Tag Archives: Elizabeth Zimmermann

That lemons and lemonade thing

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EZpillbox

This is Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Pillbox Hat. Not exactly Jackie Kennedy stuff, but sort of “…in the style of.” The pattern is included in Schoolhouse Press’s “Knit One, Knit All,” a posthumously published book of EZ’s garter stitch designs. Pillbox is supposed to be knit in Super Bulky Sheepsdown at 3 stitches to the inch. Classic Elite’s now discontinued Waterspun Weekend should have been a good substitute.

Well, I am a major pumpkin head and even my head was too small for this hat. Glass Head could have been wearing three hats under her Pillbox and had a mess of raccoons in there too when this photo was taken and you’d not have known it.

I finished knitting this hat about three years ago. No head has yet appeared to claim it.

I was felting some slippers in the washing machine last week when it dawned on me that felting Pillbox could yield something interesting. But I wasn’t sure what.

Check out my new felted bowl.

waterspun_bowl

I’m quite tickled with it actually. I haven’t figured out exactly what I’ll keep in it. If you have suggestions I’d love to hear them.

EZ moebius

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If an ant crawled along the length of a mobius strip, it would return to its start after crawling the entire length of both sides, never crossing an edge.  If you draw a line down the center of a moebius strip, the end of the line will meet the start of the line and you will never have to pick up your pencil to make that happen. And if you cut the strip along that center line, you end up with a continuous strip with two twists in it.

Elizabeth Zimmermann understood the design potential of the moebius. This is her “Moebius Ring” pattern from Schoolhouse Press Wool Gathering #28. It’s knitted in garter stitch with an I-Cord border. You start with a provisional cast on. Knit forever. Then give it one twist. Mathematicians know a moebius can have a clockwise twist or a counterclockwise twist, but that matters not a bit when it comes to a scarf. Then graft your end row to your beginning row and the result is a very sensible long cowl, scarf, or combination hood and scarf.

EZ Pillbox

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This is a lesson in what a difference a half-stitch in gauge makes. It is supposed to be three stitches to the inch, not 2.5. But I’ve had two skeins of Classic Elite’s Weekend Waterspun in my stash for years and this hat looked to be the pattern that yarn was waiting for. Plus I basically have a pumpkin for a head and I come from a family with other pumpkin heads. I do like loose hats, but this one is probably pushing it. I may felt it and, if I do, I’ll circle back around and post the results.

This is Pillbox Hat from Knit One, Knit All, Schoolhouse Press’s new book of Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Garter Stitch Designs. The book is a real charmer. Filled with original comments by EZ, copies of her notes on the patterns, including more of her water color paintings. Garter stitch star booties, clever shaped hats, mittens that fit on either hand, gloves worked flat, and beautiful sweaters and vests. As always with EZ, and garter stitch, the look has a homely quality to it–meant in a good way as conjuring up all things cozy.

The projects are starting to sprout on Ravelry and the Zimmermaniacs are knitting up a storm. Jared Flood has a wonderful blog entry on the book, complete with photos of two never-photographed-before hats that EZ knitted for a neighbor, Joan Morhard Smith (who knew the guru of modern knitting as “Betty”). I bet Betty would be pleased that her daughter (Meg Swanson) was able to publish the garter stitch book EZ’s publishers thought would not sell. They are going to be proven wrong. 

More EZ Mittens

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norwegianmitts2

This is another Elizabeth Zimmermann pattern: Norwegian Mittens.  The I-cord band is used to pick up stitches for the cuff.  Quite an ingenious and elegant beginning to a mitten.  The two-color work knit in wool makes for a very warm mitten.  These have been worn for several seasons and aren’t tired yet.  A fun pattern.  A classic design.

norwegianmitts

EZ Does It

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img_2980_lowres“EZ.”  Elizabeth Zimmermann to non-knitters.  She is widely accepted as the mother of modern knitting.  Some call her the Jerry Garcia of knitting.  When she died in 1999, her NY Times obituary said  that she “brought a penetrating intellect and a sculptor’s sensitivity to revolutionizing the  ancient art of knitting.”  It quoted from the preface of one of Zimmermann’s early books, “Knitters Almanac:”  “In knitting there are ancient possibilities.  The earth is enriched with the dust of millions of knitters who have held wool and needles since the beginning of sheep.”

Knitters will know that the hat is Zimmermann’s spiral hat.  It is the warmest hat there is–knitted of superbulky weight wool from her company, Schoolhouse Press, now run by Zimmermann’s daughter Meg Swanson.  (The acorn did not fall far from the tree.  Swanson is a master knitter, knit designer and teacher.)  And the mittens?  They are Sideways Mystery Mittens, knit in bold colors to show off the construction of the mitten. At a first knit, a knitter will be half way through the mitten before she sees how its shape is forming.  Zimmermann rediscovered the use of the moebius in knitting.  And ribwarmers.  And socks, oh my–could Elizabeth design socks.  Near the end of her life, we are told Elizabeth could not knit.  I am happy for her that she did not remember what she was missing.  Knitters around the world continue to find inspiration in  her ground-breaking body of work.  She encouraged knitters  to free themselves from the tyranny of the pattern and gently prodded us  “blind followers” to enrich our craft by finding its new and old expressions.

You know those ubiquitous plastic chairs that have popped up everywhere?  I am about to start knitting two chair covers for my beige pair.  I want to use Yuvinia Yuhadi’s “Not So Ubiquitous Knitted Chair” pattern, but I want to do it my own way.  I have stashed the yarn.  I have studied books and charts for inspiration.  I have read Yuhadi’s pattern. Blind following is easy. EZ’s call for bushwhacking your own knitting trail is harder.

“Knit on, with confidence and hope, through all crises.” Elizabeth Zimmerman