Thursday, September 07, 2006

Dear Shetland Friend

Thank you for all your kind comments of the grey knee highs.

My time to this passion is limited. Pattern writing is very time consuming and I love to knit (there are times when I don't want to give up my precious moments to knit to blog writing...). So I'd hate to be responsible at this point for you maybe wasting your precious yarn on my not-well-thought-through-knee-high-patterns. My knee highs are mostly for my dancing daughter whose feet and legs are forever hurting. This morning she was seeking after something to pull over her sore left knee. She knows that wool is good for all kinds of aches. And managed to wiggle into very old out-grown legging. So she desperately needs something over the knees now... I have measured her legs and feet carefully. Have knit several swatches and been auditioning some stitch patterns. Have made many errors and have been frogging to get a good fit and trying to learn from the mistakes. This daughter has very long and slim legs. I'm not sure the pattern would fit anyone else that well. And socks must fit. Like a glove to be usable.

Knitting knee highs is enjoyable. Once you get settled into a pattern you don't have to worry it ending too soon as is the case with shorter socks... There are several books that have some knee high patterns, but I have not knit them. I don't have this book, but I think there are several knee highs in Folk Socks by Nancy Bush. There is one pair in Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy as well. The fall 2006 Vogue Knitting has few knee highs in it. There is a beautiful pair in Handknit Holidays book, which I have knit with alterations. Socks Socks Socks book has few also. I'm quite sure there are more sock books out there that have few knee highs as well. If you knit a knee high I highly recommend you to try it on once in a while for a good fit.

Aside sock talk because now I'd like to introduce you to my new love (of handspun 2-ply Shetland wool, color moorit, 3 ½ mm needles and stitch patterns from the book Heirloom Knitting by Sharon Miller). Actually here in this picture there are two dears, but the other one you already know.
The one on the left was completed yesterday. She got to sleep in my bed last night (my husband is away so I did not want to take her out of blocking since she was not thoroughly dry) and this morning we had coffee together.She is a big girl and her embrace feels strong and heavy.I know she will be my faithful companion during the coming months so I had to get her acquainted with two significant parts of my life...

The pile of fire wood and the knitting.PS. Marilyn, the Blue C is not knit after a pattern but there were plenty similar around during last winter. And Annie, as far as I know, there aren't any web pages for the Nordic Knitting Symposium, but sometime around Christmas or early new year there probably is some information of the days in www.gavstrik.dk.

31 comments:

  1. Lene, I love the way you share your life with us - don't ever stop, however much it takes out of precious knitting time! I particularly loved the way you shared your life with the new shawl so it would feel welcomed and at home.
    Jo
    celticmemoryyarns.blogspot.com

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  2. I also feel the knitting is "alive" sometimes, and has a mind of its own... I love all the earth tones coming out of your blog. very soothing.
    you are so right, that some patterns will not suit everybody, still we love them on your dancer.
    :-)

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  3. Hi Lene,

    The moorit is a perfect color! I like the way you have introduced her to her new home and showing her all the chores you will be doing together in the coming months. I imagine you having your coffee together and looking at the lake in the mronings too.

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  4. She is very pretty and looks like a good friend to have when it really gets cold! I agree with you on the socks, they must fit like a glove, especially the knee highs. Even if I didn't modify just about every pattern I ever knit, I would still probably modify sock patterns to get them to fit right.

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  5. Anonymous16:57

    A web question for you: What URL can I bookmark so that I continue to find your most recent postings? The one I had been using (http://lenealve.blogspot.com/) stops at the August 23rd posting. I only found the last four entries by accident, by going to the October 2005 archive and noticing that the "recent posts" list included the newest ones.
    Perhaps I am doing something incorrectly? Suggestions would be appreciated because I always enjoy your photos and thoughts.
    Thanks!

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  6. That is a beautiful shawl. It looks lovely and warm.

    For your poor daughter's legs, I suggest a bath in Epsom salts. It will help remove the accumualtion of toxins that are created by those hardworking muscles. http://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/about_better_health_through_soaking.htm

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  7. What a beautiful shawl! Your own handspun, and your own design? Wow!

    The natural sheep colors feel so good to work with, don't they? As much as I love beautiful hand-dyed wool, working with the "untouched" stuff really makes a project special.

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  8. Anonymous17:46

    beautiful shawl :)

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  9. What a lovely shawl. And I also want to say that I really appreciate your blog and the time you take to write and, especially, show your beautiful photos!

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  10. Anonymous19:24

    Love the shawl and the photos! Thanks for sharing your world with others.I love the photo of your shawl against the house with your dog. It's inspiring me to try my first shawl.

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  11. Not to put any pressure on you, but I am going to throw my voice into the resounding chorus of asking you to continue blogging when you can pull yourself away from your needles.

    You are a unique voice that I would truly miss if you stopped. What a gorgeous shawl. I agree with HPNY KNITS, your earth tones are so soothing.

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  12. I love reading your blog, so thank you for taking time away from your knitting to post.

    I am a dancer who wears store bought over-the-knee socks for warmth all the time. Even though I am a sock knitter, I haven't tried knitting tall ones yet because I'm worried they wont stay up (or that if they do, they will be so tight in order to stay up that they are uncomfortable). And I'm not showing up to rehearsal with garters! I've been thinking about just knitting something like a knee-pad to wear above and on top of my knee highs. But I'm not sure.

    I can't wait to see what you come up with :-)
    ~bonnie

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  13. Your beautiful shawl and the orderly stack of firewood = cozy warmth. :-)

    Has your daughter tried wearing support stockings such as Sigvaris or Jobst? 15-20 compression would help tremendously. You can get them from knee highs to pantyhose. They're spendy but definitely worth the price the long term sake of her legs.

    Sharing your pictures, projects, and thoughts is a creative endeavour and outlet. I suspect you'd miss it as much as we who daily check Dances with Wool would miss your blogs.

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  14. Anonymous21:51

    The shawl is just wonderful!

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  15. What a lovely shawl, it looks like it will be just the thing during the cold winter months.

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  16. Anonymous22:04

    What a gorgeous shawl! That will surely make the winter months feel warmer. I think shalws are my new favorite way to use handspun wool.

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  17. Anonymous23:08

    It's beautiful! I like so much this natural yarn!

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  18. Anonymous00:17

    What a beautiful shawl Lene! I LOVE the picture of it with the log pile and your lovely dog. It reflects for me the spirit of Winter.

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  19. Anonymous00:50

    What lovely photos! Especially of the logs, the shawl and dog. I haven't updated my painting website for awhile, but your photo would make a lovely watercolour. You've got me inspired! I'll send it to you when it's done!

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  20. Anonymous01:19

    Your new friend is stunningly beautiful, the colour, very endearing. I would also miss you terribly, please, I know it takes time from your passion, but please keep on writing and posting your photos. Like I've said before, I get a real sense of peace from being at your site..perhaps I lived far north in some past life..
    I've always and forever loved the earth tones.

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  21. Maybe if you just quickly charted the stitch pattern, we could adapt the basic shape of the stocking for our own non-dancer legs?
    I agree, though - too many things take away from knitting time!

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  22. Your shawl is so lovely! I like the way it looks by the wood shed.
    I do love all the sock books out there! But I can never seem to follow them exactly; I always have to change them to suit my tastes or make them my own.

    Well Lene, I did something really air brained awhile back and bought 3lbs of raw Shetland wool! It seemed like a good idea at the time. The box came this week and now I am not sure what to do with it. I am not a spinner and so I went to the library to check out all the books I can on how to wash and ready the wool for spinning. I suppose I will have to check into getting a spinner sometime this winter. But oh how that box of wool is so lovely and so soft! I feel good just opening it up from time to time just to look at it!

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  23. Anonymous05:31

    Many times dancers wear out the soles of their socks and tights. I saw a pattern for "yoga" socks where the ball of the foot and the heel were open and the sock fit over the foot with just a strap under the arch. I also recently saw a vintage (1950's) pattern by Beehive Paton's and Baldwin for knitting the Alexander Heel which they were seeking a patent for at the time. In knitting the sock the heel is knit last, and grafted on, and then when it wears out, instead of darning it, you unravel the heel and reknit it. I haven't tried it yet but it seems brilliant for those who wear out socks and those who hate darning them (both the activity of darning and the wearing of darned socks is distasteful). Marlyce in Windsor, Ontario, Canada

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  24. Anonymous09:24

    I can't decide what to love most: the picture, the scarf, the dog...

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  25. I love spinning and knitting with shetland wool. ITs so fine and is a joy to spin. The shawl is beautiful and looks so perfect with your wood pile. We are just now cutting and stacking our wood for the coming winter. The woodshed looks much like yours does. There is comfort in a good shawl, a loyal dog and a full wood shed

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  26. Anonymous20:45

    I love the comment about auditioning stiches for a new project. There isn't anything wrong with the stitches that don't get the job, they're just not the best match. I've been auditioning for a shawl and so far haven't found a stitch who can also get along well with 7 colors! Thank you for sacrificing some of your knitting time to blog, I really enjoy reading your insights and getting a glimpse of life up north.

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  27. Anonymous06:19

    that shawl is lovely—and it looks just as you describe it! comforting and warm.

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  28. Anonymous15:35

    The shawl is beautiful, and I love they way it looks in front of the wood pile.

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  29. Congratulations Lene

    You are a winner with your lovely mittens

    Ulla in the north of Sweden

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  30. Glad you dropped by! And I really mean every word- I truly enjoy this blog.

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  31. Anonymous12:59

    Anu M. in Toronto:

    I'm not an expert either, but I think you only need to hit the refresh-button on your browser every once in a while. It may be that the computer's short-time memory has stored a previous poting and will not automatically uploasd the new post unless it (or should I say he:) is asked to.

    (It seemed to me that you hadn't got an aswer to you web question, so I'm trying to help for it may be as simple as this. The address you had typed is correct and works for me, at least.)

    Lene, you are an inspiration to me. One complai though: I've lost a lot of perfectly good working time at the office sneeking trough all of your posts!

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