Sunday, August 26, 2007

Jag älskar min bohus, men hatar min kamera!

I LOVE MY BOHUS, BUT HATE MY CAMERA!
I am on chart row 40 of the yoke of my beautiful Blue Shimmer Bohus pullover - and my camera is not working. My camera is actually on it's way to Nikon to see if it can be fixed and for a cost that will not exceed its actual value.
I will describe some of what I have knit. (I did get a disposable and at some point there will be pictures)
I wanted to do hemmed edges rather than ribbed, here is what I did.
I started with this provisional cast on, which I love. I will give a crisp $1 bill to the first person who can prove to me that the provisional cast on from knittinghelp.com is possible. It is the one video of the most brilliant knitting website that I have determined to be some sort of prank.
Then I knit in stockinette for 5 rows in the main color, imagine the lightest blue that you have ever seen in a clear sky.
I also wanted a picot edge, so over the even number of stitches I:
k1, *[yo, k2tog] repeat from * to last stitch, k1 (this is the row where you turn the hem).
After knitting another 5 rows, I pulled out the provisional cast on while picking up the stitches on a separate needle. The pattern called for increasing on the first row of the yoke after the ribbing so I alternated between knitting both the original stitches together and separately with the provisional stitches to join the hem and increase in the same row. I did get some help from Nona.
Since there are no pictures I will leave you this link - it "speaks" for itself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww

Thursday, August 02, 2007

56 DOWN AND BOHUS TO GO!

Since I created a blog that would allow people to create their own Commemorative Sockapalooza 4 Sock Project Bag I have:

- Sewn and shipped 56 bags.

- Increased the price of the bags to $15 plus $2 for shipping.

- Sold 5 gift certificates.

- Received payment and begun sewing a batch of 20 bags.

- Have a second batch of 19 who have all been e-mailed to expect their invoices around the 8th of August and for their bags to ship around the 15th of August.


- Have a third batch, currently with 13 bags, which I notify customers as the orders come in that their invoices will arrive around the 17th of August and bags will ship around the 27th of August.

- And not to count my Monkeys before they .... are actually paid and sewn ... may have sold 10 bags to a customer in Austin, TX, who was so thrilled with the two bags she received she wants 10 to sell in the knitting shop she is opening in September.

Including the shop order, that's ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOUR bags!

Feeling as though I may never have time to knit again, I decided to pick a project where I could learn new skills and knit MYSELF something beautiful - to wear to Rhinebeck.

I have chosen the Bohus Blue Shimmer.

My plan to wear my beautiful Bohus Blue Shimmer at Rhinebeck is already in action.

I called School House Press today and ordered THE Bohus book:
Poems of Color by Wendy Keele
"This beautiful and historic book is available once again. Wendy Keele thoroughly researched the topic of Bohus knitting in Swedish museums and with some of the actual Bohus knitters; she even persuaded Emma Jacobson's heirs to release the closely guarded instructions for these amazing works of art. A book of truly lovely designs that we can now knit ourselves."

I knew I needed to by a kit to knit this sweater. School House Press recommended MaryJo of Stage Coach Yarns. She hand dyes all of the yarn to match the original Bohus designs. She has some kits ready to ship, others you might have to wait a week or so while she dyes the yarn for your kit! I know this because I called her today - such a sweet woman - and took it as a sign that she had a kit in the Blue Shimmer ready to ship and ordered one.

During my Bohus Googling, yes Bohus Googling (say it out load, you have to laugh!), I found Susanna Hansson's site. I was linked there by a blog that was raving about her Bohus workshops. A quick search of Susanna's workshop schedule that she would be giving a Bohus Workshop at WEBS on September 30th! I have given myself Susanna's workshop to myself as a 30th birthday present (I will be 30 on the 15th of September). The workshop is not even posted on the WEBS website and it is already almost full.

My plan is to have the sweater completed up to the colorwork by the workshop -although Susanna sells kits for wristlets at the workshop to knit a little Bohus - and to have the sweater completed by Rhinebeck.

That is, if the monkeys don't kill me first!