The Summer Sampler Study: A Done Deal

I bid a fond farewell to my summer project, just in time for the first day back to school.
To review my blocking procedure, I soaked the piece in cool water for at least 30 minutes. I rolled it in a small towel to get the extra water out. I put some big towels down on my old rug. I used many pins to pin The Sampler out, one pin for each scallop.
It was hot and I was still sore from back-packing, so my pinning job is not perfect. Wool is so forgiving! And of course, the gorgeous daughter shots....

Front...
Back...
Corner...
Edging...

If you send me your finished pictures I will have one final Summer Sampler post, showing off your work, gifting a few balls of Lacey Lamb and in general celebrating ourselves.

Between that post and today, I have a slew on new things to share with you, from new designs, to the PDF release of old designs, to workshops, to crazy happenings Chez BadCat. Hint: one item involves a fleece, a loom, 3 hours, and some wild women (and maybe one man...) Good grief! I will be back with details tomorrow. Until then, knit on!

Kim's Corner and a brief on blocking

Kim, who is a member of my Yahoo Group, has been working her Summer Sampler in a heavier yarn. She wasn't digging the asymmetry of my corner and added a cable twist on row 48 of the corner chart. I think it looks very good and is an option for those of you who are using heavier yarn or who just can't do asymmetry! Thank-you, Kim, for sharing your idea and picture Now you can see my corner, blocking (or maybe not...) The towel isn't helping, I know.
To block The Summer Sampler:
Once you complete the final corner, weave in your ends, but don't cut them.
Soak your piece in cool water for at least 30 minutes (it must be fully wet.)
Roll it in a towel to remove extra water.
Lay it flat on a few towels over a blocking board or old rug.
Pin out each corner to about 25 inches by 72 inches.
Pin out each point of the edging (I used a total of 166 pins.)
Leave it alone until it is totally dry.
Remove the pins, clip the ends and take a nice picture!

To earn two balls of Lacey Lamb yarn:
Be the first two people to send me finished photos of your Summer Sampler! The fine print is that is has to really be the full pattern and it has to be blocked and photographed with care. If you didn't do all 12 patterns or did fewer repeats, or you didn't do the full edging it doesn't count. If you did minor modifications (like Kim's Corner or an alternate Grande Spiders) you are welcome to join the game! If you live outside the USA, only play if you are willing to pay postage. Look for the original comments about the Lacey Lamb game! (Maybe Canada if the postage is really the same, but I retain the right to verify that:)

I'll be back tomorrow with blocked pictures of my Summer Sampler and more! Until then, Knit on!

Turning the Corner

After a little trip into the woods (riding along in her Tink bag) The Summer Sampler emerges complete! If you are new to the party, take some time to review all the previous posts with "The Summer Sampler Project" label. Harriman State Park is a short drive away from my home, and a few miles hike into pretty camping. We have been taking my daughter and nephew here since they could walk, and it is a bit of a family tradition, S'mores and all.
The Tink is patiently waiting to select her tent spot...

Once the final stitches are used up from the second long side of the Sampler, you are ready to turn that final corner. Each corner uses one stitch on the last Corner Chart row EXCEPT the final corner. With the final corner, you join the last stitch on that row to the very first stitch from your very start.

This picture illustrates half-way through the corner chart, with 45 degrees of the turn complete. The corner technique I am using is a short-row miter. Using a series of short-rows, we will turn our work-direction 90 degrees. There are several other ways to do this, but this one is the technique I selected to use for this project. Another very common way to do this is to "gather" the edging into the corner. Jane Sowerby, in Victorian Lace Today, uses the "gathered corner" and has a decent description of that technique, for those of you who are interested.

Following is page twenty-one, with step-by-step directions for the remainder of our project.

Following is page twenty-two, our final chart. All the symbols are explained on the Key supplement from our earlier post on the edging. Be sure to save or print this page in "portrait" mode.

I will be back in a few days with blocking directions and some details about my Lacey Lamb contest! Until then, knit on (and on, and on...)

Yards and Yards of Edging...

Are you ready for an edging party? Yes? Well, here we go. Following are instructions to begin my Snake in the Grass edging. This post will get you started on the edging, and worked along one short side. If you are new to the party, please take the time to review all previous posts with The Summer Sampler Study label, and get up to speed. The edging has a four stitch cable, which I work without a cable needle for speed. Feel free to use one if you choose. I knit the edging using my favorite European Crossed-Uncrossed method, so those four stitches present themselves with the back leg available. I knit stitch three, I knit stitch four, I knit stitch one, I knit stitch two. I do all through the back leg. I slide them all off my left-hand needle and I have a finished four stitch cable.

The edging is attached to the main section on the final stitch on every even numbered row, by knitting the final stitch of the edging together with one stitch from the side of your main section, as a knit two together. This is clearly marked on the chart and has a special symbol.

Following is pattern page nineteen, which is a key supplement, and includes symbols specific to the edging charts. There are a few new moves, but I think it will be clear once you try it out.


The process is as follows: You have completed the instructions for the center section of The Summer Sampler, including the final, even numbered row in garter stitch. With the right side of your work facing you, and using a temporary or provisional cast-on (please see the beginning of our project for references,) cast-on 14 stitches. I used the same provisional cast-on I used in the beginning (thank-you, EZ) and the working yarn I just finished the center section with. I did not break the yarn. The chart on pattern page twenty gives you one set-up row, which you only work once. Both the cast-on and the set-up row are shown on the chart, and they are only knit once.
You knit the edging chart, rows 1-10, 18 times. You will have one stitch left over. This stitch is for the corner, so wait right there for the next chart! While you are waiting, you can pick-up the stitches we will use for the edging down the long side of your sampler. The garter selvage has "bumps" and "bars." If you look at it closely, I think you will see what I mean. If you pick-up the "bars" you will get the appearance of eyelets between the edging and the main section. If you pick-up the "bumps" it will appear more continuous. For this project, I suggest you pick-up the "bumps." It takes a little longer, but it looks nicer (IMO.) Pick-up 315 stitches along the closest long side, using a spare needle. By closest, I mean the one right there, that your edging will move onto once your corner is worked. If you followed my row repeats for the Sampler Study exactly, you will be picking up every "bump." If you did something else with the patterns you used or the number of repeats you did, please fudge it. Anything divisible by 5 will work.

Here are a few final camp shots for your enjoyment!

The Weaving Studio...
Inside The Weaving Studio...
Yarn stash at The Weaving Studio...
A Raku firing at Ceramics...



I'll be back in a few days with our edging Corner Chart and a discussion about various techniques for dealing with corners on a piece like this. Until then, knit on!

The Cat is Back

And not a moment too soon! I know many of you have waited patiently for pattern twelve, while I was caring for campers. This one is a big one, mostly because it is THE LAST ONE! I call this one Field of Corn. It is a nice. I hope you like it as much as I do. There are no special instructions. Just knit it...
Pattern Page Eighteen follows. Included are instructions once you complete the final spacer chart. After you finish this page you will be ready for the edging, which will come in my next post. Next I will give you a few camp shots, so you all know what a good time I had, even if I lived in the infirmary (literally) and didn't get much sleep...

Glass blowing? Sure thing. I treated a few burns from that shop, yes indeed...
Ceramics totem pole. Nice, eh? I didn't see any burns from them, even though they made big Raku fires regularly.
I lived at the top of these stairs. You can see my bright green towel hanging outside my door. I had a great view of camp, but also got music from below when ceramics had a kiln burning into the wee hours. They had good taste in music, but sleep was hard to come by!
Here you see the stairs around the other side, leading up to the infirmary.

A fabulous mural. Enough said.
The Wood Shop, across from my "balcony." They didn't burn themselves, but the did cut themselve once in a while.
Julie, the nurse I worked with, is a quilter, and she finished this while we were there. Isn't it lovely?
Weaving from the Weaving Shop. The one smack in the front/middle was designed and woven by my daughter.

More pictures with my next post. For now, it is back to laundry. Knit on!

The Summer Sampler Goes to Camp...

All righty! The Knitting Knurse is off to kcamp. I am taking many pointy kneedles (knitting kneedles only.) If you are new to the Summer Sampler party, please read the previous posts with the Summer Sampler label and catch up! If you are Old And In The Way, follow me...

This week's pattern (number 10) is called Eagle Feathers. The only special feature is the double yarn-over. On the return row, you can either knit and then purl OR purl and then knit (into the double yarn-over.) Which you choose to do is about how you wrap your yarn-over and what style you knit in. There is no right or wrong way, so do a small swatch to decide which way looks (and feels) best for YOU!

Here is the chart, and see my comment above! This one should slip off your needles. Because I expect to be away from my computer for the next two weeks, I am leaving you with next week's pattern (number 11) too. This one is a darling, and I call her Fire Flies. This pattern is really easy to work, quick to memorize and is a lovely all-over or ground pattern.
Here is the chart, and I suspect you will breeze through this one like syrup on an August night.

If you have a question or suspect I made a mistake on one of the charts or in my directions, post a comment before Saturday morning (New York time) and you will get a reply! If you post after that, I will see you all on August 18th. Knit on, in heat and humidity. Meow...

The Summer Sampler: and another thing...

This week's pattern brings us to number 9! If you are new to the party, please take a few minutes to read through all the posts with The Summer Sampler label and get up to speed.

We are making swift progress. I call this cutie Fritillaria. Fritillaria are really interesting flowers that I just adore. I learned about them in my Holland Bulb catalog, which makes lovely bedtime reading. This is the second pattern of the bunch that falls in the Estonian style. I think I made this one up too, but who knows for sure. To paraphrase EZ, anything we make up in knitting has probably been done before!

Above is page fifteen. Please note that only the odd numbered rows are charted, and I believe I got my odds and evens correct on the pattern page too this time! You can teach an old cat new tricks...

Following is a stitch tutorial, to help you along with my special instructions for pattern 9.
First, slip five stitches as if to knit them, and pass them back to the left-hand needle. You want to have the stitches presenting themselves with the back leg welcoming your right-hand needle.

Now don't forget the yarn-over. Insert the right-hand needle into the back leg of five stitches.
Knit five stitches together and leave all five stitches on the left-hand needle.
Make a yarn-over.
Knit another stitch through the same five stitches.
Let those five stitches off your left-hand needle. Don't forget the yarn-over....and five stitches become three (if you don't count those two yarn-overs!) With the yarn-overs, five=five!

Enjoy! I'll be back next week to leave you with TWO patterns before I evaporate for TWO weeks away from my computer. Until then, happy knitting!

The Summer Sampler Goes to the Beach

Happy Weekend! If you are new to the party, please take some time to review all the previous posts with The Summer Sampler label to catch up. You still have plenty of time. We are up to Pattern Eight, and I named today's pattern Surf Side, because it reminds me of small waves along the shore. It is straight forward and fun to work. Below you will find page fourteen. Please note that only the right-side (odd numbered) rows are charted. The even numbered rows are all purl, straight across! Mind those garter stitch borders though...

I'll be back next weekend, with more summer fun. Until then, knit on!

7/20/08: Page Fourteen correction posted! I got my odds and evens reversed on the page, but the blog chatter had it the right way. Everyone keep alert! Thanks Suzanna...

Hazy, Hot and Humid...

At least it has been most of the summer so far, here in lovely New York. Because hot and humid do not go very well with wool (no matter how thin the wool is) I have not been getting as much knitting done as usual. I am betting that might get even worse in August, eh? Have no worries, though. I will not leave you without more sampler charts. I promise. I just have to be sure not to felt my knitting with my sweaty fingers!



Before I get to this week's Summer Sampler chart, I wanted to share a few new goodies. A friend of my daughter's, who knows my passion for fiber, just got back from visiting Estonian. Can you believe the lovely book she brought me? I can't read a word of it, but the charts are excellent. The mittens are wonderful color combinations and a few even have lace in the cuffs. Maybe in the cold weather we should do some mittens, don't you think?

These pretty wooden tools jumped into my hands the other day, while visiting a new (to me) yarn shop in NYC. It is called Knit New York. They had very nice stuff, including these. The wood is perfectly smooth. I think I will enjoy using them.
Moving right along, I bring you Pattern Seven. If you are new to the Summer Sampler party, please take some time to review all the previous posts with that label. I call this pattern Blackberry Bramble. It is nice and simple and should fly right off your needles like the local, wild blackberries fly off my daughter plate.
Here is page thirteen of the pattern. I will point out that we are now passing the mid-point of our project (excluding the edging, of course!) Isn't that nice?

Our pattern naming poll for Pattern One is closed and the winner is Summer Fern, which was Lisa's offering. There were some great suggestions, and thanks to all of you who humored me by playing along! Stay cool and knit on!