the blue blog archives: knit along little dogie

I haven't touched my tea set, but my sure boys have! I've still got the creamer to make, but that doesn't keep them from playing with it now. Of course, their version of playing with the set involves throwing each piece up into the air as far as they can. When asked to put them all back, this is how they left everything.

In knitalong news, Helene has finished our tea party mascot, Miss Muffin. What a perfect hostess she is, complete with goodies and everything! Jackie has completed her first best friend doll for her tea party. Laura has finished these dolls and another one. I absolutely love these dolls and Laura, you are truly the master!

I finally got my linen drape gift pack for resubscribing to the Rowan International club. So many people have gotten theirs and been less than excited at the idea of making a table runner. I was feeling the same way and had planed to use the LD to make a tank of some sort. But then they sent these colors which are perfect for my dining room. Although they would also look good striped in a tank. Now, I'm conflicted.

So how are my linen drapers doing out there? Well, let's see. Eklectica is almost done! Her beautiful purple tank is blocking as we speak. Go check it out! And Monica finished her Flame tank. You have to see the pictures - she looks gorgeous in it! Laetitia has finished the back of her linen drape project. It's got a beautiful lace border. Kyra has posted a pic of her stripey linen drape halter underway. So cool! And Lynn (who was my linen drape trading partner and who just started blogging - you've got to see her great projects!), has finished the back of her gorgeous Salsa cardigan.

As you can see, I stepped out of the pool for a bit. I ripped, I retried. Now think of me recouperating in a louge chair at poolside. Like Jenn, I wasn't so sure about how the lace pattern was coming out. But, look, she's restarted hers and has convinced me that I should give mine another try as well. She was inspired to restart by the great success of Brynne and Rae, who have beautiful pooling scarves in progress. Poor Peggy is going mad with frustration trying to get her colors to line up. I think all of us in the pool have been there, right?! Hey, Peggy, pull up a chair and join me for a cool refreshing drink. We can dive in again later.

posted by alison at 11:50 pm | in maggie , the tea party

Comments

haha! i had to laugh at your comment about my pooling scarf ordeal! Does all Schaefer Anne yarn work with this pattern?

Posted by: peggy at August 17, 2004 12:18 AM

Hi Alison, I've got pictures up now!

http://www.craftology.net/knitblog/2004/08/flame-by-lake.html

If you need an extra ball of Linen Drape for your tank top, lemme know I've got an extra one that I don't need. I only needed 4 balls for my tank top but I'm also 5'0 so that may be the reason why I didn't need 5.

Posted by: Monica at August 17, 2004 12:57 AM

I'm having lots of fun looking at all these teacups and dolls! You're making me want to knit them, darnit.

Posted by: Becky at August 17, 2004 8:50 AM

I'm so jealous - you got such cool colors from Rowan for your linen drape gift pack. I got tan and light green - not nearly as much fun!

Posted by: Jenika at August 17, 2004 9:16 AM

I also had that linen drape dilemma (as you know since you were there when I found my fifth) but I still don't know what to do with them!

And I have jumped into the pool too, a little, but my first couple of attempts weren't good enough. I'm going to try again soon.

Posted by: Jackie at August 17, 2004 10:27 AM

nno pics just yet. i've finished knitting the pitcher but have to weave in ends and block. i also need to make the lid for it. i started with the largest piece, i hope the others will go quicker. it's so fun! i learn a lot from annie's patterns.

Posted by: corine at August 17, 2004 10:30 AM

Thanks for the compliments Alison! It's been a fun knit along. I love your crochet purse, great colors.

Posted by: LauraA at August 17, 2004 10:51 AM

What fun twin boys must be! I was secretly hoping I'd see you walking with them down the streets of Brookline this past weekend.

Thanks for your good words. I am inspired to pick up Salsa when I get home.

Posted by: Lynn at August 17, 2004 11:57 AM

I'm a bit confuset about the pooling colours scarf. Is there a simple way to explain the clue about this technique?

Posted by: Helene at August 17, 2004 12:36 PM

Will you be participating in Eklectika's Gerbera-along?

Posted by: Allyson at August 17, 2004 1:39 PM

The pooling method is so cool, if you can find a yarn to work with it... I wanted to try pooling colors on my Slouch Bag but it wouldn't work with that yarn. Very pretty colors though, can't wait to see how it turns out!

Posted by: stacy at August 17, 2004 2:49 PM

I'm having a heckuva time with pool, too. I can only get my colors to match on size 11s!!!!! Any suggestions??

Posted by: Pamela at August 17, 2004 2:53 PM

I have 4 balls of Linen Drape in the beige and greenish colors and don't know what to do with them. What tank pattern were you going to try with yours before you received a good dining room match?

As for the tea party... I've given up on the leftover acrylic yarn that I was using and bought some of the recommended yarn and will start again. I have to post some pictures of my very droopy teacup sometime soon because it will give you a good laugh.

Posted by: Lisa C. at August 17, 2004 3:33 PM

The next knitalong I'll be working on is Froggy's Klaralund-along. No Gerberas in my near future.

Helene, the idea is that hand-dyed yarns are usually laid out in an oval and then dyed in stripes. Lay out a hank of space-dyed yarn and you'll see what I mean. If you imagine that the colors are red, blue, and green, then you'll see that if you start with red and go around the oval the colors will be: red, blue, green, blue, red again. What that means is if you can find a way to make one row's worth of stitches start in the middle of the red and end in the middle of the green, then the next row will repeat the same colors backwards. And since turning your work at the end of a row essentially sends your knitting in the opposite direction, the reds will line up over the reds, the blue over the blue and green over the green. Voila all the colors "pool" together and make vertical stripes! The key is getting the stitch count right to make your row the right length.

Of course, the pooling thing won't work on every variegated yarn. Is has to be dyed in the way described above and the dyeing has to be pretty even. Keep in mind Connie's comment to this post. It's the last comment there and she writes about why the pooling may go wrong even with the Anne yarn.

Lisa, there are several linen drape tanks in Rowan #31 (that's where Flame is that Monica made). And there's a pattern on the Rowan site for a halter top (it's free for Rowan International members) that could work - that's the one that Kyra is trying to make. Most patterns call for 5 balls for a tank. Rowan #33 has a little tank that calls for only 4 balls in the smallest size. That's the tank that Sarah C. made (check the knitalong list in the sidebar for the link). Any skimpy-ish tank or halter pattern written for a similarly fine gauge should work. But you might want to look for an extra ball or two in one of the colors to be sure that you have enough for a whole tank.

Posted by: alison at August 17, 2004 4:26 PM

What I love most about your knit tea set? Is that it's the same colors that my real Fiestaware set is in. Excellent choice!

Posted by: Dawn at August 17, 2004 9:58 PM