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Bond Buzz, Issue #29
September 21, 2006
Free from Bond America |
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Welcome to another issue of Bond Buzz!
As I’m sure for most of you, it’s been a crazy summer here in Vermont, not just for the swings of heat and rain (and, for some of you, dry fires), but for all the book projects that I’d planned to  have completed before the birth of my granddaughter. Hazel Ann, however, had her own ideas and came a month early on August 24. Both mother and baby are doing exceptionally well and, while Hazel is small, she’s very long (like her mom and dad) and growing quickly.
 So I am now a card-carrying member of the Kuru Club. The title “grandmother” in Kinyarwanda, the language of Rwanda, is "nyogokuru", a term that denotes a lot of honor. I definitely like the honor thing, as those of you who are also in the Kuru Club I’m sure agree!
For those of you who are also crocheters, the books we’re working on are all crochet. The most significant book, to be published Fall 2007, is on Embellished Crochet which incorporates beading, embroidery, trims, tassels, etc. It will have 30 patterns, lots of techniques – and should be around 126 pages. We’ll let you know when it’s available.
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Fashion Trend Update . . . |
In preparation for planning the garments to be shown at our next trade show, I’ve been looking through loads of trends information and current magazines. As you may have observed, this year is heralding in one of the most significant changes in fashion ever – the jump (or shall we say, leap) from the skin-is-in look to total layering looks, from a skimpy, tight-fitting silhouette to one of volume and length. For many of us for whom skin is definitely not something we want to expose much of, this is a very welcome change. And while piling on layers for me is just going a bit too far in the other direction, the long look is a welcome relief from all the skin.
And we Bond knitters definitely have an advantage, as all we need to do is knit a few more rows in a few minutes to have the longer look. Or make a short vest or jacket to go over the t-shirt tunic. Or make a wrap to add dash and style (or warmth) over the vest or jacket. Now THAT’s the way to layer!
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New Stuff . . . |
 We now have Wool Winders in stock! These are great if you want to wind off yarn from tight pull skeins to assure even knitting tension without having to keep pulling the yarn out of the skein. It’s also great for splitting skeins if you want to make small balls for doing intarsia. |
We have a new Pattern Folding Stand to hold your pattern for easy viewing while you’re knitting. |
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 Also, a past favorite, the Chibi needle case with 2 bent-tip needles. These special needles are great for doing backstitching, as the curved tips really get in there to grab the stitches. |
Free Patterns Online . . . |
We have just posted two patterns from a couple of our out-of-print books. Enjoy!
 Rolled Edge Pullovers for the Family
It's the perfect pattern for using Simply Soft, Simply Soft Tweed or Simply Soft Shadows.
 Fitted Jacket
Great for fall, this subtly striped jacket will take you from the office to a dinner party in style.
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| Tips & Techniques . . . |
 Many of today’s fashions are ruched, tucked, gathered, pleated – taking plain fabric and manipulating it to create softness and a unique look. I’d been wondering how a sideways knitted pleated piece could be incorporated into a garment for an interesting look. I started with a simple neckwrap.
Caron’s new yarn, Simply Soft® Shadows, a subtle, self-striping yarn, is ideal to emphasize this look, as the striping on the pleated section is vertical but the striping on the scarf section is horizontal.
Note that the photos of executing the technique are done in Simply Soft so you can more easily see the steps. Two 3-prong tools and 2 claw weights are required for this technique. I used a #2 keyplate for the pleated section and a #3 for the scarf section.
PLEATED END
 1. With WY, CO 40 sts
2. K 2 R. Break off
3. With Shadows, K 4 R.
4. Using a 3-prong tool, create hem by lifting up every st from the first row to the corresponding needle in WP.
5. K 8 R. Place marker on RHS.
6. K 4 R.
7. Using both 3-prong tools, pick up sts 1-6 on RHS from row with marker.
8. Attach claw weights to LHS of these sts.
 9. Lift up and place these 6 sts onto corresponding needles above.
10. Repeat Steps 5-9 five more times.
11. K 12 R. Break of MY, leaving a 36” end.
12. K 4 R WY.
13. Fold in last 4 R MY and sew in place as hem.
SCARF SECTION
Change to #3 keyplate
 14. Bring forward 25 needles to HP.
15. Fold pleats in one direction and pick up 25 sts, making sure you pick up the sts of the pleat as well as the ones behind it (closest to you).
 16. Using closed edge, CO 13 sts on both sides of the center 25 sts holding the pleated section. (Photo shows finished piece with pleated section centered over the 51 sts.)
17. K 80 sts. Break off, leaving a 36” end.
18. K 4 R WY & remove from machine.
19. Repeat above process for second half of neckwrap, then graft together the sts from both halves.
20. Turn in the 13 sts on each side of the pleated section and seam.
21. Sew lower back ends of scarf to back of pleated sections.
22. Using H hook, work 1 row sc along lower edge of both pleated sections, then work 1 row picot (*ch 3, skip 1 sc, sc in next sc. Repeat from * across.).
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| Something Special . . . |
| To end this month's Bond Buzz, I’d like to share with you a photo of one of your fellow subscribers, a super teacher at Michaels Arts & Crafts in San Luis Obispo, CA. If you’d like to share your teaching experiences with Buzz subscribers (who knows? You could get new students…), please e-mail me your photo, where you teach and what classes you teach. |
 Writes Heather . . .
Here is a picture of me demonstrating the USM at Michaels Crafts in San Luis Obispo. That's a stocking-in-progress that I made on the USM by adapting a Bucilla handknitting pattern. I'm doing the motifs in duplicate stitch embroidery. The multi-colored square piece on the table is my experiment with weaving.
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See you next month!
Happy Knitting,
Cari Clement
Bond America
P.S. As a subscriber to Bond-Buzz, I'd like to invite you to subscribe to the FREE e-mail newsletter—Caron Connections from Caron® International. Just visit the Caron site (http://www.caron.com) and enter your email address. It's that easy. As a subscriber to Caron Connections, you'll receive monthly emails filled with the latest inside scoop on Caron's new fashion yarns and free patterns. |
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