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  • Brian Sawyer 8:48 pm on August 24, 2009 Permalink | Reply  

    Pure Knits 

    Two years ago, when I was an editor at a craft publisher, I worked a photo shoot for a book titled Pure Knits, a collection of sophisticated knitting patterns using luxurious yarns in shades of only one color: white. We rented an RV, loaded up models and completed projects, and drove to locations at Crane Beach in Ipswitch and the nearby salt marshes.

    Some beautiful photos were taken, many of which would appear in the final book, but my favorite pictures from the shoot are among the outtakes: Here’s just a sample:

    Well, I was beginning to think it would never happen, but that book is finally in print. I received an advance copy this week, and I’m very proud of it on a number of levels.

    (More …)

     

    • Lichen 9:39 pm on August 24, 2009 Permalink | Reply

      I grew up about a mile down from Crane’s Beach. What a magical place. I’ll order the book for the Library tomorrow… can’t wait to see. Congrats.

    • penny 4:38 pm on August 25, 2009 Permalink | Reply

      I can easily substitute my beloved grey for all the white. and I agree the original cover is much more pleasant. Yay for it finally happening. i’ve found cute babies sell patterns and yarn. I knit a project in yarn I didn’t want to knit and for a pattern that didn’t really excite me all because the baby model was so darned cute. It worked out perfectly because I ended up needing a gift just as I was finishing it up, but still…

  • Brian Sawyer 1:02 pm on February 22, 2008 Permalink | Reply  

    Gone Fishin’ 

    For reasons I’d rather not get into at the moment, I’ve found myself with significantly more free time on my hands of late. This has allowed me to spend more quality time with my family and, finally, get back to my current knitting work in progress.

    I just started knitting again in earnest a couple days ago, but getting a couple hours in each day has already gotten me to the point where strands of the alternating color are beginning to emerge as fish: 

    Getting Fishy

    As this is my first time working with more than one color, I’m learning a lot about yarn management. There’s a lot of strands to keep track of on the wrong side. Here’s the back, for everyone who wants all the gory details: 

    The Back

    As excited as I am to be moving forward on this sweater, I must say that a part of me is dreading finishing it. I hate weaving in ends as a rule, but they might just become a nightmare on this project. 

     

    • turtlegirl76 11:22 am on February 23, 2008 Permalink | Reply

      Oooh yeah. I would shudder at all the ends to weave in too. Maybe do it as you go? It’s going to be cute though!

    • Lichen 10:12 am on February 25, 2008 Permalink | Reply

      Does anyone LIKE weaving in ends? I am distressed by all finishing chores and have a number of not-quite-finished projects.

  • Brian Sawyer 12:24 pm on January 23, 2008 Permalink | Reply  

    Instructables, Again 

    It’s been a while since I’ve been over to Instructables site, but I just surfed over there today to find my How to Cast On instructable (also available here) featured in the main banner:

    Featured Instructable

    That’s all. I just felt the need to report on the most self-indulgent fun I’ve had at that site since another one of my other instructables won one of their many contests.

     

  • Brian Sawyer 9:41 am on January 4, 2008 Permalink | Reply  

    First Colorwork 

    Because I tend to have little free time to crank out knitted garments, I choose each new project carefully, largely as a means to learn a completely new technique, as well as the obvious interest in a nice piece that someone close to me will enjoy and actually wear. Last summer, after finishing my first lace project, I quietly began my next knitting challenge: my first attempt at using more than one color.

    Rather than choose between intarsia and Fair Isle techniques, I made the ambitious decision to take on a sweater that incorporates both. Here’s the pattern photo (Louisa Harding’s Fish Pullover from A Treasury of Rowan Knits) and the gauge I worked up last July:

    First Colorwork Project

    Because this is my first attempt at colorwork (beyond a three-hour class I took ages ago), it’s even more slow-going than usual (at least it feels like it, though I know my lace sweater took forever too). Anyway, over the break, I managed to finish the Fair Isle border for the back. Here’s a detail, because I couldn’t get a good photo of the whole thing:

    Fair Isle Border

    I must say I’m rather pleased with my progress (aside from the time it’s taken me). Since this photo, I’ve actually moved up to the bottoms of the first few fish, beginning the intarsia bit, though not enough to photograph or say much more about it.

    I do hope to dip into this project a little more regularly now, so wish me luck. If all goes well, I may just post an update before another couple seasons have passed.

     

  • Brian Sawyer 12:17 pm on November 30, 2007 Permalink | Reply  

    Sensual Knits: Book Release and Call for Submissions 

    When I started my current job as a craft editor, I was particularly excited to get involved in my first knitting book. That book, already in the late stages of production at the time, turned out to be Sensual Knits, by Yahaira Ferreira. Technically, it’s a January 2008 release, but it’s actually available now at Amazon, B&N, and select Barnes & Noble brick-and-mortar stores (and it should be everywhere very soon). Here’s a description:

    Modern knitters are simply in love with luxury yarns and the stylish items they can make from these opulent, irresistibly touchable materials. Sensual Knits feeds their hunger for fashionable projects made with the finest merinos, alpacas, silks, cashmeres, and angoras. Beautiful models display the clothing, and every exquisitely photographed garment provides a stunning example of how classic can also be very sexy. A textured jacket features a nipped waist that hugs a woman’s curves, a bishop-sleeved sweater has a daringly plunging neckline, and there are camisoles, silky negligees, and evening dresses too. And be assured: these pieces will look great for years to come, not just for a single season. Any advanced beginner who has mastered the basics can handle these patterns.

    And here’s a sneak peek, provided on the book’s product page at my company’s brand-new web site (update: more project photos on Yahaira’s blog):

    Sensual Knits TOC

    Sensual Knits Chapter Opener

    Sensual Knits Project Opener

    Sensual Knits Project Pattern

    Though I came aboard just in time to catch the very tail end of the process for this book, I’m thrilled to be starting from scratch on the direct follow-up in what promises to be a fabulous series (see also Sensual Crochet, which is another January 2008 title available now). I’m actively soliciting contributions to this new boook now, so if you’re a knitwear designer and like what you see here, please contact me for more details.

     

    • brambledoula 4:26 pm on November 30, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      ::drool:: any chance there will be a couple patterns for the plus size knitters out there?

    • Sophia 12:21 am on December 7, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      Sounds great!

    • Idetrorce 8:09 am on December 15, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
      Idetrorce

  • Brian Sawyer 1:45 pm on September 29, 2007 Permalink | Reply  

    Ravelry Raves 

    Today, I finally got my invitation to join Ravelry and started to take it for a spin. Though I’ve noticed a few glitches (to be expected of any beta service), I love what I’ve seen so far. It’s like your favorite blogging application, Flickr, and LibraryThing, all rolled up together (in fact, the creators were smart enough to integrate all three into their service) in a social networking site specifically for a community of knitters and crocheters.

    Here’s a screenshot of the projects in my notebook, a place to collect my various FOs and WIPs:

    Ravelry_ briansawyer_s Projects.jpg

    Here’s what a page for a particular project looks like:

    Ravelry_ briansawyer_s My First Sweater.jpg

    And here’s the beginning of my library:

    Ravelry Library

    The site also allows you to join groups, organize your stash, network with stitching friends, share pattern information, feed posts from your blog (though this feature isn’t working for me yet), and a lot more.

    It’s still invitation only, with quite a waiting list, but I get the impression they’re rolling out access a lot more quickly now, so I’d recommend getting in line as soon as possible. I look forward to seeing you there. If you want to find me and check out all of my knitting projects I have records of all in one place, I’ll be right here.

    UPDATE: It’s just been brought to my attention that pages on the site are not viewable by nonmembers. That’s a real bummer and doesn’t make much sense to me. You’d think that opening up viewing would help build interest in the site.

     

    • Casey 1:09 pm on October 1, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      “You’d think that opening up viewing would help build interest in the site.”

      We’ve got too much interest :) We’re having a hard time keeping up with all the feedback from our beta people – we’d die if we let the world in before we are ready.

      Once Ravelry is open, the whole site will be viewable by the public. You won’t need an account to use Ravelry.

    • Brian Sawyer 1:21 pm on October 1, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks for taking the time to stop by and explain, Casey. Though I didn’t realize that simple page views would be such a drain on your servers, I completely understand.

      The site looks great so far. I just can’t wait to be able to send all my knitting peeps there to see my projects in one place. :-)

  • Brian Sawyer 2:34 pm on July 25, 2007 Permalink | Reply  

    Felted For … 

    I learned to knit about 14 years ago, on a scarf that I’ve kept since then for purely sentimental reasons. The piece was never a thing of beauty and has therefore seldom been warn, but even so, it’s been used enough to add some wear to its already pitiful state.

    I’ve felt guilty lately about using it to mop up a leaky something-or-other around the house (it was the closest thing to hand), and I was just about to transfer it to the trash from the pipe it’s been hanging on in the garage, when it occurred to me that there might be a chance to save it yet. I’ve been meaning to learn to felt, and this wool piece seemed to be just the thing to experiment with. The process was pretty straightforward, and I think it felted up pretty well, helping to turn my tattered fabric into a Muppet-fur pelt, ready for altering:

    Felted For ...

    So, I’ve just turned my very first knitted object into my very first felting project. But what to do with it now? Any ideas?

     

    • Juliet 6:05 pm on July 25, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      you could turn it into a muppet! or a seat cushion, or a pillow case, or a quilt, or a sweater. I think it is a very beautiful shade of blue.

    • Nan 8:38 am on July 31, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      Using a sewing pattern, make a hat or gloves.

    • Jae 9:03 am on September 8, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      You could make coasters for drinks. Or hot pads, or oven mitts.

  • Brian Sawyer 2:42 pm on July 22, 2007 Permalink | Reply  

    First Lace, FO 

    Here’s my final status report (see my gauge swatch, my first finished sleeve, and complete WIP photos) on the Jade Pullover I’ve been working on from Elsebeth Lavold’s Designer’s Choice Book Two: The Sentimental Journey Collection.

    At last, I picked up and knit the collar:

    Collared

    … and put it all together:

    FO!

    I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, and I still can barely believe I actually finished it!

    Now, on to the next project …

     

    • adrienne 5:36 pm on July 22, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      WOW!!! It looks wonderful!!!

    • Emilee 11:00 pm on July 22, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      What a beautiful sweater! That leaf lace pattern is my absolute favorite.

    • mayyan 11:07 am on July 23, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      Beautiful work!

    • Laura 4:20 pm on October 15, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      I moved to Westford in June with my husband. Any favorite yarn stores in the area you can recommend? Also, any knitting groups/stitch and bitches you know of (I just joined Westford Friends and Newcomers and there’s no knitting circle now, but they’re looking to start it up again).

    • Brian Sawyer 5:01 pm on October 15, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      Hi, Laura. Welcome to Westford! I highly recommend The Woolpack in Littleton for yarn, notions, and classes. Not aware of any knitting groups (beyond the one you can pay for as a class at The Woolpack), but I’d love to hear of it if you find one!

  • Brian Sawyer 8:49 am on June 21, 2007 Permalink | Reply  

    First Lace 

    It’s been a while since my last update on my ongoing WIP, because I’ve been too busy to get around to both the knitting and the blogging, but a recent flurry of travel by air and rail (and a new knitting class that started last night, a great father’s day gift) has given me some time to make some real progress. I still don’t have much time for summarizing the work I’ve been doing on this piece, but hopefully these pics will speak for themselves:

    Progress My First Lace

    First Sleeve Finished

    This is my first attempt at lace work, and I’m quite pleased with the results so far. Having finished the rather plain front and back, in addition to this first sleeve, I’ve got just one more sleeve, the collar (also in the lace pattern), and final seaming to go. It’s starting to look like I might actually finish this one!

     

    • Lindsay 1:53 pm on June 21, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      Looks great — at first I thought it was the Oriel blouse from the new Interweave (which I love!) but I’ll check out the Elsebeth Lavold book.

      Looking forward to FO pictures!

    • natalie 5:37 pm on June 21, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      looks great – you are such a great knitter!

  • Brian Sawyer 11:14 am on April 9, 2007 Permalink | Reply  

    How to Bind Off 

    After posting my How to Cast On tutorial, a few people asked for a similar demonstration of binding off, another of those basic techniques that are sometimes hard to learn from books or remember from one project to the next once you’ve actually mastered them. I thought I’d wait until I had a project ready to bind off, rather than creating a swatch to work with, mainly because I don’t have that kind of time. Anyway, I hope this little how-to helps clear things up. I’ve even included a one-minute video at the end of this post, for anyone who really needs to see the details in action (as I usually do).

    So, without further ado, here’s how to do it:

    How to Bind Off

    1. Knit the first stitch on the row as you normally would. We’ll call this Stitch 1.
    2. Knit the second stitch as you normally would. We’ll call this Stitch 2.
    3. Insert your left needle through the front of Stitch 1 on the right needle.
    4. Drag Stitch 1 over Stitch 2.
    5. Pull Stitch 1 completely off the needle, leaving Stitch 2 on the needle.
    6. Stitch 2 remains on the right needle, and you’ve just bound off your first stitch (Stitch 1). Rename the remaining stitch (Stitch 2) to Stitch 1 and repeat steps 2-5 until you reach the end of the row.

    When just one stitch remains on your right needle, simply snip off your yarn, leaving about 5 inches of tail to pull through the opening of that last stitch and draw it tight. You’ll be left with a nice, finished edge that looks something like this:

    Edge After Binding Off

    And that’s it. Here’s that video I promised, which will take you less time to watch than it’s taken for you to read this post:

     

    • moody knitter 8:42 am on April 10, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      nice photos very clear and informative bravo :)

    • Katrina 9:57 am on April 10, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks for the very clear and easy to follow information. =D The video was especially helpful for me.

    • meiyi 3:33 am on May 5, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      thanks so much for the video!! It was very clear and helpful!
      YAY!!

    • DARLINE 8:28 pm on June 26, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      HI

      THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE HELP THE VIDEO WAS GREAT!!!!

      THANKS AGAIN

      DARLINE

    • Lisa 11:02 pm on November 23, 2007 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks for the very clear directions and the video.You make it so easy as I am a beginner knitter :)

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