Tanya Alpert

Running Brook

2010-11-16T19:43:00.000-08:00

There is no need for size 10 (6mm) needles in addition to 10 1/2 (6.5mm). Check your gauge first, and if it works on one of the needle sizes, use those needles for the whole project.
You might want to use 24" long circular needles for the main piece and a set of short straight needles (the same size) for the straps.
Pattern has a typo; it should say "or" instead of "and" under "Materials" for the needle suggestion...

This piece is very flattering for all body types. You can wear it with leggings and as a layering piece over a long or short sleeve tank.

Happy Knitting!

Haiku Knits -Fisherman's Net

2010-09-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

To clarify and to correct this silly mistake...

"WRAP
With Yarn A CO 86 sts leaving a 6" tail.
...

Row 2: Knit with A..." Skip Row 1.

You don't need to knit 2 rows. Count your cast on as Row 1 and then knit 1 more row.
You need to end up on the same side as your 6" tail and every time you are changing yarns to create a fringe on one side of the shawl.

Knitwear Trends for Fall/Winter 2011-12

2010-08-22T14:50:00.000-07:00

F/W 2011-12 is a season of re-invention, rejuvenation an exploration.Value the concept of time... moving forward with new ideas, a need to play, escape, explore and shine. It is time to leave the past behind. This makes it a season of contrasts and alternatives, a time to lead not follow. . .

Passages of Time

TIME TO PLAY
The exploration of "self" through playfulness, and activity. Making time to have fun, experiment and be ever changing. Sport is re-invented through a new sense of color making it merge seamlessly with everyday life. Looking at culture for the techno age generation who are easily bored and in need of constant stimulation.

Color and Details
An energising palette of clear whitened winter greens, dusted with modern brights and a dark purple.

• Natural and synthetic of equal importance
• Drape, fluidity and movement
• Compact, dense and peached.
• Polished sheen achieved by fibre choice or mercerising.
• Yarns and fabrics that can perform and energise
• Technical finishes and new innovations
• Stretch and movement
• Graphic plays of colour and pattern
• Fresh stripes
• Simple micro textures
• Iridescent glow and rich lustre

ESCAPE
A sense of protection is swathed in discreet luxury, enhanced by subtle beauty searching for a new perfection. A time to luxuriate in our own space, relaxation time, making time to improve, beautify and rejuvenate. A rough, raw dimension that hints at femininity with natural charm, rustic yet delicate, wild yet precious.

Color and Details
A powdered level of colors using pinkish taupes, warm copper and soft browns, enriched by deep rose and blue grey.

• Powdery finishes
• Soft shimmer and lustre
• Diffused surfaces through hair and brushing
• Feathery, twisted and ruffled
• Smooth luxurious shine
• B urnished metallics
• W arm soft textures
• B roken surfaces with a natural patina
• Delicate sheer textures and transparent looks
• Layering from fine to very chunky
• Extreme exaggerated stitches
• Blurred and subtlety broken plays on color

EXPLORE
Making time to explore our own creativity and explore new ideas, looking at art activities such as painting, printing and crafts, but reinventing them in a futuristic way. Expressing our own individuality by making good use of our hands and enjoying embellishing, enhancing and creating new looks in a modern way. Finding time to create our own identity through freedom of spirit.

Color and Details
Rich, saturated levels of color in warm tones of russet orange, strong reds, golds and bronzes contrasted by vibrant teal and pinks, all merged together to give a moody, painterly dimension.

• Appearances are deceptive with handmade or rough looks, but with a soft to the touch feel
• Lots of surface interest
• Novelty textures and novelty fibre blends.
• Volume and rounded looks
• Hairy and raised surfaces
• Rich vibrant gold and metallic
• Velvety looks and touch
• Multi color effects in neps and marls
• Printing and hand painting
• Chunky but weightless
• Irregular textures
• Boiled and compact
• Rich bold use of pattern and color

SHINE
A time to visit an era when things were special, cherished and refined, yet reconstruct it into the future to make it relevant to modern life. Combining a decorative legacy of the past with a streamlined futuristic vision enhanced by technology. A time to find exquisite beauty and perfection by looking at decorative form and modern adornment. Creating drama and intrigue, desire and satisfaction. Regaining our status to face the modern world.

Color and Details
Mysteriously deep and intense shades of inky blues, greys and blacks through to futuristic purples from dark to light. Shimmering yet burnished highlights of silver and gold offer decorative relief.

• Fine, threadlike counts, highly twisted
• Polished surfaces from bright shine to subtle sheens
• Sparkle of all kinds
• Burnished and aged metallics
• Fur and plush looks
• Feathery effects
• Rich velvety finishes
• Lace and ruffles
• Aged appearances
• Silky drape and fluid looks
• Subtle crinkle surfaces and delicate textures
• Extreme softness and lustre
• Exquisite embellishment and jewels used with finesse

"Morning Glory" Pattern Errata

2010-08-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

The Left Front and the Right Front sections are each missing one sentence at the end of the last paragraph: "BO all sts".

"Bird of Passage" - Haiku Knits

2010-07-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

There is a small mistake in the Haiku Knits "Bird of Passage" pattern. The remaining amount of stitches for the back to place on the stitch holder should be 26 (26, 28) , instead of 25 (27, 28).

On the page 112, under "Armhole Shaping", the pattern should read:
"....Place rem 26 (26, 28) sts on st holder."

Mokuba Lace Workshop

2010-06-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 24th

12:00 - 5:00 PM
$50 + materials
(great to use up your left over yarn)

Hurry, space is limited to 6 people only
Make a lacy fiber scarf with ribbons, yarns, and fibers applied to
Mokuba Free-Lace!
Sew your fibers together with simple thread play using a sewing machine.

No knitting experience necessary. Must know how to use a sewing machine.

Sign Up Today!
Call (858) 509-9276

Blue Bolero

2010-06-10T20:44:00.001-07:00

I finally completed my new design, Blue Bolero. Now I am thinking to make another one in a different color, longer, and with long sleeves.

I love the effect of this stitch, and I absolutely love this yarn. It's Lana Grossa Bolero (70% cotton, 30% polyamide)

Haiku Knits -Fisherman's Net

2010-06-07T15:48:00.001-07:00

It came to my attention that there is a typo in the Haiku Knits book. The Fisherman's Wrap requires less materials than listed in the book.
You will need only 4 balls of Habu Textiles A-137, not 5, only 3 balls of each A-29 and A-123, not 4 of each.

If you decide not to seam it, it can also be worn as a beautiful shawl.

Haiku Knits - Half Moon Rising two-color vest

2010-01-11T18:04:00.001-08:00

This clarification especially important for those who will knit the vest in a Small size.
When you are ready to work on the Right Front (made with Kochoran Yarn), your first row should be the WS row of the pattern, other words, the pattern should read:

"With Yarn B and larger needles, CO 48 (50, 55) sts. Work in 2 x 3 rib starting with WS row for 1"..." (i.e. *K3, p2*). End with WS row.
Next Row (RS): Work 48 (50, 55) sts, cast on an additional 32 (35, 35) sts at the end of this (RS) row, 80 (85, 90) sts."

Haiku Knits - Snowflake

2010-01-06T08:59:00.000-08:00

Here is a question on yarn quantities for the Snowflake wrap in Haiku Knits:

"...Thanks for setting up the blog for this book! I'm really enjoying the book, but do have a question about one of the patterns. In the "Snowflake" pattern, it says that the pattern comes in only one size, but there are yarn quantities listed as if there were three sizes, e.g.:"5 (5, 6) skeins of Cascade #8505" or "5 (5,6) balls of Graphite #570". I also work in an LYS where I expect there to be heavy interest in the book during one of our classes tomorrow, so I would love to know which is the correct quantity of these yarns to give our students accurate advice!..."

Thank you so much for catching this. It should have been clarified, and changed to: "5 balls of Cascade and 5 balls of Graphite..." with the note that "...if you would like to make the fronts longer, you might need an extra ball of each yarn..."
Here is the explanation:

Since this piece is just a long rectangle with sleeves, you can easily adjust or add to the length of the fronts and/or back, so if someone wants to make an adjustment, they might require an extra ball of each yarn.

Haiku Knits- Seaweed

2010-01-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

This was a question regarding the 'upper right front' of the Seaweed top from Haiku Knits.

"Hello Tanya,

I received the book early December and it's one of my favorites as it has many beautiful patterns!

I am knitting Seaweed at the moment and am busy with the 'upper right front' but the shape doesn't seem to match what it should be, please see attached photo. In my opinion I did follow the instructions..."

Here is the answer:
"The shape should look like this at first, and then, you'll be increasing more on the neck side, and then decreasing there for V-neck. My schematic might not be 100% exact at that narrow spot (it's partially under the arm), but not to worry, you are creating a curve there (it should have been more of a curve instead of the straight line..., sorry...the technical editor...made me simplify it), so keep increasing (following the pattern), you'll see, it'll be fine, especially after you sew it in place. See a better schematic attached above"

Wonderful Message Regarding Haiku Knits

2009-11-24T09:06:00.000-08:00

Ripened Wheat

Chrysanthemum

I have been receiving wonderful reviews and messages regarding my book, but this particular one really warmed my heart.

Haiku Knitting

Sent at 9:58 PM Yesterday

Tanya, I received your beautiful book today posted all the way to Sydney, Australia and just want to let you know that I’m in love!
There’s no-one else offering such fabulous Japanese inspired designs - not even Habu themselves!
Your shaping, structure, patterning and colours should appeal to many.
I can not wait to start on Ripened Wheat and Chrysanthemum.
Again, thank you for the serenity, beauty and light you’ve provided. I hope I can do you some justice…
Kind regards
Nora

Clear Water Lacy Scarf from Haiku Knits

2009-11-19T15:25:00.000-08:00

Here is the solution to the problem with this pattern.

Somewhere, somehow there were an extra 2 sts in the pattern. We don't know when, why and how, but ...it happened.

The pattern should read:

CO 34 sts. Begin Lace Patt.

Row 1: K2, pm, *yo, sl 1, k1, psso k5, repeat from * to last 4 sts, yo, k2tog, pm, k2

Row 2 (and all even rows): all correct

Row 3, 5, 7, 9, 11: should have "K2,..." instead of K4 in the beginning.

Now, this should works.

Clear Water Lacy Scarf

2009-11-19T14:43:00.000-08:00

After two technical editors and several people, including myself, have knitted this simple lacy scarf, we have one typo. Oh well, such as life...

In the very beginning of the project it should say:

"CO 36 sts. Begin lace patt." (instead of 34 sts.) Page 37.

Make sure that you place your markers after 2 sts in the beginning, and before 2 sts at the end. Those sts are your border sts, and they don't count into your lace pattern.

Good luck! It should be O.K. now, and if not...let me know.

Cocoon sweater

2009-10-31T17:33:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about a couple of projects from the book.
Cocoon Sweater.
One of the knitters was afraid of cables, but she loved the look of my Cocoon sweater. I assured her that cables are nothing to fear. My Cocoon sweater became her very first cable sweater.

Cables are easy. It's just changing the order you knit your stitches. For example: instead of knitting stitch #1, #2, #3 and #4 in exact order, you place stitches #1 and #2 on the cable needle, and first knit stitches #3 and #4 (while the other two are waiting for their turn in front or back of your work depending on your pattern), and then you knit #1 and #2 from that cable needle. (Note: when working with bulky yarns you can use double pointed needle instead of your cable holder.) Voila!
The Cocoon sweater has the twisted cable, which requires one more step in making the cable, but a very doable step. You are just turning your cable needle (with those stitches that are waiting for their turn) 180 degrees before you knit them.

And that is it!

Haiku Knits book blog

2009-10-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

Haiku Knits cover

The Haiku Knits book has been released on October 20, and I've decided to create this blog to help with the projects in the book.
Please join in with your comments, questions and suggestions, and I will try to help and guide you as much as I can...
I will be checking in weekly.

Snowflake

Lantern Floating

Seaweed

Long Night

Flickering Flame

Hazy Moon

Bird of Passage

Half-Moon Rising