Unraveled Wednesday: Twenty

March 20, 2024March 27, 2024 Vicki8 Comments

On this day, 20 years ago, which was the First Day of Spring, I wrote my first blog post.

In 2014, I managed a pretty epic (if I may be so bold) 10-part series to celebrate my 10th blogiversary.

This year, I thought I’d celebrate by sharing 20 of my favorite knits, since knitting was the #1 reason for starting a blog in the first place. That idea came to me in the middle of the night, but I guess it’s not all that new — I shared 10 favorites as part of the 2014 series (and there are some repeats)!

So, in a bit of a departure from the usual Wednesday unraveling, today I’m joining Kat & the Unravelers for Unraveled Wednesday with 20 of my favorite knits! I’m not going to link to individual project pages, but y’all can find anything you’re looking for on my Ravelry page… I am knitorious.

1. Cabled Pullover w/Kangaroo Pockets

aka #11 Turtleneck by Anna Sui in Vogue Knitting, Winter 2003/04. This was finished in 2004, knit with Rowan Polar, a yummy super bulky yarn (now discontinued). Katie wore this sweater a lot back in the day!

2. Alpaca Pure Shawlette

I think this was the first shawl I ever knit… Judy Pascale’s Simply Garter Shapely Shawlette. I knit this in 2004 with yarn that I received in a swap (also my first-ever swap). I would never have chosen that colorway myself, but found a pattern that would work and, lo & behold, it was a favorite/staple of my wardrobe for a long, long time!

3. St. Brigid

I fell in love with this sweater on sight, and it’s the #1 reason I learned to knit cables… and to knit from a chart. At the time, the only place to get the pattern was in Alice Starmore’s Aran Knitting, which was out of print. I think copies were selling for $800s or so. Thankfully, that’s been resolved & there’s a new edition. Anyway, finished right around this time of year in 2005, I knit it in Cascade 220. The photo, inspired by one in the book, was taken at West Kilbride, Scotland, on our first visit to the UK in 2011.

4. Fib

I might consider this my first triumph with color, using seven random hanks of Donegal Tweed that my sister Sharon had left over from a kit or two. Alexandra Virgiel’s Fibonacci was the main inspiration, but it’s really more of a Frankenstein sweater… finished in 2006.

5. Williamsro

I knit this as a member of the US Cable Team for the 2006 Knitting Olympics, which was a blast! (I still have my certificate.) Williamsro was designed by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton, and the yarn — Noro Blossom & Cash Iroha — was a real splurge.

6. Cecil Cardigan

This was the cover sweater of Vogue Knitting, Spring 2003. Started in 2004, it languished until 2007 when Kate urged me to finish. I’d realized that it wasn’t really suited for me, but it was perfect for her! It was really fun to knit. I purchased the buttons at Tender Buttons when I visited NYC in 2005.

7. Habu Birthday To You

Knit for my mom from an amazing Habu Kit featuring Tsumugi Silk, it took me two years to make it, mainly because… it was weird (those Habu patterns are often… weird). It was knit in pieces, all going in different directions then sewn together, but they were so small… I remember thinking, This is never gonna work! But it did work, after stretching those pieces to within an inch of their lives. It’s an incredible sweater, which I finished in 2010, and my mother loved it so much — it was 100% her style. She loved telling me about the compliments she’d receive, and that she was so proud to tell people that it was knit by her daughter.

8. Parcheesi

My first blanket, and let’s call this my second triumph in color. Knit in 2010, while my sister Sharon was undergoing treatment for cancer, I finished it just a few weeks before she died in December. The pattern is Parcheesi by the wonderful Janine Bajus. You see this blanket every time you visit my blog, as it’s up there in the header. I will always treasure it.

9. Freestyle Cabled Cowl

Inspired by a couple of other cowls that I’d knit, and also by Fiona Ellis, whose taught a “cables” class at Midwest Masters one year (a long time ago), some of the cable motifs are normal, but others go off willy-nilly. I knit this in 2011 with some Plymouth Galway Worsted that I dyed myself.

10. Wisconsin Wedding Shawls

I knit these shawls in 2013 for Ali’s wedding. Her “Wisconsin Wedding” shawl is a pattern by Julia Trice called Mexican Wedding, and mine is also a pattern by Julia, Frambuesa, from the same collection. I used two different yarns, and dyed them both.

11. TTL Mystery Shawl ’14

I also dyed the yarn for this shawl — my first gradient. The pattern is Algiers by Kirsten Kapur. The MKAL started on June 1st, and my mom was admitted to the hospital on June 4th, then transferred to ICU a few days later. There was a wonderful group of “old gang” bloggers who formed an FB group for this knit-along, and it was a balm each night to check in with them. Mom died on June 23rd.

I’m sure I’ve written once or twice about how knitting has seen me through tough times — loneliness, worry, loss. I truly don’t know what I’d have done without it sometimes.

12. 2016 Rhinebeck Shawl

There was no time to knit a Rhinebeck Sweater in 2016, so I knit a Rhinebeck Shawl, instead. I love the pattern — Close To You by Justyna Lorkowska — and have knit it at least once more, and my sister Ann has knit it a couple of times, too. Also yarn that I dyed myself. As chance would have it, I’m wearing that shawl today! (It looks like winter is going to be making a couple of appearances over the next week.)

13. Making Her Own Arrows

This is a lovely “adventure” pattern from 2017 by Larissa Brown called We Make Our Own Arrows. It was potato chip knitting — so fun to pick it up everyday and see how it would go! Another scrap project, another triumph in color, I knit this for myself but ended up giving it to a friend.

14. Oblique

Oblique! A ten-year project (and not the only one), 2007-2017, start to finish. After 10 years, it didn’t fit me, but Maddy LOVES it! I’d like to knit another sometime. Oblique by Veronik Avery, knit it Cascade 220.

15. Gnomes

No list of favorites would be complete without mentioning gnomes! Susan B. Anderson and Sarah Schira are my designers of choice. I made my first little gnome(s) in 2018, a bunch more in 2020 while recovering from Covid, and a few mystery gnomes… another one to start pretty soon!

16. Safe At Home

Talk about Covid projects… this is Margaret Holzmann’s Safe at Home blanket, highly modified. This was knit for Davy (who’s going to be 4 in September!).

17. Hexie Love

This is crochet, so technically not knitting, and it’s also a WIP, as I have yet to master the border situation. And more color! The pattern is Hexie Love Actually by Greenletterday, which I started in 2021. The colors are Madelinetosh Unicorn Tails, and the background is Tosh Merino Light. I’m pretty sure this is destined to be Addie’s graduation blanket… which gives me another year-and-a-half to finish (I won’t wait that long)!

18. 5 Point Bomber

Last year’s wonderful project for Modern Daily Knitting | I Made It with Atlas! It was so fun to knit this project for the kids — with their input. Designer Holli Yeoh now includes coloring pages with the 5 Point Bomber pattern.

19. A Light in the Window for Mack

A fun little riff on Kay Gardiner’s A Light in the Window, this was knit for Mack’s high school graduation. There’s a lot of play on ONE color — mostly dye test skeins that I’d purchased a few years ago. I think he likes it.

20. Family Temperature Blanket

Another WIP, more color, more riffing… and tonight I’ll knit the last few rows of Ali’s panel and get started on Maddy’s — the last one!! I’ve already been working on this for over two years. I’m excited to wrap it up this summer. (Whatever will I do next…?? ha.)

BONUS MATERIAL

A gallery of little projects…

It’s hard to pick just 20 out of 133 projects! That doesn’t count the multiples… gnomes, dishcloths, hats, etc.

And, of course, THANK YOU!! Thanks for reading, laughing, encouraging, enabling, crying, comiserating, and just for being there. It’s changed in many ways, but I’d have never lasted 20 years without our community.

Ten for Ten - An Anniversary!

Well, that was fun

March 21, 2014April 6, 2026 Vicki8 Comments

Keeping Random.org busy today…

I’m very happy to announce that Therese G. is the winner of the Craftsy class giveaway. Therese, Craftsy has sent a link for you class directly to you. Thank you!!

The winner of the second Craftsy class is Margene!! I may have squealed out loud this morning as I counted and landed on her name, and I couldn’t wait to send her gift! Since she recently expressed her interest in Alabama Chanin style sewing, I’m pretty confident that I know which class she’ll choose.

Thanks for all the 10-year fun. I’ve written over 2500 posts in the 10 years I’ve been blogging and shortly — very shortly — someone will leave the 22,000th comment on one of those posts. The milestones just keep coming!

I scored some new 4XL men’s t-shirts the other day — so much fabric! I couldn’t wait to start deconstruction and am already busy making another top! This one is a mash-up of two favorite styles for summer.

I can’t stop!

This weekend, though, I really need to finish knitting a hat I’ve had on the needles for too long!

And work at getting rid of a cold. Yuck.

Maybe it’s the world telling me that it’s House of Cards S2 weekend at my house. heh.

Ten for Ten - An Anniversary!

10 Years!

March 20, 2014April 6, 2026 Vicki17 Comments

TODAY!! It’s the First Day of Spring (yahoo!) and my 10th Blogiversary! Here’s the last installment of TEN for TEN.

TEN – YOU!

I’m not altogether sure I’d have kept this up for 10 years if it wasn’t for you.

You’ve offered advice and support through some bad times, and you’ve celebrated the joys and triumphs of many good times! You’ve certainly encouraged, enabled, and influenced me. I wouldn’t be half the knitter I am if it weren’t for blogging. And I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t presently have my foot stuck in the rabbit hole of hand sewing, either, if it weren’t for blogging.

It’s not always easy writing this blog and, in glancing back these last 10 days over the past decade, I can see how much things have changed — what I share, how I write, and the pictures. Sheesh! There are certainly some cringe-worthy photos, but I did what I could with what I had (P.S. I still love you, Sony DSC-85!). What struck me most was the size! I recall bandwidth being an issue at times, back in the day, but postage stamp photos — I guess everyone just “clicked to make big” the photos they really wanted to see. Because, wow, TINY. (I fixed some of those as I ran across them.)

But holy cow, 10 years!

Thank you!! Thank you for reading, laughing, crying, encouraging, enabling, and just for being there. It’s always comforting to know that there’s a big collective shoulder here, and someone willing to listen.

* * * * *

So, all week I’ve posted the link for the Craftsy Class Giveaway and I think I’ll be ready to announce the winner tomorrow. That giveaway doesn’t really have anything to do with me, I’ve just given it some space and airtime, so I’ve decided that I will give away another Craftsy Class and probably some other presents, too! Because, holy cow, 10 years!

I’ll randomly draw winners from all who leave or have left a comment on any of the Ten for Ten posts, including this one, through midnight CST tonight.

*Giveaways have ended*

Thanks again!

* * * * *

Previously:

That’s Ten for Ten!

* * * * *

I’m hosting a Craftsy giveaway. Follow the link below and you could win a class of your choice, up to $59.99 in value — only 1 more day to enter.

Enter to win a Craftsy class!

*Giveaway has ended*

Ten for Ten - An Anniversary!

Sheep & Wool

March 19, 2014April 6, 2026 Vicki3 Comments

I’m celebrating my 10th Blogiversary on the First Day of Spring! To mark the occasion, which totally blows my mind, I thought I’d share TEN for TEN.

NINE – SHEEP & WOOL

That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? It is for me, at least; wool being the fiber I knit with most. There are fiber festivals everywhere — I think the Events page at Knitter’s Review is probably the most complete yet very concise list. Probably one of the biggest and well known is New York Sheep & Wool Festival (or Rhinebeck), which I’ve gone to three times; Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival isn’t too shabby, and I finally made it there a few years ago (and a couple of times since).

Rhinebeck 2005.

My first and, man, was it wet! Flight delays, traffic delays, juggled plans… it’s a wonder I made it at all. St. Brigid was my sweater that year.

Rhinebeck 2006 — Rhinebeck Bingo!

We had a soundtrack! So much fun that year — I met so many people (Carole, it was 2006!). My sweater was Fib.

Rhinebeck 2007.

I don’t think I had a sweater that year, it was the year of the cowl (for me)! If I’m not mistaken, it was fairly warm that year, anyway.

Besides the people — the people are always the best part of these things — and the wool, the next best things about Rhinebeck are definitely Artichokes French and chicken pot pies! People, Wool, Food… in that order. Or People, Food, Wool? I guess it depends on how hungry I am.

WI Sheep & Wool – 2010.

My first time! Sharon had just rented her apartment there, but didn’t move in for another month. Compared to Rhinebeck, this festival is a lot smaller, but the quality of vendors is right up there — many of the same! In fact, Susan’s Fiber Shop is located in Wisconsin but I’ve only ever shopped there at festivals!

WI Sheep & Wool – 2011.

I met my cousin Rae and her husband in Jefferson for a fun wooly day in 2011. I still have that mohair… still really love it! Ha.

WI Sheep & Wool – 2012.

I went to Wisconsin Sheep & Wool in 2012 to assist Dixie in her booth for Yellow Dog Knitting. In return, she gave me some space to display and sell a few of my wares. I hadn’t worked as a vendor at a festival in a long time… it was fun!

Slightly abbreviated today (compared to some of the other posts in this series) because it’s Junah Day! Tomorrow promises to be much the same as I’ll be away for most of the day.

* * * * *

Previously:

There’s more to come… One to go!

* * * * *

I’m hosting a Craftsy giveaway. Follow the link below and you could win a class of your choice, up to $59.99 in value — only 1 more day to enter.

Enter to win a Craftsy class!

*Giveaway has ended*

2005-NYC · Ten for Ten - An Anniversary!

Have (knitting) needles will travel

March 18, 2014April 6, 2026 Vicki10 Comments

I’m celebrating my 10th Blogiversary on the First Day of Spring! To mark the occasion, which totally blows my mind, I thought I’d share TEN for TEN.

EIGHT – BLOG FRIENDS & TRAVEL

One of the best things to happen in 10 years of blogging is connecting with other like-minded people. I discovered a small (& growing) group of people blogging about knitting 10 years ago. Knitting initially drew us together, of course, but as time has passed and life happened, some of those people are blogging about other things (instead of or in addition to knitting), they’re occupied by caring for their families or busy at work, they aren’t blogging at all, or maybe they’re more often found on less time-intensive social media such as Twitter or Facebook or Instagram — more or less (like, I’m on Twitter, but I’m hardly ever on Twitter). Some people have dropped out altogether over the years and, sadly, some have passed.

And blogging has exploded… there’s a whole galaxy of blogs out there beyond the knit-blog system. There are new and interesting blogs on all kinds of subjects to discover all the time.

I’ve often felt that the curse of the internet is that we are able to make connections with all these people that we’d love to maybe sit down and have coffee & knit with… except that they live 1000 miles away, in another country, or over an ocean! It’s only natural that there would be a desire to connect one-on-one with some of those like-minded people and I have been fortunate to do so, with knitters both near and far.

I like to think that I’d be a Quitter by now, no matter what, but I know that I’m 9 years Quit right now because of Ann & Cara. I’d never met them — they hadn’t met each other yet — we barely even knew what each other looked like when Ann & I decided to quit smoking together in March of 2005! I think most people were still in the “shy” stages of blogging back then.

My recollection is that a few weeks in, Ann & I briefly mentioned taking a celebratory trip where we would actually meet each other — maybe half-way, like someplace in Ohio — and maybe after a year.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK!

Lo, my husband had an opportunity to participate in a New York show just three months after the Quit and I jumped at the chance to go along! New York 2005. It was only my second time visiting in NYC, and one of the best little get-aways ever! I met Cara, Ann, Katy, Nancy, Cassie, and others.

We stayed at The Benjamin and I had fun making choice from the pillow menu!

We shopped for buttons and at yarn stores galore; knit at the library; ate bagels, NY pizza, and burgers in the park; had so much fun making virtual friends real.

RHINEBECK

If that wasn’t enough, I found myself in NY again in the Autumn of 2005 (and 2006 & 2007) to visit Ann & Cara and go to the New York Sheep & Wool Festival, aka Rhinebeck!

Sheep & Wool Festivals merit a post of their own (coming up), but here’s a teaser photo — Peggy, Cara & Ann at The Fold’s booth, Rhinebeck 2005.

YARN HARLOT IN EAU CLAIRE

In September 2006, I helped Dixie at Yellow Dog Knitting spread the word that Stephanie would be spending A Sunday in Eau Claire on a book tour stop.

It was a fun day and I met face-to-face with even more knit–blog friends from Wisconsin & Minnesota.

One of the many highlights of that day was meeting Joyce Williams again. I’d taken a class about a year and a half earlier that she’d given with Lizbeth Upitis. I just loved her spirit! I love this KNIT POWER photo of Joyce, Dixie & I wearing our knitting rings!

WISCONSIN

In December 2006, after seeing an amazing Elizabeth Zimmermann exhibit in Madison, I waxed poetic about how wonderful Wisconsin is… for knitters.

1st meet up with Angie – 2007

A few undocumented meet-ups before and since this photo – 2012

Knitting (looks like a Parcheesi square) in Luck with Kathy – May 2010

I’ve met/met up with numerous knit-bloggers around the state — Madison & surrounding area, Marshfield, Luck, and locally — both on purpose and accidentally (Bobbi – as our daughters began college at the same school!), and of course knitting almost weekly with my local knitting groups! I’ve visited blog friends/campers at Knitting Camp, and at the Knit-In.

MINNEAPOLIS

March 2008. After about a year delay, I hitched a ride with Katie and finally made it to Minneapolis for a visit with Deb! I also met (for the first time or again) Kathy, Chris, Brenda, CursingMama, and Renee; visited a couple of wonderful yarn shops and, really, just had the most wonderful time.

NJ/NY – MoMA – LONG ISLAND

An exhibit at MoMA that Katie wanted to see was the spark that led to another fun trip in August 2008 with Maddy, too! We visited with Cara in NJ, Ann in NY, drove out to Montauk, and also were able to meet up with Terry & her family, Katy, and Claire.

BERKELEY

https://www.flickr.com/photos/knitorious/5147882204/in/photostream/player/

A mutual interest in both knitting and photography, not to mention some other similarities in our lives, led to a most enjoyable trip to Berkeley and the San Francisco area to visit Celia in October 2010.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/knitorious/5157350034/player/

Among the many highlights of that trip was dinner and a Parcheesi mash up (mine still in pieces) with Janine (pattern info here), Rachael and Lala, and more!

I was able to meet up with Celia again in November 2012 when I traveled to San Francisco to meet Rusty for a long birthday weekend.

UTAH!

In September 2011, I flew out to Salt Lake City for the Rocky Mountain Knitters’ Retreat at Alta. But, of course, the real reason the opportunity to spend time with Margene (we’d previously met at Rhinebeck) and visit Silver Lake. I also met Cheryl at the retreat, and a chance meeting with Mim later!

Those are most of the highlights — I’m sure I’ve missed something! I’ve not been spending a ton of time nor exhaustively researching any of these topics… it’s all been by the seat of my pants, just the way I’ve always blogged! (I have learned that I could make better use of Categories in my blog posts. Heh.)

Anyway, it’s unlikely I’d have met most, if not all, of these people had I not started blogging 10 years ago, much less traveled to meet with them, knit with them, laugh and drink and take pictures and make merry with them!! The $21K I’ve saved by not buying cigarettes over the past 9 years has certainly helped to fund some of this travel… it’s all connected. It’s all pretty wonderful. And I am definitely looking forward to more.

* * * * *

Previously: