No knitting content today, folks.  It seems frivolous to banter about knitting on a day like today.

But before we send you back to your regularly scheduled programming, please take a moment to consider the hundreds of thousands of victims of Katrina.  It’s been a year since Katrina destroyed much of New Orleans and battered the Gulf Coast.  Today, the struggle to recover is just that - a tremendous struggle.  Rebuilding money has been held up by political SNAFUs and in some cases has failed to materialize at all.  Little rebuilding has been done in the historic Ninth Ward, where the poorest of New Orlean’s citizens lived  in  abject poverty  *before* the storm, and where today the scene of complete devastation is almost as bad as it was a year ago.  More than ever, many Katrina victims feel forgotten by the rest of us.

We can do something about that.

Please take a moment to consider donating to the  continuing effort to build New Orleans back  - as a city who embraces its poorest along with its more fortunate sons.  Acorn is doing a lot  to help  - if you need more contact info let me know.  I’ll also be looking for a place to send knitted items or knitting supplies, although to be honest what really helps these people is cold, hard cash in ANY amount, no matter how seemingly small. We can all just do what we can, and give a little extra for the many many people affected by this terrible tragedy.
And thanks.  We won’t forget.

Here we will insert the obligatory caveat about what a lousy blogger I am. Thank you for coming by despite my erratic behavior! But this week I have a pretty good excuse - I’ve been to the Michigan Fiber Festival and I’ve been just overwhelmed by sheepy goodness. Here’s what I mean:

No, my house hasn’t been taken over by the Blob - that’s a 6 lb fleece, from a Suffolk/Corriedale/Romney ewe. Floyd is extremely interested in it to say the least. It’s soft, and has a nice fine crimp (which is no longer all that evident now that washing has brought out its inherent fluffiness.) The staple length is about 4-5″, and the colors range from a silvery grey to a deep chocolate brown. Something about the color and the feel makes me think of Mr. KB, and I think ultimately this is destined to become some kind of men’s outdoorsy jacket or hoodie. It’s actually against-the-skin soft, but it certainly would be nice spun up into a worsted yarn.

I found other treasures at the Festival too - including this:

To the left is 100% kid mohair, and to the right is some soft Romney wool. Believe it or not they weren’t dyed by the same people or in the same batch! I have no idea what I’ll be making of each, but there are some very exciting possibilities.

There was also the silky soft baby alpaca:

and a white Angora/Polwarth/Llama mix that was unbelievably soft but didn’t photograph well - imagine something just as soft as kittens.
The festival was just great. I love sheep and goats, not to mention angora bunnies, and it’s nice to connect to the critters that beget so much yarny goodness. There were funnel cakes to be had, but we didn’t eat any; instead we saved our appetites for a fantastic meal at the Journeyman Cafe in nearby Fennville. Along the way I knitted on this:

Tomorrow (or thereabouts:) further progress on BunnyLove, and a new vintage pattern!

Imagine cotton candy that spins up like a dream from an airy mound of sugar into a smooth, lustrous single with a shot of white silk twirling through it:

I’m thinking that it will end up being a DK weight two-ply. I’m very happy with the results of this - I’ve spun nearly six hundred yards of it, and while it’s not perfectly even, the product is much improved. I have some more of the same stuff in a wine-red color too, and I’m thinking that it will complement the pink very nicely. Any ideas on what to make with it?

I’ve also been spinning up some Blue-Faced Leicester - after tons of merino it’s wonderful to go back to something with a nice long staple again! It seems like a cakewalk to spin up a sport-weight single - I’m hoping to make a nice pair of socks with it. Although I’m not knitting any at the moment, I’ve become slightly sock-obsessed. The new issue of Vogue has these socks, which command my masochistic attention. They look like a huge beeyotch to do but I am in love all the same. (Maybe my feelings will change after this project gets in line after all the other projects and cools its heels awhile.)

It’s been a week full of yarny goodness. I went to the Stitches market this weekend, and as expected, it was quite the yarnoholic’s orgy. I intended to take pictures while I was there, but to be honest I was mostly flabbergasted and completely forgot. I came home with some wonderful goodies, including this lovely Merino/mohair top:

It spins up into a nice blue-green that strikes me as delicately heathered and manly at the same time. Perhaps it will become something for Mr. KB… gloves perhaps? (Presuming I can keep spinning it thin enough - this is definitely the most difficult thing I’ve spun so far, with the exception of a handful of cotton fluff that got the better of me a couple of weeks ago.)

After Stitches yesterday I headed on over to Loopy for the Stitches/Knittyhead party. It was a smashing success - I’d guess that there were 100 people there, but I couldn’t tell because the shop was so busy! It was great fun. Best of all I got to meet fellow Knittyheads - more on that when I get pics from my Oklahoma pal April, who had the presence of mind to take pictures when I had clearly lost whatever mind I’d had to begin with.
Lest you think that I’ve given up knitting entirely in favor of spinning, here’s some proof that I haven’t tossed the old needles just yet.

BunnyLove (aka Pinup Girl) continues. I am now past the boobage and I’ve forged ahead well into armhole territory. Sleeves take forever, so I still wouldn’t call this more than 2/3 done, but it’s still moving along. Sarah was right on with her prediction that it’d take about a month of spinning bliss before I wanted to knit again. I’m doing both (as predicted) and getting my knitting groove back on.

There’s a lot I could ramble on about, and I have some posting to do about the fantastic packages I’ve received in swaps and from SPs lately… but for now, I’ll just leave you with an unretouched photo of the most amazingly vibrant flowers we brought home the other day. Just imagine inhaling sweet rose scent from those watermelon roses.

…I’m loving summer.

A pattern by Alice Carroll from Bernat’s Handknit Classics

(picture to follow - camera is broken here at Kitchener Bitch headquarters!)
Gauge:

8 1/2 stitches = 1 inch

Needles (suggested - please use appropriate size to get gauge for YOU):
One pair size 1 double pointed needles; one pair size 2 double pointed needles.

Materials:

The original pattern called for Bernat Laurelspun or Bernat Sweater and Stocking Worsted. For anklet: 2 balls For regulation sock: 3 balls of Laurelspun or 4 balls of Sweater & Stocking Worsted For knee socks: 5 (5, 6, 6, 7, 7) balls for size 7 (8, 9, 10, 11, 12) The Kitchener Bitch recommends that you use any fingering weight sock yarn, assuming 400 yards for anklets or “regulation” socks and 600-800 yards for knee socks.

Note 1: If you are in doubt in regard to your stitch gauge, and particularly if you are working with a heavier yarn, use a smaller needle or the number of stitches forthe smaller size, if you are a loose knitter; and vice-versa if you are a tight knitter and you are working with a lighter gauge yarn. The lighter yarn is recommended for the anklets and the heavier yarn is recommended for regulation length socks and for all knee socks.

Note 2: Any all-over cable stitch can be used and the instructions followed exactly. Moreover, the French or the Dutch heel, as well as the Auto Heel can be used, if desired.

Note 3: If the calf of the leg is large, be sure to cast on the number of sts quoted for the larger size and decrease to the number of sts required for the ankle in the desired size.

(Kitchener Bitch note: I’m not sure about the sizing on these in 1945 - anyone who can make a recommendation regarding how to choose a size, please pipe up!)
Knee Length Socks:

On no. 1 needles (or one size smaller than correct size to obtain gauge) cast on 64 (68, 72, 76, 80, 84) sts. Divide sts on 3 needles. Join, being careful not to twist sts. Rib in K1, P1 for 1 1/2 (1 1/2, 1 3/4, 1 3/4, 2, 2) inches. At even intervals, increase in next round to 84 (84, 84, 96, 96, 96) sts.

Change to no. 2 needles (or correct size to obtain gauge) and work in pattern st as follows:

Rounds 1 to 5: *P2, K2, P2, K6, repeat from * for entire round.
Round 6: *P2, K2, P2, slip 3 sts onto spare needle and drop to back of work, K3, then K3 from spare, repeat from * for entire round.

Repeat these 6 rounds for pattern st throughout sock. Work even for 3 inches.

Now select a K2 rib as the back semline of your sock and decrease 1 st on each side of these 2 k sts every inch 6 times. Work even until sock from beg. measures 11 (12, 13, 13, 14, 14) inches.

Now with the K2 seamline as the center of your heel, place 32 (32, 32, 38, 38, 38) sts on needle for heel and slip remaining 40 (40, 40, 46, 46, 46) sts onto needle to be worked later.

Shape for double and French heel as follows:

At even intervals, dec heel sts to 28 (30, 32, 34, 36, 38) sts.

Row 1: Slip 1, purl back.
Row 2: *Slip 1, K1, repeat from * across row.

Repeat these 2 rows for 2 (2, 2 1/4, 2 1/4, 2 1/2, 2 1/2) inches, ending with a P row.

Turn heel as follows: K across half the number of sts on the needle plus 2 extra = 16 (17, 18, 19, 20, 21) sts - K2tog, k1, turn.

Row 1: Slip 1, p5, p2tog, p1, turn.
Row 2: Slip 1, k6, k2tog, k1, turn.
Row 3: Slip 1, p7, p2tog, p1, turn.

Continue in this manner, always having 1 more st before decrease, thus always knitting or purling the 2 sts together on each side of the hole until 16 (17, 18, 19, 20, 21) sts remain on needle. K 8 (9, 9, 10, 10, 11) sts and leave on a needle. Needle no. 1: K 8 (9, 9, 10, 10, 11) sts (remaining half of heel sts) and with same needle pick up 14 (15, 16, 17, 18, 19) sts along side of heel piece. Needle no. 2: work in pattern st across instep sts. Needle no. 3: pick up 13 (15, 16, 17, 18, 19) sts along other side of heel piece, K across remaining 8 (9, 9, 10, 10, 11) sts.

Shape instep as follows:

Round 1: Needle no. 1: Knit. Needle no. 2: Work in pattern st. Needle no. 3: Knit.

Round 2: Needle no. 1: K to within last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. Needle no. 2: work in pattern st. Needle no. 3: k1, SKP, k to end of needle.

Repeat these last 2 rounds until there are 72 (72, 80, 80, 88, 88) sts on 3 needles. Work even, still keeping instep sts in cable pattern until foot measures 5 (6, 7, 8, 9, 10) inches. (Kitchener Bitch note: knit to within 2 inches of your desired foot size.)

Next round, at even intervals, dec. instep sts to 32 (32, 34, 34, 36, 36) sts. Now shape toe accordingly:

Round 1: Needle no. 1: K to within last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. Needle no. 2: K1, SKP, k to within last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. Needle no. 3: K1, SKP, K to end.
Round 2: Knit.

Repeat these 2 rounds until there are 8 (8, 10, 10, 12, 12) sts left on needle no. 2.

Before weaving sts, always arrange sts so that the number of sts on needle no. 2 is equal to the totral number of sts on Needles no. 1 and 3. Place sts on Needles nos. 1 and 3 on one needle and graft sts together using the Kitchener Stitch.

REGULATION SOCKS:
On No. 1 needles (or one size smaller than correct size to obtain gauge) cast on 64 (68, 72, 76, 80, 80) sts and rib in K1, p1 for 3 inches. At even intervals, increase next round to 72 (72, 72, 84, 84, 84) sts. Change to No. 2 needles (or correct size to obtain gauge) and work in pattern st for 7 inches. Now shape heel, foot and toe in same manner as knee-length socks.

ANKLETS:
On No. 1 needles (or one size smaller than correct size to obtain gauge) cast on 64 (68, 72, 76, 80, 80) sts and rib in K1, p1 for 1 inch. At even intervals, increase next round to 72 (72, 72, 84, 84, 84) sts. Change to No. 2 needles (or correct size to obtain gauge) and work in pattern st for 2 inches. Now shape heel, foot and toe in same manner as knee-length socks.
Copyright 1945 by Emile Bernat & Sons Company, updated and annotated by the Kitchener Bitch