Heliopath Vest KAL - Week 1 - Gauge Swatching

Can I start out with an apology? I had MEANT to get this written up last night so that it would go live at 7am PST for all the folks joining us from the east coast (and across the ocean) but then the Hubbs stayed home from work yesterday and was on the computer all day, and then I got sucked into my knitting chair and just couldn't get out and I was dead at the time. Ok, not really. I'm alive. But the other stuff happened.

Regardless! Let's get this KAL party started, shall we?

Here's what we're making:

The Heliopath Vest by Emma Welford

And here's the long list of what you can win:

2 Skeins of Wooly Worsted by Ewe Ewe Yarns in Saffron along with a copy of the Angel Food Cake Cowl also from Ewe Ewe Yarns

A skein of "Just. Perfect" from Black Market Wool in a sock weight (a BFL/Nylon blend)

A skein of Madelinetosh Pashmina Worsted from JustRunKnit

Or a pattern of your choosing from the designer of this vest herself, Ms. Emma Welford!!!!

Seriously?! 4 PRIZES? That means we'll have 4 WINNERS!!! So generous all these folks wanting to donate. I'm blown away. And I even managed to save a few donations of prizes for my future KAL coming up in May. More on that later.

Let's talk about swatch baby! (in my head I'm singing that to the tune of "Let's Talk About Sex Baby"). Funny, right? No? *le sigh*

Ok, so when I started knitting I didn't get a "Gauge 101" class included and apparently I was too lazy to look it up online so I just willy nilly knit away and hoped things would fit. No bueno when you've got a yarn investment for a project like this one. Let's make sure this beautiful vest is going to fit. So please! Do a gauge swatch. I know some of you giggle at your riskyness and love that you don't gauge swatch. And that's fine, my pleading won't change your mind, but if you've considered it and didn't know how best to do it, as I didn't, here's what I've learned since (I actually DID take a gauge class).

First rule: don't knit a teeny tiny little gauge swatch. It won't tell you anything about how the overall fabric of the vest will behave. I decided to knit a swatch the width of the entire pattern panel for my size. In my case that was 56 sts wide. I was going to do one repeat of the pattern panel but found it to be too short so I worked a panel and a half high (so 24 rows). And I learned a lot.  First, here's the panel without the dropped sts.

I've pinned it so you can see what it looks like and it's SOOOO pretty. You'll notice I haven't bound off that top edge yet. I read a little bit about dropping sts and it seems like it's best to do it when you're about to bind off. And prolly way more fun since you can watch those sts fall and stretch. At least I like that part. 

Ok, so where's what it looks like after I bound off the sts. Notice how I've had to turn the blocking board so that it fits. It gets wayyyyyy longer.

To bind off while dropping the sts is super easy. You bind off the sts until you get to the row that says "Dropped St Row" and instead of binding off that st, just let it fall off your left needle and continue binding off to the next st. I do recommend going up a needle size or two for the bind off so it's loose enough. You want that top edge to be the same width as the bottom edge so you don't get a wonky gauge reading. 

Now to the blocking. Everyone has a preference for blocking their swatches. I'll tell you how I do my blocking and you can choose to do it this way, or your own way. I just had a total lightbulb moment when I took my gauge and swatching class and now I feel way more confident in my knits.

With the yarn I chose, Wooly Worsted by Ewe Ewe Yarns, I can throw this sucker in the washing machine. Yep! That's the beauty of Ewe Ewe. So I did. I put the swatch right into the washer and let it go. When it came out, I had a wet piece of wool that needed to be blocked. 

How many of you block like this?

Yep, me too. Or rather I used to. Ain't nobody got time for that when it comes to blocking a sweater!

Now when I do my swatch blocking I just lay it out and push it to the dimensions that I think make the fabric look best and let it dry. No pins (except with lace, of course). What happens when you block like the picture above (and note: it's not WRONG, just not how I do it anymore) is that when you get your gauge from a swatch like above, you'll have to block your work like this. Every. Time. You. Wash. It. I much prefer to just wash it and lay it flat, after pushing the yarn into shape. Makes sense, right? Ok. Moving on.

Now that my swatch is dry I can cake a gauge measurement. I prefer using a clear ruler and normally I would put it right on top of the work so I can read the sts through the ruler but it was hard to photograph so I lay it beside the work for the stitch count. 

If I could from the "0" line I have 4 sts in the cable, 2 sts in the P valley, 4 more sts in the cable, 2 more sts in the P valley, 4 MORE sts in the cable, 3 sts in the dropped st/P valley and then it looks like 1 sts in the first part of the cable. That's 20 sts over 4" which is gauge. Yahoo! This doesn't always happen, lemme tell ya!

Now moving on to the row gauge:

See, I've laid the ruler over the work. It's harder to see the ruler but in real life it's easy peasy. As I mentioned before I knit 24 rows of work (not including the cast on or bind off row). So I see 24 rows over 3 - 1/8".  This equates to 7.68 rows per inch or 30.72 rows over 4". I would likely round that up to 31 rows per inch. 

The pattern calls for 20sts and 28 rows per inch. I have the stitch gauge but not the row gauge. OMG. The world is ending. I'll never be able to make a project that fits!!!! Take away all my yarn. Lock me in a small room. 

Kidding. 

All this means is that when the pattern says to knit for 10" (for example) I'll have to do some math. If I need 10" of pattern (POST BLOCKING) then I'll have to take 10" and divide by 4, which is 2.5. Then I multiply 2.5 by 31. In my case, that would be 78 rows (I always round up since I'd rather have a slightly too long project than too short).

Clear as mud?! Yeah, you get it! I know you do.

So what are you still doing here? Go swatch. Love your yarn. And get pumped for next week when we start the cast on and ribbing. By no means do you have to wait until then if you're itching to move forward but we wanted to set a reasonable timeline so we could all finish by April. If you want to see the full schedule check out my previous post that introduced the KAL .

Also, please keep in touch in our Heliopath Kal Ravelry discussion board, on Instagram using #heliopathkal and tagging me, @socalmeaghan, and my good buddy @ghostfaceknitter.

Keep in mind, to be eligible for a prize, you need to finish your Vest (and post images... not blocked is ok, but ends woven in) by 11:59 PST on Saturday, April 12th. Use the tags above on Instagram or post to the discussion board.  

Happy knitting! I'll be watching for your updates!

The Heliopath Vest KAL - Prize Announcements

There's no doubt we all love to knit. But to knit and get FREE STUFF?! Heck yeah!

When GhostFaceKnitter and I announced the Heliopath Vest KAL coming up on March 1st we told you there would be a prize from the Black Market Wool shop. And here it is... Rijel calls it Just. Perfect. And it sure is. I love the colors in the yarn. I'm kinda sad I'm not eligible to win this...

But I have more good news! We have ANOTHER prize for you. A yarny prize. A yarny-patterny-goodness prize. Heather over at Ewe Ewe Yarns has offered us 2 skeins of her Wooly Worsted in Saffron and a copy of her Angel Food Cake Cowl to go along with it. For. Serious.

Our Heliopath Vest KAL starts this coming Saturday March 1st. Trust me when I say you want to get in on this. And if you've already planned to join us, keep us apprised of your work by using #heliopathkal, following us on Instagram (@SoCalMeaghan and @GhostFaceKnitter) or posting along with us in our Ravelry discussion board. 

Keep in mind, to be eligible for a prize you need to finish your Vest (and post images... not blocked is ok, but ends woven in) by 11:59pm PST on Saturday, April 12th (that's the night before Easter). Use the tags above or post the image on Instagram to be entered. 

We can't wait to have you join us!

New Pattern: The Hubband Sock

The day has arrived... I'm finally going out on a limb and officially publishing a pattern for anyone and everyone to criticize knit and love and crave more of.

I've been struggling to find the nerve to publish a pattern for a couple of months now and figured it's time to just bite the bullet and make it happen. Whats the worst that can happen? No one knits it? Sure, that'd be pretty lame. There are errors? Bah... big deal. There's errata on some of the best pattern writers' patterns. So, mostly it was me getting in my own way.

But before I tell you more about this, I need to give a huge shout out to Heather over at Ewe Ewe Yarns. Beyond my husband, for whom these socks are named, Heather was a huge supporter of my desire to become a designer (and even proof read this pattern for me). So, go buy her yarns, her patterns, and give her all the love you've got 'cuz she deserves it.

Alright, alright... the SOCKS!

I love homemade socks and have finished 7 pairs already... this year. And through it all, my husband, Alan, who I lovingly call "Hubband", as he calls me Wif (read: "whiff", like "sniff"), has been my main supporter both emotionally and financially as I progress towards knitting Rock-dom. Hey, a girl can dream, can't she? Anyway, he's watched me fight to learn new things, cheered me on as I develop a new short row pattern (forth coming) and patiently looked at every bit of yarn I've knit up into swatches, socks, sweaters, hats, etc. The man is patient and funny and has even taken the time to put some interest into my hobby. He can differentiate a knit stitch from a purl stitch and just last night we lay on the floor for 20 minutes as I showed him how to cast on a top down, 2aat sock. Good man.

So, at the very least, he deserves a pair of socks he can wear and wash (the first pair I made him were an alpaca blend and he felted them... hilarious!).

I'm going to host this pattern on Ravelry where you can find me (SoCalMeaghan) and would love for you to knit these up. If you find errors, please let me know ASAP and I'll help you get them sorted out (but I think the pattern is error free). *fingers crossed*

Umm... yeah. Go. Get the FREE pattern. Knit them up. Tag me on Instagram with #hubbandsock and connect with me there too: @SoCalMeaghan.

You can get the pattern here: The Hubband Sock

And here's what these babies look like:

Heliopath Vest KAL - Coming Soon!

I am SO excited to announce that I'm going to be hosting another fun KAL. This time I'm hosting with my Instagram friend @GhostFaceKnitter. And this time I'm hosting it here on my blog instead of on the Ewe Ewe Yarns blog. Not that hers' isn't awesome.  It totally rocks but I thought I'd do it on my own page. You'll find that GhostFaceKnitter will have det's on her blog too.

So, what are the these "det's" I mention? Well let's get to it, shall we?

First of all, this is what we're making:

Image courtesy of KnittingDaily.com

The Heliopath Vest from The Unofficial Harry Potter Knits Magazine

Is that not the cutest vest you've ever seen? I'm not normally a vest girl but I can't wait to wear this. If I can find a polka dot blouse to go with it I'd be even happier.

I'm going to use Ewe Ewe Yarns Wooly Worsted yarn in the  Saffron colorway. Why use that and not the wool the pattern calls for? Because I like to throw everything in the washing machine and you can do that with Ewe Ewe's superwashed yarns. And because I like to support Local and Ewe Ewe just so happens to live up the street from me. :)

Just looking at this picture makes me want to start swatching now but I'll resist and wait until March 1st. Why March 1st? Well because...

We're going to cast-on on March 1st. And yes, there's a plan of attack. And YES, THERE'S A PRIZE! Also, and maybe most important, it's after the Olympics and if you're partaking in the Ravellenics your needles will be bare and you'll be wandering aimlessly looking for something to knit come March 1st.

As a former wedding planner (I know... who CHOOSES that as a job, right?! Crazy people, that's who) I am a still planner at heart so I like to have short term goals to work towards to make a new project seem less daunting. So here's what we're aiming for:

• March 1 (Sat): Knit swatch and measure gauge.
• March 7: Cast on and work 2" of rib (per pattern)
• March 14: Begin working Cable and Lace Chart for 7"
• March 21: Continue working Cable and Lace Chart for 7" more (to the split for the armholes
• March 28: Shape Armholes and neck.
• April 5: Finishing and armbands and buttonhole row

I'm going to host posts here each weekend for each step of the KAL so we can all stay on track and not get stuck on anything that will impede our progress.  And between now and then I'm going post about swatching and gauge so we all end up with vests that fit us. I HATE working so hard on a project only to have it not fit. 

Ok, ok, the prize? A 100g skein of sock weight yarn from Black Market Wool. If you haven't seen this amazing work yet, please go check it out. I have skein upon skein upon skein of this stuff just waiting to be knit up (and almost always have at least one project on the go with it on my needles). You'll absolutely love it! Oh, and she's Local too. My sphere of "Local" is pretty much anyone in California and she's just "up the road" in Sacramento. And I FINALLY get to meet her in August and I'm dying of excitement. 

Ok, Meaghan, digress much? Yep. 

We'll be posting updates on Instagram using #heliopathkal and would love to see your stuff up there too. We'll also be posting on Ravelry in our Instagram-Along-Ers discussion topic: Heliopath Vest KAL. Please join us in both places to see everyone's progress and to ask questions. Or you can ask questions here. Or send smoke signals... but those will be harder for me to answer since we've got a major drought here in San Diego and I don't want to get in trouble.

Seriously. Do it. You'll love it. And we'll have fun. Can't wait to knit with you!

Snap Chat!

No, not the app, though I've heard it's fun.

I'm here to talk about pictures. Or rather my pictures. And maybe other peoples' pictures but only generally. I don't like to point fingers at people unless I have their permission. Pfft... right.

Before I was a consultant, and a knitting fiend, I was a Wedding Planner. And before you get the urge to ask, it's NOTHING like the movie. No pencil skirts and high heels for wedding planners. I kid you not, I have waved goodbye to the FOB (that's Father of the Bride in wedding lingo) who literally had his "thingie" in his hands as he peed in the bush and said "See ya soon". I have blown a flower girls nose with the hem of my blazer. I have unplugged toilets. By hand. With no gloves. That shit is real.

Anyway, being in the wedding industry I believe I became somewhat of a photo snob. I spent a lot of time talking to photographers, looking at their work, and learning why a) they charge what they do and b) why just a fancy camera doesn't make a person a good photographer. There's no doubt that quality equipment will give you a better quality of image but that's only if the operator is as good as their equipment.

I am NOT a good photographer. Am I better than the Hubbs? Yes. Times infinity. But am I "good"? Nope. Noperoonie. I'm adequate. 9 times out of ten I can get an image that isn't blurry. I can usually zoom in close enough with the iPhone so that the details I want to focus on are in focus. But that's about where the skills end. So, to give myself a leg up in the blogging world I decided to invest in a few little gizmos. I had the guy that pays for this party (aka.: my husband) build me a simple white box. I wouldn't call it a light box specifically since no light shines through the side but I'll call it a white "reflective" box. The sun bounces around in it fairly nicely to the naked eye and thus I feel better about potential to take a quality shot.

I also got a tripod and dug out my old point-and-shoot so not everything is on my iPhone (who's storage is about at max capacity) and so I can make some decent edits. Google much? Yep... that's my favorite place to go to learn something new, too.

So here are a couple before and afters that made me go "ooooOOOOOOoooooh".

I like what I'm seeing. Don't kid yourself. These images aren't because I'm a good photographer. It's 'cuz I'm a Photoshop hack. :) Thankfully, though, one can't fake good knitting. So, the images you see henceforth might be doctored, but the knitting will be legit. Promise.

Ok, that's it. Just had to share 'cuz I feel like a bit of a rockstar. Have a great weekend and enjoy your Superbowl watching. I'll be camped out with my Socks on a Plane because they WILL be a FO this weekend... 

Ewe Ewe Yarns: A Quickie V-Day KAL

C'mon party people... get those knittin' sticks in the air and shout "holla" if you love KAL's.

What was that? I. Can't. Hear. You.

What's that? Oh... you LOVE KAL'S? Get out! Me too!  So let's do one. No, for realsies. Let's do this!

Ewe Ewe Yarns, who I've shamelessly plugged already has asked me to host a quickie KAL just in time for Valentine's Day. I said no, but...

PSYCH! I totally said yes. And it starts on February 6th. And all you need is 2 lovely little skeins of Wooly Worsted yarn in your choice of color. 2... that ain't nothin' compared to the KAL's that are going to be going on during the Olympics. Ravellenics anyone? Wowzers.

So, here's what we'll be knitting - the PenPal Hat. There is a beanie style and a slouchy style that come with the pattern. Pick your poison. You'll love either one because it's ridiculously soft, comfy, looks awesome on chicks with or without bangs, and it's machine washable. I have one in each style already made up and wear them as often as I can.

So, whats the sitch, then? I'll be hosting over on the Ewe Ewe Yarns Blog. The posts will go live at 9am PST for each of the 3 days of the KAL (see, I said it was a quickie). Plus you can win yarn if you finish in time. Here are the dates and topics of each section of the KAL:

• Thursday 2/6: Casting on, joining in the round and working an increase round
• Tuesday 2/11: Working the lace stitching and weaving in yarn ends
• Thursday 2/13: Decreasing stitches and working on DPNs 

WIN YARN?

Oh, you caught that did you? Yep, that's what I said. You can win some yarn. And not just any yarn - a skein of the not-yet-released Ewe So Sporty yarn from Ewe Ewe Yarns and a pattern to go with it.

You're in right? Yeah you are. OK, so here's what you need to do:

1. Head on over to Ravelry and find the PenPal Hat KAL Discussion in the Ewe Ewe Yarns group. While you're there, if you're not already a member of the Ewe Ewe Ravelry group, join us. We're nice. We rarely bite. 
2. Download the pattern - on sale until February 14th at a discounted rate. It doesn't show up on the pattern page but when you add it to your cart it'll be 25% off. Woot!
3. Get your yarn. Here's a LIST of all of the retail shops that carry Ewe Ewe Yarns. Noble Knits has free shipping on all orders if you don't have a place that carries your yarn locally. 
4. Collect your items: 
1. 1 - US6, 16" circular needle
2. 1 - US8, 16" circular needle
3. A set of US8 DPN's
4. A stitch marker (the cuter the better)
5. A taptestry needle
5. Get ready to make a hat you love to wear and prepare to win yarn. Who knows? It could be you!
6. Wait anxiously until February 6th.

Ok, so to win the yarn, we need to see your finished hats completed by 11:59pm PST on Friday, November 14th. Yeah, that's Valentine's Day but that's the point. The KAL will be done in-time for Valentine's day.

***MAJOR NOTE*** To enter your FO's for the drawing, use the hashtag #PenPalKAL on Ravelry, Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Or send a photo to hello@eweewe.com.

The winner will be announced on Tuesday, February 18th.

I hope to see you all there. You know I'll be stalking the #PenPalKAL hashtag on IG all the time. Feel free to tag me if you want - @socalmeaghan. Can't wait to knit with you!

Hellooooooooo 2014!

Alrighty roo... so we're already 23 days into 2014 and I have 4 FO's already. Kinda pumped. None of them are big projects, for sure, but now I have 3 more pairs of socks than I left the previous year with. And oh-so-many more on the way. Hmm... maybe I knit too much? Pfffft. Yeah. Right!

So what does this year look like for knitting? Believe it or not I actually do have a bit of a plan mapped out (I say sheepishly after recently scoffing at people on Ravelry who already had mapped out their 14 projects for 2014). Yeah... now I'm one of them apparently.

1. Jan 23 (yeah that's tonight) - I'm starting the Socks on a Plane KAL (#soapkal) hosted by @lynaiyarns (and HERE is her fabulous line of yarns) 
2. Jan 24 - write up patterns for two pairs of socks and a wristlet
3. Jan 25 - start writing pattern/knitting sample of my VERY FIRST SWEATER (already picked up by a local yarn company... more on that later)
4. Feb 1 - #mysterysockclub2014 pair of socks will get on the needles. Depending on the yarn I pull it may be another unique design.
5. Feb 13 - traveling to Arizona to visit friends so another new pair of socks for one Miss @katknits  who won a drawing on my Instagram feed (also a pair for @catscoffeecupcakesandcarrie who WAS the 300th follower). What can I say? I believe in paying it forward.
6. Mar 1 -  #mysterysockclub2014 (started by @sockbunny)pair of socks will get on the needles. Perhaps you see a trend? The plan is one pair of socks for the first of each month. I've got all the yarn already stashed away in brown paper bags which my husband selects for me on the first of each month.
7. Mar 1 (yep, a twofur that day) - start hosting a KAL with an IG friend. Definitely more details coming on this soon. Working out some specs now.
8. Mar 15 - Surprise Projects (I won't post here what they are in case the recipients read this) for two lovely ladies from IG who are participating in a Pay It Forward campaign. Basically I make them something and in turn they make something for someone else. It has to be homemade. Mine, obvi, will be knit.

And it continues... and continues. There's definitely going to be at least 8 more pairs of socks since there will be one for each month. Plus I'm lucky enough to be in the Tanis Fiber Arts Year in Color Club which I just received the yarn and pattern for. It's OMG delicious. And guess what? More. Socks! I'm going to share the photo with you just to make you jelly. 

Totes stole this image from RoseHiver on Ravelry

Also, there will be some knitting in Scotland. The Hubbs and I are traveling there for two weeks this year and there WILL be some knitting in a sunroom overlooking the loch with a dram (or three) of whisky to keep me warm. For serious... can I just get on the plane now?

And I forgot to mention the best part. Next month, I'll be guest hosting a KAL on the Ewe Ewe Yarns blog. We're doing a quickie for Valentine's day. Get it? A Quickie?! No? Yeah. You get it. 

Alright, gotta get back to some test knitting I'm doing for another lovely IG friend - a great little beanie project. When they go live on her site (Pick & Throw) I'll let you all know.

What are you still doing here? Go knit something. It's better for your eyes anyway.