Knits-N-Purrs

Where am I?

2010-10-10T14:56:00.001-07:00

If you want to find me, click here.

I'm still here but...

2010-08-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a long time since I posted, but all of my knitting updates are on Ravelry, and I am getting really tired of Blogspot.

I do have another blog, but that is not specific to knitting - just random thoughts now and again. I may add more knitting content to it, because it's on Tumblr and I like Tumblr a lot better than Blogspot, and I do want to keep blogging. I'm just not sure if it will be on a regular basis. (not that I blogged regularly before, but since Ravelry, my blogging quota has gone way down).

I have been knitting, though, and knitting a lot!

Cuddly Wuddly

2010-04-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

Ok - I have a problem....

How can I work on this...

when something so CUTE is either curled up on my lap....

or curled up on my project????

King of the Roost!

Finally a reprieve - take it to work to work on!!!

Spring has Sprung!

2010-04-09T15:33:00.000-07:00

I'll use these to make the Crochet Bag by Lucy of Attic 24.

Gigity gigity

2010-03-20T12:58:00.000-07:00

I love you, Dad

2010-02-23T08:50:00.000-08:00

March 10, 1938 - February 19, 2010

Blueberry Wine (I mean Vine).

2010-02-17T07:24:00.000-08:00

I am knitting the Vine Yoke Cardigan for my Ravelympics 2010 project. It is a pattern by Ysolda Teague.

The Vine Yoke Cardigan has a very unique construction. It’s a real joy knitting something so different and watching how it becomes a garment. However, because of the odd shape that it takes, I find it kind of bulky and in the way when I am knitting back on the short rows. It kind of pushes up on the cable of my circular needle.

I have completed the right front & sleeve and have just begun the back. The thought of knitting 102 rows is kind of putting me off, right now, but I will persevere & knit on, although last night, I only knit about 8 rows….

The cabled yoke is getting very puffy, but hopefully, I can smooth that out in the blocking.

I think the biggest issue I have encountered so far is that my wrapped stitches are turning out really loose. I may have to run some yarn through them “creatively” when it is all said & done to hide the looseness.

Cables, garter and yarn - oh my!

2010-02-11T17:46:00.001-08:00

Progress pictures of my Baby Cables and Big Ones Too sweater.

Love is a many splendid stitches

2010-02-05T06:54:00.000-08:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this sweater I am knitting. It's a pattern by Suvi Simola and it's called Baby Cables and Big Ones Too. It was love at first sight. As soon as I saw this, I knew I just had to knit it. It's so unusual and so stunning and so design savvy. This is the first time I have ever come across a pattern in which I was struck so profoundly.

And it is such a joy to knit. The pattern is very easy to follow, although I have to admit it was daunting at first. But, I wrote out the charts and aligned them in the correct order and am having no difficulty at all knitting this little gem. I'm using Filatora di Crosa Zara in Oatmeal and it is very soft. And with garter stitch, it is extra squishy.

I love the pattern; I love the design; I love the cables; I love the garter stitch; I love the yarn; I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS PROJECT!!!

I had thought about knitting this for the Ravelympics 2010, rather than the Vine Yoke Cardigan, but I wanted to start on this right away, and as you know, anything knit for the Ravelympics cannot be cast on until opening ceremonies on February 12. So my beautiful, wonderful Baby Cables and Big Ones Too will forego olympic fame...

Ravelympics Update #1: Training

2010-01-22T08:28:00.000-08:00

I plan to begin my Ravelympics training (TEAM KNITMORE) this weekend (ball winding & swatching)!!!! I am going to knit the Vine Yoke Cardigan from Twist Collective, Fall 2009 using Cascade Lana D'Oro in the starry night colorway. The pattern is by Ysolda Teague.

Photo from Twist Collective, Fall 2009

Cascade Lana D'Oro - Starry Night; Photo from Jimmy Beans Wool

WOW!!

2010-01-14T07:02:00.001-08:00

It's only January 14, 2010 & I have already started & COMPLETED 3 projects!!!!!!!!!!

Ravelry link: Baby Surprise Jacket for Barbara's great grandson.

Ravelry link: Baby Surprise Jacket for Jorge's granddaughter.

Ravelry link: Baby Ruffle Hat for Jorge's granddaughter.

It's just not that black & white...

2010-01-11T13:57:00.001-08:00

Ravelry link: Baby Surprise Jacket #4 for Barbara's great grandson.

BSJ #4

2010-01-09T16:13:00.000-08:00

Well, I have started my fourth Baby Surprise Jacket. I don't know why, but this pattern has really captivated me and has kept me quite interested, so much so, that I scrounged around for yarn (I do not really have a stash to speak of) and found some "disgusting" acrylic yarn (Caron Simply Soft). I'm using it because I do not have anything else to use right now. It will be sturdy/durable and very easy care for whomever is going to get this. I have not quite decided who I am giving this to. It was originally going to be for a co-worker of mine who recently had her 2nd great grandson. He was born around Thanksgiving, 2009. But, because of the yarn I am using, this BSJ is coming out a little larger than I thought it would. Barb could still use it, but she'd probably have to wait at least a year before her great grandson could wear it.

This is what I had knit for her for her first great grandson.

Ravelry link: Baby Surprise Jacket #4 for TBD.

Charlotte wearing her BSJ & hat

2010-01-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

Isn't Charlotte just such a little cutie pie???? That's why I couldn't resist knitting her a few things.

Charlotte & her mom, Heather

Ravelry link: Baby Surprise Jacket and Baby Ruffle Hat

Another BSJ is complete!

2010-01-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

Ravelry link: Baby Surprise Jacket for Jorge's soon-to-be granddaughter. This is BSJ #3. I added several eyelet rows (K2TOG, YO) and knit an attached i-cord bind off with butto hole. YouTube video of the attached i-cord bind off & button hole technique is at the end of this post.

Attached I-Cord Button Hole

Favorite Kitty!!!!!

Attached I-Cord Bind Off & Button Hole from Lorilee Beltman (Knitting Nuggets)

Extra Fluffy Marshmellow Fluff

2010-01-01T14:36:00.001-08:00

Jazz-Purr

New Year's Kitty

2009-12-31T20:37:00.001-08:00

Jazz-Purr

Baby Surprise Jacket #2

2009-12-31T20:21:00.001-08:00

I finished the Baby Surprise Jacket for Charotte which goes with her Baby Ruffle Hat.

Charlotte's Baby Surprise Jacket ravelry link.

Marshmellow Fluff

2009-12-28T11:16:00.001-08:00

Jazz-Purr

Scooter

Charlotte's Baby Ruffle Hat

2009-12-28T11:00:00.001-08:00

I made this baby ruffle hat for the granddaughter of a co-worker of mine. This was a really simple but fun pattern to knit, and only took a few hours. I have a lot of left over yarn so I am going to make a matching Baby Surprise Jacket also and hope that I have enough yarn to complete it. I used Bernat Baby Jacquards.

My boss is having a granddaughter in February (his first grandchild), so I think I may make this hat again, along with a matching Baby Surprise Jacket for him, too.

Charlotte's Baby Ruffle Hat ravelry link.

Completed Cranberries

2009-12-22T14:03:00.001-08:00

Cranberry Mocha ravelry link.

Cranberry Blocking Pictures

2009-12-21T15:14:00.000-08:00

Cranberry Mocha ravelry link.

Cranberry Mocha

2009-12-20T10:28:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I knit a whole sweater without mentioning it in my blog, so here's the scoop....

I just finished Cranberry Mocha and it is now patiently drying on the blocking board. The pattern is the Moch Cardi by Gudrun Johnson and it is extremely well written.

I used Lorna's Laces Swirl DK in the cranberry colorway and this has got to be one of the most beautiful colors ever.

I will post pictures of the completed sweater soon.........

I am still in the sweater mood so I am actually thinking about restarting this, although fair isle & I have not gotten along very well. This will be my 3rd attempt, and three time's a charm, right? I'm going to rip it out and start over.

My cats will soon be happy because...

2009-11-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

...their Pinwheel Blanket is now blocking. It will be ready for them to cuddle up in, in no time.

Three Bags Full purchase

2009-10-28T15:58:00.000-07:00

Found something perfect to hold my Kitty Pinwheel blanket.

**click on each picture to enlarge it**

Etsy store, Three Bags Full

Rather be knitting...

2009-10-27T08:01:00.001-07:00

I really want to be knitting right now, rather than sitting here at my desk at work.

I decided to knit up the pinwheel blanket again. The first one I made was for a coworker's baby. This one is for my 3 cats. I am making it out of my leftover sock yarn. I had made 4 scarfs out of the left overs, previously, but decided to knit something different this time. I really loved the way the scarves turned out though, but enough is enough - time to knit something for the kitties.

The Kitties

SCOOTER

JAZZ-PURR

CLEO

Kitty Pinwheel Blanket

April's Baby Pinwheel Blanket

Patchwork Scarf

Z is for Zeeger & M is for Metro

2009-10-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

I finished my Zeegers, which are a cross between a tiger and a zebra.

They are the Diagonal Lace Socks from Wendy's book, Socks from the Toe Up. I have finished two of her patterns from her book in just two weeks. I am now a die-hard toe-up fan. What has made it so enjoyable is Judy's Magic Cast On. This makes the toes so much easier. I am also using Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off. YouTube videos of both of these techniques are below.

The first pair I made of Wendy's were the Riding on the Metro Socks.

Judy's Magic Cast On:

Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off:

Blah!

2009-10-14T08:52:00.001-07:00

••just another day in sunny California...••

A is for Addison

2009-10-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

Addison's dress is finished.

I found cute little butterfly buttons.

The things you can do with an iPhone

2009-10-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

My brother is arriving into San Francisco for a family visit. This was taken on descent and then later eMailed. Aren't iPhones wonderful????

Pastels for Addison

2009-09-30T07:59:00.001-07:00

A co-worker of mine just had a little girl so I am knitting her a cute little dress. It's the Little Sister's Dress by Tora Frøseth.

I love how this pattern is knit - top down and seamless (yea!).

Monkeys are swinging from the trees!

2009-09-23T13:17:00.001-07:00

I finished my Monkey socks! And -- I finally got the kitchner stitch right. I was doing all the steps properly, I just wasn't carrying the working yarn to the front and under the needles. But, by George, I think I've got it!

Modifications to the pattern:
• 5 pattern repeats in the leg rather than 6
• Eye of partridge heel

Here's a good YouTube video of the kitchner stitch:

I also like this one.

I am sitting here at work...

2009-09-14T13:24:00.001-07:00

...and all I want to do is knit.

Block Party

2009-09-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

Miss Honeychurch is soaking....

Miss Honeychurch's block party location....

Miss Honeychurch is blocking....

Anyone got a banana?????

2009-09-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

Introducing: SPUNKY MONKEY SPUMONI

I've finally begun Cookie A's Monkey socks from the 2006 Winter issue of Knitty. I have coveted this pattern since it first came out but had not gotten around to knitting it until now. I love, love, love the pattern. I also really love the yarn. I am using KnitPicks Felici in the Gelato colorway. It is sooooooo soft. I would categorize the yarn as a light fingering weight - very, very thin. The yarn is especially delightful to work with.

I also had made these with the yarn, another Cookie A pattern (Pomatomus), and fell in love with the yarn back then.

And joy of joys, the new Knitty, Fall 2009, just came out and there is yet another sock pattern, Clandestine, by Cookie A that is in my knitting future!

PERFECT NUMBER COMBINATION: 09.09.09...

2009-09-09T15:54:00.000-07:00

...and oh yea, it's my birthday! Couldn't get better numbers than that!

I cast off Miss Honeychurch at lunch today. I just need to block her & then I'll post pictures.

AC/DC freebie

2009-09-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

We had won free tickets to the AC/DC Black Ice Tour a couple months back and attended the concert last night.

Back to where I was...

2009-08-27T11:23:00.001-07:00

...before my swim in the frog pond.

Miss Honeychurch - 2nd time around

Here's the first version:

There's not a whole lot of difference, but I'm happy with my 2nd attempt. I'm going to add about 2 more inches to the length and then complete the sleeves.

Here we go again

2009-08-20T08:22:00.000-07:00

Frogged Miss Honeychurch last night and re-cast on. I'm about 20 rounds in.

Goodbye, Honey

2009-08-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

I have decided to frog & start over. I LOVE the drape of the hemp fabric so I want my Miss Honeychurch to have a little more drape when worn. Right now, there is too much negative ease so I am going to go up a size and hopefully gain some more drape. My gauge swatch turned out to be a whole lot looser than my actual knitting (I didn't intend to have any negative ease) so to the frog pond I go...

Honeychurch progress

2009-08-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

Honey Bunches of Crunch!!!

2009-08-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

Ahhh - Miss Honeychurch.....

This is from the Summer 2009 issue of Knitty. I was inspired to knit this from Chrissy from the Manic Purl podcast. I am using Allhemp6 in the Sprout colorway. I really love using this yarn - the texture, the feel, the spongie-ness. I've heard some people say that this yarn hurts their hands as they knit with this, but I have not had a problem. My biggest issue with this yarn is that so far, all of my skeins have had a knot in them. In addition, one skein had about 2 feet of a broken ply. For the price, I would think the yarn would have a little better quality control.

frayed ply

Monterey the Beautiful

2009-08-14T08:44:00.001-07:00

We were in Monterey this past weekend for a family wedding and I was able to wear my Fiery Bolero. It was perfect for the cool evening wedding.

A seagull outside the Duck Club Grill at the Monterey Plaza Hotel (picture taken from inside through the window - not bad!!)

"Flora & Fauna": Monterey, along 17 Mile Drive

The gorgeous but grey Monterey, along 17 Mile Drive

The infamous LONE CYPRESS (over 250 years old): Monterey, along 17 Mile Drive

Monterey, along 17 Mile Drive

Rick Update

2009-08-04T13:40:00.001-07:00

I Love Lucy (I Mean - Ricky!)

2009-07-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

I just started the July sock for Cookie A's Sock Innovation KAL. It's Rick, one of my favorites from the book. But, because I cast on on the 26th, I doubt I will finish by the 31st. Oh, well, I'll just tag a long the side lines quietly. I'm using Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock, medium weight, Bella Coola.

Blocking Bolero

2009-07-27T09:28:00.000-07:00

My Fiery Bolero is finished and now blocking. I really enjoyed this knit and will probably make another one. I didn't even mind all the picking up of stitches.

Big Bad Bolero

2009-07-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

I'm going to a wedding in August so decided to knit a cute little bolero for my "little black dress" that I am going to wear. I chose Fiery Bolero from the Summer 2005 issue of Interweave Knits. It's a pattern by Debbie Bliss.

I was really, really good and swatched, swatched, swatched. The pattern calls for size 5 US needles & DK weight yarn. I am knitting this with Crystal Palace Yarns Panda Silk DK in black. Well, this so called DK weight yarn is more like sport weight, so I couldn't get gauge until I went up to size 7 US. This made the fabric a little too loose for my taste, but I decided to go ahead with it anyway.

I knit the entire thing except for the ribbed border. As I was knitting this, I could not help but notice that the sleeves looked too wide. I kept going anyway. I finished it and pinned it together to try it on. Yup - sleeves are way toooooo big. The fit itself is good (without the border), but, once I add the ribbed border, well, can we say FROG POND????????.

Needless to say, I have begun this all over again on size 5 needles. I'm not sure if this will now be a little too small, but I really liked the fabric knit on size 5's. And, if it is a little small, I can always block it to the right dimensions (I hope). So, here we go again. It's a good thing I'm a process knitter, because I don't mind at all that I have to start over, even though I was almost finished with the first attempt.

Here are some pictures of the first go round. I'll post new pics with the new & improved smaller size once it's complete. I just hope I can complete this by the wedding which is August 8...

To Dream a Dream - Reverie

2009-07-10T08:11:00.000-07:00

I had some yarn that I had initially intended to knit for socks, but it was a bit too thick for my taste so I decided to make a beret instead. This is Reverie, a free pattern on Ravelry. I'm not a big hat wearer, so I may only wear this at home.

Catching-Up on some Sunshine

2009-07-10T07:59:00.001-07:00

Here's some pictures of my Sunshine socks from Cookie A's book Sock Innovation. It's for the June KAL.

Kai-Mei of the Sea (mermaid colorway)

2009-05-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

I frogged my Lilac Kai-Mei's and cast on with a solid color -
Kai-Mei #2. It's in KnitPicks Essential in Mermaid.

The right sock is complete.

Decision Time

2009-05-13T12:12:00.000-07:00

I think I am going to frog my Kai-Mei's and use a different yarn. I think the yarn is just too busy for the pattern.

Kai-Mei

2009-05-06T12:24:00.000-07:00

I am working on Kai-Mei from Cookie A's book, Sock Innovation. I've joined the Sock Innovation KAL on ravelry. Each month, we vote on one pattern from the book and one pattern from any of Cookie's other patterns. For May, we chose Kai-Mei from the book, and Pomatomus. I had knit a pair of Pomatomus for my Mother back in March, so I am going to knit Kai-Mei for the KAL.

I'm using 100% merino wool, lace weight, from 100Purewool in the Sangria colorway. Because it's lace weight, I cast on 72 sts rather than the 66 sts that the pattern called for.

Needless to say, the socks look pretty tiny in the 3x3 rib. My son couldn't believe that it was an actual pair of socks, because they were so small.

Here they are slightly stretched. I have not tried them on yet to make sure of the fit, but I am pretty sure they will fit. I do have small feet, after all (US 5 1/2). This yarn is nice & springy, and soft to boot (excuse the pun)!

Montavilla...

2009-05-05T07:07:00.001-07:00

...is frogged.

She hopped into the frog pond on Friday, May 1, 2009.

Montavilla & Spiral Bound

2009-04-28T08:01:00.000-07:00

I have begun the Montavilla Market Bag from KnitPicks. I loved the colors of the organic cotton and though this was a good way to use all 4!

I also took a trip to FEDEX-Kinkos and fixed up some of my favorite books so they can now lie flat! I had been toying with this idea for a very long time, now, but had always chickened out. I recently saw some photos and decided it was finally time to take the plunge. I couldn't be happier. The books came out fantastically.

Roses for Glynis

2009-04-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

These roses are from my garden & remind me of Glynis...

THE STATS
Pattern: Glynis, by Cookie A.
Source: Sock Innovation
Date: Cast On 04.07.09 // Cast Off 04.26.09
Yarn: KnitPicks Essential, 2 skeins; Confetti Multi
Needles: Size 1 US (2.25mm); KnitPicks
Note: Magic Loop; 2 socks at once

Glynis: 4 pattern repeats complete

2009-04-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

I am working on Glynis, the first pattern in Cookie A's new book, Sock Innovation. I LOVE her patterns - they are absolutely ingenious. I just finished Pomatomus (my ravelry link), which was a birthday gift for my mom. I plan on making another pair for myself. Pomatomus is a free pattern on Knitty and can be found here.

Here's my progress on Glynis:

THE STATS
Pattern: Glynis, by Cookie A
Source: Sock Innovation
Date: Cast On 04.07.09
Yarn: Knit Picks Essential, Confetti Multi; 2 skeins
Needles: Size 1 US (2.25mm), KnitPicks Harmony circular needles
Method: Magic Loop

Catch-Up

2009-04-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

I think I had better catch up on some of my projects. Complete details and additional pictures are on Ravelry.

Knotty or Knice socks by Chrissy Gardner
Knotty or Knice-Ravelry, October 2008

Career Check by Kathy Zimmerman
Career Check-Ravelry, December 2008

Simplicity by Janel Laidman, The Eclectic Sole
Simplicity-Ravelry, March 2009

Pomatomus by cookiea
Pomatomus-Ravelry, April 2009

Progress

2008-09-29T12:11:00.001-07:00

It's Good To Be King!

2008-09-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

As the great Mel Brooks once said, "Ahhh, it's good to be king," or at least, in my case - it's good to be knitting socks again. After a VERY long hiatus from sock knitting I'm back at it again, only this time it's not for me. It's for a friend of mine from work. I actually tried to teach her to knit socks last summer--she still has the yarn, but no socks. She asked me last week if I'd make her a pair of socks, so I've got her unused yarn and I cast on last night.

I'm going to knit the Knotty or Knice socks from Interweave Knits, Fall 2008. I was originally going to make Pomatomus, but when I saw these, I just had to knit them up. I think this will be only my 3rd toe-up pair and the first time I've ever knit socks for anyone other than myself. I'm a little worried about the fit since I've never knit socks for anyone else (& she lives about 2 hours away - so she can't try them on in progress), but hopefully it will all work out.

Photo courtesy of Interweave Knits, Fall 2008

I used Judy's Magic Cast On with a lot of difficulty (in fact one toe was cast on using the Magic CO and the other toe was cast on with the Figure 8 Cast On since the Magic CO did not work out the 2nd time around). It's the first time I tried the Magic Cast On and it is just not clicking yet. BUT - I just went to YouTube and lo & behold, what did I find, but Cat Bordhi's video of the Magic Cast On!. Hooray!!! Wish I had seen this last night...Oh well. The toes look OK, so I'll just keep on going.

THE STATS
Pattern: Knotty or Knice by Chrissy Gardiner
Source: Interweave Knits, Fall 2008
Date: Cast On 09.22.08
Yarn: Sandnes Mandarin Petit, 2 skeins; Pink; 100% Cotton
Needles #1: Size 1 US (2.25mm); KnitPicks Harmony Options, 40"
Method: Magic Loop; 2 Socks at Once

Baby Knitting

2008-09-15T12:24:00.001-07:00

Wow - It's been about 2 1/2 months since I last posted. I guess I had better get caught up. I've completed 3 more knitterly items since I last posted:

• Jester Hat (Ravelry link). The pattern, by Wooly Workhead, can be found as a free download directly from ravelry or from here.

• Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman (Ravelry link). I knit this for the Ravelympics & I am happy to say I made it to the finish line!!!!

• Pinwheel Blanket (Ravelry link). This project was also entered in the Ravelympics but did not make it to the finish line on time. I missed it by just a few hours - oh well.... The pattern, by Genia Planck, can be found here.

All three of these are gifts for April at work. She's having a baby in early January. A the time when I was knitting them, she did not know what she was having, but liked browns so hence the colors of the sweater and blanket. We now know she's having a girl, although she's not big on pink, so I'm not sure any of the above would have been in pink anyway. Well - maybe they would have been - I LOVE pink.

27 or 30? - that is the question

2008-07-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

My Voyager Lace Stole is coming along quite nicely. I'm just not sure yet whether I am going to knit just the 27 pattern repeats called for in the pattern or knit a few extras (I'm thinking 30 total repeats). I've finished 26 repeats so I'll check out the length after one more repeat and see how I like it.

Based on the pattern as written, I am 94% complete, having knit 15,102 stitches. If I increase the total stitch count and add 3 additional pattern repeats, I'll be at 85% complete. At either rate, I should be finished within a few days, depending on much knitting time I get in the evenings.

Voyager Progress & Ravelympics

2008-07-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

Well, after almost a month hiatus from knitting (I just have not been in the mood), I've picked up the needles once again and have worked on my Voyager Lace Stole. Here's where I am at:

• 47% complete; 7,555 stitches
• 127 pattern rows complete
• cast on edge - picot edge complete

I decided to knit the picot edge before completing the entire stole first because the extra yarn I left at the cast on was beginning to get too splitty. And, the little ball I had rolled it into was getting annoying, anyway. I unzipped the provisional cast on & picoted away!!! I did not run into too much difficulty with the unzipping - anticipation of having to do it was much worse than the actual unzipping.

I really like working with this yarn - Lion Brand Cotton-Ease. In fact, I may knit the Pinwheel Baby Blanket in this. April, from work, is going to have a baby in late December/early January (her 2nd one) so I have been perusing baby patterns and fell in love with this blanket. I'll start it August 8 to coincide with the opening ceremony of Ravelympics! I'm entered in the Baby Dressage as well as the Sock Put, so I'll be making a pair of socks, as well.

Voyager Lace Stole - a sneak peek

2008-06-20T12:42:00.001-07:00

Ravelry Link: Voyager Lace Stole

THE STATS
Pattern: Voyager Lace Stole; (ravelry pattern link)
Source: Elann.com
Date: Cast On 06.17.08
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease, Almond
Needles: Size 9 US (5.5mm); KnitPicks Harmony Options
Note #1: Provisional cast on

Endlessly Long

2008-06-20T07:42:00.001-07:00

My Endless Summer top is finally complete. It took about 3 months to complete because I had to redo the sleeves. After finishing one sleeve, I realized it was going to be waaaaay too big so I frogged it and recalculated it to a smaller size. And unfortunately, I had TWO sleeves to rip out since I knit them 2 at a time! Then, once I reknit both sleeves I just could not bring myself to finish the darn thing - knitter's block I guess....Anyway, I finally did - and voila!

Ravelry Link: Endless Summer Redux

THE STATS
Pattern: Endless Summer by Katherine Hunt
Source: Knitter's 87, Summer 2007
Date: Cast On 03.05.08 // Cast Off 06.01.08
Yarn: Patons Grace, black, red & pink
Needles: Size 6 US (4.0mm); KnitPicks Harmony Options
Note #1: Knit in the round

Ribbed Lace Bolero

2008-04-03T07:30:00.001-07:00

I finished my Ribbed Lace Bolero. It was an easy, quick knit and I absolutely loved working with the Lion Brand Cotton Ease. I was amazed at how so soft & silky it feels! I'm going to use it again to make this (pattern link) - the Voyager Lace Stole (ravelry link).

Ravelry Link: Ribbed Lace Bolero

THE STATS
Pattern: Ribbed Lace Bolero by Kelly Maher
Source: Kelly Maher - 10 Feet High
Date: Cast On 03.22.08 // Cast Off 03.29.08
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease, 1.5 skeins; Snow
Needles #1: Size 8 US (5.0mm) for ribbing; KnitPicks Harmony Options
Needles #2: Size 10.5 US (6.5mm) for lace; KnitPicks Harmony Options
Note #1: Ribbing: 3"
Note #2: Lace: 15.5"

Call a doctor....

2008-03-06T12:44:00.000-08:00

I've got a bad case of START-ITIS. I found another project I want to start, the Ribbed Lace Bolero.

Photo & Pattern courtesy of Kelly Maher

I had cast on for Endless Summer Tuesday night but had to start over last night because I was knitting it in the round and I discovered I had twisted the join. It was the first time I have ever done that. You'd think that after all of the socks that I have knit that I would know better. Go figure. I'm working with Patons Grace, not the easiest yarn to work with, so I've decided to just knit the back & front separately as the instructions call for and deal with the dreaded seaming when the time comes. My first ES was knit in the round. I had used Lion Brand Micro Spun - a much easier yarn to work with.

I want to start the HoneyBee Stole NOW. And I want to start the Ribbed Lace Bolero. The bolero will be an extremely quick project. I just fell in love with it. And of course, where did I find it, but on Ravelry!

The buzz around town is...

2008-03-04T12:45:00.000-08:00

I think I may begin the HoneyBee Stole soon. I was all set to cast on for another Endless Summer top (by Katherine Hunt) tonight (& I think I still will) but I was buzzzzzzzing around Ravelry this morning and couldn't resist the sweet pull of the honey bee. I'm thinking of using my stash of Claudia Handpainted Silk Lace in Earth. I was going to use this for the Swallow Tail Shawl but never really got going on this.

HoneyBee Stole photo courtesy of Knitspot.com Pattern Shop

For Endless Summer, I'm going to make it a size smaller this time because my first attempt came out a bit large. I'm also going to knit it in Patons Grace in black, red & pink, pretty much the same color combo as from the original pattern. The only difference is that I'm going to put the red where the pink is and the pink where the red is.

Endless Summer photo courtesy of Knitter's 87, Summer 2007

J has started Track & Field and I figure knitting Endless Summer at his meets & invitationals will be much easier than knitting the stole. So during the downtime when he's not running, I can be knitting!

Hopping Wallaby

2008-03-03T08:54:00.000-08:00

I finished the wallaby for B and she loved it. She was completely surprised by the gift and very appreciative which is always nice. The sweater is for her GREAT grandson who was just born last week.

THE STATS
Pattern: The Wonderful Wallaby
Source: Cottage Creations
Date: Cast On 02.09.08 // Cast Off 03.02.08
Yarn: Bernat Berella "4", 2 skeins; Grey Ragg
Needles #1: Size 6 US (4.0mm) for ribbing; KnitPicks Harmony Options
Needles #2: Size 8 US (5.0mm) for body, sleeves & hood; KnitPicks Harmony Options
Note #1: Size 2 (Wanda Wallaby)
Note #2: For Joseph Michael Edward, GREAT grandson of Barbara M.

LB Hoodie & Wallaby

2008-02-29T10:54:00.000-08:00

It's been a month - I know. I just haven't felt like posting. I haven't felt much like knitting either, although I did complete the Lion Brand Hoodie and I am just about finished with yet another Wallaby. This is for a little boy who is 2 days old. He was about 3 weeks early and is a GREAT grandson of a co-worker of mine. Hopefully, I'll have the Wallaby finished this weekend so I can give it to B on Monday.
The LB Hoodie was a big hit. I found the cutest little doggie buttons.

THE STATS
Pattern: Lion Brand Pattern # 60554A: Cotton-Ease Hoodie
Source: Lion Brand
Date: Cast On 01.29.08 // Cast Off 02.01.08
Yarn: Bernat Berella "4", 2 skeins; Grey Ragg
Needles: Size 8 US (5.0mm), KnitPicks Harmony Options
Note #1: Size 3-6 months

A Giant Leap for Knit Kind

2008-01-29T12:08:00.000-08:00

Well I did it - I cast on for Arrowheads once again from Knitting out of Africa. I did attempt to go continental but found it too awkard so I'm back to throwing, just like in my first attempt. I am trying to knit this a lot looser, so hopefully things will work out better. We'll see.

You can read about my original trip to the frog pond a yeear ago with arrowheads here. Funny - I just looked at the date from my frog pond post - Jaunary 22, 2007. I cast on my second attempt on January 20, 2008, 2 days less than a year after I ripppppped her out!!!! Like I said - FUNNY.

I also just cast on for a baby sweater for a co worker. She's due in mid March. She's having a boy!! I'm using the Lion Brand Pattern # 60554A: Cotton-Ease Hoodie, although I'm not using Cotton-Ease. I was going to originally, but the yarn was not on sale and I was feeling cheap at the time and I am not real friendly with S, so I went with a cheaper yarn (besides I like the color better). I'm using Bernat Berella "4", a worsted weight in the Grey Ragg colorway.

Too cold on the shoulders...

2008-01-23T16:07:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of my Princess Wrap with the buttons sewn on. The sweater is a bit too wide in the neck line to the point where it falls off my shoulders if I am not careful. (...exactly what I feared would happen with this type of design...). I was thinking of knitting some kind of edging along the neck, but instead, I may just sew in a "thingy" in each shoulder that hooks around under the bra strap to hold the shoulders in place. I think that will be easier than trying to figure out an edging that will look right.

WRAPPING THE STATS
Pattern: Wrap Pullover by Cecily Glowik
Source: Classic Elite Publication #9084, Uptown Knitting
Date: Cast On 11.22.07 // Cast Off 01.10.08
Yarn: Classic Elite Princess, 8 skeins; Classic Elite Duchess, 2 skeins; Privileged Plum
Needles #1 - Sleeves & Body: Size 8 US (5.0mm), Clover Bamboo circular needles, 29"
Needles #2 - Hem: Size 10 US (6.5mm), Clover Bamboo circular needles, 29"
Note #1: Knitting sleeve/body two at a time
Note #2: Knit the smallest size for a smaller neckline, but added an extra inch for total width
Note #3: For bottom hem, knit the smallest size, but cast on 4 extra stitches (see note #2 above)

Fetching

2008-01-16T13:20:00.000-08:00

I'm in between projects so decided to make something quick. Because my hands are always freezing, I chose Fetching from the Summer 2006 issue of Knitty. These will be perfect for typing away on the computer at work. HOWEVER, I do find the yarn a bit scratchy on my hands.

This is actually my second pair of Fetching. I made my first pair a little over a year ago for a friend of mine at work. You can read about it here, here & here.

Cleo - my little miss "Tortie-Tude"

FETCHING THE STATS
Pattern: Fetching
Source: from the Summer 2006 issue of Knitty
Date: Cast On & Cast Off Left Hand 01.12.08 // Cast On & Cast Off Right Hand 01.15.08
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, Sapphire Heather (100% Peruvian Highland Wool); 1 skein
Needles: Size 6 US (4.0mm), Susan Bates Silverado circular needles, 32"
Cast On: Cable Cast-On
Method: Magic Loop
Cast Off: Did not follow pattern for bind off (pattern called for picot bind-off). I did a basic bind off. I tried the picot bind off but found it too curly.

Guest Knitter

2008-01-14T11:29:00.000-08:00

I have a guest knitter featured today - my Mom. She just completed a feather and fan afghan with a little help from a furry little cutie-pie.

THE STATS
Source: Stitch Pattern Library from Lion Yarn
Yarn: Red Heart worsted medium 4 ply, Painted Desert
Needles Size 9 US (6.0mm)

Almost a Wrap

2008-01-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

My Princess Wrap Pullover is now blocking. She came off the needles Thursday night and hit the blocks this morning. Once I've seamed her, she & I will take a trip to JoAnn's to pick out some buttons.

The picture below is how she'll look once the seaming is complete. I put the pieces together just to get an idea of how it would look - it's almost like a puzzle.

Pre-blocking // Pre-Seaming

The construction is pretty cool. You knit from the sleeves, starting with the cuff, and you increase and just keep on going into the body, knitting the body horizontally, completing each half of the body in one piece sliced vertically down the middle, so that you are knitting the front & back in one piece, with the right & left sides of the sweater as the two separate pieces. However, I knit both right & left at the same time. CONFUSED????? The bottom band is knit separately and is knit in a slip stitch pattern.

Here's what the pieces look like as they are blocking.

Blocking

Each of the two larger pieces will be folded in half length wise to form each half of the body (right & left). The diagonal side of each piece is the neckline and the longer straight edged part is the sleeve. These two pieces will be seamed into each other to form the body of the sweater.

The bottom band will be sewn on last.

WRAPPING THE STATS
Pattern: Wrap Pullover by Cecily Glowik
Source: Classic Elite Publication #9084, Uptown Knitting
Date: Cast On 11.22.07 // Cast Off 01.10.08
Yarn: Classic Elite Princess, 8 skeins; Classic Elite Duchess, 2 skeins; Privileged Plum
Needles #1 - Sleeves & Body: Size 8 US (5.0mm), Clover Bamboo circular needles, 29"
Needles #2 - Hem: Size 10 US (6.5mm), Clover Bamboo circular needles, 29"
Note #1: Knitting sleeve/body two at a time
Note #2: Knit the smallest size for a smaller neckline, but added an extra inch for total width
Note #3: For bottom hem, knit the smallest size, but cast on 4 extra stitches (see note #2 above)

Last Project for 2007

2007-12-31T14:14:00.000-08:00

The last project I'm working on for 2007 is the Wrap Pullover from the Classic Elite Publication #9084, Uptown Knitting. It's knit with Classic Elite Princess & Duchess. I'm making mine in Privileged Plum. I originally had wanted to knit it in the Raspberry color shown in the pattern photo, but I could not find that color anywhere so I decided on the purple. It's a real interesting knit. You start out from the sleeve cuff and work your way in, knitting the body sideways. I'm knitting the sleeves and front & back at the same time and am just about finished. Then I'll just have to knit up the lower band and voila! - she will be finis!! This won't be finished until 2008, though.

Here are some early pictures of my progress. I have not taken any recent photos.

WRAPPING THE STATS
Pattern: Wrap Pullover by Cecily Glowik
Source: Classic Elite Publication #9084, Uptown Knitting
Date: Cast On 11.22.07
Yarn: Classic Elite Princess, 8 skeins; Classic Elite Duchess, 3 skeins; Privileged Plum
Needles #1 - Sleeves & Body: Size 8 US (5.0mm), Clover Bamboo circular needles, 29"
Needles #2 - Hem: Size 10 US (6.5mm), Clover Bamboo circular needles, 29"
Note #1: Knitting sleeve/body two at a time

Happy New Year!!! Happy New Year!!! Happy New Year!!!

Finished the Duster

2007-12-31T13:37:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I posted. I just have not been in the mood. I've updated ravelry but just have not posted here.

I finished the Tilted Dusted and I love the way it turned out. The blue is such a beautiful color. I have leftover yarn so I am thinking of making myself a pair of Fetching. My hands are always freezing cold. With Fetching, I can type away at the computer all day at work and keep my hands warm. I'll even see if I can knit with them on, too -- we'll see.

Here are some pictures of my duster.

DUSTING OFF THE STATS
Pattern: Tilted Duster by Norah Gaughan
Source: Interweave Knits, Fall 2007
Date: Cast On 10.21.07 // Cast Off 11.16.07 (blocked and seamed and finished with buttons by 11.20.07)
Yarn: 11 skeins Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, Sapphire Heather (100% Peruvian Highland Wool)
Needles: Size 10 US (6.0mm), Clover Bamboo circular needles, 29"
Cast On: Long tail
Note #1: Knit 75 rows of the skirt rather than 83
Note #2: Knit a few less rows on the collar
Note #3: Used the "Revised Horizontal One-Row Buttonhole" from the book, "The Knitter's Book of Finishing Technique's" by Nancie M. Wiseman

Splish Splash

2007-10-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

Well, my Tilted Duster has taken a trip to the frog pond. I had gotten as far as seaming up the sides and shoulders, had picked up 174 stitches along the cast on edge and knit up about 6 rows of the skirt, when I finally decided to take stock of the nagging feeling I'd had. This thing was just going to be a bit too small - a bit too snug for my liking. Even though I had gone up a size in needles to compensate for some extra ease, I still did not like the amount of ease, well, actually - lack of ease that was going on. So - I've started over, using size 10 needles (where my guage was right on anyway) and I'll just make the larger size so I'll have enough ease. Afterall, this is meant to go over a top, so I do need a little extra room.

It's a quick knit, so starting over shouldn't set me back too much.

Tilted Duster

2007-10-22T06:31:00.000-07:00

I started the Tilted Duster yesterday & just love it. The color I chose is absolutely gorgeous - Sapphire Heather in Knit Picks Wool of the Andes. This is going to be a fast knit. I've already completed the back & right front and am more than half way though the left front. I only hope I got the sizing right. I did my guage swatch and was right on, but went up a size in needles to get a slightly looser fit than the 36" size I'm knitting. If I just go up to the next size in the pattern, that would be too big at 40 1/2", so we'll see how it goes.

DUSTING OFF THE STATS
Pattern: Tilted Duster by Norah Gaughan
Source: Interweave Knits, Fall 2007
Date: Cast On 10.21.07
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, Sapphire Heather (100% Peruvian Highland Wool)
Needles: Size 10 1/2 US (6.5mm), Clover Bamboo circular needles, 29"
Cast On: Long tail

Embossed Leaves

2007-10-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

I finished the Embossed Leaves socks from Favorite Socks. I've wanted to make this sock since I first saw it in the Winter 2005 issue of Interweave Knits, and the wait was well worth it. This was a fun, easy, quick pattern. I was not too happy with the yarn itself, but the color is perfect.

THE LEAFY LOW DOWN
Pattern: Embossed Leaves by Mona Schmidt
Source: Favorite Socks, 25 Timeless Designs from Interweave Knits (and also Interweave Knits, Winter 2005)
Date: Cast On 10.01.07 // Cast Off 10.20.07
Yarn: South West Trading Company TOFUtsies (50% superwash wool, 25% soysilk, 22.5% cotton, 2.5% chitin)
Yarn Note: Chitin is fiber from shrimp & crab shells & is naturally antibacterial
Needles: Size 1 US (2.5mm), Addi Turbo circular needles, 47"
Method: Magic Loop, 2S1C, cuff down

FOOTNOTES
FootNote #1: Cast On: Long-tail cast on
FootNote #2: Leg: 2 1/2 pattern repeats
FootNote #3: Heel: Eye of Partridge; 32 rows
FootNote #4: Gusset P/U: 18 sts each side
FootNote #5: Foot: did not add extra stitch for foot (kept it at 64 sts)

I'm In - I'm In - I'm In!!

2007-10-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

I'm in!!!!!! I finally received my invitation to Ravelry - HOORAY!.

I signed up back on August 29, and got my invitation yesterday, so it took about 6 1/2 weeks. I was #29,807 on the list. Wow.

A Lacey Summer's End

2007-10-03T07:22:00.000-07:00

My Summer of Love Lace socks are complete.

THE LACE LOW DOWN
Pattern: Summer of Love Lace Socks by JC Briar
Source: Rockin' Sock Club - August 2007
Date: Cast On 09.19.07 // Cast Off 09.30.07
Yarn: Socks That Rock Yarn, lightweight, Flower Power
Needles: Size 1 US (2.5mm), Addi Turbo circular needles, 47"
Method: Magic Loop, 2S1C, cuff down (after cuff is knit side to side and then joined)

FOOTNOTES
FootNote #1: Cuff: K2, P2 ribbing ; 17 rnds
FootNote #2: Leg: Stockinette; 13 rnds
FootNote #3: Heel: Eye of Partridge; 32 rows
FootNote #4: Heel Turn: 12 rows
FootNote #5: Gusset P/U: 16 sts each side
FootNote #6: Shape Gusset: 20 rnds
FootNote #7: Remainder of Foot: Stockinette; 32 rnds (foot total including gusset-52 rnds)
FootNote #8: Toe decreases: 21 rnds
FootNote #9: 3 needle B/O (16 sts)

Lace Cuffs

2007-09-25T14:36:00.000-07:00

I finished the lace cuffs of my Summer of Love Lace Socks. Here they are blocking. There was alot of pooling on both cuffs, but I guess it just adds character!! The pooling happens in about the same areas on each cuff because I started each one at the same point in the colorway.

THE STATS SO FAR
Pattern: Summer of Love Lace Socks by JC Briar
Source: Rockin' Sock Club - August 2007
Date: Cast On: 09.19.07
Yarn: Socks That Rock Yarn, lightweight, Flower Power
Needles: Size 1 US (2.5mm), Addi Turbo circular needles, 40"
Method: Magic Loop, 2S1C, cuff down (after cuff is knit side to side and then joined)

Fuzzy Finis

2007-09-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

My Fuzzy Feet are all knitted, felted, and fitted!!! HOORAY! I'm not too happy with the stripes not matching, but nothing I can do about that now. At least they're done, they fit, and my feet will be nice and toasty this winter.

Jazz-Purr

THE SCOOP
Pattern: Fuzzy Feet by Teresa Vinson Stenersen
Source: Knitty - Winter 2002
Date: Cast On: 09.18.07 // Cast Off: 09.19.07
Yarn: Patons, Soy Wool Stripes, Natural Pink (1 skein per foot); 70% wool/30% soy
Needles: Size 10 US (6.5mm), Clover Bamboo circular needles, 29"
Method: Magic loop, cuff down

Summer of love, here I come

2007-09-19T14:13:00.000-07:00

Yippee!! I finished my 2nd fuzzy foot at lunch today. The whole thing only took about 3 hours. I'll felt the pair when I get home from work tonight.

So -- I'll be able to start the Summer of Love lace socks from the August Rockin' Sock Club this evening, although I probably won't be able to accomplish a whole lot because it's back to school nite tonight.

Obssessed

2007-09-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

I got up at 5am this morning to start work on the second foot of my second attempt at my Fuzzy Feet. I made it all the way through the gusset decreases in just 2 hours. Now it's just the foot and toe and then washing machine - here I come. I may or may not be able to finish the knitting at lunch today. We'll see.

Unfortunately, the striping is not lining up. I wasn't able to start the color change at the same point on both feet because there is not enough yarn in one skein to do it. Each foot takes almost a complete skein so there's no room to skip parts of color. I suppose I could have cut and spliced, but that would not be fun. Oh, well - I can live with it. Besides, who knows if this pair will even fit. I'll consider myself lucky if they do fit.

The reason for my obssession?? - for my mad dash to the finish line??

I was inspired by this. This is the August Rockin' Sock Club sock, knit by Pat. When I first received the kit, I was very UNINSPIRED. I thought the colorway was awful, but seeing Pat's version truly changed my mind and now I can't wait to get started, but I want to finish my Fuzzy Feet first.

I forgot to take a picture of the hank before I wound it into two balls, so all you get here is a picture of it in the balls and the teeny-weeny hank that comes with it. It is the Socks That Rock light weight yarn, Flower Power. The pattern for August is Summer of Love Lace by JC Briar. The cuff is first worked flat and then joined and the remainder of the sock is then worked in the round from the top down.

Fuzzy Wuzzy

2007-09-18T06:22:00.001-07:00

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy
Was he

---- well ----
my Fuzzy Wuzzy did have hair
---- but ----
my Fuzzy Wuzzy had no flair

My Fuzzy Wuzzy was a weeeeeee bit too small.

So - what am I talking about, you may ask? Well, Fuzzy Feet, of course, from the Winter 2002 issue of Knitty.

I was inspired by Nicole of Stash and Burn fame to knit some Fuzzy Feet. I'm using Patons Soy Wool Stripes. I guess I left my fuzzy foot in the wash too long, because it is a little too tight on my foot, although I can wear it -- but I won't. I plan to make another one to replace it and then make the second foot, making them both a little bigger. Fortunately, I had only made one foot and felted that to see what the outcome would be. The first foot only took about 6 hours to complete, including the felting, so not too bad.

Pre-Felted Fuzzy compared to a normal sized sock

Pre-Felted Fuzzy alone

Post-Felted Fuzzy on my foot - looks OK, but its too tight around my toes
Yikes! It hurts!

Fuzzy & Scooter

THE SCOOP - Fuzzy Wuzzy with no Flair
Pattern: Fuzzy Feet by Teresa Vinson Stenersen
Source: Knitty - Winter 2002
Date: Cast On: 09.17.07 // Cast Off: 09.17.07
Yarn: Patons, Soy Wool Stripes, Natural Pink (1 skeins/1 foot); 70% wool/30% soy
Needles: Size 10 US (6.5mm), Clover Bamboo circular needles, 29"
Method: Magic loop, cuff down

Now that I have a better idea of the felting process I can better guage my next attempt...and here it is.

Post-Felted Fuzzy #1 compared to Pre-Felted Fuzzy #2

This is the second attempt of the first foot. I added 5 extra rows to the cuff, 4 extra rows to the heel flap and 8 extra rows to the foot. I'm going to go ahead and knit up the second foot and felt them both at the same time. If they fit, great. If they don't, oh well. I enjoyed the knitting and that's what really counts.

THE SCOOP - Fuzzy Wuzzy - 2nd attempt
Pattern: Fuzzy Feet by Teresa Vinson Stenersen
Source: Knitty - Winter 2002
Date: Cast On: 09.18.07 // Cast Off: 09.18.07
Yarn: Patons, Soy Wool Stripes, Natural Pink (1 skeins/1 foot); 70% wool/30% soy
Needles: Size 10 US (6.5mm), Clover Bamboo circular needles, 29"
Method: Magic loop, cuff down

...and that's a wrap...

2007-09-17T12:14:00.001-07:00

Charm Wrap is now complete.

THE DETAILS
Pattern: Charm Wrap by Mary Jane Mucklestone
Source: Knitting Daily
Date: Cast On: 08.15.07 // Cast Off: 09.17.07
Yarn: Lion Brand, Vanna's Choice, Silver Blue (7+ skeins); 100% acrylic
Needles - Cast-On: Size 11 US (8.5mm), Clover Bamboo circular needles, 29"
Needles - Lace Pattern: Size 10 US (6.0mm), Clover Bamboo circular needles, 24"
Needles - Body: Size 9 US (5.5mm), Clover Bamboo circular needles, 29"
Needles - Sleeves: Size 9 US (5.5mm), Susan Bates circular needles, 32"
Note: Sleeves were knit in the round using the Magic Loop method

It's 99% A Wrap

2007-09-17T06:22:00.000-07:00

I'm almost finished with my Charm Wrap. I am currenly working on the belt, but only have about an inch or so to go on that and then I have the two belt loops and then I am done. I would guess that would be no more than a half hour more on this project.

I really like the pattern, but I would not use this yarn again. As I had mentioned in my first post regarding this project, I had gone chintzy on the yarn and did not want to spend a whole lot, so I bought Lion Brand, Vanna's Choice. I should have gone with my first thoughts and bought wool, but I didn't. Oh well... Anyway, this is just something to throw on at work when I get cold (which is practically all the time). Where I work, it is extremely casual - jeans everyday, so this sweater will fit right in. (Keynotes from the big boss are self evident of the casualness...).

As usual, Scooter wanted to be a part of the photo shoot.

Back in Blue

2007-08-22T07:57:00.001-07:00

Here's the completed back of my Charm Wrap along with a close-up of the lace edging. I've folded and pinned it in half to help it block a little in anticipation of the dreaded seaming yet to come.

It's a Charm

2007-08-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

I have begun the Charm Wrap from Knitting Daily. I fell in love with this sweater the moment I laid eyes on it. It will be perfect for the upcoming cool weather.

I'm using Vanna's Choice in Silver Blue. I know - it's 100% acrylic, but I did not want to spend a lot on yarn, and I figure this will be a good sweater to just throw on when ever. It's more a casual thing than anything else, to be worn almost entirely with jeans.

I also fell in love with this. It's interesting to see how one size looks on different body types. Here's the link to the pattern. I may be knitting it next...

...although I still have the checkerboard afghan to finish.

Endless Summer Picture

2007-08-09T15:25:00.001-07:00

As promised, here are a couple pictures of my summer top, Endless Summer.

Endless Summer Ends and Do-Overs Begin

2007-08-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

I finished the Endless Summer top on Saturday and will post a picture soon. It came out a little big, but I'd rather have it a little big than too small. However, I do think I could have gotten away with making it in the smaller size. It came out to the exact dimensions I had anticipated, but the way it fits, it just hangs, so a snugger fit may have been more appealing. Oh well - you live and learn. I may make it again - it was a fast & easy knit. Knitting in the round rather than front and back separately certainly saved on seaming. I only had to set in the sleeves and that was not all that bad.

The mesh pattern in the sweater is really pretty. It adds a lot of texture as does the seed stitch. All and all, a great pattern. That's why I may just knit this one again. I very rarely knit the same item twice because I get too bored, but this one just may be a winner. I would change the color combo, though, and use a different yarn - maybe a cotton blend or wool.

HERE ARE THE STATS
Pattern: Endless Summer by Katherine Hunt
Source: Knitter's 87 (Summer 2007)
Date: Cast On: 07.14.07 // Cast Off: 08.04.07
Yarn: Lion Brand, Micro Spun, Lavender, Lime and Buttercup
Needles: Size 5 US (3.75mm), Inox circular needles, 16" and 24"

I just started back into the checkerboard afghan for my son. I had been knitting this, but I ripped that out on Saturday & Sunday (yes - it took 2 days) and started it over in crochet. I did not like using 6 skeins at once - too much tangling up and my floats for the color changes were too big (and discovered too late), so I decided to just start from scratch. I figured I'd try crochet and see how that goes for awhile. I'll post pictures on my progress soon.

This is the checkerboard before it got sent to the frong pond:

I am also going to start the Arrowheads sweater as well. This is the progress I hade made almost a year ago before that got sent to the frog pond because my gauge was waaaay off. I think I am ready to tackle this project again. It's about time I learned two-handed fairisle.

My Next Project...

2007-07-16T06:31:00.000-07:00

...is Endless Summer by Katherine Hunt from Knitter's (K87), Summer 2007

Pics from Knitter's K87, Summer 2007

I actually liked a lot of projects from this issue, so I may be knitting quite a few.

I'm going to knit this particular sweater out of Lion Brand Microspun in lavender, buttercup and lime. I've wanted to try this yarn for quite some time now, despite hearing alot of complaints about its tendency to split, but I had not found that "perfect" pattern that fits the guage. Well, this particular pattern fits the bill. My guage with the microspun is right on. The yarn is so soft and the colors are so fun & frivolous. And -- so far, I have not had an issue with the yarn splitting. I can tell from the yarn ends that the tendency is definately there, but as long as I watch out for that, I do not think it will be a problem.

One change I am making to the pattern is that I am going to knit this in the round. I want to avoid as many seams as possible.

Solstice Slip is 100%

2007-07-15T13:38:00.000-07:00

My Solstice Slip socks are finished. They were a lot of fun to knit, especially because of the wonderful color. The slip stitch pattern and cabling was purrrfect!

I actually finshed them on Jacob's 15th birthday. Happy Birthday, Jacob!!!!!

THE DETAILS
Pattern: The Solstice Slip by JC Briar
Date: Cast On: 06.25.07 // Cast Off: 07.14.07
Yarn: Socks That Rock Yarn, Firebird, light weight
Needles: Size 1 US (2.5mm), Addi Turbo's circular needles, 47"
Method: Magic Loop; 2S1C; Toe-Up

FOOTNOTES
FootNote #1 - CO: Figure 8 Cast On for Toe (size small)
FootNote #2 - Toe Shaping: Short rows, garter stitch
FootNote #3 - Foot: 60 rounds - stockinette sole, pattern on instep (7+ pattern rpts)
FootNote #4 - Heel: Short rows, garter stitch
FootNote #5 - Leg: 40 rounds in pattern (5 pattern rpts)
FootNote #6 - Finish: no cuff ribbing, just bind off in pattern

75% complete

2007-07-15T13:29:00.001-07:00

Here are pictures of my socks at the 75% complete juncture. These were as of July 10. I've completed 21 rounds of the leg (2+ pattern repeats).

22% on Solstice Slip

2007-07-02T06:50:00.000-07:00

I LOVE the colors !!!!!!! And the pattern is great, too. I think Scooter loves the socks as well. I have completed 24 rounds of the foot (3 pattern repeats). I probably will knit 3 more repeats of the pattern before I start the heel -- I'll see how it "measures" up.

Here are some progress pictures of my Solstice Slip.

The Solstice Slip

2007-06-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

I am working on the June sock for the Rockin' Sock Club. The pattern is written for both toe-up and cuff down, and because I have only knit 2 pairs toe-up, I decided I needed more practice, so I am knitting this pair toe-up as well. I've completed the toes (2 socks at once, you know!) and hope to begin the feet tonight. I absolutely love the color of the yarn. It reminds me of summer time and popsicles.

THE DETAILS SO FAR
Pattern: The Solstice Slip by JC Briar
Date: Cast On: 06.25.07
Yarn: Socks That Rock Yarn, Firebird, light weight
Needles: Size 1 US (2.5mm), Addi Turbo's circular needles, 47"
Method: Magic Loop; 2S1C; Toe-Up

FOOTNOTES
FootNote #1 - CO: Figure 8 Cast On for Toe (size small)
FootNote #2 - Toe Shaping: Short rows, garter stitch

A Change of Mind

2007-06-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I was originally going to knit the Swallowtail Shawl, and actually cast on and knit up a couple of rows, but after talking to E in my knitting group, I decided to make a stole instead. I've made so many triangle shaped shawls anyway (which I never wear). In chatting with E, I discovered she was thinking of getting back into lace by knitting a rectangle shawl, and that got me to thinking - a rectangle - why not???

I had been eyeing Eunny Jang's Print O' The Wave Stole for quite some time, now, but had steered away from it because I did not like the fact of knitting the two halves separately and then grafting the halves together. After browsing through Eunny's gallery of other knitter's stoles, I relaized that you could do this all in one piece without grafting. So, that's what I am going to do. At the midway point, I may try reversing the pattern to see if I get the same look as Eunny's original piece, or I may just keep the pattern going in one direction. I'll have to swatch the pattern to see what it does.

In the mean time, I have started the stole and am up to row 26. I'm using 100% silk, lace weight yarn by Claudia Hand Painted Yarns in the Earth colorway.

THE DETAILS SO FAR
Pattern: Print O' The Wave Stole by Eunny Jang
Date: Cast On: 06.19.07
Yarn: Claudia Hand Painted Yarn, Earth, 100% silk, lace weight
Needles: Size 3 US (3.25mm), KnitPicks Classic circular needles, 24"

Back Tracking

2007-06-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

Ok - It's Sunday, June 3, 2007 - a beautiful sunny day in San Francisco - a perfect day for Israel in the Gardens at Yerba Buena Park.

We saw Mah Tovu, with one of our very own rabbis, Rabbi Josh Zweiback, heading up the band.

We saw a superb Russian violinist, Ilya Rayzman.

And we saw the EXCEPTIONAL, INCOMPARABLE Rita!!!!.

We also had the very special treat of seeing Rita's 15 year old daugher, Meshi.

Finished Grasshoppers

2007-06-21T15:44:00.000-07:00

My grasshoppers are now finished. It's a really pretty pattern, although not the most enjoyable one to knit. The P2TOG's were a little tough, but the outcome is well worth the effort! Switching to the pointier KnitPicks needles helped. I'm glad these are done, though.

THE DETAILS
Pattern: Knee High to a Grasshopper by Chrissy Gardiner
Source: Rockin' Sock Club - April 2007
Date: Cast On: 05.15.07 // Cast Off: 06.17.07
Yarn: Socks That Rock Yarn, Walking on the Wild Tide
Needles FootNote #1: Size 2 US (3.0mm), Addi Turbo circular needles, 40"
Needles FootNote #2: SWITCHED @ leg -> Size 2 US (3.0mm), KnitPicks Classic circular, 32"
Method: TOE-UP: 2S1C, Magic Loop

FOOTNOTES
FootNote #1 - CO: Figure 8 Cast On for Toe (size small)
FootNote #2 - Toe Shaping: followed pattern
FootNote #3 - Foot: 46 rounds in pattern
FootNote #4 - Heel/Gusset: followed pattern
FootNote #5 - Leg: 40 rounds in pattern (did not knit any increases in leg, although pattern did call for it)
FootNote #6 - Cuff: 10 rounds (k1, p1)
FootNote #7 - BO: Bound off in K1, P1 (did not follow pattern bind off)