. Hi Anne,

    Love the Ondule sweater, it is beautiful!

    My best investment since starting to grow strawberries has been a net to keep the birds off — they start to peck at the berries the moment they begin to ripen. I grow them in pots, mostly, so they stay off the ground and away from snails and slugs. The pots are ranged next to our fence and I drape the net over the fence and pots, then pin the edges down with wire loops or stones. I too am reluctant to buy berries from far, far away. Good luck, hope you get to eat lots or berries!

  32. I was reading quickly and read “Maize Sweater” for maze. . . I guess it was the color of the yarn combined with the pattern.

    Lovely knitting, as always!
    🙂

  33. I was looking at the picture of the maze sweater and I imagined a hat. That would make a great hat design.

  34. Lovely knitting Ann! I do like your posts, they encourage me to get out in the garden and deal with my weeds … its going to be th eperfect weekend for that here. x

  35. The Roger sock is excellent — you have such a way with texture. And we in this household are VERY happy that you’re publishing your sweater patterns. YAY! Will you be selling the printed versions at yarn stores? I go to Purlescence in Sunnyvale, CA.

    That hem detail on your scarf is wonderful.

  36. WoW!!! I love the sweater, sock, the white scarf(oh, wOw!). You are branching-out girl. It’s about time! Everything is gorgeous, gorgeous. Wheee!

  37. Thanks for the shoutout Anne! I’ve been spinging your praises all over Ravelry since I finished my Shawl!

    LOVE! the new hillflowers pattern. Looks like that is going into the queue when it comes out as well!!!

    I’m too wimpy to add another sweater to the queue else that would be right behind!

  38. I’ve missed knitting with a good singles yarn since knitting Cluaranach. Seems like a lovely, satisfying project. Maybe after Hamsa!

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