Momogus Knits Patterns

Fun Gifts to Make - New Free Pattern - Sparkly Little Drawstring Bag!

2011-12-08T06:55:00.001-05:00

Sometimes a particular yarn sings a siren song too strong for me to resist. Such was the case when I came across Katia's Gatsby - I am a sucker for sparkle, and this yarn is sparkly and fun. I was seized with the idea of knitting a little drawstring bag from it (why? I do not know...) and poked around Ravelry and everywhere else looking for a pattern I liked. Alas, I couldn't find exactly what I wanted, so I decided to make one up myself! Here's what resulted:

Exactly what I wanted! Small, but not too small. A little bit of seed stitch at the top for interest, a row of eyelets for a drawstring I-cord. It's worked in dk weight, but you don't have to go for sparkle if you don't want. It would be equally pretty in some soft baby alpaca or crisp merino. Done and done. Free pattern is here! This knits up quickly on double-points or Magic Loop, and makes a great gift for a teen or a teacher or a great container for a gift card or other present. Enjoy!

Fun Gifts for Knitters - #7 - Delicious Stitch Markers!

2011-12-07T07:12:00.001-05:00

If you look on Etsy, there are 9,000 listings for stitch markers. You can find pretty much any theme of stitch marker for your favorite knitter (or yourself, of course) there. I just spent a longgggg time poking around looking at different markers and decided to feature some food-related ones:

Sushi stitch markers from Beadpassion for your favorite sushi lover!! Spookily realistic and delicious-looking! Buy them here!

Wa ha - these cracked me up!

Dinner-themed stitch markers from FantasticCrafts on Etsy. Buy them here!

And let's finish up with something sweet, like S'Mores!

Great stitch markers from CharlieCarter on Etsy. Go here to buy!

Fun Gifts for Knitters - #6

2011-12-06T07:39:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite things to do on vacation in Vermont is to hunker down with a good jigsaw puzzle. I don't do jigsaw puzzles any other time, but when I was little and we'd rent a house in the mountains, my mom always had a jigsaw puzzle going, so it just seems right.

Here are two Springbok puzzles for knitters - a nice basket full of yarn and needles and one of (ahem, unfinished - looks familiar) projects. Hey, and only 1500 pieces! That's enough to keep your favorite knitter busy for a long time. Go here for more details.

Happy Holidays - All Hat Patterns 50% Off Until Dec 31!

2011-12-05T07:07:00.001-05:00

Happy holidays! All Momogus Knits hat patterns are 50% off (that's a mere $2.50 apiece) through December 31. Knit up a quick present or make one for yourself! Go here to see all 18 patterns.

The sale includes our newest pattern, the Easy Colorwork Hat! It's a great way to introduce a little color into your knitting - the Fair Isle band makes a cozy double layer of fabric right around your forehead. And it's sized for teen up to manly man.


NS37 - Easy Colorwork Hats!

Hats make great quick presents! We have styles and sizes from baby to adult, classic to cable. And all patterns are only $2.50 now through December 31. Buy one to make for a gift and then buy one to make for yourself! Stock up on basics!

ES4 - Easy Baby Caps

NS24 - Child's Cable Earflap Hats

NS10 - Adult Chestnut Hill Gansey Hats

NS23 - Adult Cable Ear Flap Hats

ES15 - Easy Adult Caps

ES5 - Easy Child's Caps

That's just a sampling, folks! Go here to see all 18 patterns - only $2.50 apiece from now through December 31. Happy Holidays from Momogus Knits!!

Fun Gifts for Knitters - #4

2011-12-03T07:23:00.000-05:00

Okay, here's a gift after my own heart. Drinks and yarn - a good combination? Sometimes yes, and.... sometimes no! Ha ha ha - ask me how I know!

These are beautiful - there are also beer glasses and mugs with this same yarn and needles image in the Bread and Badger shop. If you're interested, go here. Stay tuned for more fun gifts!

Fun Gifts For Knitters - #3

2011-12-02T07:19:00.000-05:00

Now, this is useful!! And awesome!! How many times have you gotten to the toe of a sock or something else that needed to be grafted and searched high and low for instructions?

Great idea from Tangerine Designs on Etsy. If you're interested, go here. Stay tuned for more gifts!

Fun Gifts For Knitters - #2

2011-12-01T07:17:00.000-05:00

I love these sweet woodcut cards.

There's a set of mitten ones too. If you're interested, go here. Stay tuned for more fun gifts!

Fun Gifts For Knitters - #1

2011-11-29T07:11:00.001-05:00

Thought I'd spotlight some fun knitter gifts that are not yarn, fiber or patterns.

Love this! Nail transfers for crafty folk! What next?!

If you're interested in these go here. Etsy is the source of all that is good. I'll be bringing some more knitter gifts to your attention in the next couple of days.

What I'm Knitting

2011-11-10T07:31:00.000-05:00

Here's what's on the needles these days. Gift time is ramping up, so I can't show you everything (because some recipients read this blog - you know who you are....), but Momogus Knits Industries is chugging away.

Look at this uninspiring piece of red chunky weight garter stitch:

This will become a Child's Easy Wrap Poncho - next pattern on the Momogus Knits Patterns conveyor belt. There's an adult version as well, with a more interesting stitch pattern. Ponchos are getting popular again, and I love the idea of them, but I can't get with the Brady Bunch look. These ponchos are simply a long rectangle seamed on to its own edge. Because you can wear them with the point forward or sort of draped off to one side, they're a little more versatile and (I think) better-looking.

These Mighty Mukluks just came off the needles in a frenzy. I'm teaching a class on them in January and wanted to take them out for a spin.

They're awesome. It's a little unwieldy and uncomfortable knitting chunky weight yarn on a #7 needle, but not enough to dissuade me from making more. I also added a 2nd sole to the bottom of each for comfort. I just followed the sole directions, made a 2nd sole and added it to the bottom of the completed mukluk with a 3-needle bindoff.

Here's a project that feels like it will be on the needles FOREVER (but it's actually only been a year):

This is the Two Hearts Pullover, from one of my favorite books of all time, Lisa Lloyd's A Fine Fleece. The yarn is Berroco Vintage. It's a beautiful pattern and not unenjoyable, but all of those cables switch on every other row and it's quite time-consuming. I pull it out and chug away at it for a couple of days every month. I'm almost up to the armholes. Someday it will be finished......

And now, my most obsessive current obsession, courtesy of this book:

I am a sucker for kooky fussy patterns, and here are 55 of them! I've made two balls - each took one satisfying day - and I can see myself obsessively working through the book because I like every one of the patterns.

Warm Hats, Warm Hearts Update

2011-11-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

All those fingers out there must have been FLYING! In this post, I wrote about Warm Hats, Warm Hearts, an organization that was gathering handknit winter accessories for victims of August's horrible flooding in Vermont.

Here's what I sent them this week:

That's 32 beautiful hats, 2 pairs of beautiful mittens and 2 beautiful scarves (and one cat who refused to give up prime space on the couch)! Thank you so much to all who contributed (I'm looking at you, Dana, Leslie, Andrea, Kate M., Kate J., Joe, Kelly, Nick H., Mary, Barbara, Alice, and Patty - you all rock!) - there are going to be some warm, happy people in Vermont thanks to you!

If you have items to send, here is the address again:

Warm Hats, Warm Hearts

c/o India Tresselt

251 Huntley Road

Westford, VT 05494

And also, if you'd like to make a simple children's cap, leave your email address in the comments and I'll send you a free copy of the Momogus Knits Easy Children's Cap pattern.

Rhinebeck Report!

2011-10-17T15:52:00.003-04:00

I went to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY for the first time this year. For years, I've listened to the buzz: "Rhinebeck!" "Rhinebeck!" "Rhinebeck!" The sheep, the yarn, the fiber, upstate New York in the fall, the food, the wonder! So this year, when my local yarn shop, The Tangled Web, announced that they were running a bus trip, I jumped at the chance.

We ended up only having 4 hours, and I wished I could have had twice (or three times!) that time, but it was amazing! And completely overwhelming. So much yarny and fibery goodness, you couldn't take it all in. I ended up buying a mug, some soap, and a braid of roving and that was it.

I really wished I had bought one of these:

O, alpaca, most adorable animal ever created! Your Seuss-ical looks and your magical trilling capture my heart!

I didn't want to lug my camera around so I don't have many pictures, but next year I will. Next year I will strongarm my husband and son into going because it's a perfect event for families (even without a fiber-crazed mom). I know they will have a great time. And next year, by hook or by crook I'm going for both days! If you have the chance to go, I can't recommend the experience highly enough!

Here's a listing of all 2011 fiber festivals - maybe there's one in your area!!

New Pattern! Barbara, Ruth and Leona Scarves!

2011-10-09T12:48:00.000-04:00

Today I introduce a new pattern that's very close to my heart: The Barbara, Ruth and Leona Scarves. This is a pattern for three easy pretty lace scarves, written for dk or sport weight yarn. They're a great introduction to lace knitting with easily-memorized patterns and make great gifts for moms, sisters, friends, teachers.

Also, 100% of proceeds from the sale of this pattern go to the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Barbara, Ruth and Leona were three fabulous moms who suffered from Parkinson's Disease. Barbara was my mom. Here's a random picture of her and my dad, from a million years ago. I love that it's a little blurry and how huge a grin she has.

Parkinson's Disease is devastating - robbing its victims of their dignity, their health, and eventually their lives. I'm hoping that by contributing 100% of proceeds of sale from this pattern going forward, I can make a little dent and help some other wonderful moms out there.

Make a scarf for your mom or for the mom of a friend or for yourself or your sister or your daughter or your best friend! And know you're doing good while you're having fun knitting!

YIPPEEE!!!

2011-09-18T16:23:00.000-04:00

Pardon me while I indulge in a little happy Phillies dance.

Let's Help!

2011-09-08T18:58:00.000-04:00

For the past 12 years my family and I have traveled to Vermont each summer to relax and soak in the gorgeous scenery and the wonderful spirit that abounds in that lovely green state. Here's what Dot's Restaurant in Wilmington looked like when we were there 3 weeks ago:

And here's what Dot's looked like last week (to put the flooding in perspective, normally the river level below that bridge is a good 20 feet below the street):

There are scenes like this all over Vermont - houses, bridges, roads all washed away. Many residents lost everything, and winter's right around the corner there. Here's a little way that we knitters can help: Warm Hats, Warm Hearts, an organization run by India Tresselt, is collecting handknit hats, scarves, mittens and sweaters to distribute to northern Vermont and upstate New York flood survivors.

You can donate any knitted item (please include care and washing instructions and please use machine washable yarns for child and baby items.) If you would like to make and donate a child's hat, I will email you a PDF of the Momogus Knits Easy Child's Cap pattern for free. Just leave your email address in a comment below. There is a Warm Hats, Warm Hearts group on Ravelry with lots of information.

Items can be sent to:

Warm Hats, Warm Hearts

c/o India Tresselt

251 Huntley Road

Westford, VT 05494

If you have questions for India, you can email her at warmhearts2ATgmailDOTcom. If you would like to donate knitted items to southern Vermont flood survivors, you can email Kelly Connaughton at kfield16ATyahooDOTcom for an address and more information.

Let's help!!

Spinny Stuff

2011-09-06T05:58:00.000-04:00

I don't know if I mentioned it, but I got a spinning wheel (a Kromski Sonata) (spinners like to know those things) in February, and I've very much enjoyed adding to the fiber madness of my life.

Please indulge me as I post some of my recent spinning efforts. When I started, like everyone else starting out, I spun big lumpy yarn. Then I gradually got better at it and spun the teeniest tiniest thinnest yarn I could. That's great, but I was left with really thin, super-over-plied yarn that had the gentle consistency of electrical wire.

Now I know that I can spin yarn a little thicker and looser and ply a little less frantically, and I'll end up with yarn that I actually want to knit with.

Here is some nice yarn spun from fiber from Spunky Eclectic. Merino wool, "Night Owl" colorway:

I knit the Morningside Neckwarmer by Jared Flood from it for my husband. This is the first thing I've ever knit out of handspun yarn. I might cry!!

Here is some nice yarn spun from fiber from Corgi Hill Farm (as the "owner" of several goofball corgis over the years, I love to buy fiber from this farm). 70% Bluefaced Leicester, 30% silk:

This was a dream to spin - my first time spinning anything with silk. I don't know what I'm going to do with it, other than to just gaze at it lovingly.

Finally, here is some nice yarn spun from fiber from Homestead Wool and Gift Farm. I have to give them a shout-out because what they're doing is so awesome. Check out the website and then buy some yarn or fiber from them.

This fiber was a Lincoln cross (sounds like I know what I'm talking about, eh? I don't.) It was fuzzy and fun to spin and the bluey-green color was like sea glass. I also don't know what I'm going to make with it.

Hey, you spinners out there - do you have favorite projects you like to knit with your handspun? I'm still intrigued by the fact that I can make yarn, let alone knit with it. The yarn itself is like the finished object!

Hurricane Giveaway!

2011-08-29T06:52:00.004-04:00

So Irene is gone, though her effects are still being felt up and down the East Coast. On this sunny cool morning, I'm feeling so relieved that Irene wasn't more awful that I thought a giveaway was in order to celebrate her passing. I'm giving away some nice nice sock yarn and a free sock pattern.

Here's a beautiful skein of Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn (based in Barton, Vermont! Yee haw! Go, Northeast Kingdom of Vermont!), 420 yards of superwash merino. Colorway is Champlain Sunrise - beautiful deep red, magenta, blue, orange.

I'll also email you a copy of either the Momogus Knits Easy Toe-Up Socks or Momogus Knits Twisty Toe-Up Tube Sock pattern - y0ur choice.

Leave a comment here or on the Facebook page and let me know your most interesting hurricane experience, and I'll pick a winner at random. Mine was not particularly interesting (thank God!) but it was kind of sweet: because our house is surrounded by big old trees (two of which have crashed down and just missed our house already this year), my husband and I decided it would be prudent to all sleep downstairs in the living room. So we blew up an air mattress and my son got in his sleeping bag, and we all got cozy and listened to the rain and fell asleep. It was fun, though we did have to take shelter in the basement once when there was a tornado warning for our area, which was spooky. And for you readers out west who missed all the Irene fun, any interesting weather experience will do!

More Sock Stuff - for the Frugal Sock Knitter!

2011-08-22T07:33:00.000-04:00

Have you ever knit a pair of socks and been left with a ton of leftover yarn? I have, for sure, and here's a post about a recent experience I had using up that yarn.

I have been off the sock bandwagon for some time, but after coming across the yarn Indulgence by KFI, I have jumped right back on. The socks are nothing fancy (just my regular toe-up sock pattern), and as I've said before I'm not in love with the colorways of this yarn, but it is a dream to knit. Soft soft soft!!

Anyway, as I vowed, I made my second pair of socks fraternal twins:

It was a little difficult to make myself NOT wind off the yarn to make them match, but I did it! I was a little sad when I finished these because I was done and I wasn't knitting with that yummy yarn anymore. But then I looked at how much I had left from each ball, and I had a revelation!

What if I knit another pair with the leftover yarn?? Here's the thing I've found with most commercial sock yarn - I always have a lot left over. And I have big feet!

So here's what you need:

A "food" scale (ha ha - seriously, all I ever weigh on this scale is fiber and yarn), a ball winder (or your own two hands), the yarn, a toe-up sock pattern, and your noggin.

I weighed one of my finished socks. It weighed 35 grams. I weighed the leftover yarn from one of the socks. It weighed 35 grams. I weighed the leftover yarn from the other socks. It weighed 35 grams. Hallelujah! So I knew I had enough leftover yarn to make two 35 gram socks. I put the leftover yarn from one sock on the scale and wound off yarn onto the ball winder until the scale read 17.5 grams. I did the same thing with the other leftover yarn.

So I was left with four 17.5 gram balls of yarn - two each from the leftover yarn from each sock. Are you still with me? So now I was ready to cast on. Here's how far I got with one of the little balls of leftover yarn:

I got all the way up the foot and beyond the turned heel! Phew. I felt comfortable knitting with the leftover yarn because I was knitting these socks toe-up. I'll make the leg as long as the leftover yarn allows me - just knit till it runs out. If I were coming cuff-down, I wouldn't know how long to make the leg and still have enough yarn to finish the foot down to the toe.

Done and done! Frankenstein socks!!

Now I know that someone is out there thinking, "If she had enough leftover yarn to knit one sock, why did she split it into two balls? Why not just make a third sock from each yarn?" Good question, person out there! The answer is that I wanted to make a third pair of unique socks. Also I wanted to try out my fancy-pants calculating and stuff. Now I just happened to have enough leftover from two similar yarns to make a whole pair of socks, but you could use this method to use up odds and ends of sock yarn from many socks.

My Nutsy

2011-08-17T14:21:00.006-04:00

Holey schmoley, it's already August!! I had very good intentions about posting regularly this summer, but they disappeared in the wind. I have a lot of knitting to post and talk about, but first please indulge me a moment while I go all crazy cat-lady on you.

We just got back from a nice vacation in northern Vermont. Unfortunately, the morning we were coming back I got a call from the vet that our beloved cat Nuts had died that morning.

Listen, I was a dog person all my life. The cats I knew growing up were aloof and bitey. I never understood why people liked cats at all. Then I got married and my husband (a devout cat person) convinced me to adopt two kittens from the SPCA. My son (3 yrs old at the time) named them Funny and Silly. And they were awesome. Sweet, affectionate, cuddly - I got it! I became a cat person.

Then a stray I named Smokey adopted us and had a litter of kittens which she deposited under the wisteria tree in our backyard. We caught and placed all but two, which we adopted. Nuts and Caroline. Caroline is very independent and funny, but Nuts..... Ah my Nutsy....

Nuts was 100% pure love and contentment. He would walk into a room and start purring. He loved the other cats (and they tolerated him). He loved the three of us. He loved visitors. He loved shrimp. He loved a squishy pillow. He loved to get a "tour", where I would pick him up and point out various objects around the house, which he would reach out and touch gently.

He had very severe asthma, which meant he took steroids daily and had to take puffs from an inhaler, believe it or not. He tolerated all this with patience and the good nature that was inherent in him. And finally, though he was only 4, his body gave out, and he died. And we weren't there, which I'm struggling with. We always boarded him at the vet's, so that he could get his medicine, and I know they took good care of him.

But I wish we had been with him. I wish I could have given his big orange lovey body one last hug. My Nutsy......

Toe-Up Socks Done!

2011-06-27T15:15:00.003-04:00

I started these socks last week as I was teaching a Toe-Up Socks class at The Tangled Web. I love toe-up socks. And this yarn (Indulgence by KFI) is smoochy - very enjoyable experience. Here's the pattern: Easy Toe-Up Socks.

And now, some thoughts on how matchy-matchy these are. Whenever I used self-striping yarn in the past, I seemed to be able to just start the 2nd sock at wherever the yarn from the first sock left off. I (silently and gently) tsk-tsked students of mine who insisted on making the stripes line up. But of course as always happens when you mock someone or something, you end up doing exactly that thing. My last few pairs of self-striping socks are identical twins. I wind off yarn at the beginning of the 2nd sock so I'm starting at the same place. Like a crazy person!!

And then, look what happened to these socks. I had them all lined up and as I was nearing the end of the 2nd sock, there was a knot! The color pattern was broken up and so the cuffs of these socks are, GASP, different!!! Let it go, Diana!!

I've started a 2nd pair in this yarn and I shall grit my teeth and make the 2nd sock a fraternal twin. I shall not wind off until I come to the same starting point. It will be good for me.

Summer Shell Patterns on Sale!

2011-06-07T07:10:00.009-04:00

Whoa, where did I go?! Sorry everyone, local community baseball (my husband's a coach, my son's a player) completely overwhelmed me for the last month. BUT, baseball's done, and now it's back to knitting!

I'm usually gearing up for the TNNA (National Needle Arts) Show this time of year, but we're staying home this year because my son has an important graduation ceremony (from Lower to Middle School - gulp!) that we don't want to miss. BUT as a nod to TNNA, I'm putting all three of my Easy Summer Shell patterns on sale (20% off) for the month of June. Click on the titles to go straight to the website to buy yours now!

V-Neck:

Scoopneck:

Boatneck:

These are the definition of easy summer knitting - knit in the round up to the armholes, easy edging, simple shaping. These shell patterns are written for worsted or dk weight, have a choice of seed stitch or ribbed edging, and have optional waist shaping instructions. And they're all 20% off for the month of June. Go here (they're at the bottom of the page.)

Crafty Monday - Make Your Own Sea Glass Suncatcher!

2011-05-16T07:51:00.000-04:00

This is a very particular Crafty Monday post, maybe not applicable to many people, but I think it'll be helpful in showing that you don't need a million tools and a million dollars to make some fun pretty things for your house or for gifts.

Every winter we spend a week out at the end of Long Island, housesitting for my beloved Aunt Jane. We wander on the deserted beach - my husband and son skip stones and play football and I look for sea glass and interesting shells. A typical vacation can produce this:

Until now, I've collected the sea glass in a jar, which I also found on the beach, and it sits in a window of my kitchen.

But I was in a gift store the other day and saw sea glass made into Christmas ornaments. I was going to buy one, but my sensible husband reminded me that we had that jar of sea glass at home, and we should not be spending $15 on something that I could make.

So I went to my local craft store (in the jewelry-making aisle) and bought this:

Red wire for $2.99! This is 8 yards of 20 gauge copper wire. It's fairly substantial but was easily bendable by hand and by pliers. I took a piece of green sea glass, cut a piece of wire about 8" long and simply wrapped it by hand around the glass, leaving about 4" for a hanger and hook. I needed the pliers to crimp up the end and bend the hook. I like a sort of organic, informal look, so I didn't try for any particular pattern, but you could easily manipulate the wire into a more formal pattern:

Done and done! It's hanging in a window in the living room, reminding me of wonderful times on Long Island. At Christmas, I'll hang it on the tree.

If you don't have a beach handy, you can buy sea glass by the bag at most craft stores. And you don't have to use sea glass - you could use a beautiful smooth stone that you picked up on a hike or a family vacation. (We are always picking up stones and rocks on vacation - is that crazy? I hope other people do this too....)

Welcome New Stores!

2011-05-03T06:41:00.002-04:00

A hearty Momogus Knits welcome to the following new members of our family: The Yarn Gourmet in South Bend, IN, The Blue Purl in Madison, NJ, Motif Needle Arts in Lynchburg, VA, The Yarn Farm in Findlay, OH, Apple Tree Lane in Clare, MI, Clever Ewe in Ada, MI, A Grand Skein in Grand Rapids, MI, Uncommon Threads in York, PA, Knit N Purl in Marquette, MI, and Knitting Basket in Richmond, VA.

If you're ever in the vicinity of any of these fine shops, please take the opportunity to give them your business. Local yarn stores have been hit hard by the economy and need our business! Big box stores will never be able to replace the selection, atmosphere and incredible customer service that your local yarn store can give you.

(Also, yooooo hoooo, Kathleen Ramseyer! You're a winner! Please email me at info@momogusknits.com!)

Contest Winners!

2011-04-27T07:50:00.001-04:00

As always, I was so moved and thrilled by the response I got from you all! Great thoughtful answers, suggestions, tips - you guys rock!

Our winners, who will each receive a fold-up reusable shopping bag and a PDF of the Momogus Knits pattern of their choice, are (drumroll please): Lisa, David (who very graciously asked that his reusable bag prize be reused for another contestant - more recycling!), Debi, Kathleen (Ramseyer - Kathleen - please email me at info@momogusknits.com - I couldn't get a message to you on FB!), Cathie, and Julie.

Here are some of the great tips: Save our Beach has some great recycling and earth-friendly tips at the bottom of their home page.

Composting raw veggies, dumping coffee grounds on your plants, leaving yarn ends out for the birds to use for their nests (love that tip!), using old canning and peanut butter jars to hold craft supplies, decorating old Pringles jars as knitting needle holders (another knitter-friendly tip!) or using them as part of a game, using wax paper instead of plastic wrap - so many great, easy-to-implement ideas! You can review them in more detail on the Facebook page or in the comments in the previous post here on the blog.

Congrats and thank you so much for your (and everyone else's) participation!

Happy Earth Day! Giveaway! (Bags and Free Patterns!)

2011-04-22T07:07:00.003-04:00

No sermons here. If you're a breathing human adult, you're aware of the importance of taking care of our dear planet. To push things along a bit, though, I'm having a giveaway! Some details.....

My personal pet peeve is plastic bags. For the past couple of years I've tried to train myself to say, "I don't need a bag," as often as I can. It's difficult at first to remember, but it's amazing how often you don't need a bag. Of course, I live in the suburbs and drive a car, so it's easy to carry things from the store to the car and just plop them on the seat. When I lived in the city and walked everywhere, then you do need a bag, which brings me to.....Giveaway!

I'll pick 5 people at random and they will each get this bag:

AND the Momogus Knits pattern of their choice emailed to them in PDF form (we'll save some trees!) I have a lot of reusable shopping bags, but these ChicoBags are my favorite - they fold up small into their attached pouch and have a clip to hold them to your purse.

Leave a comment here (make sure you add your email address in your comment) or on the Facebook page. Share an Earth Day thought, recycling tip, or nature appreciation, and also which pattern you'd like.

Here's mine: I'm pretty sure I was a tree in my last life. This big old tree in my backyard is like a soulmate for me:

I love looking at it in all seasons, I worry about it in windstorms, I pat it with my hand when I walk by it. Happy Earth Day, tree!

Our Friend, Duplicate Stitch.

2011-04-04T07:13:00.000-04:00

As you may or may not know, there are many many ways to introduce colorwork into your knitting. There's Fair Isle or stranded knitting, which I discussed here. There's mosaic knitting, which you can try with this pattern:

There's intarsia, my Lex Luther:

And then there's my dear, dear friend, mighty duplicate stitch.

Duplicate stitch allows you to create one section of colorwork that you would have to knit in intarsia otherwise. No bobbins, no trillion strands of yarn tangling everywhere. It's essentially an embroidery stitch that mimics the look of the knit stitch. Here's how you do it. Start with a graph. You can make your own with graph paper [note: knitter's graph paper is available, but I just use regular graph paper] or use the colorwork chart that comes with your pattern. Cross-stitch and needlepoint charts will work as well, but keep in mind that they do not compensate for the size of the knitted stitch as a chart written specifically for knitting will.

(that's a smiling face, folks). Notice that the design is slightly elongated top to bottom, as compared to the finished result below. That's because regular graph paper is composed of squares, where the knit stitch is more of a rectangle.

Finished result, much shorter vertically than the graphed design.

Here we go. Each block of the graph represents one stitch. Thread some yarn onto a yarn needle. I usually use 12" lengths of yarn. Bring the yarn up at the bottom of the "V" of the stitch you want to cover:

Next, bring the needle through the tops of the V of the stitch ABOVE the one you want to cover:

Bring the yarn through. Don't pull tight. You need very little tension on the stitches. You want the duplicate stitch thread to cover the stitch.

Now bring the needle back into the bottom of the V where you first came up.

Done and done.

It's easy! You can add designs or embellishment after you're finished your garment. It's great for putting initials on kids' sweaters.

Or make up your own motifs - this was for my train-loving son. Please note awesome smoke, which I am very proud of:

I Knit a Chicken

2011-03-29T08:18:00.004-04:00

Truth be told, I am a sucker for Fiber Trends' felted animal patterns. They're crazy-fussy, but they're small and over quickly. I saw this one at my local yarn store and snapped it up! This is Henrietta and Family. Someday I will knit Henrietta, but I only did a chick this time. The only yellow yarn I had was some I had bought at a farmer's market in Vermont and had no label. Unbeknownst to me it must have had some mohair in it, because when I felted it, it came out very fuzzy. Which was appropriate. And adorable. Here's the chick:

Waaah! I love it! I have a lot of this yarn left; if I get my act together I can maybe knock out a couple more for an Easter centerpiece. Or just gaze lovingly at this one.

Crafty Monday - Make Your Own DELICIOUS Granola!

2011-03-21T06:52:00.001-04:00

We eat a lot of granola here, chez Momogus. We consume veritable tanker ships' worth of fruit, yogurt and granola basically year-round. I had always bought granola from the supermarket, but then my friend Jeanne gave me some homemade granola as a Christmas present, and I saw the light!!

I begged her for the recipe and took it out for a spin this morning. Oh boy. I made two batches, which is approximately 10 cups. I ate about half of that, "testing" it. A friend of mine said, "Oh you'll never go back to storebought again." It was SO GOOD I couldn't believe it. And easy.

This is actually Molly Wizenberg's recipe from Bon Appetit. Here is the link if you want to read about her granola revelations.

Everyday Granola (a/k/a You'll Never Go Back To Storebought!)

Ingredients

3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup assorted dried fruit [momogus note: I used dried cranberries and blueberries. I've also used chopped up dried apricots]

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Mix first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Stir honey and oil in saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture; toss. Spread on prepared sheet. Bake until golden, stirring every 10 minutes, about 40 minutes [momogus note: mine took about 30 mins]. Mix in fruit after granola cools. Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight.

Makes about 5 yuuuummmmmmyyyyy cups!! Now go run to the store and get the ingredients!!

Gansey Madness....

2011-03-16T07:02:00.001-04:00

Here are the next sweaters that are coming down the pike, Momogus Knits-wise. They are cardigan versions of the Chestnut Hill Gansey.

Baby version:

Child's version:

Adult version (this has been on the needle for months - oy vey, these take so long to knit!!!):

Then I decided, as with the original ganseys, that I would make an American Girl Doll version. I loved how the original Gansey turned out. Look how cute!

Well, why wouldn't the cardigan version be just as cute, right? Here it is:

Looks cute, right?

Uh oh. Fits bad. The back is the same size as in the Pullover version; I think I need to make the fronts a couple of stitches wider. Poor American Girl, she looks uncomfortable in her ill-fitting sweater! Fortunately, it only takes a smidgeon of a moment to knit one of these up, but still....

These patterns will be available soon - have to finish up that Adult sample and re-do poor American Girl Doll's sample.

(As a sidenote, to keep her decent I had to order this doll a little mock turtleneck (from Lavenderlore on Etsy.com). And let me tell you, I love ordering clothes for this American Girl doll! It's probably a good thing I didn't have a girl, because I would be going broke getting a wardrobe for her dolls!!)

Happy St David's Day!

2011-03-01T07:18:00.007-05:00

Today is St. David's Day, folks! It is to Wales and Welshmen what St. Patrick's Day is to Ireland and Irishmen. But instead of green hats and green beer, we embrace daffodils and the mighty Welsh Cookie.

When I was growing up, my grandmother (whose father had emigrated from Wales to the Scranton area alone at age 16) used to make Welsh Cookies all the time. Every week, maybe? It seems like they were always in the house. And boy oh boy were they delicious! There are variations of this recipe all over northeastern Pennsylvania, where so many Welshmen settled to work in the coal mines. I've made them only a handful of times since my childhood, but the smell, the taste, even the look of them sends me rocketing back to childhood.

Mmmm.....look how pretty.......

Here is my grandmother's recipe:
Leona James’s Welsh Cookies

Ingredients:
4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tbs baking powder
scant tsp baking soda
1 cup (8 oz) lard (you can use other shortening if you don’t want to use lard, but your cookies will not taste as tasty!)
1 cup currants
3 eggs
milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all dry ingredients.Cut in lard and then add currants. Put eggs in a measuring cup and add milk until you get 1 cup. Add vanilla to this mixture. Add to lard/flour mixture. You may need to drizzle a bit of water on dough to get it all mixed together. Let chill for 30 minutes.Roll out flat on a floured surface.Use a 2” round cookie cutter dipped in flour to cut out cookies. Fry on heated (but ungreased) griddle (325 degrees on electric griddle) until cookies are golden brown on both sides. Makes about 3 dozen.

These cookies are best eaten hot off the griddle, or warm, or at room temperature, or refrigerated, or frozen. Enjoy and Happy St. David's Day, everyone!

Winners!

2011-02-16T16:01:00.003-05:00

First of all, thank you SO MUCH to everyone who posted a comment about what or whom they loved. From shrimp to yarn to cats to kids - we covered a lot of ground! And I think we put a lot of good karma out there - it made my day to read them.

Congratulations to Karen and Kris! [Kris - I sent you an email!! Hello! Paging Kris!! You need to get in touch with me so I know where to send your yarn!] They are the winners of the Valentine's Day yarn and Twisty Toe-Up Tube Sock giveaway!

(I'll stop with the customized conversation hearts. I love making them, but Valentine's Day is over! Want to make one? Go here!)

Valentine's Day Giveaway!

2011-02-14T05:40:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Let's celebrate love!

Of course, there are many years when we don't have a special someone, and so society's tidal wave of candy and decorations and cards and flowers seems over-the-top and plain old depressing. I know I spent many a Valentine's Day alone and told myself it's just another day. And it is. But we all love something sometime, so let's celebrate that!

To celebrate love, in all its crazy magical forms, I'm giving away some beautiful red and pink sock yarn and two free copies of my Totally Twisty Toe-Up Tube Sock pattern. Here's the yarn:

2 skeins of Koigu in an appropriately pinky-red colorway

and one skein of Anne sock yarn (already wound! enough for a pair of socks). (PS - for those of you with allergies, my yarn is normally kept in cat-proof containers, but I thought that plunking down the yarn next to an admittedly surprised cat made for a more interesting picture.)

To be eligible, leave a comment in the comments or on the Momogus Knits group on Facebook and tell me one thing or person that you love and why. My loyal assistant will pick two winners at random. (Remember if you comment here, to leave your email address or I have no way to get in touch with you!)

I'll start:

1. I love my husband, because he makes me laugh out loud every day
2. I love my son, because he's goofy and intense and sweet
3. I love salt and vinegar potato chips, because they satisfy two of my favorite cravings: salt and vinegar!
4. I love baseball, in every iteration from T-ball to the bigs.

You get the idea. Tell me who or what you love! Let's share the love!!

Crafty Monday - Make Your Own Stitch Markers!

2011-02-07T16:03:00.005-05:00

Welcome! It seems to be Crafty Monday around these parts! For some reason, I got a lot of crafty stuff done today, but I'm going to parcel out crafty tips over a few weeks so you all don't get overwhelmed with the craftiness.

Today's topic is stitch markers. I, like many knitters, am always looking for new gadgets and tools and enhancements to my knitting experience. Specifically, I'm always looking for good stitch markers. I've bought and received as gifts those stitch markers that look like jewelry - the kind that hang off a loop that sits on the needle.

As pretty as some of these are, I find them a pain in the patootie to knit with. They keep getting stuck in between stitches or they need to be flipped to the front or back of my knitting depending on what stitch I'm doing.

We're pretty, but we don't work well!

I wanted markers that were circles, like those ubiquitous plastic ones that we all have. I've never attempted to make stitch markers before, but I saw some online that looked like just the ticket, so I thought I'd try to recreate them. And let me tell you, they are the easiest things in the world to make! And they work! And they're pretty!

We work! And we're easy to make!

Yep. That's it. You need 10mm jump rings - the kind that are a single circle, not a coil - which you can purchase at any big box craft store or bead store, and size 6 (or E) beads, also widely available all over the place. (If you are like me, you have trillions of these beads lying around from various beading and knitting projects.)

You don't even need pliers to make these. Simply pry the jump ring apart with your fingers, slip on a bead, and then pry the jump ring back together. Voila! That's it! You're done! I took these out for a spin on a pair of mittens I'm making (Shelburne from knitty.com, if you must know).

(Terrible picture, but seeing the cat's feet made me crack up)

Those mittens are on a size #9 needle, and the markers work perfectly. They had smaller jump rings at the store, but I like markers on the big side, even if I'm using small needles. I'm going to troll Etsy and see if they have even larger ones.

No more plastic markers! Make some pretty ones of your very own today! And think of what a nice gift for your knitter friends a set of these would make!

What I Did on My Winter Vacation

2011-01-31T07:43:00.004-05:00

Every year around this time we head out to the end of Long Island to stay at the house of my beloved Aunt Jane. We love it out there at this time of year - the bracing walks on the beach, the snuggly times reading in the cozy house, the local seafood. Heaven.

Also, I have a lot of knitting time!! Before I go on vacation, I start thinking about what I'm taking, knitting-wise, wayyyyyy before I think of packing stuff like, oh, clothes, toothbrush, those kinds of things...

I like taking small projects on vacation and besides, I'm in a very non-sweatery knitting mood these days. I started and finished these:

Shelburne Mittens from the latest Knitty.com. Great easy pattern. I do love a textured mitten!! The yarn is from an unnamed big box store. The yarn I brought was impossible to get gauge with, so I popped in a store (yarn emergency!!) and picked up a ball of this insanely bright fuschia yarn. I like it though, and they'll never get lost in the snow!

These gloves I had already finished before I left, but they felt short to me, so I picked up stitches around the cuff and knit a couple of inches of garter stitch. The wonky, Wonder-Woman type shape of the cuffs was because I had added a sort of tab to put the button on, but added it on the wrong side on one of the gloves. So I seamed the tab to the side of the cuff and got that weird shape. Which I like, so that's cool.

Garter Stitch Sideways Gloves, in Claudia Handpaints Fingering weight, Zecca buttons.

I did some Momogus knitting too. Here I am zooming up the 2nd of a pair of Totally Twisty Toe-Up Tube Socks. Some vintage Opal sock yarn from the stash. These will never get lost in the snow either!

Finally, I made an Easy Colorwork Headband for myself, but just as I finished a cold front swept the East Coast, and I decided to convert it to a hat. It was super-warm! I'm going to write up the conversion-to-a-hat instructions and add them to the Free Patterns page of the website.

Easy Colorwork Headband, converted to a hat! Brown Sheep NatureSpun yarn.

Stay Tuned...

2011-01-26T11:30:00.003-05:00

I got a little off track there after the holidays, but I'm getting back in gear now. Right now, we're taking a little vacation out at the end of Long Island. It looks like this and it's heavenly this time of year.

We're heading back this weekend and then there will be some great Momogus Knits contests and patterns coming down the pike. Stay tuned!

Holiday Present Ideas

2010-12-14T06:55:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year again - for knitters it's variously a fun and/or a stressful time. Yes, it's holiday knitting time! Honestly, I'm ambivalent about the whole prospect.

I used to knit for everyone - because I could and because I couldn't imagine anything nicer than a handmade gift. But then I realized that there were some people - smart, funny, kind, loving people - who just didn't appreciate the wonderfulness of a knitted gift. So they came off the knitted gift list. And soon, I wasn't knitting holiday presents anymore.

But then gradually over the years, I've dipped into holiday knitting again. For me, non-garments are the way to go. But your mileage may vary, of course. I still think a handmade gift is the best thing you can give someone. Here are some quick little fun projects that I've enjoyed making and giving over the years:

Beaded Bookmark (Ravelry link)

This is my new go-to teacher gift. Knock this sweet little thing out in an evening, enclose a gift card to a bookstore, and you're done! Fingering weight yarn and about 25 beads (added as you go). Easy-peasy. The pattern comes with a half dozen variations of the beading pattern.

Tiny Sweater Ornaments

Oh, don't get me started on these. Last year I made a half dozen of these. I gave these to some dear friends. They're fussy, but also awesome (the sweaters, not the friends). The cable is fun, but the pattern also includes a plain version. Fingering weight - another small project you can knock out in an evening or two.

Cable Hot Water Bottle Cover (Ravelry link)

My husband thought knitting a hot water bottle cover was absurd, but he doesn't have crazy-knitter genes. I loved this (and actually kept it for myself). Eschew all those high-tech polarfleece, electrical-corded warming devices! A hot water bottle (you can still buy them in any drugstore) with a handsome cover is like snuggling up with a warm, non-demanding companion. This pattern is written for bulky weight yarn, so it goes quickly. There are a bunch of patterns on Ravelry, but this one was my favorite. This would be a nice gift for someone who lives in a drafty old house, or a reader, or an older person (wait - that's me!)

Tiny Felted Hearts

This pattern isn't written to be felted and the picture above is pre-felting, but I ended up stuffing these with yarn and felting them. Then I added a ribbon and gave them as ornaments to the above-noted fussy but awesome friends. I didn't put eyes on them, but those amirugumi creatures always make me laugh out loud. Poke around her website - her patterns are delightful.

So there you go - some ideas for you. But don't feel like you have to knit gifts for people. Only do it if you enjoy the process (knitting should be a stress-reducer, not a stress-inducer!!) and if you realize that not everyone will get the wonderfulness of what you did for them.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2010-12-07T06:50:00.001-05:00

I love giving and receiving presents as much (okay, maybe more) as the next person, but this time of year, it's good to take a break from your gift list and think about how you can make your world better. Here's a link to Interweave Press's list of charitable organizations and their guidelines for giving. Boy, just reading the list gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling!

Though every one of these programs is doing fabulous wonderful necessary work, one of my personal favorites is Heifer International. They donate animals, trees and other stock to needy families around the world in order to increase sustainable self-sufficiency. They have a "Knitting Basket" donation that provides two llamas and two sheep to a family for income-producing wool.

Each year Gus and I go through the catalog and pick out an animal to give. Two years ago we had Merry Chicksmas and last year was Merry Cowmas. He donates all of his December allowance and then asks relatives to each donate a few dollars too. And that adds up to a lot of chicks! Or one cow!

Most of these organizations will accept donations on behalf of someone else, so think of it as a nice alternative to a gift card to the local mall. A donation to a charitable organization is especially nice for a teacher's gift.

And, as I tell myself 10 times a day this time of year, stay calm! Take some time to stop and smell the pine and cinnamon scents around us, hear the beautiful holiday music, watch the twinkly lights, sip some hot chocolate, and appreciate all the little good things we have in our lives.

New Pattern! And Yarn Giveaway!

2010-11-19T00:10:00.001-05:00

So, since I published it I've had 725 downloads of the Infinity Loop Scarf. That's a lot of Infinity Loop Scarves, folks! I hope that there are still a few of you out there who are not making Infinity Loop Scarves, since I have a nice new pattern to introduce. New pattern time! And a yarn giveaway! Yee haw!

One of the many things that I love about knitting is fair-isle or stranded colorwork. Honestly, you couldn't pay me to do intarsia (all those ends and bobbins!), though I know a lot of people love it. Look at this gorgeous insanity ("Foolish Virgins" cardigan by Kaffe Fassett):

The woman who knit this said she had FORTY bobbins of different colors going on each row. Excuse me while I curl up weeping in the fetal position. But hey more power to her!

But give me a good two-color knitting pattern and off I go! I love this:

(Bird in Hand mittens)

And this!

(We Call Them Pirates hat - lost at school for 6 terrible months and then found in the Lost & Found on the last day of school! Didn't have to sell boy to the gypsies after all.)

In the spirit of all that colorwork, I came up with an easy and fun introduction to two-color knitting, Easy Fair Isle Headbands!

Look!

They're good for ladies and men! They're warm (double layer of fabric)! They're easy (no increasing or decreasing and only 16 rows of colorwork!) and don't use a huge amount of yarn. They look great on the ski slopes, on the sidelines of your kid's soccer game, or gadding about town. They keep your hair tidy and fabulous and your ears nice and toasty-warm. They'd make a quick thoughtful gift for a teacher (those cold afternoons on the playground!) or friend.

I love the classic look of the color combinations above, but thought I'd take one of my million balls of Noro Kureyon (a self-striping yarn famous for its insane combination of colors) and use that as one of the colors. Here's the result:

Waah! Super-love!

I'm giving away two copies of the pattern with the following yarn (delicious Mission Falls Wool).

Leave a comment below* or on Facebook with your yarn choice AND your favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. Mine is my mother's old favorite, mashed rutabagas. Also I love that jellied cranberry sauce - from a can!!

*don't forget to include your email address

To Infinity (Loop Scarves) and Beyond!

2010-11-08T08:14:00.000-05:00

New free pattern alert!!

I was recently asked to teach an Infinity Loop Scarf class at The Tangled Web and so I knocked out a pattern and some samples to bring to class. If you're not familiar with infinity scarves, they are basically just a gigantic loop - no pesky ends to deal with - which you wrap luxuriously and fabulously around your neck.

The pattern I came up with features a Ruffled Infinity Scarf:

(sample done in one of the ten trillion skeins of yummy Malabrigo that I've accumulated over the years)

And a Non-Ruffled version:

(sample done in Noro Taiyo)

Infinity scarves are fun and easy! They're great for using up odd bits of yarn, combining textured yarns, using self-striping yarns, and are a great mindless piece of knitting to pick up and put down. And of course, the holidays are coming up - they make a nice gift too.

I posted this pattern on Ravelry this weekend and had THREE HUNDRED downloads in the first 24 hours! Yikes.

Anyway, here's the link - go download and if you make one, please email me a picture or post on Ravelry or Facebook!

Easy-Peasy Baby Blankets!

2010-11-01T07:40:00.001-04:00

I've been busy, busy, busy lately! First, in non-knitting, there was this:

The boy's Lego minifigure Halloween costume that consumed most of my waking moments for the past few weeks. That's a lot of cardboard and duct tape, folks! I didn't realize how much time I was spending on it, mentally and physically, until yesterday when it was finished and he wore it in his school's Halloween parade. I came home and actually didn't know what to do with myself!

Fortunately, there is always knitting. I set myself to finishing my two Easy-Peasy Baby Blankets. Here they are:

I increased to 126 sts on each - worsted weight cotton on a #7 needle (though next time I'll go up to an #8 to make it bigger faster - those last couple of increase rows were reallllllly long....) They both ended up about 22" square, which was a little smaller than I wanted, so I did 2 rows of single crochet around the edges to add about another 2" to the total width.

I really enjoyed these little blankets; I think they'll be my go-to baby gift for the next couple of babies that come down the pike. I like their plainness/simplicity and their garter-y goodness.

Here is the link*, if you have babies on the way who need a quick gift. Next post, new pattern and giveaway! Stay tuned!

[ETA: *It's the Marina's Soap Sock and Easy Peasy Washcloth pattern. I took the Washcloth pattern, which starts at one corner and increases up to 44 sts. I kept increasing up to 126 sts to make a blanket.]

Back to Knitting!

2010-10-21T09:26:00.001-04:00

Sorry, folks, the blog got hijacked by the Phillies for a while there. But since they seem to be sinking fast, let's talk about something fun....like knitting!!

Yesterday on Facebook, Kris mentioned that she was about to become a new grandma (yay!) and asked, "...Anybody have any great but simple ideas for new babies from their grandma?"

Funny she should ask because I am in the middle of the same dilemma (as a friend and sort of great-aunt-in-law rather than a grandma). My usual go-to project for new babies is this, the Easy Baby Cardigan:

In this case (I think this was for my nephew), I also made the matching hat. A few weeks ago, after a baby lull of a year or so, I found out that a dear friend of mine was welcoming a new baby boy into her family and also that my husband's nephew's girlfriend had just had a baby girl.

I wanted to make something special for each baby, but didn't have enough emotional energy to make sweaters for both. So I poked around in my patterns and suddenly had an epiphany! What if I took this:

(Easy-Peasy Washcloth) and expanded it into a blanket? Light bulb! I love a garter stitch blanket and I love the simple eyelet edging on this. So I unearthed some cotton-blend yarn from the stash and started these:

What's great about this pattern is that it is the ultimate no-brainer. You can just put down and pick up without constantly checking a pattern. You can also control exactly how much yarn you want to use. I had 2 balls of cotton-blend yarn with 207 yds on each ball. So I increased until I had used up one ball and then started decreasing with the new ball of yarn.

I started these at the corner, but instead of increasing up to about 50 sts or so (can't remember exact #) for the washcloth, I continued until I had 126 sts, which was also when I ran out of yarn from the ball. I was shooting for a stroller blanket of about 24" x 24". 126 sts on a #7 needle got me to about 21". I only want to use the 2 balls of yarn for this, so I'm going to make up the difference by crocheting a 1.5" border with cocoa brown at the end.

I love these blankets because just as the rows start getting long and boring, it's time to start decreasing! That's where I am with the pink one; the blue one needs about 20 more rows.

So there you go, Kris. A couple of ideas for that precious new grandchild. Plus here's a whole page of baby patterns. And here's a page with some sets on it if the sweater/hat combo appeals.

Why Thank You, Mr. Halladay!

2010-10-07T07:29:00.001-04:00

Pardon Me While I Go Off-Topic For A Moment...

2010-10-01T07:31:00.001-04:00

Yippeeeee!!!

The Winner and Useful Information!

2010-09-28T15:46:00.002-04:00

Thanks everyone for your input. Button "A" was the winner by a nose. Though the sweater is unabashedly peachy-pink, it's ostensibly a unisex design, so the anchor buttons may induce people to knit the little thing for their baby boys too.

The winner of the free pattern was Shirley, who also left this valuable information in her comment: For buttonholes: After placement of top and bottom buttons. The remaining buttonholes are evenly spaced between, measure the distance and divide by the number of buttons left plus 1. If 3 buttons are left, divide the distance say 12. 3+1=4 divide by 12 = 3 so you would center a button every 3 inches
Brilliant. Thank you, Shirley. I'm including this on the blog not only to share it with everyone out there, but also so I know where to look the next time I have a buttonhole band coming down the pike.

Here is the finished Baby Chestnut Hill Gansey Cardigan, with Buttons A and errant buttonhole discreetly (I hope) sewn up. We've taken pictures, so the pattern should be available soon. I will keep you posted. I've also finished the backs of the Child and Adult versions of this cardigan, so they're in the pipeline now too.

Help me!

2010-09-23T08:14:00.001-04:00

Okay, I need help. Button help. Also buttonhole help, as evidenced by the photo below. I just finished the sample for the Baby Chestnut Hill Gansey Cardigan (which I am thrilled about - can't wait to make one for me - an adult-sized one, that is) and need to pick out buttons. That's where YOU come in. Help me choose which buttons by voting on the choices below.

But first, because you are all my dear understanding friends out there, I will share my shame. I am possibly the worst buttonhole distance estimator on the planet. No matter how scientific or mathematical or non-scientific or organic or holistic an approach I take, this is what I end up with:

Say what? What was I thinking? The second button from the top is where the buttonhole should be, but unfortunately is not. Go ahead and laugh. And this is like the 10 zillionth cardigan I've made, so I really should know better. If anyone has any tried and true methods for buttonhole distance estimation I'd love to hear them. [By the way, my patterns don't direct you to do this - it's just my wonkiness. The patterns say to space 3 buttonholes evenly on the band. I can't even follow my own pattern!!]

Now on to more pleasant subjects. Let's choose a button! Here is CHOICE A:

These are medium-sized goldtone anchor buttons. Classic and one of my all-time favorites.

Here is CHOICE B:

Teeny gold dome buttons. Small and tasteful, but too small?

Here is CHOICE C:

Medium peachy-pink flat buttons. Non-confrontational, but too boring?

Leave your vote in the Comments below! I'll also pick someone at random and email them the Momogus Knits pattern of their choice, just for being helpful!

Yarn Made From Plastic Bottles?!

2010-09-21T08:13:00.004-04:00

I came across this yarn in a catalog recently. I try to be super-conscious about reducing plastic in my life - glass storage containers, reusable shopping bags - so I was thrilled to see that recycled plastic bottles were being made into yarn! It will still never biodegrade, but at least it will be sweet baby sweaters or warm hats that might get more use than bottles in a landfill. What a world.

Congrats!

2010-09-17T07:07:00.005-04:00

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the latest Giveaway! Reading everyone's memories of their favorite teachers was awesome! Go read the comments right now! It'll make your day! Thank you, teachers!

And now, without further ado, the winners!

Andrea, whose favorite teacher was Miss Steinmiller, won ES5 Easy Child's Hat and the blue yarn.

Diane, whose favorite teacher was Ms. Jones , won NS4 Child's Cable Hat and the green yarn.

Stephen, whose favorite teacher was Mr. Frank, won ES8 Easy Adult Hat and the black yarn.

And Maureen, whose favorite teacher was Sister Marie, won NS3 Adult Cable Hat and the gold yarn.

Now go forth and knit some great hats! And don't forget you can post any and all of your Momogus Knits project pictures on our Facebook page! Stay tuned for more giveaways in the future!

It's Giveaway Time!

2010-09-14T11:30:00.000-04:00

My boy went back to school last week, and I've been a little bit blue. I love having him around during the summer. I also like not having to get up at 6:30 am. But now he's back, and I decided the only thing to do to lift my spirits would be a Back To School Giveaway!

Because all I can focus on right now is little projects, I thought a hat pattern and yarn giveaway would be just right. So here's the deal: I'm giving away TWO children's hat patterns and yarn and TWO adult hat patterns and yarn.

You can choose

ES5 - Easy Children's Hat

OR

NS4 Easy Child's Cable Hat

Your choices with these patterns are 2 balls of beautiful soft machine-washable Mission Falls 1824 Wool in either lovely leaf green or soft cobalt blue (the top row below). These children's patterns are written for ages 2-10 yrs old.

OR if you don't have any young folks to knit for, you can choose one of two adult hat patterns:

ES8 - Easy Adult Hat

OR

NS3 Easy Adult Cable Hat

Your choice of yarn is either classic black or rich harvest gold Mission Falls 1824 Wool (the lower row below).

So, in order to qualify for the giveaway, leave a comment below telling who your favorite teacher was and why. Also let me know which prize you would like - pattern and yarn color. Please include either your full name (so I can contact you on FB) or your email address in your comment (you can do that infoATmomogusknitsDOTcom thing to avoid it getting farmed for spam) [spam farming...that's a weird thought....]; if you don't, I can't get in touch with you to send you your prize!

My favorite teacher was Miss Leopold, my 4th grade teacher at Jenkintown Elementary School. She taught us all of the world capitals (I still remember that Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria!), and told a story about an uncle of hers that stepped on a nail and his mother immediately knocked out his front teeth so he could drink through a straw because he got lockjaw (this made quite an impression on me). She also had us put on "The Taming of the Shrew" for our 4th grade play. It seemed normal at the time, but I can't imagine what an undertaking this was. She was awesome!

As always, my official 10-yr-old arbiter will take time from his busy schedule of Lego-building and grumpily-doing-homework to choose the winners randomly. Good luck!

Welcome New Stores!

2010-09-06T16:23:00.004-04:00

A mighty Momogus Knits Patterns welcome to the latest (and particularly geographically diverse) wonderful yarn stores to join the family: The Knitting Cottage in Hagerstown, MD; Dog House Yarns & More in Culpeper, VA; Yarn Envy in Ottawa Lake, MI; Asheville NC Home Crafts in Asheville, NC; Brooklyn Yarn Cafe in Brooklyn, NY; The Knitting Den in South Lyon, MI; Atkinson's Farm Yarns in Vincennes, IN; North Woods Farm & Fiber in Campobello, SC; and Yarn Dance in Bemidgi, MN. I had two cousins who went to college in Bemidgi; when Patty the owner called me I got all excited when she said her store was located in Bemidgi because that name is so evocative in my family. I also might have scared her a little with my crazy excitement.

If you're in the neighborhood of any of these wonderful stores, stop by and buy some delicious yarn and hang out with the friendly folks. We have to support our local yarn stores or they'll all disappear!

And now for something completely different....

2010-08-23T20:32:00.002-04:00

(Don't worry, my knitting compadres, this is a non-knitting blip on the radar...)

If there's a crafty bandwagon anywhere around, I'll jump on it! Lately I've been seeing many articles about canning and preserving, and I've been intrigued. I remember years ago my friend Lisa gave me a jar of preserves that a friend of hers had made. When I expressed delight and amazement, Lisa said, "Oh you would like her - she knits and makes furniture and makes her own preserves." This paragon of self-sufficiency has haunted me a little for years.

So yesterday I went to the Oreland Hardware Store and bought this:

Matthew went to the Glenside Farmers Market and bought these:

Now I shall attempt to combine the two into (insert heavenly choir here) homemade peach jam! In my mind, this is the equivalent of saying, "Well, I'll just go ahead and build a nuclear reactor here in my backyard."

Enlist a helper. Peeling peaches (after the hot/cold water dunk) is awesome slimy fun:

Unpeely goodness:

Then chopped up a bit:

I was cooking with gas up until this point, when I checked the recipe and it said to add SEVEN AND A HALF CUPS of sugar!!! Say what?! That is a veritable mountain of sugar! It was every molecule of sugar in my house. It seemed like an awful lot, but I at this point I am fanatically following the recipe to the letter, so we'll see:

Oof. That looks like a lot of sugar....

Anyway, dump the peaches and the SEVEN AND A HALF CUPS of sugar and some lemon juice into a pan and cook it on up:

I am blessedly skipping the steps (like #5-#25) where I juggled piping hot jars and lids and liners and ladles and got half of the jam on the counter/stove/floor/the cats/anything in a 20-foot radius. (Note to self: next purchase - wide mouth funnel). Here are the jars, filled with jam and safely sealed, boiling away in a water bath for 10 minutes:

Drumroll please! Here is the finished product:

Beautiful, ain't it?! I made 4 pints of peach jam. It took about 3 hours from start to finish. It was exhausting, both physically and mentally. I am all for improvising and not throwing a lot of money at a new hobby, but this is one enterprise in which you are rewarded exponentially for having the right equipment. I am definitely going to get that wide mouth funnel and try it again. We can't eat it for another 12 hours, but I will report back.

ETA: The jam was runny, but delicious! Apparently, according to my Ball book I need to let the fruit boil more. Next time...

Be Your Own Yarn Dyer!

2010-08-19T14:33:00.007-04:00

I'm back from gorgeous Lake Willoughby, Vermont - sigh! I had a lot of time to think about designs and ideas and promotions and giveaways and all that good stuff. I also found time to visit some amazing yarn stores and add to my "little" stash (ha. ha.)

From Knit or Dye in Brattleboro, I bought some Malabrigo lace yarn. I am so all about laceweight yarn these days - it's crazy, considering how absolutely 100% against it I was just a short while ago. Well, what goes around comes around or something like that.

Anyway, this yarn is a true olive green. And while I love olive green in general, I like it on the more acid-y side. A good violent chartreuse makes me shout with joy. So I decided to see if I could get this yarn more chartreuse and decided to dye it. Follow along with me!

Here's the yarn in its original form:

Untwist the skein (but leave the ties on!! You'll never untangle it if you take the ties out!! Don't ask me how I know!) Now give your yarn a little cold water and vinegar bath (about 30 minutes soaking - 4 parts water to 1 part white vinegar. The vinegar is a mordant to help activate and hold the dye):

Take a break with some Cheerios while the yarn soaks:

Then drain the water out, don some gloves and use a strong solution of Wilton Cake Icing Dye in Yellow (strong = about a tablespoon of dye and a teaspoon of water - a little goes a long way) to paint the yarn. I started out painting it, then just dumped the whole glass of dye over the yarn:

After dyeing you wrap your yarn in some plastic wrap:

Curl it up in "cinnamon bun" style:

And then nuke it in the microwave for 2 minutes. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes out of the microwave (it will be hotter than Hades!), rinse gently (especially important for single plies like this yarn), and then hang on your drying rack of choice, in this case, the baseball pitchback in the backyard:

After a couple of hours sunbathing, the finished product was subtly but noticeably yellowy-er:
Before:

After:

Easy-peasy!

For more detailed instructions on using this method to dye yarn (like how to get stripes in dyed sock yarn and the like) go to Kalamazoo Knits etsy site. They are great ladies!!

Winners!

2010-08-02T09:59:00.000-04:00

Now of course you're all winners in my book, but the two randomly-picked [the 10-yr-old guest judge did a lot of writing and cutting and folding up into teeny-tiny pieces of each name] winners of the first MKPAYG are Nicole:

who chose the mauvey colorway.
Here was her comment: I have always loved to learn to make socks. I love the summer colors. I would choose the Plummy, Mauvey goodness. My favorite summertime treat matches the colors of the yarn, plums and berries, any sort of berries are great, sweet and refreshing for the summer!

and Louise*

who picked the autumny colorway.
Here was her comment: I love the autumny colors because it reminds me of twirling in the woods of color in the fall. Raking the leaves and jumping in them... I use to lay out leaves of color on my lawn and make a lawn quilt of color hoping the wind wouldn't blow it away until i finished. My favorite summer treat is also watermelon because my grandpa use to let all 13 grandchildren go to his watermelon patch in Tennessee and pick out their own melon. We would haul them in wheelbarrows back to the farm house and then have seed spitting contests. I love knitting socks and hope I win this !!

My beloved late mom also loved a watermelon seed-spitting contest, so that made me smile. *Louise, you need to email me at info@momogusknits.com and let me know your address!

Congrats to you two! As for the rest of you, don't be discouraged if you didn't win this time, I have A LOT of yarn and pattern giveaways queued up for you! And also, if you would like to simply purchase the Twisty Toe-Up Sock pattern, I can't stop you!

And speaking of summer treats, treat yourself to a read of the comments in the contest entry. They all hit me at once in my email inbox, so it was a sort of symphony of sometimes-nostalgic, sometimes delicious comments, which was absolutely delightful. Thank you so much, all of you, for sharing!!

One thing I want to know though - Carla Willingham, what in the world is a Pickle Snow Cone??

Pattern AND Yarn Giveaway!

2010-07-31T06:15:00.001-04:00

I've decided to up the ante of giving away stuff by starting a series of Momogus Knits Pattern AND Yarn Giveaways. Today, here's the first MKPAYG!

What's the perfect late-summer project? Socks, of course! They're small, portable projects and by the time you're finished knitting them, it'll be time to wear them! I never got what all the fuss was about handknit socks....until I knit myself a pair. Oh, the warm yumminess of that lovely yarn enveloping your lucky toes!

I (and many others to judge by the photos I've received) have been knitting the Twisty Toe-Up Tube Socks like crazy.

Here's mine:

Here's Cortez with hers:

Here's Anne's and Lisa's:

I love these socks, if I do say so myself. Starting the toe is fun, the twisted rib pattern is easy and interesting, and not worrying about a heel is awesome!

Now I want everyone to make Twisty Toe-Up Tube Socks!! So two lucky folks will receive a FREE copy of the pattern and TWO SKEINS of lovely 100% merino Koigu sock yarn. You have a choice of summery pinks or autumnal colors. I love using two skeins in a toe-up pattern - you just start each sock at the toe and just keep knitting until your skein runs out. Easy-peasy!

Look at the plummy, mauvey goodness:

OR...look at the gorgeous autumnal quality of these:

Koigu makes the softest, squishiest, yummiest socks ever. And though the directions say to handwash, my Koigu socks go through the washer and dryer with the rest of the laundry without harm. Just my experience.

To be eligible for the free pattern and yarn, leave a comment in the Comments section below and tell me which colorway you'd like (mauvey or autumny) and what your favorite summer treat is. Mine is watermelon - cut up in chunks and chilled in the fridge. Heavenly! I'll pick the winner in some sort of random fashion, perhaps involving a 10-yr-old guest judge.

Etsy-riffic!

2010-07-16T16:50:00.009-04:00

Do you all know about Etsy? Has it altered your life (and your checking account) like it has mine? I came across this wondrous website a few years ago - now whenever I have a moment I go and check things out. It's all (or mostly) handmade items. It makes you never want to shop at Target ever again. I have to be careful how often I go on because I just want to buy every thing I see.

This month I hit the Etsy jackpot with three new purchases. First this, two gorgeous chili bowls from darshanpottery. These are exactly the kind of thing I love - I love the earth tones, the shape, the capacity of the bowls. Look how beautiful!

And they're from Vermont, my most favorite state in the country!

Next, I had a hankering for a necklace, so I poked around Etsy and found this:

This is from delicacyj. Isn't that the prettiest thing you ever did see?

Finally, after seeing a ton of filmy laceweight shawls at TNNA, I had a hankering for some laceweight yarn. I had none in the stash, so I bought this:

100% tussah silk yarn from dyeforyarn which became this:

"Little Leaves" by Susanna IC. Loved the yarn, loved this pattern. It has little silver-grey beads in it - I lurve knitting with beads!

So that's a little tour through Etsyland for you. And of course, you can always find FABULOUS knitting patterns there as well!

Welcome!

2010-07-08T06:38:00.001-04:00

A mighty Momogus Knits shout-out to the newest members of the family: String Thing Shop in Mountain Top, PA, Tangles Knitting On Main in Waxhaw, NC, Between Friends, LLC in Brainerd, MN, Knitting Up A Storm in North Myrtle Beach, SC, Seaport Yarn in New York, NY, Knit Knack in Maplewood, NJ, A Sheepy Yarn Shoppe in White Bear Lake, MN, The Needle Tree in Greenville, SC, Heavenly Stitches in Lima, OH (television home of "Glee"!), Maggie's Knitting Cottage in Johnstown, NY.

As always, if you're ever in the neighborhood of any of these fine stores, go in and force yourself to buy some beautiful yarn and maybe a Momogus Knits pattern or two (just sayin'....)! We have to support our local yarn stores, folks!! Go here to find one close to you!

Oops

2010-07-01T08:06:00.000-04:00

(oops! just found this in the draft folder! It's still cool, just not quite as timely as I hoped!)

Hey, you know what's super-cool?! I just found out that Threadbear Fiber Arts in Lansing, Michigan is featuring the Momogus Knits Easy Shells series as their May Project of the Month! Woo hoo! I just got a call last week from the owner, wonderful Rob, with an order for more patterns because the shells were the featured pattern.

This!

V-Neck Shell

And this!

Boatneck Shell!

And this!

Scoopneck Shell!

That is awesome. Go check out their website! It's a good thing I live 645 miles from Lansing or I'd have no money left. If any of you out there are in Michigan, get in your car right now and go visit Threadbear!! Let me live vicariously through you! Mapquest says it's only 10 hours and 45 minutes to drive there....I wonder if they're open on Sundays.....

Sneak Peek

2010-05-14T07:31:00.007-04:00

The dishtowel frenzy has not abated (I'm on #8, but the last 4 and the next one will all be for friends, so they don't count as being crazy), but I promised you a sneak peek at the next Momogus Knits pattern coming down the pike. And I keep my promises!!

My patterns tend to come in waves - Mary at the Tangled Web asked for a baby hat with cables a few years ago, and that led to a veritable tsunami of cable patterns. Then I did the American Girl doll Chestnut Hill Gansey, and that led to another slew of CH Gansey patterns. I love knit/purl combinations and texture, but I also wanted to write a pattern that was an easy introduction to colorwork.

So here we go, Easy Colorwork Headbands, perfect for skiing, walking the dog, a good snowball fight, or just styling in the 'hood. These are two-color headbands, knit in the round with a double layer of fabric for warmth, in a manly check or classic snowflake:

Cats love 'em!!

Pay no attention to the fact that there seems to be a 2" difference between them (that's just me and my customary gauge issues...) Once I knit up a Manly Checked Pattern sample that's a normal size, we will be photographing and putting into final form.

Colorwork is so much fun, and like cables, looks more difficult than it is. I hope these introduce a whole bunch of knitters to the fun and wonder that is colorwork!!

Perhaps A Dishtowel Intervention is Needed....

2010-05-03T07:17:00.005-04:00

Well, with the long pause between posts, you're probably thinking that Momogus Knits Industries, Inc. has been cranking out new patterns and samples left and right. That steam cloud in the air - why that must be that new cabled beret pattern she's been talking about for a year, now! That clanging and whirring - that must be the cardigan version of the Chestnut Hill Gansey, right?

Hmmm....yes, the factory has been cranking out products, but unfortunately they have nothing to do with Momogus Knits. I have become consumed with the Hanging Dishtowel from Mason-Dixon Knitting. Like many addicts, I have no idea how I got to this place. I don't like knitting with cotton, I don't like buying yarn from big box stores, I have dishtowels that work just fine. But first this happened:

Then this:

Then this:

Here they are, adorning my ker-AZY circa 1960 stove/oven:

I am plum crazy in love with this pattern. And yes, not only do I have another one on the needles, but I went back and bought more yarn yesterday for some more. I even showed a picture from my cellphone to another mom at Gus's baseball game and she politely admired it, so of course now I have to make her one! HELP!

So yes I am crazy, but here's the thing. In all my knitting life I can't remember knitting something that actually cost less ($1.79 for yarn, 1 day to knit) than the thing that I could have bought at the store. Plus I think they're awful spiffy, as far as dishtowels go.

(Don't worry - I actually finished a Momogus pattern this week. Will post a preview with pictures next. That was the tiny little clang that could barely be heard over the dishtowel clamor.)

Opening Day!

2010-04-20T07:20:00.003-04:00

For the past 4 years my son has played baseball in the local community league (GYAC). Last year he was part of an informal all-star team that took on the girls' softball all-stars. The game was fantastic, and I was so moved and impressed with the girls. They played hard, and they played well. It made me so happy to see girls with an outlet to be active and competent and powerful.

Anyway, a germ of an idea was born - we had joked about me sponsoring Gus's team and how embarrassing that would be. But what if I sponsored a girls' team? Well, I called the commissioner and filled out the forms and the result was seeing this lovely lady on Saturday:

I almost burst into crazy-lady tears when I saw her. I'm so proud of my girls! May they grow up to be strong and powerful women!

Gansey Giveaway!

2010-04-06T07:40:00.004-04:00

First of all, a grateful shout-out to The Tangled Web (I'm talking about you, Mary and Annie!) for all their support for the Momogus Trunk Show last week! It was a great evening - we had about 40 people - it was really touching! Love you crazy knitters!!

Second of all, welcome to following stores: The Needlesmith in Grand Haven, Michigan, Adirondack Yarns in Lake Placid, New York, and Slip Knot in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. If you're in the neighborhood of any of these fine yarn stores, pop in and give them some love. We have to support our local yarn stores, folks, or they'll all disappear!

The Ganseys are all done and will be up on Ravelry ("Momogus") and Etsy ("Momogusknits") by the end of the day, if you need to buy one RIGHT NOW (you do, don't you?????) and will be up on the website by this weekend, maybe, depending on how much I can flog my dear webmaster. In the meantime, if you email me through the contact form on the website, I will send you the American Girl Chestnut Hill Gansey and Hat pattern FREE FREE FREE!

It's adorable! And quick! (Boy, I thought baby sweaters knit up fast - doll sweaters are done in 2 minutes!) And it matches the Child's Gansey! You must know some deserving little girl who would like one of these:

These will only be available for free for a limited time, so contact me now!

Reversible Cable Scarf Class

2010-03-22T12:01:00.004-04:00

I taught a Reversible Cable Scarf Class this weekend at the Tangled Web. My students were extra-great this time! They all buckled down, and even the ones that had never cabled before tried cabling without a cable needle (gratuitous promotional note: all MK cable patterns include instructions for cabling without a cable needle). After knitting all those cable pattern samples and making approximately 12 billion cables in the process, I am a BIG believer in cabling without a cable needle. I highly recommend it.

Here are my great students, concentrating hard:

You guys rock!

Gansey Madness!

2010-03-16T17:56:00.007-04:00

It occurred to me the other day that not everyone knows what a gansey is. I've been throwing the word around for months to non-knitters who politely nod when I tell them how many ganseys I've been working on. I assumed they knew what I was talking about, but they probably didn't and maybe didn't want to know! Anyway, a gansey or guernsey, is a fisherman's knitted woollen sweater, similar to a jersey, which originated in the Channel Island of the same name. (thank you, wikipedia) Ganseys usually have a textured pattern on the yoke and upper sleeves alone.

And now (drumroll please) here is what I have been working on for the past six months. PHEW. Welcome Chesnut Hill Ganseys!

In ascending size, American Girl Doll Chestnut Hill Gansey:

Baby Chestnut Hill Gansey:

Child's Chestnut Hill Gansey:

Adult Chestnut Hill Gansey:

Baby Chestnut Hill Gansey Hat:

Adult Chestnut Hill Gansey Hat (worsted weight):

Adult Chestnut Hill Gansey Hat (chunky weight):

There's also a child's hat, which I couldn't find (aren't you sorry??) and another baby hat. Yes, I have that cobblestones-and-trolley-tracks pattern burned into my brain forever. We took the pattern pictures for these samples this past weekend and now the patterns are being put into final graphic form. Boy howdy, will I be glad when they're ready to go! It's like giving birth!

Stay tuned, they'll be ready for purchase next week. And if you're not already a member of my Facebook Group, go join! I'm thinking I'll have something special going on for the debut of these patterns. Just sayin'....

And because I'm nuts, I'm also work on this because I realized there should be CH Gansey Cardigans too:

That's the back of the Baby Chestnut Hill Gansey Cardigan. Madness!!

Braces rule!

2010-03-12T06:46:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Infinite Yarns in Farmingdale, New York and Knit Witz in Jacksonville, Florida! Phew! It took me a while to get ahead of the welcoming-new-stores business, but I am now officially caught up. And it's a nice problem to have, so I'm not complaining!

My Tendinitis Brace and Wrist Brace are my new best friends! I went to the very nice orthopedist (thank you, Ted Feldman!) last week, and he recommended doing everything I had already been doing (rest, ice, ibuprophen), but to also start wearing these braces - the TB during the day and the WB at night (because we all have a tendency to sleep with our arms and hands all curled up, which is bad for tendinitis - who knew?) Well, the braces have made a huge difference! I've been able to knit again!

I had farmed out the remaining Chestnut Hill Gansey samples to my test knitter, Maureen, to finish, so I was left with nothing Momogus-y to knit. So of course I started a Olympics cardigan and some mittens and a blanket for a friend who was just diagnosed with cancer. I had a lot of knitting backed up in me after the last couple of months! But the wheels are turning about some new patterns, so expect to see a lot coming down the pike in the next couple of months. Tomorrow I will post some pictures.

Shameless plug: I'm hosting a Momogus Knits Patterns Trunk Show and Party at The Tangled Web on March 26 from 6-8 pm. That will be the official unveiling of the Chestnut Hill Gansey patterns, plus I'll have lots of samples of all of my other patterns, plus wine! Yeah! Stop by if you're in the neighborhood! We always have a lot of fun!

Finally, the Gus of Momogus just turned 10. Happy Birthday, my beloved boy:

This and That (new pattern preview too!)

2010-02-18T07:18:00.004-05:00

First of all, a warm welcome to the latest additions to the Momogus Knits family: The Knitting Connection in Syracuse, NY, Keeping Ewe in Stitches in Bradford, PA, Have Ewe Any Wool? in Snyder, NY, Mission Rose Quiltery in North Syracuse, NY, Yarn Cottage at Red Brick Farm (wouldn't you like to live there? In a yarn cottage?!) in Mayville, NY, and Infinite Yarns in Farmingdale, NY. As always, if you're ever in the neighborhood of any of these fine stores, go in and force yourself to buy some beautiful yarn and maybe a pattern or two! We have to support our local yarn stores, folks!!

In other Momogus Knits news, who's this adorable lady? It's Kathleen, with her gorgeous Easy Cable Scarf!

This appeared as well this week, courtesy of customer Helen. This is Easy Baby Cardigan - I lurve the beauteous Merino 2000. Great job, Helen!

Finally, I have a preview of the next Momogus Knits pattern! Finally! It's the Totally Twisty Toe-Up Tube Sock!

Here it is being modeled by a grumpy almost-10-yr-old:

Close-up of the Totally Twisty rib pattern (worsted weight):

Here it is in sportweight variegated yarn:

The pattern is written for fingering, sport and worsted weight yarns and sizes from baby up to large adult. I LOVE a tube sock because there is no heel. Yippee! And the ribbed pattern makes them fit in a nice way. I will keep you all posted, but I expect to have this pattern out in the next week or so.

We're Back!

2010-02-07T10:16:00.004-05:00

We're back from a beautiful week out at the end of Long Island. Many walks on a beach that looks like this are very refreshing for the soul!

Unfortunately, I didn't get to knit much, but my arm is feeling better after doing nothing more strenuous than lifting spoonfuls of local clam chowder, so I'm hoping that I will be able to dislodge the logjam of pending Momogus Knits samples and get all those new patterns out!

Now, back to business! Welcome to The Blue Purl in Madison, New Jersey; Mountain Knits and Pearls in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania; Twisted in Millerton, New York; and PK Yarn Over Knit in Clarkson, Michigan. Remember to support your local yarn store!! If you're ever in the neighborhood of any of these delightful stores, drop in and contribute to the local economy!!

Here is customer Elaine, who came into the store the other day and showed me these:

Yowzah! She had made six Momogus Knits Cable Ear Flap Hats for the whole family! And what really knocked my socks off was this (knitting nerd alert!):

There is a definite front and back to these hats which is a little difficult to determine when you pick them up (there is an additional cable repeat in the front to make the hat sit properly on your head - your ears sit more than halfway back on your head, which I didn't realize until I started making samples for this pattern. The things you learn.) Anyway, Elaine very cleverly sewed a little knot of yarn in the back of these hats to show which was the back. You would have thought she discovered the meaning of life the way I carried on when I saw this! I thought that was so clever! It made me so happy!

Yes, that is my life.

Off to Amagansett!

2010-01-23T07:19:00.003-05:00

Did you think I fell off the face of the earth? My ding-dang knitting arm has been riddled with tendinitis the last couple of weeks and that puts quite a damper on my spare time. I actually cleaned the house! Baked bread from scratch! Reorganized the basement! I finally went to the doctor's and he prescribed gigantic anti-inflammatory drugs for me and my arm is getting back to normal. But no knitting yet.

In the meantime, we're off on our annual trip out to the beautiful end of Long Island to house-sit for my beloved Aunt Jane. Even though I can't knit, I'll just have to soothe myself by walking here two or three times a day:

And eating here as often as I can:

I can also catch up on my field goal kicking practice:

I'll be back in a week, hopefully healed up and ready to get back into knitting overdrive!

Are You Aware Of Ravelry?

2010-01-09T14:19:00.006-05:00

In talking with customers and other knitters, I am often surprised at how many knitters are unaware of the existence of Ravelry. If you are one of those lucky folks (lucky because you have Christmas morning ahead of you!) who didn't know about Ravelry, get thyself over to the website pronto, sign up, and await the wonders that are ahead of you. It's free!

I remember almost three years ago when I read on someone's blog about a new website that was starting up that would be a sort of gigantic database for knitters. I signed up, was unimpressed, and forgot about it until a few months later when I started to hear whispers and shouts all over the internet: "ravelry! Ravelry! RAVELRY!" Now I can't imagine my knitting life without it.

Those of you who are already on Ravelry know what a mighty resource it is. For those of you who don't know, it is a way to keep track of projects, find new projects, search thousands and thousands of patterns, find kindred souls, find yarn stores, you name it. In addition to joining the logical discussion groups for designers, I've also joined groups for American Idol, "Mad Men", The Tangled Web (my local yarn store), and Patrick O'Brian (one of my favorite authors). It's everything you need to know about knitting and so much more.

'Nuff said. I just want to make sure you all are aware of this insanely valuable resource. My user name is "momogus" - make me your friend on Ravelry! I love meeting new knitters and seeing what they're making.

New Year's Treat!

2010-01-01T13:35:00.006-05:00

Happy happy New Year, everyone! I loved 2009, but I am super-excited about 2010! I love starting a new year, the possibilities seem endless.

I have a bunch of great things coming down the pike, Momogus Knits Patterns-wise, this year. Here is the first one! I've added Pattern Sets to the website! Yippee! Why, you may ask? I've had so many customers make matching sets (which is what I wanted you to do!) that I decided to make it easier (and cheaper!) to buy matching patterns.

Want to make a matching Cable Hat and Scarf Set? Why, just go here and buy them both for $7.50 instead of $10! Want to make a matching Baby Cardigan and Cap as a present? Why, just go here and buy them both for $7.50 instead of $10! Want to make matching Cable Ear Flap Hats for the whole family, but don't want to spend $15 on 3 separate patterns? Why, just go here and buy all 3 for $10 - you get one pattern FREE! You get the idea.

As a special New Year's Treat and to introduce this new feature, I'm offering The Basic Hat Set (babies, child's and adult versions) for $5 this weekend only - that's 2 patterns for FREE. Go here for this special offer.

These patterns are easy and classic. They also make great first projects. Here is my neighbor, Jesse, with the hat that he knit (his first ever project!) for his baby son:

Awwww!

Here is the Adult version, with the ribbing turned down, in a chunky tweed. This is one of my favorite hats:

Here (in the cutest picture in history) is my sister's nephew, Trevor, in his matching Easy Baby Hat and Easy Baby Pullover set.

Here is the Easy Baby Hat, knit in stripes, for a co-worker's first granddaughter:

The possibilities are endless!

Post-Christmas Wrap-Up (get it? wrap up? HA HA)

2009-12-28T16:52:00.001-05:00

Ah, another Christmas come and gone. Gus and I have been spending a lot of quality (and quantity) time in our pajamas, vegging out. He has been busy with Legos and Wii and I have been indulging in a sort of frenzied orgy of non-present knitting. It's all for me! It doesn't have a deadline! I can knit anything I want! I am giving myself this week to indulge because once the new year starts, it's all business for me, knitting-wise!!

But first, what I knit for gifts. I knit 2 berets for my sister Laura, one pink and one cream, as requested, but never got to take a picture, so that was stupid. One was the 3-Gauge Beret by Nancy Lindberg and one was the Star-Crossed Beret by Natalie Larson.

For my other sister, Sarah, I knit a Snowman Family representing her, her husband Jon, son Charlie, daughter Grace, and cat Clyde.

By the time I got to Clyde my hands were killing me, but I had to finish and he is so funny that I laughed out loud every time I looked at him.

I also went cuckoo-nutso for this pattern and knit 4 of these little red cabled sweaters, 3 as Christmas ornaments for some dear friends and one for our tree.

The other big undertaking was a vest for my husband Matthew. I've knit hats and scarves and slippers for him, but never a sweater. He puts holes in the elbows of his sweaters, so a vest seemed like a good idea. I found some beautiful forest green heather Berroco Vintage Wool in Boston, pulled out my handy Knitter's Book of Patterns, turned to the Basic Vest pattern, and then the fun began. I did a gauge swatch like a good girl, picked out the appropriate size and stitch count and knit away. When I got up to the armholes, I realized that I had been on crazy crack and my stitch count was off by like 18 sts! Say what?! I readjusted everything and soldiered on, but I wasn't sure that it would be okay until Christmas morning, when this vision appeared:
My good husband in his PERFECTLY PERFECT-FITTING vest!!! I actually got weepy!! But that was the crazy crack again. I see dozens and dozens of lovingly (and more mindfully) handknit vests in this poor man's future!!

So that's that. One last note about holiday knitting: I knit tons and tons of impulse projects this past year because I wanted to kill some time or try a new technique or get rid of some yarn or wanted to knit what everyone else was knitting. The result was a huge amount of hats, mittens, scarves and miscellany, more than I could ever use in a lifetime, that made great last-minute gifts for co-workers and friends and relatives. I highly recommend this.

Hope you all had lovely holidays and are enjoying some relaxing time off. Soon Gus and I will get out of our pajamas....

Cinnamon Pinwheely Goodness

2009-12-15T17:27:00.003-05:00

I've gone into cookie overdrive here chez Momogus Knits. I tried a new recipe this year and liked it so much I thought I'd share it with you.

Look how adorable! (Don't be fooled by weird photo perspective - they're about 1 1/2" across)

Like little cinnamon buns, but not sticky. They look a little complicated but they're not. Here's the recipe:

Cinnamon Pinwheels of Goodness

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated (the dough will be stiff). Shape into a disk and refrigerate, wrapped, for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, roll each piece into an 8"x12" rectangle (this was hard for me - my rectangles ended up 7 1/2" x 9" or 10 1/2 x 11" - a general rectangle shape is fine). Sprinkle with a mixture of 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon (I used half of this on each of the 2 rectangles). Starting from a long side, roll each rectangle into a log. Refrigerate until firm (this doesn't take long). Slice 1/4" thick.

Bake on a parchment-covered baking sheet until just brown, about 13-15 minutes. Transferring the slices onto the sheet is messy - the pinwheels do not stay structurally sound and the cinnamon-sugar stuff starts flying. But persist and don't fret. It all comes together in the oven.

Enjoy!

How's Your Holiday Knitting Going?

2009-12-14T11:15:00.003-05:00

Mine is kind of going. I have a big project on the needles that is a gift for someone special. It has run into some difficulties, all of them me-induced. Gauge, stitch count, measurements - I have goofed up on all of them. What gives?? You'd think I never knit before! I think I've resolved most of the issues, but it's been humbling. I think I can finish before Christmas, but then again, I seem to have lost track of time a little - how did it get to be the 14th already??

Here's something I can show you. Look how teeny tiny!!!

I cannot stop making these ding-dang little sweaters! So fussy! So silly! So quick! Here is the genius pattern. Thank you, Liz!! These little sweater ornaments will be gifts for some mom-friends of mine. They're quick enough that you could whip them up for a last-minute hostess or whatever gift! Plus they're fun to make and take just a smidgeon of sock weight yarn.

Hope you're enjoying the beautiful holiday season!

A List of Charitable Organizations

2009-12-04T07:07:00.000-05:00

Here's Something to Go With Your Wonderful Knitted Gifts!

2009-11-30T07:18:00.004-05:00

My dear friend Lisa recently sent me a note with a heads-up about her friend, Meg, who produces KnitKnotes, which are hilarious and beautiful notecards for knitters. This one is my favorite:

(it's a little hard to read on my monitor - it says "I made this. I expect to see you wearing it.") Bwa ha ha ha!! Anyone who has ever made any knitted gift ever will appreciate THAT sentiment. The cards include a space for your tender message and care instructions for your labor of love. Go check out her Etsy store - she also has holiday/knitting cards that are great-looking and funny. All printed on recycled card stock too.

By the way, if you are unfamiliar with Etsy what a treat you have in store for you! And oh how many hours you will spend clicking on the Color Finder and the Shop Local section looking at ceramic mugs with loons on them and pearl earring sets and deciding if you can justify buying a hundred different skeins of hand-dyed sock yarn. Oh wait, that's me.

Black Friday Deals - 24 hours only!

2009-11-26T20:38:00.010-05:00

I thought I'd jump into the Black Friday madness and offer three patterns at 50% off for 24 hours only! That's a mere $2.50 a pattern! If my website had doors, you could bust them down like a Walmart at 3 in the morning!

These patterns will be 50% off until about 10pm on Friday (when I go to bed). I chose these three patterns because they each are great for gifts. They look cool, work up quickly and are great for almost everyone on your gift list.

First up is the Double-Knitted Felted Clutch:

This pattern uses one of my favorite techniques - double-knitting! Double-knitting is an easy way to make a tube on straight needles. Sound crazy? It's not! It's fun and easy. These little clutches make great teacher gifts, girlfriend gifts or daughter or granddaughter gifts. You can needle-felt or embroider decoration or just sew on a fabulous button and be done with it.

Here's one I made as a sample:

Here is Barb, who took a class with me and her beautiful bag:

Next up is the Easy Mosaic Knitting Pillow:

Another one of my favorite EASY techniques, mosaic (or slip-stitch) knitting is an EASY way to do complicated-looking colorwork with no bobbins or two-handed stranding. This pillow is knit in bulky-weight yarn - the back is garter stitch stripes, so this is another quick gift. Great as a hostess gift, for yourself or as a house-warming gift.

Here is a sample that Maureen, one of my sample-knitters, made for her daughter:

Here is Marina (of Marina's Soap Sock fame!) and her pillow made at a class I taught:

Finally, there's Fingerless Gloves Two Ways.
This is one of my favorite last-minute (or not-so-last-minute) gifts. Gus has had a lot of teachers who got these as presents. They're also great for surly, hard-to-buy-for, teenagers because they look cool and leave fingers free for endless texting.

The pattern is written for a true, thumbed glove worked in the round:

And also, in thumbless mock cable version worked flat and seamed up:

(these really go fast!)

Here is charming Sue and her gloves from a class she took with me:

So there you are. Go crazy! Bust the doors down! Try a new technique! Enjoy!!

The Perfect Gift Set (If I Do Say So Myself...)

2009-11-25T06:14:00.001-05:00

(There's a preview of a special Black Friday deal at the end of this post)

Okay, I've posted this pattern before. But I told you I'd post some ideas about great holiday presents and I have to admit that Marina's Soap Sock and Matching Washcloth fit the bill nicely!

Remember this:

And this:

The mighty Marina's Soap Sock (free pattern here)! Double-knit in worsted weight cotton, these can be knocked out in a jiffy! A jiffy, I tell you!

Then, with your leftovers, you can knit this:

The matching washcloth (free pattern here)! Simple garter stitch with a nice eyelet edge. This pattern is great for baby blankets as well, since it's knit corner to corner.

Another beauty shot:

I have to say that these 2 items get the most use of anything I've ever knitted, which is weird since I probably put the least amount of effort and time into knitting them. So be it.

Now, as an extra-special touch, go to your local crafts store and buy some soap-making supplies. All you need is glycerin, a mold and maybe some dye or scent. This will set you back about $10, and I think you can get about dozen bars of soap out of it. And it is so EASY - you'll laugh and quit your job and do nothing all day but make soap! You cut some glycerin from the block, nuke it in the microwave for a minute (I use a 2-cup glass measuring cup), then add some dye (you can use food coloring or cake icing dye) and scent (or go au naturel), then pour it into the molds. It takes about an hour to cool. And then you're done. That's it.

By the way, this is also a great kids activity - my son and I made A LOT of soap when we did it - more than the dirtiest family could use in a lifetime.

Now find a little basket, roll up the washcloth and tie with a ribbon, and put your beautiful handmade soap and your Soap Sock in the basket as well, and you have the prettiest, most thoughtful little gift ever. Perfect for your sister, your daughter, your neighbor, your kid's teacher, a hostess gift, your co-worker.

Two Thanksgivings thoughts: First, I'll be offering several patterns for 50% off on Friday as a special kick-off to the holiday season. They'll be posted on Facebook first, so go join the Facebook group, if you're not already a member!

Second, my heartfelt best wishes to all of you out there for a happy Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for YOU!

Teensy Weensy Sweater Ornaments!

2009-11-20T09:15:00.007-05:00

Okay, first a shout-out of appreciation to the newest additions to the Momogus Knits Patterns family - Circle of Friends Yarn Shop in Elkin, North Carolina, The Open Door to Stitchery in Great Neck, New York, Down Cellar in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, Knit A Bit in Westfield, New Jersey, Knit Your Dreams in Quincy, Illinois, and The Knitting Gallery in Colts Neck, New Jersey. If you're in any of their neighborhoods (or the neighborhood of any local yarn store!), pop in and give them your business. Without you, local yarn shops will start to close and you'll be stuck wandering the aisles of A.C. Moore, trying to get someone to show you how to do Kitchener stitch. Scary!!!

Now, on to more holiday knitting stuff. In Berroco's weekly email newsletter this week there was this!

I don't know about you, but I am the original sucker for tiny knitted objects! These are little sweaters that can be holiday ornaments for your tree, or adorn your wonderful holiday present wrappings or just make you squee from their adorable teeniness. The free pattern is here. It takes dk weight yarn and size 4 and 6 needles. The little capelet in the middle kills me! I wish I were 8" tall so I could wear it! If you are certifiably insane, there are two other sets from 2007 and 2008 that you can make as well.

As I said, if you have the inclination (yes!) and the time (well, maybe....), even just one of these ornaments would make a sweet present for a teacher or hostess or your own tree.

Felted Bowls Anyone?

2009-11-17T18:11:00.005-05:00

Last year the only knitted gifts I made specially for the holidays were little felted bowls. Unfortunately, because I gave them away I don't have pictures. But they were awesome - trust me!!

Here are some things I like about felted bowls:

1. They're quick - you can knock out a bowl during an episode of "Top Chef" or "Mad Men" (ask me how I know!)

2. They use very little yarn. Over the years of many felting projects I have accumulated a bazillion little balls of leftover Lambs Pride Bulky, my favorite felting yarn. I can't make myself throw them out, and I can't give them away to any of my designated leftover yarn recipients. So they sit in a drawer in my yarn cabinet (yes I have a yarn cabinet - wanna make something of it?!) until it's time to make felted bowls!! Little balls of leftover felting yarn are perfect for felted bowls! If you run out, you just use another little ball of leftover yarn and make a striped bowl.

3. Felted bowls are awesome for containing little giftees. Last year I made felted bowls for a bunch of my school-mom friends and put little felted hearts in them. (Brace yourself if you follow the link - they're mighty cute!!)

I'm linking to a great free pattern from alice*thelma for felted bowls of several sizes. Her pattern calls for worsted weight yarn, but you can also use bulky weight and follow the instructions for the smaller sizes and use #13 or #15 double-points.

Instead of buying another gift bag, why not knock out a little felted bowl? They're great for holding jewelry or potpourri or knitting notions (like stitch markers, etc) or action figures (ask me how I know!) or little felted hearts.

Not to Scare You, But.....

2009-11-09T08:44:00.005-05:00

.....the holiday season is creeping up on us, and not in a slow way!! I got sucked up into the vortex of Phillies/Halloween/Boston and was merrily in autumn mode until I got startled by a phone call to my sister in which she said she was finishing her Christmas shopping online. Yesterday. November 8. Yikes. Yeah, I haven't given Thought One to holiday gifts.

So now I've started thinking about the holidays. For knitters this can be a fraught time. I swing back and forth between "Everybody's getting knitted presents this year!" and "Nobody's getting knitted presents this year!" The happy medium between those points is where I'm most comfortable. Last year, in a fit of selfish genius, I knitted every single thing I wanted to knit all year and then went through and gave away most of it during the holidays. Because really, I don't need 8 pairs of fancypants mittens. The only things I made specially were little felted bowls for my school-mom friends.

So, not to scare you and not to urge you to "get going on your holiday knitting" because we all have enough stress this time of year, but I'm going to start a series of posts with suggestions for great quick holiday gifts, but only if you feel like knitting!!! C'mon, enjoy the holidays and reduce the stress!!

First up is.....Fingerless Gloves (Momogus Knits NS1)!

This pattern flies out the door of the Tangled Web this time of year (in fact it's the November special right now). You can make the ribbed, thumbed, gloves on double-points (the gold ones above), BUT the mock-cable, knit-flat-then-seamed, gloves, these:

are easy and fast and look really pretty. They're a great teacher gift (ask me how I know!!) and are also great for that hard-t0-buy-for teenager on your gift list. They look cool and let those teenagers' thumbs fly for maximum texting.

Stay tuned for more easy stress-reducing ideas to make your holidays fun and festive!! Some will be my patterns and some will just be some of my favorite other-people's patterns or ideas.

In the meantime, enjoy the beautiful autumn around you.

Buy Local!

2009-10-25T15:36:00.005-04:00

Welcome to the latest additions to the Momogus Knits patterns family! Yarn It in Deal, New Jersey, Yarns R Us (love the name) in Hamburg, Pennsylvania, and Unwound in Blowing Rock, North Carolina (first NC yarn store for MK!) are all now carrying Momogus Knits patterns. Thank you! Remember, it's so important to support your local yarn shop! I know it's easy to go to Michael's or A. C. Moore, but who will help you figure out pattern directions or help you fix a mistake in your knitting or spend an hour picking out the perfect yarn for your first grandbaby's sweater? Your friendly local yarn store helper, that's who! If we don't put our dollars there (and buying local is always a great way to go), they'll close and we'll all be out of luck.

Speaking of spending your dollars locally, are you familiar with The 3/50 Project?

Go ahead and click on the link and poke around and then come back please. It's a great easy way to stimulate the economy and keep our neighborhoods and small businesses vibrant and flourishing. Spend $50 a month at 3 locally-owned businesses and be amazed at how much good you'll do for your neighborhood and small businesses.

I personally support the 3/50 Project by eating lots of cupcakes from The Night Kitchen, which unfortunately for my waistline is now 2 doors up the street from The Tangled Web. I also spend approximately $1,000,000,000 annually at Lewis Paints in Glenside. I get to talk about the Phillies, and debate eggshell vs matte finish and gossip with the local painting contractors whenever I go in. You can't get that at Home Depot. Finally, my third favorite local business is Joe's Meat Market in Ardsley. When we moved into our house, the mover said to us, "You're so lucky! You're only 3 blocks from Joe's!" We had no idea what he was talking about, but soon learned that Joe's is the heart and soul of our neighborhood. It's a father (Heinz)/son (Ralph)/daughter (Monica) business, and it is the best. If I come in without Gus they will ask me where he is, how his baseball team is doing, how school is going. I love them, and I am so thankful that they're near. Nobody at Genuardi's asks me how Gus is doing.

What are your favorite local businesses? Think about what you love about them - how near they are to your house, how friendly the atmosphere is, how high the quality of the product is. That's what we can work on keeping.

Now go buy some cupcakes.

Another Yippee!

2009-10-22T07:42:00.001-04:00

Sorry to interrupt my fascinating knitting musings, but it's time for another champagne picture. Congrats to the Phillies for winning the pennant!

Wednesday Musings....

2009-10-14T07:15:00.002-04:00

First this:

Beloved Phillies finally (dare I say "phinally"???) beat the Rockies and advance to the NLCS to face the Dodgers. Cross yer fingers!

Then this:

Talk about PHINALLY! The Child's Chestnut Hill Gansey finally got finished this weekend. I can usually knock out a child's sweater in a week or so, but this one kicked me around the block a couple of times. I feel like it took me months to finish it. Oh wait, it DID take me months to finish! Those sleeves..... But it's done! I can get the pattern in final form.

I'm also knitting this:

Because I can't knit enough Chestnut Hill Ganseys! This is the Adult version. The yarn is Cascade 220, which is severely underrated. I think of it just for felting (even though it doesn't really felt very well in my machine), but it's soft and wooly in a very pleasing way. I'm really enjoying this knit. I'm knitting a 38" version, which might fit Gus in a loose way when I'm done. I deliberately chose a denim blue that would not be objectionable to a way cool 9-yr-old boy. I still need to fudge the numbers a little bit, and of course there are the sleeves to knit (sigh), but this pattern should be ready pretty soon as well.

And last, but very much not least, a very warm welcome to the newest member of the Momogus Knits Patterns tribe, Jessica Knits in Scottsdale, Arizona. Seven years ago, when I started working at the Tangled Web, Jessica was already a veteran presence there, and she made me feel so welcome it started my whole career there on a happy note. She left to open her own store back home in Arizona, and I missed her keenly. She is a delightful person - funny, warm, talented and a good businessperson to boot. I'm thrilled that we're working together again, even though we're 2,500 miles apart.

This and That...

2009-10-07T07:45:00.005-04:00

A shout out to my 88th and 89th Momogus Knits Patterns customers, Electric City Yarn Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania and The Yarn Shoppe in Aventura, Florida. I have a special soft spot for Scranton, because that is my mom's home town. I'm going to try to keep you apprised of new local yarn stores that carry my patterns, because you gotta support your local yarn store, folks! If you need to find one in your area, go here! Eventually, stores that carry my patterns will all get highlighted, but they're coming so fast and furious right now that my poor webmaster can't keep up.

I hope you all got to take advantage of the special FREE download offer and downloaded your copy of NS21 Easy Cable Mittens. (Facebook fans and Twitter followers will always get the news of these offers first - hint hint). Mittens are one of my favorite things to knit, and these were fun to design and make. But don't do what I did! After making many pairs as samples, I picked up some apple green Berroco Ultra Alpaca to make a pair for myself and happily knit away. When I was finished the pair I looked at them and thought, huh, something's wrong:

Yeah, I made 2 right hand mittens. DOH! Though I felt like kicking myself around the block, I did get a good laugh out of it, and proceeded to make a left hand mitten.

That's better.

Free Cable Mitten Download!

2009-10-05T17:18:00.006-04:00

I posted this to my Facebook page (are you a Facebook fan of Momogus Knits? You should be! Look what you get!). This link is good until tomorrow October 6.

Go and download for free a copy of my Easy Cable Mittens pattern. This classic, simple mitten knitting pattern is a great introduction to cables. Knit in either worsted or chunky weight yarn, these beautiful mittens make a quick and easy gift for everyone on your list (don't forget yourself!) Instructions are also included for cabling without a cable needle, which makes knitting these fun mittens go even fast. Sized for toddler up to adult.

And don't forget - you can make a matching Cabled Hat or Ear Flap Hat or a Cabled Scarf!

We Interrupt Our Regularly-Scheduled Programming....

2009-10-01T17:27:00.002-04:00

....for this:

Congratulations to my beloved Phillies for clinching the NL East Division title.

The Sleeve That Ate Momogus Knits

2009-09-19T07:11:00.001-04:00

Sleeves have always been my nemesis. Top down, cuff up, back and forth, in the round, picked up or knit separately - it just doesn't matter. I don't like doing them.

I've been working on the Child's version of the Chestnut Hill Gansey, and the sleeves have been kicking my butt. I wanted the gansey patterning on the yoke to continue on the sleeves. First I had the patterning going vertically down the sleeve, like so:

This was confusing and hard to figure out where to stop, so Matthew suggested that I make the Child's version the same as the American Girl doll version, where the patterning runs horizontally down the sleeve, like so:

All fine and good, so I ripped out the 3/4s of the sleeve I had knit and started over. I picked up the stitches around the sleeve opening and started knitting down. Well, after a few inches I realized that it was the worst picking up of stitches job ever done in the history of sleeves. Brace yourself:

Yeah, that's one unfortunate bump right at the shoulder. Look how long I lived in denial and just kept knitting and knitting! Oof. So finally I faced facts and ripped it out and started over once again. Now we're cooking:

Phew - much better. However, I've been at that point in this sleeve for a week. I just can't make myself work on it! Waaaahhhh......

And when I finally finish this sleeve.....I have to do it all over again on the other side.

Finished Customer Project

2009-09-16T07:32:00.003-04:00

This is beautiful Jamar, in her lovely V-Neck Shell (#ES22). I believe the yarn she used was Waikiki by Crystal Palace. It's great to see the shell done in a variegated, textured yarn - the simple shape lends itself to an interesting yarn.

PLUS, Jamar looks fantastic! When she came into the store wearing this, I got all emotional. It was the first finished adult garment I had seen from a customer, and it was just thrilling to see how lovely she looked in it and what a great job she did.

Thank you, Jamar.

I'm Back! (With Another Free Pattern!)

2009-08-17T07:14:00.006-04:00

Just returned from a glorious week in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. Oh how I love that Vermont. Here's a snapshot (an enormous field of sunflowers we just happened to drive by):

Anyway, it's back in the saddle for the Momogus Knits crew. I'm putting together a little tutorial on adding beads to your knitting, but that requires more brain power than I have now, so instead I'm posting another free pattern.

This is the no-brainer pattern of all time, but it's one of my favorites. I had a lot of Sugar N Cream left over from the mighty Soap Sock, and the frugal old lady in me would not allow me to just throw it away, so I decided to make a matching washcloth, like so:

And so:

Diana's No-Brainer, Soap-Sock Matching, Sugar N Cream-Using-Up Washcloth:

Materials required
Lily Sugar N Cream yarn from your Soap Sock (or about 75 yds of heavy worsted weight cotton)
Size 7 needle

Cast on 3 sts.

Increase Row: Knit 2, yo (yarnover - bring yarn forward between the needles), knit to end of row. (The yarnover makes a pretty decorative hole and is also an increase, so your washcloth will grow....)

Repeat that row until you have approximately 44 stitches on the needle (depending on how you knit and how big you want your washcloth, but 44 will make a washcloth about 6" across)

Now you will decrease.

Decrease Row: Knit 1, knit 2 together, yo, knit 2 together, knit to end of row.

Repeat this row until you have 3 sts left. Bind off. You could make a little I-cord loop, or a little crochet chain loop with these last stitches, but I find that the washcloth hangs perfectly well on the little yarnover holes, so I don't bother with anything else.

So there you go. You can knock one of these out in an evening. The Soap Sock, this washcloth, and a little bar of nice smelly soap - a great useful handmade gift!!

Samples for Sales Reps

2009-08-04T18:57:00.002-04:00

My sales reps have requested a couple of samples to take on sales calls. I love knitting for the sales reps. It often gives me a chance to try out a new yarn or think about a pattern in a different way.

This is Momogus Knits Easy Baby Hat in Kollage Yarns Corntastic yarn (100% corn fiber!) for Erica, who also reps for Kollage Yarn. The Corntastic (love the name) is soft and cottony to knit with. Nice stitch definition too. I love pink and green:

This is a reduced-in-size sample of the Momogus Knits Easy Mosaic Pillow for Andrea, who tells me that store owners like the idea of this pattern for a class, which I can vouch for having taught this at the Tangled Web for years. The pattern calls for bulky-weight yarn, but I did this sample in some sport weight merino (Lana Grossa Cool Wool) that I had in the stash. It turned out about 6" across (as opposed to the 14" of the bulky-weight version). It knit up quickly and it made me think that knit in fingering weight yarn (so that it would turn out about 3-4"), it would make a really nice sachet:

I'm always on the lookout for quick giftee projects, so I'm going to keep that in mind.

Free Pattern!

2009-07-25T20:03:00.005-04:00

What is this curious object??

It is a Marina's Soap Sock, of course! This idea comes to you courtesy of wonderful knittergal Marina, who took my Double-Knitted Felted Clutch Class and then went home and ran with the whole concept of double-knitting. Double-Knitting is a super-cool technique that allows you to knit a tube on straight needles. It's great for small diameter objects (like a Soap Sock!) that wouldn't fit around a circular needle. Marina made Soap Socks for her husband and one for me.

Here she is, displaying her handiwork:

That was the nicest thing a student's ever done for me! It works wonderfully! How did I live my life without Soap Socks for so long? Anyway, serendipitously, my husband suddenly mentioned the other day that he needed something to corral his soap and I immediately thought, Marina's Soap Sock! So I purchased some lovely lime green Lily Sugar 'n' Cream cotton yarn (which was surprisingly nice to knit with!) and knocked out a Soap Sock for him. I added a little I-cord loop so he could hang it up thusly:

You probably need to make a bunch of them - one for yourself, of course and then one for every loved one you can think of. You'll be very popular. It took me about a half an hour to knit this. And hey, here's a thought! A couple of years ago, Gus and I made soap. It's so easy you can't believe it - you can buy glycerin in solid form at your local craft store, plus molds and fragrance and dye. You just melt the glycerin in the microwave, stir in some dye and fragrance (if you want) and then pour it into the mold. Voila! You've made soap! Wouldn't some handmade soap and a handknit Soap Sock make a nice gift??!!! You know it would!

Marina's Soap Sock
(fits most bars of soap)

25 yards of worsted weight cotton
#7 needle
spare circular needle size #7 (or any size close)

Gauge: approximately 4.5 sts/1"

Cast on 20 sts. You will now be double-knitting the Sock as follows:
*Knit 1, bring yarn forward between needles, slip next stitch as if to purl, bring yarn to back between needles; repeat from * across the row.

Repeat this row until Sock measures approximately 4" long (or a smidgeon longer than your particular bar of soap). Now you are ready to bind off. Take your spare circular needle and slip the first stitch on the #7 off onto one point of the circular needle (Point A). Slip the next stitch from the #7 needle onto the other point of the circular needle (Point B). Slip the next stitch onto Point A, then the next one onto Point B, etc. Continue this until all of the stitches are now on the circular needle. Bind off until there are 2 stitches left. Work a 4" I-cord, knit last 2 stitches together, leaving a 6" tail. Fold I-Cord in half and sew or knot onto Sock at the base of the I-Cord. Insert soap, give to loved one.

One Ball Wonder? Or not...

2009-07-14T08:54:00.000-04:00

I've been trying to come up with a one ball Kureyon scarf. If you are anything like me, you will succumb to the siren song of Kureyon's colory goodness every time it crosses your path. I have an unfortunate tendency to buy only one ball, which isn't good for much. I thought if I came up with the ultimate one-ball scarf, knitters everywhere would shout my name from the rooftops. Not much luck, though.

I wanted to do a lengthwise scarf that would take advantage of Kureyon's stripey goodness. This was my first attempt.

It actually looks better in the photo than it does in real life. The pattern is Seafoam from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury. It's a little narrow, only about 3" wide after blocking, but the length is right, about 60". I may have to sacrifice some length to make it a little more substantial and wider. The pattern is great for a horizontal scarf, but it needs more than one repeat to really look effective and I just can't squeeze that out of one ball. It was a fun process though. Back to the drawing board.

What's going on lately....

2009-06-30T11:19:00.002-04:00

Here's what's been occupying most of my recent free time:

This is the end of the TNNA orders, which took a lonnnggg time to get organized. But they're finally all shipped out. Momogus Knits is now in 49 stores in 14 states. Yippeee!

And now here are some finished Momogus Knits projects from customers at The Tangled Web. Here's Sue with her finished Fingerless Gloves:

Here's Marina, who brilliantly adapted the Double-Knit Felted Clutch pattern to make soap sleeves, one of which she gave me (below), complete with lovely soap. A great gift idea!!!

She also finished her Mosaic Knitting Pillow from a class she took with me in the spring. I lurve the color combination on this one:

Now that the TNNA orders are done, I've turned my thoughts to new patterns - here are some hints: Chestnut Hill Ganseys, American Girl Doll sweater, cabled berets, deep v-neck vests. Those are my summer assignments. I'll keep you posted!

Back from TNNA!

2009-06-16T19:45:00.003-04:00

We just got back from TNNA by way of Altoona. Great time - so much food for thought! I am so energized I can't wait for tomorrow so I can get going with all the things I've been thinking about!

Details to follow!!

Off to Columbus!

2009-06-11T08:25:00.004-04:00

Well, almost off to Columbus! Today is the day we were supposed to leave for the annual TNNA [National Needle Arts] Convention, bright and early. However, young Gus was named to his baseball league's All-Star Team, which has its game tonight, so we can't leave until the game is over. And it's been raining all night, so we're not sure the game will be played tonight, in which case.... oh never mind. I won't bore you with the crazy machinations that Matthew and I have been debating all week. We'll get there and it'll be fine.

I've been debating which knitting projects to take with me, which is of course the most important thing on every trip. It's a long car ride and there is some down-time sitting at the booth. When I'm not swarmed with potential customers - ha ha!!

I think I'll work on the final numbers for this:

This is the Baby Chestnut Hill Gansey. I worked up this prototype last summer and that was it. The yoke requires some serious numbers-juggling, so I was lazy and gave up on it. But I also love it, so I'm going to tackle it and figure out the numbers for another size. Then I'd like to get started on a Child's version.

In non-Momogus-related knitting, I'm chugging away at the Lady Eleanor Stole, which will be a Knit-Along at the Tangled Web in the fall. And I think I'd maybe like to try these:

Kingdom Gloves from the latest Knitty. I love a glove. I love a cabled glove. And I love a cabled glove that honors the Northeast Kingdom in Vermont, where we've spent some glorious time. Now to find the yarn.....

Just a Quick Update

2009-05-15T11:29:00.001-04:00

The three shells are done and on display at the Tangled Web. We'll be having a Summer Knit-Along featuring these shells starting on June 19. More details here.

Double-Knit Felted Clutch Class

2009-04-13T16:40:00.004-04:00

A week or so ago, I taught a class at The Tangled Web - the old Double-Knit Felted Clutch (NS22!). The students were some of my favorites and they did a great job. Here are some highlights:

Shells Finished!

2009-04-09T20:54:00.002-04:00

I finished the three Easy Shell samples. Here they are!

Easy V-Neck Shell:

Easy Scoopneck Shell:

Easy Boatneck Shell:

I'm putting the final touches on the patterns and waiting now for my test-knitter to finish her three samples and then we'll be ready to roll! The Tangled Web will be doing a Knit-Along with the Shells this summer, which is exciting!

Spring's A Comin'!

2009-03-20T11:39:00.003-04:00

I finished this yesterday:

Yippee! The first of six Momogus Knits Summer Shell samples I need. This is the Scoopneck, optional-waist-shaped, waist-length, ribbed-edging version. Yeah, that's a lot of variations! I had my doubts about it, never having designed an adult-sized garment, and never having done this particular neckline, but I tried it on yesterday, and it looked okay! It's a couple inches smaller than I would make for myself (smaller samples mean quicker knitting), but it turned out pretty much exactly the way I wanted. The neckline turned out exactly like I wanted - not too U-shaped, more of a graceful swath of neckline.

Here is the (exciting!) armhole-edging (pick up stitches around armhole, then immediately bind off):

I originally tried 2 rows of ribbing like around the collar, but it looked stupid.

Now I've got to track down some mannequin torsos to model it for the pictures.....

Back From Baltimore

2009-03-12T16:46:00.005-04:00

I spent the past several days in Baltimore with my lovely sister Laura. We watched many hours of reality tv, and I made great strides with my Momogus Knits sample knitting.

Done:

Adorable little ES2 Easy Baby Pullover in delicious Rowan Cashsoft DK yarn. I may make a matching hat (ES1 Easy Baby Hat) but there's other stuff on the cooker right now.

Done:

Another adorable little ES2 Easy Baby Pullover in not-as-delicious Little Lehigh Pebbles from Kraemer. I love the color of this sweater and how the fabric feels knit up, but I did not love knitting with the yarn. It was quite stringy. Here is a close-up of the very cute sheep buttons.

In other sample news, here are 2 Easy Summer Shells started up:

(yawn....)

I also started this sock (NS5 Easy Toe-Up Socks):

which is using yarn that Gus dyed last summer. I'm thinking of teaching a workshop on this process, which comes courtesy of our friends at Kalamazoo Knits. We used Wilton Cake Icing Dye, which as you can see produces strong and ker-AZY colors.

Sunday Progress Report

2009-03-08T08:52:00.006-04:00

I'm coming down the home stretch on the two baby pullovers - on the sleeves for both. Oh sleeves, how I dislike knitting you!! Well, at least they're baby sleeves, which are not so bad.

I have been kicking around ideas for adult-size sweaters and decided that I'm going to put the pullovers and cardigans on hold for now and concentrate on (drumroll please) Summer Shells! Shells are the most popular warm-weather pattern at the Tangled Web, and we only have one really basic pattern. So now I've been knocking out numbers and throwing around ideas in my mind. Now is the time for test-knitting!!

Fortunately, shells don't have sleeves, so even though these are adult-size garments, that's a sizeable chunk of knitting I don't have to do. Unfortunately, they need to be knit in cotton which kills my poor arm. But what can I do? They've got to get done, and I have to knit the first sample. Here is a blob of shell:

But it feels good to have some organization to this next stage!

Wednesday

2009-03-04T06:21:00.000-05:00

(My webmaster has instructed me to include titles in my blog posts, which taxes my creative energies, so please bear with the perfunctory titles until my muse visits again....)

Here is the progress I'm making on the pink ES2:

Finished the front and back and the button/buttonhole plackets. Just sleeves left and then the delightful task of picking out to-die-for-adorable buttons.

I started the rollneck companion ES2 pullover in Rowan Cashsoft DK (which is like butter, baby!):

Front and back done. Starting the neck now.

My Fingerless Gloves class at the Tangled Web on Sunday was fun, though it made me realize that I could clarify a few things in the pattern as written. Nothing like a lively group of passionate curious smart knitters to keep a pattern-writer on her toes!!

February 27

2009-02-27T08:23:00.005-05:00

Still ironing out the kinks, new blog-wise. Soon you will be blown away by this blog's mightiness.

In recent MK knitting, I started a sample of ES2, the Easy Baby Pullover, in circular form. This is Kraemer Yarns' Little Pebbles yarn (which is maybe not the best name for a yarn, especially one for babies, unless the parents are Flintstones fans....). The yarn was given to me by my sales rep extraordinaire, Erica, who also reps for Kraemer. It's a cotton and acrylic blend, which I usually like, since my hands don't like 100% cotton, but it knits like 100% cotton. The color is pretty, with little very subtle nups of tweed in it. Like so:

I'm also teaching a class on NS1 Fingerless Gloves at the Tangled Web this weekend, so I thought I'd knock out a pair to scrape off the rust since I hadn't made a pair in a couple of years.... The yarn is Plymouth Boku, which is a sort of Noro Silk Garden imitator - it lacks the awesome color wackiness of Noro, but also lacks the pricetag. I like how this one looks (though it has a strand of grey right at the wrist that looks like a bracelet. huh.):