Completed Cranberries

Cranberry Mocha ravelry link.

Cranberry Blocking Pictures

Cranberry Mocha ravelry link.

Cranberry Mocha

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.

Z is for Zeeger & M is for Metro

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:

Monkeys are swinging from the trees!

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.

Anyone got a banana?????

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!

Kai-Mei of the Sea (mermaid colorway)

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

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.

Montavilla...

...is frogged.

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

Montavilla & Spiral Bound

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.

27 or 30? - that is the question

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

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

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

Embossed Leaves

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)

A Lacey Summer's End

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

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)

A Change of Mind

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"

Ta Daa

••DRUM ROLL PLEASE••

My Icarus Shawl is finally complete. It took me 13 days less than a year but I finally did it!!! You can also take a look at Icarus in my gallery of finished objects.

Here she is pre-blocking.

Scooter is giving her "tail" of approval...

Blocking

Blocking close-up

Fashion Line-Up

THE DETAILS
Pattern: Icarus Shawl, by Miriam Felton
Source: Summer 2006 issue of Interweave Knits
Date: Cast On - 05.19.06 // Cast Off - 05.06.07
Yarn: KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud, Autumn (2+ skeins)
Needles: Size 3 US (3.25mm), Inox Grey circular needles, 32"
Pattern Notes: 5 repeats of chart 1
Dimensions: 72" wide across the top; 35" from top center to bottom point; 50" along the sides